Phytochemical Characterization of Citrus-Based Products Supporting Their Antioxidant Effect and Sensory Quality

The increasing attention on the impact of food on human and environmental health has led to a greater awareness about nutrition, food processing, and food waste. In this perspective, the present work deals with the investigation of the chemical non-volatile and volatile profiles of two Citrus-based products, produced through a conscious process, using Citrus peels as natural gelling agents. Moreover, the total polyphenol content (TPC) and the antioxidant properties were evaluated, as well as their sensorial properties. Chemical and antioxidant results were compared with those of Citrus fresh fruits (C. reticulata, C. sinensis, and C. limon). Concerning the non-volatile fingerprint, the two samples showed a very similar composition, characterized by flavanones (naringenin, hesperetin, and eriodyctiol O-glycosides), flavones (diosmetin and apigenin C-glucosides), and limonoids (limonin, nomilinic acid, and its glucoside). The amount of both flavonoids and limonoids was higher in the Lemon product than in the Mixed Citrus one, as well as the TPC and the antioxidant activity. The aroma composition of the two samples was characterized by monoterpene hydrocarbons as the main chemical class, mainly represented by limonene. The sensorial analysis, finally, evidenced a good quality of both the products. These results showed that the most representative components of Citrus fruits persist even after the transformation process, and the aroma and sensorial properties endow an added value to Citrus preparations

Antimicrobial activity and composition of five rosmarinus (Now salvia spp. and varieties) essential oils

Salvia rosmarinus Spenn. and Salvia jordanii J.B.Walker are aromatic evergreen shrubs belonging to the Lamiaceae family. Their aerial parts have been used since ancient times as natural preservatives. The present study reported the investigation of the chemical profile and the extraction yield of the essential oils (EOs) obtained from the dried aerial parts of four cultivars of Salvia rosmarinus (‘Boule’; ‘Vicomte de Noailles’; ‘Gorizia’; ‘Joyce de Baggio’) and the species S. jordanii, together with their antibacterial and antifungal activities. The phytochemical investigation evidenced a predominance of oxygenated monoterpenes in all the samples (57.5–77.1%), except in ‘Boule’, in which the hydrocarbon form prevailed (50.2%). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of the matrix taxa × compounds showed that nine compounds have a significant discriminating function between the samples. ‘Vicomte de Noailles’ was characterized by high amounts of camphor and 14-hydroxy-9-epi-(E)-caryophyllene, while ‘Gorizia’ and Jord differed in their predominance of camphene, borneol, bornyl acetate, and α-humulene. Lastly, ‘Boule’ and ‘Joyce de Baggio’ segregated separately and were characterized by high amounts of α-pinene, myrcene, and verbenone. The selected EOs presented a moderate antibacterial activity on the tested bacterial strains and resulted not active on the tested yeast species

Sicurezza e Resilienza delle Infrastrutture

Negli ultimi anni si sono manifestati eventi calamitosi che hanno causato collassi, completi o parziali nelle reti infrastrutturali in numerose aree nel mondo. A fronteggiare tali calamità intervengono la pubblica amministrazione e/o i gestori della rete che, collaborando a volte anche con associazioni e organizzazioni private e di volontariato, operano per ripristinare le prestazioni originarie del sistema. In particolar modo le infrastrutture critiche, cioè quei sistemi legati ai servizi di comunicazione, distribuzione dell’energia, sanità, tecnologia dell’informazione, sistemi finanziari/bancari, trasporti e sistemi idrici che forniscono i servizi essenziali per l’economia, la sicurezza e la stabilità di una Nazione, devono essere salvaguardate dai disastri. Il sistema di trasporto è essenziale per il benessere delle comunità, specialmente in condizioni avverse in quanto fornisce la possibilità di evacuazione, delle operazioni di salvataggio e facilita il ripristino dei servizi per la comunità, data la sua vasta interconnessione con tutte le altre infrastrutture critiche. Le caratteristiche e la capacità di un determinato territorio atte a fronteggiare gli eventi calamitosi dipendono da numerosi aspetti che possono essere riassunti nei concetti di sostenibilità, vulnerabilità e resilienza. Gli approcci definiti come disaster risk, climate change e quello basato sulla resilienza sono gli strumenti di valutazione maggiormente utilizzati e innovativi. La recente introduzione di questi concetti e degli approcci citati comporta un ventaglio di definizioni non univoche nella letteratura tecnica. Il presente lavoro ha lo scopo di: 1) Fornire una revisione critica e comparata della letteratura tecnica sull’argomento; 2) Analizzare gli attuali approcci che mirano ad incrementare la resilienza di una infrastruttura legata al trasporto, in particolar modo nei confronti di eventi rari (es. alluvioni, frane, ecc.); 3) Individuare i fattori e le azioni che influiscono sul ripristino delle performance del sistema; 4) Elaborare un metodo di valutazione della resilienza di tipo gerarchico

Detrimental effect of apoptosis of lymphocytes at an early time point of experimental abdominal sepsis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Apoptosis of lymphocytes is considered a late sequelum in the sepsis cascade. The role of apoptosis of lymphocytes as a driver of final outcome was investigated.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Abdominal sepsis was induced after cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) in 31 rabbits. Blood was sampled at serial time intervals and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated. Apoptosis of lymphocytes and monocytes was measured through flow cytometric analysis. PBMCs were stimulated with LPS and Pam3Cys for the release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα). Tissue bacterial growth was quantitatively measured. In a second set of experiments, CLP was performed in another 40 rabbits; 20 received single intravenous infusions of ciprofloxacin and of metronidazole 4 hours after surgery.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Animals were divided into two groups based on the percentage of lymphocyte apoptosis at 4 hours after surgery; less than or equal to 32% and more than 32%. Survival of the former was shorter than the latter (p: 0.017). Tissue growth was similar between groups. Apoptosis of lymphocytes and of monocytes was lower in the former group over follow-up. Release of ΤNFα did not differ. The above findings on survival were repeated in the second set of experiments. Administration of antimicrobials prolonged survival of the former group (p: 0.039) but not of the latter group (pNS).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Lymphocyte apoptosis at an early time point of experimental peritonitis is a major driver for death. A lower percentage of apoptosis leads earlier to death. Antimicrobials were beneficial even at that disease state.</p

2013 WSES guidelines for management of intra-abdominal infections

Peer reviewe

Comparison of the chemical and sensorial evaluation of dark chocolate bars

As it mimics olfactory perception, headspace analysis is frequently used for examination of products like chocolate, in which aroma is a key feature. Chemical analysis by itself, however, only provides half the picture, as final consumer’s perception cannot be compared to that of a Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) port, but rather to a panel test assessment. The aim of the present study was the evaluation of combined chemical (by means of headspace solid-phase microextraction and GC-MS) and panel test data (by means of a sensory evaluation operated by 6 untrained panelists) obtained for 24 dark chocolate bars to assess whether these can discriminate between bars from different brands belonging to different commercial segments (hard discount, HD; supermarket, SM; organic bars, BIO). In all samples, with the only exception of one supermarket bar (in which esters exhibited the highest relative abundance), pyrazines were detected as the most abundant chemical class (HD: 56.3–74.2%; BIO: 52.0–76.4%; SM: 31.2–88.9%). Non-terpene alcohols, aldehydes, and esters followed as quantitatively relevant groups of compounds. The obtained data was then subjected to hierarchical cluster (HCA) and principal component (PCA) analysis. The statistical distribution of samples obtained for the chemical data did not match that obtained with panelists’ sensorial data. Moreover, although an overall ability of grouping samples of the same commercial origin was evidenced for hard discount and supermarket bars, no sharp grouping was possible

Volatolomics of three South African helichrysum species grown in pot under protected environment

Helichrysum decorum DC, Helichrysum lepidissimum S.Moore, and Helichrysum um-braculigerum are three species traditionally used in the South African medicine. The present work deals with the investigation of the spontaneous emission and the essential oils obtained from these plants cultivated in open field under uniform conditions. Fractions of the volatile organic compounds of the three species were rich in monoterpene hydrocarbons, representing more than 70% of the total composition. Pinene isomers were the most representative compounds: β-pinene in H. decorum (53.0%), and α-pinene in H. lepidissimum (67.9%) and H. umbraculigerum (54.8%). These latter two species evidenced an important amount of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (SH) especially represented by γ-curcumene (H. lepidissimum) and α-and β-selinene (H. umbraculigerum). On the contrary, in the EOs, sesquiterpenes compounds prevailed, representing more than 64% of the identified fraction to reach more than 82 and 87% in H. umbraculigerum and H. lepidissimum, re-spectively. Although the chemical classes and their relative abundances were comparable among the three species, the individual compounds of EOs showed large differences. In fact, caryo-phyllene oxide (26.7%) and γ-curcumene (17.4%) were the main constituents in H. decorum, and H. lepidissimum respectively, while neo-intermedeol (11.2%) and viridiflorol (10.6%) characterized H. umbraculigerum