Comparative assessment of the quality of commercial black and green tea using microbiology analyses

Drinking tea constitutes a tradition which is deeply rooted in the culture of several countries. Moreover, in recent years, tea consumption is growing all over the world. Improper herbal tea storage (long periods, humid environments) represents a relevant health hazard for consumers because of the growth of bacteria and molds

What is in your cup of tea? DNA Verity Test to characterize black and green commercial teas

In this study, we used several molecular techniques to develop a fast and reliable protocol (DNA Verity Test, DVT) for the characterization and confirmation of the species or taxa present in herbal infusions. As a model plant for this protocol, Camellia sinensis, a traditional tea plant, was selected due to the following reasons: its historical popularity as a (healthy) beverage, its high selling value, the importation of barely recognizable raw product (i.e., crushed), and the scarcity of studies concerning adulterants or contamination. The DNA Verity Test includes both the sequencing of DNA barcoding markers and genotyping of labeled-PCR DNA barcoding fragments for each sample analyzed. This protocol (DVT) was successively applied to verify the authenticity of 32 commercial teas (simple or admixture), and the main results can be summarized as follows: (1) the DVT protocol is suitable to detect adulteration in tea matrices (contaminations or absence of certified ingredients), and the method can be exported for the study of other similar systems; (2) based on the BLAST analysis of the sequences of rbcL+matK±rps7-trnV(GAC) chloroplast markers, C. sinensis can be taxonomically characterized; (3) rps7-trnV(GAC) can be employed to discriminate C. sinensis from C. pubicosta; (4) ITS2 is not an ideal DNA barcode for tea samples, reflecting potential incomplete lineage sorting and hybridization/introgression phenomena in C. sinensis taxa; (5) the genotyping approach is an easy, inexpensive and rapid pre-screening method to detect anomalies in the tea templates using the trnH(GUG)-psbA barcoding marker; (6) two herbal companies provided no authentic products with a contaminant or without some of the listed ingredients; and (7) the leaf matrices present in some teabags could be constituted using an admixture of different C. sinensis haplotypes and/or allied species (C. pubicosta)

Characterisation of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) accessions for the saponin content in Mediterranean environment

Seeds of the Andean seed crop quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) usually contain saponins in the seed coat. Saponins give a bitter taste sensation and are a serious antinutritional factor, therefore selection of sweet genotypes with a very low saponin content in the seeds is a main breeding goal. The objective of this work was to identify, within germplasm lines of quinoa, previously selected for production and quality traits, superior genotypes low in saponins. For this purpose the total saponin content was determined in seeds of eight lines of quinoa and one variety (cv. Regalona Baer) as a control, previously evaluated over a 2-year period in a Southern Italy environment. Significant variation for the saponin content was observed among the evaluated genotypes. The total saponin content ranged from 0.10 to 1.80 %, with the Q12 genotype showing the lowest value, suggesting the possibility of selecting genotypes "sweet" to be used in subsequent genetic improvement programs. Based on these results, in fact, it was possible to identify, among the accessions previously selected, particularly suitable for growing in Mediterranean area, some genotypes with high yields of seed (2.5 the-1, on average), high protein (17%, on average) and fibers (13%, on average) and low content in saponins (0.57%, on average)

Comparison of Content in Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity in Grains of White, Red, and Black Sorghum Varieties Grown in the Mediterranean Area

orghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) is a gluten-free cereal with many varieties containing greater amounts of bioactive compounds than other grains. In this work, the phenolic composition and antioxidant capacity were compared in three sorghum varieties grown in the Mediterranean, consisting of different pericarp colors: white, red, and black. The qualitative and quantitative profiles of acidified aqueous methanol extracts of whole grain sorghum flours were elucidated through ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled to photodiode array (PDA) and ion trap time-of-flight (IT-TOF) mass spectrometry. The investigated sorghum varieties contained polyamines, such as spermidines, and polyphenolic compounds belonging to different classes: hydroxycinnamic acids, flavanols, flavones, and flavanones. Pyrano-flavanone-flavanols were detected only in the black sorghum. Precolumn and postcolumn 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH)· radical scavenging assays to determine the main antioxidant compounds isolated from sorghum were developed. These results will further help develop sorghum varieties containing polyphenols relevant to the potential prevention of human diseases

Endometrial Carcinoma and Bisphenol A:A Pilot Case-Control Study

Female cancers represent one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in the adult population

Nutrient, fatty acid and mineral composition of selected white food-grade sorghum hybrids grown in a Mediterranean area of Southern Italy

The nutrient composition, fatty acid content and mineral content of six white food-grade sorghum hybrids selected in either Argentina or Bolivia, and grown in a Mediterranean area of Southern Italy were studied. The six hybrids were analyzed for various attributes including moisture, protein, carbohydrate, dietary fiber, fat contents, fatty acid composition, and mineral content. Slight variations in both protein and in fiber contents were observed among hybrids. Linoleic, oleic and palmitic were the most abundant fatty acids in all samples with noticeable difference in their percentage content between both hybrids from Argentina and Bolivia. Slight variations in the content of the elements were found among the six white sorghum hybrids examined, and K, Fe, and Sb were, respectively, the most abundant macro-element, micro-element and trace element in all analyzed hybrids. These results are discussed in the context of the importance of the white food-grade sorghum in human nutrition, and of the opportunity to select the best varieties from the point of view of nutritional content

Chemical composition and fatty acid content of white food sorghums grown in different environments

The chemical composition and fatty acid content of both white sorghum hybrids and pure lines grown in various areas of the world were studied. Various attributes were investigated including moisture, protein, carbohydrate, dietary fiber, fat contents, and fatty acid composition. Slight variations in both protein and in fiber contents were observed among cultivars. Linoleic, oleic and palmitic were the most abundant fatty acids in all samples with little difference in their percentage content among the cultivars. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) dem¬onstrated, for all sorghum flours analyzed, the absence of toxic protein sequences for celiac patients. The present results demonstrate that food-grade sorghum varieties are potentially able to be grown in Mediterranean countries in addition to regions where sorghum has been traditionally produced, i.e. either in arid tropical and sub-tropical regions of Africa and Asia or in dry regions of America

Aquaporin-9 Contributes to the Maturation Process and Inflammatory Cytokine Secretion of Murine Dendritic Cells

Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent antigen-presenting cells able to trigger the adaptive immune response to specific antigens. When non-self-antigens are captured, DCs switch from an “immature” to a “mature” state to fulfill their function. Among the several surface proteins involved in DCs maturation, the role of aquaporins (AQPs) is still poorly understood. Here we investigated the expression profile of Aqps in murine bone marrow derived dendritic cells (BMDCs). Among the Aqps analyzed, Aqp9 was the most expressed by DCs. Its expression level was significantly upregulated 6 h following LPS exposure. Chemical inhibition of Aqp9 led to a decreased inflammatory cytokines secretion. BMDCs from AQP9-KO mice release lower amount of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines and increased release of IL-10. Despite the reduced release of inflammatory cytokines, Aqp9-KO mice were not protected from DSS induced colitis. All together, our data indicate that AQP9 blockade can be an efficient strategy to reduce DCs inflammatory response but it is not sufficient to protect from acute inflammatory insults such as DSS induced colitis

Comparison of extraction methods for isolating kafirin protein from food grade sorghum flour

Isolated sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) storage proteins (kafirins) have been successfully used in the production of several bio-materials including adhesives, films, micro-particles, fibers, and biological scaffold material. Comparatively little research has been conducted on the use of isolated kafirins in food products or to produce bioactive peptides via hydrolysis for nutritional uses. To support such research, the aim of this study was to compare existing methods for bulk isolation of sorghum kafirins with the goal of identifying a solvent with the least toxicity that maintained a high extraction rate from food grade sorghum flour. A secondary goal was to characterize the kafirin isolates produced from various extraction methods to provide some information on their potential use in food products to guide future research in this area. Five different extraction methods were compared including 1) aqueous ethanol containing NaOH and sodium metabisulfite, 2) glacial acetic acid, 3) aqueous ethanol with sodium metabisulfite, 4) aqueous ethanol at acidic pH, and 5) alkaline pH alone. The protein contents of the kafirin isolates obtained by the five methods ranged from 49.76% to 56.83%. Kafirin isolates were characterized using reversed phase (RP)-high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), which revealed substantial variability in the various kafirin patterns among the extraction methods tested. However, characterization of the kafirin isolates by size exclusion chromatography (SEC) did not show a high degree of variability among the methods tested. Likewise, analysis of the samples using sodium dodecyl sulphate - polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) showed essentially the same band profiles but with different band intensities among kafirin extraction methods. Surface hydrophobicity of the kafirin isolates varied considerably with isolates extracted with glacial acetic acid and aqueous ethanol plus sodium metabisulfite the most hydrophobic as indicated by hydrophobic dye binding