Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Michele Borroni, Carlo Massimo Pozzi, Sara Daniotti, Fabiana Gatto, Ilaria Re
Summary: The paper proposes the use of cardoon as a viable feedstock for the extraction of chlorogenic acid (CGA) and inulin, with a multi-criteria decision-making approach ranking cardoon as a promising option. However, challenges such as limited availability and underdeveloped extraction methods currently hinder its competitiveness in the market.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Dario Paolo, Franca Locatelli, Eleonora Cominelli, Raul Pirona, Sara Pozzo, Giulia Graziani, Alberto Ritieni, Monica De Palma, Teresa Docimo, Marina Tucci, Francesca Sparvoli
Summary: This study established transgenic lines of cultivated cardoon overexpressing the Arabidopsis thaliana MYB4 transcription factor, which has shown favorable traits including reduced lignin content, increased growth rates, and valuable nutraceutical profiles such as hydroxycinnamic/caffeoylquinic and fatty acids.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Natalia Estevez, Pablo Fucinos, Clara Fucinos, Maria Luisa Rua
Summary: In this study, bovine whey protein was hydrolysed using cardosins A and B, achieving complete hydrolysis of the main whey proteins after 4 hours. The promising results open up new possibilities for exploring the action of cardosins on whey proteins for the production of bioactive peptides.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yossri Grojja, Hafedh Hajlaoui, Simon Vlad Luca, Jouda Abidi, Krystyna Skalicka-Wozniak, Sami Zouari, Mohamed Bouaziz
Summary: This study characterized the bioactive compounds in the seed extract of Capsicum annuum L. and evaluated its antimicrobial and antioxidant activities. The extract was found to contain various phytochemical classes, including phenolic compounds and flavonoids. The phenolic and flavonoid content correlated with the extract's high antiradical, reducing power, and chelating power activities. The extract also exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against both bacteria and fungi.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Renu Pandey, Meghan Collins, Xiyuan Lu, Shannon R. Sweeney, Jennifer Chiou, Alessia Lodi, Stefano Tiziani
Summary: The study developed a novel strategy for untargeted chiral metabolomics of hydroxy/amine groups by chiral derivatization coupled with liquid chromatography-high resolution tandem mass spectrometry (LC-HR-MS/MS). This method successfully enabled the simultaneous measurement of different classes of enantiomeric metabolites in a single analytical run, providing new insights in the detection of disease biomarkers.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ruba Al-Nemi, Arwa A. Makki, Khaled Sawalha, Dina Hajjar, Mariusz Jaremko
Summary: This study investigated the chemical profiles and antioxidant capacities of different solvent extracts of Ephedra foeminea. The results showed that the methanolic extract had the highest antioxidant activity, which may be attributed to its abundant bioactive compounds.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Soumaya Khaldi, Mouna Naouari, Awatef Ben Jemaa
Summary: The study extracted and analyzed seed oil from six wild cardoon populations and one cultivated native cardoon in Tunisia, showing that cardoon oil exhibits antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Enterocccus feacalis. The cultivated cardoon seed oil demonstrated higher antibacterial activity compared to the wild cardoon oil.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Andrzej Salata, Agnieszka Sekara, Gaetano Pandino, Giovanni Mauromicale, Sara Lombardo
Summary: Living mulch provides beneficial agro-ecological services and can positively affect the yield and quality of main crops. Co-cultivating Egyptian clover with cultivated cardoon can increase the leaf biomass and phytochemical yield. This innovative cultivation system offers a sustainable approach to improve the health-promoting compounds of cultivated cardoon leaves through soil management.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Andrzej Salata, Sara Lombardo, Gaetano Pandino, Giovanni Mauromicale, Halina Buczkowska, Renata Nurzynska-Wierdak
Summary: This study found that irrigation frequency and drying temperature significantly affect the biomass yield and pharmacological value of artichoke leaves. Adequate irrigation frequency can increase the dry leaf biomass yield, while higher drying temperatures can increase cynarine and ferulic acid content. The research also found that irrigation frequency affects the content of polyphenolic compounds and flavonoids.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Filipa Mandim, Spyridon A. Petropoulos, Maria Ines Dias, Jose Pinela, Marina Kostic, Marina Sokovic, Celestino Santos-Buelga, Isabel C. F. R. Ferreira, Lillian Barros
Summary: Hydroethanolic extracts of cardoon petioles collected at different growth stages exhibited varied phenolic composition and bioactive potential. Samples at early maturation stages showed higher polyphenol content and better antioxidant activity, while samples at intermediate maturation stages demonstrated higher cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory potential.
Review
Chemistry, Analytical
Giacomo Baccolo, Beatriz Quintanilla-Casas, Stefania Vichi, Dillen Augustijn, Rasmus Bro
Summary: Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is crucial in contemporary untargeted chemical analysis, but software uncertainty can lead to reproducibility issues. By utilizing tensor-based modeling and machine learning, a fully automated method was developed to convert GC-MS data into peak tables, improving analysis efficiency and reproducibility in comparison to current methods.
TRAC-TRENDS IN ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Joanna Niziol, Krzysztof Ossolinski, Aneta Plaza-Altamer, Artur Kolodziej, Anna Ossolinska, Tadeusz Ossolinski, Tomasz Ruman
Summary: In this study, metabolomic profiling was used to identify serum metabolites that can differentiate bladder cancer patients from non-cancer controls. The results showed that twenty-seven metabolites can distinguish between bladder cancer patients and controls, and twenty-three metabolites can differentiate between different grades and stages of bladder cancer. This suggests that measuring serum metabolites could provide a less invasive diagnostic method for bladder cancer detection and management of recurrent disease.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Fernanda Rey-Stolle, Danuta Dudzik, Carolina Gonzalez-Riano, Miguel Fernandez-Garcia, Vanesa Alonso-Herranz, David Rojo, Coral Barbas, Antonia Garcia
Summary: This tutorial provides ready-to-use protocols for GC-MS-based metabolomics, covering sample preparation, data acquisition, and data processing strategies. Different analytical methods for various types of biological samples and cell cultures are discussed, along with considerations for obtaining semiquantitative values for metabolites. A case study presents experimental results.
ANALYTICA CHIMICA ACTA
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Giuseppe Mannino, Massimo E. Maffei
Summary: Flavonoids and proanthocyanidins, found in the SP4(TM) formulation, have been shown to have strong antioxidant properties and the ability to prevent adhesion of uropathogenic bacteria.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Yvelise Ferro, Samantha Maurotti, Elisa Mazza, Roberta Pujia, Angela Sciacqua, Vincenzo Musolino, Vincenzo Mollace, Arturo Pujia, Tiziana Montalcini
Summary: This study examined the effects of a nutraceutical containing bioactive components from bergamot and wild cardoon on serum uric acid levels in adults with fatty liver. The results showed that the nutraceutical significantly reduced serum uric acid levels, especially in those with moderate/severe hepatic steatosis.
MEDICINA-LITHUANIA
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anica Bebek Markovinovic, Predrag Putnik, Paula Bicanic, Dora Brdar, Boris Duralija, Branimir Pavlic, Sanja Milosevic, Gabriele Rocchetti, Luigi Lucini, Danijela Bursac Kovacevic
Summary: This study investigates the impact of high-power ultrasound (HPU) technology on the stability of bioactive compounds in strawberry juices obtained from fruits at different ripeness stages. The effects of HPU parameters including amplitude, pulses, and treatment time were examined. Results show that amplitude and pulse significantly affect most bioactive compounds, while treatment duration has opposite effects on different compounds. Temperature changes during HPU treatment are positively correlated with HPU parameters. By combining specific ripeness fruits with optimal HPU treatment, juices with well-preserved bioactive compounds can be produced, highlighting the potential of HPU technology in functional food products.
Article
Plant Sciences
Beppe Benedetto Consentino, Lorena Vultaggio, Nicolo Iacuzzi, Salvatore La Bella, Claudio De Pasquale, Youssef Rouphael, Georgia Ntatsi, Giuseppe Virga, Leo Sabatino
Summary: The horticultural sector is looking for innovative and sustainable agronomic practices to improve yield and product quality. Plant biofortification, specifically with iodine, is recognized as a valuable technique in enhancing microelement concentrations in plants. In this study, a seaweed extract-based biostimulant (SwE) and different levels of iodine were applied to tunnel-grown Savana strawberries, resulting in improved growth, yield, fruit quality, and nutrient content. The combination of SwE application and iodine biofortification increased the strawberry yield and quality, as well as enhanced the plant's nutritional status and iodine tolerance.
Article
Agronomy
Shravan Manbhar Haldhar, Mukesh Kumar Berwal, Rakesh Bhargava, Pyare Lal Saroj, Ramesh Kumar, Jagan Singh Gora, Dilip Kumar Samadia, Dhurendra Singh, Christophe El-Nakhel, Youssef Rouphael, Pradeep Kumar
Summary: Citrullus colocynthis L. is a wild watermelon that naturally grows in arid regions and has non-edible fruits with therapeutic and nutraceutical value. A botanical pesticide formulation called Thar Jaivik 41 EC has been developed from C. colocynthis and has shown effective insecticidal properties. It is safe for plants and can benefit farmers and consumers.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Biancamaria Senizza, Paola Ganugi, Marco Trevisan, Luigi Lucini
Summary: This study aimed to trace the authenticity of Italian extra-virgin olive oil using phenolic and sterol signatures combined with multivariate discriminant analysis and artificial neural networks. Specific markers of authenticity were identified, and it was found that profiling sterols and phenolics can support the integrity of olive oil. The results strengthen the concept of terroir for olive oil.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Sara Rajabi Hamedani, Mariateresa Cardarelli, Youssef Rouphael, Paolo Bonini, Andrea Colantoni, Giuseppe Colla
Summary: In response to the environmental consequences of fertiliser production, organic biofertilisers are being promoted to maximize resource use and align with circular economy principles. This study focuses on the environmental performance of two iron-based fertilisers (Fe-biochelate and Fe-EDDHA) through life cycle assessment. The results show that Fe-biochelate has lower impacts on global warming, terrestrial ecotoxicity, and fossil resource scarcity compared to Fe-EDDHA, making it a more eco-friendly alternative.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Mihai Babota, Oleg Frumuzachi, Alexandru Nicolescu, Dejan Stojkovic, Marina Sokovic, Gabriele Rocchetti, Leilei Zhang, Luigi Lucini, Gianina Crisan, Andrei Mocan, Oliviu Vostinaru
Summary: This study evaluated the diuretic effect and antimicrobial properties of herbal preparations obtained from Thymus comosus. The results showed that all the extracts exhibited a mild diuretic action, with TCT and OpTC inducing the most intense diuretic effect. In terms of antimicrobial activity, certain bacterial and fungal strains showed sensitivity to the extracts. The composition analysis revealed that the extracts contained significant amounts of phenolic acids, flavonoids, and other phenolics.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Lorena Vultaggio, Leo Sabatino, Youssef Rouphael, Claudio De Pasquale, Salvatore La Bella, Beppe Benedetto Consentino
Summary: The study found that the use of LPE (Lysophosphatidylethanolamine) as a growth regulator can improve the yield and quality of strawberry plants. The plants treated with LPE in two consecutive cultivation cycles showed the highest yield and best quality. LPE treatment also enhanced the antioxidant activity, firmness, soluble solids content, ascorbic acid, and anthocyanins of strawberries.
Article
Agronomy
Roberta Paradiso, Ida Di Mola, Eugenio Cozzolino, Lucia Ottaiano, Christophe El-Nakhel, Youssef Rouphael, Mauro Mori
Summary: The quality of greenhouse wild rocket is influenced by light environment and nitrogen fertilization. The effects of two cover materials (a diffuse light film and a traditional clear film) and three nitrogen regimes, in combination with a biostimulant, on the nutrient composition and antioxidant properties of rocket plants were investigated. The results showed that the leaf concentration of minerals was higher under the diffuse light film, and nitrogen supply and biostimulant enhanced mineral uptake. The diffuse light film had higher hydrophilic antioxidant activity in some harvests, while nitrogen fertilization reduced phenols and ascorbic acid content.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Edgar Perez-Matas, Pascual Garcia-Perez, Mercedes Bonfill, Luigi Lucini, Diego Hidalgo-Martinez, Javier Palazon
Summary: Elicited cell cultures of Taxus spp. are sustainable biotechnological production systems of the anticancer drug paclitaxel. This study investigates the impact of elicitation on the synthesis of other bioactive compounds and reveals the differential effects of elicitors on cell growth and phenolic biosynthesis in Taxus baccata cell suspensions. Untargeted metabolomics analysis identifies numerous phenolic compounds and their changes over time, indicating the potential of Taxus ssp. biofactories to supply taxanes and valuable phenolic antioxidants.
Review
Plant Sciences
Gyanendra Kumar Rai, Danish Mushtaq Khanday, Pradeep Kumar, Isha Magotra, Sadiya M. Choudhary, Rafia Kosser, Raviraj Kalunke, Maria Giordano, Giandomenico Corrado, Youssef Rouphael, Sudhakar Pandey
Summary: Drought has detrimental effects on agricultural productivity and crop growth by limiting water and nutrient availability. CRISPR technology offers opportunities for studying and improving drought tolerance in crops.
Article
Plant Sciences
Antonio Pannico, Giuseppe Carlo Modarelli, Silvia Rita Stazi, Matteo Giaccone, Raffaele Romano, Youssef Rouphael, Chiara Cirillo
Summary: Foliar nutrition is used globally to address microelement deficiencies and optimize yield performances, but it can also positively impact hazelnut nut quality and kernel composition. Recent studies emphasize the importance of managing not only micronutrients, but also major components like nitrogen for sustainable orchard nutrition. In our research, various foliar fertilizers were tested to understand their effectiveness in supporting hazelnut productivity and improving nut and kernel quality. The results showed that foliar fertilization influenced tree growth, increased kernel weight, and reduced blank incidence compared to the control. Treatment differences were also observed in fat, protein, and carbohydrate concentration, with fertilized treatments showing higher fat concentrations and total polyphenol content. The composition of oil in the kernels was also improved through foliar fertilization, although the response of fatty acid composition to nutrient spray varied. Oleic acid concentration increased while palmitic acid concentration decreased in fertilized plants. Additionally, CD and B trees exhibited a higher ratio of unsaturated/saturated fatty acids compared to untreated trees. Finally, foliar spraying improved lipid stability by increasing total polyphenol concentration.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Pascual Garcia-Perez, Gianluca Giuberti, Francesco Sestili, Domenico Lafiandra, Ermelinda Botticella, Luigi Lucini
Summary: This study evaluated the nutritional properties of wholegrain flours with different amylose/amylopectin ratios through in vitro starch digestion and large intestine fermentation. High-amylose flours showed higher resistant starch content and lower starch hydrolysis index. Metabolomics analysis revealed distinctive profiles between flours derived from different lines, with peptides, glycerophospholipids, polyphenols, and terpenoids identified as key markers. The high-amylose flour fermentates exhibited a rich bioactive profile, containing stilbenes, carotenoids, and saponins. These findings provide a basis for designing novel functional foods using high-amylose flours.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
A. G. Pereira, L. Cassani, Taofiq Oludemi, F. Chamorro, Ricardo C. Calhelha, M. . A. Prieto, Lillian Barros, J. Simal-Gandara, Luigi Lucini, Pascual Garcia-Perez
Summary: This study conducted polyphenol profiling of Camellia flower extracts and identified previously unknown chemical compounds. Metabolite markers associated with flower color were determined. Camellia flower extracts showed anti-tumor and anti-inflammatory activities, as well as free radical scavenging activity, making them promising polyphenol candidates for the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Paola Ganugi, Tito Caffi, Mario Gabrielli, Elena Secomandi, Andrea Fiorini, Leilei Zhang, Gabriele Bellotti, Edoardo Puglisi, Monica Broussard Fittipaldi, Florencia Asinari, Vincenzo Tabaglio, Marco Trevisan, Luigi Lucini
Summary: This study investigated the effects of different commercial mycorrhizal-based treatments on the yield, phytochemical components, and technological traits of grape plants. The results showed that the biostimulant treatments improved photosynthetic efficiency, reprogrammed primary and secondary metabolites, and enhanced the quality of grape berries.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Gabriele Rocchetti, Sofia Galimberti, Maria Luisa Callegari, Luigi Lucini
Summary: This article provides a comprehensive understanding of non-enzymatic browning and discoloration in dairy products, focusing on the metabolites associated with browning. The study emphasizes the importance of omics approaches based on metabolomics and proteomics in investigating the occurring chemical modifications and discusses potential future research.
