Multilayer Nanocomposite Polymetric Packaging For Microwave Applications

Microwaveable packaging material should ensure good preservation of the product before cooking/ heating such as high barriers to gases and aromas and adequate control of water vapor transmission. Among the polymers used in flexible packaging, crystalline poly(ethylene terephthalate) (CPET) is characterized by good oxygen barrier properties and quite high heat stability which ensures the absence of alterations of foods flavors. CPET trays or films are suitable for Ready To Cook (RTC) products within a temperature range from -40 to + 220°C. The aim of this work was the production and characterization of nanocomposite multilayer PET films, for microwave applications, in which the nanoclay acts as a heating enhancer. Films prototypes were made by means of laboratory compounding equipment for the production of nanocomposite CPET and by a co-extrusion equipment for producing multilayer films using two different PET copolymer matrices and a modified nanoclay (Cloisite 20A) as heating enhancer. The study of morphology of nanocomposite layer by means of X-ray diffraction experiments was carried out in order to correlate the intercalation/ exfoliation degree of nanoclay with cooking performance

Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Properties of Five White Onion (Allium cepa L.) Landraces

Five onion landraces belonging toBianca di Pompeicv., cultivated in Campania region (Italy), were characterized for their main quality parameters. The onion landraces were harvested at the end of the growth cycle corresponding to the ripening time and harvest month, respectively: February, March, April, May, and June. The total content of volatile compounds as well as the sulfur-containing compounds inAprilaticawas significantly (p≤0.05) higher than the other landraces investigated. The nutraceutical feature investigated through the total phenols, phenols profile, and antioxidant activity showed higher values for the samples harvested in spring months. High pungency values ranging from 9 to 14 μmol/g FW were found in all onion landraces investigated as enzymatically (alliinase) produced pyruvate (EPY). The organic acids profile (malic, citric, succinic, pyruvic, oxalic, ascorbic, and tartaric acids) highlighted malic and citric acids in higher amounts in all landraces. Fructose, glucose, and sucrose were found as soluble sugars and fructose was the most abundant. Generally, the results highlighted the growth temperature influence on the investigated quality parameters

Microwave and ultrasound pre-treatments for ‘Rocha’ Pear: impact on drying kinetics and selected quality attributes

Rocha’pear (Pyruscommunis L.) is the main cultivar produced in Portugal, and is classified as protected designation of origin (PDO).This pear fruit is characterized by its own typical and specific properties, such as pleasant flavor, crispness and also sweetness.Pears are rich in polyphenols with strong antioxidant activity,offering health promoting benefits. In order to extend its shelf life and increase availability along the year, drying processes are widely applied as a good alternative method for fruits preservation. Drying is used to improve food stability, decrease moisture content and microbial activity, and minimize physico-chemical changes during storage. However, drying process conditions (i.e. air temperature, time, and velocity) usually may lead to food quality degradation in terms of physico-chemical and nutritional attributes. In this context, drying combined with pre-treatments have been proposed in order to reduce the drying impact on products quality. The objective of this work was to evaluate the use of microwave and ultrasound pre-treatments on ‘Rocha’ pear drying kinetics and quality attributes (water activity, color, shrinkage, total phenolics, antioxidant activity, and texture and rehydration behavior of dried slabs).Three different samples were compared: a) Control, b) Microwave Pre-treatment (1540 MW, 4 min) (MW), and c) Ultrasound Pre-treatment (35 kHz, 10 min, 25°C) (US). Drying experiments were conducted on pear slabs (thickness and diameter of 6 and 38 mm, respectively) in a tray dryer with an air temperature of 60°C and a fixed velocity of 0.75 m/s. Pear samples pre-treated with MW had shorter drying time than control and ultrasound treated ones.Pear samples pre-treated with US showed the lowest colour changes and shrinkage, higher total phenolics and antioxidant activity, the highest rehydration capacity, and similar drying time to the control. This study contributes with information for the development of new drying pre-treatment conditions of ‘Rocha” pear fruits, as an alternative to traditional drying in an industrial context.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Microwave and ultrasound pre-treatments for drying of the “Rocha” Pear: impact on phytochemical parameters, color changes and drying kinetics

The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of drying temperature and innovative pre-treatments (i.e., microwave and ultrasound) on “Rocha” pear drying behavior and quality characteristics, such as color, total phenolic content and antioxidant activity. Experiments were carried out with pear slabs subjected to microwaves (2450 MHz, 539 W, 4 min, microwave oven) and ultrasounds (35 kHz, 10 min, in an ultrasonic bath) as well as control samples. The drying process was conducted in a tray dryer at three different temperatures (50, 55 and 60 °C) and a fixed air velocity of 0.75 m/s. Microwave technology resulted in a higher quality deterioration in dried pear samples compared to those of controls and ultrasound pre-treated samples. The combined application of ultrasound pre-treatment and the higher drying temperature of 60 °C was characterized by the lowest color changes (ΔE = 3.86 ± 0.23) and higher preservation of nutritional parameters (total phenolic content, TPC = 345.60 ± 8.99; and antioxidant activity, EC50 = 8.80 ± 0.34). The drying characteristics of pear fruits were also analyzed by taking into account empirical models, with the Page model presenting the best prediction of the drying behavior. In conclusion, ultrasound application is a promising technology to obtain healthy/nutritious dried “Rocha” pear snacks as dietary sources for consumers.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Microwave and ultrasound pre-treatments for ‘Rocha’ pear: impact on drying kinetics and selected quality attributes

info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Micro structural approach of potato and pumpkin drying and rehydration

The food structure is subjected to a change of the integrity during dehydration which will affect rehydration. Changes in the underlying microstructure of this deformation and rehydration generally fails in restoring the integrity and quality of the food material to the original status. In this context, there are not many studies performed which correlate cellular structural changes to the desorption-sorption behaviour of food materials after dehydration. This study was undertaken to understand desorption-sorption behaviour of food considering potato (cv Sebago) and pumpkin (cv ecotype) as the model materials during drying and further explanations on rehydration. Pumpkin was used to construct only for dehydration and rehydration graphs. For potato SEM images were taken for dehydration and rehydration. Corresponding behaviours show the irreversible trend of dehydration-rehydration exists and changes to the scenario of relationship of the cellular structure

Phytochemical analysis and In vitro antileukemic activity of alkaloid-enriched extracts from Vinca sardoa (Stearn) Pignatti

Vinca sardoa (Stearn) Pignatti, known as Sardinian periwinkle, is widely diffused in Sardinia (Italy). This species contains indole alkaloids, which are known to have a great variety of biological activities. This study investigated the antileukemic activity against a B lymphoblast cell line (SUP-B15) of V. sardoa alkaloid-rich extracts obtained from plants grown in Italy, in Iglesias (Sardinia) and Rome (Latium). All the extracts showed a good capacity to induce reductions in cell proliferation of up to 50% at the tested concentrations (1–15 g/mL). Moreover, none of the extracts showed cytotoxicity on normal cells at all the studied concentrations

In patients with metastatic breast cancer the identification of circulating tumor cells in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition is associated with a poor prognosis

Background: Although recent models suggest that the detection of Circulating Tumor Cells (CTC) in epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EM CTC) might be related to disease progression in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients, current detection methods are not efficient in identifying this subpopulation of cells. Furthermore, the possible association of EM CTC with both clinicopathological features and prognosis of MBC patients has still to be demonstrated. Aims of this study were: first, to optimize a DEPArray-based protocol meant to identify, quantify and sort single, viable EM CTC and, subsequently, to test the association of EM CTC frequency with clinical data. Methods: This prospective observational study enrolled 56 MBC patients regardless of the line of treatment. Blood samples, depleted of CD45(pos) leukocytes, were stained with an antibody cocktail recognizing both epithelial and mesenchymal markers. Four CD45(neg) cell subpopulations were identified: cells expressing only epithelial markers (E CTC), cells co-expressing epithelial and mesenchymal markers (EM CTC), cells expressing only mesenchymal markers (MES) and cells negative for every tested marker (NEG). CTC subpopulations were quantified as both absolute cell count and relative frequency. The association of CTC subpopulations with clinicopathological features, progression free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) was explored by Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test and Univariate Cox Regression Analysis, respectively. Results: By employing the DEPArray-based strategy, we were able to assess the presence of cells pertaining to the above-described classes in every MBC patient. We observed a significant association between specific CD45(neg) subpopulations and tumor subtypes (e.g. NEG and triple negative), proliferation (NEG and Ki67 expression) and sites of metastatic spread (e.g. E CTC and bone; NEG and brain). Importantly, the fraction of CD45(neg) cells co-expressing epithelial and mesenchymal markers (EM CTC) was significantly associated with poorer PFS and OS, computed, this latter, both from the diagnosis of a stage IV disease and from the initial CTC assessment. Conclusion: This study suggests the importance of dissecting the heterogeneity of CTC in MBC. Precise characterization of CTC could help in estimating both metastatization pattern and outcome, driving clinical decision-making and surveillance strategies

Beta-Blocker Use in Older Hospitalized Patients Affected by Heart Failure and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: An Italian Survey From the REPOSI Register

Beta (β)-blockers (BB) are useful in reducing morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure (HF) and concomitant chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Nevertheless, the use of BBs could induce bronchoconstriction due to β2-blockade. For this reason, both the ESC and GOLD guidelines strongly suggest the use of selective β1-BB in patients with HF and COPD. However, low adherence to guidelines was observed in multiple clinical settings. The aim of the study was to investigate the BBs use in older patients affected by HF and COPD, recorded in the REPOSI register. Of 942 patients affected by HF, 47.1% were treated with BBs. The use of BBs was significantly lower in patients with HF and COPD than in patients affected by HF alone, both at admission and at discharge (admission, 36.9% vs. 51.3%; discharge, 38.0% vs. 51.7%). In addition, no further BB users were found at discharge. The probability to being treated with a BB was significantly lower in patients with HF also affected by COPD (adj. OR, 95% CI: 0.50, 0.37-0.67), while the diagnosis of COPD was not associated with the choice of selective β1-BB (adj. OR, 95% CI: 1.33, 0.76-2.34). Despite clear recommendations by clinical guidelines, a significant underuse of BBs was also observed after hospital discharge. In COPD affected patients, physicians unreasonably reject BBs use, rather than choosing a β1-BB. The expected improvement of the BB prescriptions after hospitalization was not observed. A multidisciplinary approach among hospital physicians, general practitioners, and pharmacologists should be carried out for better drug management and adherence to guideline recommendations