The protective ability of Mediterranean dietary plants against the oxidative damage: The role of radical oxygen species in inflammation and the polyphenol,flavonoid and sterol contents

Ten hydroalcoholic extracts of edible plants from the Calabria region (Italy) were evaluated for their in vitro antioxidant and antiradical properties and in vivo topical anti-inflammatory activity. All the extracts had radical-scavenging and/or antioxidant properties, the most active plants being hawkweed oxtongue and viper’s bugloss. The best free radical (DPPH·)-scavenging activity was found in hawkweed oxtongue and chicory leaves extracts (IC₅₀ = 25 and 26 μg/ml, respectively). Hawkweed oxtongue, poppy and viper’s bugloss extracts showed the greatest inhibition of linoleic acid oxidation (IC₅₀ = 3 μg/ml). Viper’s bugloss and hawkweed oxtongue extracts had the greatest antioxidant effect on bovine brain peroxidation (IC₅₀ = 11 and 22 μg/ml). All the extracts also showed an anti-inflammatory effect: 300 μg/cm² provoked oedema reductions ranging from 18% to 43%. Cress was the most active plant. Chicory leaves contained the highest amount of phenolics (190 mg/g) whilst Rush crimps contained the highest amount of flavonoids (32.9 mg/g), followed by hawkweed oxtongue (15.8 mg/g). Cress contained the highest number of sterols. Among them, γ-sitosterol (12.2%) and ergost-5-en-3-ol (3β) (4.5%) were found to be the major constituents. Moreover, three of the identified molecules (stigmasta-5,23-dien-3β-ol, stigmasta-5,24(28)-dien-3-ol (3β,22E) and 9,19-cyclolanost-24-en-3-ol (3β)) were found in this plant only.     

Composition and content of flavonol glycosides in broccoli florets (Brassica olearacea) and their fate during cooking

The two main flavonol glycosides present in broccoli florets were identified as quercetin 3-O-sophoroside and kaempferol 3-O-sophoroside. Three minor glucosides of quercetin and kaempferol were also detected, namely isoquercitrin, kaempferol 3-O-glucoside and a kaempferol diglucoside. The sophorosides of quercetin and kaempferol were present in raw florets at a level of 65 mg kg⁻¹ and 166 mg kg⁻¹ fresh weight, respectively. The total content of quercetin and kaempferol glycosides expressed as aglycone was 43 and 94 μg g⁻¹ fresh weight, respectively, and these agree with other recently published data. During the cooking process only 14–28% of the individual glucosides were retained in the cooked tissue, the remainder being largely leached into the cooking water with only a small loss attributed to the formation of the respective aglycones. © 1998 SCI.     

Probabilistic delay evaluation in combinational digital circuits by petri nets

The present work considers the possibility of using Petri Nets (PN) as a systematic model to analyze delays in digital circuits. It has been found that PN's exhibit some interesting features in representing digital circuits at gate, element, unit or system level, whichever is needed. Furthermore, the logic verification can be achieved as a special case of the design verification because of the direct implementation of the thruth table of the circuit in the PN. In particular, a set of basic PN functions and a method of converting the circuit into the final PN, composed of the basic functions, are proposed. Moreover, an algorithm has been developed for the analysis of combinational circuits including also reconvergent fanouts and some examples are reported in the text. The algorithm may be employed to obtain the pdf of the overall circuit delay and to detect static hazards as well. The complexity of the model is directly related to that of the physical circuit to be analyzed, while the complexity of simulation does not increase with the timing precision required.     

Parabolic RANS solver for low‐computational‐cost simulations of wind turbine wakes

A numerical framework for simulations of wake interactions associated with a wind turbine column is presented. A Reynolds‐averaged Navier‐Stokes (RANS) solver is developed for axisymmetric wake flows using parabolic and boundary‐layer approximations to reduce computational cost while capturing the essential wake physics. Turbulence effects on downstream evolution of the time‐averaged wake velocity field are taken into account through Boussinesq hypothesis and a mixing length model, which is only a function of the streamwise location. The calibration of the turbulence closure model is performed through wake turbulence statistics obtained from large‐eddy simulations of wind turbine wakes. This strategy ensures capturing the proper wake mixing level for a given incoming turbulence and turbine operating condition and, thus, accurately estimating the wake velocity field. The power capture from turbines is mimicked as a forcing in the RANS equations through the actuator disk model with rotation. The RANS simulations of the wake velocity field associated with an isolated 5‐MW NREL wind turbine operating with different tip speed ratios and turbulence intensity of the incoming wind agree well with the analogous velocity data obtained through high‐fidelity large‐eddy simulations. Furthermore, different cases of columns of wind turbines operating with different tip speed ratios and downstream spacing are also simulated with great accuracy. Therefore, the proposed RANS solver is a powerful tool for simulations of wind turbine wakes tailored for optimization problems, where a good trade‐off between accuracy and low‐computational cost is desirable.     

Design, development and performance monitoring of a photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) air collector

The photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) systems allow the enhancement of the energy performance of photovoltaics, by removing thermal energy and subsequently decreasing the operating temperature of the cells. The possibility of the utilization of heat for climatization makes them attractive for the building integration. In order to diffuse this kind of solar systems it is necessary to translate the basic concepts into efficient and functional technological components and associated performance should be evaluated in a reliable manner. This paper presents the experimental and theoretical results of a research and development program carried out at the Politecnico di Milano on the design, development and performance monitoring of a hybrid PVT air collector. One of the main products of the research consists of a simulation model for performance prediction of the system. This R&D program led to the development of the TIS (tetto integrale solarizzato, i.e. integrated solar roof), an innovative technological system for building integration of hybrid PVT air collectors. The successful commercial application of the TIS in a research center building is also shown as a case study.     

Transglutaminase treatment of brown rice flour: A chromatographic, electrophoretic and spectroscopic study of protein modifications

Recently, it was shown that transglutaminase (TGase) treatment of brown rice (BR) flour results in textural improvements of gluten-free bread. In this study, changes in the protein profiles of BR flour and protein fractions induced by TGase treatment were investigated to better understand the activity and specificity of the enzyme. Size-exclusion HPLC (SE-HPLC) profiles of flour extracts, under reducing conditions, revealed the presence of macromolecular protein complexes, as well as low molecular weight proteins. After TGase treatments (10 U/g of proteins) a general reduction in peak intensities indicated the polymerisation of BR proteins into larger, insoluble complexes. Microchip capillary electrophoresis and two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis revealed that the α and β glutelin subunits were primary substrates for the polymerisation reaction, whereas albumins and globulins were only slightly affected. SE-HPLC of the protein fractions revealed glutelins’ polymerisation into high molecular weight structures after TGase treatment. Dynamic light scattering measurements showed that new supramolecular aggregates of glutelins co-existed with the macromolecular complexes already present in the untreated fraction. Front-face fluorescence approaches indicated that TGase treatment caused a decrease in protein surface hydrophobicity of BR flour, but not of the glutelin suspensions. It is concluded that the large protein complexes resulting from glutelin polymerisation and the stronger hydrophobic interactions among proteins result in the improved textural properties of TGase-treated BR bread.     

Protein content and gluten quality of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum subsp. durum) as affected by sowing date

The end use quality of durum wheat is sensitive to the environmental conditions pertaining before and during grain filling, and can therefore be modified by manipulation of cultivar and sowing date. A field trial was carried out to study the effect on protein content and gluten quality of varying both sowing date (October, December and March) and cultivar (Simeto, Colosseo and Creso). A delay in sowing date was associated with a decrease in mean grain weight, but not in grain nitrogen content, thus leading to an overall increase from 10.7 to 14.7% in grain protein percentage. Independent of sowing date, over 78% of the grain nitrogen was derived from re‐translocation from vegetative tissue. The similar amounts of nitrogen accumulated in each grain at maturity were set by the similarity in the amount of nitrogen available at anthesis. The observed increase in protein percentage partly explained the greater dough strength (alveographic W) observed in material harvested from the latest sowing. The gluten index, on the other hand, decreased as sowing was delayed. Given the parallel increase in glutenin percentage, we propose that temperatures above 30 °C at the end of the grain filling period have a negative effect on the gluten polymerisation process. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Soil fungi reduce the iron content and the DNA damaging effects of asbestos fibers

Some soil fungi growing on asbestos fibers release chelators and antioxidants. The bioweathering potential of fungi has thus been envisaged as a possible route for bioremediation of asbestos rich soils, where no inactivation procedures have been established so far. The present study reports fungal-mediated modification of the surface reactivity of the fibers and of their potential to damage DNA in vitro. Verticillium sp. and Paecilomyces sp. were selected among the fungi isolated from fragments of chrysotile bearing rocks, as the most potent in iron extraction, and studied in parallel with F. oxysporum, previously reported to modify the surface reactivity of asbestos fibers. One sample of chrysotile from the Western Alps and a sample of UICC (Union Internationale Contre le Cancer) crocidolite were incubated with or without fungi. All fungi extracted iron from both fibers (7.3% from crocidolite and 33.6% from chrysotile by Verticillium sp.), releasing it into the medium. F. oxysporum and Paecilomyces sp. suppressed the potential of the fibers to release hydroxyl radical, while Verticillium sp. suppressed it on crocidolite but enhanced it on chrysotile, a hallmark of ongoing mobilization of reactive iron. Fibers incubated in the growth medium, but in the absence of fungi, exhibited a remarkable potential to damage DNA in vitro, measured by the generation of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine, while all the fungi reduced such effect. Fungi may thus be regarded as appropriate candidates for bioremediation of asbestos rich soils whereby the reactive iron ions responsible for DNA damage are progressively removed from the fibers.     

Freeze–thaw stability of lecithin and modified starch-based nanoemulsions

The impact of freeze–thaw cycles on the physical stability of oil-in-water emulsions containing lecithin – coated and modified starch – coated droplets has been studied by combined dynamic light scattering (DLS) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements. Emulsions prepared by high-pressure homogenization were within 200 nm size ranges. Lecithin-based emulsion systems were unstable to freeze–thaw cycles, which was attributed to extensive droplet aggregation induced by the ice formation during emulsion freezing process. Instead, modified starch systems were highly stable due to the formation of a thick layer of emulsifier which prevented the coalescence of nanoemulsions. The addition of ice nucleating protein lowered the freeze–thaw stability of lecithin-based emulsions, but had negligible effect on modified starch-based emulsions. In contrast, the addition of poly(ethylene glycol) improved the stability of lecithin-based emulsions but destabilized the modified starch-based emulsion systems.     

Design of photocatalytic reactors made easy by considering the photons as immaterial reactants

While it is quite obvious that photons have an essential role in photochemical and photocatalytic processes, it is not simple to analyse the radiation process.A simple approach is presented on the assumption that photons can be treated as immaterial reactants. It is then possible to evaluate the radiation process in terms of parameters such as conversion, selectivity and yield, which are common in the conventional reaction engineering, and of an additional parameter, a volume efficiency factor, which accounts for the exploitation of the reaction volume as the result of the inevitable attenuation of the radiation in the transport through the participating medium.Attention has also been focused on the validation of kinetic data when, as it is usually done, they are interpreted in terms of volume averages.Finally, guidelines have been prepared to support preliminary phases of analysis and/or design of a photocatalytic reactor.