Effect of processing technology on chemical, sensory, and consumers' hedonic rating of seven olive oil varieties.

This study established physicochemical and sensory characteristics of virgin olive oils (VOOs) and linked them to consumers' liking using external preference mapping. We used five Tunisian and two foreign VOO varieties produced by two processing systems: discontinuous (sp) and continuous three-phase decanter (3p). The samples were analyzed and evaluated by a panel of 274 consumers.

Active compounds extracted from extra virgin olive oil counteract mesothelial-to-mesenchymal transition of peritoneal mesothelium cells exposed to conventional peritoneal dialysate: in vitro and in vivo evidences.

During peritoneal dialysis (PD), peritoneal mesothelial cells undergo a transition from an epithelial phenotype to a mesenchymal phenotype that, together with the inflammatory process, promotes tissue fibrosis and a failure of peritoneal membrane function. To date, there is no definitive treatment for the progressive thickening and angiogenesis of the peritoneal membrane associated with PD. In this study we tested, in vitro and in vivo, the ability of active compounds extracted from extra virgin olive oil (AC-EVOO) to counteract the mesothelial-to-mesenchymal transition process (MMT) observed in mesothelial cells chronically exposed to the conventional peritoneal dialysate (DL).

High doses of hydroxytyrosol induce apoptosis in papillary and follicular thyroid cancer cells.

Purpose: Recent evidences indicates that hydroxytyrosol, one of the main olive oil phenols, possess antitumor effects because of its pro-oxidant properties and the capacity to inhibit proliferation and to promote apoptosis in several tumor cell lines, although most of the results were obtained for breast and digestive systems cancers.

Methods: In this study, we evaluated the activities of hydroxytyrosol against papillary (TPC-1, FB-2) and follicular (WRO) thyroid cancer cell lines.

Results: Cellular viability revealed that high doses of hydroxytyrosol reduced cancer cells viability concomitantly with a reduction of cyclin D1 expression and an up-regulation of cell cycle key modulator p21 levels.

New Technologies for Insect-Resistant and Herbicide-Tolerant Plants.

The advent of modern molecular biology and recombinant DNA technology has resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of insect-resistant (IR) and herbicide-tolerant (HT) plant varieties, with great economic benefits for farmers. Nevertheless, the high selection pressure generated by control strategies for weed and insect populations has led to the evolution of herbicide and pesticide resistance. In the short term, the development of new techniques or the improvement of existing ones will provide further instruments to counter the appearance of resistant weeds and insects and to reduce the use of agrochemicals.

Phenolic trend and hygienic quality of green table olives fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum starter culture.

In this paper, four different olive cultivars from Southern Italy, Carolea, Cassanese, Nocellara del Belice, Nocellara Messinese table olives, produced according to traditional fermentation processes, were evaluated with the aim of assessing the effect of selected starter cultures on growth of bacterial population and on olive phenols during fermentation. Only Cassanese and Nocellara del Belice inoculated samples reached a safe pH value under 4.6 after 90 days while maintaining it until the end of storage.