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In this paper the extraction of curcuminoids from Curcuma longa roots has been carried out. In particular, the interest was focused on curcumin as powerful anti-tumoral that would result from its ability to induce apoptosis in cancer cells without cytotoxic effects on healthy cells. The latter could in fact interfere with the activity of the transcription factor TNF alpha and beta (Tumor Necrosis Factor) which has been linked to a number of inflammatory diseases and even cancer. The fast solid-liquid dynamic extractor (RSLDE), the Naviglio Extractor (NE) is an innovative technology allowing to drain quickly, than other extraction techniques currently exist, the solid matrices containing substances extractable in an organic solvent or inorganic and their mixtures. This innovative technique was used as an alternative to conventional solid-liquid extraction techniques like as maceration (or infusion) and percolation because it allows to use only water as extracting liquid at room temperature and it ends its extractive cycle in minimal time of contact between solid and liquid such a way extracted molecules are not undergone to chemical degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni is a perennial plant native to Paraguay whose leaves have been known for a long time for their intense sweetness. The plant showed highly adaptability from the pedo-climatic point of view and to confirming this, today it is grown successfully in many countries aside from the place of origin, for both temperature and solar exposure. As regards the leaves biomass production (the leaves of stevia are the marketable part of the plant), the most suitable territories are those located at high latitudes. Depending on the chemical composition of the plant and in particular of its leaves, the molecules that impart sweetness are defined "steviol glycosides": among them, the preeminent ones are stevioside and rebaudioside A whose sweetening powers are 300 times higher than those of sucrose or cane sugar. The importance that holding these compounds, in addition to their sweetening power, is also linked to their special properties: they are non-caloric and play an important role in combating certain diseases, nowadays spread in the world, like hyperglycemia and hypertension. In Europe, despite the Stevia was already known since the late 800's, the go-ahead to commercialization of steviol glycosides have been granted only starting from 2010. Stevia extracts were marketed in the form of food additives and placed in specific food categories such as "reduced energy value" or "no added sugar" or also they can be used in specific products or as table sweetener. In this work it is a new solid-liquid extraction process is presented that allows the cold extraction of steviol glycosides from Stevia leaves realized by the use of the Naviglio extractor and the subsequent purification which allows to obtain the mixtures of steviol glycosides which may be employed in the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the search for new applications of artichoke wastes, it has been confirmed that they contain a large amount of bioactive compounds. In fact, artichoke industrial by-products (stems, outer bracts, leaves) represent about the 80% (w/w) of the biomass and may be used as raw material for the extraction of food ingredients and nutraceuticals. The biological activity of artichoke by-products, and in particular their marked antioxidant effects, are linked to their particular chemical composition, which includes high levels of phenolic compounds with a high content of caffeoylquinic acid derivatives and flavonoids. Conventional hot maceration is an expensive technique and requires high temperatures and long times of solid-liquid contact can affect the quality of the extract. As alternative, the use of the dynamic Extractor (Naviglio) which operates at low temperatures avoiding the degradation of biomolecules appears to be a more economical process for the extraction of biomolecule from artichokes by-products. Main advantages are: - rapid exhaustion of the solid matrix containing extractables, low operating temperatures (ambient or sub - ambient); - reproducibility of the extraction that allows a real opportunity to standardize extracts for the content in active principles, with the guarantee production of extracts of quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]