Trace elements in edible flowers from Liguria: an exploratory study.

Recently, the use of edible flowers has become very popular, both in traditional and innovative recipes, and now several floral species can be found not only in the kitchens of famous restaurants but also as packed salads in the supermarkets. The increasing consumer appreciation is due to the sensory properties of several flowers (taste, flavor, shape, color, texture) and to their nutritional value1, being low in fat and rich in nutrients. While several studies in literature have reported interesting antioxidant, antiinflammatory and anti-microbial activities for a number of species2, data on mineral composition are scarce3. The measure of the concentration of trace elements in edible flowers is important since some elements (e.g. As, Cd, Pb) are toxic even at low concentrations, and some other elements (e.g. Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Zn) are essential but they can be toxic or may induce allergic reactions when beyond certain levels. Moreover, there are hundreds of plant species which are known to be hyperaccumulators of metals and metalloids, but data are referred to aboveground biomass and never specifically to floral parts4,5. The present study is part of the INTERREG-ALCOLTRA project \u201cANTEA\u201d (http://www.interregantea.eu/), aimed to increase the supply chain of edible flowers cultivated in Liguria (Italy) and PACA (France), mainly belonging to Asteraceae and Lamiaceae. The determination of the mineral composition and the highlighting of hyperaccumulator species, if any, was included in the toxicity checks. Petals of edible flowers (n=19) grown in West Liguria in controlled conditions in open grounds were freeze dried, grinded and analyzed. The concentrations of 10 trace elements (Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sr, V, Zn) were measured using atomic emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma source (ICP-OES). One sample, Acmella oleracea (L.) R.K. Jansen, Asteraceae, was considered as an outlier, showing Mn concentrations 15-fold higher than the mean value of the other samples. Regarding the remaining samples, PCA (Principal Component Analysis) allowed to separate the two families on the basis of the concentrations of Cd, Fe, Mn, V, resulting significantly higher in flowers of Asteraceae. Anyway, none of the studied samples showed health risk for consumers. Research is in progress on a larger set of samples in order to determine the mineral composition of the increasing number of edible floral species in use

Dermatite da contatto

Protein contact dermatitis (PCD) is a rare and underdiagnosed condition, caused by high-molecular-weight proteins, that many clinicians fail to recognize. PCD affects occupations involving food handling, such as bakers, fishmongers, cooks, greengrocers, and veterinary. Clinically, PCD is characterized by chronic and recurrent dermatitis of the hands and forearms occurring few minutes after contact with allergens. The lesions are at first urticarial; then they develop eczematous-type, with erythema, scaling, and fissures. We report a case of an 38-year-old atopic baker who presented recurrent chronic dermatitis of hands, forearms and trunk, associated with urticaria; the lesions were related to the patient's job. Patch tests with flours used by patient during his job were negative when performed on healthy skin, positive when performed on affected skin. Prick by prick tests with the same flours gave positive results; ImmunoCAP test showed specific IgE antibodies for wheat (9.76 kUA/L)

Qualità ambientale e problemi di conservazione dei fontanili nella pianura tra Piacenza e Parma

Environmental quality and conservation problems of the lowland springs in the Provinces of Piacenza and Parma (Italy) - The “fontanili” are natural resurgences occurring along the alluvial fans of the main watercourses, namely in the transition zone from the higher to lower plain which is characterized by changes in slope profile and sediment granulometry. From 1998 to 2002, environmental characteristics of lowland springs in the provinces of Piacenza and Parma were analysed. The main hydrochemical and physical variables and parameters were measured. Most of the biotopes exhibited poor water quality, especially due to high nitrate concentrations. The lack of conservation measures, together with inappropriate management practices, led to a progressive loss of biological diversity, in particular of species adapted to cold water environments

Cytotoxic labdane diterpenes from Premna resinosa (Hochst.) Schauer.

The genus Premna (Lamiaceae) contains 200 species mainly distributed throughout tropical and subtropical Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Pacific Islands. 1 46 species are recognized in the Flora of China and 14 species in the Flora Malesiana area.1 Most species in the genus are small trees or shrubs and rarely found as lianas and pyroherbs 1. Common metabolites of the genus are diterpenoids, triterpenoids, iridoid glycosides, flavonoids lignans and xanthones.1,2 The diversity of species of Premna throughout the habitat region results in various traditional uses by the local people,1 to treat malaria, stomach and hepatic disorders, headache, cough, malaria and tuberculosis, infectious-related diseases, skin diseases, asthma, rheumatism, neuralgia, diarrhea and stomach disorder, hyperglycaemic, and obesity.1,2 Extracts and isolated compounds from leaves, root bark and stem bark have shown antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, antifeedant and heapatoprotective activity.1,2 The essential oil obtained from Premna species displayed antibacterial properties.2 P. resinosa, a shrub or small bushy tree, with whitish stems and coriaceous leaves with a pleasant smell, is used in Indian traditional medicine, as laxative agent and to treat bronchitis. The extracts of P. resinosa and their flavonoid constituents showed cytotoxic, anti-tubercular, and antimicrobial activities.2,3 The dichloromethane extract of the surface mixture, obtained from the fresh aerial parts of P. resinosa, was separated by different chromatographic techniques such as Silica gel, MPLC, and HPLC, and afforded five new and one known labdane diterpene whose structures were elucidated by NMR and MS Spectroscopy. The antiproliferative activity of the isolates was investigated on Jurkat and HeLa cell lines. The most active diterpene (1) at 48 h showed activity in both cell lines (IC50 of 13 \ub1 0.7 \ub5M and 16 \ub1 0.9 \ub5M, respectively)

A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Cognitive Behavioral Social Skills Training for Middle-Aged and Older Outpatients With Chronic Schizophrenia

The number of older patients with chronic schizophrenia is increasing. There is a need for empirically validated psychotherapy interventions for these older patients. A randomized controlled trial compared treatment as usual (TAU) with TAU plus cognitive-behavioral social skills training (TAU+CBSST) in 76 middle-aged and older patients with chronic schizophrenia. CBSST teaches cognitive-behavioral coping techniques, social functioning skills, problem solving and compensatory aids for neurocognitive impairments over 24 weekly group therapy sessions. Blind raters obtained assessments of social functioning, psychotic and depressive symptoms, and cognitive insight and CBSST skill mastery. After treatment, patients in TAU + CBSST performed social functioning activities significantly more frequently than patients in TAU, although general skill at performing social functioning activities did not differ significantly between the two groups. Significant treatment group effects were also found for cognitive insight and skill mastery, indicating patients in CBSST became more objective in reappraising psychotic symptoms and learned CBSST skills. The overall treatment group effect was not significant for symptoms, but greater increase in cognitive insight in CBSST was significantly correlated with greater reduction in positive symptoms, suggesting patients who showed increased cognitive insight in CBSST were more likely to show psychotic symptom reduction. With CBSST, therefore, middle-aged and older outpatients with chronic schizophrenia were able to learn cognitive-behavioral coping skills, changed the way they evaluate anomalous experiences (cognitive insight), and improved their social functioning. Future research is needed to determine whether cognitive insight mediates psychotic symptom change in cognitive-behavioral therapy for psychosis