Cationic drugs and COVID-19.

Given the sharp spreading of COVID-19 pandemic all around the world, our attention was brought to consider that that many cationic drugs (i.e. those characterized by the presence, at physiological pH value, of one or more cationic groups, both primary, secondary, tertiary and guanidinic aminic groups) could have any effect in impairing SARS-CoV2 entry in the host cell.

Biocatalytic nylon nanofibrous membranes.

Nylon-6 nanofibrous membranes (NFM) have been prepared, characterized and used to build-up electrochemical biosensing devices. The assembly and the functioning of biocatalytic NFM are described in connection with the physical and the covalent immobilization of glucose oxidase for the detection of glucose. Effects of the enzyme loading, the mediator, the pH, the surface acidity and the kinetic of the catalysis have been thoroughly investigated.

Experimental studies to obtain rice malt.

The production of a rice malt that could be used as an ingredient in gluten-free foodstuffs, especially for brewing purposes, was studied. Different rice varieties were characterized through morphological description and chemical-physical analyses. Each rice variety was germinated in the laboratory in jute bags for different periods.

Tomato allergy: detection of IgE-binding lipid transfer proteins in tomato derivatives and in fresh tomato peel, pulp, and seeds.

There is an increasing consumption of tomatoes worldwide: fresh in salads, cooked in household sauces, or industrially processed. Although many tomato allergens have been identified, there is no information in the literature on the allergenic components found in commercial tomato products. The primary aim of the study was to evaluate the allergenic profile of commercial tomato products by skin prick tests (SPTs) and IgE/immunoblotting in tomato-allergic subjects.

Antioxidant characterization of some Sicilian edible wild greens.

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that many antioxidants and the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of the diet may protect against cancers and cardiovascular disease. Common fruits and vegetables are good sources of antioxidants, although in some Mediterranean areas traditional wild greens are responsible for a significant percentage of total dietary antioxidant intake. In the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort of Ragusa (Sicily), a high number of subjects were found to frequently eat wild greens, including Sinapis incana and Sinapis nigra, Diplotaxis erucoides, Cichorium intybus, Asparagus acutifolius, and Borrago officinalis.

Presence of allergenic proteins in different peach (Prunus persica) cultivars and dependence of their content on fruit ripening.

It has been reported that various cultivars of fruits and vegetables may present a different pattern for the contained allergens. Here, we report on the different content in allergenic proteins for different peach (Prunus persica) cultivars, sampled during two consecutive harvest seasons. Fruits from six cultivars of peaches were harvested fully ripe, and the proteins extracted from whole or chemically peeled fruits were analyzed by SDS-PAGE and immunoblotting.

Application of near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) to the evaluation of carotenoids content in maize.

The importance of including antioxidant compounds in the diet is well recognized. These compounds remediate the detrimental activity on animal cells of the so-called reactive oxygen substances (ROS). Many papers have reported on the determination of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic antioxidant compounds present in a large number of vegetables, and all methods involve the extraction from the matrix of the compounds to be determined.