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The production and the properties of lightweight composite panels, with expanded vermiculite as lightweight aggregate and geopolymer as binder, were investigated. Different compositions of the geopolymer binders (metakaolin or alumina-based) and two sizes of expanded vermiculite were tested. The produced composites were subjected to microstructural analyses, as well as to thermal and mechanical tests. Densities ranged between 700 and 900 kg/m3, while the average strength and thermal conductivity were about 2 MPa and 0.2 W/mK, respectively. Results show that lightweight composites can be produced with satisfactory density and mechanical and thermal properties compared with other materials used in building sector, such as plasterboard or cellular concrete. Keywords: Lightweight inorganic composites, Geopolymer, Expanded vermiculite, Thermal properties, Thermal conductivity

Water mobility and availability in coffee play an important role in the roasting and storage process, depending on the interactions between the aqueous phase and the biopolymeric matrix. The aim of this research was to deepen the understanding of these aspects in green and roasted coffee, by means of the joint application of traditional saturated salt slurry (DES) and innovative dynamic dewpoint (DDI) methods for adsorption isotherm generation. In addition, on green and roasted samples at different hydration levels, the assessment of proton transverse relaxation time by TD-NMR and dielectric properties through waveguide spectroscopy in the spectral ranges 2–3, 5–6 GHz and 17–18 GHz have been performed. Green coffee exhibited above the critical a w a different behavior if observed by means of DES or DDI, demonstrating that its hydration is strictly time dependent because of its heterogeneous structure; this phenomenon was not detectable for roasted coffee, that showed very similar results with the two different techniques. The measurement of T 2 by using TD-NMR permitted to study the mobility of different proton pools with a high level of details, allowing the quantitative assessment of exchange/interaction phenomena occurring along matrix re-hydration and the consequent increase of water proton mobility. At low frequencies, the described dielectric technique showed high potentiality for the non-destructive estimation of water content of green and roasted coffee. At higher frequencies, the obtained signal seems to be more related to water/solid matrix interactions and water activity.

Ashes derived from the combustion of vegetal and animal biomass still represent a mostly unexplored secondary raw material for the production of alkali-activated materials, given their peculiar chemical nature. In this work, calcium phosphate biomass ashes were successfully used as partially reactive fillers in a metakaolin-based geopolymer composite to produce, by direct foaming, sustainable and lightweight boards with thermal insulating properties. The investigated materials were obtained by activating a blend of metakaolin and biomass ash in a weight ratio of 1: 1 and foamed with the addition of H2O2 in measure of 5 wt. %, to maximize the volume of disposed ash and ensure adequate properties to the material at the same time. The obtained geopolymer composite was characterized by microstructural, chemical-physical, mechanical and thermal analysis: the obtained results showed that biomass ash and metakaolin well integrated in the microstructure of the final porous material, which was characterized by a density of about 310 kg/m3 and a thermal conductivity of 0.073 W/mK at a mean test temperature of 30 °C, coupled with an acceptable compressive strength of about 0.6 MPa. Dilatometric and thermogravimetric analysis, performed up to 1000 °C, highlighted the thermal stability of the composite, which could be regarded as a promising material for low-cost, self-bearing thermal insulating partitions or lightweight cores for thermostructural sandwich panels.

The present work investigates how ultrasound pretreatment modulates the effects of osmotic dehydration (OD) on the water state and microstructure of kiwifruit. Kiwifruit slices (10 mm thick) were subjected to ultrasonic waves in a water bath at a frequency of 35 kHz for 10, 20 and 30 min. OD process was then carried out by immersing the samples in 61.5% sucrose solution equilibrated at 25 °C for a contact period of 0, 10, 20, 30, 60 and 120 min. The partition of water into the cellular tissue structures (vacuole, cytoplasm, extracellular spaces and cell wall) was investigated by Time Domain Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (TD-NMR). In parallel, the microstructure of kiwifruits slices was examined using a Scanning Electron Microscope. The results showed that US pretreatment performed for more than 10 min had a positive effect on the mass exchange caused by osmotic dehydration. A creation of microchannels and an increase of the average cross-section area of cells were observed when the samples were pretreated with US before OD. TD-NMR showed a slight redistribution of water through the substructures of the cells, as a function of the length of the US pretreatment applied.

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a common vaginal disorder characterized by the decrease of lactobacilli and overgrowth of Gardnerella vaginalis and resident anaerobic vaginal bacteria. In the present work, the effects of rifaximin vaginal tablets on vaginal microbiota and metabolome of women affected by BV were investigated by combining quantitative PCR and a metabolomic approach based on 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance. To highlight the general trends of the bacterial communities and metabolomic profiles in response to the antibiotic/placebo therapy, a multivariate statistical strategy was set up based on the trajectories traced by vaginal samples in a principal component analysis space. Our data demonstrated the efficacy of rifaximin in restoring a health-like condition in terms of both bacterial communities and metabolomic features. In particular, rifaximin treatment was significantly associated with an increase in the lactobacillus/BV-related bacteria ratio, as well as with an increase in lactic acid concentration and a decrease of a pool of metabolites typically produced by BV-related bacteria (acetic acid, succinate, short-chain fatty acids, and biogenic amines). Among the tested dosages of rifaximin (100 and 25 mg for 5 days and 100 mg for 2 days), 25 mg for 5 days was found to be the most effective.

It is commonly accepted that the digestibility of the proteins of a protein-rich food can be affected by the spatial arrangement of its components, so that two foods with similar macronutrient composition may show different digestibility if produced through different technological processes. Few studies address this topic in vivo, due to the difficulties in setting up a suitable protocol, while a great variety of in vitro digestion tests are described in the literature. Recently the authors of the present paper described one protocol mostly based on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) in its Time Domain (TD) and high resolution (HR) variants. TD-NMR measurements at 0.23–0.46 Tesla can be applied to get information about the spatial arrangements of several kinds of food through the interactions between biopolymers and water. Amino acids, peptides and proteins solubilised by digestion can be simultaneously observed by means of HR-NMR, which offers qualitative information about the size distribution of macromolecules by means of the measure of signal linewidth. The present paper focuses on practical aspects of the application of TD- and HR-NMR to the setting up of protocols for the study of the relationships between the structure of protein-rich foods and their digestibility. For this purpose, details on a recently published study describing the protocol set for evaluating the in vitro digestion of Parmigiano cheese by TD- and HR-NMR are given. Some comparisons with other matrices, such as fresh and cured meat, are provided as well.

The effects of individual osmotic dehydration processes (OD) on kiwifruit outer pericarp tissue were studied as reliant on treatment temperature (25, 35 and 45 °C) and extent (0–300 min). Macro (Low Frequency Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, LF-NMR), micro (Light Microscopy, LM) and ultrastructural (Transmission Electron Microscopy, TEM) measurements were performed to evaluate modifications of three cellular compartments, namely vacuole, cytoplasm – extracellular space and cell wall. Both LF-NMR relaxometry and LM observations highlighted shrinkage of the vacuole compartment along the OD. Intercellular space formations, observed at TEM, were in agreement with LF-NMR results. Cell walls of outer pericarp showed considerable changes in size, structure and stain uptake during OD, at both LM and TEM. Furthermore cell walls showed extensive swelling, which intensity varied from cell to cell and even within the same cell. The proposed multianalytical approach should enable both better designs of combined processing technologies and estimations of their effects on tissue response.

Background Epidemiology of celiac disease (CD) is increasing. CD mainly presents in early childhood with small intestinal villous atrophy and signs of malabsorption. Compared to healthy individuals, CD patients seemed to be characterized by higher numbers of Gram-negative bacteria and lower numbers Gram-positive bacteria. Results This study aimed at investigating the microbiota and metabolome of 19 celiac disease children under gluten-free diet (treated celiac disease, T-CD) and 15 non-celiac children (HC). PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analyses by universal and group-specific primers were carried out in duodenal biopsies and faecal samples. Based on the number of PCR-DGGE bands, the diversity of Eubacteria was the higher in duodenal biopsies of T-CD than HC children. Bifidobacteria were only found in faecal samples. With a few exceptions, PCR-DGGE profiles of faecal samples for Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria differed between T-CD and HC. As shown by culture-dependent methods, the levels of Lactobacillus, Enterococcus and Bifidobacteria were confirmed to be significantly higher (P = 0.028; P = 0.019; and P = 0.023, respectively) in fecal samples of HC than in T-CD children. On the contrary, cell counts (CFU/ml) of presumptive Bacteroides, Staphylococcus, Salmonella, Shighella and Klebsiella were significantly higher (P = 0.014) in T-CD compared to HC children. Enterococcus faecium and Lactobacillus plantarum were the species most diffusely identified. This latter species was also found in all duodenal biopsies of T-CD and HC children. Other bacterial species were identified only in T-CD or HC faecal samples. As shown by Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA-PCR analysis, the percentage of strains identified as lactobacilli significantly (P = 0.011) differed between T-CD (ca. 26.5%) and HC (ca. 34.6%) groups. The metabolome of T-CD and HC children was studied using faecal and urine samples which were analyzed by gas-chromatography mass spectrometry-solid-phase microextraction and 1H-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. As shown by Canonical Discriminant Analysis of Principal Coordinates, the levels of volatile organic compounds and free amino acids in faecal and/or urine samples were markedly affected by CD. Conclusion As shown by the parallel microbiology and metabolome approach, the gluten-free diet lasting at least two years did not completely restore the microbiota and, consequently, the metabolome of CD children. Some molecules (e.g., ethyl-acetate and octyl-acetate, some short chain fatty acids and free amino acids, and glutamine) seems to be metabolic signatures of CD.

Beef chops were stored at 4°C under different conditions: in air (A), modified-atmosphere packaging (MAP), vacuum packaging (V), or bacteriocin-activated antimicrobial packaging (AV). After 0 to 45 days of storage, analyses were performed to determine loads of spoilage microorganisms, microbial metabolites (by solid-phase microextraction [SPME]-gas chromatography [GC]-mass spectrometry [MS] and proton nuclear magnetic resonance [ 1 H NMR]), and microbial diversity (by PCR–denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis [DGGE] and pyrosequencing). The microbiological shelf life of meat increased with increasing selectivity of storage conditions. Culture-independent analysis by pyrosequencing of DNA extracted directly from meat showed that Brochothrix thermosphacta dominated during the early stages of storage in A and MAP, while Pseudomonas spp. took over during further storage in A. Many different bacteria, several of which are usually associated with soil rather than meat, were identified in V and AV; however, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) dominated during the late phases of storage, and Carnobacterium divergens was the most frequent microorganism in AV. Among the volatile metabolites, butanoic acid was associated with the growth of LAB under V and AV storage conditions, while acetoin was related to the other spoilage microbial groups and storage conditions. 1 H NMR analysis showed that storage in air was associated with decreases in lactate, glycogen, IMP, and ADP levels and with selective increases in levels of 3-methylindole, betaine, creatine, and other amino acids. The meat microbiota is significantly affected by storage conditions, and its changes during storage determine complex shifts in the metabolites produced, with a potential impact on meat quality.

This study investigated mass transfer and water state changes promoted by osmotic dehydration on two kiwifruit species, Actinidia deliciosa and Actinidia chinensis. Osmotic treatment was performed in a 61.5% w/v sucrose solution at three different temperatures (25, 35 and 45 °C), with treatment time from 0 to 300 min. Treatment time positively influenced kiwifruit water loss and solid gain while temperature significantly affected only water loss. Peleg’s model highlighted that the main response differences between the two species occurred during the initial phase of the osmotic treatment. Thermal properties and relaxation time measurements offered a complementary view concerning the effects of osmotic dehydration on kiwifruit. DSC parameters appeared to be sensitive to water and solid exchange between fruit and osmotic solution. LF-NMR proton T2 revealed the consequences of the water– solid exchange on the cell compartments, namely vacuole, cytoplasm plus extracellular space and cell wall. During the osmotic treatment, the initial freezing temperature and the freezable water content decrease was dependent on time and treatment temperature, showing a similar tendency for both the kiwifruit species. They evidenced the same treatment response also concerning the reduction of vacuole and the increase of cytoplasm plus extracellular space T2 values.

Objectives Rifaximin, a rifamycin derivative, has been reported to induce clinical remission of active Crohn's disease (CD), a chronic inflammatory bowel disorder. In order to understand how rifaximin affects the colonic microbiota and its metabolism, an in vitro human colonic model system was used in this study. Methods We investigated the impact of the administration of 1800 mg/day of rifaximin on the faecal microbiota of four patients affected by colonic active CD [Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI > 200)] using a continuous culture colonic model system. We studied the effect of rifaximin on the human gut microbiota using fluorescence in situ hybridization, quantitative PCR and PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. Furthermore, we investigated the effect of the antibiotic on microbial metabolic profiles, using (1)H-NMR and solid phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and its potential genotoxicity and cytotoxicity, using Comet and growth curve assays. Results Rifaximin did not affect the overall composition of the gut microbiota, whereas it caused an increase in concentration of Bifidobacterium, Atopobium and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii. A shift in microbial metabolism was observed, as shown by increases in short-chain fatty acids, propanol, decanol, nonanone and aromatic organic compounds, and decreases in ethanol, methanol and glutamate. No genotoxicity or cytotoxicity was attributed to rifaximin, and conversely rifaximin was shown to have a chemopreventive role by protecting against hydrogen peroxide-induced DNA damage. Conclusions We demonstrated that rifaximin, while not altering the overall structure of the human colonic microbiota, increased bifidobacteria and led to variation of metabolic profiles associated with potential beneficial effects on the host.

The feasibility of utilizing infrared spectroscopy for the prediction of haze formation in white wines resulting from heat and colloidal stability tests was investigated. One-hundred eleven white wines, representing multiple regions and varieties from the 2008 California vintage, were collected and analyzed. The near and mid-infrared spectra were measured and heat and colloidal (ethanol addition) stability tests were performed on the same wines. Partial-least squares regression analysis was then used to construct models predictive of the resulting nepholometric turbidity to the acquired spectra. Preliminary models obtained following application of spectral pretreatments today considered as “classical” (e.g., derivatives, standard normal variate, vector normalization, constant offset elimination) lacked robustness; two alternative algorithms designed to remove spectral information unrelated to the turbidity were then employed (orthogonal signal correction; direct orthogonal signal correction). While OSC pretreatment did not result in more robust models, DOSC considerably enhanced the goodness of the PLS model constructed to predict the ethanol test turbidity. Predictive modeling of the short-NIR spectra, following DOSC preprocessing, allowed the prediction of colloidal stability on an unknown test set with an R 2 = 0.80 and a RMSEP = 10.12 using three latent variables. When the data set was restricted to Chardonnay wines alone, the predictive ability improved, with R 2 = 0.85 and RMSEP = 8.90.

The 8-oxoguanosine derivative 1 and the 8-oxoinosine derivative 2 b, with appropriate substituents on their ribose moieties, form hexagonal lyotropic mesophases in hydrocarbon solvents. Small-angle X-ray scattering analysis of a film of 1 and of the mesophase of 2 b, and NMR and CD spectra of isotropic solutions of 2 b, indicate that in both cases the supramolecular structures adopted are continuous helices formed by a hydrogen-bond network between the heterocyclic bases. Notably, while derivative 2 b, which bears large substituents on its ribose moiety, undergoes self-assembly and mesophase formation, oxoinosine 2 a, with only decanoyl groups on its ribose moiety, does not. This may be ascribed to the reduced amphiphilic properties of the latter and the absence of aromatic groups.

Background: Albuminuria is the best and most readily available marker for glomerular damage and progressive renal function loss in patients with diabetic nephropathy. Recently, administration of the oral glycosaminoglycan sulodexide (a mixture of 80% fast-moving heparin and 20% dermatan sulphate) was shown to effectively decrease albumin excretion rate in diabetics with nephropathy. Aims: To evaluate whether the hypoalbuminuric effect of sulodexide is associated with improvement of the renal vascular or tubule function. Methods: Forty-five type 1 diabetic patients, affected by diabetic nephropathy with albuminuria for at least 5 years, were randomly allocated to sulodexide or untreated. Those allocated to sulodexide were given 100 mg of sulodexide daily for 120 days. Renal vascular function (DIR) and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) excretion were estimated before and at the end of the study, the former in thesulodexide group only. DIR was measured as two Crcl lasting 120 min (before and during 2 µg/kg b.w. i.v. dopamine). Results: The analysis of trends during the study demonstrated a marked reduction of albuminuria in the sulodexide group (from 126.1 ± 15.41 to 93.6 ± 13.7 mg/day). DIR rose from 13.2 ± 2.1% to 15.44 ± 1.9% (relative increase: +16.9%), and NAG excretion showed a decreasing trend decreased in the sulodexide group only (from 5.1 ± 0.62 to 4.7 ± 0.40 U/gcreat). Conclusion: The findings presented in this study indicate for the first time that orally available sulodexide may favorably affect the renal vascular function in type 1 diabetic patients with nephropathy and microalbuminuria. The effect of sulodexide on NAG is strongly influenced by the baseline NAG values, with a significant NAG reduction in the patients with the highest baseline NAG values.

OBJECTIVES: We planned to carry out a pilot study to evaluate the efficacy and safety as an antihypercholesterolemic agent of a brand dietary supplement made of Monascus purpureus titrated extract, octacosanols and niacin on 111 Caucasian patients with low cardiovascular disease risk (

A quantitative analysis of NMR proton relaxation in hen egg albumen and yolk is undertaken to research the causes of quality loss during the first few days of storage and to access the feasibility of an on-line NMR sensor of internal egg quality. It is shown that the change in the transverse relaxation in thick egg albumen mainly results from an increase in proton exchange rate resulting from a pH increase attributed to loss of carbon dioxide by diffusion through the eggshell. The results suggest that the low-field T1 is the best relaxation time indicator of albumen quality.

Rationale and Objectives: Serum cholesterol (S-Chol) levels have been reported to affect blood pressure at young age and hypercholesterolemia might promote the development of hypertension (HBP) probably by activating tissue renin-angiotenin system (RAS). The aim of the present study was to assess the rate of developement of stable HBP over a period of 8 years in a population of patients with normal/high-normal blood pressure with a different control of S-Chol levels. Methods: 932 subjects enrolled in the Brisighella Heart Study with baseline BP values 140/90 mmHg and/or treatment for HBP) over the period of follow-up. Results: No major differences have been observed in the demographic and pressure profile between subjects in group 1–2 vs. group 3–4. The 8-year incidence of HBP was 7,1% in group 1–2 and 13.8% in group 3–4 (2p = 0.002) and was significant after adjustment for the main confounding risk factors. The difference between groups 1–2 and 3–4 was confirmed in male (8.2 vs.13.1%; 2 p = 0.04) and female (6.1 vs.14.5%;2 p = 0.006) subjects while disappeared in the older population ( 65 ys = 21.9 vs.25.9%;2 p = 0.081). Within each subpopulation of subjects (1/2 and 3/4) HBP rate was higher in subjects older and with higher baseline BP values but this does not affect the impact of the different control of S-Chol. Conclusions: S-Chol levels are related to the new onset of HBP and a more aggressive strategy of lipid control could reduce the burden of CV risk beyond control of lipid profile.

It has been suggested that ancient grains show lower immunogenic properties and therefore can be introduced in the diet of non-celiac wheat-sensitive people. In the present study we investigated the possible difference in inflammation caused by feeding ancient Kamut® wheat pasta (KP) compared to modern durum wheat pasta (WP) to rats. The effect of the two experimental diets on the oxidative status was also compared in basal condition and after an exogenous oxidative stress. In rats fed WP the histological evaluation of the duodenum morphology evidenced a flattened mucosa, an unusual shape and shortening of the villi, and a high lymphocyte infiltration, while no modifications were detected in KP fed animals. The fecal metabolite profiling was differently modified by the two diets, suggesting significant changes in the gut microflora. Furthermore, the results confirmed previous data on the antioxidant protection in rats by Kamut® wheat foods. It is conceivable that Kamut® components can act through a hormetic effect, eliciting an adaptive response that protects the organism against both oxidative stress and inflammation.

Digestibility, the rate and extent of nutrient release from food during normal gut transit, is one of the most important properties influencing nutrient bioaccessibility. The digestibility of two different kinds of Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese, aged 15 and 30 months, has been investigated using an in vitro digestion system. To determine the entity of protein hydrolysis, low-field (LF) and high-resolution (HR)-NMR, together with other biochemical methods, were used. HR-NMR allows to simultaneously evaluate the quantity of small molecules, such as free amino acids and organic acids, as well as the presence of peptides and soluble protein fragments in the supernatant of samples collected at the different stages of digestion. The results point out that cheese with different ageing time, althought starting from different initial compositions in terms of free amino acids and small organic compounds, react to digestion in a similar overall way.

In the past few decades, a remarkable increase in the incidence of breast muscle abnormalities termed as white-striping (WS) and wooden-breast (WB) (normally downgraded by the poultry industry and used as raw materials to produce processed products) was observed. Thus, the present study aimed at evaluating the effect of WS and/or WB abnormalities on main compositional traits, lipid and protein oxidation and physicochemical state of water assessed by time domain nuclear magnetic resonance. Overall, if compared with controls, WS and WB groups revealed an increased (P < 0.05) moisture, fat and collagen contents coupled with reduced protein and total heme pigments levels. Otherwise, negligible modifications in fatty acid profile were found. Moreover, higher carbonyls (P < 0.05) were measured in WB and WS/WB samples if compared to normal and WS ones, and WB group also exhibited higher (P < 0.05) TBARS values. Abnormal samples showed a remarkable increase in proportion and mobility of extra-myofibrillar water fraction especially in WB and WS/WB groups. As a result, both functional and quality issues might arise when processed products are formulated including raw meats affected by WS and/or WB.

It is now well established that colour variations from dark, firm and dry (DFD-like) and pale, soft and exudative (PSE-like) poultry meat are associated with variations of water holding capacity (WHC) properties. The study of LR-NMR relaxation properties, and in particular the values of transverse (T2) relaxation, can give relevant information about meat WHC. To assess the existence of a direct connection between meat colour and T2 relaxation, 36 pale (L*>56), 36 normal (L* between 50 and 56) and 36 dark (L*

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) methodologies offer a comprehensive characterization of foodstuff owing to the possibility to study a sample from different points of view including structural, compositional, functional, morphological etc. aspects. High resolution NMR spectroscopy applied to semi-solid food samples or to extracts in solution is used to determine the foodstuff composition. Here, some features of high resolution NMR methodologies related to food analysis such as quantitative analysis, chemometrics, and use of databases are included. Other NMR methodologies such as relaxometry and imaging described in this chapter give precious information regarding the morphology and texture of intact food samples.

Objective: to describe the effect of CoQ10 (added to either a fibrate, or PUFA or association of both) in patients affected by massive hypertriglyceridemia (MHTG) resistant to fibrates and PUFA. Design: Open, sequential, comparative intervention study. Setting: Specialised centres for dyslipidemia management. Subjects: 15 subjects (mean age: 45.1 ± 12.5 years) affected by MHTG and hyporesponsive to either fibrates, or PUFA, or fibrates-PUFA association, and 15 age-matched subjects regularly responders to PUFA and fenofibrate treatment. Interventions: Treatment for periods of 6 weeks each with the following consecutive treatments: CoQ10 150 mg/day, PUFA 3000 mg/day, fenofibrate 200 mg/day, PUFA 3000 mg/day + fenofibrate 200 mg/day, PUFA 3000 mg/day + CoQ10 150 mg/day, fenofibrate 200 mg/day + CoQ10 150 mg/day, and finally, fenofibrate 200 mg/day + PUFA 3000 mg/day + CoQ10 150 mg/day. Results: CoQ10 supplementation improved, in the control group, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, creatinine and Lp(a) plasma levels, both during fenofibrate and/or PUFA treatment. In MHTG group, CoQ10 supplementation significantly improved TG, TC, Lp(a), uric acid and blood pressure during fenofibrate treatment, but only Lp(a) and blood pressure during PUFA treatment. Fenofibrate appeared to have better effect on hsCRP and γ-GT plasma levels than PUFA. No significant change was observed in any group and under any treatment in regards to homocysteinemia, PAI-1, or t-PA. Conclusion: Even though the mechanism of action through which the effects were obtained is yet to be elucidated, adding CoQ10 to fenofibrate could improve the drug's efficacy in MHTG patients not responding to fenofibrate alone.

Pulsed electric field (PEF), as an emerging technique, has recently gained increased popularity in food processing and preservation. However, applications in the seafood industry are still scarce. In the present study, sea bass samples were subjected to PEF pre-treatment prior to brine salting to verify the possible acceleration of the brining rate, increasing the salt uptake and ensuring the homogeneous salt distribution in the muscle. The applied intensity of the current was set at 10 and 20 A (corresponding to a field strength of 0.3 and 0.6 kV/cm) prior to sea bass salting in brine with 5 and 10% salt concentration, respectively. The results have shown that PEF pretreatment could effectively shorten the brine salting time compared to control samples (from 5 to 2 days), or increase the salt uptake up to 77%, ensuring at the same time its homogenous distribution in the muscle. However, myofibrillar protein solubility was significantly reduced in PEF pretreated samples. At the same time, no significant differences in water holding capacity and water activity between PEF pre-treated and untreated samples were found during the whole salting period. Freezable water was influenced by PEF application, but the effect was significant only at the lowest salt concentration during the first period of the salting process. Industrial relevance PEF-assisted brining appears a promising technology in the fish processing industry due to its efficacy in reducing the salt brining time, increasing the mass transfer and enhancing the diffusion of brine into the muscle to ensure the homogeneous distribution of salt in it. The increased salt uptake of the PEF-treated samples compared to control samples shows future potentiality of using PEF prior to salting in the fish processing industry.

Recently, the interest on the application of Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) technology on solid foods is growing considerably mainly due to its potential on increasing extraction yields. The PEF technology has been proposed as an effective method to induce electroporation of cellular tissues and so, to increase the degree of disintegration of cellular systems. The complexity of the optimization procedure is mainly characterized by the difficulty in obtaining a correlation between the processing protocol and the damage degree measurements of biological systems. Different methods of cell disintegration measurement have been proposed in order to understand the influence of the process parameters on the efficiency of the treatment. The most commonly applied method to determine the degree of cell permeabilization is based on changes in electrophysical properties, i.e. the electrical conductivity of samples, σ, that gives information on the cell damage degree of a sample when compared to both an untreated and completely destroyed sample (Angersbach et al., 1999 ; Lebovka et al., 2002). Another method presented is based on the measurements of water distribution inside and outside cells by time domain nuclear magnetic resonance (TD-NMR) (Dellarosa et al., 2016). Alternatively, changes of texture can be quantitative determined as a measurement of mechanical destruction of cells (Lebovka, Praporscic, & Vorobiev, 2004). The aim of this study is to compare different proposed methods for the evaluation of the degree of cell disintegration (z) in apple tissue applying low electric field strengths, which could induce both reversible and irreversible electroporation. Electrical conductivity according to Angersbach et al., 1999 and Lebovka et al., 2002, proton transverse relaxation time (T2) according to Dellarosa et al., 2016 and the quantification of the effect on tissue structure based on texture analysis evaluating differences of deformation gradient (N mm-1) of stress-strain curves, were compared. Different PEF treatments were applied to apple cylinders (1.5 cm diameter; 2.0 cm length) using an in-house developed pulse generator equipment providing monopolar pulses of near-rectangular shape using following parameters: E = 100, 250, 400 V cm-1; pulse width = 100 ± 2 μS, frequency = 100 Hz and 60 pulse series. Four different methods to evaluate the cell disintegration degree were compared. Results showed the same trends for all methods used. However, the results of z index obtained by the texture analysis and those obtained by NMR relaxometry seemed to better describe the effect of reversible and irreversible electroporation occurred at these low intensity PEF treatments compared to methods based on changes in electrophysical properties. Therefore, proposed methods could be used to improve the assessment of PEF treatment protocols in order to increase the effectiveness of novel possible applications.

The analysis of the metabolome has become particularly important in human studies, allowing the identification of typical and atypical metabolites in determined biofluids and tissues. This is clearly fundamental for medical investigations, since it could be possible to assess the presence or absence of certain diseases and syndromes or risk conditions. Another widespread use of the metabolomic approach is the research on specific dietary effects on the metabolic profile. It is necessary to take research further and investigate the presence of determined food molecules in fluids or tissues from individuals without a controlled dietary intervention. NMR spectroscopy techniques can be very useful in different nutrimetabonomics approaches, thanks to the quickness, high-throughput efficacy and high-reproducibility of its methods. In this paper the two main nutrimetabolomic strategies were highlighted, both greatly aided by the use of NMR spectroscopy. The first one requires a direct intervention on a sample population in order to assess the direct effects on the metabolome after the intake of a particular food product or category. In the other technique, instead, observational studies in free-eating populations are carried out. At first nutritional data is analysed in order to find possible dietary patterns, then these have to be proved by the inspection of biofluid spectra, in order to find molecules capable in discriminating among the dietary behaviours.

This paper presents the application of the main spectroscopic techniques, including near infrared (NIR), mid-infrared (MIR) and traditional ultraviolet (UV) and visible (Vis) wavelengths, coupled with chemometric methods, to analyze grape and wine composition. In particular, IR spectroscopic techniques have the potential to shorten the analytical procedure for the simultaneous measurement of selected grape and wine components with minimal sample preparation and reagent consumption. IR spectra show specific fingerprint-like patterns that are useful for quantification (and discrimination) purposes, including both primary and secondary grape and wine metabolites, mostly suited for process monitoring, quality control, and authenticity assessment. The current state of development related to grape and wine chemistry, sensory analysis and emerging applications are discussed herein with emphasis on quantification tasks.