Bioactive compounds in different coffee beverages for quality and sustainability assessment

Coffee is one of the most widely consumed beverages worldwide, mainly due to its organoleptic, and psychoactive properties. Coffee brewing techniques involve the use of different extraction/infusion conditions (i.e., time, temperature, pressure, water/powder ratio, etc.), which can influence the quality of the final product. The study aimed to analyze the effect of four brewing coffee techniques (industrial espresso machine, Moka machine, pod machine, and capsule machine), which are the most used coffee brewing methods in Italy, on the quality and safety of the coffee brews, taking into account the profile of biogenic amines (BAs), total polyphenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and anti-radical activity (DPPH and ABTS assay). Eight coffee powders and brewed beverages from two different brands belonging to the 100% Arabica variety (country of origin Brazil) were analysed. The brewing techniques all resulted in a reduction of both BA content (27–30%), TPC (55–60%), TFC (50–55%), and anti-radical assays (45–50%) in coffee beverages compared to ground coffee samples. The study also showed that Moka is the method that yields the highest TPC (2.71–3.52 mg GAE/g coffee powder) and TFC (8.50–8.60 mg RUT/g coffee powder) content and highest anti-radical capacity in coffee beverages. The multivariate statistical analysis revealed a difference between coffee powder and infusions and coffee infusions obtained by different extraction techniques. Moreover, an analysis of the environmental impacts related to the different coffee preparation methods examined was conducted. This was performed by applying the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology through SimaPro v.9.2.2. software

A multimethodological approach for the valorization of “Senatore Cappelli” wheat milling by-products as a source of bioactive compounds and nutraceutical activity

Wheat is the third most cultivated cereal in the world and represents the major contributor to human nutrition. Milling wheat by-products such as husks (17–20% of the total processing output weight), even if still containing high-value-added bioactive compounds, are often left untreated or unused, thus resulting in environmental and human health burdens. In these regards, the present study is aimed at evaluating in a multimethodological approach the nutraceutical properties of durum wheat husks belonging to the ancient cultivar “Senatore Cappelli”, thus assessing their potential as bioactive compound sources in terms of phytochemical, cytotoxic, and nutraceutical properties. By means of HPLC-FD analyses, wheat husk samples analyzed revealed a higher content of serotonin, amounting to 35% of the total BAs, and were confirmed to occur at biogenic amines quality index (BAQI) values <10 mg/100 g. In addition, spectrophotometric assays showed a signif- icant variable content in the phenolic (189.71–351.14 mg GAE/100 g) and antioxidant compounds (31.23–37.84 mg TE/100 g) within the wheat husk samples analyzed, according to the different cul- tivar areas of origin. Considering wheat husk extracts’ anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity, in vitro analyses were performed on BV-2 murine microglia cells cultured in the presence or absence of LPS, thus evaluating their ability to promote microglia polarization towards an anti-inflammatory phenotype. Cytotoxicity assays showed that wheat extracts do not affect microglia viability. Wheat husks activity on microglial polarization was assessed by analyzing the expression of M1 and M2 markers’ mRNA by RT-PCR. Wheat husk antioxidant activity was assessed by analysis of NRF2 and SOD1 mRNA expression. Moreover, the sustainability assessment for the recovery of bioactive components from wheat by-products was carried out by applying the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology using SimaPro v9.2.2. software

Simple and reliable eco-extraction of bioactive compounds from dark chocolate by Deep Eutectic Solvents. A sustainable study

The green solvents and eco-extraction methods are gaining increasing interest in chemical analysis for bioactive compounds in food matrices. Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES) developed as a greener and more sustainable alternative to organic solvents, owing to their non-toxic, highly stable, and biodegradation-friendly nature. DES application for polyphenols and antioxidant compounds extraction in dark chocolate samples has been evaluated in an integrated study for sustainability assessment, based on multivariate analysis and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. A green extraction method based on DES was proposed testing different HBA:HBD pairs (ChCl:Fru, ChCl:Teg, Bet:Fru, and Bet:Teg). DES Bet:Fru resulted in the highest extraction yield in terms of both total polyphenols (0.34–3.37 g GAE/100 g) and flavonoids (1.13–8.32 g RUT/100 g), P < 0.05. Furthermore, the environmental performances of green and conventional solvents (MeOH:H2O, H2O, and MeOH) were evaluated by applying a comparative LCA (c-LCA). The c-LCA study highlighted that conventional extraction for polyphenols in dark chocolate was 60% more impactful than DES. DES pairs analysed quantitatively lowest impacted than conventional methods, considering the macro-categories Human Health (9.99 × 10–8 ÷ 1.54 × 10–7 DALYs), Ecosystem (2.29 × 10–10 ÷ 3.57 × 10–10 species.yr), and Resources (6.57 × 10–3 ÷ 8.96 × 10–3 USD2013)

Il Life Cycle Assessment per la produzione di vino biologico: un caso studio nel Lazio

La produzione di vino biologico è fortemente aumentata nell’ultimo decennio in Italia, raggiungendo i 2,2 mln/hl nel 2019. Considerando l’importanza della produzione vitivinicola, sia da un punto di vista culturale che economico, questo studio analizza gli impatti ambientali generati dalla produzione di una bottiglia di vino biologico da 0,75 l, tramite l’applicazione della metodologia del Life Cycle Assessment e utilizzando il software SimaPro 9.2. I risultati sono stati ulteriormente confrontati con la produzione di una bottiglia di vino convenzionale, al fine di comprendere maggiormente le differenze e gli impatti generati dalle due produzioni

Natural Contaminants in Wines: Determination of Biogenic Amines by Chromatographic Techniques

Biogenic amines (BAs) are natural contaminants of wine that originate from decarboxylase microorganisms involved in fermentation processes. The primary relevance of biogenic amines in food could have both toxic effects on consumers’ health (i.e., allergic reactions, nausea, tremors, etc.), if present at high concentrations, and concurrently it can be considered as a remarkable indicator of quality and/or freshness. Therefore, the presence of nine biogenic amines [Tryptamine (TRP), ß-phenylethylamine (ß-PEA), putrescine (PUT), cadaverine (CAD), histamine (HIS), serotonin (SER), tyramine (TYR), spermidine (SPD), and spermine (SPM)] was investigated in red and white wine samples, which differed in the winemaking processes. The qualitative-quantitative determination of BAs was carried out by chromatographic methods (HPLC-UV/Vis and LC-ESI-MS). The analysis showed that both winemaking processes had all the nine BAs considered in the study at different amounts. Data showed that red wines had a higher concentration of PUT (10.52 mg L−1), TYR (7.57 mg L−1), and HIS (6.5 mg L−1), the BAs most involved in food poisoning, compared to white wines, probably related to the different type of fermentation (alcoholic and malolactic)

Evaluation of biogenic amines, phenolic and antioxidant compounds in “Senatore Cappelli” durum wheat products

“Senatore Cappelli” durum wheat products have attracted much interest in recent years because of their nutritional and quality characteristics, as they are a source of different bioactive compounds (i.e., polyphenols, serotonin, etc.). This study examines the content of biogenic amines (BAs), ß-phenylethylamine, putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, tyramine, serotonin and spermine, total polyphenols content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity (AC) of different products of the “Senatore Cappelli” durum wheat chain (SCDW): seeds, chaff, flour, and pasta. BAs were detected and quantified by HPLC-RF. While UV-Vis spectrophotometer was applied for the determination of TPC and AC. All BAs investigated were found in the samples analyzed at different concentrations. Particularly, the presence of serotonin (21.71 ± 0.15 - 42.66 ±0 .03 mg/kg), an BA with positive effects on human health, was found in all SCDW products. In addition, a higher concentration in SCDW pasta of histamine (36.37 ± 0.01 mg/kg) and cadaverine (11.43 ± 0.36 mg/kg), which are the main BAs involved in allergic processes, compared to the other SCDW products was found.&nbsp

Studio integrato per la valutazione della shelf-life di campioni di zucca conservati in packaging innovativi

Il packaging alimentare è fondamentale per garantire la food safety, la food quality e un’adeguata shelf-life al prodotto, limitando di conseguenza anche il food waste. Tuttavia, in un’ottica di sostenibilità, è necessario tener conto anche della relazione tra packaging e ambiente. Il largo impiego di polimeri fossili nel settore alimentare e il loro errato smaltimento, ha causato e continua a causare l’inquinamento degli ecosistemi, per via di un accumulo di plastiche e microplastiche nell’ambiente. Tutto ciò sta portando allo sviluppo di materiali bio-based e biodegradabili da impiegare nel settore del food packaging, come ad esempio le bioplastiche. Tuttavia, la loro quota di produzione è ancora esigua rispetto alla controparte fossile e richiede l’utilizzo di risorse che vengono sottratte alla produzione di cibo, entrando quindi in competizione con esso. Trovare alternative in un’ottica di Economia Circolare è più che mai necessario. L’obiettivo dello studio preliminare, pertanto, è volto a comprendere l’andamento della shelf-life di campioni di zucca conservati in diverse tipologie di materiali da imballaggio, integrando le analisi quantitative ottenute in laboratorio con l’analisi degli impatti ambientali relativi alla produzione di materiali da imballaggio a partire da biomasse da rifiuto, utilizzando la metodologia Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in the chocolate supply chain. A literature overview

Chocolate is a product with a long and complex supply chain, involving several raw materials and Countries, such as cocoa beans, which are grown in equatorial Countries as Ghana, Ivory Coast, Indonesia, Ecuador, etc. to be then exported to Europe and US, where it is transformed into chocolate and consumed. Therefore, it is a product in which are involved impacts related to long journeys for transport, as well as to the agricultural phase and the various stages of processing, for which it becomes important to assess its sustainability, and in this context the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a valid tool to carry out studies of environmental compatibility. Therefore, the aim of this work was to carry out a literature overview about the applications of LCA in the chocolate supply chain. The results show that chocolate and cocoa are two commodities whose environmental impacts are little studied and analyzed, although they are two products widely consumed and favorable to health. Among the various types of chocolate, dark one is the most studied, while milk and white chocolate lack studies, despite the supply chain of these two types includes products such as milk and sugar, for which it would be desirable to investigate the environmental effects, especially because of the impacts caused by intensive farming (milk) and deforestation (sugar). The results also show how there is concordance between functional units (1 kg), discordance between calculation methodologies, as well as a lack of studies investigating the social impacts of cocoa and chocolate production (Social Life Cycle Assessment)

Quality and Historical Marks of National Interest: The Italian Case Study

Trademarks are distinctive signs designed to promote and enhance the products/services of companies. In recent years, the concept of quality has asserted growing interest, especially among enterprises, aiming to promote consumers by creating distinctive marks. In Italy, in 2021, the number of filled quality trademarks for products and services will amount to about 81. Through the “Decreto Crescita”, Italy supported Italian companies to limit their delocalization overseas. In this regard, the historical mark of national interest was established, from which Italian companies with a trademark filed for at least 50 years can benefit. Therefore, the study aimed at evaluating two different types of trademarks, quality marks and historical marks, highlighting the main aspects that characterize these two marks as a function of the standards that distinguish them from the most common trademarks. For this purpose, the study focused on evaluating historical brands in Italy to promote their strategic importance and enhance the temporal continuity of the marks. These were considered a new marketing tool to promote know-how and “Made in Italy”, which is particularly useful for the brand image of companies to be competitive in a global market