13004 research outputs found
Sort by
Validation of SNP molecular markers linked to the major rosy apple aphid resistance gene dp-fl on a large diversity panel
Full text linkThe presence of sulfonated oligomeric and polymeric procyanidins in red wines impacts the estimated mean degree of polymerisation of condensed tannins by phloroglucinolysis
Full text linkThe calculation of proanthocyanidin mean Degree of Polymerisation (mDP) is a relevant analytical tool for gaining insight into the characteristics of wine. Despite its limitations, it remains an effective method for studying the polymeric forms of proanthocyanidins. Recently, sulfonated monomeric and dimeric flavan-3-ols have been detected in wine, and their main mechanism of formation suggested the formation of even larger sulfonated analogues. This work aimed to explore if aged wines contain sulfonated polymeric proanthocyanidins and how these compounds might impact the calculation of mDP. For this purpose, an experiment based on 4 single cultivar red wines (Sangiovese, Nerello Mascalese, Sagrantino, and Nebbiolo), four levels of SO2 addition (0, 30, 50, and 100 ppm), and two storage conditions (Control and Room Temperature) was realised. The results showed that the epicatechin 4β-sulfonate released after phloroglucinolysis is 10 to 352 times higher than the free homologue, indicating the presence of oligomeric/polymeric sulfonated procyanidins in wine. Incorporating the quantified terminal unit of epicatechin 4β-sulfonate into mDP calculations resulted in a reduction of mDP values by 1 to 36 %. This overestimation of mDP values increases with wine ageing or storage at elevated temperature
The power of hydropeaking: trade-offs between flexible hydropower and river ecosystem services in Europe
Full text linkThe operational practice of “hydropeaking” allows hydropower plants to cover peaks and deficits in energy demand, but it also impacts river ecosystems. The assessment of hydropeaking impacts plays an important role in safeguarding ecosystem services, but is challenging due to the relative importance of impacts at different sites. To compare impacts in hydropeaking rivers, we elicit expert judgment on the relative impacts of hydropeaking on river ecosystem services. Using the best-worst scaling (BWS) method, we compare the impact on the three categories of river ecosystem services (provisioning, regulating and cultural). Our respondents include 98 hydropower experts. Our analysis accounted for individual heterogeneity to assess how perceptions vary across regions, attitudes and representative river characteristics. We find trade-offs between provisioning and regulating services at the regional and local levels, which represents a key issue in dealing with climate change and ecosystem degradation. The best-affected services were water for power generation, raw materials, water for industrial activities and water for irrigation. The worst-affected services were fisheries and aquaculture, maintenance of population and habitat, and wild animals. Our results have implications for the safeguarding of river ecosystem services and the design of regulatory and incentive schemes for mitigatio
Phylogenomic and pangenomic assessment of a Mediterranean strain of Raphidiopsis raciborskii extends knowledge of the global distribution and characteristics of a potentially toxigenic cyanobacterium
Full text linkAmong potentially toxigenic cyanobacteria, Raphidiopsis raciborskii has attracted considerable attention due to its ability to produce massive blooms and its recent spread to temperate regions. In this work, we reported for the first time a taxonomic and functional assessment of a R. raciborskii strain isolated from the Mediterranean region, contributing to filling a gap in the global distribution and characteristics of this species. The strain LT_0923 was isolated from Lake Trasimeno, a large and shallow lake in central Italy. The phylogenomic analyses based on selected marker genes and the core genome obtained from a pangenomic analysis based on a selection of available high-quality genomes showed a strong correspondence of the Lake Trasimeno strain with the North American and, at a lower average nucleotide identity, with the South American genomes. The LT_0923 genome did not show the presence of gene clusters encoding legacy cyanotoxins or emerging toxigenic compounds. The open pangenome and the large fraction of distinct gene families identified in the cloud and partly shell genome, enriched with genes specialised in environmental-specific functions and defence mechanisms, are consistent with the development of Raphidiopsis in geographically distinct region
Comprehensive assessment of nitrosamine formation in meat products using UHPLC-HRMS: analytical challenges and potential dietary implications
Full text linkNitrosamines (NAs) pose a risk due to their carcinogenic properties, especially in processed and cured meats where nitrites and nitrates are widely used. The objective of this study was to develop an integrated Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) workflow for detecting both volatile (VNAs) and non-volatile (NVNAs) nitrosamines in meat matrices. Comparison of two ionization techniques showed that heated electrospray ionization (HESI) and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) provided complementary coverage and sensitivity. Extraction and cleanup were optimized for meat, although recovery rates remained variable, underscoring the analytical complexity. The method was applied to raw, cooked, cured, and grilled meats, as well as to in vitro gastric digestion and co-digestion with spinach. Results revealed that some NAs were present even in untreated raw meat (≈3.0 μg/kg, N-nitrosodi-n-butylamine), while the addition of nitrites and nitrates significantly increased their levels (more than 10 μg/kg, N-nitrosodiethylamine, N-nitrosodimethylamine, N-nitrosodi-n-butylamine). Gastric digestion was the most critical condition, further promoting nitrosamine formation, particularly for N-nitrosodiethylamine, N-nitrosodi-n-butylamine, and N-nitrosopiperidine. Ascorbate exhibited a dual role, acting as an inhibitor at low nitrite concentrations but becoming pro-oxidant at high levels (300 mg/kg). Cooking alone had limited impact, whereas cooking combined with digestion yielded the highest and most consistent nitrosamine concentrations. The inclusion of spinach during digestion modestly altered nitrosamine levels, reflecting both its nitrate content and polyphenolic profile. Nonparametric ANOVA (aligned rank transform) confirmed that preservative treatment, rather than processing or interaction effects, was the main driver of variability (total nitrosamines: H = 24.15, p = 2.33 × 10-5), with the combination of preservative ascorbate plus nitrite producing significantly higher levels than other treatments (q = 0.000656). N-nitrosodimethylamine consistently emerged as the most relevant marker for dietary exposure, in agreement with EFSA guidance. Overall, this study underscores both the analytical and biochemical complexity of nitrosamine detection and formation in meat products, while highlighting the importance of preservative formulation and the potential role of dietary antioxidants in mitigating exposur
Animals, environment and microbiota: how microorganisms are changing the way we think about biodiversity conservation
No full textDiverse bacterial, fungal and viral communities characterize the intestinal flora and animal epidermis of all animal species and are known to provide essential services to host health. However, the role of this ‘microbiota’ in animal conservation has only recently been considered. Here we show how amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and ITS2 locus from faecal samples and skin swabs collected non- invasively, allow us to study the diversity, composition and function of bacterial and fungal communities living in association with fauna, as well as to define the biological processes that characterize the network of interactions between species’ communities and the surrounding environment ('ecosystem microbiota'). For example, alpine relictual populations of mountain hare (L. timidus) are threatened by climate and anthropic changes that result in snow cover reduction and habitat loss, as well as resource competition and potential hybridization with the European brown hare (L. europaeus). Using faecal pellets from an area of sympatry, we showed that the two species maintain distinct prokaryotic and fungal communities reflecting differences in host microbiota co-evolution. Furthermore, in both Lepus species, elevation influenced intraspecific gut fungal composition, but not prokaryotic diversity, highlighting differences in the resilience of these communities to environmental change. Interconnection between host-associated and environmental microbiota is further exemplified by the study of Bombina variegata. Here, the profiling the skin microbiota from individuals collected across different habitats highlighted a marked association between skin and water microbiota suggesting skin microbial diversity is affected by water quality parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen, and temperature. The study of microbiodiversity is proposed as an effective tool to estimate the effects of biotic and abiotic factors on the health of charismatic and/or endangered species, as well as changes in biodiversity through time
Meteorological and environmental drivers of West Nile virus prevalence in Culex pipiens mosquitoes in Emilia-Romagna, Italy in 2013 to 2022
Full text linkAs West Nile Virus (WNV) is expanding its geographical range across Europe, there is an urgent need to characterise and better understand its transmission drivers to inform public health surveillance, disease control, and preparedness planning. We utilised 10 consecutive years of large-scale and fine-resolution WNV entomological field surveillance data from the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy, to evaluate the relationships between WNV infection rates in Culex mosquitoes and environmental and climatic conditions as well as WNV presence in the avian reservoir. We used fine-scale spatiotemporal regression models including non-linearities, to assess the drivers of presence and prevalence of WNV-positive mosquitoes. We validated the model estimates against reported cases of human WNV neuroinvasive disease in the region. We found evidence of established hotspots of mosquito WNV infection across multiple years. The presence of WNV in local birds was positively associated with presence and prevalence of WNV-positive mosquitoes (mean regression coefficients: 0.776 (95% CrI, 0.469, 1.08) and 0.226 (95% CrI, 0.053, 0.399) respectively), and the proportion of agricultural land use was positively associated with presence of WNV-positive mosquitoes (4.20 (95% CrI, 2.65, 5.75)). We identified a minimum temperature threshold around 13°C, below which mosquito WNV infection was reduced. Our findings provide evidence of the impact of temperature and environment on Culex populations and WNV infection dynamics at the local level, which were highly correlated with human case reports. The estimated role of the minimum temperature and the observed and projected increase in this variable under climate change suggest that WNV will continue to represent a risk for human and animal health in the region in future decades. Future work should focus on better understanding the mechanisms behind infection drivers, on the optimal implementation of surveillance and control activities around high-risk areas, and on the assessment of how specific land use practices could represent potential solutions to WNV infectio
The “green gold” @fem: assessing grapevine germplasm diversity to crossbreed the varieties of the future
No full textComprehensive characterization of the microbiological and quality attributes of traditional Sicilian Canestrato fresco cheese
Full text linkThis study provides a comprehensive characterization of the microbiological, chemical, and sensory profiles of Sicilian Canestrato Fresco (SCF) cheese, a traditional agri-food product (TAP) made from raw cow's milk using artisanal methods and typically consumed after 20 d of ripening. Plate count analyses confirmed high levels of mesophilic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) exceeding 108 CFU/g. Both rod- and coccus-shaped LAB populations were present at these elevated levels. Pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. were not detected, although potential contaminants including Enterobacteriaceae, total coliforms, and Escherichia coli were detected at levels of 1.0-3.5 log CFU/g. High-throughput sequencing confirmed LAB as the dominant taxa, comprising the majority of the bacterial community, which accounted for 78.12% to 99.63% of the total relative abundance (RA) across all cheese samples. The fatty acid profile was typical of cow's milk cheeses, with long-chain fatty acids (C15-C18) representing ~75% of the total, followed by medium- (~17%) and short-chain (<8%) fatty acids. Volatile organic compound analysis showed free fatty acids as the most abundant class, followed by esters, alcohols, ketones, and aldehydes. These findings highlight the role of traditional practices in preserving the sensory and chemical identity of SCF cheese. However, the presence of hygiene indicators suggests a need for improving sanitary measures along the production chain. Future research should explore the impact of targeted microbial management and packaging conditions to enhance both safety and product standardization without compromising artisanal trait
Polyphasic characterisation of microbiota associated with Sant’Agostino table olives flavoured with Foeniculum vulgare
Full text linkSant'Agostino green table olives, traditionally processed in Apulia and flavoured with Foeniculum vulgare, represent a niche product whose microbial ecology remains largely unexplored. This study aimed to characterise the microbiota of the final product (both brine and fruit) after six months of storage with wild fennel. Four production batches were analysed using a combined culture-dependent and culture-independent approach. Microbiological counts revealed variable levels of aerobic mesophilic microorganisms, yeasts, lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and staphylococci, with yeasts and LAB being predominant. Ten LAB strains were identified, including Enterococcus faecium, Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. jonggajibkimchii, Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. cremoris, Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, and Lactiplantibacillus pentosus. Yeast isolates belonged to Candida tropicalis, Torulaspora delbrueckii, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Amplicon sequencing (MiSeq Illumina) revealed distinct bacterial profiles between fruit and brine samples, with taxa from Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Alphaproteobacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, and other Gammaproteobacteria. Enterococcus and Leuconostoc were consistently detected, while Lactobacillus sensu lato appeared only in one fruit and one brine sample. These findings provide new insights into the microbial diversity of Sant'Agostino olives and contribute to the understanding of their fermentation ecology and potential for quality and safety enhancemen