Almond (Prunus dulcis cv. Casteltermini) Skin Confectionery By-Products: New Opportunity for the Development of a Functional Blackberry (Rubus ulmifolius Schott) Jam

This work proposes for the first time a model for reusing almond (Prunus dulcis cv. Casteltermini from Sicily, Southern Italy) skin to formulate a new functional blackberry (Rubus ulmifolius Schott) jam. For this purpose, blackberries were analysed fresh and as jam, traditionally prepared with a minimum fruit amount of 80%. Different percentages of almond skin (20, 15, and 10% w/w) were added to jam. The phytochemical profile of enriched jam was investigated by LC-ESI/LTQOrbitrap/MS analyses. Anthocyanins, hydrolysable tannins, and triterpenoids were identified in a blackberry extract, while proanthocyanidins, flavonoids, and oxylipins were identified in an almond extract. The n-hexane extract of P. dulcis skin, investigated by GC–MS, evidenced linoleic, palmitic, and oleic acids as the main abundant compounds. Samples were investigated for their antioxidant activity using DPPH, ABTS, β-carotene, and FRAP tests. The hypoglycaemic and hypolipidemic effects were studied by α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and lipase inhibitory assays. In order to evaluate the effect of thermal process on enriched jam bioactivity, pasteurisation was applied. An increase in activities for all samples was observed, in particular for jam enriched with 20% w/w of almond skin. Based on obtained data, and supported by sensory analysis, we propose enriched jam as a promising source of compounds useful for preventing diseases associated with oxidative stress.

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Extraction and Mass Spectrometric Characterization of Terpenes Recovered from Olive Leaves Using a New Adsorbent-Assisted Supercritical CO2 Process

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods10061301 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 1301

Author(s):

Zully J. Suárez Montenegro ◽

Gerardo Álvarez-Rivera ◽

Jose A. Mendiola ◽

Elena Ibáñez ◽

Alejandro Cifuentes

Keyword(s):

Aluminum Oxide ◽

Silica Gel ◽

Supercritical Co2 ◽

Olive Leaves ◽

Fractionation Process ◽

Selective Enrichment ◽

Adsorption Desorption ◽

First Time ◽

By Products

This work reports the use of GC-QTOF-MS to obtain a deep characterization of terpenoid compounds recovered from olive leaves, which is one of the largest by-products generated by the olive oil industry. This work includes an innovative supercritical CO2 fractionation process based on the online coupling of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) and dynamic adsorption/desorption for the selective enrichment of terpenoids in the different olive leaves extracts. The selectivity of different commercial adsorbents such as silica gel, zeolite, and aluminum oxide was evaluated toward the different terpene families present in olive leaves. Operating at 30 MPa and 60 °C, an adsorbent-assisted fractionation was carried out every 20 min for a total time of 120 min. For the first time, GC-QTOF-MS allowed the identification of 40 terpenoids in olive leaves. The GC-QTOF-MS results indicate that silica gel is a suitable adsorbent to partially retain polyunsaturated C10 and C15 terpenes. In addition, aluminum oxide increases C20 recoveries, whereas crystalline zeolites favor C30 terpenes recoveries. The different healthy properties that have been described for terpenoids makes the current SFE-GC-QTOF-MS process especially interesting and suitable for their revalorization.

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Constituents of Chamaecrista diphylla (L.) Greene Leaves with Potent Antioxidant Capacity: A Feature-Based Molecular Network Dereplication Approach

Pharmaceutics ◽

10.3390/pharmaceutics13050681 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (5) ◽

pp. 681

Author(s):

Paulo Gomes ◽

Luis Quirós-Guerrero ◽

Abraão Muribeca ◽

José Reis ◽

Sônia Pamplona ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antioxidant Capacity ◽

Ethanolic Extract ◽

Oxygen Radical ◽

Molecular Network ◽

Antioxidant Compounds ◽

Herbaceous Plant ◽

Network Approach ◽

Feature Based ◽

Promising Source ◽

First Time

Chamaecrista diphylla (L.) Greene (Fabaceae/Caesalpiniaceae) is a herbaceous plant that is widely distributed throughout the Americas. Plants from this genus have been used in traditional medicine as a laxative, to heal wounds, and to treat ulcers, snake and scorpion bites. In the present study, we investigated the chemical composition of Chamaecrista diphylla leaves through a mass spectrometry molecular network approach. The oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) for the ethanolic extract, enriched fractions and isolated compounds was assessed. Overall, thirty-five compounds were annotated for the first time in C. diphylla. Thirty-two of them were reported for the first time in the genus. The isolated compounds 9, 12, 24 and 33 showed an excellent antioxidant capacity, superior to the extract and enriched fractions. Bond dissociation energy calculations were performed to explain and sustain the antioxidant capacity found. According to our results, the leaves of C. diphylla represent a promising source of potent antioxidant compounds.

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Assessment of costs on the adaptation to climate change in Ukraine

Ekonomìka ì prognozuvannâ ◽

10.15407/eip2020.04.060 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 (4) ◽

pp. 60-71

Author(s):

Galyna Trypolska ◽

◽

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Water Protection ◽

Adaptation To Climate Change ◽

Adaptation Measures ◽

Global Environmental ◽

The Cost ◽

Adaptive Nature ◽

Regional Budgets ◽

Promising Source ◽

First Time

The paper focuses on the main adaptation measures financed in Ukraine at the expense of state and regional budgets region-wise during 2016-2018 within the framework of environmental activities. The source of data was "Environmental passports of the regions". The paper finds that during 2016-2018 the most funded items of expenditure were the construction and repair of sewerage, clearing of riverbeds, repair of water protection structures and wastewater treatment. A significant gap in the cost of measures of an adaptive nature between the regions is established. Expenditures in the Transcarpathian region, which most suffers from floods, were the lowest: they were 46 times lower than expenditures on adaptation measures in the Dnipropetrovsk region, which actively allocated funds for clearing riverbeds and strengthening the river banks. During 2016-2018, almost USD 110 million were proved to be spent on adaptation measures in Ukraine. The main source of funds were local budgets, in particular regional environmental funds. Green bonds are determined to become a promising source of funding for adaptation measures in Ukraine. For the first time, the amount of funds required for adaptation measures in Ukraine until 2050 has been partially estimated. It is proved that the only international funds that can provide funding for adaptation measures in Ukraine in late 2020, is the Global Environmental Facility.

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Production and Physicochemical Characterization of Gelatin and Collagen Hydrolysates from Turbot Skin Waste Generated by Aquaculture Activities

Marine Drugs ◽

10.3390/md19090491 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (9) ◽

pp. 491

Author(s):

Jesus Valcarcel ◽

Javier Fraguas ◽

Carolina Hermida-Merino ◽

Daniel Hermida-Merino ◽

Manuel M. Piñeiro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Amino Acids ◽

Structural Integrity ◽

Physicochemical Characterization ◽

Essential Amino Acids ◽

Storage And Loss Moduli ◽

Food And Feed ◽

Collagen Hydrolysates ◽

First Time ◽

By Products

Rising trends in fish filleting are increasing the amount of processing by-products, such as skins of turbot, a flatfish of high commercial value. In line with circular economy principles, we propose the valorization of turbot skins through a two-step process: initial gelatin extraction described for the first time in turbot, followed by hydrolysis of the remaining solids to produce collagen hydrolysates. We assayed several methods for gelatin extraction, finding differences in gelatin properties depending on chemical treatment and temperature. Of all methods, the application of NaOH, sulfuric, and citric acids at 22 °C results in the highest gel strength (177 g), storage and loss moduli, and gel stability. We found no relation between mechanical properties and content of pyrrolidine amino acids, but the best performing gelatin displays higher structural integrity, with less than 30% of the material below 100 kDa. Collagen hydrolysis was more efficient with papain than alcalase, leading to a greater reduction in Mw of the hydrolysates, which contain a higher proportion of essential amino acids than gelatin and show high in vitro anti-hypertensive activity. These results highlight the suitability of turbot skin by-products as a source of gelatin and the potential of collagen hydrolysates as a functional food and feed ingredient.

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Santa Cesarea Terme, a sulphuric acid speleogenetic system intensely influenced by marine waters

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-2021 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ilenia M. D'Angeli ◽

Jo De Waele ◽

Adriano Fiorucci ◽

Bartolomeo Vigna ◽

Stefano M. Bernasconi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sulphuric Acid ◽

Southern Italy ◽

Sea Water ◽

Sampling Site ◽

Seasonal Effects ◽

Water Sampling ◽

Marine Waters ◽

Water Head ◽

Marine Influence ◽

By Products

Santa Cesarea Terme (SCT) karst system opens along the Adriatic coastline of Apulia (southern Italy) and is composed of four sub-horizontally caves Fetida, Sulfurea, Gattulla and Solfatara. Being influenced by rising sulphidic waters, it is used as thermal spa for human health treatments. The caves show interesting signs of hypogene sulphuric acid speleogenetic (SAS) activity such as peculiar morphologies and mineralogical by-products. From the geomorphological standpoint it is possible to observe ceiling cupolas, megacusps (former megascallops), rising channels, submerged feeders, weathered walls, replacement pockets, whereas for mineralogy sulphur, gypsum and jarosite deposits have been recorded. Despite the presence of extensive SAS features, SCT is also intensely influenced by marine water.All these observations induced us to conduct a long-lasting (2015-2018) geochemical monitoring to understand intensity and tendency of the two main domains (rising acidic vs. marine).Water sampling was done every 3-4 months at 4 sites in Fetida (2 in areas influenced by sea water movements, and 2 in the innermost zone, less but still influenced by sea), and 1 site in Gattulla. Moreover, 1 sampling site located along the coastline (sea water) was constantly monitoring for comparative reasons.Collected groundwaters exhibit mean temperatures of 23 &#176;C (7 &#176;C higher than average annual air temperature) and circumneutral pH. All samples belong to the Na-Cl-SO4 type of waters. Sea waters display the highest pH (ranging between 8.15 and 8.20), [Na+], [K+], [Mg2+], [Cl-], [SO42-], and total dissolved solids (TDS), and on the other hands one of the innermost sampling site in Fetida Cave showed the highest values of temperature (29 &#176;C), [HS-], [Ca2+] and the lowest pH (6.76). In addition, the Ba2+/Sr2+ ratio compared with Ca2+/HCO3- or Ca2+/SO42- clearly exhibit the presence of two main domains: rising acid and marine. In particular, the samples collected in the Adriatic Sea are always in the domain of marine influence, whilst all the others from Gattulla and Fetida, depending on sampling conditions (tides, waves, etc..), can fall in both domains.Our investigations demonstrated rising sulphidic fluids to reach the surface through deep tectonic fractures and karst flowpaths, but seasonal effects due to modest water head variations (tides) and meteomarine conditions affect the geochemical variability, even in the innermost portion of the caves, inducing these slightly thermal acidic fluids to partially mix with marine waters.

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On the Use of Satellite Rainfall Data to Design a Dam in an Ungauged Site

Water ◽

10.3390/w12113028 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (11) ◽

pp. 3028

Author(s):

Claudia Bertini ◽

Luca Buonora ◽

Elena Ridolfi ◽

Fabio Russo ◽

Francesco Napolitano

Keyword(s):

Hydrological Model ◽

Southern Italy ◽

Storm Events ◽

Satellite Precipitation ◽

Design Storm ◽

Area Of Interest ◽

High Return ◽

Precipitation Estimates ◽

First Time ◽

Climate Prediction Center

The estimation of the design peak discharge is crucial for the hydrological design of hydraulic structures. A commonly used approach is to estimate the design storm through the intensity–duration–area–frequency (IDAF) curves and then use it to generate the design discharge through a hydrological model. In ungauged areas, IDAF curves and design discharges are derived throughout regionalization studies, if any exist for the area of interest, or from using the hydrological information of the closest and most similar gauged place. However, many regions around the globe remain ungauged or are very poorly gauged. In this regard, a unique opportunity is provided by satellite precipitation products developed and improved in the last decades. In this paper, we show weaknesses and potentials of satellite data and, for the first time, we evaluate their applicability for design purposes. We employ CMORPH—Climate Prediction Center MORPHing technique satellite precipitation estimates to build IDAF curves and derive the design peak discharges for the Pietrarossa dam catchment in southern Italy. Results are compared with the corresponding one provided by a regionalization study, i.e., VAPI—VAlutazione delle Piene in Italia project, usually used in Italy in ungauged areas. Results show that CMORPH performed well for the estimation of low duration and small return periods storm events, while for high return period storms, further research is still needed.

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Tomato as Potential Source of Natural Additives for Meat Industry. A Review

Antioxidants ◽

10.3390/antiox9010073 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 73 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Rubén Domínguez ◽

Patricia Gullón ◽

Mirian Pateiro ◽

Paulo E. S. Munekata ◽

Wangang Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Organic Solvents ◽

Meat Products ◽

Natural Antioxidants ◽

Economic Problem ◽

Meat Industry ◽

Overall Acceptability ◽

High Yields ◽

Promising Source ◽

By Products ◽

Natural Additives

Tomato industry produces huge amounts of by-products that represent an environmental and economic problem. However, these by-products contain multiple bioactive compounds, which would make them a renewable source for obtaining natural antioxidants and colourants (carotenoids). This is in line with the preferences of the current consumer who demands more natural and healthy products. However, the lipophilic character of carotenoids means that their extraction must be carried out using toxic organic solvents. To overcome environmental and health problems of organic solvents, the application of supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) for the extraction of lipophilic compounds such as lycopene was used successfully, achieving yields similar to those obtained with conventional techniques. Nonetheless, the extraction conditions must be carefully selected, to obtain high yields and at the same time maintain a high antioxidant capacity. On the other hand, the use of tomato and tomato extracts as natural additives in meat products are reduced in comparison with other natural antioxidant/colourant extracts. However, different researches conclude that the use of tomato improved nutritional quality, reduced lipid oxidation and increased stability during the shelf-life period of meat products, while retaining or increasing sensory properties and overall acceptability, which converts tomato by-products into a promising source of natural additives.

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Effect of Thermal Processing on Carotenoids and Folate Changes in Six Varieties of Sweet Potato (Ipomoes batata L.)

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods8060215 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (6) ◽

pp. 215 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Zhijun Pan ◽

Yiming Sun ◽

Fangyuan Zhang ◽

Xinbo Guo ◽

Zhihua Liao

Keyword(s):

Sweet Potato ◽

Thermal Processing ◽

Thermal Process ◽

High Performance ◽

Vitamin A Deficiency ◽

Significant Loss ◽

Thermal Impact ◽

Total Carotenoids ◽

Microbial Assay ◽

Β Carotene

Carotenoids and folate are two mandatory supplying micronutrients for children or pregnant women. Inadequate intake of these two nutrients was relevant to a higher mortality of both children and pregnancies. This study is intended to investigate the thermal impact on the changes of carotenoids and folate in sweet potato roots (SPRs). Carotenoids were identified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) while the folate was estimated using a microbial assay. An obvious decline was observed in total carotenoids after heating. Nevertheless, the content of provitamin compound β-carotene exhibited incredible stability during steaming and α-carotene multiplied in certain varieties, evidencing that SPRs could be an efficient way for addressing Vitamin A deficiency (VAD). As for the total folate contents, two varieties were found no significant loss after thermal process while the others showed a significant decrease. The results indicated that steaming process led to generally loss of both carotenoids and folate while the α-carotene and β-carotene were well preserved. The information provided by this study might help with enhancing the food quality in processing industry and the understanding in the nutrition changes during steaming.

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Tetracycline Residues in Bovine Muscle and Liver Samples from Sicily (Southern Italy) by LC-MS/MS Method: A Six-Year Study

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules24040695 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 24 (4) ◽

pp. 695 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Gaetano Cammilleri ◽

Andrea Pulvirenti ◽

Antonio Vella ◽

Andrea Macaluso ◽

Gianluigi Lo Dico ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Continuous Improvement ◽

Southern Italy ◽

Bovine Liver ◽

Epidemiological Data ◽

Good Recovery ◽

Bovine Muscle ◽

Low Incidence ◽

Tetracycline Residues ◽

First Time

We examined a total of 369 bovine liver and muscle samples for the detection of oxytetracycline (OTC), tetracycline (TC), chlortetracycline (CTC), and doxycycline (DOX) residues by implementation and validation of a LC-MS/MS method. The method showed good recovery values between 86% and 92% at three levels of concentrations. The linearity tests revealed r2 > 0.996 for all the tetracyclines examined. Furthermore, the Youden test revealed that the method was robust. Only 14.4% of the samples showed OTC and TC residues in a concentration range of 10.4–40.2 µg kg−1. No CTC and DOX residues were found in all the samples analyzed. Liver samples showed the highest average values (31.5 ± 20.6 and 21.8 ± 18.9 for OTC and TC, respectively). The results showed a low incidence of TCs in all the samples examined, in comparison with other studies reported in the literature. A significant decrease in TC residues frequency was found from 2013 (p < 0.05). This work reports for the first time epidemiological data on the presence of TC residues in liver and muscle samples of cattle farmed in Sicily (Southern Italy). The very low incidence of TC residues indicates a continuous improvement in farming techniques in Southern Italy, which is essential to ensure consumers’ protection.

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