Different water and light regimes affect ionome composition in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.)

Many inorganic cations play a major role in winemaking processes and wine quality. For this reason, chemistry at the elemental level ("ionomic") of the grape berry is of concern not only to the viticulturist, but also to the oenologist due to their direct impact on juice and must composition, which in turn affect wine quality. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of reduced irrigation and incident light (by means of micronized calcite) on the berry skin ionome of the Italian red grape 'Aglianico'. The study was carried out in a five-years-old vineyard (Vitis vinifera L. 'Aglianico') located in Southern Italy. Half of the plants (IRR) were drip irrigated, whereas the other half were not irrigated (NIR). Half of IRR and NIR plants were treated with Megagreen® micronized calcite. In all the treatments, plant water status and gas exchange were determined. The mean values of stem water potential (ψw) during the experiment were –1.02 and –1.10 MPa in IRR and NIR, respectively. The calcite treatments did not show changes in ψw values if compared to the untreated ones. The values of gas exchange were not statistically different among the four treatments. Grape berries were separated into three groups of mass, and the levels of macroelements, microelements and lanthanides were measured. Irrigation and calcite significantly affected macroelements distribution in all the three groups of mass, with Fe, Cu and Zn being significantly higher in the IRR and calcite-treated treatments. The effect of irrigation on the changes in microelement levels was significant for some elements. Calcite-treated vines showed higher mean values of Co, Cd, Hg and Pb. Regarding lanthanides, in calcite-untreated vines, irrigation determined significant decreases in average La, Ce, Nd, whereas in calcite-treated vines, increases in the mean concentrations of Ce, Nd, Sm, Gd, Dy, Er and Yb were found. Generally, lanthanide levels did not change between calcite-treated and untreated vines, and in all the treatments Lu resulted to be the most abundant one. Macroelements, microelements and lanthanide levels generally decreased with decreasing berry weight. The dynamics of the extractability of metals from grape berries to must during fermentation could be used to predict wine quality during the following processes and for wine traceability purposes

Hyssopus officinalis subsp. aristatus: An unexploited wild-growing crop for new disclosed bioactives

The aerial parts of rock hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis subsp. aristatus (Godr.) Nyman), well-known for bearing essential oil-producing glands, are also rich in phenol and polyphenol compounds. These latter, still rarely studied in rock hyssop and other hyssop species, markedly differ based on the plant collection site. In fact, their biosynthesis, maximized in the wild, is finely regulated by multiple abiotic and biotic factors. In this context, to reach an accurate and deep understanding of the polyphenol constitution of a homemade-like preparation (HOEE) from rock hyssop growing wild in Southern Italy, analyses, based on ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC HRMS), were carried out. HOEE mainly consisted of hydroxycinnamoyl derivatives (57.2%), among which some different and never reported coumarin and lignan compounds. Dicaffeoyl quinic acids were the main chlorogenic compounds, whereas flavonoid glycosides and methoxyflavonoids were the less abundant compounds. The preliminary assessment of HOEE antiradical properties through differen t-test tube assays provided a solid basis for originally exploring its antioxidant activity towards differentiated Caco-2 cells. Experimental evidence on genoprotective activity of hyssop aerial parts, herein testified for the first time, raised the potential of their using as a functional food for oxidative stress-induced diseases prevention

Antioxidant peptides from "Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP" after simulated gastrointestinal digestion: In vitro intestinal protection, bioavailability, and anti-haemolytic capacity

The bioactive properties of milk and milk-products are largely attributed to the peptides released during gastrointestinal digestion. Nevertheless, no similar studies on "Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP" (MBC), the European name given to a unique protected origin designation buffalo milk product, are available so far. A novel antioxidant peptide (MBCP) after MBC gastrointestinal digestion was identified and its in vitro intestinal protection, bioavailability, and anti-haemolytic capacity were assayed. A 0.2 mg/mL MBCP incubation dose made H<inf>2</inf>O<inf>2</inf>-stressed CaCo2 cell line proliferation increase by about 100%. Less than 10% hydrolysis in the apical solution and about 10% concentration in the basolateral solution indicated for MBCP good stability and bioavailability, respectively. A 0.2 mg/mL MBCP incubation dose reduced H<inf>2</inf>O<inf>2</inf>-induced human erythrocyte haemolysis by 91.25%. Our data indicated MBC as a potential functional food and MBCP as a novel food ingredient, food additive and pharmaceutical, relevant in health promotion and disease prevention

Comprehensive two dimensional liquid chromatography (LC × UHPLC): a powerful analytical tool for high resolution profiling of milk peptides after expiration date.

Milk is a rich source of bioactive peptides with several healthy properties. These compounds are released after proteolytic processes that occour in milk after expiration date. This matrix is highly complex and, in order to obtain good separation before the mass spectrometer source and prevent competition for ionization, high peak capacity is essential. A two-dimensional comprehensive LC × UHPLC platform was developed for the separation of peptides after IV week from the expiration date. In this approach we evaluated the employment in the second dimension (D2), of both sub-2 um partially (core-shell) and totally (monodisperse) porous particles columns. High peak capacity values, with respect to a conventional monodimensional approach, were obtained. A ten port-two position high pressure switching valve was used for the online continuous transfer between first and second dimension, on the detection side, both diode array detector (DAD) and a hybrid ion trap-time of flight (IT-TOF) mass spectrometer were employed in series. This platform represents a powerful tool for the identification and profiling of milk peptides, and allows to promote this “waste product” as an important source of bioactive compounds for the development of nutraceutical products and functional milks