Antimicrobial activity of cellulosic pads amended with emulsions of essential oils of oregano, thyme and cinnamon against microorganisms in minced beef meat.

Cellulosic pads, amended with emulsions containing essential oils of thyme and oregano, exhibited antimicrobial activity against the psychrophilic microbiota of minced beef. In addition, the pads were active against specific meat bacterial species (Pseudomonas putida, Pseudomonas fragi, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Enterococcus faecalis and Lactococcus lactis) and some common foodborne pathogens (Salmonella enterica, Campylobacter jejuni and Staphylococcus aureus). Three emulsions, IT131017, Mediterranean and Etnic, containing different percentages of carvacrol, thymol, linalool, and ɑ and ß-pinene, significantly reduced the growth of S. enterica and P. putida. Pads derived from emulsions Mediterranean and Etnic induced slight (0.3-0.8 Log10 CFUs/g) but reproducible reduction of the psychrophilic microbiota in minced meat and hamburger stored for 12 and 15 days at 4 °C.

Detection of plant oil DNA using high resolution melting (HRM) post PCR analysis: a tool for disclosure of olive oil adulteration.

Extra virgin olive oil is frequently subjected to adulterations with addition of oils obtained from plants other than olive. DNA analysis is a fast and economic tool to identify plant components in oils. Extraction and amplification of DNA by PCR was tested in olives, in milled seeds and in oils, to investigate its use in olive oil traceability. DNA was extracted from different oils made of hazelnut, maize, sunflower, peanut, sesame, soybean, rice and pumpkin. Comparing the DNA melting profiles in reference plant materials and in the oils, it was possible to identify any plant components in oils and mixtures of oils. Real-Time PCR (RT-PCR) platform has been added of the new methodology of high resolution melting (HRM), both were used to analyse olive oils mixed with different percentage of other oils. Results showed HRM a cost effective method for efficient detection of adulterations in olive oils.

Applicability of SSR markers to the traceability of monovarietal olive oils.

BACKGROUND: To protect the features and authenticity of food products, the European Commission enforces two certification labels: Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). EEC Regulation No. 510/2006 imposes criteria for labelling, production and commercialisation of olive oil. Since plant genotype is a major determinant in establishing the PDO and PGI labels, methods to ascertain the varieties present in a batch of olive oil are essential in validating product conformity. The traceability of olive oil can be assessed through simple sequence repeat (SSR) co-dominant markers targeted to specific regions of DNA from olive cultivars. RESULTS: Twenty-one monovarietal olive oils were analysed with nine nuclear and two shortened SSRs. For each marker the correspondence of allelic profile with the reference cultivar, the reproducibility of profiles in different DNA extractions and the polymorphism information content were determined. CONCLUSION: The results showed that using a panel of SSR markers such as those described in this paper allows one to make a reliable attribution of an olive oil to a specific cultivar.

Applicability of SCAR markers to food genomics: olive oil traceability.

DNA analysis with molecular markers has opened a shortcut toward a genomic comprehension of complex organisms. The availability of micro-DNA extraction methods, coupled with selective amplification of the smallest extracted fragments with molecular markers, could equally bring a breakthrough in food genomics: the identification of original components in food. Amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) have been instrumental in plant genomics because they may allow rapid and reliable analysis of multiple and potentially polymorphic sites. Nevertheless, their direct application to the analysis of DNA extracted from food matrixes is complicated by the low quality of DNA extracted: its high degradation and the presence of inhibitors of enzymatic reactions. The conversion of an AFLP fragment to a robust and specific single-locus PCR-based marker, therefore, could extend the use of molecular markers to large-scale analysis of complex agro-food matrixes. In the present study is reported the development of sequence characterized amplified regions (SCARs) starting from AFLP profiles of monovarietal olive oils analyzed on agarose gel; one of these was used to identify differences among 56 olive cultivars. All the developed markers were purposefully amplified in olive oils to apply them to olive oil traceability.

Traceability of plant contribution in olive oil by amplified fragment length polymorphisms.

Application of DNA molecular markers to traceability of foods is thought to bring new benefit to consumer's protection. Even in a complex matrix such as olive oil, DNA could be traced with PCR markers such as the amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs). In this work, fluorescent AFLPs were optimized for the characterization of olive oil DNA, to obtain highly reproducible, high-quality fingerprints, testing different parameters: the concentrations of dNTPs and labeled primer, the kind of Taq DNA polymerase and thermal cycler, and the quantity of DNA employed. It was found that correspondence of fingerprinting by comparing results in oils and in plants was close to 70% and that the DNA extraction from olive oil was the limiting step for the reliability of AFLP profiles, due to the complex matrix analyzed.

Chemical and biological diversity of Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) in relation to environmental factors.

Oil of bergamot is receiving renewed popularity in aromatherapy. The biovariability of Citrus bergamia grown wild in Calabria (Italy) was investigated as far as chemical markers (linalool, linalyl acetate and bergapten) content and antioxidant and antifungal activities of the methanolic extracts. The average content in the markers presents slight variations with the altitude and more evident changes with the latitude of the areas of plant collection.