Healthy and Adverse Effects of Plant-Derived Functional Metabolites: The Need of Revealing their Content and Bioactivity in a Complex Food Matrix

In recent years, both food quality and its effect on human health have become a fundamental issue all over the world. As a consequence of this new and increased awareness, American, European, and Asian policymakers have strongly encouraged the research programs on food quality and safety thematic. Attempts to improve human health and to satisfy people's desire for healthcare without intake of pharmaceuticals, has led the food industry to focus attention on functional or nutraceutical food. For a long time, compounds with nutraceutical activity have been produced chemically, but the new demands for a sustainable life have gradually led the food industry to move towards natural compounds, mainly those derived from plants. Many phytochemicals are known to promote good health, but, sometimes, undesirable effects are also reported. Furthermore, several products present on the market show few benefits and sometimes even the reverse - unhealthy effects; the evidence of efficacy is often unconvincing and epidemiological studies are necessary to prove the truth of their claims. Therefore, there is a need for reliable analytical control systems to measure the bioactivity, content, and quality of these additives in the complex food matrix. This review describes the most widespread nutraceutics and an analytical control of the same using recently developed biosensors which are promising candidates for routine control of functional foods.     

Characterization of Textural Properties and Changes of Myofibrillar and Sarcoplasmic Proteins in Salame Felino During Ripening

Textural properties and changes of myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic proteins of salame Felino, a typical Italian dry-cured fermented sausage, were studied during ripening. Hardness, chewiness, and gumminess increased over the ripening period. Adhesiveness showed a gradual but significant decrease after 14 days and further at 28 days of ripening. A remarkable increase of the proteolysis index and a significant decrease of myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic protein solubility were observed. Hardness showed a significant negative correlation with myofibrillar protein solubility. Sarcoplasmic proteins appeared to be more susceptible to degradation.     

Road safety issues for bus transport management

Because of the low percentage of crashes involving buses and the assumption that public transport improves road safety by reducing vehicular traffic, public interest in bus safety is not as great as that in the safety of other types of vehicles. It is possible that less attention is paid to the significance of crashes involving buses because the safety level of bus systems is considered to be adequate.     

Water‐Soluble Nitric‐Oxide‐Releasing Acetylsalicylic Acid (ASA) Prodrugs

A series of water‐soluble (benzoyloxy)methyl esters of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), commonly known as aspirin, are described. The new derivatives each have alkyl chains containing a nitric oxide (NO)‐releasing nitrooxy group and a solubilizing moiety bonded to the benzoyl ring. The compounds were synthesized and evaluated as ASA prodrugs. After conversion to the appropriate salt, most of the derivatives are solid at room temperature and all possess good water solubility. They are quite stable in acid solution (pH 1) and less stable at physiological pH. In human serum, these compounds are immediately metabolized by esterases, producing a mixture of ASA, salicylic acid (SA), and of the related NO‐donor benzoic acids, along with other minor products. Due to ASA release, the prodrugs are capable of inhibiting collagen‐induced platelet aggregation of human platelet‐rich plasma. Simple NO‐donor benzoic acids 3‐hydroxy‐4‐(3‐nitrooxypropoxy)benzoic acid ( 28 ) and 3‐(morpholin‐4‐ylmethyl)‐4‐[3‐(nitrooxy)propoxy]benzoic acid ( 48 ) were also studied as representative models of the whole class of benzoic acids formed following metabolism of the prodrugs in serum. These simplified derivatives did not trigger antiaggregatory activity when tested at 300 μM . Only 28 displays quite potent NO‐dependent vasodilatatory action. Further in vivo evaluation of two selected prodrugs, {[2‐(acetyloxy)benzoyl]oxy}methyl‐3‐[(3‐[aminopropanoyl)oxy]‐4‐[3‐(nitrooxy)propoxy]benzoate?HCl ( 38 ) and {[2‐(acetyloxy)benzoyl]oxy}methyl 3‐(morpholin‐4‐ylmethyl)‐4‐[3‐(nitrooxy)propoxy]benzoate oxalate ( 49 ), revealed that their anti‐inflammatory activities are similar to that of ASA when tested in the carrageenan‐induced paw edema assay in rats. The gastrotoxicity of the two prodrugs was also determined to be lower than that of ASA in a lesion model in rats. Taken together, these results indicated that these NO‐donor ASA prodrugs warrant further investigation for clinical application.     

Determination of Total Nitrosamines in Vegetables Cultivated Organic and Conventional Using Diamond Electrode

Vegetables were analyzed for total N-nitrosamines (NAs) and the influence of disinfection processes was assessed. Differences in NAs found in cabbage, spinach, and broccoli were determined by square wave voltammetry using a boron-doped diamond electrode. Analysis of samples showed that all samples contained detectable levels of NAs but the results indicated that organic contained less than conventionally grown products. The sum of the total NAs was higher in the cabbage samples, ranging between 2.8–3.1 ppb and lower in broccoli samples at 0.2–1.1 ppb. The method described is simple, rapid, selective, and sensitive. The results suggested that the disinfection process affects the level of NAs, in this manner affecting the level of human exposure to NAs.     

Use of microfungi in the treatment of oak chips: possible effects on wine

BACKGROUND: Oak barrels are commonly used in the aging of wines and spirits because of their positive effects on the product. In recent years the addition of oak chips has been used to introduce desirable wood aromas and flavours into wines. In this study, oak chips in saline solution or laboratory medium were inoculated with Penicillium purpurogenum, Aureobasidium pullulans, Phialemonium obovatum, Phanerochaete chrysosporium and a combination of Ph. chrysosporium and A. pullulans. After 12 weeks of incubation, oak chips (2 g L^?1) were macerated in a red wine for 17 days. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and high‐performance liquid chromatography were used to evaluate 14 compounds, namely furfural, furfuryl alcohol, guaiacol, syringol, cis‐β‐methyl‐γ‐octalactone, 2‐phenylethanol, 4‐vinylguaiacol, benzyl alcohol, 2,3‐butanediol, γ‐butyrolactone, benzaldehyde, 4‐ethylguaiacol, gallic acid and ellagic acid. RESULTS: The microfungal treatments increased the concentration of some components. In particular, P. purpurogenum resulted in a significant improvement in the levels of guaiacol, furfural, syringol, furfuryl alcohol and 2‐phenylethanol. CONCLUSION: Penicillium purpurogenum and Ph. chrysosporium showed a constant trend (enrichment of furfural and benzaldehyde) independent to some extent of the medium used for chip treatment. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Magnesium- and strontium-co-substituted hydroxyapatite: the effects of doped-ions on the structure and chemico-physical properties

The present study is aimed at investigating the contribution of two biologically important cations, Mg²⁺ and Sr²⁺, when substituted into the structure of hydroxyapatite (Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂,HA). The substituted samples were synthesized by an aqueous precipitation method that involved the addition of Mg²⁺- and Sr²⁺-containing precursors to partially replace Ca²⁺ ions in the apatite structure. Eight substituted HA samples with different concentrations of single (only Mg²⁺) or combined (Mg²⁺ and Sr²⁺) substitution of cations have been investigated and the results compared with those of pure HA. The obtained materials were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, specific surface area and porosity measurements (N₂ adsorption at 77?K), FT-IR and Raman spectroscopies and scanning electron microscopy. The results indicate that the co-substitution gives rise to the formation of HA and ??-TCP structure types, with a variation of their cell parameters and of the crystallinity degree of HA with varying levels of substitution. An evaluation of the amount of substituents allows us to design and prepare BCP composite materials with a desired HA/??-TCP ratio.     

A comprehensive model for oxide degradation

In this work we present two analytical (and physically supported) models to describe trap kinetics in both thin and ultra-thin SiO₂ films. The models are based on the different mechanism controlling the carrier transport through the oxides and on the assumption of a two step process for creating stable traps, through defect precursors. Experimental data of stress induced leakage current confirm the validity of models predictions. Furthermore, a systematic study of the transient of trap kinetics experimentally demonstrates the existence of defect precursors as well as a reduction of oxide damage under pulsed stress condition respect to DC case.