Towards Sulphite-Free Winemaking: A New Horizon of Vinification and Maturation.

The complex dynamics between oxygen exposure, sulphur dioxide (SO2) utilization, and wine quality are of the utmost importance in wine sector, and this study aims to explore their fine balance in winemaking. As a common additive, SO2 works as an antiseptic and antioxidant. However, its excessive use has raised health concerns. Regulatory guidelines, including Council Regulation (EC) N° 1493/1999 and Commission Regulation (EC) No 1622/2000, dictate SO2 concentrations in wines. The increasing demand for natural preservatives is driving the search for alternatives, with natural plant extracts, rich in phenolic compounds, emerging as promising substitutes. In this context, Bioma Company has proposed alternative additives deriving from vineyard waste to replace SO2 during winemaking. Thus, the aim of the present work was to compare the compositional characteristics between the product obtained with the alternative vinification and the traditional one during the winemaking, as well as the aroma compositions of the final wines. After a year of experimentation, the wines produced with Bioma products showed compositional characteristics comparable to their traditional counterparts. Notably, these wines comply with current legislation, with significantly reduced total sulphur content, allowing their designation as "without added sulphites". Bioma products emerge as potential catalysts for sustainable and health-conscious winemaking practices, reshaping the landscape of the industry.

Characterization of the endophytic bacterial community of Bituminaria bituminosa plant grown in vitro and its interaction with the plant extract.

Introduction: Bituminaria bituminosa is a medicinal plant recognized for its phytochemicals, such as furanocoumarins, pterocarpans, and flavonoids. Since the secondary metabolism is influenced by the plant-endophyte interactions, the endophytic bacterial community of B. bituminosa was explored and the possible interactions with the plant were described. Materials and methods: Different bacterial strains were isolated from different organs of in vitro plants as shoots, roots, and seeds. The bacterial strains were identified and phenotypically characterized for different traits; strains were also exposed to different concentrations of B. bituminosa plant extract showing different susceptibility, probably determined by different secondary metabolites produced by the plant in the different organs (i.e. aerial parts and roots). Results and discussion: Bacterial strains showed different phenotypic characteristics; the 6 detected haplotypes were dominated by a single species related to Stenotrophomonas rhizophila. Endophytes isolated from the aerial parts produced a higher indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) amount than those of the roots, while all strains were unable to produce biosurfactants and antagonistic activity toward the other strains. The research opens new perspectives for future analysis addressed to test the susceptibility of the endophytic bacterial community of B. bituminosa toward the pure compounds extracted from the plants, and to investigate the role of these compounds on the distribution of endophytes within the different plant tissues.

Chemical Composition, Acetylcholine Esterase and Anti-bacterial Activities of Essential Oils of Elaeosilenum thapsioides (Desf.) Maire from Algeria.

BACKGROUND: Traditionally, the Algerian medicinal plant Elaeosilenum thapsioides (Desf.) Maire has been used for many diseases. The present research work aims to explore the chemical and biological characterization of its essential oil. METHODS: The essential oils were obtained by hydrodistillation of different Elaeosilenum thapsioides (Apiaceae) aerial parts samples collected from two different regions (Mahouane and Megres) from Setif, Eastern Algeria. The chemical characterization of the obtained essential oils is reported here for the first time. Besides, they were evaluated for their in vitro Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activity involved in Alzheimer's disease using Ellman's spectrophotometric method. RESULTS: Additionally, their in vitro antimicrobial activity was assessed by the disc diffusion method. Both activities were performed at various oil concentrations. The GC/MS analysis of the essential oils from aerial parts (leaves, stems, flowers, and seeds) of E. thapsioides identified 47 constituents. Monoterpene hydrocarbons were the main components, ranging from 72.78 to 99.13%. Oxygenated monoterpenes and oxygenated sesquiterpenes ranged between 1.37 and 17.25% and 0.12 and 3.53% in essential oils from leaves and stems. Sesquiterpene hydrocarbons were present in small to large quantities in the essential oils of both populations, ranging from 0.69 to 13.44%. The presence of m-Methoxybenzyl isothiocyanate was recorded in stems essential oils from Mahouane and leaves essential oils from Merges, which was 9.73% and 3.72%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The stems essential oils obtained from plants collected in Mahouane showed the highest AChE inhibitory activity. The highest anti-bacterial activity was shown by the essential oil obtained from Megres leaves against Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778. The oils exhibited a moderate inhibitory activity in both tests.

Essential Oil of Cannabis sativa L: Comparison of Yield and Chemical Composition of 11 Hemp Genotypes.

Cannabis sativa L. is an annual species cultivated since antiquity for different purposes. While, in the past, hemp inflorescences were considered crop residues, at present, they are regarded as valuable raw materials with different applications, among which extraction of the essential oil (EO) has gained increasing interest in many fields. The aim of the present study is the evaluation of the yield and the chemical composition of the EO obtained by hydrodistillation from eleven hemp genotypes, cultivated in the same location for two consecutive growing seasons. The composition of the EOs was analyzed by GC-MS, and then subjected to multivariate statistical analysis. Sesquiterpenes represented the main class of compounds in all the EOs, both in their hydrocarbon and oxygenated forms, with relative abundances ranging from 47.1 to 78.5%; the only exception was the Felina 32 sample collected in 2019, in which cannabinoids predominated. Cannabinoids were the second most abundant class of compounds, of which cannabidiol was the main one, with relative abundances between 11.8 and 51.5%. The statistical distribution of the samples, performed on the complete chemical composition of the EOs, evidenced a partition based on the year of cultivation, rather than on the genotype, with the exception of Uso-31. Regarding the extraction yield, a significant variation was evidenced among both the genotypes and the years of cultivation.