White wine phenolics are absorbed and extensively metabolized in humans.

Despite the vast literature describing the biological effects of phenolic compounds, rather scarce data are available on their absorption from diet in humans. The present study focused on the absorption in humans of phenolic acids from white wine, particularly hydroxycinnamic acids and their esters with tartaric acid. The results obtained indicate that, following a single wine drink, hydroxycinnamic acids from white wine are absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and circulate in the blood after being largely metabolized to the form of glucuronide and sulfate conjugates.

The Italian National Food Consumption Survey INRAN-SCAI 2005-06: main results in terms of food consumption.

Objective: The current paper aims to present the main results of the Italian National Food Consumption Survey INRAN-SCAI 2005-06.

Design: A cross-sectional study was performed. Households were randomly selected after geographical stratification of the national territory.

Impact of innovative controlled atmosphere storage technologies and postharvest treatments on volatile compound production in cv. Pinova apples.

Organically grown apples cv. Pinova harvested at two different dates were stored at 1.3 degrees C for up to 4 months in air, up to 7 months in ULO (1.

The amelioration of olfactory acuity upon sexual maturation might affect food preferences.

Upon sexual maturation, olfactory acuity in women ameliorates and starts oscillating across the cycle. During ovulation, mean olfactory threshold is 30 times lower than during bleeding. Interestingly, menstruated women undergo maleodorant trimethylaminuria.

Diabetes-linked zinc transporter ZnT8 is a homodimeric protein expressed by distinct rodent endocrine cell types in the pancreas and other glands.

Background And Aims: Zinc is abundant in pancreas, being required by endocrine islet cells for hormone secretion and by exocrine acinar cells as pancreatic juice component. ZnT8 is a member of the SLC30A family of zinc transporters whose overexpression in cultured pancreatic beta cells leads to increased insulin secretion in response to glucose, suggesting a possible role in regulating glycemia. ZnT8 was therefore proposed as a therapeutic target for diabetes, and recent genome-wide association studies identified polymorphisms in the ZNT8 gene conferring increased type 2 diabetes risk.

Carotenoids: actual knowledge on food sources, intakes, stability and bioavailability and their protective role in humans.

Carotenoids are one of the major food micronutrients in human diets and the overall objective of this review is to re-examine the role of carotenoids in human nutrition. We have emphasized the attention on the following carotenoids present in food and human tissues: beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, alpha-carotene, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin; we have reported the major food sources and dietary intake of these compounds. We have tried to summarize positive and negative effects of food processing, storage, cooking on carotenoid content and carotenoid bioavailability.

Antibiotic resistance and microbial composition along the manufacturing process of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana.

The use of antibiotics as growth promoters in livestock, banned in all EU member states in January 2006, has led to selection of antibiotic resistant strains within environmental bacteria, including gram-positive, non pathogenic bacteria that colonize the GI tract of humans and animals. In Italy and in other Mediterranean countries, fermented foods employing environmental bacteria pre-existing in the raw substrates, rather than industrial starters of defined genotype, represent a significant proportion of cheese and meat products carrying the official PDO designation (Protected Designation of Origin). Our study focused on the microbiological and molecular analysis of lactobacilli and of other lactic acid bacteria (LABs) isolated from the Italian PDO product water buffalo Mozzarella cheese, with the aim of identifying genes responsible for tetracycline, erythromycin and kanamycin resistance.

The Znt4 mutation inlethal milk mice affects intestinal zinc homeostasis through the expression of other Zn transporters.

The lethal milk mouse syndrome is caused by a point mutation in the zinc transporter gene ZnT4 resulting in defective zinc secretion in the milk of homozygous mutant dams. Pups of any genotype fed solely on lm milk die within the first two weeks of neonatal life, displaying zinc deficiency symptoms. Homozygous mutant pups survive when foster nursed by wild type dams and show signs of mild zinc deficiency in adulthood.

New trends in the seafood market. Sutchi catfish (Pangasius hypophthalmus) fillets from Vietnam: Nutritional quality and safety aspects.

Sutchi catfish (Pangasius hypophthalmus) produced in the freshwater basins of Vietnam, available on the Italian market as frozen or thawed fillets, were studied for their nutritional quality and safety aspects. Proximate composition, mineral content, fatty acid profile, unsaponifiable components of the lipid fraction and drip loss during thawing at 5°C were determined on the fillets. Fillets were characterised by high moisture levels (80-85%) and low protein (12.

Regulation of cellular signals from nutritional molecules: a specific role for phytochemicals, beyond antioxidant activity.

Phytochemicals (PhC) are a ubiquitous class of plant secondary metabolites. A "recommended" human diet should warrant a high proportion of energy from fruits and vegetables, therefore providing, among other factors, a huge intake of PhC, in general considered "health promoting" by virtue of their antioxidant activity and positive modulation, either directly or indirectly, of the cellular and tissue redox balance. Diet acts through multiple pathways and the association between the consumption of specific food items and the risk of degenerative diseases is extremely complex.

Effect of coffee drinking on platelets: inhibition of aggregation and phenols incorporation.

Epidemiological studies indicate a J-shaped relationship linking coffee consumption and cardiovascular risk, suggesting that moderate coffee consumption can be beneficial. Platelet aggregation is of critical importance in thrombotic events, and platelets play a major role in the aetiology of several CVD. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of coffee drinking on platelet aggregation ex vivo, using caffeine as control.

The humanitarian emergency in Burundi: evaluation of the operational strategy for management of nutritional crisis.

Objective: To evaluate the impact and appropriateness of programmes for the management and treatment of severe malnutrition in emergency situations.

Design: A central unified database was set up with all data and statistics provided by nutritional centres (NC) active in Burundi.

Setting: The paper describes the case of Burundi as an example of the response of the humanitarian community to nutritional crisis.

Effect of zinc supplementation on vitamin status of middle-aged and older European adults: the ZENITH study.

Objective: To assess the effects of zinc supplementation on vitamin status in middle-aged and older volunteers.

Subjects/methods: Three hundred and eighty-seven healthy middle-aged (55-70 years) and older (70-85 years) men and women, randomly allocated to three groups to receive 15 or 30 mg Zn/day or placebo for 6 months. Dietary intake was assessed by means of a validated 4-day recall record.

Role of dietary polyphenols in platelet aggregation. A review of the supplementation studies.

Epidemiological studies suggest that high polyphenols intake from diet is associated with reduced risk for cardiovascular diseases. Platelet aggregation is a crucial mechanism in the pathogenesis and clinical expression of coronary acute syndrome, and there is extensive evidence that antiplatelet therapy reduces cardiovascular disease risk. In this review, the available literature on the effect of polyphenols supplementation on platelet aggregation in humans or animal models has been critically analyzed, taking into consideration the different experimental protocols employed.

Descriptive data on lifestyle, anthropometric status and mental health in italian elderly people.

Objective: The objective of this paper is to provide descriptive information on anthropometric status, pathological conditions, cognitive impairment and lifestyle in apparently healthy elderly Italian people.

Design, Setting And Subjects: In order to recruit the volunteers for the ZENITH study, 359 Italian participants (167 men and 192 women), aged between 70 and 85 years, free living in Rome, were selected. Volunteers underwent a full clinical examination, anthropometric measurements (height, weight), a lifestyle questionnaire and mental health assessment (cognitive impairment and depression).

A novel model to study the biological effects of red wine at the molecular level.

Several food items of plant origin, and in particular red wine, have been reported to protect from cardiovascular disease (CVD) development, thanks to their polyphenol components. Polyphenols undergo complex metabolic transformation during digestion and intestinal absorption. Here we report a novel model to study the effects of complex food matrices, applied to red wine, on gene expression in cultured primary human endothelial cells that takes into account the polyphenol metabolic transformation.

Zinc fluxes and zinc transporter genes in chronic diseases.

The group IIb metal zinc (Zn) is an essential dietary component that can be found in protein rich foods such as meat, seafood and legumes. Thousands of genes encoding Zn binding proteins were identified, especially after the completion of genome projects, an indication that a great number of biological processes are Zn dependent. Imbalance in Zn homeostasis was found to be associated with several chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.

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.

Effects of red wine on ochratoxin A toxicity in intestinal Caco-2/TC7 cells.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is found in a variety of foods and beverages, including red wine. OTA was reported to be nephrotoxic, immunotoxic, hepatotoxic and a potential carcinogen, with yet uncharacterized mechanisms. Consumption of contaminated wines might contribute up to 13% of OTA daily human intake.

7S globulins from Phaseolus vulgaris L.: Impact of structural aspects on the nutritional quality.

7S globulins were extracted from common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) seeds and characterized. SDS-PAGE showed major bands corresponding to the phaseolin subunits (43-53 kDa).