Traceability of 'Limone di Siracusa PGI' by a multidisciplinary analytical and chemometric approach.

Food traceability is increasingly relevant with respect to safety, quality and typicality issues. Lemon fruits grown in a typical lemon-growing area of southern Italy (Siracusa), have been awarded the PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) recognition as 'Limone di Siracusa'. Due to its peculiarity, consumers have an increasing interest about this product. The detection of potential fraud could be improved by using the tools linking the composition of this production to its typical features. This study used a wide range of analytical techniques, including conventional techniques and analytical approaches, such as spectral (NIR spectra), multi-elemental (Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Li, Sr) and isotopic ((13)C/(12)C, (18)O/(16)O) marker investigations, joined with multivariate statistical analysis, such as PLS-DA (Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis) and LDA (Linear Discriminant Analysis), to implement a traceability system to verify the authenticity of 'Limone di Siracusa' production. The results demonstrated a very good geographical discrimination rate.

Orange juice intake during a fatty meal consumption reduces the postprandial low-grade inflammatory response in healthy subjects.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Evidence associates polyphenol-rich foods to reduction of low-grade inflammation and mortality for cardiovascular disease, the mechanisms underlying such effects being still unclear. Consumption of a fatty meal by healthy volunteers induces rapid and reversible low-grade inflammation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of orange juice on cellular modifications induced by a fatty meal. METHODS AND RESULTS: 18 apparently healthy subjects consumed a fatty meal, during which they drunk orange juice, either blond or red, or water, according to a randomized cross-over design. Two hours after the end of the fatty meal, both white blood cell (WBC) and platelet counts significantly increased (12.5 and 5%, respectively), while mean platelet volume decreased and a 25% release of myeloperoxidase (MPO) from polymorphonuclear leukocyte occurred. Both juices significantly prevented WBC increase and MPO degranulation, in respect to control. Triglycerides significantly increased (42%) after the fatty meal, but at a lower extent when red orange juice was consumed with the meal (20%), in respect to blond orange juice or control. This effect was statistically significant in the subgroup of 8 subjects with hypertriglyceridemia. Vascular stiffness (augmentation index), measured by Endo-PAT2000, significantly decreased after the meal only in conjunction with red orange juice. CONCLUSION: In healthy subjects the concomitant intake of orange juice may prevent the low-grade inflammatory reaction induced by a fatty meal, at cellular and possibly at vascular function levels. The relative role of different polyphenols on the observed effects of orange juices remains to be established.

Involvement of inducible nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 in the anti-inflammatory effects of a red orange extract in human chondrocytes.

In the present study, a complex of compounds (red orange complex, ROC), obtained from three red orange varieties (Citrus sinensis varieties: Moro, Tarocco and Sanguinello), containing cyanidin glycosides, hydroxycinnamic acids, flavanone glycosides and ascorbic acid, was screened to discover new lead compounds in the suppression of the production of key molecules released during inflammatory events in interleukin-1beta (IL-beta) stimulated human primary chondrocytes. The expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX)-2 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), and the release of nitric oxide, prostaglandin (PG)E(2) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) were determined. Indomethacin was used as an anti-inflammatory drug reference. ROC acts as a potent inhibitor of iNOS and COX-2 gene expression while also suppressing the production of PGE(2) and nitrite in human chondrocytes. In addition, ROC induces a significant decrease in ICAM expression and IL-8 release. These findings suggest that ROC exerts anti-inflammatory effects probably through the suppression of COX-2 and iNOS expression.

Blood orange juice inhibits fat accumulation in mice.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effect of the juice obtained from two varieties of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck), Moro (a blood orange) and Navelina (a blond orange), on fat accumulation in mice fed a standard or a high-fat diet (HFD). METHODS: Obesity was induced in male C57/Bl6 mice by feeding a HFD. Moro and Navelina juices were provided instead of water. The effect of an anthocyanin-enriched extract from Moro oranges or purified cyanidin-3-glucoside (C3G) was also analyzed. Body weight and food intake were measured regularly over a 12-week period. The adipose pads were weighted and analyzed histologically; total RNA was also isolated for microarray analysis. RESULTS: Dietary supplementation of Moro juice, but not Navelina juice significantly reduced body weight gain and fat accumulation regardless of the increased energy intake because of sugar content. Furthermore, mice drinking Moro juice were resistant to HFD-induced obesity with no alterations in food intake. Only the anthocyanin extract, but not the purified C3G, slightly affected fat accumulation. High-throughput gene expression analysis of fat tissues confirmed that Moro juice could entirely rescue the high fat-induced transcriptional reprogramming. CONCLUSION: Moro juice anti-obesity effect on fat accumulation cannot be explained only by its anthocyanin content. Our findings suggest that multiple components present in the Moro orange juice might act synergistically to inhibit fat accumulation.

Evaluation of oxidative stress in diabetic patients after supplementation with a standardised red orange extract.

Diabetes mellitus is associated with a high oxidative stress level, resulting from an imbalance between free radicals or reactive oxygen species production and the antioxidant systems. Inhibition of these oxidative processes by co-adjuvant therapy could therefore prevent, or at least delay, the onset and/or the development of long-term diabetic complications. Dietary supplementation with plant biophenols may be a successful strategy to decrease this risk of pathological complications. The Red Orange Complex (ROC) is a standardized red orange extract containing, as its main active principles, phenolic compounds (anthocyanins, flavanones and hydroxycinnamic acids) as well as ascorbic acid. The aim of the present preliminary study was to evaluate the effects of short-term (2 mo) dietary supplementation with ROC (50 mg/d, orally) on some serum non-invasive biomarkers of oxidative stress (total antioxidant status, or TAS, levels of thiol groups and levels of free radicals) in a group of 33 patients with Type 2 diabetes, in comparison with a group of 28 healthy volunteers. The results obtained demonstrate that in diabetic patients supplementation with ROC can improve blood levels of thiol groups on proteins (an indirect measurement of glutathione activity in serum); furthermore, it can elicit a marked decrease in serum free radical levels, in patients with high blood oxidative stress status. However, ROC supplementation appeared unable to modify serum TAS. Finally, the glycemic profile remained stable during the study period in all subjects, and no unpleasant side effects were reported. In conclusion, the treatment of diabetic patients with ROC might be of therapeutic benefit in order to protect against diabetes complications that are partially due to uncontrolled lipid oxidation. D

Storage temperature effects on blood orange fruit quality.

Orange fruits of two blood varieties (Tarocco and Moro) were stored at 8 degrees C and 22 degrees C for 85 and 106 days, respectively, and analyzed periodically for standard quality parameters (total soluble solids, total acidity, ascorbic acid, juice yield, and rind color) and sensory influencing parameters (anthocyanins, and total and free hydroxycinnamic acids). A decrease in total acidity (TA) and juice yield during storage was observed for both cultivars; total soluble solids (TSS) increased only in the Tarocco oranges stored at 8 degrees C. The increase in TSS observed for Tarocco and the simultaneous decrease in TA in both varieties resulted in a higher maturity index (TSS/TA) for the two cultivars. No loss of vitamin C was noted in Tarocco orange at either temperature, whereas a sharp reduction in vitamin C occurred in the first 50 days of storage for Moro. A significant increase in anthocyanin content was observed in Tarocco and Moro stored at 8 degrees C. Overlong storage induces extensive hydrolysis of hydroxycinnamic derivatives to free acids in Moro orange and these, in turn, could develop the malodorous vinylphenols.

Reliability of analytical methods for determining anthocyanins in blood orange juices.

Quantitative analysis of anthocyanins was performed on a series of blood orange juices according to various spectrophotometric and HPLC methods, and the causes for different concentration resulting from the application of such procedures were investigated. Spectrophotometric methods utilizing aqueous ethanol as a solvent provided an anthocyanin content higher than that determined by HPLC. Discrepancies were ascribed to the use of impure standards and/or unsuitable calibration lines. The most consistent results with the HPLC findings were obtained by a method utilizing water as a solvent and cyanidin-3-glucoside as a standard. Actual concentration of anthocyanins in blood orange juice was remarkably lower than that currently determined by procedures used in the juice producing factories.

Recovery of hesperidin from orange peel by concentration of extracts on styrene-divinylbenzene resin.

This paper describes a new procedure for obtaining hesperidin from the waste orange peel of the citrus industry. It is based on the adsorption of dilute extracts of hesperidin on a styrene-divinylbenzene (SDVB) resin and the desorption in much more reduced volumes by means of alkaline eluents. Hesperidin immediately precipitates with good yield and high purity after acidification of the concentrated solutions, thus overcoming disadvantages due to the high dilution. Different experiments were carried out to examine operating conditions in each phase of the process. Hesperidin was extracted from peel with an aqueous saturated Ca(OH)(2) solution, allowing precipitation of calcium pectates from colloidal pectins that can interfere in the subsequent phases of adsorption and separation of hesperidin. The clear extracts were neutralized to optimize adsorption on resin. The most effective eluent was 0.5 N NaOH solution containing 10% ethanol. Recycling of the crystallization liquor improved the yield and purity of the product and reduced the acid amount required for neutralizing fresh alkaline extracts. Resin must be washed after each adsorption-desorption cycle and regenerated after five cycles. Results can constitute a useful starting point for an industrial application. A flow scheme of the process is also reported.

Antioxidant effectiveness as influenced by phenolic content of fresh orange juices.

Several fresh orange juices, obtained from five different Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck varieties (three pigmented varieties, Moro, Sanguinello, and Tarocco, and two blond varieties, Valencia late and Washington navel), were subjected to antioxidant profile determination (including total polyphenols, flavanones, anthocyanins, hydroxycinnamic acids, and ascorbic acid). The antioxidant activity of these juices was then assessed by means of different "in vitro" tests (bleaching of the stable 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical; peroxidation, induced by the water-soluble radical initiator 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane) hydrochloride, on mixed dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine/linoleic acid unilamellar vesicles; scavenging activity against nitric oxide; total antioxidant status). All orange juices tested showed an evident antioxidant effect. Our findings indicate the following: (1) the antioxidant efficiency of orange juices may be attributed, in a significant part at least, to their content of total phenols, (2) while ascorbic acid seems to play a minor role; (3) the antioxidant activity of orange juices is related not only to structural features of phytochemicals contained in them, but also to their capability to interact with biomembranes; (4) finally, as to pigmented juices, their antioxidant efficiency appears to be widely influenced by the anthocyanin level. One could speculate that the supply of natural antioxidant phenols through daily consumption of orange juice might provide additional protection against in vivo oxidation of cellular biomolecules.

Hydroxycinnamic Acids as Markers of Italian Blood Orange Juices.

Extraction, resolution, and determination of the trans-hydroxycinnamic acids (caffeic, p-coumaric, ferulic, and sinapic) were performed in 82 orange juices derived from the most important blood and blond varieties grown in Italy. Soluble solids, acidity, and anthocyanins were also determined. Hydroxycinnamic acids were more abundant in blood orange than in blond juices. Ferulic acid was the major component in all cases, but the distribution of the four acids was typical in each variety. Discriminant analysis of the experimental results showed that these acids could be used as markers of blood and blond varieties. The statistical model was used to recognize some mixtures of blood and blond juices.

In vitro antioxidant activity and in vivo photoprotective effect of a red orange extract.

Ultraviolet radiation causes damage to the skin, which may result in both precancerous and cancerous skinlesions and acceleration of skin ageing. Topical administration of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants is an effective strategy for protecting the skin against UV-mediated oxidative damage. Hence, a systematic study to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant activity and in vivo photoprotective effect of a standardized red orange extract (ROE) has been undertaken, where the main active ingredients are anthocyanins, hydroxycinnamic acids, flavanones and ascorbic acid. For the in vitro experiments, the ROE was tested in three models: (1) bleaching of the stable 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH test); (2) peroxidation, induced by the water-soluble radical initiator 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane) hydrochloride, of mixed dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine/linoleic acid unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) (LP-LUV test); and (3) UV-induced peroxidation of phospatidylcholine multilamellar vesicles (UV-IP test). The in vivo antioxidant/radical scavenger activity was assessed by determining the ability of topically applied ROE to reduce UVB-induced skin erythema in healthy human volunteers. The results obtained in the DPPH, LP-LUV and UV-IP tests demonstrated the strong antioxidant properties of ROE, with a clear relationship between ROE scavenger efficiency and its content in antioxidant compounds. In particular, the findings obtained in the UV-IP test provide a strong rationale for using this extract as a photoprotective agent. During in vivo experiments, ROE provided to efficiently protect against photooxidative skin damage when topically applied immediately after skin exposure to UVB radiations. Interestingly, the protective effect of ROE appears higher than that elicited by another natural antioxidant (tocopherol) commonly employed in cosmetic formulations. In conclusion, the present findings demonstrate that ROE affords excellent skin photoprotection, which is very likely a result of the antioxidant/radical scavenger activity of its active ingredients. Thus, ROE might have interesting applications in both anti-photoageing and after-sun cosmetic products.