Biogenic amines and ethyl carbamate in primitivo wine: survey of their concentrations in commercial products and relationship with the use of malolactic starter

This research was conducted to determine the biogenic amine (BA) and ethyl carbamate (EC) concentrations in commercial Primitivo wine samples and the influence of the use of malolactic starter culture on concentrations of these potentially hazardous compounds in this wine. One hundred sixty bottles of wine from eight producers in the Apulia region of southern Italy were purchased at retail and analyzed. The most common BAs were histamine, 2-phenylethylamine, tyramine, cadaverine, putrescine, spermine, and spermidine. Putrescine (derived from ornithine) was the most abundant BA in all commercial Primitivo wines (5.41 to 9.51 mg/liter), 2-phenylethylamine was detected in only two commercial wines (at less than 2.12 mg/liter), and histamine was found at concentrations of 1.49 to 16.34 mg/liter. The concentration of EC in commercial Primitivo wine was 6.81 to 15.62 ppb, which is not considered dangerous for human health. Malolactic fermentation (MLF) affected the concentrations of BAs and EC differently. For EC, no significant differences were detected between samples of wine produced by spontaneous fermentation and wine that was inoculated malolactic starter. Mean EC concentrations were 12 and 14 ppb in two batches tested (always 18 ppb or less), regardless of whether the malolactic starter was added. Although present at trace levels in wine before the MLF, histamine accumulated during the MLF process, regardless of whether the malolactic starter was added. However, the increase in histamine was higher in wines without the malolactic starter. The concentrations of putrescine and cadaverine increased after MLF, especially in the wine that spontaneously fermented. The use of a selected malolactic starter resulted in reductions in BA concentrations in wine produced by this guided MLF compared with wine produced by spontaneous MLF.     

Enzymatic treatments as alternative to produce chitin fragments of low molecular weight from Alternaria alternata

Chitin and its oligosaccharides are involved in the plant defense response against fungal pathogens. In most studies, these molecules come from crustacean shell, and there are scarce studies on the use of fungal chitin. Usually the extraction of chitin is by alkaline treatments, which affect the acetylation degree (DA), and the obtaining of oligosaccharides of low molecular weight; so the use of enzymes is proposed as an alternative treatment to obtain chitin oligosaccharides from fungi. The objective of this work was to characterize the chitin fragments of Alternaria alternata extracted by alkaline and enzymatic treatments. The chitin extracted was ultrasonicated and ultrafiltrated to produce chitin fragments. Enzymatic treatments decreased the protein content to 29%, and the bands corresponding to β-glucans decreased when β-1,3-glucanase was applied. Fragments smaller than 1 kDa, DA of 76.7%, and 35.4 μg glucosamine/mg dry weight were obtained by enzymatic treatments. The enzymatic treatments show promising results to extract chitin fragments from A. alternata without severely affect the DA of the molecule. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47339.     

Migration of α-tocopherol from an active multilayer film into whole milk powder

Antioxidant active packaging is a promising technology for whole milk powder (WMP) protection. In this study, the migration of α-tocopherol from a multilayer active packaging (made of high density polyethylene, ethylene vinyl alcohol and a layer of low density polyethylene containing the antioxidant) to WMP was studied. A model based on the Fick’s diffusion equation was used to calculate the diffusion coefficients (D) of α-tocopherol as 2.34 × 10⁻¹¹, 3.06 × 10⁻¹¹, and 3.14 × 10⁻¹¹ cm² s⁻¹ at 20, 30 and 40 °C, respectively. The D at 20 °C was different from those at 30 and 40 °C (P < 0.05); but it was similar at 30 and 40 °C. This low influence of temperature on the migration of α-tocopherol from 20 to 40 °C assures the release at real storage and commercialization conditions in regions with warm/hot climate. The antioxidant delivering system delayed the lipid oxidation of WMP and it was more effective at 30 and 40 °C since the rate of oxidative reactions was higher at these temperatures than at 20 °C.     

Role of Bevacizumab on Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Apolipoprotein E Deficient Mice after Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) disrupts the blood–brain barrier (BBB). Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is believed to play a key role in TBI and to be overexpressed in the absence of apolipoprotein E (ApoE). Bevacizumab, a VEGF inhibitor, demonstrated neuroprotective activity in several models of TBI. However, the effects of bevacizumab on Apo-E deficient mice are not well studied. The present study aimed to evaluate VEGF expression and the effects of bevacizumab on BBB and neuroinflammation in ApoE^−/− mice undergoing TBI. Furthermore, for the first time, this study evaluates the effects of bevacizumab on the long-term consequences of TBI, such as atherosclerosis. The results showed that motor deficits induced by controlled cortical impact (CCI) were accompanied by increased brain edema and VEGF expression. Treatment with bevacizumab significantly improved motor deficits and significantly decreased VEGF levels, as well as brain edema compared to the control group. Furthermore, the results showed that bevacizumab preserves the integrity of the BBB and reduces the neuroinflammation induced by TBI. Regarding the effects of bevacizumab on atherosclerosis, it was observed for the first time that its ability to modulate VEGF in the acute phase of head injury prevents the acceleration of atherosclerosis. Therefore, the present study demonstrates not only the neuroprotective activity of bevacizumab but also its action on the vascular consequences related to TBI.     

The Role of Epigenetics in Neuroinflammatory-Driven Diseases

Neurodegenerative disorders are characterized by the progressive loss of central and/or peripheral nervous system neurons. Within this context, neuroinflammation comes up as one of the main factors linked to neurodegeneration progression. In fact, neuroinflammation has been recognized as an outstanding factor for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and multiple sclerosis (MS). Interestingly, neuroinflammatory diseases are characterized by dramatic changes in the epigenetic profile, which might provide novel prognostic and therapeutic factors towards neuroinflammatory treatment. Deep changes in DNA and histone methylation, along with histone acetylation and altered non-coding RNA expression, have been reported at the onset of inflammatory diseases. The aim of this work is to review the current knowledge on this field.     

Connexins Signatures of the Neurovascular Unit and Their Physio-Pathological Functions

Central nervous system (CNS) homeostasis is closely linked to the delicate balance of the microenvironment in which different cellular components of the neurovascular unit (NVU) coexist. Intercellular communication plays a pivotal role in exchanges of signaling molecules and mediators essential for survival functions, as well as in the removal of disturbing elements that can lead to related pathologies. The specific signatures of connexins (Cxs), proteins which form either gap junctions (GJs) or hemichannels (HCs), represent the biological substrate of the pathophysiological balance. Connexin 43 (Cx43) is undoubtedly one of the most important factors in glia–neuro–vascular crosstalk. Herein, Cxs signatures of every NVU component are highlighted and their critical influence on functional processes in healthy and pathological conditions of nervous microenvironment is reviewed.     

Zinc blende phase detection in ZnO thin films grown with low doping Mn concentration by double-beam pulsed laser deposition

Manganese-doped zinc oxide thin films (ZnO:Mn) were grown on silicon and corning glass using double beam pulsed laser deposition. In this configuration, two synchronized pulsed-laser beams were employed to ablate independently ZnO and Mn targets. The presence of the zinc blende phase was investigated by means of X-ray diffraction, pulsed laser photoacoustic analysis and the calculation of the lattice parameter a. The crystallography plane (110) of the cubic zinc blende was found in all the films. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and different statistical analysis were employed to analyze the effect of the relative delay between plasma plumes on the average incorporation of Manganese. The minimum content of Mn—0.176 at%—was found for a relative delay of 10 µs, this result suggest that this delay is the inflection point to be considered in relation to a significant decrease in the incorporation of the dopant element. A significant positive Correlation analysis—r (4)?=?0.98, p?<?0.05—between the thickness and the average Mn incorporation was found, this means that as the percentage of manganese in the structure increases the thickness also increases.     

Experiment Dashboard for Monitoring Computing Activities of the LHC Virtual Organizations

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is preparing for data taking at the end of 2009. The Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG) provides data storage and computational resources for the high energy physics community. Operating the heterogeneous WLCG infrastructure, which integrates 140 computing centers in 33 countries all over the world, is a complicated task. Reliable monitoring is one of the crucial components of the WLCG for providing the functionality and performance that is required by the LHC experiments. The Experiment Dashboard system provides monitoring of the WLCG infrastructure from the perspective of the LHC experiments and covers the complete range of their computing activities. This work describes the architecture of the Experiment Dashboard system and its main monitoring applications and summarizes current experiences by the LHC experiments, in particular during service challenges performed on the WLCG over the last years.     

Suitability of log-linear models to evaluate the microbiological quality of baby clams (Chamelea gallina L.) harvested in the Adriatic Sea

The presence of fecal coliforms or Escherichia coli in baby clams (Chamelea gallina L.) is considered an indicator related to their safety because they can be correlated with the presence of pathogenic bacteria. For this reason the Italian regulation has defined limits for these microorganisms. The presence of these microbial indicators is dependent on various environmental variables. In this work all the variables considered are categorical and, consequently, the traditional approach of predictive microbiology was not applicable. The data were summarized by means of a cross-tabulation and analyzed using the log-linear model technique. This statistical technique is widely used in social and economic studies but only partially developed in food microbiology. The suitability of the log-linear model to analyse microbiological data in relation to environmental variables was evaluated. In particular, the microbiological quality of baby clams harvested in five different areas of the Adriatic Sea coast in Emilia Romagna (Italy) was considered. The influence of the season and geographical origin on microbiological standards was assessed. A logit model was developed to predict the frequencies, depending on geographical origin and season, of samples with concentrations of the indicator organisms below or above the legal standards provided by Italian regulation.