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This study investigates the stereospecific distribution of fatty acids across the triacylglycerol molecules in breast milk obtained at three different periods of lactation. Fatty acids were distributed within the three sn-positions of the glycerol backbone in a highly specific pattern; the shorter fatty acids tend toward the sn-2 and sn-3 positions of the glycerol molecule, whereas the longer chain fatty acids are more in the sn-1 and sn-3 position. Significant differences in fatty acid composition occurred between lactation times, but factors affecting the fatty acids content do not alter their regiospecific fatty acyl profile, although the quantities in each position can be changed. This suggests that the fatty acids regiodistribution profile in human milk related to the optimal infant growth should be used as a standard for the preparation of infant formulas.

Lacrima di Morro d’Alba is a red DOC (controlled designation of origin) wine, which is produced in the region of Marche (Italy) using the homonymous grape cultivar of Vitis vinifera. Lacrima di Morro contains the diglucosides of malvidin, petunidin, peonidin, whereas cyanidin and its derivatives were not detected with high performance liquid chromatography coupled with an ion trap mass spectrometer. Among anthocyanins, only the coumaroyl derivatives of peonidin and petunidin were positively related to copigmentation and color intensity, unlike malvidin-3-coumarylglucoside. Tannins (ranging only from less than 50–224 mg/L) and large polymeric pigments were indifferent with regard to copigmentation, whereas gallic acid and quercetin were the non-pigmented phenolics positively related to copigmentation and color intensity. (+)-catechin was related with a brown, oxidized hue and with non-copigmented anthocyanins. Copigmentation was positively related to the sour taste of the wine, but was negatively related to the astringent taste.

Cholesterol oxidation was studied in 12 samples of mass-produced egg pasta and in home-made egg pasta produced with fresh eggs obtained from hens bred in the open with organic methods (a), fresh eggs purchased in a local retail shop (b) and spray-dried eggs, which are not allowed by Italian law (c). The lipids of commercial egg pasta contained almost twice the concentration of cholesterol of hand-made egg pasta (2.6 vs. 1.4 mg/100 mg lipids). Mass-produced egg pasta contained 2.2±1.5 μg oxycholesterols (cholesterol oxidation products, or COPs)/g of pasta, αEpo being the most represented oxycholesterol. The oxycholesterol content in home-made pasta was 1.7, 3.5 and 3.6 μg/g pasta, for pasta obtained with samples a, b and c, respectively. 7β-Hydroxycholesterol and β-epoxy-cholesterol were not taken in account, because they co-eluted with campesterol and campestanol, respectively. The home-made procedure (eggs mixed with flour and water and dried for 48 h at 30 °C) led to the formation of 7 k and 7α, rather than αEpo. The use of eggs from hens bred in the open reduced the COPs content considerably. The home-made product should be consumed within a few days after manufacturing or should be immediately refrigerated.