Olive leaf extracts are of special interest due to their proven therapeutic effects. However, they are still considered a by-product of the table olive and the oil industries. In order to learn ...possible ways of exploiting this waste for health purposes, we investigated the phytochemical profiles and antioxidant activities in the leaves of 15 Italian
L. cultivars grown in the same pedoclimatic conditions. The phenolic profiles and amounts of their seven representative compounds were analyzed using HPLC ESI/MS-TOF. The antioxidant activities were determined using three different antioxidant assays (DPPH, ORAC, and superoxide anion scavenging assay). Wide ranges of total phenolic content (11.39-48.62 g GAE kg
dry weight) and antioxidant activities (DPPH values: 8.67-29.89 µmol TE mg
dry weight, ORAC values: 0.81-4.25 µmol TE mg
dry weight, superoxide anion scavenging activity values: 27.66-48.92 µmol TE mg
dry weight) were found in the cultivars. In particular, the cultivars Itrana, Apollo, and Maurino, showed a high amount of total phenols and antioxidant activity, and therefore represent a suitable natural source of biological compounds for use in terms of health benefits.
Objective
Graves’ orbitopathy (GO) reflects an autoimmune response against antigens expressed by the thyroid and orbital tissues. Elimination of thyroid antigens may be beneficial for GO. Total ...thyroid ablation (TTA) thyroidectomy (Tx), followed by 30 mCi of radioiodine was shown to exert a beneficial effect on GO following intravenous glucocorticoids (ivGC) compared with Tx alone. Here, we investigated retrospectively whether TTA performed with a 15 mCi of radioiodine still maintains advantages over Tx.
Methods
Thirty-two subjects, 13 treated with TTA (performed with 15 mCi of radioiodine) and 19 with Tx alone, all with moderately severe, active GO, treated with ivGC, were studied. The primary objective was the outcome of GO at 24 weeks based on a composite evaluation.
Results
The two groups did not differ at baseline in terms of sex, age, smoking habits, TSH, anti-TSH receptor autoantibodies, GO duration and eye features. The proportion of GO responders at 24 weeks was greater in the TTA (61.5%) than in the Tx group (26.3%,
P
= 0.046). In contrast, GO outcome at 48 weeks did not differ between the two groups (69.2% vs 52.6% of responder in TTA and Tx group, respectively). The outcome of the individual GO features did not differ between the two groups both a 24 and 48 months.
Conclusions
The advantage of total thyroid ablation seems to be a more rapid response for GO to ivGC treatment. Prospective, randomized studies in a larger number of subjects are needed to confirm our findings.
Over the recent years multiple therapeutic and management opportunities have been made available to treat pregnant women with Type 1 diabetes (T1DM). However, analyses assessing whether these ...different approaches may have any specific advantage/disadvantage in metabolic control and neonatal outcomes is still limited. The aim of this study was to compare metabolic control and neonatal outcomes in pregnant women with T1DM among different basal insulins (NPH vs. analogue), insulin administration ways Multiple Daily Injections (MDI) vs. Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion (CSII) and glucose monitoring systems Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose (SMBG) vs. real-time/intermittently scanned Continuous Glucose Monitoring (rtCGM/isCGM).
A retrospective analysis on metabolic data and neonatal outcomes of 136 T1DM pregnant women (76% on MDI, based on NPH (51%) or analogue (49%); 24% on CSII; 24% using rtCGM/isCGM), managed between 2008 and 2020, was performed, comparing different therapeutic approaches.
Metabolic data and neonatal outcomes were comparable among women treated with different basal insulins. Women on CSII planned their pregnancy more frequently (82 vs. 60%; p = 0.043) and had better pregestational HbA1c (52 ± 5 vs. 60 ± 13 mmol/mol; p = 0.044) and first trimester HbA1c (48 ± 4 vs. 51 ± 8 mmol/mol; p = 0.047). Pregestational and first trimester HbA1c were also lower in women using rtCGM/isCGM (53 ± 8 vs. 58 ± 13 mmol/mol; p = 0.027 and 46 ± 5 vs. 51 ± 7 mmol/mol; p = 0.034, respectively). In the whole cohort, LGA risk was directly correlated to HbA1c at third trimester (correlation coefficient: 0.335, p = 0.001) and inversely correlated to the achievement of HbA1c target (≤6% <42 mmol/mol) at third trimester (correlation coefficient: - 0.367, p < 0.001).
Treatment with insulin analogs didn't significantly change metabolic control and neonatal outcomes in T1DM women, while CSII and rtCGM/isCGM can optimize preconception and first trimester pregnancy glycemic control. Irrespective of the therapeutic management, third trimester HbA1c remains the strongest risk factor for LGA.
The recent outbreak of the Olive Quick Decline Syndrome (OQDS), caused by
Xylella fastidiosa
subsp.
pauca
(
Xf
), is dramatically altering ecosystem services in the peninsula of Salento (Apulia ...Region, southeastern Italy). Here we report the accomplishment of several exploratory missions in the Salento area, resulting in the identification of thirty paucisymptomatic or asymptomatic plants in olive orchards severely affected by the OQDS. The genetic profiles of such putatively resistant plants (PRPs), assessed by a selection of ten simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, were compared with those of 141 Mediterranean cultivars. Most (23) PRPs formed a genetic cluster (K1) with 22 Italian cultivars, including ‘Leccino’ and ‘FS17’, previously reported as resistant to
Xf
. The remaining PRPs displayed relatedness with genetically differentiated germplasm, including a cluster of Tunisian cultivars. Markedly lower colonization levels were observed in PRPs of the cluster K1 with respect to control plants. Field evaluation of four cultivars related to PRPs allowed the definition of partial resistance in the genotypes ‘Frantoio’ and ‘Nocellara Messinese’. Some of the PRPs identified in this study might be exploited in cultivation, or as parental clones of breeding programs. In addition, our results indicate the possibility to characterize resistance to
Xf
in cultivars genetically related to PRPs.
Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca (Xfp), strain CoDiRO, infects a broad range of olive (Olea europaea L.) cultivars. The profile of phenolic compounds, progression of leaf scorch symptoms and ...population density of X. fastidiosa were analyzed in response to Xfp infection, in four olive cultivars (Cellina di Nardò, Ogliarola di Lecce, Frantoio and Leccino). Differences in X. fastidiosa multiplication in xylem tissues were estimated using qPCR assays, showing that cvs. Cellina di Nardò and Ogliarola di Lecce were characterized by fewer threshold cycles than for cvs. Frantoio and Leccino. Periodical visual inspections of symptomatic plants estimated disease severity and progression using a disease rating scale; cvs. Frantoio and Leccino showed some disease resistance with up to 3-fold severity scores than those for cvs. Cellina di Nardò and Ogliarola. During vegetative growth, Xfp-positive leaf samples were analyzed using HPLC-ESI–TOF–MS. Among quantified phenolic compounds, Xfp infection modified hydroxytyrosol glucoside and quinic acid. Constitutive levels of hydroxytyrosol glucoside were greater in cvs. Frantoio and Leccino compared to Cellina di Nardò and Ogliarola di Lecce, while levels were strongly reduced in infected plants (95% reduction in Cellina di Nardò, 94% in Ogliarola di Lecce, 97% in Frantoio and 98% in, Leccino). Constitutive levels of quinic acid did not differ among cultivars, but strongly increased in infected Cellina di Nardò and Ogliarola di Lecce (5-fold increases), and to a lesser extent (4-fold increases) in infected Frantoio and Leccino. These results were consistent with the previously reported positive association of quinic acid with X. fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa symptoms and titres in grapevine. Differences in the induced responses of these phenolic compounds among cultivars suggest that they play defensive roles in olive tree response to X. fastidiosa infection.
Climate change will inevitably affect agriculture. Simulations of the effects of climate change on the agronomic performance (plant height, biomass dry weight, number of spikes, grain weight, harvest ...index, and 1000-kernel weight) of nine durum wheat cultivars were performed to identify the genotypes that will have a greater yield potential over the next 50 years. Plants were grown in two Fitotron® CGR crop growth chambers: “room 2020” designed to reproduce the current climatic conditions (control) and “room 2070”, designed to simulate the expected climate for the year 2070 in the RCP8.5 scenario (800 ppm, elevated CO2, and a temperature increase of 2.5 °C). The plant life cycle was clearly shorter in “room 2070” due to the physiological strategy of the plant to escape the high summer temperatures through early ripening of the kernels. Again, in “room 2070”, the modern cultivars Rusticano, San Carlo, and Simeto and the old cultivar Cappelli increased the grain yield. Surprisingly, Cappelli seemed to be particularly suitable for cultivation in an environment rich in atmospheric CO2 and under high temperature stress, since it produced a grain yield that was approximately three times higher than the other varieties.
In the last years, the interest in Italian monovarietal oils has increased due to their specific organoleptic qualities. Extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs) are rich in phenolic compounds, secondary ...metabolites well known and studied for their nutraceutical properties. However, among EVOOs, there is great variability in phenolic composition due to the origin, the production technique, and mainly, the genotype. The aim of this work was to evaluate the different phenolic profiles and the antioxidant activities of monovarietal oils. The results confirm this variability. In fact, the overall content of oleuropein varies up to four times between the different genotypes (from 33.80 to 152.32 mg/kg oil), while the oleocanthal content is significant only in two oils. The antioxidant activity, determined with 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assays, is correlated with the content of total phenolic substances, with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC
) values for the DPPH test ranging from 160 to 91 mg of oil, while the ORAC test shows values between 5.45 and 8.03 μmol Trolox equivalent (TE)/g oil.
The outbreak of the olive quick decline syndrome caused by Xylella fastidiosa represents one of the main agricultural threats in Italy. Recently, thirty asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic genotypes ...found in olive groves heavily compromised by the bacterium were identified. HPLC ESI/MS-TOF analyses on leaf petiole extract were carried out to characterize the metabolic profile of selected genotypes. Besides uni- and multi-variate statistical methods differentiated the metabolic profiles of olive genotypes genetically related to the cultivars 'Leccino' and 'Ciciulara', no common metabolic pattern was found among the selected genotypes with respect to susceptible one. In-depth evaluation of seven selected phenolic compounds highlighted quantitative differences between genotypes and the susceptible control cultivar but a resistance-related pattern cannot be yet defind. Nevertheless, an unusually high concentration of quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside characterized a genotype genetically related to Tunisian cultivars which displayed no symptoms besides high bacterial concentration, suggesting how tolerance may be related to peculiar phenolic profiles.
Due to global climate change, complex combinations of stresses are expected to occur, among which the interaction between pathogens and drought stress may have a significant effect on growth and ...yield. In this study, the
(
)-resistant
Leccino and the susceptible one Cellina di Nardò were subjected to (a) individual drought stress, (b)
infection and (c) combination of both stress conditions. Here we report the physiological response to stresses in water content in leaves and the modulation in the expression level of seven genes responsive to plant water status and pathogen infection. In
-resistant plants, higher expression levels are reported for genes belonging to ROS-scavenging systems and for genes involved in pathogen stress (pathogenesis-related,
, and leucine-rich repeat genes,
). However,
and
were not further induced by water deficit. Interestingly, the genes related to drought response (aquaporin,
, dehydration responsive element binding,
, and dehydrin,
), which induction was higher in Cellina di Nardò compared to Leccino during drought stress, was poorly induced in
-susceptible plants when
occur. Conversely,
was induced by
presence in Leccino. These results were consistent with observations on water content. Indeed, response was similar in Leccino regardless kind of stress or combination, whereas a strong reduction was observed in
-susceptible plants infected by
or in presence of combined stresses. Thus, the reported findings indicate that resistance of Leccino to
could be linked to its lower resistance to water stress, probably leading to the activation of alternative defense pathways that support the plant in
response.
Sommario
I principali meccanismi coinvolti nella patogenesi del diabete gestazionale (GDM) sono l’insulino-resistenza e la ridotta secrezione insulinica. In gravidanza, l’aumento di tessuto adiposo e ...di adipochine, potenziando lo stato infiammatorio cronico, potrebbe aggravare lo stato di insulino-resistenza, favorendo così l’insorgenza di GDM. Questa rassegna vuole sottolineare il potenziale significato fisiopatologico e prognostico delle adipochine nel GDM, con particolare riferimento ad adiponectina e leptina.
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