First finds of Prunus domestica L. in Italy from the Phoenician and Punic periods (6th-2nd centuries BC)

Abstract During the archaeological excavations in the Phoenician and Punic settlement of Santa Giusta (Oristano, Sardinia, Italy), dating back to the 6th–2nd centuries bc, several Prunus fruitstones (endocarps) inside amphorae were recovered. The exceptional state of preservation of the waterlogged remains allowed morphometric measurements to be done by image analysis and statistical comparisons made with modern cultivated and wild Prunus samples collected in Sardinia. Digital images of modern and archaeological Prunus fruitstones were acquired with a flatbed scanner and analysed by applying image analysis techniques to measure 26 morphometric features. By applying stepwise linear discriminant analysis, a morphometric comparison was made between the archaeological fruitstones of Prunus and the modern ones collected in Sardinia. These analyses allowed identification of 53 archaeological fruitstones as P. spinosa and 11 as P. domestica. Moreover, the archaeological samples of P. spinosa showed morphometric similarities in 92.5% of the cases with the modern P. spinosa samples currently growing near the Phoenician and Punic site. Likewise, the archaeological fruitstones identified as P. domestica showed similarities with the modern variety of P. domestica called Sanguigna di Bosa which is currently cultivated near the village of Bosa. Currently, these findings represent the first evidence of P. domestica in Italy during the Phoenician and Punic periods. Keywords Archaeobotany · Image analysis · Morphometric features · Prunus · Sardini

Efecto de diferentes pretratamientos en la deshidratación de aceitunas verdes de mesa (Ascolana tenera var.)

Mature green olives (Olea europea L.) were dried in a forced air oven at 50ºC, after being subjected alternatively to four different pre-treatments. Results indicate the possibility to obtain bitter-free and high quality olives by combining a ten minutes dip in a 10 % hot brine (50ºC) followed by a 32 hours dehydration. The latter product reached 20 % of residual humidity and did not rotted for one year.Se han deshidratado aceitunas verdes de mesa en horno a temperatura de 50ºC tras ser sometidas, alternativamente, a cuatro pretratamientos diferentes para ayudar a su desecación. Los resultados mostraron que es posible obtener aceitunas exentas de amargor y de alta calidad combinando su inmersión en salmuera caliente (50ºC), a una concentración del 10 % en NaCl durante 10 minutos, seguida de una deshidratación durante 32 horas. Las aceitunas deshidratadas alcanzaron una humedad residual del 20 % y no manifestaron signos de putrefacción en un año

Image analysis technique for the identification of archaeological Prunus fruit-stones of Sardinia

Fruit remains from the genus Prunus L. are frequently recovered during excavations in archaeological waterlogged contexts since prehistoric times. The identification of Prunus based on traditional methods is difficult due to the morphological range variation within the different taxa, mainly due to hybridization problems (Woldring 2000). Despite this, some research shows that Prunus fruit-stones would be the most stable of the all diagnostic characters used for their identification (Depypere et al. 2007). In the last two decades, to properly identify the remains found in archaeological contexts and to overcome the manual procedure for the classification of seeds, a morphometric approach based on the image analysis, was performed. Thanks to this technique it is possible to distinguish wild species from cultivated ones using automated system, replacing human visual assessments in a more accurate, reliable and repeatable way also in archaeobotany (e.g. Bouby et al. 2013; Orrù et al. 2013, 2015; Pagnoux et al. 2015; Ucchesu et al. 2014, 2016, 2017).With this in mind, the main goal of this research is to compare Sardinia archaeological fruit- stones with modern one by image analysis system. The results obtained allow to increase knowledge about the origin and use of wild and cultivated Prunus fruits in the diet of human communities of the past and to investigate the relationships with traditional varieties still cultivated in Sardinia

Thymus essential oil extraction, characterization and incorporation in phospholipid vesicles for the antioxidant/antibacterial treatment of oral cavity diseases

The aim of the work was to extract, characterize, and formulate Thymus capitatus (Tymbra capitata) essential oil in phospholipid vesicles: liposomes, glycerosomes and Penetration Enhancer-containing Vesicles (PEVs). The steam-distilled essential oil was mainly composed of carvacrol. The oil was mixed with lecithin and water to produce liposomes, or different ratios of water/glycerol or water/propylene glycol (PG) to produce glycerosomes and PG-PEVs, respectively. Cryo-TEM showed the formation of unilamellar, spherical vesicles, and light scattering disclosed that their size increased in the presence of glycerol or PG, which improved long-term stability. The formulations were highly biocompatible, and capable of counteracting oxidative stress and favouring wound repair in keratinocytes, thanks to enhanced uptake. The antibacterial activity of the oil was demonstrated against cariogenic Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and commensal Streptococcus sanguinis. The combination of antioxidant and antibacterial activities of Thymus essential oil formulations may be useful for the treatment of oral cavity diseases