Concetta Condurso

Effects of cluster thinning on wine quality of Syrah cultivar (Vitis vinifera L.)

Cluster thinning is a viticulture tool used to correct overcropping, to improve fruit composition, and to find a balance between shoot growth and berry development. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of cluster thinning on the wine quality of Syrah cultivar under Mediterranean climate. Particular attention has been given to the volatile aroma compounds which are determinant for the sensory quality of the wine. Manual cluster thinning in the early stage of veraison was applied and compared with a not thinned control. Cluster thinning influenced yield reduction, advanced grape maturity, improved the phenolic content of grapes and therefore of wine, and influenced the volatile profile of wine. The grapes of thinned plants tend to get rich in varietal and fermentation aromas. Despite the economic impact, cluster thinning is a viable option due to the improvement in wine quality, especially for increasing the amount of compounds responsible for the typical aroma and color, at least in the Mediterranean climate where the search was carried out.

Free fatty acids and other volatile compounds for the characterisation of “Vastedda della valle del Belìce” cheese Acidos grasos libres y otros constituyentes volátiles para la caracterización de queso “Vastedda della vella del Belìce”

The analysis of the volatile constituents of “Vastedda della valle del Belìce”, a typical Sicilian pasta filata cheese, was performed using solid phase microextraction and high-resolution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. The research aimed to verify if the volatile fraction, determinant for cheese flavor, differs among producers and/or production seasons. The samples were provided by four producers from the area of the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) production, during two different seasons of production. A total of 42 volatile components were identified: the main components were found to be butanoic, hexanoic, octanoic, and decanoic acid. Free fatty acids were quantified using the standard addition method, their concentrations were in the range 1273.7–1918.0 mg/kg. The analysis of variance and a multivariate approach showed that producer and season factors significantly influenced the content of almost all the identified volatile components; the artisanal cheese-making, the utilization of raw milk, and the environmental differences that characterized the various farmers are strong causes of cheeses variability. El análisis de los constituyentes volátiles de ‘Vastedda della valle del Belìce’, un queso de pasta hilada (pasta filata) típica siciliana, fue llevado a cabo usando Microextracción en Fase Sólida y Cromatografía de Gases/Espectrometría de Masa de Alta Resolución. El objetivo de la investigación fue verificar si la fracción volátil, determinante para el sabor del queso, difiere entre productores y/o temporadas de producción. Las muestras fueron proporcionadas por cuatro productores del área de la Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) durante dos temporadas de producción diferentes. Se identificaron un total de cuarenta y dos componentes volátiles: los principales componentes encontrados fueron ácido butanoico, hexanoico, octanoico y decanoico. Los ácidos grasos libres fueron cuantificados usando el método de adición estándar, su concentración se encontró en el intervalo de 1273, 7–1918,0 mg/kg. El análisis de varianza y un a aproximación multivariada mostraron que productor y temporada influyeron significativamente en el contenido de casi todos los componentes volátiles identificados; la elaboración artesanal de queso, la utilización de leche cruda y las diferencias ambientales que caracterizaban a los diferentes productores son la causa de la variabilidad de los quesos.

Volatile composition of Italian Thymus capitatus (L.) Hoffmanns. et Link leaves

The composition of the volatile oil from the leaves of Italian Thymus capitatus (L.) Hoffmanns. et Link was investigated in detail by a solid-phase microextraction (SPME)–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method. Sixty-two compounds were identified; the major aroma constituents were carvacrol (72.8%), γ-terpinene (6.4%), p-cymene (2.3%), β-caryophyllene (3.1%) and β-linalool (2.1%). The method developed for the volatile constituent analysis allowed the identification of a large number of sesquiterpenes not reported previously in Thymus oil, including α-guryunene, β- and γ-elemene, α-bergamotene, α- and β- himachalene, β-farnesene, α-muurolene, valencene, calamenene, humulene oxide I and II, and α-bisabolol.

Determination of furan and furan derivatives in baby food

A Headspace-Solid Phase Microextraction-Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of furan, 2-methylfuran, 2-ethylfuran, 2-butylfuran, 2-pentylfuran, 2-acetylfuran, furfural and furfuryl alcohol in jarred baby food. The method was specific for the analytes. Good precision was obtained both in terms of intra-day repeatability (RSD ≤ 5.02) and inter-day precision (RSD ≤ 5.55%). The recovery values were between 98.42% and 99.8%. Linearity was established over two order of magnitude, and the achieved LODs and LOQs ranged between 0.018 and 0.035 ng/g and 0.060-0.117 ng/g, respectively, depending on the analyte. Finally, the method was successfully applied to investigate the content of furan and furan derivatives in several commercial baby food samples containing fruit or meat. The results showed that this simple, rapid and solvent free procedure could be used routinely for the analysis of baby food providing competent quantitative data functional to risk assessment.

Volatile constituents of mini-watermelon fruits

Aroma is one of the essential factors for evaluating fruit quality, and the volatile constituents in mini-watermelon fruits were here determined by a headspace-solid-phase micro-extraction and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry method (HS-SPME-GC–MS). The plants, Citrullus lanatus [Thumb.] Matsum. and Nakai cv. Minirossa (Cucurbitaceae), were cultivated in Pachino, Sicily (Italy) under greenhouse conditions. The fruits were collected in two different production years. Sixty-eight volatile compounds have been identified and quantified; among these, the impact aroma compounds are also included. The volatile compounds have been identified by linear retention index, mass spectra, standard injection and reference data; the quantification has been carried out by the standard addition technique. The main compounds were (Z)-3-nonen-1-ol, (E)-2-nonenal and (Z,Z)-3,6-nonadien-1-ol, which are characteristic volatiles in the Cucurbitaceae family.

Brassica fruticulosa Cyr. and Brassica incana Ten. (Brassicaceae) as Mediterranean traditional wild vegetables: a valuable source of bioactive compounds

Two species of Brassicaceae (Crucifer) family, used and appreciated as traditional wild vegetables, including Brassica fruticulosa Cyr. and Brassica incana Ten., were examined as potential source of bioactive volatile compounds. The volatile constituents released by the chopped leaves and roots were extracted and analyzed by solid-phase microextraction–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (SPME–GC–MS). A large number of volatile constituents were identified: alcohols, aldehydes, esters, acids, ketones, terpenes, C13-norisoprenoides and sulfur compounds. Volatiles included isothiocyanates with a well known anticancer activity – the largest amount resulted in the roots, with 3-butenyl isothiocyanate the most represented in both species; of great interest also the good amount revealed in the leaves of Brassica fruticulosa Cyr. The revaluation of these plants, a vegetable source of high antioxidant power, will be interesting for consumer health by the production of new commercial herbal products and/or dietary supplements of high quality and low cost.

Volatile Constituents in Dried Roots of Isatis tinctoria L. (Brassicaceae)

Abstract The root volatile constituents of Isatis tinctoria L. (Brassicaceae) have been studied by GC-FID, and solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (SPME-GC/MS). Thirty components were fully characterized by mass spectra, linear retention indices, and injection of standards; the average composition (ppm) as single components and classes of substances is reported. The root volatiles in I. tinctoria were characterized by a high amount of 3-butenyl isothiocyanate, which accounted for about 82% of the total volatile fraction.

Headspace Volatiles of Vicia sativa L. (Leguminoseae) by Solid-Phase Microextraction and Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry

Abstract The leaf volatile constituents of Vicia sativa L. have been studied using Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction and Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (HS/SPME-GC/MS) and GC-FID. Forty-three components, aliphatic hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes and ketones, aromatic aldehydes, esters and alcohols, monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes were fully characterized by mass spectra, linear retention indices, and injection of standards; the average composition as single components and classes of substances is reported. Leaf volatiles in Vicia sativa L. were characterized by a high amount of aldehydes, with the (Z)-2-hexenal (the typical leaf aldehyde) the main component.

Chemical composition and nutritional value of some marine species from the Egadi Islands

Information available on the chemical composition and nutritional value of marine species harvested from the Mediterranean Sea is very limited. In this study, the target species were Scorpaena porcus, Scorpaena scrofa, Palinurus elephas, and Sepia officinalis, selected among those with the greatest commercial value and caught using local traditional gear. Samples were analysed for moisture, ash, protein, total lipid content, and for fatty acid percentage distribution. All the species showed high amounts of proteins (mean value 18.15%) and can be considered lean (fat content<3%), with a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids of the n-3 series. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were observed among the different species for some of the most representative fatty acids. All species (except S. officinalis) had a good value for the prevention of cardiac illnesses as can be deduced from their low atherogenic and thrombogenic indexes.

Bioactive volatiles in Sicilian (South Italy) saffron: safranal and its related compounds

Abstract Sicilian saffron is cultivated mainly in the province of Enna, although cultivation is spreading slowly throughout the region. Volatile constituents which are fundamental for saffron aroma were determined. A large number of volatile compounds were identified using HS–SPME and GC–MS. Safranal, safranal isomer, isophorones, α-cyclocitral, and β-cyclocitral were also quantified. A high amount of safranal resulted in the samples; moreover, of interest was the amount of safranal isomer and α-isophorone. The results allowed to consider Sicilian saffron of high commercial quality. It is an important source of bioactive compounds for the amount of safranal and related compounds, which are important for its aroma and relevant to human health too.