Antonella Pasqualone

Integration of dinucleotide microsatellites from hexaploid bread wheat into a genetic linkage map of durum wheat

Abstract Seventy nine microsatellite markers from hexaploid bread wheat (T. aestivum L.) were integrated into a genetic linkage map of durum wheat (T. turgidum ssp. durum (Desf.) Huns.) created by RFLP segregation data from a population of 65 recombinant inbred lines. The results indicate a relatively even distribution of microsatellite loci and demonstrate that microsatellite markers from hexaploid wheat provide an excellent source of molecular markers for use in the genetics and breeding of durum wheat.

Genetic relationships and cultivar identification among 112 olive accessions using AFLP and SSR markers.

Summary A total of 111 accessions belonging to 60 olive cultivars, and one accession of oleaster, native to Italy, Spain, France and Greece, have been screened with three AFLP primer combinations and 27 microsatellite primer pairs in order to characterise their genotypes and reveal their genetic relationships. A total of 70 AFLP and 80 SSR polymorphic bands were scored. Comparisons were made between AFLP and SSR marker variability, efficiency and usefulness for genetic relationships and cultivar identification. The data obtained were analysed using the Jaccard genetic similarity coefficient, applying the SAHN clustering method. A dendrogram of genetic distances was produced. All genotypes studied could be distinguished unequivocally using a combination of SSR and AFLP markers. Cultivars were grouped into three clusters according to their type of use: oil, table, or dual purpose cultivars.

Effect of vacuum-packaging storage on the quality level of ripened sausages.

To investigate the influence of vacuum-packaging on both the sensory properties and the degradation level of their lipid fraction, some ripened sausages (30 days) were further stored for 40 days under vacuum-packaging and compared to sausages kept unpackaged for the same period of time. The same kind of sausages was used in both the trials. As for the sensory properties, after storage the unpackaged sausages showed significantly higher mean scores of red intensity and global flavour than vacuum-packed ones (p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively) indicating a brighter red colour of meat and a greater overall appreciation by the panelists. Regarding the degradation of the lipid fraction, significantly higher values (p<0.01) of the free fatty acids were detected in the vacuum-packed samples, indicating a greater hydrolytic degradation of their lipid fraction as compared to the sausages stored unpackaged. The oxidative degradation of the fatty fraction, measured by the combined use of conventional (determination of peroxide value and TBA test) and non-conventional techniques (HPSEC analysis of the polar compounds of the lipid fraction) showed significant increases during storage for both the storage conditions considered but no significant differences were found between packaged and unpackaged sausages.

Production and characterization of functional biscuits obtained from purple wheat.

Purple wheat contains higher levels of anthocyanins than conventional wheat cultivars. The aim of this work was to produce anthocyanin-rich biscuits from purple wheat, and to characterize the final product. Control biscuits, having the same formulation but obtained from a non-pigmented wheat cultivar, were used for comparisons. Purple biscuits showed a level of total anthocyanins of 13.86 mg/kg cyanidin 3-O-glucoside and exhibited higher antioxidant activity than control. The volatile compounds profile of purple biscuits showed lower levels of lipid-derived carboxylic acids and higher levels of alcohols and aldehydes than control biscuits, indicating a lower oxidative degradation of the lipid fraction. In particular, the ratio (lipid-derived alcohols+aldehydes)/acids accounted for 5.9 in purple and 3.0 in control biscuits. The sensory score for friability and the spread ratio of purple biscuits accounted for 2.6 and 6.0, respectively.

DNA Microsatellite Region for a Reliable Quantification of Soft Wheat Adulteration in Durum Wheat-Based Foodstuffs by Real-Time PCR

Italian industrial pasta and durum wheat typical breads must be prepared using exclusively durum wheat semolina. Previously, a microsatellite sequence specific of the wheat D-genome had been chosen for traceability of soft wheat in semolina and bread samples, using qualitative and quantitative Sybr green-based real-time experiments. In this work, we describe an improved method based on the same soft wheat genomic region by means of a quantitative real-time PCR using a dual-labeled probe. Standard curves based on dilutions of 100% soft wheat flour, pasta, or bread were constructed. Durum wheat semolina, pasta, and bread samples were prepared with increasing amounts of soft wheat to verify the accuracy of the method. Results show that reliable quantifications were obtained especially for the samples containing a lower amount of soft wheat DNA, fulfilling the need to verify labeling of pasta and typical durum wheat breads.

Towards green analysis of virgin olive oil phenolic compounds: Extraction by a natural deep eutectic solvent and direct spectrophotometric detection.

The determination of phenolic compounds in extra virgin olive oils (EVOO) by means of rapid, low-cost, environment-free methods would be a desirable achievement. A natural deep eutectic solvent (DES) based on glucose and lactic acid was considered as extraction solvent for phenolic compounds in EVOO. DESs are green solvents characterized by high availability, biodegradability, safety, and low cost. The spectrophotometric characteristics of DES extracts of 65 EVOO samples were related to the total phenolic content of the oils, assessed by methanol-water extraction coupled to the Folin-Ciocalteu assay. A regression model (ncalibration=45, nvalidation=20), including the absorbance at two wavelengths (257, 324nm), was obtained, with an adjusted R(2)=0.762. Therefore the DES could provide a promising and viable approach for a green screening method of phenolic compounds in EVOO, by means of simple spectrophotometric measurements of extracts, even for on-field analysis (for example in olive mills).

Functional, textural and sensory properties of dry pasta supplemented with lyophilized tomato matrix or with durum wheat bran extracts produced by supercritical carbon dioxide or ultrasound

A study was carried out to produce functional pasta by adding bran aqueous extract (BW) and bran oleoresin (BO) obtained using ultrasound and supercritical CO2, respectively, or a powdery lyophilized tomato matrix (LT). The bioactive compounds, hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidant activity (HAA and LAA) in vitro, were evaluated. BW supplementation did not improve antioxidant activity, whilst LT pasta showed unconventional taste and odor. BO pasta had good levels of tocochromanols (2551μg/100g pasta f.w.) and carotenoids (40.2μg/100g pasta f.w.), and the highest HAA and LAA. The oleoresin altered starch swelling and gluten network, as evidenced by scanning electron microscopy, therefore BO pasta had structural characteristics poor compared with the control (4.8% vs. 3.2% cooking loss), although this difference did not affect significantly overall sensory judgment (74 vs. 79 for BO and control, respectively). BO supplementation was most effective for increasing antioxidant activity without jeopardizing pasta quality.

Vacuum-packed ripened sausages: evolution of oxidative and hydrolytic degradation of lipid fraction during long-term storage and influence on the sensory properties.

An experimental investigation was carried out with the aim to understand the oxidative and hydrolytic phenomena involving the lipid fraction of vacuum-packed sausages during long-term storage (5 months) and to verify their influence on the sensory characteristics. The data obtained pointed out that the oxidation was more pronounced in the initial stages of storage than in the further period, while the hydrolysis of lipid fraction significantly advanced during the whole storage time, supported by the high moisture level of the product. Both these phenomena resulted to be correlated with the sensory decay of the product. In particular, in the first stage of vacuum storage overall acceptability was found to be negatively correlated (p<0.05) with rancid taste, acid value, and oxidized triacylglycerols. In the further stage the oxidative processes slowed down and affected in a lesser extent the sensory properties, which were more distinctly characterized by the onset of pungent perception attributed to compounds arising from multiple origins such as carbohydrate fermentation. This investigation confirmed the unreliability of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances test and the usefulness of high performance size exclusion chromatography analysis of the polar compounds of the lipid fraction to correctly determine the levels of the oxidative and hydrolytic degradation of the lipid fraction of vacuum-packed ripened sausages during long-term storage.

Gluten-Free Bread Making Trials from Cassava (Manihot Esculenta Crantz) Flour and Sensory Evaluation of the Final Product

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of cassava flour in bread making, and the sensory acceptability of the final product. Different baking trials were carried out by using egg white and extra-virgin olive oil, in consideration of their high nutritional value with respect to other food additives (i.e., hydrocolloids). Significant (p < 0.05) improvements of loaf specific volume (from 2.24 to 3.93 mL/g) and crumb firmness (from 9.14 to 4.67 N) were achieved by contemporarily including egg white and extra-virgin olive oil in the formulation. Cassava breads containing both these ingredients obtained the best scores from panelists for all the test breads examined and resulted attractive as the wheat bread prepared as reference.

Evaluation of the Technological Characteristics and Bread-Making Quality of Alternative Wheat Cereals in Comparison with Common and Durum Wheat

The growing sensibility toward those foods that are characterized by natural and healthy features has raised the interest toward alternative wheat cereals. This research was carried out to compare the technological characteristics and the bread-making quality of Khorasan wheat, type Kamut and spelt (cv. Forenza), to those of common (cv. Rio) and durum wheat (cv. Norba). The results obtained show that both Forenza and Kamut gave an acceptable bread-making performance. A certain variability affected flour characteristics (protein content, carotenoid pigments and alveograph indices) over the 2 years of experimentation, due to environmental effects. This reflected on the corresponding breads but the statistical analysis indicated that, on the whole, Kamut bread was characterized by a high content of carotenoid pigments. Regarding sensory properties (profiled by means of 11 descriptors of visual appearance, texture, odor and flavor) and loaf volumes, breads from Forenza and Kamut appeared different from each other but similar to those obtained from Rio and Norba grown in the same environment, respectively.