Juice and by-products from pomegranate to enrich pancake: characterisation and shelf-life evaluation

In this study, a fortified pancake with all parts of pomegranate as juice and by-products, added in the formulation, was designed. The influence of pomegranate addition on nutritional and sensory quality of pancake, as well as on its shelf-life, was assessed. As one would expect, the enrichment significantly improved the pancake polyphenolic content as compared to the control sample. Surprisingly, pomegranate addition did not affect its sensory quality. In fact, the enriched pancake was greatly appreciated from the sensory point of view. Results also suggested that the addition of pomegranate improved the glycemic index (GI). In fact, while a value of GI equal to 100 was obtained for the control sample, a GI of 71 was measured for the fortified sample. In terms of shelf-life, 30 days were obtained for the enriched pancake, whereas the control sample remained acceptable for about 26 days.     

Texture evolution of “Amaretti” cookies during storage

The results of a study on texture evolution during 35 days of storage of amaretti, a typical Italian cookie, packaged in two different ways are reported. Amaretti cookies were wrapped in polyvinylchloride (PVC) film or aluminium foil (ALL), to simulate two different permeability conditions and stored at controlled temperature and humidity. Evolution of texture (such as hardness) and a_w were tested instrumentally by a texture analyser and a hygrometer, respectively. Texture was assessed by a cut and puncturing test. Indices for hardening were the area under the curve (N mm) and gradient (N/mm) for the puncturing test and maximum force (N) for the cut test. Both textural tests showed significantly higher hardening of PVC cookies, compared to the ALL cookies. The latter retained good sensorial properties at the end of the storage period, although their internal structure changed from soft and moist to mealy, while the PVC cookies were no longer edible only 10 days after baking. a_w values decreased and increased in PVC and ALL lots, respectively. The results suggest that hardening may be explained by water loss in PVC and moisture redistribution in ALL.     

Effects of Different Types of Chronic Training on Bioenergetic Profile and Reactive Oxygen Species Production in LHCN-M2 Human Myoblast Cells

Human skeletal muscle contains three different types of fibers, each with a different metabolism. Exercise differently contributes to differentiation and metabolism in human myoblast cells. The aims of the present study were to investigate the effects of different types of chronic training on the human LHCN-M2 myoblast cell bioenergetic profile during differentiation in real time and on the ROS overproduction consequent to H₂O₂ injury. We demonstrated that exercise differently affects the myoblast bioenergetics: aerobic exercise induced the most efficient glycolytic and oxidative capacity and proton leak reduction compared to untrained or anaerobic trained sera-treated cells. Similarly, ROS overproduction after H₂O₂ stress was lower in cells treated with differently trained sera compared to untrained sera, indicating a cytoprotective effect of training on the reduction of oxidative stress, and thus the promotion of longevity. In conclusion, for the first time, this study has provided knowledge regarding the modifications induced by different types of chronic training on human myoblast cell bioenergetics during the differentiation process in real time, and on ROS overproduction due to stress, with positive implications in terms of longevity.     

New Insights into Dose-Dependent Effects of Curcumin on ARPE-19 Cells

Opposing dose-dependent effects of curcumin (Cur) have been documented in Retinal Pigment Epithelium (RPE); therefore, to shed the light on the mechanisms of action is crucial for ophthalmic applications. On this basis we explored new insights about the dose-dependent mechanisms triggered by Cur in human retinal pigment epithelial cells (ARPE-19). Three concentrations (0.01 mM; 0.05 mM; 0.1 mM) of Cur were tested, followed by morphological, molecular, and functional analysis of the cells. Cur 0.01 mM promotes a significant increase in cell proliferation, not affecting cell cycle progression and apoptosis; by contrast, Cur 0.05 mM and 0.1 mM block cellular proliferation and trigger S-phase cell cycle arrest without inducing apoptosis. The observation of neuronal-like morphological changes in Cur 0.05 mM and 0.1 mM were not associated with neuronal differentiation, as observed by the quantification of Neurofilament-200 and by the analysis of voltage-dependent currents by patch clamp. Evaluation of autophagic markers LC3BII and p62 revealed significant modulations, suggesting an important activation of autophagy in ARPE-19 cells treated with Cur 0.05 mM and Cur 0.1 mM; conversely, Cur 0.01 mM did not affect autophagy. Altogether, our findings show new dose-dependent mechanisms of action of Cur that suggest a wide therapeutic application in ocular diseases with different pathogenesis (i.e., proliferative vitreoretinopathy or Age-Related Macular Degeneration).     

Use of ionic liquids based on phosphonium salts for preparing biocomposites by in situ polymerization

A sodium montmorillonite, Dellite HPS, was modified with ionic liquids based on phosphonium salts, such as octadecyltriphenylphosphonium tetrafluoroborate and octadecyltriphenylphosphonium bromide. Thanks to their high thermal stability, these salts can be used during in situ polymerization, a method that favors the achievement of a good dispersion of the clay. Poly(1,4‐dimethylcyclohexane adipate) (PCHA), was chosen as an example of aliphatic polyester which can be a suitable matrix for new biocomposites with organo‐clays. The organo modified clays prepared were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), ATR‐FTIR spectroscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) while biocomposites were analyzed in terms of molecular structure, thermal and thermomechanical properties. The degree of dispersion of the clays in the polymer matrix was studied by XRD. The results show that the clays are well dispersed in the biocomposites, despite an intercalated structure highlighted by XRD analysis. Moreover, the clays confer a certain improvement in mechanical properties to the final materials. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42467.     

Dihydrotanshinone,a Natural Diterpenoid,Preserves Blood-Retinal Barrier Integrity via P2X7 Receptor

Activation of P2X7 signaling, due to high glucose levels, leads to blood retinal barrier (BRB) breakdown, which is a hallmark of diabetic retinopathy (DR). Furthermore, several studies report that high glucose (HG) conditions and the related activation of the P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) lead to the over-expression of pro-inflammatory markers. In order to identify novel P2X7R antagonists, we carried out virtual screening on a focused compound dataset, including indole derivatives and natural compounds such as caffeic acid phenethyl ester derivatives, flavonoids, and diterpenoids. Molecular Mechanics/Generalized Born Surface Area (MM/GBSA) rescoring and structural fingerprint clustering of docking poses from virtual screening highlighted that the diterpenoid dihydrotanshinone (DHTS) clustered with the well-known P2X7R antagonist JNJ47965567. A human-based in vitro BRB model made of retinal pericytes, astrocytes, and endothelial cells was used to assess the potential protective effect of DHTS against HG and 2′(3′)-O-(4-Benzoylbenzoyl)adenosine-5′-triphosphate (BzATP), a P2X7R agonist, insult. We found that HG/BzATP exposure generated BRB breakdown by enhancing barrier permeability (trans-endothelial electrical resistance (TEER)) and reducing the levels of ZO-1 and VE-cadherin junction proteins as well as of the Cx-43 mRNA expression levels. Furthermore, HG levels and P2X7R agonist treatment led to increased expression of pro-inflammatory mediators (TLR-4, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-8) and other molecular markers (P2X7R, VEGF-A, and ICAM-1), along with enhanced production of reactive oxygen species. Treatment with DHTS preserved the BRB integrity from HG/BzATP damage. The protective effects of DHTS were also compared to the validated P2X7R antagonist, JNJ47965567. In conclusion, we provided new findings pointing out the therapeutic potential of DHTS, which is an inhibitor of P2X7R, in terms of preventing and/or counteracting the BRB dysfunctions elicited by HG conditions.     

Chain conformations of syndiotactic poly(m-methylstyrene) in the crystalline state

A conformational energy analysis of the isolated chain of syndiotactic poly(m-methylstyrene) under the constraint of a crystalline field is reported. Two different minimum energy conformations having similar energy have been found; the trans-planar conformation with tcm symmetry and the two-fold helical conformation with s(2/1)2 symmetry, according with the observed polymorphic behavior of this polymer. The calculated chain axes are in agreement with the experimental axes of 5.1 and 7.9 Å found for the different polymorphic forms of syndiotactic poly(m-methylstyrene). However, only a metastable disordered modification (form III) having chains in trans-planar conformation has been described. This indicates that, even though the trans-planar conformation is, in the isolated chain as stable as the helical conformation, the packing of the chains in helical conformation is probably more efficient than that of the trans-planar chains.     

The Efficacy of the Quorum Sensing Inhibitor FS8 and Tigecycline in Preventing Prosthesis Biofilm in an Animal Model of Staphylococcal Infection

We investigated the efficacy of tigecycline and FS8, alone or combined, in preventing prosthesis biofilm in a rat model of staphylococcal vascular graft infection. Graft infections were established in the back subcutaneous tissue of adult male Wistar rats by implantation of Dacron prostheses followed by topical inoculation with 2 × 10⁷ colony-forming units of Staphylococcus aureus, strain Smith diffuse. The study included a control group, a contaminated group that did not receive any antibiotic prophylaxis, and three contaminated groups that received: (i) intraperitoneal tigecycline, (ii) FS8-soaked graft, and (iii) tigecycline plus FS8-soaked graft, respectively. Each group included 15 animals. The infection burden was evaluated by using sonication and quantitative agar culture. Moreover, an in vitro binding-study was performed to quantify the how much FS8 was coated to the surface of the prosthesis. Tigecycline, combined with FS8, against the adherent bacteria showed MICs (2.00 mg/L) and MBCs (4.00 mg/L) four-fold lower with respect to tigecycline alone in in vitro studies. The rat groups treated with tigecycline showed the lowest bacterial numbers (4.4 × 10⁴ ± 1.2 × 10⁴ CFU/mL). The FS8-treated group showed a good activity and significant differences compared to control group with bacterial numbers of 6.8 × 10⁴ ± 2.0 × 10⁴ CFU/mL. A stronger inhibition of bacterial growth was observed in rats treated with a combined FS8 and tigecycline therapy than in those that were singly treated with bacterial numbers of 10¹ CFU/mL graft. In conclusion, the ability to affect biofilm formation as well, its property to be an antibiotic enhancer suggests FS8 as alternative or additional agent to use in conjunction with conventional antimicrobial for prevention of staphylococcal biofilm related infection.