1,721,023 research outputs found
Comet assay to assess the genotoxicity of persian walnut (Juglans regia L.) husks with statistical evaluation
No full textThe aim of this study was to confirm the utility of the Comet assay as a genotoxicity screening test for evaluating the impact of walnut husk aqueous extract. Phytotoxicity assays using diluted and undiluted walnut husk aqueous extracts were performed on young roots of Raphanus sativus (radish), and the Comet assay was used to evaluate DNA integrity in isolated radish radicle nuclei. The results reveal a dose-dependent accumulation of DNA damage in radish radicles treated with walnut husks water extract and that the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test combined with Johnson SB distribution was the best approach for describing Comet assay data. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012
Effect of nitrate on enzymes of N-metabolism in durum wheat seedlings
No full textXXXIX Congresso Annuale della Società Italiana di Fisiologia Vegetale (p. 84). SIFV- Bologna, 18 - 20 Settembre 2000
Preliminary studies on litter flammability in Mediterranean region
No full textRecurrent fires occur in Mediterranean region and their incidence may also be linked to flammability of plant biomass and litter. To prevent the forest fires it is very important to elaborate risk indices that can be calculated by integration of some parameters, such as bioclimate of study area, fuel water content and chemical composition, in particular ash content as well as fuel flammability that can be considered as the ease with which a material catches fire.
Until now studies available in literature have valued plant biomass flammability, by contrast, for the analysis of litter flammability it has not been established a methodology yet. This research aims to standardize the methods of analysis for litter flammability, considering the leaf litter that constitutes the wider component of the total litter on forest floor.
Litter flammability has been determined using the method proposed by Valette (1990) for plant biomass, properly modified. In particular, measures have been executed using an epiradiator, whose temperature (420 °C) has been reduced and stabilized to 250 °C. On leaf litter, collected from coniferous and broad-leaf forests or shrublands of the Campania (Southern Italy) the ignition time, the combustion duration and the flame intensity have been measured. Moreover, the following parameters were elaborated: average of the ignition time, average of the combustion duration and frequency of ignition (positive tests on 50).
This study has concurred to standardize the method for the litter flammability with the following conditions: 1) epiradiator temperature: 250 °C; 2) number of tests for each species: 50; 3) sample's weight: 1 g; 4) interval between two measures: 2 minutes.
First data suggest the following classification of litter flammability: 1) Quercus pubescens, Fraxinus ornus, Pinus pinaster and Genista aetnensis, the most flammable litters 2) Myrtus communis, Quercus ilex, Pinus halepensis, Cupressus sempervirens and Olea eu. sylvestris litters with intermediate values, 3) Cistus salvifolius litter, with a very low flammability and, finally, 4) Robinia pseudoacacia, Ulmus minor, Pistacia lentiscus and Cistus incanus litters, with null flammability
Cell-programmed death induced by walnut husk washing waters in three horticultural crops
No full textWalnut husk washing waters (WHWW), a by-product of walnut production, are indiscriminately used for irrigation without preliminary risk assessment. Basing on previous in vitro results on the toxicity of this by-product, we have followed the morphophysiological development of Zea mays, Lactuca sativa cv. Gentilina and L. sativa cv. Canasta under diluted and undiluted WHWW irrigation. Significant development alterations have been observed in root and shoot elongations for all crops as well as in total biomass and chlorophyll content. The genotoxic potential of WHWW has been concurrently verified; acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining evidenced chromatin modifications and DNA degradation and also was confirmed by DNA laddering. The DNA instability was also assessed through RAPD, thus suggesting the danger of the by-product of walnut processing and focusing the attention on the necessity of an efficient treatment of WHWWs. The findings obtained by PCA of agronomic and physiological traits suggested that establishing guidelines for the administration of WHWW for irrigation is of great importance, and it is necessary to supervise their use in agricultural soils. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
Il racconto della malattia. Atti delle sessioni parallele del Convegno internazionale di studi «Il racconto della malattia» (L'Aquila, 19-21 febbraio 2020)
No full textIl volume raccoglie i contributi di studiose e studiosi di Università italiane ed europee, che hanno partecipato al Convegno Internazionale Il racconto della malattia, tenutosi all’Aquila nel febbraio 2020, poco prima della diffusione della pandemia da Covid 19.
Le pagine di questo libro restituiscono un quadro diacronico del racconto della malattia nella nostra storia letteraria, dalle origini alla contemporaneità. L’ampiezza tematica e cronologica dei contributi concorre a costruire i confini di una “mappa di genere”, strumento indispensabile per l’esame di una realtà letteraria, spesso erroneamente assimilata alla medicina narrativa, che, pur servendosi di analoghi strumenti, è, tuttavia, un genere altro, ancora poco attraversato dalla letteratura italiana
Effects of cold storage on quality parameters and nutraceutical compounds of pomegranate fruits (cv. Acco)
Full text linkPunica granatum L. contains several bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity that have a positive effect on human health. This study aims to investigate the changes in the chemicalphysical and qualitative parameters of pomegranate fruits cv. Acco from harvest up to +90 days of cold storage (+4°C and 95% RH). Morphological parameters, juice yield, weight loss, total soluble solids content (TSS), pH, titratable acidity, the color of the epicarp (L*, a*, b*), content of polyphenols, anthocyanins, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity were analyzed. The results showed an increase (about 29%) in the juice content (%) at +60 days of cold storage. Cold storage has also shown positive effects on some bioactive compounds. Flavonoids and anthocyanins content increased from 287.98 mg CE/100 ml of juice to 389.23 mg of CE/100 ml of juice and from 8.32 to mg/100 ml of juice to 11.13 mg/100 ml of juice at + 90 days of cold storage, respectively. On the basis of our results that confirmed the litera-ture data, the pomegranate fruit is rich in bioactive compounds that exert beneficial actions on human health, and it has also been demonstrated that such nutraceutical compounds increased during cold storage, allowing the fruit to be preserved a long term
Oxidative damage and cell-programmed death induced in Zea mays L. by allelochemical stress
Full text linkThe allelochemical stress on Zea mays was analyzed by using walnut husk washing waters (WHWW), a by-product of Juglans regia post-harvest process, which possesses strong allelopathic potential and phytotoxic effects. Oxidative damage and cell-programmed death were induced by WHWW in roots of maize seedlings. Treatment induced ROS burst, with excess of H2O2 content. Enzymatic activities of catalase were strongly increased during the first hours of exposure. The excess in malonildialdehyde following exposure to WHWW confirmed that oxidative stress severely damaged maize roots. Membrane alteration caused a decrease in NADPH oxidase activity along with DNA damage as confirmed by DNA laddering. The DNA instability was also assessed through sequence-related amplified polymorphism assay, thus suggesting the danger of walnut processing by-product and focusing the attention on the necessity of an efficient treatment of WHWW
DNA integrity of onion root cells under catechol influence
No full textCatechol is a highly toxic organic pollutant, usually abundant in the waste effluents of industrial processes and agricultural activities. The environmental sources of catechol include pesticides, wood preservatives, tanning lotion, cosmetic creams, dyes, and synthetic intermediates. Genotoxicity of catechol at a concentration range 5 × 10-1-5 mM was evaluated by applying random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and time-lapse DNA laddering tests using onion (Allium cepa) root cells as the assay system. RAPD analysis revealed polymorphisms in the nucleotidic sequence of DNA that reflected the genotoxic potential of catechol to provoke point mutations, or deletions, or chromosomal rearrangements. Time-lapse DNA laddering test provided evidence that catechol provoked DNA necrosis and apoptosis. Acridine orange/ethidium bromide staining could distinguish apoptotic from necrotic cells in root cells of A. cepa. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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