A Comparative Study of Benchtop and Portable NIR and Raman Spectroscopic Methods for the Quantitative Determination of Curcuminoids in Turmeric Powder

Turmeric consumption is continually increasing worldwide. Curcuminoids are major active constituents in turmeric and are associated with numerous health benefits. A combination of spectroscopic methods and chemometrics shows the suitability of turmeric for food quality control due to advantages such as speed, versatility, portability, and no need for sample preparation. Five calibration models to quantify curcuminoids in turmeric were proposed using benchtop and portable devices. The most remarkable results showed that Raman and NIR calibration models present an excellent performance reporting RMSEP of 0.44% w/w and 0.41% w/w, respectively. In addition, the five proposed methods (FT-IR, Raman, and NIR) were compared in terms of precision and accuracy. The results showed that benchtop and portable methods were in good agreement and that there are no significant differences between them. This study aims to foster the use of portable devices for food quality control in situ by demonstrating their suitability for the purpose

Across-arc geochemical variations in the Southern Volcanic Zone, Chile (34.5- 38.0°S): Constraints on Mantle Wedge and Input Compositions

Crustal assimilation (e.g. Hildreth and Moorbath, 1988) and/or subduction erosion (e.g. Stern, 1991; Kay et al., 2005) are believed to control the geochemical variations along the northern portion of the Chilean Southern Volcanic Zone. In order to evaluate these hypotheses, we present a comprehensive geochemical data set (major and trace elements and O-Sr-Nd-Hf-Pb isotopes) from Holocene primarily olivine-bearing volcanic rocks across the arc between 34.5-38.0°S, including volcanic front centers from Tinguiririca to Callaqui, the rear arc centers of Infernillo Volcanic Field, Laguna del Maule and Copahue, and extending 300 km into the backarc. We also present an equivalent data set for Chile Trench sediments outboard of this profile. The volcanic arc (including volcanic front and rear arc) samples primarily range from basalt to andesite/trachyandesite, whereas the backarc rocks are low-silica alkali basalts and trachybasalts. All samples show some characteristic subduction zone trace element enrichments and depletions, but the backarc samples show the least. Backarc basalts have higher Ce/Pb, Nb/U, Nb/Zr, and Ta/Hf, and lower Ba/Nb and Ba/La, consistent with less of a slab-derived component in the backarc and, consequently, lower degrees of mantle melting. The mantle-like δ18O in olivine and plagioclase phenocrysts (volcanic arc = 4.9-5.6 and backarc = 5.0-5.4 per mil) and lack of correlation between δ18O and indices of differentiation and other isotope ratios, argue against significant crustal assimilation. Volcanic arc and backarc samples almost completely overlap in Sr and Nd isotopic composition. High precision (double-spike) Pb isotope ratios are tightly correlated, precluding significant assimilation of older sialic crust but indicating mixing between a South Atlantic Mid Ocean-Ridge Basalt (MORB) source and a slab component derived from subducted sediments and altered oceanic crust. Hf-Nd isotope ratios define separate linear arrays for the volcanic arc and backarc, neither of which trend toward subducting sediment, possibly reflecting a primarily asthenospheric mantle array for the volcanic arc and involvement of enriched Proterozoic lithospheric mantle in the backarc. We propose a quantitative mixing model between a mixed-source, slab-derived melt and a heterogeneous mantle beneath the volcanic arc. The model is consistent with local geodynamic parameters, assuming water-saturated conditions within the slab

Ulteriori approfondimenti sulla tetraploidizzazione nel branzino Dicentrarchus labrax (L.).

Tetraploids strain production of the European seabass Dicentrarchus labrax L. (Teleostei, Moronidae) was experienced. By periodical checking of the ploidy in the trials, tetraploids were found only in the first two months of life, while older surviving fishes were mainly diploids or, less frequently, triploids and mosaics. The increase of the frequency of unexpected triploids and mosaics was related to the quality of the utilized eggs

Organic vs conventional sea bass aquaculture: results from a monitoring study on fish welfare

In aquaculture, fishes are often exposed to stress conditions, due to practices such as manipulation, grading, high stocking densities, transport, pre-slaughter conditions and slaughter methods. In order to reduce these stressors and to increase both fish welfare and production needs, it is seeking to introduce organic agriculture principles to the conventional aquaculture. Organic aquaculture is still relatively new in concept and development all over the World. The aim of the study was to investigate differences in fish welfare between two rearing systems: the conventional and the organic ones. Juvenile sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) were reared in two separated outdoor ponds and bimonthly monitored from May 2009 to November 2010. Organic vs conventional farmed fish welfare was evaluated through various stress and immunological parameters, besides growing performances. Particularly, stress response was evaluated through the analysis of serum cortisol and oxidative stress was investigated with an histochemical (melanomacrophage centres count and relative pigments content) and an immunohistochemical approach, using an antibody anti-4-hydroxy-2(E)-nonenal (HNE; a lipid peroxidation marker), besides glutathione analysis. Hematological and innate immunity parameter analyses were also carried out, such as hematocrit, leucocrit and serum lysozyme activity. At the beginning of the trial, the main difference between the two rearing systems was in the diet. The analysis of growth performance has shown a good level of growth, highlighting higher weight in animals reared under conventional aquaculture respect to those organic, difference that was significant only in the last sampling of November 2010 (p<0.05). Similar results were found from the analysis of the condition factor (K). Serum cortisol showed a significant difference only in two samplings (May 2009 and July 2010, p <0.05). Hematocrit showed significant differences especially in the samples after winter starvation, with higher value in conventional samples compared to those organic (p<0.05). Serum lysozyme activity showed no significant differences between the two rearing systems, except in May and July 2010 (p<0.05). Immunohistochemical analysis using an antibody anti-HNE showed an immunopositive staining in tissues such as spleen, kidney and liver, especially at the MMCs level. The MMCs count showed a higher number in organic animals if compared to the conventional farmed ones in all samples, except in March, May and September 2010. To deeply investigate these differences, the presence of different pigments within the MMCs has been analyzed, and did not showed any difference between the two groups. The analysis of glutathione (GSH) showed no significant differences between the two methods of farming with the exception of July and November 2010 samples (p<0.05). This is the first monitoring study on organic aquaculture on sea bass reared in pond in Italy. Concerning differences between rearing systems, this study highlighted a different growing trend, in which conventional farmed fishes were longer and heavier than organic ones. Concerning fish welfare, no significant differences were observed between the two rearing systems. But, since this was a monitoring study on a commercial farming, potential differences in the investigated parameters may have been mitigated, as the two systems didn\u2019t differed so pronounced. On the other hand, main differences between the two rearing systems were found mostly in last samplings, particularly in November 2010. This could be interesting considering that at that moment fish reached the commercial size and were ready to be sold. Moreover, this suggests that in a research approach differences between farming conditions should be emphasized, in order to reduce time-depending changes and to highlight the main responsible that affect fish welfare