•Flavanols and proanthocyanidins degradation rates upon cocoa roasting were studied.•Polyphenols degradation rate was strictly temperature dependent.•High temperature-short time roasting processes ...minimised proanthocyanidins loss.•Antioxidant activity changed upon roasting at different temperatures.•Low temperature-long time roasting processes maximised chain-breaking activity.
The effect of roasting on the content of flavanols and proanthocyanidins and on the antioxidant activity of cocoa beans was investigated. Cocoa beans were roasted at three temperatures (125, 135 and 145°C), for different times, to reach moisture contents of about 2g100g−1. Flavanols and proanthocyanidins were determined, and the antioxidant activity was tested by total phenolic index (TPI), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and total radical trapping antioxidant parameter (TRAP) methods.
The rates of flavanol and total proanthocyanidin loss increased with roasting temperatures. Moisture content of the roasted beans being equal, high temperature-short time processes minimised proanthocyanidins loss. Moisture content being equal, the average roasting temperature (135°C) determined the highest TPI and FRAP values and the highest temperature (145°C) determined the lowest TPI values. Moisture content being equal, low temperature-long time roasting processes maximised the chain-breaking activity, as determined by the TRAP method.
Display omitted
•Phycocyanin thermal instability limits its application as natural blue colourant.•Colour loss kinetics are affected by system composition (solute type, concentration).•At similar ...concentration, sucrose enhanced thermal stability more than trehalose.•The equivalent thermal effect did not discriminate the effect of disaccharide type.•Water activity play a key role on protein thermostability.
The effect of heat and equivalent thermal effect (CTrefz) on discolouration of Spirulina algae extracts in water, sucrose and trehalose solutions at different concentration was investigated and kinetics of phycocyanin degradation evaluated by spectrophotometric and circular dichroism. At constant temperature, colour loss increased at increasing time and decreased at increasing solute concentration. Circular dichroism confirmed relation between colour loss and protein structure destabilization, and the thermostabilising effect of saccharides with sucrose performing better than trehalose.
Apparent constant rate values determined by the Weibullian probabilistic model describe the corresponding phycocyanin degradation kinetics; a linear correlation between the activation energy and aw of the solutions has been found. Origin of phycocyanin and system saccharide concentration resulted significant discriminant factors on the discolouration when CTrefz was taken into account.
Results may find application in product formulation and processing optimisation, thereby the use of Spirulina extracts as colouring foodstuff could be enhanced.
Consumption of edible insects has been widely suggested as an environmentally sustainable substitute for meat to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, the novel research field for edible insects ...relies on the content of bioactive ingredients and on the ability to induce a functional effect in humans. The goal of this manuscript is to review the available body of evidence on the properties of edible insects in modulating oxidative and inflammatory stress, platelet aggregation, lipid and glucose metabolism and weight control. A search for literature investigating the functional role of edible insects was carried out in the PubMed database using specific keywords. A total of 55 studies, meeting inclusion criteria after screening, were divided on the basis of the experimental approach: in vitro studies, cellular models/ex vivo studies or in vivo studies. In the majority of the studies, insects demonstrated the ability to reduce oxidative stress, modulate antioxidant status, restore the impaired activity of antioxidant enzymes and reduce markers of oxidative damage. Edible insects displayed anti-inflammatory activity reducing cytokines and modulating specific transcription factors. Results from animal studies suggest that edible insects can modulate lipid and glucose metabolism. The limited number of studies focused on the assessment of anti-coagulation activity of edible insects makes it difficult to draw conclusions. More evidence from dietary intervention studies in humans is needed to support the promising evidence from in vitro and animal models about the functional role of edible insect consumption.
Aims
To evaluate the antifungal activity of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by 75 different food‐borne Bacillus species against Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus ...parasiticus, Aspergillus clavatus, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lactucae and Moniliophthora perniciosa and to determine the VOCs responsible for the inhibition.
Methods and Results
Bacillus strains inhibited fungal growth, although with different inhibition grades, with Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Bacillus cereus strains as the best antifungal VOCs producers. While M. perniciosa DM4B and F. oxysporum f.sp. lactucae MA28 were the most sensitive fungi, A. parasiticus MG51 showed the greatest resistance to Bacillus VOCs exposure. Thirty‐seven compounds were detected by SPME‐GC‐MS analysis, although similar patterns in volatile compounds were evidenced within the species, interspecific VOCs differences determined different effects on fungal growth. Multiple partial least regression (MPLRS) and antifungal activity of the individual VOCs revealed that only propanone, 1‐butanol, 3‐methyl‐1‐butanol, acetic acid, 2‐methylpropanoic acid, carbon disulphide, 3‐methylbutanoic acid and ethyl acetate were responsible for mycelia inhibition of M. perniciosa DM4B and F. oxysporum f.sp. lactucae MA28.
Conclusions
The antagonistic activity of the Bacillus VOCs was demonstrated, although it cannot easily be explained through the action of a single molecule, thus a holistic approach could be more appropriate to estimate the fungal growth inhibition.
Significance and Impact of the Study
VOCs produced by Bacillus from cooked food can be considered as promising antifungal compounds useful in the control of fungal plant pathogens. This study investigates for the first time the correlation between mycelia inhibition of M. perniciosa and F. oxysporum f. sp. lactucae and the VOCs emitted by the Bacillus species.
The effect of gallic acid, catechin and quercetin on physical and chemical stability of olive oil-in-water emulsions was investigated. These molecules, characterised by different polarity and ...antioxidant activity, showed different interface activity and efficiency in delaying lipid oxidation. Gallic acid contributed positively to stabilise the colloidal properties of the systems toward physical instability whilst showed a low activity towards secondary oxidation. Catechin showed an interfacial localisation which was reflected in the enhancement of primary oxidation and in the inhibition of secondary oxidation. Quercetin poorly partitioned in the aqueous phase and was proven not to slow down the bimolecular phase of auto-oxidation.
Results confirmed that polarity is not the only parameter to determine efficiency of antioxidants in emulsions but other variables, such as its antioxidant activity in terms of capacity and rapidity in donating an hydrogen atom, can affect its protective role towards lipids auto-oxidation in emulsions.
18F-fluoroestradiol (FES) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) is considered an accurate diagnostic tool to determine whole-body endocrine responsiveness. In the endocrine ...therapy (ET)-FES trial, we evaluated 18F-FES PET/CT as a predictive tool in estrogen receptor-positive (ER+)/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2−) metastatic breast cancer (MBC).
Eligible patients underwent an 18F-FES PET/CT at baseline. Patients with standardized uptake value (SUV) ≥ 2 received single-agent ET until progressive disease; patients with SUV < 2 were randomized to single-agent ET (arm A) or chemotherapy (ChT) (arm B). The primary objective was to compare the activity of first-line ET versus ChT in patients with 18F-FES SUV < 2.
Overall, 147 patients were enrolled; 117 presented with 18F-FES SUV ≥ 2 and received ET; 30 patients with SUV < 2 were randomized to ET or ChT. After a median follow-up of 62.4 months, 104 patients (73.2%) had disease progression and 53 died (37.3%). Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 12.4 months 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.1-59.6 months in patients with SUV < 2 randomized to arm A versus 23.0 months (95% CI 7.7-30.0 months) in arm B, hazard (HR) = 0.71, 95% CI 0.3-1.7 months; median PFS was 18.0 months (95% CI 11.2-23.1 months) in patients with SUV ≥ 2 treated with ET. Median overall survival (OS) was 28.2 months (95% CI 14.2 months-not estimable) in patients with SUV < 2 randomized to ET (arm A) versus 52.8 months (95% CI 16.2 months-not estimable) in arm B (ChT). Median OS was not reached in patients with SUV ≥ 2. 60-month OS rate was 41.6% (95% CI 10.4% to 71.1%) in arm A, 42.0% (95% CI 14.0% to 68.2%) in arm B, and 59.6% (95% CI 48.6% to 69.0%) in patients with SUV ≥ 2. In patients with SUV ≥ 2, 60-month OS rate was 72.6% if treated with aromatase inhibitors (AIs) versus 40.6% in case of fulvestrant or tamoxifen (P < 0.005).
The ET-FES trial demonstrated that ER+/HER2− MBC patients are a heterogeneous population, with different levels of endocrine responsiveness based on 18F-FES CT/PET SUV.
•18F-FES PET/CT may be used as a predictive tool of efficacy of ET to assess overall endocrine sensitivity.•Endocrine-sensitive patients (SUVmax ≥ 2) treated with single-agent ET have a prolonged OS.•In endocrine-sensitive patients, PFS and OS related to the use of AI were significantly higher than ER-directed agents.•18F-FES PET/CT can be used as a valid alternative to biopsy.
Arsenic is found in groundwater above regulatory limits in many countries and its origin is often from natural sources, making the definition of Natural Background Levels (NBLs) crucial. NBL is ...commonly assessed based on either dedicated small-scale monitoring campaigns or large-scale national/regional groundwater monitoring networks that may not grab local-scale heterogeneities. An alternative method is represented by site-specific monitoring networks in contaminated/polluted sites under remediation. As a main drawback, groundwater quality at these sites is affected by human activities. This paper explores the potential for groundwater data from an assemblage of site-specific datasets of contaminated/polluted sites to define NBLs of arsenic (As) at the meso-scale (order of 1000 km2). Common procedures for the assessment of human influence cannot be applied to this type of dataset due to limited data homogeneity. Thus, an “unorthodox” method is applied involving the definition of a consistent working dataset followed by a statistical identification and critical analysis of the outliers. The study was conducted in a highly anthropized area (Ferrara, N Italy), where As concentrations often exceed national threshold limits in a shallow aquifer. The results show that site-specific datasets, if properly pre-treated, are an effective alternative for the derivation of NBLs when regional monitoring networks fail to catch local-scale variability.
In order to evaluate the predictive value of positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) in discriminating the presence of a Richter's syndrome (RS) or a second malignancy (SM), as well ...as to evaluate its prognostic value in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), we retrospectively analyzed the data of 90 patients who, in the suspicion of a RS or a SM, underwent PET/CT followed by the biopsy of the involved tissue. The median maximum Standardized Uptake Value (SUV max) in the presence of a CLL/small lymphocytic lymphoma, a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), a Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), a SM were 3.5, 14.6, 7.0 and 6.3, respectively (P ⩽ 0.0001). A SUV max cutoff value ⩾ 5 showed a sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of 88.2, 71.2, 51.3 and 94%, respectively, for the presence of a more aggressive disease (DLBCL, HL and SM). A SUV max ⩾ 5 identified also a subset of treatment naive patients with an inferior progression-free survival (P = 0.011) and overall survival (P = 0.067). These findings suggest that PET/CT may helpfully integrate the biologically-based prognostic stratification of CLL. Prospective clinical trials including larger cohorts of patients are needed to conclusively define the role and prognostic impact of PET/CT in the routine management of CLL patients.
The composition of commercial marrons from three Italian sweet chestnut ecotypes, ‘Marrone di Castel del Rio’, ‘Marrone di Marradi’, and ‘Marrone di Valle Castellana’, from Emilia Romagna, Tuscany ...and Abruzzi region, respectively, was studied during two consecutive years (2003–2004). Results showed a great variability of moisture content. The average content in nutrients (expressed in dry weight) was in the normal range for this type of product, but compositional data showed great variability as a function both of variety and of harvest year. Marrone di Valle Castellana showed the highest content in sucrose and fibre. Marrone di Castel del Rio presented the highest protein content, probably due to the schistose soil of the region. Marrons of Valle Castellana presented the lowest calcium content as a result of the specific nature of the soil in the area of origin. Linear discriminant analysis achieved high recognition percentages for the classification of marrons according to the ecotype, with 100% recognition for each of the three ecotypes. The content in antioxidant compounds (ascorbic acid and total polyphenols) and the antioxidant activity of the nuts were investigated. All the ecotypes showed a low polyphenol content but were high in ascorbic acid level, which accounted for a discrete antioxidant activity (
3.02
−
3.11
TEAC
g
f
.
w
.
−
1
) of the nuts.
To analyze the pattern of failure in relation to pre-treatment
F FDG-PET/CT uptake in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients treated with definitive radio-chemotherapy (RT-CHT).
From ...2012 to 2016, 87 HNSCC patients treated with definitive RT-CHT, with intensity modulated radiation therapy with simultaneous integrated boost, underwent pre-treatment
F FDG-PET/CT (PET
), and MRI/CT for radiotherapy (RT) planning purposes. Patients with local recurrence, received
F FDG-PET/CT, (PET
) at the time of the discovery of recurrence. In these patients, the metabolic target volume (MTV), MTV
and MTV
were segmented on PET images by means of an adaptive thresholding algorithm. The overlapping volume between MTV
and MTV
(MTV
) was generated and the dose coverage of MTV
and MTV
was checked on the planning CT using the D99 and D95 dose metrics. The recurrent volume was defined as: ''In-Field (IF)'', "Marginal recurrence" or ''Out-of-Field (OF)'' if D95 was respectively equal or higher than 95%, D95 was between 95 and 20% or the D95 was less than 20% of prescribed dose.
We found 10/87 patients (11.5%) who had recurrence at primary site. Mean MTV
was 12.2 cc (4.6-28.9 cc), while the mean MTV
was 4.3 cc (1.1-12.7 cc). Two recurrences resulted 100% inside MTV
, 4 recurrences were mostly inside (61-91%) and 4 recurrences were marginal to MTV
(1-33%). At dosimetric analysis, five recurrences (50%) were IF, 4 (40%) marginal and one (10%) OF. The mean D99 of the overlapping volumes MTV
was 68.1 Gy (66.5-69.2 Gy), considering a prescription dose of 70 Gy to the planning target volume (PTV).
Our study shows that the recurrence may originate from the volume with the highest FDG-signal. Tumor relapse in the high-dose volume support the hypothesis that an intensification of the dose on these volumes could be further assessed to prevent local relapse.
PDF
![Correlation of [ 18 F] FDG-...](http://api.summon.serialssolutions.com/2.0.0/image/issn/XR4PS5YY4K/1748-717X/small "Correlation of [ 18 F] FDG-PET/CT with dosimetry data: recurrence pattern after radiotherapy for head and neck carcinoma")