1,721,105 research outputs found
Sensory and phytonutritional characteristic of ornamental flowers as new functional foods
No full textEdible flowers have been traditionally used for human consumption in various part of the world. These flowers are able to enhance the aesthetic value of food (mainly as garnishment) and sometimes to improve its taste. The sensory characteristics of edible flowers (colour, taste, aroma) represent a first approach for the consumers. Several edible flowers are characterised by important nutritional, antioxidant and anti-microbial properties and thus in recent time, the worldwide consumer demand is increasing. Their nutrients and bioactive compounds seem to be important and beneficial for human health. A deep characterisation of new edible flowers' phytochemical profile is essential to identify nutraceutical compounds and unusual tastes, but also to ensure consumers' security
Volatilomic Analyses of Tuscan Juniperus oxycedrus L. and in vitro Cytotoxic Effect of Its Essential Oils on Human Cell Lines
No full textChemical composition of different organs and cytotoxic potential of essential oils (EO) of Tuscan Juniperus oxycedrus, was studied in human breast adenocarcinoma (MCF7), human chronic myeloge- nous erythroleukemia (K562) and a human neuroblastoma cell line derived from a highly malignant tumor (SH- SY5Y) cells. GC-MS analyses confirmed the prevalence of monoterpene hydrocarbons (MHs) class in all studied organs with α-pinene as the main compound. The relative abundance of this constituent ranged from 35.3 % in seed EO to exceed 50 % in the mixture (1:1) of leaf and fruit EO. Other MH compounds present in high amounts were myrcene (25.7 % and 10.9 % in seeds and fruits EOs, respectively) and limonene (11.9 % and 7.4 % in leaf and mixture EOs, respectively). Germacrene D, a sesquiterpene hydrocarbon, was the most abundant constituent of fruit EO (30.8 %). Leaf EO showed to be very active on MCF7 (IC50, 19.1 ppm) and K562 (IC50, 35.1ppm) un- derlining the time- and dose-depend way of action. The human neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y) were almost exclusively sensitive to the fruit EO (IC50, 30.8 ppm)
Plant Tissue Culture and Secondary Metabolite Production Volume II
No full text: Secondary metabolites play a key role in the communication of the plant organism with the everchanging biotic and abiotic stimuli of its versatile environment [...]
Plant Tissue Culture and Secondary Metabolites Production
Full text linkPlants have developed a complex biochemical system for interacting and coping with dynamic environmental challenges throughout their whole life [...
Volatile emission and essential oil composition of Sambucus nigra L. organs during different developmental stages
No full textVolatile organic compounds (VOC) and essential oils (EO) extracted from different organs of Sambucus nigra (leaves, flower buds, flowers, unripe and ripe fruits), were evaluated in this work. VOC analyses highlighted that oxygenated monoterpenes were the major class for both flowers and ripe fruits with percentages of 71.1% and 35.1%, respectively. The ripe fruit showed a considerable amount of linalyl acetate (26.3%) while cis-linalool oxide (pyranoide) (38.6%) was the main constituent of the flowers. This latter compound was also one of the major constituents of the leaf extracts (10.3% of the total identified fractions). The leaves evidenced a high percentage of esters (31.6%) with (Z)-3-hexenol acetate (15.1%) as the major constituent. Alcohols were exclusively represented by 1-hexanol (42.5%) and (E)-3-hexen-1-ol (31.1%) in the unripe fruits, while β-caryophyllene (42.0%) was the characteristic component of the buds. All the studied EOs showed non-terpene derivatives as the main class of volatiles even though its percentage varied in an organ-dependent manner. Alkanes were predominant and especially represented by heneicosane (the highest percentage of 32.9% in the fresh flowers) and nonadecane (the highest percentage of 17.2% in the buds,). Benzaldehyde was the main aldehyde in the leaves (17.8%) while acids, chiefly n-hexadecanoic acid, were also found in quite high amounts in the ripe fruits (14.3%)
Aroma evolution in chocolate production
No full textChocolate aroma development, indeed, depends on several factors. Several volatile organic compound (VOC) chemical classes contribute to the distinctive chocolate aroma: most develop from aroma precursors, namely reducing sugars and free amino acids, whose production is thermally induced once the fermentation begins and the enzyme pools are triggered. Over 600 VOCs have been reported in the chocolate headspace, of which pyrazines are the most important compounds involved in its distinctive flavor, with a detected pool of circa 80 different molecules belonging to this class. Methyl-, ethyl-esters, and acetates are the most involved VOCs of this chemical class of compounds in chocolate headspace emission. Some derivatives, instead, exhibit an undesirable contribution to the overall chocolate flavor perception: 2-, 3-, and 4-methylphenols have a medicinal and unpleasant aroma, as well as 2-butanol. The drying phase is also important in chocolate aroma evolution, as it is also meant to improve flavor development
Chemical composition and in vitro antibacterial activity of essential oils from different species of Juniperus (section Juniperus)
No full textThe essential oils (EOs) obtained from leaves belonging to three species of Juniperus (section Juniperus) collected in different localities of Italy (six samples of J oxycedrus, one sample of J deltoides and three samples of J macrocarpa), as well as three samples of commercial EOs extracted from Juniperus communis berries, were analysed for their volatile constituents by GC-MS. The antimicrobial activity of these EOs was tested against both Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella enterica Tiphymurium) and Gram-positive bacteria (Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes) ATCC strains. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined. The volatile leaf and berry oils were dominated by monoterpene hydrocarbons (from 39.7% of J oxycedrus to 79.0% J macrocarpa) characterized by high amounts of α-pinene (an average of 41.3%, 43.0% and 27.6% in J macrocarpa, J oxycedrus and J communis, respectively). On the contrary, limonene was the most abundant compound (20.0%) in J deltoids. The Gram-positive bacteria evidenced a sensitivity versus EOs extracted from J oxycedrus and J communis, while a moderate susceptibility was showed against J macrocarpa EO J deltoides EO showed the lowest activity between the tested EOs against all the tested strains
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