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The technological and nutritional traits of food-grade sorghum hybrids, hulled/naked oat varieties and maize genotypes of different colors were studied for novel and healthier gluten-free foods. Oat genotypes showed the highest protein content, followed by maize and sorghum. The total starch and the total dietary fiber content were quite similar among the three species. Great variation was found in the amylose content, and the highest was in sorghum (27.12%), followed by oat 16.71% and maize 10.59%. Regarding the pasting profile, the rank of Peak Viscosity was sorghum (742.8 Brabender Unit, BU), followed by maize (729.3 BU) and oat (685.9 BU). Oat and sorghum genotypes had similar average breakdown (407.7 and 419.9 BU, respectively) and setback (690.7 and 682.1 BU, respectively), whereas maize showed lower values for both parameters (384.1 BU and 616.2 BU, respectively). The total antioxidant capacity, only in maize, significantly correlated with total flavonoid, phenolic and proanthocyanidin contents, indicating that all the measured compounds contributed to antioxidant capacity. The study indicated the importance of sounding out the nutritional and technological characteristics of gluten-free cereals in order to select suitable cultivars to be processed in different gluten-free foods with better and healthier quality.

Ancient grains have gained considerable attention in recent years, as some research suggests they may be healthier than modern wheat. The present study aims to evaluate the chemical, rheological, and microbiological features of three Southern Italian cultivated ancient wheat varieties: Risciola, Carosella, and Saragolla. ATR-FTIR analyses were performed on the finely ground grain samples of the three varieties. The selected grains were ground with a stone mill, and different sifting degrees (whole—100%, type 1—80%, and type 0—72%) were evaluated. The flours showed a good nutritional profile, a higher amylose/amylopectin ratio, and a lower glycemic index than the literature. The gluten index of the samples was in the range 2.6–28.9%, and the flours can be classified as weak, having a value

In the present study, the phytochemical content and the antioxidant activity in the inflorescences of the monoecious hemp cultivar Codimono grown in southern Italy were assessed, and their elicitation was induced by foliar spray application of 50 mg/L and 250 mg/L of chitosan (CHT) at three different molecular weights (low, CHT L; medium, CHT M; high CHT H). The analysis of the phytochemical profile confirmed that cannabinoids were the most abundant class (54.2%), followed by flavonoids (40.3%), tocopherols (2.2%), phenolic acids (1.9%), and carotenoids (1.4%). Cannabinoids were represented almost exclusively by cannabidiol, whereas cannabigerol and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol were detected at very low levels (the latter was below the legal limit of 0.3%). The most abundant flavonoids were orientin and vitexin, whereas tocopherols were mainly represented by α-tocopherol. The antioxidant activity was found to be positively correlated with flavonoids and tocopherols. Statistical analysis revealed that the CHT treatments significantly affected the phytochemical content and the antioxidant activity of hemp inflorescences. Notably, a significant increase in the total phenolic content (from +36% to +69%), the α-tocopherol (from +45% to +75%) and β+γ-tocopherol (from +35% to +82%) contents, and the ABTS radical scavenging activity (from +12% to +28%) was induced by all the CHT treatments. In addition, treatments with CHT 50 solutions induced an increase in the total flavonoid content (from +12% to +27%), as well as in the vitexin (from +17% to +20%) and orientin (from +20% to +30%) contents. Treatment with CHT 50 L almost always resulted in the greatest increases. Overall, our findings indicated that CHT could be used as a low-cost and environmentally safe elicitor to improve the health benefits and the economic value of hemp inflorescences, thus promoting their employment in the food, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and cosmetic supply chains.

Cereals are a good source of phenolics and carotenoids with beneficial effects on human health. In this study, a 2-year evaluation was undertaken on grain, wholemeal and refined-flour of two cultivars, one old and one modern, belonging to three cereal species. Wholemeal of selected cultivars for each species was used for biscuit making. In the grain, some yield-related traits and proteins (PC) were evaluated. In the flours and biscuits, total polyphenols (TPC), flavonoids (TFC), proanthocyanidins (TPAC), carotenoids (TYPC) and antioxidant activities (DPPH and TEAC) were spectrophotometrically determined, whereas HPLC was used for the composition of soluble free and conjugated, and insoluble bound phenolic acids. Species (S), genotype (G) and ‘SxG’ were highly significant for yield-related and all antioxidant traits, whereas cropping year (Y) significantly affected yield-related traits, PC, TPC, TPAC, TEAC and ‘SxGxY’ interaction was significant for yield-related traits, TPAC, TYPC, TEAC, DPPH and all phenolic acid fractions. Apart from the TYPC that prevailed in durum wheat together with yield-related traits, barley was found to have significantly higher values for all the other parameters. Generally, the modern cultivars are richest in antioxidant compounds. The free and conjugated fractions were more representative in emmer, while the bound fraction was prevalent in barley and durum wheat. Insoluble bound phenolic acids represented 86.0% of the total, and ferulic acid was the most abundant in all species. A consistent loss of antioxidants was observed in all refined flours. The experimental biscuits were highest in phytochemicals than commercial control. Although barley biscuits were nutritionally superior, their lower consumer acceptance could limit their diffusion. New insights are required to find optimal formulations for better nutritional, sensorial and health biscuits.

The phytochemical content and the antioxidant activity in the inflorescences of six industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) genotypes, four monoecious (Codimono, Carmaleonte, Futura 75, and Santhica 27), and two dioecious (Fibrante and Carmagnola Selezionata), were assessed for three consecutive years from 2018 to 2020. The total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity were determined by spectrophotometric measurements, whereas HPLC and GC/MS were used to identify and quantify the phenolic compounds, terpenes, cannabinoids, tocopherols, and phytosterols. All the measured traits were significantly affected by genotype (G), cropping year (Y), and their interaction (G × Y), although the Y effect prevailed as a source of variation, ranging from 50.1% to 88.5% for all the metabolites except cannabinoids, which were equally affected by G, Y, and G × Y interaction (33.9%, 36.5%, and 21.4%, respectively). The dioecious genotypes presented a more constant performance over the three years compared to the monoecious genotypes, with the highest and most stable phytochemical content observed in the inflorescences of Fibrante, which was characterized by the highest levels of cannabidiol, α-humulene and β-caryophyllene, which may confer on the inflorescences of this genotype a great economic value due to the important pharmacological properties of these metabolites. Conversely, the inflorescences of Santhica 27 were characterized by the lowest accumulation of phytochemicals over the cropping years, with the notable exception of cannabigerol, a cannabinoid that exhibits a wide range of biological activities, which was found at its highest level in this genotype. Overall, these findings can be used by breeders in future programs aimed at the selection of new hemp genotypes with improved levels of phytochemicals in their inflorescences, which can provide better health and industrial benefits.

Durum wheat varieties are important sources of nutrients and provide remarkable amounts of phytochemicals. Especially, phenolics, which are mostly located in external layers of grains, have recently gained increased interest due to their high antioxidant power. This study aimed to evaluate the differences in the quality traits and phenolic compounds’ concentration (e.g., phenolic acids) of different durum wheat genotypes, namely four Italian durum wheat cultivars and a USA elite variety, in relation to their yield potential and year of release. Phenolic acids were extracted both from wholemeal flour and semolina and analysed through HPLC-DAD analysis. Ferulic acid was the most represented phenolic acid, both in the wholemeal flour (438.3 µg g−1 dry matter) and in semolina (57.6 µg g−1 dry matter) across all cultivars, followed by p-coumaric acid, sinapic acid, vanillin, vanillic acid, syringic acid, and p-hydroxybenzoic acid. Among the cultivars, Cappelli showed the highest phenolic acid content, whilst Kronos had the lowest one. Negative correlations occurred between some phenolic acids and morphological and yield-related traits, especially for Nadif and Sfinge varieties. On the contrary, durum wheat genotypes with low yield potential such as Cappelli accumulated higher concentrations of phenolic acids under the same growing conditions, thereby significantly contributing to the health-promoting purposes.

A set of 54 snap bean lines grown under organic farming was characterized for different traits: pod color, pod cross-section shape, pod section width (PSW), protein content (PC), and sugar content (S). After cooking, the lines were analyzed for firmness and color parameters (CIE-L*, a*, b*). The snap bean lines were grouped based on pod cross-section shape and pod color into eight groups, and significant differences were observed among lines and groups for all the traits investigated. In particular, the yellow pods were harder than the other snap beans and less sweet due to the negative correlation between firmness and sugar content. Fourteen selected lines with contrasting firmness and belonging to different color groups were investigated for their phenolic composition and antioxidant activity (TEAC) before and after domestic cooking. A general decrease was observed only for vanillic acid, quercetin, and apigenin-8-C-glucoside. Quercetin-3-O-rutinoside and kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside were detected in all samples with the highest values in the SBP042 line in both raw and cooked samples. Antioxidant activity decreased with cooking (average of 39%), but purple line SBP053 showed the lowest and no significant loss (3.1%). The results reported in this study could be useful to design specific varieties for different markets and purposes.

The study investigated the nutritional profile and nutraceutical composition of the seeds (whole and defatted) of two monoecious hemp cultivars (Carmaleonte, Codimono) and one dioecious cultivar (CS) grown during the 2018 and 2019 crop seasons. The phenolic acid profiles, both free and bound, antioxidant activity (AA), protein content (PC), total phenolic content (TPC), β-carotene, lutein content, and condensed tannins (CT) were studied, and the effects of genotype (G), year (Y), and GxY interaction were also measured. The results indicated the stronger involvement of the year in the nutritional and antioxidant properties of the whole seeds than in those of the defatted seeds, as indicated by the analysis of the variance. The PC, TPC, AA, sum of phenolics free (SPF), and sum of phenolics bound (SPB) were significantly affected by year, while the lutein and some phenolic acids, free and bound (ferulic and p-coumaric acids and N-trans-caffeoyltyramine), showed significant effects of the genotype. In this respect, the Carmaleonte revealed the highest content of ferulic and p-coumaric acids, as well as CS of N-trans-caffeoyltyramine. A prevalence of Y effect over G was measured in the free and bound fraction of the phenolics of the whole seeds, in contrast to the defatted seeds, in which significant effects of GxY were also measured. Moreover, the Pearson’s correlation coefficients indicated a strict involvement of precipitations in the variation of the phenolics accumulation, above all with bound p-hydroxybenzoic acid (r = 0.71 **), bound syringic acid (r = 0.69 *), bound N-trans-caffeoyltyramine (r = 0.64 *), and SPB (r = 0.60 *). As phenolics bound fractions have strong biological activities, (including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities) the high concentrations of N-trans-Caffeoyltyramine B in the CS defatted seeds suggest that it is valuable ingredient for functional foods.

Chickpea is a key crop in sustainable cropping systems and for its nutritional value. Studies on agronomic and genetic influences on chickpea protein composition are missing. In order to obtain a deep insight into the genetic response of chickpeas to management in relation to agronomic and quality traits, a two-year field trial was carried out with eight chickpea genotypes under an organic and conventional cropping system. Protein composition was assessed by SDS-PAGE in relation to the main fractions (vicilin, convicilin, legumin, lectin, 2s-albumin). Crop response was highly influenced by year and presumably also by management, with a −50% decrease in grain yield under organic farming, mainly due to a reduction in seed number per m2. No effect of crop management was observed on protein content, despite significant differences in terms of protein composition. The ratio between the major globulins, 7s vicilin and 11s legumin, showed a negative relationship with grain yield and was found to be higher under organic farming. Among genotypes, black-seed Nero Senise was characterized by the highest productivity and water-holding capacity, associated with low lectin content. These findings highlight the importance of the choice of chickpea genotypes for cultivation under organic farming in relation to both agronomic performance and technological and health quality.

In plants, lipoxygenases (LOXs) are involved in various processes, such as growth, development, and response to stress cues. In the present study, the expression pattern of six durum wheat LOX-encoding genes (TdLpx-B1.1, TdLpx-B1.2, TdLpx-A2, TdLpx-B2, TdLpx-A3 and TdLpx-B3) under hyperosmotic stress was investigated. With osmotic (0.42 M mannitol) and salt (0.21 M NaCl) stress imposed at the early stages of seedling growth, a strong induction of the TdLpx-A2 gene expression in the shoots paralleled an equally strong increase in the LOX activity. Enhanced levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and increased rates of superoxide anion generation were also observed as a result of the stress imposition. Sequence analysis of the TdLOX2 encoded by the TdLpx-A2 gene revealed that it belonged to the type-1 9-LOX group. When overexpressed in E. coli, TdLOX2 exhibited normal enzyme activity, high sensitivity to specific LOX inhibitors, with 76% and 99% inhibition by salicylhydroxamic and propyl gallate, respectively, and a preference for linoleic acid as substrate, which was converted exclusively to its corresponding 13-hydroperoxide. This unexpected positional specificity could be related to the unusual TV/K motif that in TdLOX2 replaces the canonical TV/R motif of 9-LOXs. Treatment of seedlings with propyl gallate strongly suppressed the increase in LOX activity induced by the hyperosmotic stress; the MDA accumulation was also reduced but less markedly, whereas the rate of superoxide anion generation was even more increased. Overall, our findings suggest that the up-regulation of the TdLpx-A2 gene is a component of the durum wheat response to hyperosmotic stress and that TdLOX2 may act by counteracting the excessive generation of harmful reactive oxygen species responsible for the oxidative damages that occur in plants under stress.

Diagnostic investigations were carried out on a rare Chinese polychrome glazed ceramic dating back to the reign of the Xuande Emperor (1426–1435). The double-walled warming bowl was investigated using several non-invasive methods such as portable optical microscopy, endoscopy, portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, X-radiography, and computed tomography. One microsample was collected and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy with an energy dispersive X-ray detector. According to the results, the chemical composition of the paste suggested a porcelain typology, while the glaze belongs to the lead–barium–silicate (PbO-BaO-ZnO-SiO2) system. These unexpected data contrast with common knowledge, which attests that the addition of barium in glass and ceramics manufacturing disappeared soon after the Han dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE). Moreover, the combination of PbO-BaO-ZnO-SiO2 seems to be quite rare both in ancient pre-Han times and during the Ming and Qing dynasties. This paper aims to demonstrate that (a) the use of barium for glaze and glass composition, which seems to have its roots in Taoist alchemy, was not totally halted in later periods compared to the Han dynasty; (b) lead–barium–zinc–silicate glaze was used during the Xuande Emperor’s reign. Through a review of ancient Chinese literary sources, we found a lot of unpublished information on the use of barium, lead, and zinc in the production of glazed ceramics during this period. The polychrome glazed warming bowl suggests a particular production that flourished during the brief reign of the Xuande Emperor.

Ancient Ardaxšīr Khwarrah, today known as Shahr-e Gur, situated near the modern town of Firuzabad in Fars, Iran, holds historical significance as the inaugural capital city of the Sasanian Empire. During archaeological excavations conducted in 2005 by an Iranian–German team directed by Mas‘oud Azarnoush and Dietrich Huff, a mud-brick complex was uncovered, revealing a remarkably well-preserved stretch of wall painting and a polychrome painted floor. The discovery prompted the hypothesis of a potential funerary context dating back to the Sasanian period. Both the wall painting and painted floor have suffered extensive deterioration attributed to the environmental conditions of the archaeological site, which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2020. To address the urgent need for preservation and further understanding of the site’s artistic and structural elements, an emergency diagnostic project was initiated. Non-invasive investigations were carried out on the wall and floor by optical digital microscopy and portable energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence. Additionally, representative minute samples underwent analysis through various techniques, including micro-X-ray fluorescence, polarised light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, micro-Raman spectroscopy, micro-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The palette of the floor and mural paintings were identified to contain red and yellow ochres, lead-based pigments, carbon black and bone white. The unexpected presence of Egyptian blue mixed with green earth was recognised in the green hues of the wall painting. The detection of protein material in both the wall painting and polychrome floor indicates the use of “a secco” technique, thereby shedding light on the artistic practices employed in Ardaxšīr Khwarrah.

The Virgin Hodegetria, located in the Cathedral of Santa Maria Nuova in Monreale, near Palermo (Italy), probably dating the first half of the 13th century, is one of the earliest examples of medieval panel painting in Sicily. A diagnostic campaign was carried out on the panel aiming to identify the constituting materials and the executive technique, as well as to assess the state of conservation for supporting the methodological choice of the restoration intervention. Both non-invasive (X-ray radiography, digital microscope, multispectral imaging, ED-X-ray fluorescence) and micro-invasive (polarised light microscopy, ESEM-EDX, ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy) analyses were performed. According to the results, the executive technique followed the 13th–14th-century Italian painting tradition. A complex structure was applied on the wooden support, consisting of a double layer of canvas and several ground layers of gypsum and glue-based binder. The underdrawing was made by a brush using carbonaceous black pigment. The original palette includes red ochre, red lead, azurite, carbon black and bone black. During the several restorations, mercury-based red, indigo, smalt blue, orpiment and synthetic mars were used. The original silver leaf of the frame was covered with red tin-based lake and subsequently regilded with gold leaf. Proteinaceous and oil binders were also detected.

After a huge non-invasive diagnostic campaign performed on the corpus of Giovanni Santi’s artworks, three paintings were selected and investigated: the Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian panel, the Visitation altarpiece and the canvas with Tobias and the Archangel Raphael (c. 1487 and 1494). Micro-invasive investigations including optical microscopy, ESEM-EDX, micro-Raman spectroscopy, FTIR and FTIR-ATR spectroscopy and GC-MS were carried out on selected micro samples. The results of the integrated analyses confirmed the use of a Renaissance palette with oil and, only in a few cases, tempera techniques. Some significant peculiarities emerged in Santi’s practice, as he used localized off-white priming and colorless powdered glass with a siccative oil—in red, flesh, pinkish and green hues—confirming the influence of the Flemish painters in Urbino and, possibly, also in western central Italy. This innovative technical expedient compared to the traditional Italian painting technique was identified also in red and bluish samples collected from the Communion of the Apostles panel painted by Justus of Ghent around 1473–1474 for Urbino Corpus Domini Confraternity. The Flemish master was called to the court of Duke Federico to paint in oil and his presence at the ‘Urbino workshop’ probably contributed to the diffusion of this technique. Both in Giovanni Santi’s paintings and the Communion of the Apostles, the glass particles are related to a soda-lime glass typical of the Italian area, widely detected in Italian paintings from the late 15th and 16th centuries.

The most important painter from Urbino in the last decades of the 15th century (1439 ab.–1494) was Giovanni Santi, the father of Raphael. The lack of scientific literature about Santi’s practice and the possible peculiar role of Urbino in the development of painting techniques in northern Italy suggested in-depth investigations of the entire corpus of his paintings. A well-established sequence of multispectral imaging, spectroscopic and microscopic investigations was performed on 24 wood panel paintings and 2 canvases attributed by most scholars to Giovanni Santi (1439 ab.–1494) to collect a large set of significant data. This systematic research allowed his painting technique to be defined, starting from the type of supports he used and from the features of the underdrawing, which quite frequently included characteristic regular hatching. The pigments used were widely investigated by means of ED-XRF and reflectance spectroscopy (vis-RS); a meaningful multivariate statistical method (PCA and HCA analysis) was also applied to the ED-XRF dataset acquired for representative hues. In particular, the vis-RS technique proved to be a simple and effective diagnostic tool to detect many pigments, including indigo, and to distinguish between two different types of red lakes, avoiding sampling and more complex analyses. Santi used lead white, Fe-Mn-based pigments, vermilion, red lake, natural blue ultramarine, azurite, copper-based green pigments (particularly verdigris), lead-tin yellow, scarcely ever orpiment and, in a few green mixtures, also indigo. Despite the palette being linked to tradition, the master appeared to introduce some peculiarities, such as the addition of glass powder, and mixing pigments both in a traditional way and using them to create chromatic effects unusual for his time. This research confirmed that the systematic use of the integrated non-invasive methods is highly representative, and the results of this wide diagnostic campaign provided a significant dataset which allowed the implementation of a scientific database related to central Italy Renaissance paintings and materials.

Pagán is an ancient city located in Myanmar that is renowned for the remains of about 4000 pagodas, stupas, temples and monasteries dating from the 11th to 13th centuries. Due to a magnitude 6.8 earthquake in 2016, more than 300 ancient buildings were seriously damaged. As a part of the post-earthquake emergency program, a diagnostic pilot project was carried out on Me-taw-ya temple wall paintings to acquire further information on the materials and on their state of conservation. This article presents our attempts at characterising the painting materials at Me-taw-ya temple using non-invasive portable energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF), portable Raman spectroscopy and micro-invasive attenuated total reflectance—Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), micro-Raman spectroscopy (µ-Raman), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), polarized light microscopy (PLM) and environmental scanning electron microscope—X-ray energy dispersive system (ESEM-EDS) investigations with the aim of identifying the composition of organic binders and pigments. The presence of a proteinaceous glue mixed with the lime-based plaster was ascertained and identified by GC-MS. In addition, this technique confirmed the occurrence of plant-derived gums as binders pointing to the a secco technique. Fe-based compounds, vermillion, carbon black and As-compounds were identified to have been incorporated in the palette of the murals.