20 research outputs found
The effect of cinnamon, oregano and thyme essential oils in marinade on the microbial shelf life of fish and meat products
Characterization of Turkish honeys regarding of physicochemical properties, and their adulteration analysis
13C NMR-based chemical fingerprint for the varietal and geographical discrimination of wines
A fast, economic, and eco-friendly methodology for the wine variety and geographical origin differentiation using 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data in combination with machine learning was developed. Wine samples of different grape varieties cultivated in different regions in Greece were subjected to 13C NMR analysis. The relative integrals of the 13C spectral window were processed and extracted to build a chemical fingerprint for the characterization of each specific wine variety, and then subjected to factor analysis, multivariate analysis of variance, and k-nearest neighbors analysis. The statistical analysis results showed that the 13C NMR fingerprint could be used as a rapid and accurate indicator of the wine variety differentiation. An almost perfect classification rate based on training (99.8%) and holdout methods (99.9%) was obtained. Results were further tested on the basis of Cronbach's alpha reliability analysis, where a very low random error (0.30) was estimated, indicating the accuracy and strength of the aforementioned methodology for the discrimination of the wine variety. The obtained data were grouped according to the geographical origin of wine samples and further subjected to principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). The PLS-DA and variable importance in projection (VIP) allowed the determination of a chemical fingerprint characteristic of each geographical group. The statistical analysis revealed the possibility of acquiring useful information on wines, by simply processing the 13C NMR raw data, without the need to determine any specific metabolomic profile. In total, the obtained fingerprint can be used for the development of rapid quality-control methodologies concerning wine
Antioxidant properties of bee products derived from medicinal plants as beekeeping sources
Plant species are fundamental source of nectar in beekeeping since bees access nectar and pollen from flowers. Consequently, bee products are strongly linked to the bee foraging flora source, and, depending on this, they acquire defined features, including their health and medicinal properties. Medicinal plants contribute greatly to increase the beneficial properties of bee products, such as honey, pollen, royal jelly, and propolis. Bee products represent a potential source of natural antioxidants that can counteract the effects of oxidative stress underlying the pathogenesis of many diseases. The antioxidant properties of bee products have been widely studied and there is an abundance of information available in the literature. Notwithstanding, the uniqueness of the presented perspective is to provide an updated overview of the antioxidant properties of bee products derived from medicinal plants as beekeeping sources. This topic is divided and discussed in the text in different sections as follows: (i) beekeeping and the impacts of environmental factors; (ii) an overview of the role of medicinal plants for bee products; (iii) definition and categorization of the main medicinal bee plants and related bee products; (iv) the study approach of the antioxidant properties; (v) the conventional and innovative assays used for the measurement of the antioxidant activity; and (vi) the antioxidant properties of bee products from medicinal plants
The Honey Bee Apis mellifera: An Insect at the Interface between Human and Ecosystem Health
The concept of ecosystem services is widely understood as the services and benefits thatecosystems provide to humans, and they have been categorised into provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural services. This article aims to provide an updated overview of the benefits that the honey bee Apis mellifera provides to humans as well as ecosystems. We revised the role of honey bees as pollinators in natural ecosystems to preserve and restore the local biodiversity of wild plants; in agro-ecosystems, this species is widely used to enhance crop yield and quality, meeting the increasing food demand. Beekeeping activity provides humans not only with high-quality food but also with substances used as raw materials and in pharmaceuticals, and in polluted areas, bees convey valuable information on the environmental presence of pollutants and their impact on human and ecosystem health. Finally, the role of the honey bee in symbolic tradition, mysticism, and the cultural values of the bee habitats are also presented. Overall, we suggest that the symbolic value of the honey bee is the most important role played by this insect species, as it may help revitalise and strengthen the intimate and reciprocal relationship between humans and the natural world, avoiding the inaccuracy of considering the ecosystems as mere providers of services to humans