Improvement of Fresh Ovine "Tuma" Cheese Quality Characteristics by Application of Oregano Essential Oils.

In the present work, oregano essential oils (OEOs) were applied to process the fresh ovine cheese "Tuma" obtained by pressed cheese technology. Cheese making trials were performed under industrial conditions using ewe's pasteurized milk and two strains of Lactococcus lactis (NT1 and NT4) as fermenting agents. Two experimental cheese products (ECP) were obtained through the addition of 100 (ECP100) and 200 (ECP200) µL/L of OEO to milk, while the control cheese product (CCP) was OEO-free. Both Lc. lactis strains showed in vitro and in vivo ability to grow in the presence of OEOs and to dominate over indigenous milk lactic acid bacteria (LAB) resistant to pasteurization. In the presence of OEOs, the most abundant compound found in cheese was carvacrol, constituting more than 65% of the volatile fraction in both experimental products. The addition of OEOs did not influence ash, fat, or protein content, but it increased by 43% the antioxidant capacity of the experimental cheeses. ECP100 cheeses showed the best appreciation scores by the sensory panel. In order to investigate the ability OEOs to be used as a natural preservative, a test of artificial contamination was carried out, and the results showed a significant reduction of the main dairy pathogens in OEO-added cheeses.

Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of Essential Oils from Origanum vulgare Genotypes Belonging to the Carvacrol and Thymol Chemotypes.

The remarkable biological activities of oregano essential oils (EOs) have recently prompted a host of studies aimed at exploring their potential innovative applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The chemical composition and biological activities of EOs from two Origanum vulgare genotypes, widely cultivated in Sicily and not previously studied for their biological properties, were characterized. Plants of the two genotypes, belonging to the carvacrol (CAR) and thymol (THY) chemotypes and grown in different cultivation environments, were considered for this study. The chemical profiles, including the determination of enantiomeric distribution, of the EOs, obtained by hydrodistillation from dried leaves and flowers, were investigated by GC-MS. Biological activity was evaluated as antimicrobial properties against different pathogen indicator strains, while intestinal barrier integrity, reduction in pathogen adhesion and anti-inflammatory actions were assayed in the intestinal Caco-2 cell line. The chemical profile of the CAR genotype was less complex and characterized by higher levels of the most active compound, i.e., carvacrol, when compared to the THY genotype. The enantiomeric distribution of chiral constituents did not vary across genotypes, while being markedly different from that observed in Origanum vulgare genotypes from other geographical origins. In general, all EOs showed high antimicrobial activity, both in vitro and in a food matrix challenge test. Representative EOs from the two genotypes resulted not altering epithelial monolayer sealing only for concentrations lower than 0.02%, were able to reduce the adhesion of selected pathogens, but did not exert relevant anti-inflammatory effects. These results suggest their potential use as control agents against a wide spectrum of foodborne pathogens.

Comparative Study of Bioactive Compounds and Biological Activities of Five Rose Hip Species Grown in Sicily.

Nowadays, research on plant extracts has attracted increasing interest. The aim of this study was to compare phenolic profile, vitamin C, and carotenoid content, as well as the biological activities of five different rose species, including Rosa canina, R. corymbifera, R. micrantha, R. rubiginosa, and R. rugosa. These species had different morphological characteristics, with R. rugosa showing higher size of flower petals and higher weight of hips. The highest vitamin C content was found in hip extracts of R. rubiginosa and R. rugosa, which also showed the highest carotenoid amount. R. corymbifera showed the highest phenolic content. No significant antimicrobial activity of extracts containing phenolic compounds against different indicator strains could be detected. Cell monolayer integrity was not affected by treatments with the above-mentioned extracts of R. canina, R. micrantha, and R. rugosa at different concentrations for up to 24 h, while those of R. rubiginosa and R. corymbifera affected intestinal permeability at the highest concentration tested. The partial least squares regression analysis generated a predictive model correlating phenolic compounds with cell monolayer integrity, suggesting a relevant role for catechin, quercitrin, and p-coumaric acid. In conclusion, this study highlights how rose hips belonging to different species can have a diverse phenolic profile, differently influencing intestinal monolayer integrity.

Effect of Petal Color, Water Status, and Extraction Method on Qualitative Characteristics of Rosa rugosa Liqueur.

Flowers of Rosa rugosa Thunb. are a rich source of bioactive compounds with high antioxidant properties and are used for the production of jams, teas, juices, and wines. In the present paper, the petals of R. rugosa cv. Alba (white flowers) and Rubra (purple flowers) were evaluated for their morphological and phytochemical characteristics, and for the preparation of an alcoholic liqueur. In particular, the effect of two extraction procedures (conventional and maceration) of fresh and dry petals on the quality of a rose liqueur was determined. As expected, the concentration of the flower's bioactive compounds was affected by petal water content and by tested cultivars: dry petals showed higher total carotenoids and anthocyanins contents with respect to the fresh ones; cv. Rubra evidenced higher values compared to cv. Alba. As regards the quality of rose liqueur, the two petal extraction procedures did not affect the polyphenol content and higher values were recorded only on dry petals with respect to the fresh ones and, in particular, on those from cv. Rubra. The liqueur's flavonoid content was influenced by the petal extraction method, water content, and color as higher values were recorded on rose liqueur prepared after the maceration of cv. Rubra dry petals whereas lower values were observed on alcoholic drinks prepared after the conventional extraction of cv. Alba fresh petals. Our study shows that R. rugosa petals have a fair amount of secondary metabolites with antioxidant activity, making them suitable for use in the beverage industry.

Developing an Accurate and Fast Non-Destructive Single Leaf Area Model for Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl) Cultivars.

In this research, seven different models to predict leaf area (LA) of loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl) were tested and evaluated. This species was chosen due to the relevant importance of its fruit as an appreciated early summer product and of its leaves and flower as a source of additional income within the nutraceutical and functional food markets. The analysis (calibration and validation) was made using a large dataset (2190) of leaf width (W), leaf length (L), and single LA collected in ten common loquat cultivars. During the analysis, the results obtained using one- and two-regressor models were also evaluated to assess the need for fast measurements against different levels of accuracy achieved during the final estimate. The analysis permitted to finally select two different models: 1) a model based on a single measurement and quadratic relationship between the single LA and W (R2 = 0.894; root mean squared error [RMSE] = 12.98) and another model 2) based, instead, on two measurements (L and W), and on the linear relationship between single LA and the product of L × W (R2 = 0.980; RMSE = 5.61). Both models were finally validated with an independent dataset (cultivar 'Tanaka') confirming the quality of fitting and accuracy already observed during the calibration phase. The analysis permitted to select two different models to be used according to the aims and accuracy required by the analysis. One, based on a single-regressor quadratic model and W (rather than L) as a proxy variable, is capable of obtaining a good quality of fitting of the single LA of loquat cultivars (R2 = 0.894; RMSE = 12.98), whereas, the other, a linear two-regressor (i.e., W and L) model, permitted to achieve the highest prediction (R2 = 0.980; RMSE = 5.61) of the observed variable, but double the time required for leaf measurement.

Bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of four rose hip species from spontaneous Sicilian flora.

The morphological characteristics and health-promoting components (anthocyanins, phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and ascorbic acid) together with the in-vitro antioxidant capacity of hips collected from four rose species (Rosa canina, R. corymbifera, R. micrantha, and R. sempervirens) growing in Sicily (South Italy) were evaluated. The results revealed significant variability among the rose species as the hips collected from R. canina and R. sempervirens exhibited the highest total polyphenol contents (6784.5 and 6241.2 mg GAE/100 g DW, respectively) and highest antioxidant activities, whereas R. canina and R. micrantha hips had the highest total anthocyanin contents (2.94 and 3.86 mg CGE/100 g DW, respectively). The data showed that the analysed Sicilian rose hips have good nutritional quality, making them suitable as functional foods according to their biochemical composition and as promising sources of natural antioxidants. Also, these findings confirm that rose pseudo-fruits contain significant amounts of secondary metabolites that may positively affect human health.

In vitro regeneration and multiplication of Passiflora hybrid "Guglielmo Betto".

With more than 450 species, Passiflora is the most important genus of the family Passifloraceae. It comprises many species grown for their edible fruits, for their high ornamental value, and further for the therapeutic properties. With their striking exotic flowers, they are of particular interest for the floriculture market. With the aim of evaluating the in vitro propagation of an Italian ornamental hybrid, axillary tendrils of Passiflora "Guglielmo Betto" M. Vecchia (P. incarnata L. x P. tucumanensis L.) were sterilized and placed in vitro. Direct shoot regeneration was achieved from young tendrils cultivated on MS medium containing, either 4.43 microM 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 11.41 microM indoleacetic acid (IAA), or 49.20 microM 6-gamma-gamma-dimethylallylaminopurine (2iP) and 2.68 microM alpha-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), respectively. In vitro shoot multiplication, rooting, and regenerated plant acclimatization protocols were established.