1,720,997 research outputs found
Studi di attivita’ biologica cosmeceutica di derivati di specie della zona sud orientale amazzonica ecuadoriana
No full textThe South American Natives, Shuar and Achuar people and their ethnomedical culture constituted the background subject of the PhD research, performed both in Ecuador (Salesian Politechnic University, Quito), and in Italy (Pharmaceutical biology labs, University of Ferrara). Based on ethnomedical and ethnocosmetic tradition, Oenocarpus bataua was chosen as Amazonian plant speciessubject of the research. Cosmetic plant derivatives were selected, extracted, characterized and studied.
AIMS
The research has been focused on:
. Botanical source identification;
. Selection and extraction of plant oil native of south eastern Ecuador;
. Chemical characterization of selected oil;
. Prototype development of cosmetic formulations employing Oenocarpus bataua oil;
. Bioactivity assays regarding cosmetic applications;
. Testing of alternatives extraction methods adequate to rural areas;
. ECOCERT cosmetic prototypes;
. GC-MS analysis of non-saponifiable fraction of O. bataua;
. Oil purification studies by supercritical fluids;
. Chemical and physical stability of ECOCERT cosmetic prototypes.
RESULTS
Oenocarpus bataua derivatives have potential cosmetic applications, in line with Natives Ecuadorian ethnocosmetic traditions. The oil extracted from the date pulp was chemically characterized and it showed a very similar composition to the olive oil. The extraction method does not influence significantly the oil composition and quality. Moreover the oil non-saponifiable fraction was investigated, together with the polar fraction. Cosmetic features were also studied; the O. bataua oil showed a high moisturizing property, while a low performance was recorded for cutaneous elasticity. Furthermore, 14 cosmetic products were developed and 3 emulsion products certifiable according to ECOCERT standards. The chemical and physical stability gave good results as well as the microbiological one achieved with preservatives permitted by the ECOCERT standards.
CONCLUSIONS
Many Amazonian species have a widespread ethnocosmetic potential. The studied species allowed us to isolate and chemically characterize the lipid fraction, one of the most interesting. The O. bataua oil showed a good moisturizing property and allows to produce diverse cosmetic formulations. In particular, the prototypes obtained following the ECOCERT standards have an important potential application for development of eco-friendly cosmetic supply chain from Amazonian origin
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
Unlocking the Anti-Phytopathogenic Potential of Essential Oils: A Systematic Review of Plant-Based Botrytis cinerea Management for Regenerative Viticulture and Horticultural Products
No full textIn the context of regenerative agriculture, essential oils (EOs) are emerging as promising alternatives for managing Botrytis cinerea, a highly destructive phytopathogen responsible for significant agricultural losses. This systematic review analyzed 76 eligible articles highlighting increased research activity since 2020, predominantly addressing in vitro antifungal activity, with emerging interest in nanotechnological formulations and field trials. Thymol- and carvacrol-rich EOs demonstrate the highest efficacy. Preliminary findings on microencapsulation and nanoemulsions indicate advancements in stability, solubility, and controlled release, enhancing the EO effectiveness. However, the development of EO-based biopesticides faces challenges due to volatility, lipophilicity, and production costs. Addressing these limitations through innovative formulations and standardizing extraction processes could pave the way for integrating EOs into sustainable pest management systems in viticulture and horticulture. This review also provides critical insights into the current technological readiness levels of EO-based anti-Botrytis products, emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary research to transition laboratory findings into viable commercial solutions
Comparative evaluation of 11 essential oils of different origin as functional antioxidants, antiradicals and antimicrobials in foods
No full textEleven essential oils, namely, Cananga odorata (Annonaceae), Cupressus sempervirens (Cupressaceae), Curcuma longa (Zingiberaceae), Cymbopogon citratus (Poaceae), Eucalyptus globulus (Myrtaceae), Pinus radiata (Pinaceae), Piper crassinervium (Piperaceae), Psidium guayava (Myrtaceae), Rosmarinus officinalis (Lamiaceae), Thymus x citriodorus (Lamiaceae) and Zingiber officinale (Zingiberaceae), were characterized by means of GC and GC-MS and evaluated for their food functional ingredient related properties. These properties were compared to those of Thymus vulgaris essential oil, used as a reference ingredient. Antioxidant and radical-scavenging properties were tested by means of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, beta-carotene bleaching test and luminol-photochemiluminescence (PCL) assay. In the DPPH assay, C. odorata, C. citratus, R. officinalis and C. longa showed major
effectiveness, with a radical inhibition ranging from 59.6 ± 0.42-64.3 ± 0.45%. In the beta-carotene bleaching test, C. odorata (75.5 ± 0.53%), R. officinalis (81.1 ± 0.57%) and C. longa (72.4 ± 0.51%) gave the best inhibition results. Similar results were obtained for the same essential oils in the PCL assay. Antimicrobial properties were obtained on five food-spoilage yeasts: Candida albicans ATCC 48274, Rhodotorula glutinis ATCC 16740, Schizosaccharomyces pombe ATCC 60232, Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 2365, Yarrowia lypolitica ATCC 16617 . C. citratus and T. x citriodorus were the most effective against the tested strains. Suggestions on relationships between chemical composition and biological activities are outlined
Physiological characterization of Kluyveromyces marxianus strains for the development of a microbial platform to obtain bioethanol from cheese whey permeate
No full textThe increasing interest in renewable feedstocks for biochemicals production includes the valorization of cheese whey (CW), a by-product of the dairy industry. CW contains a high concentration of lactose, accounting for most of its organic load, making it a major environmental pollutant if untreated. A valorization approach of CW is based on the separation of valuable proteins by ultrafiltration, and the obtainment of a lactose-rich cheese whey permeate (CWP). The conversion of lactose in CWP into bioethanol is considered a sustainable solution for the valorization of this waste. However, lactose is not metabolized by the yeast species Saccharomyces cerevisiae, namely the most industrially used microorganism, to produce bioethanol. Differently, the non-conventional yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus shows high growth rates on a broad range of industrially relevant substrates, including lactose. This study provides a comprehensive physiological characterization of three K. marxianus strains (DSM 5422, DSM 7239, and DSM 5572) to evaluate their potential for lactose hydrolysis and fermentation in order to produce advanced bioethanol from CWP. Microplate growth tests, β-galactosidase activity assays, and flask fermentations were carried out to identify optimal strains for efficient CWP valorization, advancing the applications of K. marxianus in industrial biotechnology. The optimal conditions for lactose utilization and ethanol production were identified as 130 g/L of lactose at 42 °C in semi-synthetic media (SSM). Even though strain DSM 7239 showed the highest β-galactosidase activity of 27.8 ± 0.9 U mg−1, strains DSM 5422 and 5572 were identified as the best performing strains at shake flask experiments in terms of ethanol yield on the substrate, with 0.48 ± 0.03 g/g and 0.50 ± 0.03 g/g, respectively, after 1 day of fermentation
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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