Application of Ultrasonic Intensification Technology in the Extraction of Bio-actives from Spent Coffee Grounds and Spent Tea Leaves

Spent coffee grounds (SCG) and spent tea leaves (STL) are leftovers of the two most diffused beverages all over the world, coffee and tea. Functional components commonly found within raw materials, i.e. caffeine and phenolic compounds such as chlorogenic acid, gallic acid, and catechin derivatives, are not fully extracted from coffee grounds and tea leaves during beverage preparation. Therefore, SCG and STL can be regarded as a source of bioactives to be valorised in the formulation of various functional foods and beverages. In the present study, ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and conventional solvent extraction aimed at the recovery of natural antioxidants and caffeine from SCG and STL were compared. In particular, ethanol 60% (v/v) and boiling water were used as solvent media and the effects of two different ultrasound (US) waves amplitudes (80 and 152 µm) and treatment time (5 and 10 min) were investigated. This study closes a literature gap on UAE from SCG and STL using GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) solvents, in particular with water. US had an evident positive effect on the recovery of natural antioxidants when the solvent media was aqueous ethanol. In particular, applying the US treatment at 152 µm for 10 min, the total phenolic compounds content of SCG (24.01 ±0.01 mgGAE/gTS) and STL (243.67 ±12.36 mgGAE/gTS) extracts doubled and quadrupled, respectively. Likewise, caffeine recovery significantly increased after sonication up to 2.19 ±0.02 mg/gTS from SCG and up to 12.74 ±0.36 mg/gTS from STL

Chemical enrichment of the intra-cluster and intergalactic medium in a hierarchical galaxy formation model

(Abridged) We use a combination of high resolution N-body simulations and semi-analytic techniques to follow the formation, the evolution and the chemical enrichment of cluster galaxies in a Lambda-CDM Universe. We model the transport of metals between the stars, the cold gas in galaxies, the hot gas in dark matter haloes, and the intergalactic gas outside virialized haloes. We have compared three different feedback schemes. The `retention' model assumes that material reheated by supernova explosions is able to leave the galaxy, but not the dark matter halo. The `ejection' model assumes that this material leaves the halo and is then re-incorporated when structure collapses on larger scales. The `wind' model uses prescriptions that are motivated by observations of local starburst galaxies. We require that our models reproduce the cluster LF from the 2dF survey, the relations between stellar mass, gas mass and metallicity inferred from new SDSS data, and the observed amount of metals in the ICM. With suitable adjustment of the free parameters in the model, a reasonable fit to the observational results at redshift zero can be obtained for all three feedback schemes. All three predict that the chemical enrichment of the ICM occurs at high redshift with 60-80 per cent of the metals currently in the ICM ejected at redshifts larger than 1. Massive galaxies are important contributors to the chemical pollution. The observed decline in baryon fraction from rich clusters to galaxy groups is reproduced only in an `extreme' ejection scheme, where material ejected from dark matter haloes is re-incorporated on a timescale comparable to the age of the Universe. We explore how the metal abundance in the intergalactic medium as a function of redshift can constraint how and when galaxies ejected their metals.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. 17 pages, 13 figures. Minor changes to submitted versio

5-Hydroxymethylfurfural Formation in Bread as a Function of Heat Treatment Intensity: Correlations with Browning Indices

5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is formed during bread baking as a Maillard reaction product (MRP); it can exert toxicity and it is regarded as a potential health risk because of its high consumption levels in western diets. The aim of this study was to evaluate HMF formation in bread as a function of heat treatment intensity (HTI) and to investigate correlations between HMF and easily detectable browning indices. White breads were baked at 200 °C and 225 °C for different baking times for a total of 24 baking trials. Browning development was evaluated by reflectance colorimetric and computer vision colour analysis; MRP were quantified spectrophotometrically at 280, 360 and 420 nm and HMF was determined by HPLC. HMF concentrations varied from 4 to 300 mg/kg dw. Colour indices (100–L*) and Intensity mean resulted significantly correlated between each other (r = −0.961) and with MRP (r ≥ 0.819). The effects of the different HTI were visualized by principal component analysis and the data were used to evaluate the best fitting regression models between HMF concentration and other browning indices, obtaining models with high correlation coefficients (r > 0.90)

E-nose, e-tongue and e-eye for edible olive oil characterization and shelf life assessment: A powerful data fusion approach

The aim of this work was to investigate the applicability of e-senses (electronic nose, electronic tongue and electronic eye) for the characterization of edible olive oils (extra virgin, olive and pomace) and for the assessment of extra virgin olive oil and olive oil quality decay during storage at different temperatures. In order to obtain a complete description of oil samples, physico-chemical analyses on quality and nutritional parameters were also performed. Data were processed by PCA and a targeted data processing flow-sheet has been applied to physico-chemical and e-senses dataset starting from data pre-processing introducing an innovative normalization method, called t0 centering. On e-senses data a powerful mid-level data fusion approach has been employed to extract relevant information from different analytical sources combining their individual contributions. On physico-chemical data, an alternative approach for grouping extra virgin olive oil and olive oil samples on the basis of their freshness was applied and two classes were identified: fresh and oxidized. A k-NN classification rule was developed to test the performance of e-senses to classify samples in the two classes of freshness and the average value of correctly classified samples was 94%. Results demonstrated that the combined application of e-senses and the innovative data processing strategy allows to characterize edible olive oils of different categories on the basis of their sensorial properties and also to follow the evolution during storage of extra-virgin olive oil and olive oil sensorial properties thus assessing the quality decay of oils

Testing of a VIS-NIR System for the Monitoring of Long-Term Apple Storage

The development of diseases during long-term storage of apples is a well-known issue causing loss of product for warehouses. Non-destructive characterization of fruit can be helpful in order to reduce waste and maximize apple quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of visible and near-infrared (VIS-NIR) spectroscopy to monitor and manage lots of apples during long-term storage in a cold room. A bench-top VIS-NIR apparatus (600-1200 nm) was used to classify apples from two different cultivars, Golden Delicious and Red Delicious, based on their total soluble solids content (TSS). The evolution of the originally created classes was analyzed during 7 months of storage by monitoring TSS and firmness (peak force and penetration energy), and the estimation ability of the VIS-NIR device was evaluated. The results indicate that the spectroscopic technique allows for an accurate estimation of chemical-physical parameters for non-destructive classification of apples in homogeneous lots. Regarding the estimation ability of the compact VIS-NIR spectrophotometer, the results show good prediction ability both for total soluble solids content and firmness indices. The use of the instrument for on-line selection and classification of fruits is therefore desirable. This can lead to better management of postharvest storage and the destination of lots, with a consequent reduction in fruit wastage. This approach is important to plan the opening sequence of storage rooms during the winter season, providing the market with the best available products all year round. \uc2\ua9 2014 Springer Science+Business Media New York

Characterization and differentiation of Italian Parma, San Daniele and Toscano dry-cured hams: A multi-disciplinary approach

This study aimed at characterizing the sensory quality of Italian PDO dry-cured Parma, San Daniele and Toscano hams, applying a multi-disciplinary approach. Ham sensory profile as well as physico-chemical, aromatic, morphological and textural characteristics was investigated. There was a great difference between Toscano ham and Parma and San Daniele hams, which were more similar even though differentiated. Toscano ham showed higher scores for pork-meat odor, saltiness, dryness, fibrousness and hardness; accordingly, this ham was described by a high NaCl content and by high values of instrumental hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess and chewiness. Parma ham was characterized by a cured flavor, whereas San Daniele ham showed a wider fatty area and higher pH values. Parma and San Daniele hamswere also described by higher values of sweetness, RGB color values andwater activity. Sensory characteristics evaluated by trained assessorswere correlated to instrumental measures, indicating that instrumental devices can be effectively applied for dry-cured ham characterization

Atlante del cibo. Uno strumento per le politiche locali del cibo

Documento elaborato all’interno del progetto di ricerca-azione “Costruzione del Piano del Cibo della Città metropolitana di Roma Capitale” seguito dal gruppo di lavoro del CURSA nell’ambito di un Accordo di Collaborazione con la Città Metropolitana di Roma Capitale, e parte integrante del processo di pianificazione strategica per la costruzione del Piano Strategico della Città metropolitana di Roma Capitale “Roma, Metropoli al Futuro”. L’Atlante del Cibo è il passaggio fondamentale per poi delineare le strategie su Agricoltura e Cibo che costituiscono uno degli assi del Piano Strategico Metropolitano. L’Atlante del Cibo è pensato come uno strumento aperto, aggiornabile e integrabile, interfaccia tra chi produce – mediante ricerca o mediante altri canali meno tradizionali – la conoscenza e chi è deputato a prendere le decisioni