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Numerous studies support the protective role of bioactive peptides against cardiovascular diseases. Cereals represent the primary source of carbohydrates, but they also contain substantial amounts of proteins, therefore representing a potential dietary source of bioactive peptides with nutraceutical activities. The analysis of wheat extracts purified by chromatographic techniques by means of HPLC-UV/nanoLC-nanoESI-QTOF allowed the identification of a signal of about 7 kDa which, following data base searches, was ascribed to a nonspecific lipid-transfer protein (nsLTP) type 2 from Triticum aestivum (sequence coverage of 92%). For the first time nsLTP2 biological activities have been investigated. In particular, in experiments with human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), nsLTP2 displayed antioxidant and cytoprotective activities, being able to significantly decrease reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and to reduce lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, generated following oxidative (hydrogen peroxide) and inflammatory (tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin-1β, and lipopolysaccharide) stimulation. The obtained promising results suggest potential protective role of nsLTP2 in vascular diseases prevention. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: nsLTP 2 peptide is resistant to proteases throughout the gastrointestinal tract and exerts antioxidant and cytoprotective activities. These characteristics could be exploited in vascular diseases prevention.

The most commercialized Bt maize plants in Europe were transformed with genes which express a truncated form of the insecticidal delta-endotoxin (Cry1Ab) from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) specifically against Lepidoptera. Studies on the effect of transgenic maize on non-target arthropods have mainly converged on beneficial insects. However, considering the worldwide extensive cultivation of Bt maize, an increased availability of information on their possible impact on non-target pests is also required. In this study, the impact of Bt-maize on the non-target corn leaf aphid, Rhopalosiphum maidis, was examined by comparing biological traits and demographic parameters of two generations of aphids reared on transgenic maize with those on untransformed near-isogenic plants. Furthermore, free and bound phenolics content on transgenic and near-isogenic plants were measured. Here we show an increased performance of the second generation of R. maidis on Bt-maize that could be attributable to indirect effects, such as the reduction of defense against pests due to unintended changes in plant characteristics caused by the insertion of the transgene. Indeed, the comparison of Bt-maize with its corresponding near-isogenic line strongly suggests that the transformation could have induced adverse effects on the biosynthesis and accumulation of free phenolic compounds. In conclusion, even though there is adequate evidence that aphids performed better on Bt-maize than on non-Bt plants, aphid economic damage has not been reported in commercial Bt corn fields in comparison to non-Bt corn fields. Nevertheless, Bt-maize plants can be more easily exploited by R. maidis, possibly due to a lower level of secondary metabolites present in their leaves. The recognition of this mechanism increases our knowledge concerning how insect-resistant genetically modified plants impact on non-target arthropods communities, including tritrophic web interactions, and can help support a sustainable use of genetically modified crops.

Major problems facing common bean production in the European Union include the significant and consistent decrease in legume consumption and the potential risk to local landraces by commercial cultivars. With the need to both increase local Phaseolus vulgaris L. ecotype production and to expand studies on potential genetic diversity impacts on nutritional components, the aim was to investigate a range of nutritional constituents in the Italian landraces, “Zolfino del Pratomagno” (Tuscany), “Fagiolo di Sarconi” (Basilicata) and “Fagiolo di Lamon (Veneto). Zolfino landraces were distinctive for significantly higher levels of amino acids, G2 protein fraction (lectin), ash, as well as total lipid and Monounsaturated Fatty Acid (MUFA) content, with Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) depicting a divergence of Zolfino from the Sarconi and Lamon landraces, respectively. Fatty acid profiles were distinctive for landrace. An equivalent ratio of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA) to MUFA was evident for Zolfino. LDA showed distinctive, separate cluster groupings for the landraces, with Zolfino differentiated by the combined increased levels of oleic and palmitoleic acids, and the presence of heptadecanoic acid. The Sarconi landraces were characterized by the combined higher palmitic and linolenic acids and the absence of both myristic and tridecanoic acids, whereas the Lamon landraces were characterized by combination of higher linolenic acid, lower palmitic acid and the presence of both myristic and tridecanoic acids. The potential of expanding studies to include fatty acid profiles as possible sources of “genotype-niche diversity” fingerprints for common bean is shown to be feasible.

Background/objectives Khorasan wheat is an ancient grain with widely acclaimed beneficial effects on human health. The objective of the study was to examine the effect of a Khorasan-based diet on the wellbeing and inflammatory profile of young athletes. Results We conducted a randomized, single-blinded crossover trial involving 20 male young athletes. The participants were randomly assigned to consume products (pasta, bread, biscuits and crackers) made either with Khorasan (KAMUT® brand) or modern semi-whole-grain wheat for 4-weeks with a 4-week washout period before the crossover. Laboratory analyses and fitness tests were performed both at the beginning and end of each diet period. The consumption of Khorasan products was associated with a significant reduction of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1; mean reduction: -36.15 pg/mL; -25.67%) while the consumption of modern wheat was not associated with significant differences in Interleukin-8 (IL-8) or Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra). The consumption of the Khorasan-based diet also resulted in a significant improvement in self-rated health status. No statistically significant differences in any athletic performance parameter were observed between the two diets. Conclusion The present results suggest that a Khorasan-based diet could be effective in reducing the inflammatory status in young athletes. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Beyond the nutritional value, legumes and particularly common beans are found in several dietary supplements used to treat diabesity (diabetes and obesity). These products contain not only inhibitors of carbohydrate-hydrolising enzymes (α-amylase, α-glucosidase), but also antinutritional factors that can cause adverse effects on human health. In the present research, twenty-two accessions of grain legumes were screened for bioactive (α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitors) and antinutritional (lectins, flatulence-producing sugars, trypsin inhibitors) phytochemicals. Results showed that four accessions had high α-amylase inhibiting activities (AI>30%), and particularly the common bean ‘Great Northern’ resulted of interest for its high carbo-blocker activity (AI=42.6±0.5%), absence of lectins, low amounts of flatulence-producing oligosaccharides (2.5±0.2g/100g DW) and low anti-trypsin activity (22.5±4.3 trypsin inhibiting unit/mg DW). The knowledge offered from this work provides leads to the ultimate goal of developing new, more effective and safer dietary supplements for diabesity management.

Due to its significant amount of antioxidants, durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum) could potentially contribute to the protection against a number of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. The increasing interest toward healthy food among both consumers and scientists has moved the focus toward the phytochemical content of whole wheat grains. The aim of this study was to identify the phytochemical composition of 22 cultivars belonging to old and modern durum wheat genotypes, including antioxidant capacity (DPPH and FRAP tests). In addition, five phenolic acids involved in the vanillin biosynthesis pathway and in the defence mechanism of plants were screened using UHPLC‐MS/MS. Remarkable quantitative differences in the amount of the five phenolic acids analysed (p < 0.05) were detected among the wheat genotypes investigated. Results showed that among the investigated phenolic compounds, trans‐ferulic acid was the most abundant, ranging from 13.28 to 324.69 μg/g; all the other identified compounds were present at lower concentrations. Moreover, significant differences on the antioxidant activity were observed. Collected data suggested possible differences between biosynthetic pathway of secondary metabolites among durum wheat genotypes.

Cereals and legumes are key components of a healthy and balanced diet. Accordingly, many national nutritional guidelines emphasize their health promoting properties by placing them at the base of nutritional food pyramids. This concept is further validated by the observed correlation between a lower risk and occurrence of chronic diseases and the adherence to dietary patterns, like the Mediterranean diet, in which cereal grains, legumes and derived products represent a staple food. In the search for a dietary approach to control/prevent chronic degenerative diseases, protein derived bioactive peptides may represent one such source of health-enhancing components. These peptides may already be present in foods as natural components or may derive from hydrolysis by chemical or enzymatic treatments (digestion, hydrolysis or fermentation). Many reports are present in the literature regarding the bioactivity of peptides in vitro and a wide range of activities has been described, including antimicrobial properties, blood pressure-lowering (ACE inhibitory) effects, cholesterol-lowering ability, antithrombotic and antioxidant activities, enhancement of mineral absorption/bioavailability, cyto- or immunomodulatory effects, and opioid-like activities. However it is difficult to translate these observed effects to human. In fact, the active peptide may be degraded during digestion, or may not be absorbed or reach the target tissues at a concentration necessary to exert its function. This review will focus on bioactive peptides identified in cereals and legumes, from an agronomical and biochemical point of view, including considerations about requirements for the design of appropriate clinical trials necessary for the assessment of their nutraceutical effect in vivo.

Wheat grain (Triticum aestivum L.) possesses significant amounts of antioxidants that contribute to the dietary antiradical protection against a number of chronic diseases. Despite the increasing interest in organic food among both consumers and scientists, the availability of literature studies concerning the environment effect under organic management is still scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant properties of wheat varieties by considering the genotype response to different environmental factors under biodynamic management.The soluble fraction of phenolic compounds was mainly determined by the environment, whereas a major genotypic effect was observed for the bound forms, which were present at higher amounts in red grain varieties. Moreover, a predominant effect of genotype was observed for yellow pigment content and antioxidant activity determined by the FRAP method. Despite some changes induced by environment, most genotypes had stable antioxidant properties and different phenolic profiles as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, except for the old variety Inallettabile, which was the most sensitive to environmental fluctuations.The red grain varieties Andriolo, Gentil rosso and Verna were identified as the most promising breeding material for the development of varieties with high nutraceutical value under low-input management. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

In recent years, the interest toward the applicability of Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lights for indoor cultivation has significantly grown. The present work addressed the physiological and phytochemical plant responses to LED lights in indoor cultivation of leafy and fruit vegetable crops (namely sweet basil, Ocimum basilicum L.; and strawberry, Fragaria × Ananassa), with the final aim of improving both productivity and nutritional quality. Artificial light treatments were applied in a multi-sectorial growth chamber equipped with lamps with different light incidence and spectra (with red:blue ratio ranging 0.7–5.5). In all experiments, increased plant biomass, fruit yield and energy use efficiency (EUE) were associated to LED treatments, confirming the superiority of LED compared to the traditional fluorescent lamps. Interestingly, LED lighting enabled to increase antioxidant compounds and reduce nitrates content in basil leaves. A spectral red:blue ratio of 0.7 was necessary for proper plant development and improved nutraceutical properties in both crops.

Flavonoids are plant derived compounds mainly present as O-glycosides. They are hydrolyzed by gut microbial enzymes to their aglycons, which represent the bioavailable and bioactive form. In this work the capability of a Bifidobacterium strain ( Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum B7003) of being used as a probiotic starter culture to obtain fermented legume milks with an increased concentration of flavonoids in their aglycone form was studied. B7003 strain can effectively bioconvert glycosylated flavonoids while fermenting soybean or common bean derived milks. Conversely, a strain used as negative control ( Bifidobacterium longum B7254) could grow on the milks but had low activity in flavonoid bioconversion. B7003 strain possesses basic safety properties, the capability of adhering to gut epithelial cells and showed resistance to simulated food processing conditions. Thus, B. pseudocatenulatum B7003 complies well with a new vision of probiotics, which, beside benefits deriving from gut transit, have additional functional properties, such as the high bioavailability of flavonoids in their aglycone form. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd., The study was funded by the University of Bologna, RFO Program number J61J10000790001

Lunasin is a peptide whose anticancer properties are widely reported. Originally isolated from soybean seeds, lunasin was also found in cereal (wheat, rye, barley and Triticale), Solanum and amaranthus seeds. However, it was recently reported that searches of transcript and DNA sequence databases for wheat and other cereals failed to identify sequences with similarity to those encoding the lunasin peptide in soy. In order to clarify the presence or absence of lunasin in wheat varieties, a broad investigation based on chemical (LC-ESI-MS) and molecular (PCR) analyses was conducted. Both approaches pointed out the absence of lunasin in the investigated wheat genotypes; in particular no compounds with a molecular weight similar to that of lunasin standard and no lunasin-related sequences were found in the analysed wheat samples. These findings confirm the hypothesis, reported in recent researches, that lunasin is not a wheat-derived peptide.

Among cereals, durum wheat has a central role in the Italian diet and economy, where there is a historical tradition of pasta making. In the present study, we evaluated the nutrient and nutraceutical properties of 2 old and 6 modern durum wheat varieties grown under low input agricultural management. Considering the lack of available data on the adaptability of existing durum wheat varieties to the low inputa nd organic sectors, the research aimed at providing a complete description of the investigated genotypes, considering the agronomic performance as well as the nutrient and phytochemical composition. The experimental trials were carried out at the same location (Bologna, Northern Italy) for two consecutive growing seasons (2006/2007, 2007/2008). No clear distinction between old and modern varieties was observed in terms of grain yield (mean values ranging from 2.5 to 4.0 t/ha), highlighting that the divergence in productivity, normally found between dwarf and non-dwarf genotypes, is strongly reduced when they are cropped under low input management. All durum wheat varieties presented high protein levels and, in addition, provided remarkable amounts of phytochemicals such as dietary fibre, polyphenols, flavonoids and carotenoids. Some of the investigated genotypes, such as Senatore Cappelli, Solex, Svevo and Orobel, emerged with intriguing nutritional and phytochemical profiles, with the highest levels of dietary fibre and antioxidant compounds. The study provided the basis for further investigations into the adaptability of the durum wheat genotypes to low input management, for the selection of genotypes characterised by higher yield and valuable nutrient and nutraceutical quality.

Il termine piante officinali definisce un ampio gruppo di specie vegetali utilizzate, in passato, nelle officine farmaceutiche ma, in una accezione più ampia, include anche le piante per uso aromatico, cosmetico, colorante, biocida ed agrofunzionale. Questa categoria di piante ha avuto un grande interesse economico che si è perso, nel tempo, con l’evoluzione della chimica in grado di produrre, per via sintetica, quasi tutti “i principi attivi officinali”. L’odierna crescente richiesta di prodotti naturali, in grado di fornire effetti complessi che le molecole di sintesi non sempre assicurano, ha riaperto l’interesse per le piante officinali motivando la preparazione di un nuovo libro: Produzione ed impiego delle piante officinali. Quest’opera, frutto della collaborazione di un gruppo di specialisti, di seguito elencati, tratta, oltre che gli aspetti agronomici di un buon numero di specie anche il metabolismo, l’utilizzo, l’espressione dei principi attivi, gli aspetti economici e legislativi ed i processi post-raccolta delle piante officinali. Questo volume sostituisce quello di Catizone, Marotti, Toderi, Tétény stampato da Patron nel 1986: Coltivazione delle piante medicinali e aromatiche che, per un quarto di secolo, è stato un punto di riferimento per studenti ed operatori del settore. L’opera vuole fornire la cornice generale ove inquadrare la conoscenza professionale atta al consiglio terapeutico e all’uso delle piante officinali. Le molecole indicate costituiscono la base di conoscenza scientifica per il loro inserimento terapeutico in alcune patologie conclamate e nella medicina preventiva. Le molecole vegetali inserite nei loro naturali fitocomplessi possono realizzare, con l’aiuto del medico, una primaria azione coadiuvante la terapia farmacologica. Le piante officinali, ma anche le piante con i loro frutti ad uso alimentare, danno un valore superiore alla singola molecola che viene attivata e potenziata, nei suoi effetti, da altre molecole in esse contenute. In un tempo, come il nostro, in cui domina la medicina sintomatologica, per ogni segno e sintomo clinico è disponibile uno specifico farmaco, la conoscenza della complessità e specificità delle molecole contenute nelle piante officinali, apre nuove strade per “curare” le cause delle patologie umane ed animali.

Il termine piante officinali definisce un ampio gruppo di specie vegetali utilizzate, in passato, nelle officine farmaceutiche ma, in una accezione più ampia, include anche le piante per uso aromatico, cosmetico, colorante, biocida ed agrofunzionale. Questa categoria di piante ha avuto un grande interesse economico che si è perso, nel tempo, con l’evoluzione della chimica in grado di produrre, per via sintetica, quasi tutti “i principi attivi officinali”. L’odierna crescente richiesta di prodotti naturali, in grado di fornire effetti complessi che le molecole di sintesi non sempre assicurano, ha riaperto l’interesse per le piante officinali motivando la preparazione di un nuovo libro: Produzione ed impiego delle piante officinali. Quest’opera, frutto della collaborazione di un gruppo di specialisti, di seguito elencati, tratta, oltre che gli aspetti agronomici di un buon numero di specie anche il metabolismo, l’utilizzo, l’espressione dei principi attivi, gli aspetti economici e legislativi ed i processi post-raccolta delle piante officinali. Questo volume sostituisce quello di Catizone, Marotti, Toderi, Tétény stampato da Patron nel 1986: Coltivazione delle piante medicinali e aromatiche che, per un quarto di secolo, è stato un punto di riferimento per studenti ed operatori del settore. L’opera vuole fornire la cornice generale ove inquadrare la conoscenza professionale atta al consiglio terapeutico e all’uso delle piante officinali. Le molecole indicate costituiscono la base di conoscenza scientifica per il loro inserimento terapeutico in alcune patologie conclamate e nella medicina preventiva. Le molecole vegetali inserite nei loro naturali fitocomplessi possono realizzare, con l’aiuto del medico, una primaria azione coadiuvante la terapia farmacologica. Le piante officinali, ma anche le piante con i loro frutti ad uso alimentare, danno un valore superiore alla singola molecola che viene attivata e potenziata, nei suoi effetti, da altre molecole in esse contenute. In un tempo, come il nostro, in cui domina la medicina sintomatologica, per ogni segno e sintomo clinico è disponibile uno specifico farmaco, la conoscenza della complessità e specificità delle molecole contenute nelle piante officinali, apre nuove strade per “curare” le cause delle patologie umane ed animali.

It raises a great deal of recent interest that organic wheat constitutes valuable nutraceutical raw material for healthy food production and special dietary uses. In particular, khorasan wheat (T. turgidum ssp. turanicum) has attracted great attention because of its specific nutritional and functional properties (antioxidant, antitumoral and prebiotic activities). Currently, few data about fibre and antioxidant composition of organically grown Kamut® brand grains is available in literature and, as far as we know, the changes of their amounts as a function of cropping year and growing location have never been investigated. Moreover, this is the first study in which an organically grown crop is investigated in a region of such broad expanse, including several different environments, covering an area of approximately 180,000 km2 . The aim of the research was to provide an overview of the health- -promoting properties of Kamut® brand grains produced at different locations (Canada and USA) and to contribute to the understanding of the environmental dynamics affecting the phytochemical profile. A collection consisting of 109 samples of organic Kamut® brand grains harvested in different farms of North America in 2010, was characterized for agronomic traits, antioxidant compounds (polyphenols, flavonoids) and fibre components (soluble and insoluble dietary fibres, resistant starch). As regards the agronomic performance, the results demonstrated a high heterogeneity among samples. Yield, test weight and protein content varied within the intervals 0.30–1.69 t/ha, 49.2–61.1 kg/hl and 12.6– –16.6 g/100 g, respectively. As previously reported in literature, the content of health-promoting compounds is strongly influenced by environmental conditions. In fact, the investigated wheat grains showed great variability for the total polyphenol and flavonoid contents (133.6–223.4 and 28.6– –63.6 mg/100g, respectively). The insoluble fibre content varied between 12.55 and 20.25 g/100 g, while the soluble dietary fraction showed less heterogeneity(2.70–4.31 g/100 g). Concerning starch, statistically significant differences were observed between farms for the amounts of both the resistant and the total starch (0.22–1.5 and 57.7–66.4 g/100 g, respectively). The results of the research were computed using Geographic Information System (GIS) to develop quality maps that showed the variability of the phytochemical amounts among the North American farms and allowed the identification of areas in which bioactive compounds had accumulated at a higher level in the wheat grains. According to the present results, the choice of a growing location in which the accumulation of health-promoting compounds (i.e. polyphenols, fibres) is stimulated by specific climatic conditions may be a key factor for the production of organic wheat foodstuff as a functional food.

Background Wheat grains are a rich source of dietary fibres, particularly in the western human diet. Many of the health effects attributed to dietary fibres are believed to be related to their microbial fermentation in the gut. This study evaluated the ability of two potentially probiotic strains, Lactobacillus plantarum L12 and Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum B7003, to ferment soluble dietary fibres (SDFs) from modern and ancient durum-type wheat grains. Results Fibre microbial utilisation was highly variable and dependent on the strain. SDFs from the varieties Svevo and Solex supported the growth of L. plantarum L12 the best, whereas those from the varieties Anco Marzio, Solex and Kamut(®) Khorasan were good carbohydrate substrates for B. pseudocatenulatum B7003. The highest prebiotic activity scores (describing the extent to which prebiotics support selective growth of probiotics) for B7003 were obtained with SDFs from the varieties Solex (0.57), Kamut(®) Khorasan (0.56) and Iride (0.55), whereas for L12 the highest scores were achieved with the varieties Orobel (0.63), Kamut(®) Khorasan (0.56) and Solex (0.53). Conclusion The present study has identified some SDFs from durum-type wheat grains as suitable prebiotic substrates for the selective proliferation of B. pseudocatenulatum B7003 and L. plantarum L12 in vitro. The results provide the basis for the potential utilisation of wheat-based prebiotics as a component of synbiotic formulations.

The mycotoxin contamination of flours is an important concern of the organic sector, in which no fungicide can be applied to the crop. The most common toxin occurring in wheat flours is deoxynivalenol (DON) that belongs to the trichothecene class and is produced by several fungi of the Fusarium genus (mainly F. culmorum and F. graminearum). Two different field experimental trials were set up for two subsequent growing seasons (2009/2010; 2010/2011): 1) comparison between 1 modern (Palesio) and 5 old (Inallettabile, Andriolo, Gentil Rosso, Verna, Frassineto) common wheat varieties under organic farming; 2) comparison between one old durum-type (Kamut®Khorasan) and one modern durum wheat variety (Claudio) under organic farming. Different DON accumulation in the grains was observed comparing the two cropping years as a result of changing weather conditions: wheat varieties grown during the first cropping season presented higher mycotoxin levels (0.19 and 1.19 mg/kg for common and durum wheat, respectively) as compared to those observed in the second year (0.02 and 0.33 mg/kg for common and durum wheat, respectively). The higher DON levels of Kamut and Claudio flours confirmed the higher susceptibility of durum-type wheat to Fusarium head blight, but no differences were observed among genotypes for each wheat species. Interestingly, despite of the interdiction in using fungicides, in common wheat cultivars grown according to organic farming the mycotoxin content was lower than the legislative limits set for all the food categories, as indicated in the current EU regulation (EC N. 1126/2007).

BACKGROUND: The increasing interest in organic food products and environmental friendly practices has emphasised the importance of selecting crop varieties suitable for the low-input sector. Moreover, in recent years the relationship between diet and human health has gained much attention among consumers. The aim of this study was to comparatively evaluate the agronomic performance and the nutrient and phytochemical composition of old and modern Italian wheat genotypes grown under low-input management. RESULTS: Research highlighted that several old wheat genotypes were comparable to the modern ones in terms of agronomic performance and nutrient content. Genotype and environmental conditions (growing season), as well as their interaction, significantly affected the phytochemical composition of wheat grains for most of the analysed bioactive compounds. High variability was observed among the wheat genotypes for dietary fibre (154.7–183.3 g kg−1), polyphenol (1.94–2.77 mg g−1), tocopherol (9.1–21.2mg kg−1) and carotenoid (701.4–3243 μg kg−1) content. CONCLUSION: The comparative study of old and modern wheat varieties highlighted that, under low-input conditions, ancient genotypes may equal modern ones in terms of agronomic traits and additionally provide nutraceutical value-added wheat grains. The most promising ancient varieties for the unique phytochemical profiles are Gentil rosso, Marzuolo d’aqui and Verna.

Ad oggi il Trentino produce il 2% del totale fragolicolo italiano e con circa 4.500 tonnellate di prodotto annuo, questa coltura orticola rappresenta una rilevante risorsa territoriale. A livello regionale numerose sono le sagre e le fiere dedicate a questo frutto gustoso e la ricerca e la sperimentazione sul territorio di vecchie e nuove varietà fornisce agli operatori di settore e ai consumatori un’ampia gamma di forme, colori e sapori. La fragola tuttavia si può definire una coltura tutt’altro che facile sotto il profilo della gestione fitosanitaria. Numerosi insetti e acari, nonché funghi, virus e batteri fitopatogeni possono infatti colpire le coltivazioni causando danni ingenti. Sia che si tratti di produttori biologici che convenzionali, la scalarità della raccolta e i forti rischi di attacchi fungini proprio in prossimità della maturazione dei frutti, impongono a tutti i fragolicoltori una grande attenzione nell’impiego di mezzi di difesa per il rispetto dei tempi di carenza. L’opportunità quindi, di disporre di tecniche, mezzi e strategie in grado di preservare la sanità della coltura anche in questa fase critica, è un’esigenza molto sentita. Un possibile approccio eco-compatibile è rappresentato dall’impiego di trattamenti con sostanze di origine vegetale o minerale estremamente diluite e “dinamizzate” (sottoposte cioè ad una fase di agitazione meccanica tra una diluizione e l’altra) che, proprio grazie all’estrema diluizione, non comportano problemi di tossicità o accumulo nell’ambiente. L’impiego di tali trattamenti è attualmente limitato a realtà agricole di nicchia come quelle dell’agricoltura biodinamica, che comporta protocolli più rigorosi rispetto all’agricoltura biologica escludendo l’uso di qualsiasi composto chimico di sintesi pertutte le fasi produttive. Alcuni dei lavori sperimentali già condotti suggeriscono che tali trattamenti possano avere un ruolo sia nella cura che nella prevenzione delle malattie causate da alcuni agenti patogeni.

Il grande interesse rivolto attualmente ai benefici derivanti dal consumo di alimenti funzionali, ha portato alla caratterizzazione di composti fitochimici presenti nei cereali e nelle diverse varietà. In questo contesto le cultivar antiche svolgono un ruolo di primo piano, in quanto caratterizzate da un peculiare contenuto in composti funzionali che conferisce loro spiccate proprietà nutraceutiche. Nella presente ricerca 16 varietà antiche (“Andriolo”, “Autonomia A”, “Autonomia B”, “Benco”, “Bianco Nostrale”, “Canove”, “Carosello”, “Frassineto”, “Gentil Bianco”, “Gentil Rosso”, “Gentil Rosso mutico”, “Inalettabile”, “Marzuolo d’Aqui”, “Marzuolo Val Punteria”, “Sieve”, “Verna”) e 6 moderne (“Bilancia”, “Bolero”, “Eureka”, “Mieti”, “Nobel”, “Palesio”) di frumento tenero sono state caratterizzate per il contenuto in composti fenolici bioattivi tramite approccio metabolomico. Le analisi relative al contenuto totale in polifenoli e flavonoidi non hanno evidenziato differenze significative tra varietà moderne e antiche. Tuttavia, il profilo fitochimico qualitativo è risultato notevolmente differente tra le accessioni oggetto di indagine. Le analisi in HPLC-TOF-MS hanno portato all’identificazione di oltre 60 composti fenolici, tra i quali cumarine acidi fenolici, antocianine, flavoni, isoflavoni, protoantocianidine, stilbeni e lignani. Sulla base della similarità dei profili fitochimici i genotipi di antica costituzione sono stati suddivisi in due gruppi. Il gruppo formato da Bianco Nostrale, Frassineto, Gentil Rosso, Gentil Rosso mutico, Marzuolo d’Aqui e Verna ha evidenziato, sia nella frazione libera che in quella legata, un numero medio di composti fenolici e di isomeri totali significativamente maggiore rispetto alle altre varietà oggetto di studio.Tra le varietà moderne, i profili metabolomici più ricchi sono stati osservati per Nobel e Palesio. Il contenuto peculiare in composti fenolici bioattivi di alcune varietà di antica costituzione (Bianco Nostrale, Frassineto, Gentil Rosso, Gentil Rosso mutico, Marzuolo d’Aqui e Verna) suggerisce un loro utilizzo in programmi di miglioramento genetico finalizzati all’ottenimento di varietà con caratteri qualitativi di pregio ed un più elevato contenuto in composti benefici per la salute. Tra le varietà moderne, Nobel appare il genotipo caratterizzato da un contenuto quali-quantitativo in polifenoli bioattivi superiore rispetto alle altre varietà di recente costituzione.

Recenti studi individuano le leguminose da granella come piante funzionali, in quanto producono svariati composti appartenenti alla classe dei flavonoidi che oltre a determinare il colore del tegumento di alcune specie di fagiolo, possono migliorare le funzioni biologiche e ridurre il rischio di malattie croniche nell’uomo. La presente ricerca è stata condotta su un’accessione di fagiolo comune (Phaseolus vulgaris L., cv. Verdone), allo scopo di valutare a livello del germoglio, l’effetto di stress abiotici (fisici e chimici) sui livelli di mRNA per l’enzima chalcone sintasi (CHS), sull’attività enzimatica di fenilalananina-ammonio liasi (PAL) e tirosina-ammonio liasi (TAL) (enzimi chiave nella sintesi dei flavonoidi) e sul contenuto in flavonoidi. I germogli di fagiolo, allo stadio di due foglie vere, sono stati sottoposti a trattamenti con elicitori fisici (radiazioni UV-B) e chimici (chitosano, acido b-amminobutirrico-BABA e bentonite). A 0, 6, 18, 24 e 48 ore dai trattamenti sono state effettuate le seguenti determinazioni sperimentali: 1) valutazione dell’mRNA per l’enzima CHS mediante PCR Real Time, 2) attività enzimatica mediante saggio spettrofotometrico, 3) contenuto in flavonoidi tramite RP-HPLC. L’irraggiamento con UV-B è risultato il migliore metodo di elicitazione (aumento, a 6 e 18 ore, dell’attività di PAL di 0,7 e 0,8 volte, aumento dei livelli di mRNA a 18 ore di 14 volte e aumento di 7 volte dei flavonoidi a 48 ore); anche i trattamenti con BABA e Bentonite hanno indotto un significativo aumento del contenuto in flavonoidi (rispettivamente di 6 volte a 18 ore e di 5,5 volte a 24 ore), mentre il chitosano non ha fornito rilevanti risultati. Alla luce dei risultati ottenuti e data la valenza nutraceutica dei flavonoidi, è evidente come sia importante sviluppare metodi biotecnologici per la loro produzione su larga scala. Inoltre si apre la concreta prospettiva di utilizzare il fagiolo nella nostra alimentazione non solo come granella, ma anche come germoglio.

Il grande interesse rivolto attualmente ai benefici derivanti dal consumo di alimenti funzionali, ha portato alla caratterizzazione di composti fitochimici presenti nei cereali e nelle diverse varietà. In questo contesto le cultivar antiche svolgono un ruolo di primo piano, in quanto caratterizzate da un peculiare contenuto in composti funzionali che conferisce loro spiccate proprietà nutraceutiche. Nella presente ricerca due varietà antiche (Senatore Cappelli, Urria), 7 varietà moderne (Anco Marzio, Claudio, Iride, Levante, Orobel, Solex, Svevo) di frumento duro (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum) e un campione commerciale di Kamut (Triticum turgidum ssp. turanicum) sono state caratterizzate per il contenuto quantitativo e qualitativo in composti fenolici bioattivi. Le analisi hanno messo in evidenza che i valori medi del contenuto in polifenoli e flavonoidi totali nelle antiche varietà (878.2±19.0 µmol di acido gallico equivalenti/100 g di granella e 122.6±25.4 µmol di catechina equivalenti/100 g di granella, rispettivamente) non differiscono significativamente da quelli ottenuti per le varietà moderne (865.9±128.9 µmol di acido gallico equivalenti/100 g di granella e 123.5±20.6 µmol di catechina equivalenti/100 g di granella, rispettivamente). Tuttavia le analisi di spettrometria di massa (RRLC-TOF-MS) hanno evidenziato notevoli differenze tra i profili fitochimici delle dieci varietà studiate. Le accessioni antiche sono risultate caratterizzate da un numero medio di composti fenolici e isomeri significativamente più alto rispetto ai moderni genotipi. Inoltre è stata riscontrata la presenza di composti unici nei profili fitochimici di alcune varietà analizzate. Il peculiare contenuto in composti bioattivi delle varietà antiche studiate ne suggerisce l’utilizzo come fonte di biodiversità per programmi di miglioramento genetico, nonché per ottenere un prodotto finale naturalmente arricchito di composti benefici. Ulteriori studi sono in corso allo scopo di completare il profilo fitochimico (contenuto in carotenoidi, fibre solubili e insolubili, amido resistente) in genotipi antichi e moderni di frumento duro e tenero (Triticum aestivum L.).

Da tempo è noto il ruolo “funzionale” svolto dai flavonoidi nel prevenire alterazioni e malattie degenerative dell’uomo. Tali composti sono presenti in quantità significative in diverse leguminose. Obiettivo della ricerca è stato sviluppare un protocollo produttivo per ottenere un elevato e costante contenuto in fitoestrogeni, per un utilizzo alimentare sia diretto che indiretto (integratori e preparati nutraceutici). La ricerca è stata condotta su 21 accessioni di fagiolo comune (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), disponibili come collezione di germoplasma presso l’Università di Bologna, e su 1 cultivar di soia (Pacific), nota per l’elevato tenore in isoflavoni. Le analisi per la determinazione dei fitoestrogeni sono state effettuate su materiale sano e coltivato in vitro. Il contenuto in fitoestrogeni è stato determinato tramite HPLC-DAD, dopo estrazione idroalcolica. Un primo screening effettuato sui semi delle 21 cultivars in esame hanno evidenziato l’assenza di isoflavoni e la presenza di flavonoli nel tegumento esterno in solo 7 accessioni. Nelle successive analisi, condotte a livello del germoglio, sono state valutate diverse condizioni di germinazione. I risultati hanno messo in evidenza come la mancata sterilizzazione combinata a germinazione su sabbia, in condizioni termo-luminose sub-ottimali abbiano indotto nei germogli una maggiore sintesi di composti funzionali. In particolare, il contenuto totale in flavonoidi è risultato compreso tra 81,4 e 3,1 ug/g di germoglio fresco (5-10 volte inferiore rispetto alla soia), mentre il contenuto in fitoestrogeni è risultato compreso tra 20,1 e 2,6 ug/g di germoglio fresco (5-8 volte inferiore rispetto alla soia). Questi dati evidenziano un marcato effetto del genotipo e delle condizioni di germinazione sul contenuto in composti funzionali. Ulteriori analisi effettuate confrontando due differenti stadi (2 cm e 2 foglie vere) e condizioni di crescita (buio e luce) hanno evidenziato che in stadi precoci di germinazione e al buio si ottengono concentrazioni maggiori di composti funzionali.

Il cavolfiore è una coltura ampiamente diffusa in Italia ed in particolare nelle Marche dove vengono coltivati diversi ecotipi locali in regime biologico. La presente ricerca è incentrata su un quadro fitopatologico caratterizzante l’agricoltura del territorio marchigiano: l’alternariosi del cavolfiore indotta da Alternaria brassicicola. A seguito della pubblicazione del Reg. (CE) 473 del 2002, che limita l’impiego del rame in agricoltura biologica in quanto fitotossico, è stata valutata l’efficacia di trattamenti estremamente diluiti e di composti naturali sul contenimento dell’alternariosi in cavolfiore. E’ stato effettuato uno screening preliminare per valutare l’efficacia di diversi trattamenti in prove in vitro: si è ottenuta una inibizione significativa della germinazione delle spore fungine con alcuni dei trattamenti saggiati, che sono poi stati scelti per la successiva prova di campo. Per tale prova, piante di Brassica oleracea L. cultivar clx 33247 sono state trapiantate allo stadio di tre foglie vere; il campo era suddiviso in 20 parcelle (4 repliche per trattamento e 6 piante per parcella) secondo uno schema a blocchi randomizzato e i trattamenti scelti sulla base del precedente screening sono stati: triossido di arsenico ultradiluito e dinamizzato (As2O3 dH 35), bentonite (10 g/l), acido ß-aminobutirrico (BABA, 5mM), H2O (controllo negativo) e ossicloruro di rame (Cu 3 g/l, controllo positivo). Nonostante non si sia verificata l’infezione fungina spontanea a causa di condizioni ambientali sfavorevoli, si sono potuti raccogliere dati di tipo agronomico e morfologico, che hanno mostrato alcune significative differenze tra trattati e controlli. Infine i cavolfiori ottenuti nella prova di campo sono stati caratterizzati da un punto di vista quali-quantitativo (analisi HPLC-DAD e dosaggio spettrofotometrico) per quanto riguarda il contenuto in glucosinolati, metaboliti secondari importanti sia come composti di difesa della pianta sia a livello nutraceutico, come plant food protection agents (PFPA). Dalle analisi è emerso che As2O3 dH 35 ha indotto un incremento nella sintesi dei glucosinolati rispetto al controllo. La sperimentazione condotta sembra evidenziare la possibilità di utilizzare alcuni dei trattamenti saggiati come integrazione ai sali di rame per lo sviluppo di un’agricoltura sostenibile; sono comunque in corso ulteriori studi per confermare i risultati ottenuti.

The human gut is populated by an array of bacterial species, which develop important metabolic functions, with a marked effect on the nutritional and health status of the host. A relevant health aspect regards the interaction between nutrients introduced with the diet and beneficial gut microrganisms, in particular Bidifobacterium spp. and Lactobacillus spp. Flavonoids are biologically active polyphenols present in legumes and cereals with high antioxidant properties and demonstrated role in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Flavonoids are mainly present in foods as O-glycosides, whereas the biological activity is generally ascribed to the aglyconic moiety. Generally, intestinal enzymes do not possess the -glycosidase activity able to hydrolyze the bond between the sugar moiety and the bioactive compound thus avoiding its uptake and subsequent health benefits. However, for some human intestinal Bifidobacterium species -glycosidase activity on bean flavonoids has been described (Marotti et al. 2007). The aim of the present research is to extend the monitoring of -glycosidase activity to lactic acid bacteria (LAB) commonly used in food biotechnology and to evaluate their capability of metabolizing bean and wheat flavonoids. Fifteen strains of LAB, belonging to the species: L. fermentum, L. buchneri, L. fructivorans, L. helveticus , L. acidophilus, L. plantarum, L. kefiri, L. jugurti, L. lactis, L. bulgaricus, have been included in this research . The maximal -glycosidase activity was observed for strains belonging to the species L. buchneri, L. acidophilus and L. plantarum. Further studies are in progress aimed at evaluating the capability of the selected strains of metabolizing typical legume and wheat glycosilated flavonoids. Moreover, the capability of these strains of metabolizing the flavonoids present both in common bean seed and seedling extracts and wheat fiber extracts will be assayed. The research will also include some C-glycosilated flavonoids typically present in these plant sources and particular recalcitrant to hydrolysis. The strains showing the highest activity are potential good candidates for developing functional foods. Marotti et al. 2007 J Agric Food Chem. 55: 3913-3919.