Quality and Trace Element Profile of Tunisian Olive Oils Obtained from Plants Irrigated with Treated Wastewater

In the present work the use of treated wastewater (TWW) to irrigate olive plants was monitored. This type of water is characterized by high salinity and retains a substantial amount of trace elements, organic and metallic compounds that can be transferred into the soil and into the plants and fruits. In order to evaluate the impact of TWW on the overall quality of the oils, the time of contact of the olives with the soil has been taken into account. Multi-element data were obtained using ICP-MS. Nineteen elements (Li, B, Na, Mg, Al, K, Ca, Sc, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, Mo, Ba and La) were submitted for statistical analysis. Using analysis of variance, linear discriminant analysis and principal component analysis it was possible to differentiate between oils produced from different batches of olives whose plants received different types of water. Also, the results showed that there was correlation between the elemental and mineral composition of the water used to irrigate the olive plots and the elemental and mineral composition of the oils

Ecomuseo degli Ulivi Millenari della Regione Puglia

L'Ecomuseo è un'istituzione culturale che assicura in forma permanente, su un determinato territorio e con la partecipazione della popolazione, le funzioni di ricerca, conservazione e valorizzazione di un insieme di beni naturali e culturali, rappresentativi di un ambiente e dei modi di vita che lì si sono succeduti. L’Ecomuseo degli Ulivi Millenari della Regione Puglia, in questo delicato contesto socio-culturale e agroambientale, può essere quindi uno “scrigno prezioso” per la conservazione, la salvaguardia, il monitoraggio, la fruizione sostenibile. Inoltre con programmi di educazione ambientale, tour guidati da esperti e studiosi, si potrebbe dare vita a un circolo dal mutuo arricchimento. In un’ottica di turismo sostenibile gli ospiti dell'Ecomuseo conoscerebbero la zona, ne imparerebbero gli usi e costumi non in maniera sterile e fine a se stessa, ma, a contatto con attività legate "al locale", vivrebbero esperienze autentiche, come autentici sono i luoghi che le offrono

Clinical epigenetics settings for cancer and cardiovascular diseases: real-life applications of network medicine at the bedside

Despite impressive efforts invested in epigenetic research in the last 50 years, clinical applications are still lacking. Only a few university hospital centers currently use epigenetic biomarkers at the bedside. Moreover, the overall concept of precision medicine is not widely recognized in routine medical practice and the reductionist approach remains predominant in treating patients affected by major diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases. By its' very nature, epigenetics is integrative of genetic networks. The study of epigenetic biomarkers has led to the identification of numerous drugs with an increasingly significant role in clinical therapy especially of cancer patients. Here, we provide an overview of clinical epigenetics within the context of network analysis. We illustrate achievements to date and discuss how we can move from traditional medicine into the era of network medicine (NM), where pathway-informed molecular diagnostics will allow treatment selection following the paradigm of precision medicine

Identification of Tyrosyl Oleate as a Novel Olive Oil Lipophenol with Proliferative and Antioxidant Properties in Human Keratinocytes

Lipophenols are an emerging subclass of phenolic compounds characterized by the presence of a lipid moiety. Recently, hydroxytyrosyl oleate (HtyOle), a derivative of hydroxytyrosol, has been identified in olive oil and by-products. Furthermore, HtyOle possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and tissue regenerating properties. In this work, the potential occurrence of tyrosyl oleate (TyOle) in olive oil was investigated based on the hypothesis that its precursors tyrosol and oleic acid, both present in relatively high amount can be coupled together. Moreover, TyOle effects have been investigated in human keratinocytes to verify its proliferative and antioxidant properties. The quantitative determination of TyOle was carried out by the external standard method in liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC/MS), in negative mode using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). The proliferative properties of TyOle on immortalized human keratinocytes (HaCat) were evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiasol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Morphological changes were observed by fluorescent staining with phalloidin (for F-actin) or 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI, for chromatin) dye. The antioxidant activity was assessed at the level of production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced with UV exposure. TyOle was identified in all the oil samples investigated. Interestingly, TyOle concentration was higher in defective or low-quality oils than in extra virgin oils. The formation of TyOle likely occurs during the crushing and kneading processes and its concentration is related to the increase of rancidity and of the concentration of free precursors. Herein we show that TyOle induced an increase in the viability of HaCat cells and cytoskeletal remodeling

GETTING A MULTIMEDIA MESSAGE ACROSS IN PALERMO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND ARTISTIC HERITAGE IN AN AREA WITH A LOW RATE OF DEVELOPMENT

It is not that our cultural heritage should be regarded as riches that may be turned to profit; it is that the decay into which many monuments and historic sites have fallen by making them part of society's wealth-generating structures would represent an opportunity for otherwise run-down areas to get back on their feet again. For that to happen, communication will be an indispensable tool, making our cultural wealth easily accessible to all and allowing it to be taken advantage of. Palermo has this problem. It has a marvellous cultural heritage but no global plan for keeping the outside world informed and bringing itself to the attention of potential visitors

Olive pomace as spreadable pulp: A new product for human consumption

In this study, the surface response methodology was used to determine the best conditions for the debitter of olive pomaces obtained from the extraction of olive oils in order to make them more palatable and acceptable to a group of selected tasters. According to the established model, the maximum response was 6.90. This response was obtained after 2.5 weeks of natural fermentation in a brine at pH of 5.57, temperature of 40 °C, sodium chloride concentration of 6/100 g of pastes. The idea was to produce a favorable environment to accelerate endogenous enzymes action and reduce the fermentation process time. Indeed, the brine was enriched with older brine, in the form of a lyophilized powder after deodorization, as it contains fermentable substrates and a large number of lactic acid bacteria. In addition, the olive pomace, by means of vapor water through a double wall membrane, was heated until reaching a temperature between 35 °C and 40 °C which presents the optimal temperature for the activation of oleuropein hydrolysis enzymes