The use of plant extracts could be a useful alternative to synthetic fungicides in the management of rot fungi during postharvest handling of fruit and vegetables. The aim of this study was to assess the in vitro and in vivo activity of extracts obtained from nine wild edible herbaceous species (Borago officinalis, Orobanche crenata, Plantago coronopus, P. lanceolata, Sanguisorba minor, Silene vulgaris, Sonchus asper, Sonchus oleraceus, and Taraxacum officinale) against some important postharvest pathogens, i.e. Botrytis cinerea, Monilinia laxa, Penicillium digitatum, P. expansum, P. italicum, Aspergillus carbonarius, and A. niger. Phenolic composition of all extracts was evaluated by HPLC. Several derivatives of caffeic acid, of the flavones apigenin and luteolin, and of the flavonols kaempferol and quercetin, were identified. Extracts from S. minor and O. crenata showed the highest efficacy in all the trials. In particular, S. minor completely inhibited in vitro the conidial germination of M. laxa, P. digitatum, P. italicum, and A. niger and strongly reduced those of B. cinerea; O. crenata extract showed a lower but still significant reduction of conidial germination on all the tested fungi. Moreover, the extracts from both species were effective in reducing the germ tube elongation also when a slight inhibition of conidial germination was observed. In many cases, a dose effect was observed, with an increase of antifungal activity as the phenolic concentration increased. In trials performed on wounded fruit, S. minor extract completely inhibited brown rot on apricots and nectarines; O. crenata extract strongly reduced grey mould, brown rot, and green mould on table grapes, apricots and nectarines, and oranges, respectively. The inhibition efficacy of extracts was ascribed to the presence of some caffeic acid derivatives and/or flavonoids. HPLC phenolic analyses provided useful information to identify the possible active compounds. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

The chemical characterization of phenolic ex- tracts of salad burnet (Sanguisorba minor Scop. s.l.) and broomrape (Orobanche crenata Forsk.) was performed. Active fractions were separated and characterized and, in the case of O. crenata, two phenolic compounds, verbascoside and is- overbascoside, were quantitatively extracted, purified and characterized. These compounds proved to be effective in reducing the growth of some important fungi responsible for the decay of fresh fruit and vegetables in postharvest. Ver- bascoside showed significant activity against Penicillium italicum, fairly inhibited Monilinia laxa, P. expansum, and Aspergillus carbonarius, and showed little activity against Botrytis cine- rea, M. fructicola and P. digitatum. Isoverbasco- side completely inhibited B. cinerea, P. digitatum, P. italicum, and P. expansum; it fairly inhibited M. laxa and A. carbonarius; while it showed to be less effective against M. fructicola. The obtained results support the possible use of some wild edible plants as a source of phenolic substances for the postharvest biological control of fresh fruit and vegetable rots.

Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus (L.) subsp. scolymus Hayek) is an important component of theMediterranean diet, and a good source of health-promoting compounds, including polyphenols.The main phenolic compounds of artichoke are 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid (chlorogenicacid), and 3,5-O-, 1,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acids and its beneficial effects are linked totheir antioxidant activity that can be affected by their stability under gastro-intestinal conditions,during digestion. This study aimed to assess the antioxidant activity induced byartichoke head extract, and its main individual polyphenols, on a stimulated HT-29 cell line,using a DCFH-DA probe. In addition, influences of in vitro digestion on artichoke head andits individual polyphenols towards antioxidant activity,were tested. Artichoke extract showedhigher antioxidant activity than the individual polyphenols, even after in vitro gastrointestinaldigestion. In addition, in vitro digestion did not modify the antioxidant activity ofartichoke polyphenols, except for 1,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid,which proved to be the least active.

The human breast cancer cell line, estrogen receptor negative, MDA-MB231, was used to evaluate the antitumor effect of polyphenolic extracts from the edible part of artichokes (AEs). Treatment of cancer cells reduced cell viability and inhibited cell growth in a dose-dependent manner. Importantly, AEs did not have any effect on normal breast epithelial cell line, MCF10A. Chlorogenic acid (ChA), the most representative component of the polyphenolic fraction of artichoke, had no prominent effects on the cell death rate of MDA-MB231 cells. The addition of AEs to the cells, rather than ChA, triggered apoptosis via a mitochondrial and a death-receptor pathway, as shown by the activation of caspase-9 and caspase-8, respectively. Furthermore, an increase of the Bax:Bcl2 ratio and up-regulation of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, p21WAF1, crucial apoptotic players, were documented. According to our data on activation of caspase-9, a loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential (Cm) was shown. Cell motility and invasion capabilities were remarkably inhibited by AEs-treatment in highly invasive MDA-MB231 cells. In addition, a significant decrease of proteolytic activity of metalloproteinase-2 protein (MMP-2), involved in degrading components of the extracellular matrix, was detected. Our findings indicate that AEs reduced cell viability, inhibited cell growth, triggered apoptotic mechanisms, and showed inhibitory properties against the invasive behavior of MDA-MB231 cancer cell line. Altogether, these data indicate the potential chemopreventive activity of artichoke polyphenolic extracts.

A very large amount of phenol-polluted waters is formed from the productionof olive oil (olive mill waste water, OMWW) and their disposal represents a seriousproblem. The aim of this study was to investigate the use of peroxidase (POD) fromartichoke (Cynara cardunculus L. subsp. scolymus (L.) Hayek) leaves to removephenols present in OMWW. The POD catalyzes the polymerization andprecipitation of aqueous phenols. This application could be useful, because in theMediterranean region a large amount of OMWW as well as a lot of artichoke scrapsresulting from artichoke processing industry, are produced. So, it is possible toconsider this biomass (leaves and external bud bracts) as a useful and cheap sourceof peroxidase. The enzyme extraction was performed by homogenization andseparation of pigments using an aqueous two phase polymer system (polyethyleneglycol/(NH4)2SO4), that allowed the accumulation of POD in the salt phase. Theoptimal reaction conditions were evaluated. The phenolic concentration was assayedby Folin-Ciocalteu method. Preliminary results showed that the optimal conditionsfor enzyme activity were in a broad range of both pH (from 4 to 7) and temperature(from 5 to 50°C). In optimal enzymatic conditions, a reduction of more than 60% ofinitial phenolic concentration was observed.

Artichoke is a characteristic crop of the Mediterranean area, recognized for its nutritional value and therapeutic properties due to the presence of bioactive components such as polyphenols, inulin, vitamins and minerals. Artichoke is mainly consumed after home and/or industrial processing, and the undersized heads, not suitable for the market, can be used for the recovery of bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, for cosmetic applications. In this paper, the potential skin anti-age effect of a polyphenolic artichoke extract on endothelial cells was investigated. The methodology used was addressed to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities and the improvement of gene expression of some youth markers. The results showed that the artichoke extract was constituted by 87% of chlorogenic, 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic, and 1,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acids. The extract induced important molecular markers responsible for the microcirculation and vasodilatation of endothelial cells, acted as a potential anti-inflammatory agent, protected the lymphatic vessels from oxidative damage by ROS formation, and enhanced the cellular cohesion by reinforcing the tight junction complex. In addition, the artichoke extract, through the modulation of molecular pathways, improved the expression of genes involved in anti-ageing mechanisms. Finally, clinical testing on human subjects highlighted the enhancement by 19.74% of roughness and 11.45% of elasticity from using an artichoke extract cosmetic formulation compared to placebo cream

Selection of artichoke cultivars with specific physical, physiological and biochemical characteristics is required by processors and retailers in order to commercialize artichokes as fresh or fresh-cut products. In this work six artichoke cultivars were evaluated for their cold storage suitability byfollowing the variations in their main physical (browning index), physiological (respiration rate) and biochemical (antioxidant activity, total phenol content, polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase activity) parameters at 1 °C for 12 days. In addition, linear regressions among antioxidant activity, total phenols and enzymatic activities were assessed with the aim of selecting the most suitable cultivar for storage and processing. The low values for the physical, physiological and biochemical parameters measured in Romolo led us to indicate this cultivar as the best for storage. On the other hand, it may be preferable to designate cultivars, with higher values for the same parameters for fresh consumption, partly due to their high antioxidants content.

Artichoke hybrids propagated by seed have been recently introduced on markets and often represent a valid alternative to traditional vegetatively propagated cultivars. This paper deals with the biochemical evaluation of five artichoke hybrids propagated by seed ('Opera', 'Opal', 'Symphony', 'Madrigal', and 'Romolo') compared to the rooted offshoot propagated 'Violetto di Provenza'. On the edible part of buds, picked in the first decade of March in each year, HPLC polyphenolic patterns, phenol and inulin content, and antioxidant activity were evaluated. 'Opera' and 'Opal' showed the highest total phenol content (about 700-800 mg 100 g-1 f.w.) and antioxidant activity values; whereas, 'Romolo' showed the lowest content (about 350 mg 100 g-1 fw), even compared to 'Violetto di Provenza' (about 380 mg 100 g-1 fw). 'Opera' and 'Opal' showed an inulin content (2.5 and 2.4 g 100 g-1 fw, respectively) significantly higher than other cultivars. Variations in the range ±10% were recorded for each cultivar between the two years. The obtained results could give useful indication on the suitability of the evaluated cultivars for different commercial uses, i.e., fresh consumption and/or processing.

The aim was to evaluate morpho-biochemical traits in four asparagus cultivars ('Early California', 'Grande', 'Purple Passion', and 'Vegalim'), and qualitative changes in 'Grande' and 'Purple Passion' during storage in air or passive modified atmosphere packaging (MAP, 15% O2 - 5% CO2), at 4 °C for 28 days. 'Early California' showed the highest total phenolic (TPh) and quercetin-3-rutinoside (rutin) content, and the highest total antioxidant activity (TAA). 'Purple Passion' was the richest in glucose and total sugars, while 'Early California' the least rich in sucrose. The nitrate content was lower than 100 mg kg-1 FM and potassium on average 280 mg 100 g-1 FM. The MAP reduced weight loss, ensuring product turgidity and mitigating the cold storage stress. In the first 7 days in storage, 'Purple Passion' showed higher values of TPh, rutin and TAA. Afterwards, TPh content increased in both cultivars in MAP. During storage, sugars gradually decreased, except sucrose in 'Purple Passion', increased by almost 40% after 14 days. 'Grande' and 'Purple Passion' spears showed optimal overall quality up to 14 days-storage, but they could not be stored for more than 21 days. Moreover, MAP allowed to preserve or enhance antioxidant properties of asparagus during the whole storage.

Olive oil production generates large amounts of recalcitrant compounds, the olive oil mill wastewater (OMWW), which represent one of the most contaminating effluents among those produced by the agrofood industries. Nowadays, this view has changed to one that recognizes the waste as a lowcost starting material rich in bioactive compounds, particularly biophenols, that can be extracted and applied as natural antioxidants for the food and pharmaceutical industries. The data reported in this paper indicate that the OMWW extracts, besides low molecular weight antioxidant phenolics such as tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol, also contain phenolics with a molecular weight in the range of 600-5000 Da, which exhibit efficient scavenging activities against hydroxyl and peroxyl radicals. This group of phenolics includes, besides verbascoside, isoverbascoside, and an oxidized form of verbascoside, a number of higher molecular weight phenolics arising from oxidative polymerization of hydroxytyrosol and caffeic acid. Overall, these higher molecular weight phenolics prove to be, in some in vitro tests, more efficient scavengers of hydrophilic hydroxyl radicals than hydroxytyrosol, which could be used for industrial applications as natural nontoxic antioxidants.

In this study, the naturally debittered table olives cv Bella di Cerignola were studied in order to (i) characterizetheir phenolic composition; (ii) evaluate the polyphenols bioaccessibility; (iii) assess their absorption and transport, acrossCaco2/TC7. LC-MS/MS analysis has confirmed the presence of hydroxytyrosol acetate, caffeoyl-6?-secologanoside, andcomselogoside. In vitro bioaccessibility ranged from 7% of luteolin to 100% of tyrosol, highlighting the flavonoids sensitivity tothe digestive conditions. The Caco2/TC7 polyphenols accumulation was rapid (60 min) with an efficiency of 0.89%; the overallbioavailability was 1.86% (120 min), with hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol the highest bioavailables, followed by verbascoside andluteolin. In the cells and basolateral side, caffeic and coumaric acids metabolites, probably derived from esterase activities, weredetected. In conclusion, the naturally debittered table olives cv Bella di Cerignola can be considered as a source of bioaccessible,absorbable, and bioavailable polyphenols that, for their potential health promoting effect, permit inclusion of table olives as afunctional food suitable for a balanced diet.

The main objective of the present study was the characterization of phenolic compounds from "Bella di Cerignola" table olive cultivar, one of the most important variety in Apulia (Southern Italy), that received the "Protected Denomination of Origin" (DOP) in 2000 by EU. In addition, the assessment of bioaccessibility of these polyphenols was investigated by using in vitro gastro- intestinal digestion model1. Methodologies: After extraction, the phenolic concentration was determined by HPLC according to Lattanzio 1982(2). Moreover, the olives were subjected to successive gastric and pancreatic digestion, following the method of Versantvoort et al. (2005)1 .The polyphenols were identified by HPLC-DAD and LC-HRMS analysis in order to assess their bioaccessibility. Results and conclusion: The main polyphenols identified were: hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, caffeic acid, verbascoside, isoverbascoside, caffeoyl-6-secologanoside, comselogoside, luteolin. Interesting is the presence of comselogoside and caffeoyl-6-secologanoside, already identified in OMWW3 and olive fruits4 . After in vitro digestion process, all total phenols identified were bioaccessible, apart luteolin that was absent in the digestive fraction. In particular, the bio-accessibilities were: 84.2% for hydroxytyrosol, 100% for tyrosol and caffeic acid, 47 % for verbascoside, 75% for isoverbascoside, 77% for caffeoyl-6-secologanoside, 81% for comselogoside. Regarding tyrosol, caffeic acid and isoverbascoside, their amount, in the chyme fraction, was higher than no digested olives, probably for hydrolysis and isomerizations phenomena occurred in the gastro-intestinal conditions. In conclusion, the data obtained provide preliminary insight on the potential for bioavailability of the polyphenols present in a complex matrix such as "Bella di Cerignola" cultivar.

Higher plants synthesize an amazing diversity of phenolic secondary metabolites.Phenolics are defined secondary metabolites or natural products because, originally, they wereconsidered not essential for plant growth and development. Plant phenolics, like other naturalcompounds, provide the plant with specific adaptations to changing environmental conditions and,therefore, they are essential for plant defense mechanisms. Plant defensive traits are costly for plantsdue to the energy drain from growth toward defensive metabolite production. Being limited withenvironmental resources, plants have to decide how allocate these resources to various competingfunctions. This decision brings about trade-offs, i.e., promoting some functions by neglecting othersas an inverse relationship. Many studies have been carried out in order to link an evaluation of plantperformance (in terms of growth rate) with levels of defense-related metabolites. Available resultssuggest that environmental stresses and stress-induced phenolics could be linked by a transductionpathway that involves: (i) the proline redox cycle; (ii) the stimulated oxidative pentose phosphatepathway; and, in turn, (iii) the reduced growth of plant tissues.

Pasta represents one of the most well-known products all over the world. It is a traditional food of Mediterrean diet and it is generally manufactured with durum wheat, that confers the excellent rheologicalproperties of dough, the superior color, the appearance and the cooking quality compared to other flours. The World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) consider spaghetti pastaa good vehicle for the addition of nutrients and consumers are increasingly interested in foods containing health promoting ingredients. In this contest, the objective of the present study was to characterize thebioactive components, such as carotenoids, triterpenic acids and polyphenols, present in durum wheat semolina spaghetti enriched with an olive oil patè coming from olive oil processing chain, and dried inorder to obtain a flour (OPF) suitable for the pasta process. In particular, OPF was added to the pasta dough at 10% and 15% (w/w). Finally, spaghetti with 10% OPF, considered acceptable to the sensory panel test, were characterized for their bioactive components. Further, their bioaccessibility, after simulated gastro-intestinal digestion, was also assessed. Results showed that 10% OPF addition enriched the spaghetti in ?-tocopherol, ?- and ?-carotene, maslinic and eonolic acids. The ratio of polyunsaturated (PUFA) to saturated fatty acids (SFA) resulted higher (1.16) than spaghetti used as control (0.69). The total polyphenols content (free, conjugated and bound) in dry spaghetti samples increased of about 3 times respect to the control. In particular, the amount of total free phenolics in the enriched sample, was almost 50 times higher respect to the control spaghetti, with tyrosol and oleuropein as the most abundant. In addition, it is interesting to underline that the enriched spaghetti showed an high amount of flavonoids, such as apigenin, luteolin and quercetin already present in OPF. The phenolic acids were mainly present in the conjugated and bound fractions with the highest amount in the spaghetti with 10% OPF. Finally, the bioactive components showed a good level of biaccessibility, although during the cooking process, the 50% was naturally lost.

The prickly pear cactus, Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) is a tropical or subtropical plant originally grown in South America; its cladodes represent a by-product that generally is used for animal feed. Moreover, they are rich in pectin, mucilage and minerals, vitamins and antioxidants and the use as food medicine and cosmetic ingredients, could be proposed. In the present study, the characterization of bioactive compounds (polyphenols, sugars and minerals) in dehydrated OFI cladodes were performed. Further, antioxidant activity and polyphenols/minerals stability after simulated gastro-intestinal digestion, were also evaluated.

High water activity (aw) can affect maintenance and quality of semi-dry products during storage. In the present work, the evolution of physico-chemical, biochemical, and microbiological parameters of semi-dry tomato in different conditions of packaging and storage is reported. Tomato fruits, cv. Ikram, were washed with sodium hypochlorite 0.01% and cut into quarters; slices were sprinkled with a solution of 2% (w/v) ascorbic acid and 4% (w/v) sodium chloride. The semi-dry product was obtained using a heat pump dehydration system, up to 75% weight loss and 21.0±0.5% dry matter. Semi-dried tomato slices were packed in air or in modified atmosphere (MA, 30% CO2 + 70% N2), packed in PP trays with a OPA+PP/EVOH/PP cover film, and stored at 4 °C or 12 °C for 30 days. Every 10 days during storage, dry matter, aw, pH, colour, texture, content in sugars (glucose, fructose) and lycopene, polygalacturonase activity, and total microbial load were evaluated. As this latter, it was assessed to be much below the limit established for spoilage microorganisms in food products (5 log CFU/g FM). The semi-dry product stored in MA at 4 °C maintained the best quality characteristics and good microbiological stability. In particular, after 20 days of storage, a slight increase in the fungal component (i.e. Botrytis cinerea, Mucor spp., and Cladosporium spp.) compared to the starting level (from 3 to 4 log CFU/g FM) was observed. Moreover, the bacterial component remained on the initial levels (3 log CFU/g FM) during the whole storage period. The results showed that the used MA conditions are able to preserve quality and hygienic properties of the product for 20 days at 4 °C.

Table olives are a typical food of the Mediterranean diet and an important source of phenolic compoundswith high biological potential for human health. Their concentrations (?1-2% of FW) confer to table olivesantioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antitumoral properties. The polyphenols content and composition in table olives can be affected by several factors, such as cultivars, climate, fruits ripeness, and, mainly, theprocessing methods. Among the de-bittering processes, the Greek method represents a spontaneous fermentation procedure that is driven by a mixed population of microorganisms, mainly consisting of yeastsand lactic acid bacteria (LAB). In this work, the effects of fermentation by autochthonous yeast and LAB starters on phenolics composition of Apulian table olives, Bella di Cerignola (BDC), Termite di Bitetto(TDB) and Cellina di Nardò (CEL) were studied in comparison with the commercial products. The samples were characterized by HPLC-DAD for their polyphenols composition; 18 compounds were identified andthe cultivar related effect was highlighted. The main identified phenolics were hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, verbascoside and luteolin, followed by hydroxytyrosol-acetate detected in BDC and cyanidine-3-glucosideand quercetin in CEL. Further, the fermentation using selected LAB and yeasts influenced differently the composition and amount of polyphenols of the three cultivars, in particular the BDC amount was doubledcompared with the commercial sample. Instead, for TDB and CEL, the treatment did not influence the polyphenols composition. It is noteworthy that the use autochthonous microbial starter to drive table olivesfermentation process allows to maintain stable or increases polyphenols concentration in fermented table olives, significantly reducing the time necessary for de-bittering and improving organoleptic and sensorycharacteristics of the final product. Scavenger capacity in both DPPH and CAA assays, assessed the highest antioxidant effect for CEL with starters (21.7 mg Trolox eq/g FW; 8.5 ?mol hydroxytyrosol eq/100g FW).Moreover, the polyphenols were highly in vitro bioaccessible (>60%), although modifications in their profile, probably for combined effect of environment and microorganisms, were noted.Finally, fermented table olives are excellent source of health promoting compounds. Indeed, hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol are almost 8 times more than in olive oil for which a nutritional EU claim (No433/2012 of 23 May 2012) that attributes the protective effect from oxidative stress by polyphenols on blood lipids, has been established.

The effects of fermentation by autochthonous microbial starters on phenolics composition of Apulian table olives, Bella di Cerignola (BDC), Termite di Bitetto (TDB) and Cellina di Nardò (CEL) were studied, highlighting also the cultivars influence. In BDC with starter, polyphenols amount doubled compared with commercial sample, while in TDB and CEL, phenolics remain almost unchanged. The main phenolics were hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, verbascoside and luteolin, followed by hydroxytyrosol-acetate detected in BDC and cyanidine-3-glucoside and quercetin in CEL. Scavenger capacity in both DPPH and CAA assays, assessed the highest antioxidant effect for CEL with starters (21.7 mg Trolox eq/g FW; 8.5 ?mol hydroxytyrosol eq/100g FW). The polyphenols were highly in vitro bioaccessible (>60%), although modifications in their profile, probably for combined effect of environment and microorganisms, were noted. Finally, fermented table olives are excellent source of health promoting compounds, since hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol are almost 8 times more than in olive oil.

Olive oil mill waste waters (OMWWs), a polluting byproduct of the olive oil production process, contain large amount of organics and inorganics compounds (polyphenols, salts, etc) that, if inappropriately discharged, can cause environmental pollution. Polyphenols have several biological activity, but at high concentration they are toxic and their removal from OMWW is an important matter. In this work the detoxification of OMWW, performed by membrane filtration systems, was investigated with the dual aims, of reducing the organic load of OMWW andrecovering polyphenols. The OMWWs were processed by ceramic and polymeric membranes with different porosity, to obtain three fractions: microfiltrate (MF, 100,000 Da), ultrafiltrate (UF, 5000 Da) and nanofiltrate (NF, 200 Da). The fractions were characterized by HPLC analysis, to quantify the main polyphenols present: Hydroxytyrosol, Tyrosol, Caffeic and Coumaric Acids, Verbascoside, Isoverbascoside, Secologanoside, and Comselogoside. MF and UF fractions exhibited antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, as well as against Pseudomonas aeruguinosa and Staphylococcus aureus pathogen strains. No activity was given by NF fraction. Thus, MF and UF might be considered as natural antibiotics, taking into account mainly their effect in inhibiting the growth of E. coli and S. aureus. Phytotoxic and genotoxic effects were analysed in Vicia faba L. plants germinated in MF, UF and NF fractions. The major phytotoxic effects were shown inseeds germinated in MF fraction. Genotoxicity analysis relied on mitotic activity (MI), aberration index (AI) and micronucleus frequency (MCN): MI was generally reduced, cytogenetic aberrations were found in all the treatments and MCN were mostly present in MF fraction. Results generally indicated the efficiency in polyphenols recovery and natural antibiotic activity of MF and UF fractions. Genotoxicity and phytotoxicity effects of filtrated OMWWs suggested the need of further treatments/ dilutions before their discharge in the environment.

White table grape cv. Italia is a typical component of the Mediterranean diet and a source of phenolic compounds, particularly abundant in the skin portion. The aim of this study was to characterize the phenolic profile of the table grape skin and to assess its stability after the in vitro digestion process. The main phenolic compounds identified by the HPLC-DAD analysis were: procyanidin B1, caftaric acid, catechin, coutaric acid, quercetin 3-glucuronide and quercetin 3-glucoside. All compounds showed a good stability after in vitro digestion (from 43 to 80%). Moreover, the influence of grape skin polyphenols on the modulation of ROS and GSH levels was evaluated in basal and in stressed conditions on human intestinal cells (HT-29). In basal conditions, a higher polyphenol concentrations exerted pro-oxidant effect corresponding to high ROS level and low GSH content. This effect was probably due to the polyphenolic oxidation in cell culture condition with consequent production of hydrogen peroxide. Otherwise, in stressed conditions, grape skin polyphenols exerted antioxidant effects up to 1.3×10-6 ?g/g and restored the stress-related GSH reduction. The in vitro digestion process attenuated the biological effect of grape skin polyphenols on intestinal cell line (HT-29). In conclusion, grape skin polyphenols showed different behavior in relation to their concentrations and to the intracellular ROS levels.

Consumer interest in quick yet healthy food is increasing and the "ready-to-use" artichoke is a tasty, easy,food to prepare with excellent nutraceutical qualities. This study evaluated the postharvest performanceof semi-dried artichoke (SDA) hearts. The product was packaged in air, in modified atmosphere (MA), andin vacuum and stored at 4
C for 40 days. Sensorial, physical, biochemical, and microbiological parameterswere evaluated during that period. The results show that storage in the absence of O2 and in thepresence of a high CO2 percentage (30%) was the most effective method for preserving phytochemicalcontent, antioxidant capacity, and hygienic traits and that SDA packaged in MA could be stored for morethan 30 days. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the postharvest performance of SDA has beenstudied. The results indicate that this innovative product could have great market value due to thepossibility of preserving its qualitative and sensorial proprieties in refrigerated conditions for long periodsof time.

Artichoke is a characteristic crop of the Mediterranean area recognized for its nutritional value and therapeutic properties due to the presence of bioactive components such as polyphenols, inulin, vitamins and minerals. The objective of this paper is related to the evaluation of the potential role of an artichoke ethanolic extract (AEE), recovered from undersized heads, in promoting the endothelial cell functions and stimulating the gene expression of some youth associated markers, with the main goal of characterizing it as cosmetic anti-age ingredient.

The aim of this work was to recover and identify the phenolic compounds from olive mill waste water (OMWW) samples belonging to two Italian (Cellina and Coratina) and three Greek (Asprolia, Lianolia and Koroneiki) olive cultivars. The OMWWs were processed using membrane technologiesto obtain three fractions: microfiltrate (MF), ultrafiltrate (UF) and nanofiltrate (NF). These steps allowed to purify the OMWWs in order to achieve fractions with different profile and concentrations of polyphenols. In particular, the amount of polyphenols ranged from 2456 ?g/mL to 5284 ?g/mL in MF; from 1404 ?g/mL to 3065 ?g/mL in UF and from 373 ?g/mL to 1583 ?g/mL in NF. Among the cultivars analyzed Coratina followed by Lianolia showed the highest amount of verbascoside (VB) (308?g /mL in Coratina versus 145?g/mL in Lianolia, respectively) in UF fractions. Furthermore, UF fractions that showed adequate purification degree and polyphenol enrichments, were used for the identification of the phenolic compounds by liquid chromatography/diode array detection/electrospray ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (LC/DAD/ESI-MSn) analysis. Twenty three compounds, belonging to the following classes of constituents: secoiridoids and their derivatives, phenyl alcohols phenolic acid and derivatives, and flavonoids, were identified in almost all the UF fractions of the different cultivars. Finally, differences were observed among the cultivars regarding the presence of elenolic acid derivatives, hydroxytyrosol glucoside, and ?-hydroxyverbascoside diasteroisomers. The results obtained showed that OMWW can be considered as raw material for the isolation of valuable bioactive compounds able to be used in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry.

Artichoke is a rich source of health promoting compounds such as polyphenols, important for their pharmaceutical and nutritional properties. In this study, the potential for bioavailability of the artichoke polyphenols was estimated by using both in vitro digestion and Caco-2 human intestinal cell models. In vitro digestive recoveries (bio-accessibility) were found to be 55.8% for total artichoke phenolics and in particular, 70.0% for chlorogenic acid, 41.3% for 3,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid, and 50.3% for 1,5-O-dicaffeoylquinic acid, highlighting potential sensitivity of these compounds to gastric and small intestinal digestive conditions. Uptake of artichoke polyphenols was rapid with peak accumulation occurring after 30 min with an efficiency of 0.16%, according to the poor uptake of dietary polyphenols. Some compounds, such as coumaric acid, caffeic acid and caffeic acid derivatives, were also detected in the basolateral side assuming an extra and intracellular esterases activities on chlorogenic acid. Only apigenin-7-O-glucoside was absorbed and transported through the Caco-2 monolayer demonstrating its bioavailability in the extent of 1.15% at 60 min. In addition, permeability coefficient (Papp=2.29 x 10-5 cm/sec), involving apical to basolateral transport of apigenin 7-O-glucoside, was calculated to facilitate estimation of absorption and transport through Caco-2 monolayer. Finally, the mono and dicaffeoylquinic acids present in artichoke heads, exert an antioxidant activity on human low density lipoprotein system correlated to their chemical structure. In conclusion, the utilized in vitro models, although not fully responding to the morphological and physiological features of human in vivo conditions, could be a useful tool for investigating mechanistic effects of polyphenols released from food matrix.

Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus L. subsp. scolymus Hayek) is an important component of the Mediterranean diet and a good source of health-promoting compounds well-known antioxidant and anti-inflammatory molecules, such as polyphenols(1). Recent evidences indicated that probiotic strains play an important role in modulating activities in the gut-associated lymphoid tissue. In this study the beneficial effects of artichoke was modulated by adding probiotic cells during in vitro digestion process. The artichoke intestinal digesta (containing a range from 0.033 to 67.13 ppm of total polyphenols), in presence or absence of the probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei strain LMG P-22043, was evaluated for antioxidant activity on human intestinal cell line (HT-29) using DCF-DA probe. Although the recovered bioaccessibility of total polyphenols did not change in the presence of L. paracasei (71± 17.6 % with respect to 66 ± 14.4%), the antioxidant effect was significantly (p<0.05) improved by the presence of probiotic cells (IC50 value= 1.0 ± 0.7 ppm of total polyphenols) respect to the digested artichoke (IC50= 2.7 ± 0.7ppm). These preliminary results indicate a possible interactive action between the strain and the active components of artichoke toward antioxidant activity in intestinal cells and suggest to further investigate similar interaction toward inflammatory mediators, considering the anti-inflammatory properties evidenced for other strains belonging to L. pacarasei (2).

Fresh-cut Big Top' nectarines were dipped in 2% (w/v) ascorbic acid-1% (w/v) calcium lactate and stored at 4 degrees C for up to 12days in 10kPa O-2- and 10kPa CO2-modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). The used microperforated plastic film allowed O-2 and CO2 concentrations to reach steady values from the fifth day in storage onwards. Samples stored in MAP after chemical dipping showed the highest visual quality score, slight browning symptoms, increment in firmness and very low ethanol and acetaldehyde content. The chemical dipping also increased antioxidant capacity, probably due to the effect of ascorbic acid. The results suggested that the control of yeasts was mainly exerted by MAP, whereas only a slight effect was achieved by the chemical dipping. Therefore, MAP plus ascorbic acid/calcium lactate dipping was the best combination to preserve phytochemical content, antioxidant capacity and microbiological safety of fresh-cut nectarines during storage.

The postharvest performance of two intermediate moisture fruits, peach(Prunus persica (L.) Batsch 'Giallone') and prune (Prunus domestica L. 'Stanley'),was evaluated. Fruit were washed, cut (peach into slices, prune into halves), stoned,dipped in 2% (w/v in water) acid solutions (ascorbic acid for peach, citric acid forprune), and sonicated in ultrasonic bath with a 45%(w/v in water) fructose solution.After this pretreatment, fruit pieces were dried with heat pump technologyequipment. Semi-dried fruit pieces were packed in polypropylene trays sealed with acomposite covering plastic film with a partial vacuum (P=450 mm Hg) airatmosphere. In order to test postharvest performance in both refrigerated andunrefrigerated conditions, products were stored at 4±1 or 18±1°C for 60 days. After0, 20, 40, and 60 days in storage, visual and sensorial scores, colour, texture, aw,sugars, phenolic content, antioxidant activity, polygalacturonase activity, andmicrobial growth were evaluated. Peach and prune pieces stored in unrefrigeratedconditions showed serious decay symptoms already after 20 days in storage;whereas, semi-dried fruit pieces stored at 4°C preserved their physical, sensorial,biochemical, and microbiological properties until 40 days in storage. After 60 daysin storage, only peaches still maintained minimally acceptable quality; on thecontrary, prunes were unmarketable.

Verbascoside (VB) is a bioactive polyphenol from olive oil mill wastewater with known antioxidant activity. Oxidative stress is an emerging problem in assisted reproductive technology (ART). Juvenile ART is a promising topic because, in farm animals, it reduces the generation gap and, in human reproductive medicine, it helps to overcome premature ovarian failure. The aim of this study was to test the effects of VB on the developmental competence of ovine prepubertal oocytes and the bioenergetic/oxidative stress status of fresh and vitrified oocytes. In fresh oocytes, VB exerted prooxidant short-term effects, that is, catalase activity increase and uncoupled increases of mitochondria and reactive oxygen species (ROS) fluorescence signals, and long-term effects, that is, reduced blastocyst formation rate. In vitrified oocytes, VB increased ROS levels. Prooxidant VB effects in ovine prepubertal oocytes could be related to higher VB accumulation, which was found as almost one thousand times higher than that reported in other cell systems in previous studies. Also, long exposure times of oocytes to VB, throughout the duration of in vitro maturation culture, may have contributed to significant increase of oocyte oxidation. Further studies are needed to identify lower concentrations and/or shorter exposure times to figure out VB antioxidant effects in juvenile ARTs.

An integrated device for real-time monitoring of glucose and phenols absorption, that consists of a sensors/biosensors system (SB) and a Caco-2TC7 human intestinal cell culture, is described in this study. The SB is composed of a glucose oxidase-based biosensor, a sentinel platinum sensor, a laccase/tyrosinase-based biosensor and a sentinel carbon sensor, all located in the basolateral compartment (BC) of a cell culture plate. Caco-2TC7 cells, differentiated on culture inserts, separated the apical compartment that simulates the intestinal lumen, from the BC which represented the bloodstream. The system recorded currents relative to glucose (1mM) absorption, obtaining bioavailability values (5.1%) comparable to HPLC analysis (4.8%). Phloridzin and phloretin, specific phenolic inhibitors of SGLT1 and GLUT2 glucose transporters, reduced the glucose transport of almost 10 times. They were minimally absorbed in the BC with a bioavailability of 0.13% and 0.49% respectively. The hypoglycemic potential of blueberry and pomegranate juices was also studied. In particular, the amount of glucose absorbed through the Caco-2TC7 monolayer was 8? for pomegranate and 1.7? for blueberry, demonstrating the potential hypoglycemic effect of the juices. Polyphenols absorption was also monitored by the SB and an increase was recorded during the first 50min in presence of both blueberry and pomegranate juices, then a constant decrease occurred. The proposed device has been developed as innovative tool for the dynamic monitoring of natural compounds effects on glucose absorption, in order to manage postprandial hyperglycemia.

Olive oil processing industries generate substantial quantities of phenolic-rich by-products, which could be valuable natural sources of antioxidants. This work is focused on the recovery and structural characterisation of antioxidant compounds from olive mill wastewater (OMWW), a polluting by-product of the olive oil production process. Phenolics were extracted from the waste material using a membrane technology coupled to a low-pressure gel filtration chromatography on a Sephadex LH-20. The LH-20 fraction was, in turn, characterized for its phenolic composition by HPLC-DAD-MS/MS analyses. Verbascoside, isoverbascoside, ?-hydroxyverbascoside, ?-hydroxyisoverbascoside, and various oxidized phenolics were identified. Uptake of verbascoside, purified from the LH-20 fraction, by HT-29 human colon carcinoma cell lines, an established model system for studying drug transport properties, was also assayed.

Table grapes (cv. Italia) were stored at 5 °C in air or in modified atmosphere with low O2 (1%) and low(0.03-10%) or high (> 20%) CO2. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) associated with quality (respiration rate,acetaldehyde and ethanol, water status of rachis) and sensory parameters (visual quality, rachis browning,characteristic odour and flavour, off-odour and off-flavour) were evaluated. Low CO2 preserved the quality andsensory parameters, whereas high CO2 caused a fermentative metabolism. A total of 126 VOCs were identified byHS-SPME/GC-MS analysis. Principal component analysis (PCA) identified (Z)-2-hexenal and (E,Z)-2,4-hexadienalas potential marker of freshness; whereas, acetaldehyde, ethanol, 1-butanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 1-octanoland 1-nonanol were correlated to fermentation processes. Partial least-square regression analysis (PLSR)was used to identify (R2 =0.95) the main predictors of off-odour as ethanol and ethyl acetate (+) and hexanaland ?-linalool (-).

Stimulated production of secondary phenolic metabolites and proline was studied by using cell cultures of artichoke [Cynara cardunculus L. subsp. scolymus (L.) Hayek] submitted to nutritional stress. Artichoke cell cultures accumulated phenolic secondary metabolites in a pattern similar to that seen in artichoke leaves and heads (capitula). This paper shows that both callus and cell suspension cultures under nutritional stress accumulated phenolic compounds and proline, at the same time their biomass production was negatively affected by nutrient deficiency. The results obtained strongly suggest that plant tissues respond to nutrient deprivation by a defensive costly mechanism, which determines the establishment of a mechanism of trade-off between growth and adaptive response. Furthermore, the results of this research suggest that perception of abiotic stress and increased phenolic metabolites are linked by a sequence of biochemical processes that also involves the intracellular free proline and the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway. The main conclusion of this paper is that, once calli and cell suspension cultures respond to nutrient deficiency, in acclimated cells the establishment of a negative correlation between primary metabolism (growth) and secondary metabolism (defence compounds) is observed.

Verbascoside (VB) is a phenolic antioxidant present in different plants, but, as reported for other polyphenols, could be unstable at different pH conditions. The aim of this work was to assess how chemical modification of VB, occurring during incubation at pH values similar to gastric (pH 3) and intestinal (pH 7) conditions, may impact antioxidant activity in two human intestinal cells lines. Quali-quantitative approaches were performed in order to evaluate the specific interactions between VB and its derivatives. HPLC analysis was performed to assess possible VB transformation into derivative products. The antioxidant activity of a mixture of VB, Isoverbascoside (IsoVB) and oxidized products (obtained after incubation at pH 7), or purified VB and IsoVB, was assessed in two human intestinal cell lines (HT-29 and Caco-2) using a DCFH-DA probe. VB was stable at pH 3 with a recovery of ~100% after 24 hrs. In contrast, VB was unstable at pH 7, with a loss of 62.4%, transforming into IsoVB and other oxidative products. Cellular antioxidant assays found that the mixture of oxidized VB products resulted less active (EC50 ranging from 2.7 to 3.4 ?M) than VB (EC50 ranging from 0.24 to 0.29 ?M), IsoVB (EC50 ranging from 0.85 to 1.4 ?M), and VB+IsoVB (EC50 ranging from 0.12 to 0.21 ?M). Cellular uptake of IsoVB was found to differ between cell lines, with higher uptake by Caco-2 compared to HT-29. Both graphical and mathematical methods identified different interactions between VB and IsoVB on the two cell lines. In conclusion, theantioxidant activity of VB can be modified by the conditions present in intestinal environment.

Grey mould diseases caused by Botrytis cinerea are one of the main factorsreducing table grapes postharvest quality. The effect of high CO2 concentrations onsome fruit biochemical parameters in the presence of a high disease pressure wasevaluated. Bunches of 'Italia' table grapes were artificially infected by spraying witha conidial suspension of B. cinerea, packed in polyamide/polyethylene bags in threedifferent initial modified atmosphere (MA) conditions and stored at 3°C for 18 days.Changes in phenolic compounds in both skin and flesh, glucose and fructose content,polygalacturonase (PG) activity, and the incidence of grey mould rots wereevaluated every 6 days during storage. The results showed that high CO2concentrations did not significantly affect PG activity which, on the contrary, wasfound higher in Botrytis-infected samples than in corresponding non-inoculatedsamples. Moreover, in artificially infected samples, a positive correlation betweenhigh CO2 levels associated to the lowest disease incidence and the high concentrationof caftaric acid (the most representative phenolic compound) in the skin, was found.Therefore, it can be assumed that high CO2 concentrations could contribute tomaintain high levels of phenolic compounds in the table grapes' skin, which, in turn,might be involved in counteracting the disease development.

The use of peroxidase (POD) from artichoke (Cynara cardunculus L. subsp. scolymus (L.) Hayek) leaves to remove phenols present in olive mill waste water (OMWW) was studied. The enzyme extraction was performed using an aqueous two phase polymer system. The phenol concentration was assayed using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The optimal reaction conditions were evaluated. The highest phenol removal was obtained using 4 mM H(2)O(2) and an incubation of 24 hours. The enzyme showed a good activity in a broad range of pH (from 4 to 7) and temperature (from 5 to 50 degrees C). In optimal enzymatic conditions, a reduction of more than 60% of initial phenol concentration was observed. High pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of OMWW untreated and treated with POD extracts revealed that enzyme treatment brought about changes in the original OMWW polyphenolic profile. In particular the removal of verbascoside, hydroxytyrosol, and two caffeic acid derivatives was noticed. The results showed that the soluble POD from artichoke leaves could have a promising perspective in OMWW phenol removal, due to its broad pH and temperature working range and its cheap source.

During recent years food industries generally produce a large volume of wastes both solid and liquid, representing a disposal and potential environmental pollution problem.Objective: The goal of the study was to optimize, from both sensory and nutritional points of view, the formulation of durum wheat spaghetti enriched with an olive oil industrial by-product,indicated as olive paste. Methods: Three consecutive steps were carried out. In the first one, the olive paste was air-dried at low temperature, milled to record olive paste flour and properly analyzedfor its biochemical composition. In the second step, the olive paste flour was added to the pasta dough at 10% and 15% (w/w). In the last step, different concentrations of transglutaminase wereadded to enriched pasta (10% olive paste) to further improve the quality. Sensory properties and nutritional content of enriched and control pasta were properly measured. Results: Spaghetti with10% olive paste flour and 0.6% transglutaminase were considered acceptable to the sensory panel test. Nutritional analyses showed that addition of 10% olive paste flour to pasta considerably increased content of flavonoids and total polyphenols. Conclusions: The proper addition of olive paste flour and transglutaminase for pasta enrichment could represent a starting point to valorize olive oil industrial by-products and produce new healthy food products.

During the last years the interest on the recovery, recycling and upgrading of residues from plant food processing, has increased drastically. Generally, food industries produce large volume of by products, both solid and liquid, which represent a problem for disposal and for environmental pollution. Nevertheless, they are also promising sources of bioactive compounds that can be recovered and used as valuable substances by developing new enriched food, such pasta and bread. Because bread and pasta are foods consumed every day, they can be considered as a carrier of functional substances that have a beneficial role on consumer health. Therefore, the aim of this study was to study the impact of agronomic by-product incorporation, such as olive cake flours, on the sensorial qualities of cereal-based food as pasta and bread. Commercial durum wheat semolina for pasta and commercial soft wheat flour for bread, were mixed with 10% w/w of two different olive cake flours. The bioactive compounds present in olive cake, pasta and bread were identified and characterized, and their stability, after the processing, was evaluated. Pasta and bread based on durum wheat semolina and wheat flour (100%), respectively were produced without olive cake flours and used as controls. Dry spaghetti and bread samples were submitted to a panel of 10 trained tasters in order to evaluate the sensorial attributes, since the incorporation of the olive cake flours, could determined a decline of sensory quality. Besides, the effect of olive cake flours particle size on the quality of food, was also studied, thus demonstrating that samples enriched with fine particle size showed the greatest overall quality score.

Olive oil processing industries generate substantial quantities of phenolic-rich byproducts, which could be valuable natural sources of antioxidants. This work is focused on the recovery and structural characterization of antioxidant compounds from olive mill wastewater (OMWW), a polluting byproduct of the olive oil production process. Phenolics were extracted from the waste material using a membrane technology coupled to low-pressure gel filtration chromatography on a Sephadex LH-20.The LH-20 fraction was, in turn, characterized for its phenolic composition by HPLC-DAD-MS/MS analyses. Verbascoside, isoverbascoside, ?-hydroxyverbascoside, ?-hydroxyisoverbascoside, and various oxidized phenolics were identified. Uptake of verbascoside, purified from the LH-20 fraction, by HT-29 cells, an established model system for studying drug transport properties, was also assayed. Finally, the antioxidant activities of the LH-20 fraction and verbascoside were characterized by two different techniques. Individual verbascoside was more active as a scavenger of reactive oxygen species and as a chemopreventive agent protecting low-density lipoproteins from oxidative damage than the LH-20 fraction.