Experimental measurement of the biomass of Olea europaea L.

Olive (Olea europaea L.) is an evergreen tree extensively cultivated for its fruit in many warm parts of Southern Europe, North Africa, South Asia and Oceania. The objective of this paper was to obtain information on the total biomass productivity of the olive grove as well as on individual tree biomass productivity and the proportions of the tree components. The study was carried out in Central Italy and estimation of tree woody biomass and total biomass was made by direct measurement and through Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methodology. To determine the biomass of all the tree parts (including fruits and prunings) of the olive grove, the forestry estimation methodology named “model tree” was adopted and one representative tree was felled and uprooted; the biomass of main trunk, branches, leaves, twigs and roots was determined separately, using their volume, weight and density; also fruits and prunings of this tree were recorded. Wood density, biomass expansion factor, root/shoot ratio, carbon fraction of dry matter and carbon content of the single tree and tree component were calculated. The study showed that “model tree” methodology is suitable for olive grove; IPCC method can be successfully used with good reliability when direct measurement of biomass expansion factor and carbon fraction are obtained from a representative tree of the olive grove. The C stock evaluation methodology made in this research and the calculation of biomass expansion factor can be considered as the first scientific contribution in estimating productivity, CO2 sequestration, carbon stocks and yield of olive groves.Key words: Biomass, biomass expansion factor, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), tree volume, root/shoot ratio, Olea europaea, CO2 sequestration

Beads for Cell Immobilization: Comparison of Alternative Additive Manufacturing Techniques

The attachment or entrapment of microbial cells and enzymes are promising solutions for various industrial applications. When the traps are beads, they are dispersed in a fluidized bed in a vessel where a pump guarantees fresh liquid inflow and waste outflow without washing out the cells. Scientific papers report numerous types of cell entrapment, but most of their applications remain at the laboratory level. In the present research, rigid polymer beads were manufactured by two different additive manufacturing (AM) techniques in order to verify the economy, reusability, and stability of the traps, with a view toward a straightforward industrial application. The proposed solutions allowed for overcoming some of the drawbacks of traditional manufacturing solutions, such as the limited mechanical stability of gel traps, and they guaranteed the possibility of producing parts of constant quality with purposely designed exchange surfaces, which are unfeasible when using conventional processes. AM proved to be a viable manufacturing solution for beads with complex shapes of two different size ranges. A deep insight into the production and characteristics of beads manufactured by AM is provided. The paper provides biotechnologists with a manufacturing perspective, and the results can be directly applied to transit from the laboratory to the industrial scale

Increase in the selenium content of extra virgin olive oil: quantitative and qualitative implications

The biofortification of food crops for human consumption is a direct strategy increasing dietary intake of selenium (Se). The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of increasing the Se content of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) by spraying the olive tree canopy with sodium selenate and the effect of the increase in Se on the chemical properties and sensory characteristics of the EVOO. Se treatments were up to 50 times more effective in enhancing Se content in the EVOO compared with the untreated controls. Se concentration in all the EVOO samples can be considered adequate and useful for providing the human diet with the correct dose of Se. Se-enriched EVOO showed a significant increase in pigment and phenol content. Also, Se treatment does not produce negative effects on fruit characteristics or the sensory quality of EVOO.La biofortificación de cultivos alimenticios para el consumo humano es una estrategia directa para aumentar la ingesta de selenio (Se) en la dieta. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la posibilidad de aumentar el contenido de Se en aceites de oliva virgen extra (AOVE) pulverizando la copa de los olivos con selenato de sodio y el efecto del aumento en el contenido de Se en las propiedades químicas y características sensoriales del AOVE. Los tratamientos con Se fueron muy eficaces consiguiendo aumentar el contenido de Se en el AOVE hasta 50 veces más en comparación con los controles no tratados. La concentración de Se en todas las muestras EVOO puede considerarse adecuada y útil para proporcionar a la dieta humana con la dosis correcta de Se. EVOO-Se enriquecido mostró un aumento significativo en pigmentos y contenido de fenoles. Además, el tratamiento de Se no implica efectos negativos sobre caracteristicas frutales ni sobre la calidad sensorial de AOVE

GROWTH AND YIELDS OF 'ARBEQUINA' HIGH-DENSITY PLANTING SYSTEMS IN THREE DIFFERENT OLIVE GROWING AREAS IN ITALY

The sustainability of the traditional olive-growing sector in EU countries characterised by high production costs and a low selling price for the oil was mainly determined by EU subsidies available for the sector. With the opening of the free trade area by the Barcellona Declaration of 1995 and a cut in EU subsidies in 2014, crucial changes in the sector are now needed. In order to increase the competitiveness of EU olive production, attention should be given to new high-yielding and mechanized cultivation systems. In the 1990s, Spain introduced new high-density planting systems (1,200-2,000 trees/ha) using three low-vigour and early-fruiting cultivars ( Arbequina , Arbosana and Koroneiki ). Italian olive production lies in a geographical area that stretches for about 6\ub0 in latitude (37-43\ub0 latitude N) and in the band of altitude which ranges from sea level to 400 m a.s.l. Studies on the ecophysiology of woody plants show the importance of adapting the planting system to the climate of the cultivation site, particularly for high-density groves. The evaluation of cultivars suitable for high-density systems, based on their vegetative characteristics, branching and fruiting, together with an analysis of product quality, may contribute significantly to the development and diffusion of new crop growing systems. To achieve this aim, joint research was carried out by three different research units operating in the three main olive-growing regions of Italy (Sicily, Apulia and Umbria). This paper illustrates the first results (2010 and 2011) obtained by the PRIN Project on Biological processes and environmental factors affecting the vegetative growth, fruiting and oil quality control in a high density olive (Olea europaea L.) planting system

Increase in the selenium content of extra virgin olive oil: quantitative and qualitative implications

The biofortification of food crops for human consumption is a direct strategy increasing dietary intake of selenium (Se). The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility of increasing the Se content of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) by spraying the olive tree canopy with sodium selenate and the effect of the increase in Se on the chemical properties and sensory characteristics of the EVOO. Se treatments were up to 50 times more effective in enhancing Se content in the EVOO compared with the untreated controls. Se concentration in all the EVOO samples can be considered adequate and useful for providing the human diet with the correct dose of Se. Se-enriched EVOO showed a significant increase in pigment and phenol content. Also, Se treatment does not produce negative effects on fruit characteristics or the sensory quality of EVOO.<br><br>La biofortificación de cultivos alimenticios para el consumo humano es una estrategia directa para aumentar la ingesta de selenio (Se) en la dieta. El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar la posibilidad de aumentar el contenido de Se en aceites de oliva virgen extra (AOVE) pulverizando la copa de los olivos con selenato de sodio y el efecto del aumento en el contenido de Se en las propiedades químicas y características sensoriales del AOVE. Los tratamientos con Se fueron muy eficaces consiguiendo aumentar el contenido de Se en el AOVE hasta 50 veces más en comparación con los controles no tratados. La concentración de Se en todas las muestras EVOO puede considerarse adecuada y útil para proporcionar a la dieta humana con la dosis correcta de Se. EVOO-Se enriquecido mostró un aumento significativo en pigmentos y contenido de fenoles. Además, el tratamiento de Se no implica efectos negativos sobre caracteristicas frutales ni sobre la calidad sensorial de AOVE

Characterization of new aza-sesquiterpenoids from the fungus Clavicorona Divaricata

Mushrooms have proved to be a rich source of secondary metabolites with unusual structures as well as interesting biological activities. Despite their potential for drug development, few bioactive metabolites have been reported from mushrooms as compared with higher plants and microbes. In our screening project on bioactive metabolites of Basidiomycetes we have investigated the metabolites produced by the fungus Clavicorona divaricata in MPG agar cultures and isolated divaricatine A and B together with the nor-sesquiterpenoids tsugicoline L and M. Successively, the fermentation of the fungus in different conditions, gave rise to complex mixtures, from which new aza-sesquiterpenoids were isolated. The poster describes the isolation, structure elucidation and absolute configuration assessment of these novel metabolites The skeleton of these compounds was never found before among the sequiterpenes of protoilludane origin. A possible mechanism of their formation is also suggested. The new metabolites showed a weak antibacterial activity against Bacillus cereus and Sarcinea lutea (50\ub5g/disc), and inhibited the growth of Lepidum sativum (After 48 h, the inhibition of the root elongation was 85, 91 and 72%, respectively)