Fagopyrins from Buckwheat Flowers: Structural and Stereochemical Characterization Through Combined NMR/CD Spectroscopy and Theoretical Calculations.

Fagopyrins are phenantroperylenequinones present in the flowers of Fagopyrum esculentum (buckwheat) endowed with photodynamic activity. It has been reported that fagopyrin extracts actually contain a complex mixture of closely related compounds, differing only on the nature of the perylenequinone substituents. We report our systematic and detailed study on the chemical composition of fagopyrin extracts by a combination of preparative and analytical techniques.

Investigating the Role of Antioxidant Compounds in Riboflavin-Mediated Photo-Oxidation of Methionine: A H-NMR Approach.

Riboflavin (RF) is a well-known photosensitizer, responsible for the light-induced oxidation of methionine (Met) leading to the spoilage of wine. An NMR approach was used to investigate the role of gallic acid (GA) and sulfur dioxide (SO) in the RF-mediated photo-oxidation of Met. Water solutions of RF and Met, with and without GA or SO, were exposed to visible light for increasing time in both air and nitrogen atmospheres.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Molecular Dynamics Characterization of Ionic Liquid in Poly(ethylene oxide)-Based Polymer Electrolytes.

Ternary systems consisting of polymers, lithium salts, and ionic liquids (ILs) are promising materials for the development of next-generation lithium batteries. The ternary systems combine the advantages of polymer-salt and IL-salt systems, thus providing media with high ionic conductivity and solid-like mechanical properties. In this work, we apply nuclear magnetic resonance H microimaging [magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)] techniques and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to study the translational and rotational dynamics of the -butyl--methylpyrrolidinium (PYR) cation in poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) matrices containing the lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide salt (LiTFSI) and the PYRTFSI IL.

Urinary TMAO Levels Are Associated with the Taxonomic Composition of the Gut Microbiota and with the Choline TMA-Lyase Gene () Harbored by Enterobacteriaceae.

Gut microbiota metabolization of dietary choline may promote atherosclerosis through trimethylamine (TMA), which is rapidly absorbed and converted in the liver to proatherogenic trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO). The aim of this study was to verify whether TMAO urinary levels may be associated with the fecal relative abundance of specific bacterial taxa and the bacterial choline TMA-lyase gene . The analysis of sequences available in GenBank grouped the gene into two main clusters, cut-Dd and cut-Kp.

Effect of processing conditions on water mobility and cooking quality of gluten-free pasta. A Magnetic Resonance Imaging study.

A new approach for producing gluten-free pasta from hydrated (50 °C, 20 min) rice kernels, skipping the grinding step, was explored. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) was used to study the hydration kinetics of rice, by monitoring the time evolution of both proton density and water transverse-relaxation rate during water diffusion. Results showed that the optimal water diffusion was reached after 180 min, allowing the extrusion of hydrated rice kernels into pasta.