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Caratterizzazione , selezione e recupero su base molecolare di ecotipi di Percoco di Tursi
No full textIsolation of putative LAR (leucoanthocyanidin reductase) gene fragment differentially expressed in Jatropha curcas L. leaves
Get PDFJatropha curcasLinn. (Euphorbiaceae) is a shrub, which is widely distributed especially in tropical areas of
Africa. Compounds that have been isolated from J. curcasleaves include flavonoids, sterols their glucosides
and alkaloids. Many of both structural and regulatory genes included in secondary metabolite pathways have
been cloned from several model plants. Leaves at four different growing stages were collected and cDNAs
obtained were analyzed by PCR applying specific primers. All the reactions were performed three times and
only repeatable fragments were taken into account for sequencing. Obtained sequences were compared in
EMBL databases in order to identify their homology and their putative function. A total of 45 polymorphic
fragments were collected. Twenty-six of them showed homology with ESTs (Expressed Sequence Tagged),
while other 19 sequences showed to be homologous to genes involved in secondary metabolism and polyphenol
pathways. The results obtained underline a different kinetic expression of the gene fragment isolated. They are
especially expressed at different growing stage. In particular, applying LAR gene specific primers, an amplicon
of 945bp was obtained. It is 98.4% homologous to the gene previously isolated in V. viniferaleaves. These
interesting preliminary results are the first step for study and isolate other genes involved in polyphenol
pathway in Jatropha curcas
Caratterizzazione , selezione e recupero su base molecolare di ecotipi di arancio Staccia
No full textAttività esterasica, lipolitica e proteolitica in Armoracia rusticana
No full textIntroduzione
Armoracia rusticana (comunemente nota come rafano) è una specie, appartenente alla famiglia delle Brassicaceae, caratterizzata dall'ampio uso sia per scopi etnomedicali che culinari. Il caratteristico gusto pungente che contraddistingue la sua radice deriva dall'abbondanza in glucosinolati. Ad oggi l'interesse verso questa specie, oltre che per la sua ricchezza in enzimi come la perossidasi, una glicoproteina comunemente utilizzata in ambito analitico, è rivolto soprattutto verso altre sostanze bioattive quali vitamine, minerali, isotiocianati e antiossidanti. In questo lavoro è stata valutata l'attività antiossidante negli estratti di A. rusticana ed il contenuto totale in polifenoli ed in flavonoidi. Inoltre, è stata determinata la presenza di attività enzimatiche poco investigate in questa specie come esterasi, lipasi e proteasi.
Materiali e metodi
In questo studio sono stati analizzati quattro differenti genotipi di A. rusticana, raccolti in un areale di Accettura (provincia di Matera, Basilicata). Le analisi sono state condotte sugli estratti acquosi e metanolici, ottenuti a partire dalle radici ridotte in polvere con azoto liquido e conservate a -80°C fino al momento delle analisi. Il contenuto totale in polifenoli ed in flavonoidi è stato determinato rispettivamente con il reagente di Folin-Ciocalteau e con il saggio dell'AlCl3. L'attività antiossidante è stata valutata mediante i test del FRAP e dell'ABTS. Le attività esterasica e lipolitica sono state determinate per via spettrofotometrica valutando la quantità di p-nitrofenolo liberato da diversi substrati sintetici (Sigma). L'attività proteolitica è stata determinata sia in soluzione che mediante zimografia utilizzando la gelatina come substrato.
Risultati
Nei quattro genotipi analizzati, l'attività antiossidante determinata con i metodi FRAP e ABTS è compresa rispettivamente tra 170-330 e 640-1000 mg a. ascorbico equivalente/g, mentre il contenuto in polifenoli totali varia tra 0.9-1.2 mg a. gallico equivalente/g, di cui circa il 9% è costituito da flavonoidi. Riguardo la presenza di attività esterasica e lipolitica, tutti i campioni hanno mostrato una maggior specificità nei confronti di acidi grassi a catena corta. Infine, per quanto riguarda la presenza di attività proteolitica, negli estratti è stata rilevata una moderata attività gelatinolitica sia in soluzione che su gel.
Conclusioni
I dati ottenuti dalle analisi condotte sugli estratti di A. rusticana mostrano una buona capacità di radical scavenging ed un contenuto in polifenoli simile a quello delle altre Brassicaceae.
Un aspetto interessante di questo lavoro, considerando la scarsità di dati disponibili in letteratura, è rappresentato dallo studio preliminare circa la presenza di attività esterasica, lipolitica e proteolitica nelle radici di A. rusticana
From antiquity to contemporary times: how olive oil by-products and waste water can contribute to health
No full textSince antiquity, numerous advantages of olive oil and its by-products have been recognized in various domains, including cooking, skincare, and healthcare. Extra virgin olive oil is a crucial component of the Mediterranean diet; several of its compounds exert antioxidant, anti-proliferative, anti-angiogenic and pro-apoptotic effects against a variety of cancers, and also affect cellular metabolism, targeting cancer cells through their metabolic derangements. Numerous olive tree parts, including leaves, can contribute metabolites useful to human health. Olive mill waste water (OMWW), a dark and pungent liquid residue produced in vast amounts during olive oil extraction, contains high organic matter concentrations that may seriously contaminate the soil and surrounding waters if not managed properly. However, OMWW is a rich source of phytochemicals with various health benefits. In ancient Rome, the farmers would employ what was known as amurca, a mulch-like by-product of olive oil production, for many purposes and applications. Several studies have investigated anti-angiogenic and chemopreventive activities of OMWW extracts. The most prevalent polyphenol in OMWW extracts is hydroxytyrosol (HT). Verbascoside and oleuperin are also abundant. We assessed the impact of one such extract, A009, on endothelial cells (HUVEC) and cancer cells. A009 was anti-angiogenic in several in vitro assays (growth, migration, adhesion) and inhibited angiogenesis in vivo, outperforming HT alone. A009 inhibited cells from several tumors in vitro and in vivo and showed potential cardioprotective effects mitigating cardiotoxicity induced by chemotherapy drugs, commonly used in cancer treatment, and reducing up-regulation of pro-inflammatory markers in cardiomyocytes. Extracts from OMWW and other olive by-products have been evaluated for biological activities by various international research teams. The results obtained make them promising candidates for further development as nutraceutical and cosmeceutical agents or dietary supplement, especially in cancer prevention or even in co-treatments with anti-cancer drugs. Furthermore, their potential to offer cardioprotective benefits opens up avenues for application in the field of cardio-oncology
Total Phenols and Flavonoids Content, Antioxidant Capacity and Lipase Inhibition of Root and Leaf Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) Extracts
Get PDFHorseradish (Armoracia rusticana Gaertn) is a perennial crop belonging to the Brassicaceae
family, widely used as spice in food and as herbal ingredient in ethno-medicine. This study evaluated
the phenolic compounds content, antioxidant capacity and anti-lipase activity of methanol,
methanol/water (70/30, v/v) and methanol/water (50/50, v/v) extracts of horseradish roots and
leaves. Among the extracts tested, both roots and leaves aqueous methanolic (70/30, v/v and
50/50, v/v) extracts showed higher total phenol and flavonoid contents and antioxidant capacity
than the corresponding methanol extracts. But extraction yield was high for methanol/ water
(50/50, v/v) extracts, in both roots and leaves. The extracts exhibited anti-lipase activity in
dose-dependent manner. The results showed that the extraction yield and the antioxidant capacity
were strictly dependent on the solvent polarity. The results suggest that A. rusticana could provide
opportunities for the development of functional food and further in vivo studies for obesity treatment
Isolation of Putative LAR gene Fragment Differentially expressed in Jatropha curcas Leaves
No full textCapture the pungency of horseradish products (Armoracia rusticana) study on glucosinolates and myrosinase
No full textArmoracia rusticana (Horseradish, Brassica family) is a root characterized by a pungent taste and smell that is released from glucosinolates (GLSs) hydrolysis. GLSs are hydrolyzed by the endogenous enzyme myrosinase (MYR) upon cells damage, producing volatile breakdown products, such as isothiocyanates (ITCs) [1]. ITCs are also known to have anticarcinogenic properties, thus their formation has a health benefit for consumers [2].
Horseradish is widely consumed freshly grated or mixed with vinegar as sauce. Due to its very long growing season, horseradish is only available for few months a year, and the storage affects pungency of horseradish.
The aim of this study is to investigate how different horseradish preparations and storage temperatures affect the GLSs, MYR and ITCs levels.
Horseradish was collected from Basilicata (Italy) and investigated as (1) grated and (2) grated with vinegar and olive oil (sauce). Both products were stored for 2 months at 4 ̊C and - 20 ̊C. GLSs, MYR and ITCs were measured in the untreated, fresh prepared and stored samples. No MYR activity was detected in the sauce, probably due to the low pH of vinegar (pH =2.8). Whereas in grated radish 10 % MYR activity was retained upon two weeks of storage at 4 °C. The storage temperature that most preserved the MYR activity was -20 °C with 50 % of retention after two months.
Sinigrin, the most abundant GLS in horseradish [1], show the highest stability storing the samples at 20 °C, regardless the type of product. The sinigrin degradation was explained by the hydrolytic activity of MYR. In fact, in samples in which MYR was still active and in which the conditions were favorable for the hydrolysis, the sinigrin degradation was higher.
For the allyl ITCs, which are the ITC of the sinigrin, very low levels were detected in all samples regardless the storage temperatures, probably because these compounds were lost during the grating of the radish due to their volatility. A supplementary experiment was conducted to evaluate the taste and flavor of the graded horseradish during storage, to associate the low levels of allyl ITC detected with the pungency of the samples. The sensory test (6 participants) showed that the storage severely affected the pungency of the samples, especially by storing at 4 °C.
This work shows that the storage decreases the release of the allyl ITCs reducing the healthy effect and also its taste and flavor. New researches should be conducted to optimize the preparation of horseradish to preserve the sensory attributes and its biologically active compounds upon storage.
References
1. Li X and Kushad MM. 2004. Correlation of glucosinolates content to myrosinase activity in horseradish (Armoracia rusticana) roots. Journal of Agricoltural and food chemistry 52, 6950-6955.
2. Zhang Y. 2010. Allyl isothiocyanate as a cancer chemopreventive Phytochemical. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research 54, 127-135
The multifaceted nature of IL-10: regulation, role in immunological homeostasis and its relevance to cancer, COVID-19 and post-COVID conditions
Get PDFInterleukin-10 (IL-10) is a pleiotropic cytokine that has a fundamental role in modulating inflammation and in maintaining cell homeostasis. It primarily acts as an anti-inflammatory cytokine, protecting the body from an uncontrolled immune response, mostly through the Jak1/Tyk2 and STAT3 signaling pathway. On the other hand, IL-10 can also have immunostimulating functions under certain conditions. Given the pivotal role of IL-10 in immune modulation, this cytokine could have relevant implications in pathologies characterized by hyperinflammatory state, such as cancer, or infectious diseases as in the case of COVID-19 and Post-COVID-19 syndrome. Recent evidence proposed IL-10 as a predictor of severity and mortality for patients with acute or post-acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this context, IL-10 can act as an endogenous danger signal, released by tissues undergoing damage in an attempt to protect the organism from harmful hyperinflammation. Pharmacological strategies aimed to potentiate or restore IL-10 immunomodulatory action may represent novel promising avenues to counteract cytokine storm arising from hyperinflammation and effectively mitigate severe complications. Natural bioactive compounds, derived from terrestrial or marine photosynthetic organisms and able to increase IL-10 expression, could represent a useful prevention strategy to curb inflammation through IL-10 elevation and will be discussed here. However, the multifaceted nature of IL-10 has to be taken into account in the attempts to modulate its levels
Flow cytometry and capillary electrophoresis analyses in ethanol-stressed Oenococcus oeni strains and changes assessment of membrane fatty acid composition
No full textAims: This study aimed to investigate the dynamics and physiological heterogeneity of Oenococcus oeni under different conditions, cell membrane fluidity and permeability variations, and assessment of changes in cell surface charging rates. Methods and Results: Flow cytometry, membrane fatty acid analysis and capillary electrophoresis were performed to study ethanol-induced variations. Different physiological states were assessed, revealing cell subpopulations able to adapt and withstand to environmental stress, in order to recover their functionality. Moreover, total results demonstrated changes in cell surface and membrane fatty acid redistribution with a saturation degree and an unsaturated/saturated fatty acid ratio fairly steady in control and in different ethanol stresses. Conclusions: This study revealed a great variability among O. oeni strains and the importance to investigate the mechanisms by a multiparametric approach based on the structural and physiological bacterial adjustments in different stresses tolerance. Significance and Impact of the Study: Intermediate physiological state assessment in O. oeni with recovery possibility could be an important criterion for potential starter culture application. The flow cytometry application with changes in monitoring membrane fatty acid composition and in surface charging rates allowed the characterization of sorted subpopulations that may contribute to further understanding of diversity and heterogeneity in physiology of bacterial populations
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