A new, very sensitive method of assessment of ptaquiloside, the major bracken carcinogen in the milk of farm animals.

We describe a new method to detect trace levels of ptaquiloside (Pta), a major carcinogen of bracken fern in biological samples such as milk from farm animals. The method involves the absorption of analyte on carbograph followed by elution with solvents mixtures. The unstable analyte is then converted into Br-Pt (II), which is specific for Pta, as it is not a natural decay product of the glycoside in aqueous media.

Synthesis of structurally simplified analogues of aplidinone A, a pro-apoptotic marine thiazinoquinone.

The synthesis of analogues of aplidinone A (7), a prenylated quinone isolated from the Mediterranean ascidian Aplidium conicum, has been performed. This work not only allowed confirming the structural assignment of aplidinone A, previously made with the support of GIAO shielding calculations, but, above all, made a series of structurally related quinone derivatives (compounds 8-13 and the natural metabolite) available for a screening in vitro for cytotoxic and pro-apoptotic activity and for SAR studies. The study evidenced one of the synthetic analogues (11) as a potent cytotoxic and pro-apoptotic agent against several tumor cell lines which also inhibits the TNFalpha-induced NF-kappaB activation in a human leukemia T cell line.

Natural phenols and diglycerides in virgin olive oil and their relation.

This work is to be included among an evaluation of analytical methods to be used for determination of olive oil quality. Studies on the diglycerides and phenols fraction have been conducted on some olive oils, obtained from cultivars grown in Calabria, during years 1997-2000. The analysis of obtained data indicates that there is a close relation between the content of phenols and diglycerides in virgin olive oil and that high content in phenols and 1,2-diglycerides is a characteristic of fresh olive oil.

Liposomes from a new chiral cationic lipid based on iridoidic template.

A new cationic polyhydroxylated lipid, characterized by a chiral template, was synthesized. It comes from an iridoid glucoside, as polyhydroxylated moiety. This lipid affords liposomes using cholesterol-like co-lipid.

The variability of composition of the volatile fraction of olive oil.

Aroma of olive oil is a very complex mixture of components. Analysis of head space of a series of virgin olive oil samples indicate a great variability of volatile substances composition in olives and these data probably should be related to the story of olives after collecting.

The recovery of biophenols from wastewaters of olive oil production.

In this article, the phenolic composition of wastewaters prepared from different cultivars of Olea europaea have been described. The main aim is the recovery of these compounds for technological utilization.

Monoterpene alkaloids from Argylia radiata.

Argylia radiata (L.) D. Don (Bignoniaceae) represents an important source of secondary metabolites, largely unexplored.