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Propolis hydroalcoholic extracts: biochemical characterization and antifungal efficacy
Get PDFThe present study investigated the antifungal potential of hydroalcoholic extracts of propolis against the causal agent of grey mould, Botrytis cinerea, by in vitro and in vivo assays. Five different propolis from different Italian regions were subjected to hydroalcoholic extraction using different ethanol concentrations and extraction methods. The preliminary bio-assay showed significant inhibitory effects on B. cinerea mycelial growth of propolis extracts obtained using 90% ethanol and subjected to sonication. The calculation of EC50 values, based on the demonstrated efficacy of non-volatile and volatile metabolites of propolis extracts, was useful to understand the main fraction involved in the antifungal activity of the samples and to perform the in vivo assay on grape and blueberry fruits. Three of the propolis extracts showed a high amount of genistein. Conversely, the other two propolis showed a fair amount of apigenin, caffeic acid, chrysin, ferulic acid, kaempferol, luteolin, p-coumaric acid and quercetin. From the volatile analysis of propolis, the main compounds detected were α-cadinol, α-eudesmol, calamenene, cadinol, benzyl acetate, benzyl benzoate and benzyl alcohol. The results suggest that propolis extracts have potential as an effective postharvest antifungal treatment, with varying degrees of efficacy depending on the extraction method and the type of propolis metabolite
Il Kokumi: alla scoperta della “complessità” del vino
No full text“Complesso”, “ricco” e “corposo” sono termini che si usano spesso per descrivere il vino. Sono le proprietà sensoriali che i composti kokumi, piccoli frammenti di proteine, possono conferire a bevande e alimenti cotti, essiccati, fermentati e che tuttavia fino ad oggi non erano mai stati cercati nel vin
Innovative tools for nitrogen fertilization traceability in organic farming products: a fennel case study
Get PDFFood fraud is a matter of great interest, particularly when organic productions are involved. Therefore, policymakers and institutions are asked to introduce new effective official control methods, not only based on documentary compliance to EU regulations. Lately, an integrated approach based on the use of isotopic, chemical and biological data treated by chemometrics has been suggested to authenticate organic products. The present research aims to validate the beforementioned integrated approach for the reliable classification of organically and conventionally grown fennel productions obtained by applying different treatments at diverse percentages of mineral fertilizers. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, for the first time, an N-fixing plant (alfalfa), as an agroecological service crop in intercropping fennel, was introduced. Physicochemical parameters (fresh weight, total soluble solids, total acidity, consistency, Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE) lightness (L*), green-red (a*), blue-yellow (b*) color components), total phenolic content, in vitro antioxidant activity, total and inorganic N, and stable isotope ratios (15N/14N, 13C/12C, and 34S/32S) analyses were performed over a two-year field trial and further multivariate discriminant analysis was performed. The physicochemical parameters were not affected by the differential growing practice while antioxidant activity showed higher values in the organic treatments. The conventional treatments increased the NO3− values over 440% compared to the organic ones and the lowest values were found when alfalfa was used for intercropping. δ(15N) of fennel, δ(34S) of fennel and δ(15N) of leaves showed great discriminatory potential, with respect to the applied agronomic practice. However, these parameters alone were not sufficient as biomarkers for differentiating cultivation methods. Instead, the proposed innovative tool demonstrated that only a comprehensive multivariate approach was able to achieve a correct classification of grouped cases. Furthermore, the discrimination between organic and conventional horticultural products showed feasible results, even when N-fixing plants were incorporated in organic practice, thus avoiding misinterpretations solely based on the isotopic N fingerprint. These promising findings highlight the potential of this method and suggest that further research should extend its application to other horticultural crops to confirm and expand upon the current result
Mighty mice and hybridizing hares: what rodents and lagomorphs tell us about chromosomes, conservation and climate change
No full textAlthough there are dozens of species of rodents and lagomorphs in Europe, knowledge of their biology, ecology and genetic biodiversity is heterogeneous and heavily biased towards their traditional classification as laboratory models, agricultural pests, harbingers of disease or game species. While some of these taxa have been instrumental to our understanding of speciation and vector-borne zoonoses, in this brief (and almost certainly biased review), I would also like to present some of the more recent and innovative research in fields often reserved for larger and perhaps more ‘charismatic’ mammals. At the same time, it should be noted that almost all rodent/lagomorph species, predominantly vegetarian and serving as food sources for the higher trophic levels of most terrestrial ecosystems, are experiencing (severe) decline in numbers, often due to changes in agricultural practices and climate warming. The perception that rodents and lagomorphs are by definition common, widespread, and flourishing also means that almost 20 threatened species (and many more at a local level) are falling under the radar. Restocking and reintroductions are now considered acceptable actions even for these smaller mammals, and can be highly successful, although post-monitoring needs improvement. Such examples make interesting models in themselves for investigating the impact of these management interventions, given that understanding how to halt the decline of these important, fascinating yet unappreciated animals should be considered imperative to biodiversity conservation
Investigating ellagitannins from strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) as a new strategy to counteract H. pylori infection and inflammation
Get PDFHelicobacter pylori colonises the gastric mucosa of at least 50% of the world's human population, causing a variety of gastric diseases, including chronic gastritis, peptic ulcers, and gastric cancer. The ability of the bacterium to colonise and induce inflammation is achieved through a combination of different virulence factors. Besides the conventional pharmacological treatment of H. pylori infection based on bacterial eradication, natural compounds could function as an adjuvant to existing therapies, potentially mitigating the consequences of H. pylori infection by impairing bacterial adhesion and subsequent gastric inflammation. This study focuses on Fragaria × ananassa extract and its ellagitannins, agrimoniin and casuarictin, as novel strategies to counteract H. pylori-related gastritis. Strawberry tannins exhibited anti-inflammatory properties in both TNFα-challenged and H. pylori-infected models, inhibiting the release of IL-8 and IL-6 by GES-1 cells. This effect was, at least in part, ascribed to the impairment of NF-κB signalling. The study compares the infection of epithelial cells with two different H. pylori strains (cagA+ and cagA-), demonstrating the different capacities of the extract and ellagitannins to impair the release of IL-6, while the effect on IL-8 release was independent of the different virulence potentials of the strains. Moreover, the extract and ellagitannins demonstrated antibacterial activity against cagA+ H. pylori growth, but exhibited reduced activity against the cagA- strain. The results of this study indicate the possible use of Fragaria × ananassa as a pharmacological and nutritional source in the prevention and/or treatment of gastritis induced by H. pylor
A spatio-temporal modeling framework to assess the probability of human tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) infections across Europe
No full textBackground: Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is a viral disease of the central nervous system caused by the tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV). Despite the availability of a vaccine, TBE incidence is increasing with new foci of virus circulation. Within this context, modeling the occurrence of human TBE cases at the finest scale is essential to support targeted public health interventions. In response, this study presents a novel spatio-temporal modelling framework that provides annual predictions of human TBE presence in Europe. Methods: We used a boosted regression tree model trained on TBE data provided by the European Surveillance System (TESSy, ECDC) during the period 2017-2022. To account for the natural hazard of viral circulation, we included variables related to temperature, precipitation, land cover, and tick host presence. We also used proxies for human outdoor activity in forests and population density to account for human exposure to tick bites. Results:Our results highlight a statistically significant rising trend in the probability of human TBEV infections in north-western and south-western Europe. Such areas are characterised by the presence of key tick host species, forested areas, intense human recreational activity in forests, steep drops in late summer temperatures and high precipitation amounts during the driest months. The model showed good predictive performance, with a mean AUC of 0.85 at the regional level, and a mean AUC of 0.82 at the municipal level. Discussion: With ongoing climate changes, the burden of human TBEV infections on European public health is likely to increase. Hence, the development of a modeling framework that estimates the probability of human TBEV infections at the finest scale represents a step forward towards comprehensive TBE risk estimation. Our model will aid in identifying areas suitable for targeted TBEV detection surveys and support public health authorities in planning surveillance and prevention efforts
