Biogenic amines (BAs) are considered as an important indicator of freshness and quality of food. In this work, a new active packaging (AP) system for meat that, incorporating essential oil of Rosmarinus officinalis at 4% (w/w), inhibits... more
Biogenic amines (BAs) are considered as an important indicator of freshness and quality of food. In this work, a new active packaging (AP) system for meat that, incorporating essential oil of Rosmarinus officinalis at 4% (w/w), inhibits the increase of BAs and the bacteria involved into their production was developed. BAs were analyzed by a SPE-HPLC-DAD method during the storage time of meat (0-7 d, 4 °C). Results showed that, in each monitored day, Biogenic Amine Index (BAI) expressed in mg kg(-1) is lower in meat wrapped in AP with respect to that packed in polycoupled packaging (PP) (from 19% to 62%). A strong correlation was found between the inhibition of increase of putrescine, cadaverine, histamine and their bacteria producers such as Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas spp. and Brocothrix thermospacta. By exploiting antimicrobial and antioxidant action of essential oil of R. officinalis, the new APs contribute to increase the shelf life of fresh meat and to preserve its important nutrients.
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Research Interests: Microbiology, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Plant Biology, Biology, Ethnopharmacology, and 15 moreMedicine, Italy, Phytotherapy, Humans, Antimicrobial activity, Candida albicans, Antimicrobial, Gram Positive Bacteria, Plant extracts, Enterococcus faecalis, Microbial Sensitivity Tests, Hypericum, Hypericin, Hypericum perforatum, and Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences
In the present work we carried out a phytochemical and biological investigation on three Hypericum species, i.e. Hypericum reflexum, Hypericum canariense and Hypericum grandifolium, from the Canary Islands where they are traditionally... more
In the present work we carried out a phytochemical and biological investigation on three Hypericum species, i.e. Hypericum reflexum, Hypericum canariense and Hypericum grandifolium, from the Canary Islands where they are traditionally used as diuretic, wound healing, vermifuge, sedative and antidepressive agents. The polar extracts of the top flowering aerial parts, prepared by Soxhlet apparatus using a methanol-acetone (1:1) extracting mixture, were analyzed by HPLC-DAD and HPLC-MS for the content of eight biomarkers such as hypericin, hyperforin, chlorogenic acid, rutin, hyperoside, isoquercitrin, quercitrin and quercetin, whereas the hydrodistilled essential oils were analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. The three Hypericum species had different results in both polar and volatile constituents, H. reflexum being the only one endowed with a small amount of naphtodianthrones (hypericin and pseudohypericin), and containing high levels of chlorogenic acid, rutin and volatile mono- and sesquiterpenes. After chemical characterization, all products were in vitro biologically assayed for antiproliferative activity on human tumor cell lines by MTT assay, for antioxidant potential by DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays, and for antimicrobial activity by the agar disc diffusion and microdilution methods. Results revealed interesting bioactivities and differences between polar extracts and essential oils, with the former being endowed with significant antioxidant activity and the latter with comparable inhibition effects on the tumor cells (A375, MDA-MB 231 and HCT 116) to that of cisplatin.
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Research Interests: Biology and Nutraceutical
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Research Interests: Food Science and Biology
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Research Interests: Chemistry and Humanities
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This study was designed to investigate possible antidepressant-like effects of the extract prepared from the flowers of Hypericum montbretti Spach. (Guttiferae, Clusiaceae). Phytochemical constituents of the methanolic extract were... more
This study was designed to investigate possible antidepressant-like effects of the extract prepared from the flowers of Hypericum montbretti Spach. (Guttiferae, Clusiaceae). Phytochemical constituents of the methanolic extract were analysed by HPLC method. The main flavonoid component was detected as rutin, and another highly concentrated phenolic compound was quercitrin. Antidepressant activity of the extract was examined by tail suspension and modified forced swimming tests, whereas the motor coordination of the animals was tested by the Rota-Rod apparatus. Reboxetine at a dose of 20 mg kg⁻¹ was used as a reference drug. Dose-dependent antidepressant activity was observed in both tests following the administration of extract at 100 and 250 mg kg⁻¹ doses. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the antidepressant activity of H. montbretti extract. Additionally, the results of this work support previous papers reporting the antidepressant activity of rutin.
Research Interests: Pharmacology, Chemistry, Animal Behavior, Traditional Medicine, Medicine, and 15 moreMultidisciplinary, Swimming, Antidepressant, Animals, Motor Coordination, Natural Product, Phytochemical, Phenolic compound, Plant extracts, Forced Swim Test, Flavonoid, Hypericum, Clusiaceae, Rutin, and Antidepressive agents
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Smyrnium olusatrum (Apiaceae), well known as wild celery, is a biennal celery-scented plant used for many centuries as a vegetable, then abandoned after the introduction of celery. In the present work, the essential oil obtained from... more
Smyrnium olusatrum (Apiaceae), well known as wild celery, is a biennal celery-scented plant used for many centuries as a vegetable, then abandoned after the introduction of celery. In the present work, the essential oil obtained from inflorescences and the amounts of its main constituents isofuranodiene, curzerene and germacrone were analyzed by GC as well as by HPLC because of their degradation (Cope rearrangement) occurring at high temperatures. The oil and the main constituents were assayed for cytotoxic activity on the human colon cancer cell line (HCT116) by MTT assay. Flower oil and isofuranodiene showed noteworthy activity on tumor cells with IC50 of 10.71 and 15.06 μg/ml, respectively. Analysis of the cytotoxic activity showed that wild celery oil and isofuranodiene are able to induce apoptosis in colon cancer cells in a time and concentration-dependent manner suggesting a potential role as models for the development of chemopreventive agents.
Research Interests: Pharmacology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Cancer, and 15 moreFluorescence Microscopy, Cancer Biology, Cytotoxicity, Apoptosis, Medicine, Essential Oil, Humans, Ic, Apiaceae, Carcinoma, Fitoterapia, Furans, DNA fragmentation, colon carcinoma cells, and Colonic Neoplasms
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Hypericum species have been used in traditional medicine for various purposes including neoplastic diseases. In the present study, antiproliferative and antioxidant activities of extracts of Hypericum perforatum, H. montbretii and H.... more
Hypericum species have been used in traditional medicine for various purposes including neoplastic diseases. In the present study, antiproliferative and antioxidant activities of extracts of Hypericum perforatum, H. montbretii and H. origanifolium were investigated. Antiproliferative effects of Hypericum extracts were examined by using MTT method on A549 and HeLa cell lines. The -Carotenelinolenic acid system and the Rancimat method were used to evaluate antioxidant activities, while the DPPH method was employed for testing free radical scavenging activities of the extracts. Total phenolic compounds, flavonoids and flavonols were also measured, whereas major constituents like hypericin, hyperforin, quercetin, quercitrin, isoquercitrin, hyperoside, rutin and chlorogenic acid were determined by HPLC-DAD analyses. The findings indicated that flower extracts of H. montbretii and H. origanifolium have higher antioxidant and antiradical activities than the extract from aerial part of H. p...
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The Ricotta Forte is a traditional dairy product from Puglia, a region of southern Italy. It is a creamy and spreadable product with strong taste and smell, traditionally prepared using leftover "Classical" sheep ricotta, that... more
The Ricotta Forte is a traditional dairy product from Puglia, a region of southern Italy. It is a creamy and spreadable product with strong taste and smell, traditionally prepared using leftover "Classical" sheep ricotta, that is a dairy product made with sheep's whey left from pecorino cheese production. After a two-six months maturation in terracotta, wooden or plastic containers during which it incurs a strong Fermentation process, it is added with salt (2-15%) and potted in glass jars. In the present study the traditional manufacturing process is described and physical and chemical features and enerey value are determined in samples of three types of Ricotta Forte: one produced using mixed milk (from cow, sheep and goat) without preservatives, one using sbeep's milk added with sorbic acid, and the third with sheep's milk without preservatives. Many differences are detected among the three types of samples, especially in pH, moisture, protein, fat and NaCl.
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The yeast Wickerhamomyces anomalus has several applications in the food industry due to its antimicrobial potential and wide range of biotechnological properties. In particular, a specific strain of Wickerhamomyces anomalus isolated from... more
The yeast Wickerhamomyces anomalus has several applications in the food industry due to its antimicrobial potential and wide range of biotechnological properties. In particular, a specific strain of Wickerhamomyces anomalus isolated from the malaria mosquito Anopheles stephensi, namely WaF17.12, was reported to secrete a killer toxin with strong anti-plasmodial effect on different developmental stages of Plasmodium berghei; therefore, we propose its use in the symbiotic control of malaria. In this study, we focused on the identification/characterization of the protein toxin responsible for the observed antimicrobial activity of the yeast. For this purpose, the culture medium of the killer yeast strain WaF17.12 was processed by means of lateral flow filtration, anion exchange and gel filtration chromatography, immunometric methods, and eventually analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). Based on this concerted approach, we identified a protein with a mol...
Research Interests: Microbiology, Chemistry, Biology, Medicine, Yeast, and 3 moreAntimicrobial, Toxins, and Plasmodium berghei
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Formaggio di Fossa is an Italian traditional cheese of the Montefeltro area (Emilia Romagna and Marche regions) characterized by a particular step of ripening that is carried out into pits (infossamento) borne in the sandstone. Since the... more
Formaggio di Fossa is an Italian traditional cheese of the Montefeltro area (Emilia Romagna and Marche regions) characterized by a particular step of ripening that is carried out into pits (infossamento) borne in the sandstone. Since the XIV century, the inhabitants were used to set food, especially cereals and cheese, into pits to preserve them during winter and to protect them from invaders. The aim of the present work is to study physical and chemical features of this product with particular reference to the presence of the most important biogenic amines ( -Phenylethylamine, putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, tyramine, spermine and spermidine), compared with a control cheese fully ripened in factory. Formaggio di Fossa showed higher values of Aw, pH, humidity, proteins, pH 4,6-soluble nitrogen (NCN) and water soluble nitrogen (NPN) and much lower amounts of fat. Much higher amounts of total biogenic amines were detected in Formaggio di Fossa than in control cheese, where their co...
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Two organic acids isomers, 3-isopropylmalic acid (3-IPMA) and 2-isopropylmalic acid (2-IPMA), were identified and quantified in wine samples by using an LC-MS/MS method without any chromatographic separation, but processing the MS/MS data... more
Two organic acids isomers, 3-isopropylmalic acid (3-IPMA) and 2-isopropylmalic acid (2-IPMA), were identified and quantified in wine samples by using an LC-MS/MS method without any chromatographic separation, but processing the MS/MS data with a recently developed deconvolution algorithm (LEDA: linear equations deconvolution analysis), thus decreasing the time necessary for the process. In particular, the LEDA tool processes the MS/MS signals and assigns the relative concentrations (abundances) of the isomers in the sample, at the mg L-1 level. The efficiency of MS/MS signal assignment was improved by introducing five linear equations to define the LEDA matrix. Then, as a novel approach, an overdetermined system of linear equations was applied for the deconvolution of isomers. The use of LEDA to identify and quantify the isomers in wine samples, together with the choice of a short LC column and a fast elution gradient, simplifies the process and shortens the time needed. Furthermore, it was evaluated the quantitative determination of the IPMA isomers by using the calibration curve provided by the precursor ion MRM transition data. The calculated values of accuracy (recovery between 82.6% and 99.8%) and precision (RSD between 0.4% and 4.0%) confirm the validity of this quantitative approach and the ability of LEDA to establish the correct percentage of the MS/MS signal for each isomer. Finally, to compare the conventional LC-MS/MS method and our proposed method of LC-MS/MS coupled with LEDA post-processing elaboration, a series of real wine samples were analysed by both methods, and the results were compared.
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The myrrh-like furanosesquiterpene isofuranodiene (IFD) is the main constituent of wild celery (Smyrnium olusatrum L., Apiaceae), an overlooked vegetable that was cultivated during the Roman Empire. In the present study, we investigated... more
The myrrh-like furanosesquiterpene isofuranodiene (IFD) is the main constituent of wild celery (Smyrnium olusatrum L., Apiaceae), an overlooked vegetable that was cultivated during the Roman Empire. In the present study, we investigated the protective effects of IFD pre-treatment against oxidative stress and inflammatory response in an animal model of ischemic stroke. IFD was isolated by the crystallization of Smyrnium olusatrum essential oil, and its structure and purity were confirmed by NMR and HPLC analyses. Acute pre-treatment of IFD (10 mg/kg i.p.) significantly reduced the levels of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and TNF-α, the expression of pNF-κB/NF-κB, and the lipid peroxidation indicator MDA. Finally, IFD boosted a faster recovery and better scores in grid-walking and modified neurological severity scores (mNSS) tests. Taken together, these findings indicate IFD as a promising lead compound for the discovery of new treatments of brain ischemia.