Pulsed Electric Field Processing of Red Grapes (cv. Rondinella): Modifications of Phenolic Fraction and Effects on Wine Evolution.

Pulsed electric field (PEF) is a non-thermal technology able to promote color and polyphenols extraction from grape skins. Most of the publications about PEF in winemaking report data concerning international varieties, poorly considering minor cultivars and the medium/long-term effects of the treatment on wine composition during storage. PEF was applied at different specific energies (2, 10, and 20 kJ kg) on grapes of the low-color red cv.

Analysis of 19 Minerals and Cortisol in Red Deer Hair in Two Different Areas of the Stelvio National Park: A Preliminary Study.

The aim of the study was to perform an investigation on the concentration of 19 minerals and cortisol in red deer ( ) hair, a matrix that is easy to collect with non-invasive and painless sampling, able to represent an integrative values of long-term substance concentrations, and able to give useful information, also when performed on dead animals, given its extreme stability over time. In the study thirty-five animals were included, coming from two different sides of a valley in the Stelvio National Park, where official water analysis had pointed out elevated concentrations of As in one of the two orographic sides. Hair cortisol concentrations were measured using a RIA(Radio Immuno Assay), while minerals were detected using ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma- Mass Spectrometry).

A cotton thread fluidic device with a wall-jet pencil-drawn paper based dual electrode detector.

A simple and sensitive device is presented based on the use of pencil-drawn paper based electrochemical detector placed at the end of a cotton thread fluidic channel in wall-jet configuration. This innovative and fast responding electroanalytical system can be adopted for both single and dual electrode electrochemical detection, this last achieved by applying two different potentials at two independent working electrodes drawn on the opposite faces of the paper based detector. Its performance was preliminarily optimized by adopting hexacyanoferrate(II) as probe species undergoing reversible electrochemical processes.

Survival-Related Autophagic Activity Versus Procalcific Death in Cultured Aortic Valve Interstitial Cells Treated With Critical Normophosphatemic-Like Phosphate Concentrations.

Valve dystrophic calcification is a common disorder affecting normophosphatemic subjects. Here, cultured aortic valve interstitial cells (AVICs) were treated 3 to 28 days with phosphate (Pi) concentrations spanning the normal range in humans (0.8, 1.

A paper-based platform with a pencil-drawn dual amperometric detector for the rapid quantification of ortho-diphenols in extravirgin olive oil.

A simple, sensitive and fast responding device is described for the discrimination of hydrophilic ortho-diphenols, whose presence in abundant enough amounts is typical for extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs), from hydrophilic mono-phenols instead present in almost all vegetable oils. It consists of a dual electrode detector pencil-drawn at the end of a paper microfluidic channel, defined by hydrophobic barriers, where samples of these antioxidants, extracted from vegetable oils by a 80:20% v/v acetonitrile/water mixture, were applied. Thin-layer chromatographic runs conducted by using a 0.

Ultrastructural and spectrophotometric study on the effects of putative triggers on aortic valve interstitial cells in in vitro models simulating metastatic calcification.

Metastatic calcification of cardiac valves is a common complication in patients affected by chronic renal failure. In this study, primary bovine aortic valve interstitial cells (AVICs) were subjected to pro-calcific treatments consisting in cell stimulation with (i) elevated inorganic phosphate (Pi = 3 mM), to simulate hyperphosphatemic conditions; (ii) bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS), simulating direct effects by microbial agents; and (iii) conditioned media (CM) derived from cultures of either LPS-stimulated heterogenic macrophages (commercial murine RAW264.7 cells) or LPS-stimulated fresh allogenic monocytes/macrophages (bCM), simulating consequent inflammatory responses, alone or combined.

Pro-calcific responses by aortic valve interstitial cells in a novel in vitro model simulating dystrophic calcification.

Etiopathogenetic mechanisms in calcific aortic valve stenosis are still poorly understood despite this being the third major cause of heart disease in western world. In prior in vitro cultures simulating metastatic calcification, pro-calcific effects on aortic valve interstitial cells (AVICs) resulted by adding bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at high inorganic phosphate (Pi) levels. Here we accomplished improved in vitro models simulating either metastatic (Pi = 2.

Phloem cytochemical modification and gene expression following the recovery of apple plants from apple proliferation disease.

Recovery of apple trees from apple proliferation was studied by combining ultrastructural, cytochemical, and gene expression analyses to possibly reveal changes linked to recovery-associated resistance. When compared with either healthy or visibly diseased plants, recovered apple trees showed abnormal callose and phloem-protein accumulation in their leaf phloem. Although cytochemical localization detected Ca(2+) ions in the phloem of all the three plant groups, Ca(2+) concentration was remarkably higher in the phloem cytosol of recovered trees.

Single-step microwave digestion of food and biological samples for the quantitative conversion of Se into the +4 oxidation state.

An improved single step microwave digestion procedure is described for providing the fast and easy exhaustive mineralisation of biological samples concomitantly with the quantitative conversion of any type of selenium compounds into Se(IV). In such a way, digested samples are directly suitable for the subsequent Se analysis at trace and ultratrace levels by both spectrometric methods such as HG-ICP-MS or HG-ICP-OES and differential pulse cathodic stripping voltammetry (DPCSV). It is based on the use, under suitably optimised microwave irradiation conditions, of a digestion mixture with a carefully tailored composition such that its redox potential is made lower than that allowing Se(IV) to be oxidized to Se(VI), but high enough to permit total destruction of biological or, in general, organic matrices.

Alcohol reduces MMP-2 in humans and isolated smooth muscle cells.

Alcoholic beverages are known to exert a protective effect on atherosclerotic disease. This study aimed to assess the in vivo and in vitro effects of alcohol on matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) -2 and -9, known to determine atherosclerosis progression. Eighteen healthy volunteers, regular drinkers (two standard alcohol servings/day, on average) at first examination (baseline) were asked to abstain from any alcoholic beverage for one week (abstention), and then to assume two standard alcohol servings of beer daily for 1 week (re-exposure).

Lipoxygenase distribution in coffee (Coffea arabica L.) berries.

In this paper lipoxygenase (LOX) presence was investigated in coffee berries to determine its involvement in lipid degradative metabolism of plants grown in organic and conventional cultivations. An immunochemical analysis has evidenced a ca. 80 kDa protein, cross-reacting with an anti-LOX antibody, only in the pulp fraction of berries obtained from plants of both cultivations.

Selenium supplementation prevents the increase in atherogenic electronegative LDL (LDL minus) in the postprandial phase.

Evidence is accumulating that postprandial phenomena play a role in atherogenesis. Dietary lipid hydroperoxides that escape from the gastrointestinal barrier can be incorporated into plasma lipoproteins, leading to a modified form of LDL (LDL minus). The present human study was designed to investigate the effect of selenium supplementation on the formation of LDL minus in the postprandial phase.

Ultrastructural characterization of calcification onset and progression in subdermally implanted aortic valves. Histochemical and spectrometric data.

Detailed characterization of the subdermal model is a significant tool for better understanding of calcification mechanisms occurring in heart valves. In previous ultrastructural investigation on six-week-implantated aortic valve leaflets, modified pre-embedding glutaraldehyde-cuprolinic-blue reactions (GA-CB) enabled sample decalcification with concurrent retention/staining of lipid-containing polyanionic material, which lined cells and cell-derived matrix-vesicle-like bodies (phthalocyanin-positive layers: PPLs) co-localizing with the earliest apatite nucleation sites. Additional post-embedding silver staining (GA-CB-S) revealed PPLs to contain calcium-binding sites.

Evaluation of chlorinated by-products in drinking waters of Central Friuli (Italy).

Drinkable water supplied by aqueducts undergoes preliminar potabilization which, in Italy, is mainly accomplished by chlorine addition. The bactericidal action involved in this process is always accompanied by chlorination and oxidation of organic species (mainly humic and fulvic acids) naturally present in treated waters, so that many disinfection by-products (DBPs) are formed, such as trihalomethanes (THMs) and halo-acetic acids (HAA), which can represent a chemical risk for public health. The aim of this study was the monitoring of DBPs in drinking water disinfected by chlorination, supplied by four different aqueducts of Central Friuli (Italy).

Analysis of metals and EOX in sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plants: a case study.

The monitoring of extractable organic halogen (EOX) and heavy metal contents in sludge coming from 10 different municipal wastewater treatment plants (MWWTP) located in Friuli Venezia Giulia (Italy) is reported. In this work, sludge samples drawn from sludge treatment units have been digested and analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) for metal evaluation. Samples were also extracted and analyzed by microcoulometric titrations, following modified DIN 38414 T17 standard, for EOX analysis.

Biochemical and immunochemical evidences for the presence of lipoxygenase in plant mitochondria.

In this paper, both biochemical and immunochemical evidence for the presence of lipoxygenase (LOX) in plant mitochondria is presented. Highly purified pea (Pisum sativum L., cv.

Copper retention, calcium release and ultrastructural evidence indicate specific Cuprolinic Blue uptake and peculiar modifications in mineralizing aortic valves.

Previously, reactions with copper phthalocyanines at 0.05 M critical electrolyte concentration were found to cause demineralization in calcifying porcine aortic valves after subdermal implantation in rat, as well as simultaneous visualization of peculiar phthalocyanine-positive layers around cells and cell-derived matrix vesicles. In the present investigation, an appraisal was made of the mechanism and specificity of reactions with Cuprolinic Blue by comparing quantitatively calcium release and copper retention by calcified aortic valves reacted with this phthalocyanine under different critical electrolyte concentration conditions, and the corresponding ultrastructural patterns.

Novel ultrastructural features as revealed by phthalocyanine reactions indicate cell priming for calcification in subdermally implanted aortic valves.

The roles played by various determinants in physiological, pathological or experimental calcification are still unclear. In this investigation, new insights were gained into structural changes occurring in porcine aortic valves undergoing mineralization in the rat subdermal model and then subjected to reactions with cationic phthalocyanines (PHTs), at salt-critical electrolyte concentrations (CEC). PHT reactions showed decalcifying effects, depending on both acidic pH in the media employed and mineral substitution by Cuprolinic Blue (CB) itself, as well as specific reactivity which enabled the ultrastructural detection of unusual, PHT-positive layers (PPLs) encircling cells and matrix vesicles, at 0.

ICP-MS determination of toxic-metal release from pumping systems for food processing.

The release of heavy metals from uncovered and nickel-covered brass pumps has been evaluated by ICP-MS analysis in both simple ultrapure water and 3% acetic acid solution (mimic of neutral and acid edible liquids, respectively), following a procedure similar to that recommended by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) International, Test Procedure P203. The results found highlight that the main release regards zinc, copper and lead, i.e.

Optimization of nutrition: polyphenols and vascular protection.

The role of polyphenols in human nutrition is discussed on the basis of their redox chemistry, which accounts for the observed antioxidant effect and in turn for their protective effect against atherosclerosis. Epidemiologic data, together with experimental pathology and cell biology, support the recommendation that optimal nutrition should contain polyphenols in amounts that may be better described as a "Recommended Optimal Intake" (ROI) than as a "Recommended Dietary Allowance" (RDA). Because a valid procedure to identify polyphenols in plasma is not available, analysis of plasma antioxidant capacity is instead suggested as a suitable index to define the optimal nutritional intake.

Kinetic analysis of antioxidant capacity of wine.

A competition kinetics procedure for measuring total antioxidant capacity in wine is described. This procedure is based on the "crocin bleaching test" [28] as modified for analyzing the antioxidant capacity of complex mixtures [24]. The antioxidant capacity of white wines ranged from 0.

Analysis of plasma antioxidant capacity by competition kinetics.

A competition kinetics procedure for measuring plasma antioxidant capacity is described. This procedure is based on the "crocin bleaching test" (Bors, W., et al.