1,721,297 research outputs found
Produzione, qualità e aspetti salutistici dell'Aloe
No full textAloe L., is the largest genus in the Xanthorrhoeaceae, (sub-family Asphodeloideae), a family of succulent-leaved, petaloid monocots. Aloes exhibit remarkable morphological variability and range in size from dwarf species to trees reaching heights of up to 20 m. Aloes are well represented in Southern Africa and especially South Africa, where they form an important component of the local flora from taxonomic, ethnomedicinal, chemical/chemotaxonomic, eco-touristic and horticultural perspectives.
They are cultivated in open fields in tropical and semitropical climates, in greenhouses in temperate climates, for ornamental, edible, medicinal and cosmetic purposes. The species A. vera (L.) Burm. f. and A. arborescens Mill. Are the most widely cultivated around the world.
Medicinal use of Aloe leaves dates back thousands of years and today aloes are world-renowned as a source of natural products derived from the leaf exudate and mesophyll. Mainly, active substances have been ascribed to β-polysaccharides (located in the inner leaf parenchyma) and phenolic compounds such anthrones, chromones and their glycosides. Among others, the therapeutic power related to these compounds includes wound-healing, antioxidant, antimicrobial, immunostimulant and anticancer properties.
The aim of this review is to provide an exhaustive collection of its bio-cultural values, health and therapeutic aspects and agronomic needs in order to improve the quantity and quality of the product. This knowledge will be of potential importance both to increase qualitative and quantitative traits of the production, as well as to protect biodiversity.
In vivo multiplication occurs through adventitious shoots that are formed on the underground stem but their formation is limited and has a seasonal frequency which makes this technique very slow and expensive. In vitro culture is an alternative propagation method, which facilitates large scale production in limited time and space.This review provides information for A. vera and A. arborescens about their pedo-climatic needs, agronomic aspects, both outdoors and in greenhouses, with particular reference to location and accommodation, irrigation and fertilization, as well as leaf production
Abbondanza, diversità e benefici di microalghe e cianobatteri del suolo in un oliveto a gestione differenziata: risultati preliminari
No full textMicroalghe e cianobatteri, organismi fotoautotrofi, sono presenti praticamente in tutti i suoli superficiali. Nei climi aridi e semi-aridi, dove sono frequenti i suoli poveri di carbonio organico e l'intensità del calore e della luce è elevata, questi microrganismi sono estremamente importanti. Infatti, la C02 fissata dalla fotosintesi viene rilasciata al suolo quando le microalghe e i cianobatteri muoiono, arricchendo il suolo di carbonio organico e migliorando così l'aggregazione del suolo, la porosità e la ritenzione idrica, tre componenti principali della protezione del suolo, della sua fertilità e della produttività delle piante. Inoltre, i cianobatteri azotofissatori forniscono un apporto gratuito di azoto, un elemento fondamentale dei fertilizzanti altrimenti costoso e facilmente limitabile. I cianobatteri sono considerati i pionieri degli ecosistemi terrestri e hanno un ruolo chiave nella formazione delle croste biologiche, nella solubilità e mobilità degli elementi, nella mineralizzazione della materia organica del suolo e nel miglioramento della fertilità del suolo e della crescita delle piante. Queste caratteristiche le rendono particolarmente interessanti per il recupero e la conservazione della fertilità dei suoli degradati, come quelli aridi e semiaridi. La capacità delle microalghe e dei cianobatteri di stabilizzare la struttura dei suoli è di particolare importanza nei suoli agricoli, sottoposti a continue lavorazioni che ne compromettono la qualità e la resilienza. Nei terreni fortemente erosi/sprecati e in molti terreni agricoli sovrasfruttati, questi organismi possono promuovere la resilienza del suolo introducendo materia organica attraverso i loro processi fotosintetici, aumentando l'abbondanza e la diversità batterica e fungina, favorendo l'emergenza e la crescita delle piante, controllando biologicamente i patogeni vegetali e migliorando le attività enzimatiche del suolo. Sulla superficie di molti terreni
marginali, la crosta algale/cianobatterica può costituire la principale fonte di nutrienti per le piante. Nonostante ciò, questi effetti benefici sono stati scarsamente documentati nella letteratura scientifica, anche perché è difficile valutarne l'abbondanza e l'importanza. Per questo motivo, lo scopo del presente lavoro è stato quello di isolare, osservare e caratterizzare le microalghe e i cianobatteri del suolo in un oliveto mediterraneo situato in un clima semi-arido. L'oliveto è stato gestito in modo differenziato con pratiche agricole sostenibili o convenzionali per 22 anni. Riteniamo che il contributo di microalghe e cianobatteri in un suolo gestito in modo sostenibile possa essere dawero notevole, soprattutto nello scenario attuale, in cui i cambiamenti climatici mettono sempre più sotto pressione i suoli agricoli, favorendo il fenomeno della desertificazione in tutto il pianeta. Le pratiche agronomiche sostenibili hanno determinato una maggiore biodiversità microalgale/cianobatterica e maggiori livelli di questi microorganismi. Gli effetti benefici dei metaboliti prodotti da questi microorganismi e il loro effetto promotore di crescita delle piante sono discussi
The metabolome of olive xylem sap can reflect plant physiological status in response to differential agricultural practices
No full textMetabolomic analysis was carried out on the xylem sap (XS) of olive plants (Olea europaea L.) from different groves located in Southern Italy (Basilicata and Puglia regions). The treatments considered included different soil types, topologies, climates, soil, and plant management systems (organic, sustainable, or conventional). The XS was extracted from olive shoots at different sampling times during the year using a modified Sholander pressure-bomb chamber (Fig. 1), and its metabolome analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) (primary metabolism) and by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled to a hybrid quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometer (QTOF-MS) (secondary metabolism). Significant differences, in terms of metabolite numbers and abundances, were found both for primary and secondary metabolites in plants subjected to different environmental conditions (Fig. 2). Among the identified metabolites of XS, more than half were involved in the primary metabolism, such as amino acids, organic acids, soluble sugars, and sugar alcohols, some of them with a well-known role as osmoprotectants or involved in plant growth and development. On the other side, the discriminating secondary metabolites found in XS were mainly involved in plant chemical defense (e.g., phenols, antibiotics, and phitoecdysones), growth regulation (e.g., cytokinins, abscisic acid, gibberellins, jasmonates, strigolactones, and brassinosteroids) and signal transduction (e.g. signaling lipids and precursors of phosphatidic acid), or they were pigments (e.g., retinols and carotenoids) or waste products derived from partially metabolized xenobiotics. The most prevailing classes of secondary compounds included terpenoids, phytohormones, alkaloids, sterols/steroids, retinols/retinoids, tocopherols, and carotenoids. The XS of a tree crop contains not only water and inorganic minerals but also a wide range of organic metabolites, whose number and abundance significantly respond to soil use changes. Our results could lead to a better understanding of the ability of plants to overcome environmental stressors and enhance their resistance and resilience against them
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Metabolomics Combined with Sensory Analysis Reveals the Impact of Different Extraction Methods on Coffee Beverages from Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora var. Robusta
Full text linkAn untargeted metabolomics approach combined with sensory analysis was used to depict the impact of different traditional Italian extraction methods (i.e., Espresso, Neapolitan, Moka) along with Filter, on Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora var. robusta beverages. To this aim, polyphenols, Maillard reaction products, and coffee metabolites were screened by high resolution mass spectrometry and elaborated through both unsupervised and supervised multivariate statistical approaches. Multivariate statistics showed a distinctive chemical profile for Espresso preparation, while Moka and Neapolitan were very similar. The orthogonal projection to latent structures and discriminant analysis allowed the identification of 86 compounds showing a high VIP discrimination score (i.e., > 0.8). The 2,5-dimethyl-3-(methyldithio)-furan was a marker for the Filter preparation, while 1,2-disinapoylgentiobiose characterized both Filter and Neapolitan extractions. Caffeine (known to be a bitter compound) accumulated highly in Filter vs. Espresso, although at the sensory profile, bitterness was more perceived in Espresso. Vegetal aroma carried by pyrazines, pyridines, and phenolic acids were markers of Espresso, with Robusta showing higher values than Arabica. Notwithstanding, our findings showed that the extraction process played a hierarchically higher role in driving the chemical composition of the beverages when compared to coffee species
A metabolomics insight into the Cyclic Nucleotide Monophosphate signaling cascade in tomato under non-stress and salinity conditions
No full textCyclic Nucleotides Monophosphate (cNMP) are key signalling compounds whose role in plant cell signal transduction is still poorly understood. In this work we used sildenafil, a phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor used in human, to amplify the signal cascade triggered by cNMP using tomato as model plant. Metabolomics was then used, together with plant growth and root architecture parameters, to unravel the changes elicited by PDE inhibition either under non-stress and 100 mM NaCl salinity conditions. The PDE inhibitor elicited a significant increase in biomass (+62 %) and root length (+56 %) under no stress conditions, and affected root architecture in terms of distribution over diameter classes. Together with cGMP, others cNMP were modulated by the treatment. Moreover, PDE inhibition triggered a broad metabolic reprogramming involving photosynthesis and secondary metabolism. A complex crosstalk network of phytohormones and other signalling compounds could be observed in treated plants. Nonetheless, metabolites related to redox imbalance processes and NO signalling could be highlighted in tomato following PDE application. Despite salinity damped down the growth-promoting effects of sildenafil, interesting implications in plant mitigation to stress-related detrimental effects could be observed
Identification of PiZ gene products in liver tissue by a monoclonal antibody specific for the Z mutant of alpha 1-antitrypsin
No full textTechnological, nutritional, and sensory properties of durum wheat fresh pasta fortified with Moringa oleifera L. leaf powder
No full textBACKGROUND: Pasta is a staple food that is consumed worldwide and is an excellent product for the addition of ingredients rich in bioactive compounds. The fortification of pasta with such compounds could represent a healthy choice for consumers. RESULTS: In this study, fresh pasta was formulated by replacing durum wheat semolina with 0, 5, 10, and 15 g 100 g−1 of dried Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MOLP), rich in fibers, minerals, and antioxidant compounds. Increasing levels of MOLP influenced the technological and nutritional properties of wheat-based fresh pasta. Moringa oleifera reduced the optimum cooking time, the swelling index and firmness, while increasing the cooking loss and adhesiveness. From a nutritional viewpoint, the inclusion of MOLP enhanced the phenol content, the antioxidant activity, and the mineral content of fresh pasta. The products obtained had good sensorial acceptability and can make several nutritional claims due to MOLP richness minerals. CONCLUSIONS: The fortification of fresh pasta with MOLP could represent a valuable strategy to increase the nutritional value of the product, preserving pasta technological properties without affecting sensory acceptability. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Soil management type differentially modulates the metabolomic profile of olive xylem sap
Full text linkIn conventional olive growing, frequent soil tillage strongly reduces the complexity and diversity of the agro-ecosystem. Here, a metabolomic analysis was carried out on the xylem sap (XS) of olive plants (Olea europaea L.) from a grove located in Southern Italy (Basilicata region). The orchard has been divided in two plots that have been managed for 18 years with two different systems: a) ‘sustainable management’ (Smng), with no-tillage, fertigation and internal C-inputs (spontaneous weeds and pruning residues), and b) an adjacent rainfed ‘conventional management’ (Cmng), that included soil tillage and mineral fertilization. The XS was extracted from olive shoots in two sampling times (ST1: May; ST2: October) using a Sholander pressure chamber, and its metabolome analyzed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled to a hybrid quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometer (QTOF-MS). The discriminating compounds were 94 at ST1 and 119 at ST2, and 35 of them were in common between the two sampling times. The majority of the discriminating metabolites (73 on 94 at ST1, and 109 on 119 at ST2) were found at higher concentration in the XS of Smng plants, compared to that of Cmng ones. Most of the discriminating metabolites found in XS (about 80%, both at ST1 and ST2) were involved in plant secondary metabolism, mainly for plant chemical defense, growth regulation and signal transduction. The most prevailing class of compounds included terpenoids, phytohormones, alkaloids, sterols/steroids, retinols/retinoids, tocopherols and carotenoids. For the first time, we have demonstrated that the XS of a tree crop significantly responds to a shift of soil management. Generally, the plants of the Smng plot showed an up-regulated secondary metabolism. The results of our study encourage the use of a set of sustainable agricultural practices in a productive orchard, in order to enhance plant physiological status, increase yield quantity/quality, safeguard the environment and ameliorate human health
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