Is Site-Specific Pasta a Prospective Asset for a Short Supply Chain?

In the 2011\u20132012 season, variable-rate nitrogen (N) fertilization was applied two times during durum wheat vegetative growth in three field areas which diered in soil fertility in northern Italy. The quality traits of the mono-varietal pasta obtained from each management zone were assessed in view of site-specific pasta production for a short supply chain. To this purpose, semolina from cv. Biensur obtained from management zones with dierent fertility treated with N at variable rate was tested in comparison with a commercial reference (cv. Aureo) to produce short-cut pasta. Biensur semolina demonstrated to have technological characteristics positively correlated with the low-fertility zones treated with high N doses (200 and 200+15 kg/ha) and, to a lesser extent, with the high-soil-fertility zones (130 and 130 + 15 kg/ha of N). The lower quality parameters were obtained for pasta produced with wheat from medium-fertility zones, independently of the N dose applied. The derived pasta obtained from the low-fertility zones treated with high N doses had cooking and sensory properties comparable to those of pasta obtained using the reference cv. Aureo. These results are explained by the higher amounts of gluten proteins and by a higher glutenin/gliadin ratio in semolina, which are indicators of technological quality. Overall, the results indicate that segregation of the grain at harvest led to the production of semolina with higher protein content and, hence, to a higher pasta quality. Therefore, site-specific pasta could be a potential asset for a short supply chain, aiming to improve traceability and environmental and economic sustainabilit

Variations in yield and gluten proteins in durum wheat varieties under late-season foliar versus soil application of nitrogen fertilizer in a northern Mediterranean environment

BACKGROUND: With the increasing demand for high-quality foodstuffs and concern for environmental sustainability, late-season nitrogen (N) foliar fertilization of common wheat is now an important and widespread practice. This study investigated the effects of late-season foliar versus soil N fertilization on yield and protein content of four varieties of durum wheat, Aureo, Ariosto, Biensur and Liberdur, in a three-year field trial in northern Italy. RESULTS: Variations in low-molecular-weight glutenins (LMW-GS), high-molecular-weight glutenins (HMW-GS) and gliadins were assessed by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). It was found that N applied to the canopy did not improve protein rate compared with N application to the soil (general mean 138mg g 121), but moderately increased productivity in the high-yielding varieties Liberdur and Biensur (three-year means 7.23 vs 7.13 and 7.53 vs 7.09 t ha 121 respectively). Technological quality was mainly related to variety choice, Aureo and Ariosto having higher protein rates and glutenin/gliadin ratios. Also found was a strong \u2018variety 7 N application method\u2019 interaction in the proportions of protein subunits within each class, particularly LMW-GS and gliadins. A promising result was the higher N uptake efficiency, although as apparent balance, combined with higher HMW/LMW-GS ratio in var. Biensur. CONCLUSION: Late-season foliar N fertilization allows N fertilizer saving, potentially providing environmental benefits in the rainy climate of the northern Mediterranean area, and also leads to variety-dependent up-regulation of essential LMW-GS and gliadins. Variety choice is a key factor in obtaining high technological quality, although it is currently associated with modest grain yield. This study provides evidence of high quality in the specific high-yielding variety Biensur, suggesting its potential as a mono-varietal semolina for pasta production

Potentiality of protein fractions from the house cricket (Acheta domesticus) and yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) for pasta formulation

House cricket (Acheta domesticus; AD) and yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor; TM) are two promising insect species for possible novel food applications. In this research the insect protein fractions were extracted, characterised, and used in the manufacturing of pasta by replacing semolina with 14% of powdered proteins. Pasta samples were then analysed to evaluate technological quality aspects. Results showed that insect protein inclusion resulted in a darker (L* value: 76.7, 53.4, 59.9 for control, AD and TM, respectively) and firmer (12.4, 13.7, 13.8 N: control, AD and TM, respectively) AD and TM pasta, and a higher water absorption index for AD (148, 178, 150%: control, AD and TM, respectively). In conclusion, both extracts offer interesting opportunity for pasta formulations, possibly leading to an improved protein content and quality. From an industrial perspective, the present study demonstrated that the tested edible insects can provide protein extracts for the possible fortification of pasta with high-quality protein and technological traits, thus representing an ingredient with interesting potential for several food applications

Effect of Moringa oleifera L. Leaf Powder Addition on the Phenolic Bioaccessibility and on In Vitro Starch Digestibility of Durum Wheat Fresh Pasta

Fresh pasta was formulated by replacing wheat semolina with 0, 5, 10, and 15 g/100 g (w/w) of Moringa oleifera L. leaf powder (MOLP). The samples (i.e., M0, M5, M10, and M15 as a function of the substitution level) were cooked by boiling. The changes in the phenolic bioaccessibility and the in vitro starch digestibility were considered. On the cooked-to-optimum samples, by means of ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight (UHPLC-QTOF) mass spectrometry, 152 polyphenols were putatively annotated with the greatest content recorded for M15 pasta, being 2.19 mg/g dry matter (p < 0.05). Multivariate statistics showed that stigmastanol ferulate (VIP score = 1.22) followed by isomeric forms of kaempferol (VIP scores = 1.19) and other phenolic acids (i.e., schottenol/sitosterol ferulate and 24-methylcholestanol ferulate) were the most affected compounds through the in vitro static digestion process. The inclusion of different levels of MOLP in the recipe increased the slowly digestible starch fractions and decreased the rapidly digestible starch fractions and the starch hydrolysis index of the cooked-to-optimum samples. The present results showed that MOLP could be considered a promising ingredient in fresh pasta formulation

Effect of Moringa oleifera L. Leaf Powder Addition on the Phenolic Bioaccessibility and on In Vitro Starch Digestibility of Durum Wheat Fresh Pasta

Fresh pasta was formulated by replacing wheat semolina with 0, 5, 10, and 15 g/100 g (w/w) of Moringa oleifera L. leaf powder (MOLP). The samples (i.e., M0, M5, M10, and M15 as a function of the substitution level) were cooked by boiling. The changes in the phenolic bioaccessibility and the in vitro starch digestibility were considered. On the cooked-to-optimum samples, by means of ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight (UHPLC-QTOF) mass spectrometry, 152 polyphenols were putatively annotated with the greatest content recorded for M15 pasta, being 2.19 mg/g dry matter (p < 0.05). Multivariate statistics showed that stigmastanol ferulate (VIP score = 1.22) followed by isomeric forms of kaempferol (VIP scores = 1.19) and other phenolic acids (i.e., schottenol/sitosterol ferulate and 24-methylcholestanol ferulate) were the most affected compounds through the in vitro static digestion process. The inclusion of different levels of MOLP in the recipe increased the slowly digestible starch fractions and decreased the rapidly digestible starch fractions and the starch hydrolysis index of the cooked-to-optimum samples. The present results showed that MOLP could be considered a promising ingredient in fresh pasta formulation

A modified Volterra series approach for nonlinear dynamic systems modeling

This paper describes a modeling approach for nonlinear dynamic systems based on a modified Volterra series; by comparing the truncation error of this series with that of the classical Volterra one, we outlined that, under the assumption of short-term nonlinear memory effects, the modified series enables a single-fold nonlinear convolution integral to be adopted also in the presence of strong nonlinearities. The measurement-based identification of the first terms of the modified Volterra series is described; experimental and simulation results which confirm the theoretical considerations are also provided

Effect of Moringa oleifera L. Leaf Powder Addition on the Phenolic Bioaccessibility and on In Vitro Starch Digestibility of Durum Wheat Fresh Pasta

Fresh pasta was formulated by replacing wheat semolina with 0, 5, 10, and 15 g/100 g (w/w) of Moringa oleifera L. leaf powder (MOLP). The samples (i.e., M0, M5, M10, and M15 as a function of the substitution level) were cooked by boiling. The changes in the phenolic bioaccessibility and the in vitro starch digestibility were considered. On the cooked-to-optimum samples, by means of ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight (UHPLC-QTOF) mass spectrometry, 152 polyphenols were putatively annotated with the greatest content recorded for M15 pasta, being 2.19 mg/g dry matter (p < 0.05). Multivariate statistics showed that stigmastanol ferulate (VIP score = 1.22) followed by isomeric forms of kaempferol (VIP scores = 1.19) and other phenolic acids (i.e., schottenol/sitosterol ferulate and 24-methylcholestanol ferulate) were the most affected compounds through the in vitro static digestion process. The inclusion of different levels of MOLP in the recipe increased the slowly digestible starch fractions and decreased the rapidly digestible starch fractions and the starch hydrolysis index of the cooked- to-optimum samples. The present results showed that MOLP could be considered a promising ingredient in fresh pasta formulation

Marked QTc Prolongation and Torsades de pointes in Patients with Chronic Inflammatory Arthritis

Mounting evidence indicates that in chronic inflammatory arthritis (CIA), QTc prolongation is frequent and correlates with systemic inflammatory activation. Notably, basic studies demonstrated that inflammatory cytokines induce profound changes in potassium and calcium channels resulting in a prolonging effect on cardiomyocyte action potential duration, thus on the QT interval on the electrocardiogram. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, the risk of sudden cardiac death is significantly increased when compared to non-RA subjects. Conversely, to date no data are available about torsades de pointes (TdP) prevalence in CIA, and the few cases reported considered CIA only an incidental concomitant disease, not contributing factor to TdP development. We report three patients with active CIA developing marked QTc prolongation, in two cases complicated with TdP degenerating to cardiac arrest. In these patients, a blood sample was obtained within 24 h from TdP/marked QTc prolongation occurrence, and levels of IL-6, TNFα, and IL-1 were evaluated. In all three cases, IL-6 was markedly elevated, ~10 to 100 times more than reference values. Moreover, one patient also showed high circulating levels of TNFα and IL-1. In conclusion, active CIA may represent a currently overlooked QT-prolonging risk factor, potentially contributing in the presence of other "classical" risk factors to TdP occurrence. In particular, a relevant role may be played by elevated circulating IL-6 levels via direct electrophysiological effects on the heart. This fact should be carefully kept in mind, particularly when recognizable risk factors are already present and/or the addition of QT-prolonging drugs is required

Array-Comparative Genomic Hybridization Analysis in Fetuses with Major Congenital Malformations Reveals that 24% of Cases Have Pathogenic Deletions/Duplications

Karyotyping and aCGH are routinely used to identify genetic determinants of major congenital malformations (MCMs) in fetal deaths or terminations of pregnancy after prenatal diagnosis. Pathogenic rearrangements are found with a variable rate of 9-39% for aCGH. We collected 33 fetuses, 9 with a single MCM and 24 with MCMs involving 2-4 organ systems. aCGH revealed copy number variants in 14 out of 33 cases (42%). Eight were classified as pathogenic which account for a detection rate of 24% (8/33) considering fetuses with 1 or more MCMs and 33% (8/24) taking into account fetuses with multiple malformations only. Three of the pathogenic variants were known microdeletion syndromes (22q11.21 deletion, central chromosome 22q11.21 deletion, and TAR syndrome) and 5 were large rearrangements, adding up to >11 Mb per subject and comprising strong phenotype-related genes. One of those was a de novo complex rearrangement, and the remaining 4 duplications and 2 deletions were 130-900 kb in size, containing 1-7 genes, and were classified as variants of unknown clinical significance. Our study confirms aCGH as a powerful technique to ascertain the genetic etiology of fetal major congenital malformations