Bioactive Molecules from the Exoskeleton of : Reducing Capacity, Radical Scavenger, and Antitumor and Anti-Inflammatory Activities.

This study evaluates, for the first time, the reducing capacity, radical scavenger activity, and antitumor and anti-inflammatory effects of chitosan, astaxanthin, and bio-phenols extracted from the exoskeleton of Sicilian , the most widespread species of invasive crayfish in the Mediterranean region. Among the extracted compounds, astaxanthin exhibited the highest antioxidant activity in all assays. Chitosan and polyphenols demonstrated reducing and radical scavenging activity; chitosan showed significant ferric ion reducing capacity in the FRAP test, while bio-phenolic compounds displayed notable radical scavenging activity in the DPPH and ABTS assays.

flour: An evaluation for dietary supplementation.

This study assesses the nutritional composition and safety of lab-produced snail flour derived from , an herbivorous pulmonated gastropod mollusc that occupies various trophic levels in food chains. Our analysis focused on key nutritional aspects, including moisture, ash, protein, and fat contents. Contaminant analysis on the powder showed levels below detectable limits for PAHs, PCBs, PBDEs.

Chemical Characterization, Stability and Sensory Evaluation of Sicilian Extra Virgin Olive Oils: Healthiness Evidence at Nose Reach.

The aim of this study was to assess the nutraceutical qualities of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) samples obtained from three Sicilian olive : , , and We also evidenced the relationship among biophenols, base parameters and panel test scores, and evaluated the stability of the biophenols in EVOO. The assessment also took into consideration variations in olive harvesting periods and the influence of four different milling methods. A statistical analysis of the collected data revealed that the cultivar and harvesting period were the primary factors influencing the bio-phenol content, while the milling methods employed did not significantly affect the levels of biophenols in the oils.

Gellan gum-dopamine mediated in situ synthesis of silver nanoparticles and development of nano/micro-composite injectable hydrogel with antimicrobial activity.

Infected skin wounds represent a serious health threat due to the long healing process and the risk of colonization by multi-drug-resistant bacteria. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have shown broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. This study introduces a novel approach to address the challenge of infected skin wounds by employing gellan gum-dopamine (GG-DA) as a dual-functional agent, serving both as a reducing and capping agent, for the in situ green synthesis of silver nanoparticles.

Untreated for the Efficient Adsorption of Ni(II), Pb(II), Cu(II) and Cd(II) Ions from Water.

The raw cladode of (OFI) was evaluated as a sustainable biosorbent for the removal of heavy metals (Ni, Pb, Cu, and Cd) from aqueous solutions. The functional groups of OFI were identified by employing DRIFT-FTIR and CP-MAS-NMR techniques before and after contact with the ions in an aqueous media, showing a rearrangement of the biomass structure due to the complexation between the metal and the functional groups. The adsorption process was studied in both single- and multi-component systems under batch conditions at different pHs (4.

HPLC/HRMS and GC/MS for Triacylglycerols Characterization of Tuna Fish Oils Obtained from Green Extraction.

Background: Fish oil is one of the most common lipidic substances that is consumed as a dietary supplement. The high omega-3 fatty acid content in fish oil is responsible for its numerous health benefits. Fish species such as mackerel, herring, tuna, and salmon are particularly rich in these lipids, which contain two essential omega-3 fatty acids, known as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

Edible Insects an Alternative Nutritional Source of Bioactive Compounds: A Review.

Edible insects have the potential to become one of the major future foods. In fact, they can be considered cheap, highly nutritious, and healthy food sources. International agencies, such as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), have focused their attention on the consumption of edible insects, in particular, regarding their nutritional value and possible biological, toxicological, and allergenic risks, wishing the development of analytical methods to verify the authenticity, quality, and safety of insect-based products.

Developing Antibiofilm Fibrillar Scaffold with Intrinsic Capacity to Produce Silver Nanoparticles.

The development of biomedical systems with antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties is a difficult medical task for preventing bacterial adhesion and growth on implanted devices. In this work, a fibrillar scaffold was produced by electrospinning a polymeric organic dispersion of polylactic acid (PLA) and poly(α,β-(N-(3,4-dihydroxyphenethyl)-L-aspartamide-co-α,β-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-L-aspartamide) (PDAEA). The pendant catechol groups of PDAEA were used to reduce silver ions in situ and produce silver nanoparticles onto the surface of the electrospun fibers through a simple and reproducible procedure.

Bioplastics: A new analytical challenge.

Even though petroleum-based plastics are advantageous in complying with the performance requirements in many applications, these are related, throughout their life cycle, to several environmental problems, including greenhouse gas emissions and persistence in marine and terrestrial environments. Therefore, the preservation of natural resources and climate change is considered worldwide, the main reason for which is necessary to reduce consumption and dependence on fossil-based materials. Biopolymers (PLA, PHAs, etc.

Freeze dried pomegranate juices of Moroccan fruits: main representative phenolic compounds.

Background: The pomegranate (Punica granatum) is an ancient perennial plant species of the Punicaceae family. Its seeds are consumed as food or as juice. Previous studies have noted that pomegranate juice encompasses many active compounds with beneficial effects.

Determination of trace levels of organic fining agents in wines: Latest and relevant findings.

The production of red wine plays a key role in the local and international economies of several nations. During the winemaking process, to clarify the final product, before bottling, and to remove undesired substances (proteins, phenols, and tannins), fining agents are commonly added to wines. These substances have different origins (animal and vegetable proteins or mineral compounds), and they show a potential risk for the health of allergic subjects.

Hydrocarbons removal from synthetic bilge water by adsorption onto biochars of dead Posidonia oceanica.

Bilge waters are wastewaters produced on boats during navigation and usually contain hydrocarbons and oils. They cannot be directly released into the sea if not below a hydrocarbons concentration limit set by current legislation. Appropriate oil in water separator (OWS) systems can be installed on board boats to remove hydrocarbons from bilge water allowing their spillage into the sea.

Bio-phenols determination in olive oils: Recent mass spectrometry approaches.

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is largely used in Mediterranean diet, and it is also worldwide apprised not only for its organoleptic properties but also for its healthy effects mainly attributed to the presence of several naturally occurring phenolic and polyphenolic compounds (bio-phenols). These compounds are characterized by the presence of multiple phenolic groups in more or less complex structures. Their content is fundamental in defining the healthy qualities of EVOO and consequently the analytical methods for their characterization and quantification are of current interest.

Recent Approaches for Chemical Speciation and Analysis by Electrospray Ionization (ESI) Mass Spectrometry.

In recent years, the chemical speciation of several species has been increasingly monitored and investigated, employing electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). This soft ionization technique gently desolvates weak metal-ligand complexes, taking them in the high vacuum sectors of mass spectrometric instrumentation. It is, thus, possible to collect information on their structure, energetics, and fragmentation pathways.

Automated untargeted stable isotope assisted lipidomics of liver cells on high glucose shows alteration of sphingolipid kinetics.

Untargeted lipidomics is a powerful tool to discover new biomarkers and to understand the physiology and pathology of lipids. The use of stable isotopes as tracers to investigate the kinetics of lipids is another tool able to supply dynamic information on lipid synthesis and catabolism. Coupling the two methodology is then very appealing in the study of lipid metabolism.

Co-inertia multivariate approach for the evaluation of anthropogenic impact on two commercial fish along Tyrrhenian coasts.

Aliphatic hydrocarbon levels were determined by the GC/MS technique in fish livers of Engraulis encrasicolus (Ee) and Trachurus trachurus (Tt), collected from a particular area of the Mediterranean Sea, called GSA 10, which is located exactly in Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania coast and North Sicily coast. The aim was to evaluate their potential use as specific bioindicators towards this class of contaminants. Both Tt and Ee are considered to be pollution monitoring bioindicators, due to their dominance in marine communities and economic fishing interest.

Improvement of a rapid direct blood culture microbial identification protocol using MALDI-TOF MS and performance comparison with SepsiTyper kit.

Fast diagnosis of pathogens is critical to guarantee the most adequate therapy for infections; bacterial culture methods, which constitute the actual gold standard, are precise and sensitive but rather slow. Today, new methods have been made available to enable faster diagnosis, with the Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time Of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) technique being the most promising. Even if simpler and faster than traditional bacterial culture methods, analysis of positive blood cultures via MALDI-TOF MS requires a preliminary extraction process of samples.

Antioxidant activity and phenolic composition in pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) genotypes from south Italy by UHPLC-Orbitrap-MS approach.

Background: Pomegranate fruits are a rich source of polyphenols with numerous health-promoting effects. Pomegranate juices of five genotypes ('Mollar', 'Kingdom', 'Dente di Cavallo', and two old populations 'Francofonte' and 'Santa Tecla') were evaluated regarding anthocyanin and non-anthocyanin phenolic contents using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC)-Orbitrap-mass spectrometry (MS). Moreover, total antioxidant activity (TAA) was evaluated using a 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) assay.

Multivariate analysis of historical data (2004-2013) in assessing the possible environmental impact of the Bellolampo landfill (Palermo).

Multivariate analysis was performed on a large data set of groundwater and leachate samples collected during 9 years of operation of the Bellolampo municipal solid waste landfill (located above Palermo, Italy). The aim was to obtain the most likely correlations among the data. The analysis results are presented.

Investigation on the influence of spray-drying technology on the quality of Sicilian Nero d'Avola wines.

The purpose of the present work was to find a correlation between microencapsulation technology applied to wines and the resulting quality of the wine itself in terms of volatile composition and phenolic profile. To this aim, samples of Nero d'Avola wines produced in Sicily (Italy) were investigated in order to: i) elucidate the aromatic composition by means of HS-SPME coupled with GC-MS; ii) assess the polyphenolic content by UHPLC mass spectrometry; iii) compare the results obtained from both the screenings with those relative to the same wines that had previously been subjected to spray-drying. The results showed a marked reductionThe results here obtained evidenced a marked reduction of odour active compounds in microencapsulated wines, after resolubilization in water/ethanol; when considering the total amount of volatiles, a twofold reduction was observed.

Triacylglycerols in edible oils: Determination, characterization, quantitation, chemometric approach and evaluation of adulterations.

Vegetable oils are a dietary source of lipids that constitute an essential component of a healthy diet. The commonly used vegetable oils differ significantly for their triacylglycerol (TAG) profile. TAGs represent the principal components of oils and may contain different fatty acids (FA) esterified with glycerol leading to several positional isomers.

Entrapment of amino acids in gas phase surfactant assemblies: The case of tryptophan confined in positively charged (1R,2S)-dodecyl (2-hydroxy-1-methyl-2-phenylethyl) dimethylammonium bromide aggregates.

The ability of positively charged aggregates of the surfactant (1R,2S)-dodecyl(2-hydroxy-1-methyl-2-phenylethyl)dimethylammonium bromide (DMEB) to incorporate D-tryptophan or L-tryptophan in the gas phase has been investigated by electrospray ion mobility mass spectrometry (ESI-IM-MS). Strongly impacted by the pH of the electrosprayed solutions, both protonated (T ) and deprotonated (T ) tryptophan are effectively included into the aggregates, whereas, tryptophan in zwitterionic (T ) form is practically absent in singly charged DMEB aggregates but can be found in multiply charged ones. The ability to incorporate tryptophan increases with the aggregation number and charge state of aggregates.

Effect of solid waste landfill organic pollutants on groundwater in three areas of Sicily (Italy) characterized by different vulnerability.

The aim of this study was to obtain information on the presence and levels of hazardous organic pollutants in groundwater located close to solid waste landfills. Eighty-two environmental contaminants, including 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 20 volatile organic compounds (VOCs), 29 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), 7 dioxins (polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, PCDDs) and 10 furans (polychlorinated dibenzofurans, PCDFs) were monitored in areas characterised by different geological environments surrounding three municipal solid waste landfills (Palermo, Siculiana and Ragusa) in Sicily (Italy) in three sampling campaigns. The total concentrations of the 16 PAHs were always below the legal threshold.

Micelles, Rods, Liposomes, and Other Supramolecular Surfactant Aggregates: Computational Approaches.

Surfactants are an interesting class of compounds characterized by the segregation of polar and apolar domains in the same molecule. This peculiarity makes possible a whole series of microscopic and macroscopic effects. Among their features, their ability to segregate particles (fluids or entire domains) and to reduce the surface/interfacial tension is the utmost important.

Micelles of the chiral biocompatible surfactant (1R,2S)-dodecyl(2-hydroxy-1-methyl-2-phenylethyl)dimethylammonium bromide (DMEB): molecular dynamics and fragmentation patterns in the gas phase.

Rationale: The study of self-assembly processes of surfactant molecules in the gas phase is of great interest for several theoretical and technological reasons related to their possible exploitation as drug carriers, protein shields and cleaning agents in the gas phase.

Methods: The stability and fragmentation patterns of singly and multiply charged (either positively or negatively) aggregates of the surfactant (1R,2S)-dodecyl(2-hydroxy-1-methyl-2-phenylethyl)dimethyl ammonium bromide (DMEB) in the gas phase have been studied by ion mobility mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of positively and negatively singly and multiply charged DMEB aggregates have been performed to obtain structural and energetics information.