373 research outputs found
Letter by Legge et al regarding article, "Safety of intravenous fibrinolysis in imaging-confirmed single penetrator artery infarcts"
No full textVegetable waste: functional ingredients and “green” excipients in dermocosmetics
No full textVegetable waste: functional ingredients and “green” excipients in dermocosmetic products
Dr. Valentina Sallustio
PhD student in Safety, Health and Green Systems
Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, Alma Mater Studiorum -University of Bologna, Via San Donato
19/2, 40127 Bologna, Italy; [email protected]
Abstract
Demand for natural and sustainable cosmetics is increasing in Europe owing to growing public awareness of
importance of preserving natural sources and protecting the environment.[1]
Rosa canina L. (RC) is a wild shrubs spontaneously growing in Europe and Asia [2]. Their fruits are well
known for preparation of jams and liqueurs. Their vegetable wastes from the food processing are still rich
in bioactive compounds such as vitamins and polyphenols that could be useful in the pharmaceutical and
cosmetic industries. The aim of my PhD research project is to recover the main bioactive compounds
extracted by the fruit of RC to encapsulate them in vesicular systems able to protect their own antioxidant
activity.
Firstly, the berries, previously harvested and stored by different preservation methods, were extracted
using the green chemistry approach. The natural extracts were analyzed to determine the main antioxidant
compounds by LC-DAD-MS/MS analysis, the Total Phenolic Content by the Folin Ciocalteu method [3], the
Total Flavonoids Content by the aluminum chloride method, and the antioxidant activity by DPPH assay [4] .
Among all extracts obtained, the extract rich in bioactive substances (anthocyanins, catechins, gallic acid,
quercetin and ascorbic acid) and with the highest antioxidant activity was encapsulated in different
vesicular systems, namely liposomes, hyalurosomes, ethosomes, and phytosomes. All the types of vesicular
systems were characterized in terms of size, polydispersity index, entrapment efficiency, and zeta potential.
The most promising nanocarriers (ethosomes) were assessed for their stability, the in vitro release, the skin
permeation, and the cell viability. Finally, the ethosomal suspension was incorporated into a cosmetic gel
based on hyaluronic acid. The physical-chemical characteristics and rheological properties of the gels were
analyzed to determine the more suitable formulation for skin application. In conclusion, encapsulation of
RC into ethosomes could be considered a promising strategy for skin delivery of bioactive compounds, such
as polyphenols.
References
1. Dini, I.; Laneri, S. The New Challenge of Green Cosmetics: Natural Food Ingredients for Cosmetic
Formulations. Molecules 2021, 26, 3921, doi:10.3390/molecules26133921.
2. Ercisli, S. Chemical Composition of Fruits in Some Rose (Rosa Spp.) Species. Food Chem. 2007, 104,
1379–1384, doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2007.01.053.
3. Singleton, V.L.; Orthofer, R.; Lamuela-Raventós, R.M. [14] Analysis of Total Phenols and Other
Oxidation Substrates and Antioxidants by Means of Folin-Ciocalteu Reagent. In Oxidants and Antioxidants
Part A; Methods in Enzymology; Academic Press, 1999; Vol. 299, pp. 152–178.
4. Brand-Williams, W.; Cuvelier, M.E.; Berset, C. Use of a Free Radical Method to Evaluate Antioxidant
Activity. LWT - Food Sci. Technol. 1995, 28, 25–30, doi:10.1016/S0023-6438(95)80008-
Foreste, un’infrastruttura verde per lo sviluppo delle aree interne
No full textLe aree montane e le risorse forestali di cui sono ricche, sono da tempo oggetto di strategie, politiche e programmi internazionali, che ne riconoscono la centralità da un punto di vista economico, sociale e ambientale, soprattutto alla luce delle nuove sfide legate ai cambiamenti globali. Esiste una sovrapposizione importante fra geografia della montagna, patrimonio forestale e aree marginali, nonché una forte comunanza di problematiche ambientali, sociali ed economiche con traiettorie di sviluppo ed esiti spesso incerti. In Italia, la marginalità delle aree montane con l’avvio della Strategia Nazionale per le Aree Interne (SNAI) ha inglobato il concetto di perifericità geografica e sociale, definendo con il termine aree interne il 61% del territorio nazionale. L’analisi effettuata mediante l’utilizzo dell’Inventario dell’Uso delle Terre d’Italia (IUTI) e di altri dati forniti dall’Agenzia per la Coesione Territoriale, evidenzia la sovrapposizione geografica tra aree interne e aree montane (definizione ISTAT), dove
le prime coprono l’82% (6.9 M ha) delle seconde, ed ancor di più come nei territori montani si collochi il 75% (8.7 M ha) della superficie forestale nazionale. La SNAI, grazie al processo di co-progettazione partecipata (modello bottom-up) mira ad invertire, fra gli altri, il processo di abbandono delle terre e, contestualmente, a promuovere nuove forme di utilizzazione e valorizzazione delle risorse territoriali, considerando centrale il rilancio del comparto agro-silvo-pastorale grazie alle opportunità offerte dalla bioeconomia e dalle filiere foresta-legno-energia: valorizzazione di beni (legna, legname e prodotti forestali non legnosi) e dei servizi forniti dal patrimonio agro-silvo-pastorale (es., fissazione del carbonio, tutela della biodiversità). Il presente contributo ha l’obiettivo di caratterizzare le aree interne mediante un confronto diacronico dell’uso del suolo, monitorando le dinamiche territoriali degli ultimi decenni e, di conseguenza, il capitale naturale ivi presente. È stata inoltre effettuata una prima analisi delle strategie d’area approvate o in via di definizione delle diverse Aree Pilota individuate dalla SNAI, in relazione al ruolo occupato dalla risorsa forestale nei processi di sviluppo territoriale e agli interventi e risorse economiche messi in campo, affinché si realizzi un’inversione di tendenza rispetto al passato in accordo anche con quanto previsto da altri programmi comunitari (es., POR e PSR)
Letter by Diomedi et al regarding article "continuous stroke unit electrocardiographic monitoring versus 24-hour holter electrocardiography for detection of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation after stroke"
No full text
Intracranial dissection and extracranial hypoplasia of the internal carotid artery
No full textDissection of the intracranial portion of the internal carotid artery (ICA) is anuncommon cause of stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). Congenitalanomalies of the ICA have been rarely associated with cerebral ischemia.However, unilateral ICA hypoplasia can be frequently associated withintracranial arterial anomalies and altered hemodynamics.1We describe the case ofa woman who had sudden onset of right facial pain and transient left hemiparesis.Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings were negative foracute ischemia. Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and sonography showedhypoplasia of the right extracranial ICA and vertebral artery (VA) and dissection ofthe intracranial portion of the right ICA and right middle cerebral artery (MCA), withinverted flow of the right anterior cerebral artery (ACA). At 12-month imaging stud-ies, the intracranial hemodynamics appeared normalized, whereas the extracranialfindings were unchanged. This case shows an association between hypoplasia, dis-section of the ICA, and cerebral ischemi
ON THE DENSE WATER SPREADING OFF THE ROSS SEA SHELF
No full textIn this study, current meter and hydrological data obtained during the X Italian Expedition in the Ross Sea (CLIMA Project)
are analyzed. Our data show a nice agreement with previous data referring to the water masses present in this area and their
dynamics. Here, they are used to further analyze the mixing and deepening processes of Deep Ice Shelf Water (DISW) over the
northern shelf break of the Ross Sea. In more detail, our work is focused on the elementary mechanisms that are the most
efficient in removing dense water from the shelf: either classical mixing effects or density currents that interact with some
topographic irregularity in order to drop to deeper levels, or also the variability of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC)
which, in its meandering, can push the dense water off the shelf, thus interrupting its geostrophic flow. We also discuss in detail
the (partial) evidence of dramatic interactions of the dense water with bottom particulate, of geological or biological origin, thus
generating impulsive or quasi-steady density-turbidity currents. This complex interaction allows one to consider bottom
particular and dense water as a unique self-interacting system. In synthesis, this is a first tentative analysis of the effect of
bottom particulate on the dense water dynamics in the Ross Sea
Ischemic stroke: From acute treatment to long-term recovery
No full textIschemic stroke (IS) is due to the sudden occlusion of a cerebral artery with the consequence of a critical reduction in cerebral blood flow in a localized region (rCBF) of the brain. It represents the second cause of death and the leading cause of neurological disability in developed countries. Primarily due to the resulting economic burden, IS is considered a world-wide challenge. Different strategies can be identified to face this challenge: acute treatment, primary and secondary prevention, rehabilitation. For several years acute IS treatment has been based on the use of the only current drug approved in the first 3 hours from symptom onset: recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA). However, mainly due to the short therapeutic window, a low percentage of patients can be actually treated by rtPA. Thus, with improving diffusion of more accurate diagnostic tools and of prognostic informations in different clinical scenarios, new treatment strategies in the acute phase have been developed such as intra-arterial and mechanical thrombolysis. Prevention plays a crucial role in counteracting the economic burden of IS through life-style changes, vascular risk factors control (with arterial hypertension being the main one for IS) and antiplatelet therapy. Moreover prevention therapy has been enriched by the introduction, in the last few years, of new drugs with pleiotropic effects such as statins and ACE-inhibitors. Also potential pleiotropic effects of antidiabetic drugs are currently under investigation. New insights in secondary prevention come from the use of phosphodiesterase inhibitors such as dipyridamole (in combination with aspirine) and cilostazol. The latter demonstrated to be more effective than aspirin in reducing the risk of recurrent stroke with the advantage of dramatically reducing the risk of haemorrhagic events as compared to aspirin. Rehabilitation strategies are weighted, together with acute IS treatment, by most of stroke physicians and patients expectations. Among them transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a new tool able to explore and affect critical aspects of neural plasticity, thus being of great importance in the understanding and treatment of those fundamental functional recovery mechanisms triggered after stroke. The present chapter will focus on standard, current and new potential treatments of acute phase, prevention and rehabilitation of IS. © 2013 Nova Scicence Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved
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