Lucia Lecce

Hepatitis C virus protein expression causes calcium‐mediated mitochondrial bioenergetic dysfunction and nitro‐oxidative stress

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection induces a state of oxidative stress that is more pronounced than that in many other inflammatory diseases. In this study we used well‐characterized cell lines inducibly expressing the entire HCV open‐reading frame to investigate the impact of viral protein expression on cell bioenergetics. It was shown that HCV protein expression has a profound effect on cell oxidative metabolism, with specific inhibition of complex I activity, depression of mitochondrial membrane potential and oxidative phosphorylation coupling efficiency, increased production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, as well as loss of the Pasteur effect. Importantly, all these effects were causally related to mitochondrial calcium overload, as inhibition of mitochondrial calcium uptake completely reversed the observed bioenergetic alterations. Conclusion: Expression of HCV proteins causes deregulation of mitochondrial calcium homeostasis. This event occurs upstream of further mitochondrial dysfunction, leading to alterations in the bioenergetic balance and nitro‐oxidative stress. These observations provide new insights into the pathogenesis of hepatitis C and may offer new opportunities for therapeutic intervention. (HEPATOLOGY 2007.)

Use of purple durum wheat to produce naturally functional fresh and dry pasta.

In this study, the effects of different milling procedures (roller-milling vs. stone-milling) and pasta processing (fresh vs. dried spaghetti), and cooking on the antioxidant components and sensory properties of purple durum wheat were investigated. Milling and pasta processing were performed using one purple and one conventional non-pigmented durum wheat genotypes, and the end-products were compared with commercial pasta. The results show that the stone milling process preserved more compounds with high health value (total fibre and carotenoids, and in the purple genotype, also anthocyanins) compared to roller-milling. The drying process significantly (p<0.05) reduced the content of anthocyanins (21.42 μg/g vs. 46.32 μg/g) and carotenoids (3.77 μg/g vs. 4.04 μg/g) with respect to the pasteurisation process involved in fresh pasta production. The sensory properties of pasta from the purple genotype did not significantly differ from commercial wholemeal pasta, and its in vitro glycemic index was even lower. Thus, it is possible to consider this genetic material as a good ingredient for the production of functional foods from cereals naturally rich in bioactive compounds.

Electrophysiological and Behavioral Activity of (E)-2-Hexenal in the Granary Weevil and Its Application in Food Packaging

The purpose of this work was to develop a biodegradable carrier material to control insect pests in cereal products. To this aim, (E)-2-hexenal was used, being a natural compound with antimicrobial activity that is also commonly adopted as a flavoring agent. Three coating layers of polycaprolactone (PCL) were spread onto the internal side of a paperboard carton, the first being the active coating containing (E)-2-hexenal. The antennal sensitivity of Sitophilus granarius to a broad range of doses of (E)-2-hexenal was first demonstrated. Next, the ability of different concentrations of this compound to disrupt the orientation of adult S. granarius beetles to odors of intact wheat kernels was established in a two-choice pitfall bioassay. In addition, invasion tests were carried out over an 8-week period to highlight the effects of the biobased repellent packaging and their potential persistence. The results demonstrated that during the entire monitoring period, the percentage of S. granarius adults found in cartons coated with (E)-2-hexenal-loaded multilayer PCL was about 10 % of the total number of insects used in the bioassay, very low compared with the respective control samples, thus assessing both the effectiveness and persistence of the repellent system developed. Although the infestation level of treated packages was reduced relative to the infestation levels in the controls, any infestation of food packages is unacceptable to consumers, so further tests are required to determine whether infestation can be completely prevented using (E)-2-hexenal.

Optimization and characterization of gluten-free spaghetti enriched with chickpea flour

Abstract This work was focused on the optimization and characterization of maize-based spaghetti fortified with chickpea flour. To the aim, the study has been organized in two subsequent trials. In the first one, the chickpea flour amount added to the spaghetti was continuously increased until the overall sensory quality of pasta reached its sensory threshold. Spaghetti samples loaded with 15% chickpea flour showed poor elasticity and increased firmness, so this concentration represented the highest chickpea flour concentration to be used. The second experimental step was aimed to improve the overall sensory quality of the enriched spaghetti by means of hydrocolloids as pectin, guar flour and agar. Final pasta was characterized for the nutritional composition, the glycemic response and the main quality attributes. The best results were obtained by the addition of guar flour.

Effect of durum wheat cultivars on physico‐chemical and sensory properties of spaghetti

BACKGROUND Mixtures of different cultivars provide semolina with proper processing properties but not always good nutritional properties. In this study, the effects of mono-varietal cultivars of durum wheat on pasta quality were evaluated in order to find a good balance between nutritional and sensory properties of the final product. RESULTS Durum wheat spaghetti was manufactured using semolina from six mono-varietal cultivars. A commercially available semolina mixture was also used to produce a control pasta sample. Instrumental (i.e. rheological and texture analysis), sensory (i.e. elasticity, firmness, adhesiveness) and nutritional (i.e. protein, ash and fibre content, glycaemic index) analyses were carried out. Results highlighted differences between selected cultivars. In particular, spaghetti obtained with Anco Marzio and Cappelli semolina (modern and old cultivars, respectively) showed the highest protein content and the lowest cooking loss, compared with the other samples. CONCLUSION Spaghetti made with Cappelli semolina showed the lowest adhesiveness and the highest hardness; it recorded the best overall quality and presented the lowest glycaemic response. Hence, durum wheat pasta with a good balance between nutritional and cooking quality could be obtained from semolina based on mono-varietal cultivars.

Recipe Optimization to Produce Functional Food Based on Meat and Fish

Functional foods were produced from the combination of minced meat or fish with extra virgin olive oil and vegetable flour. Proper concentrations of oil and vegetable flours were selected to improve the nutritional properties of processed meat and fish burgers. Sensory evaluations were also carried out in different sessions by trained panel and generic consumers to assess product acceptability. The results of the work demonstrated that the two ingredients, selected for their well-known healthy benefits, enhance not only the nutritional value but also the sensory properties of food. In particular, the best formulation for meat patties contained 10% oil and 10% red pepper flour, whereas, 15% oil and 5% yellow pepper flour and 17.5% oil and 7.5% zucchini flour were the optimized ingredients for fish burgers. These recipes did not score significantly different from other CCD options but were preferred by consumers, when asked to compare these new products to traditional burgers. Moreover, analytical investigations carried out before and after cooking assessed the preservation of the health-giving compounds deriving from the pepper flour.

Effect of raw material on cooking quality and nutritional composition of durum wheat spaghetti.

Abstract In this study the effect of semolina and wholemeal flour from six durum wheat cultivars on the pasta cooking and nutritional quality was evaluated. The wholemeal spaghetti samples showed an improvement in the chemical composition (high protein and insoluble dietary fibre content) but they have a decline in the cooking quality (high cooking loss) with respect to the semolina spaghetti. In particular, the wholemeal spaghetti Cappelli and Core samples recorded the highest protein and insoluble dietary fibre content, respectively. As compared to the other samples, the wholemeal spaghetti Iride recorded a higher cooking loss. Moreover, the wholemeal spaghetti showed the lowest overall quality due to the low score of elasticity, firmness and colour. Specifically, the wholemeal Cappelli recorded a slight rise of the overall quality with respect to other wholemeal samples. In conclusion, the wholemeal spaghetti Cappelli was found to be an optimum compromise between the sensory and nutritional quality.

Durum wheat whole-meal spaghetti with tomato peels: how by-product particles size can affect final quality of pasta.

The goal of the study is to investigate the impact of the incorporation of by-product (tomato peels) on durum wheat whole-meal spaghetti. To the aim, different amounts of tomato peels flour were added to pasta dough until the overall sensory quality reached its threshold (peels flour at 15% TP). Moreover, the effect of different particle sizes of tomato peels addition on sensory quality of pasta was also evaluated. The increase of particle sizes determined a decline of pasta sensory quality. So, samples enriched with fine particles showed high sensory quality, a more acceptable cooking quality and the lowest value of starch digestibility. The utilization of fine particles of tomato peels seems to be useful to enhance the spaghetti quality. Therefore, fine particles allowed obtained fortified pasta with acceptable sensory properties.

Bioactive compounds from orange epicarp to enrich fish burgers

BACKGROUND The orange industry produces considerable amounts of by-products, traditionally used for animal feed or fuel production. Most of these by-products could be used as functional ingredients. To assess the potential food application of orange epicarp, different percentages of micro-encapsulated orange extract were added to fresh fish burgers. Then, an in vitro digestion was also carried out, before and after micro-encapsulation, to measure the bio-accessibility of the active compounds. RESULTS A significant increase of bio-accessibility of bioactive compounds has been observed in the orange epicarp extract after micro-encapsulation by spray-drying. From the sensory point of view, the fish sample enriched with 50 g kg-1 micro-encapsulated extract was the most comparable to the control burger, even if it showed a higher phenolic, flavonoid and carotenoid bio-accessibility. CONCLUSION Orange epicarp may be used as a food additive to enhance the health content of food products. The micro-encapsulation is a valid technique to protect the bioactive compounds and increase their bio-accessibility.

Durum wheat breads ‘high in fibre’ and with reduced in vitro glycaemic response obtained by partial semolina replacement with minor cereals and pulses

Abstract The aim of this study was to develop fortified breads of durum wheat semolina (DW) partially substituted at 10%, 15%, 20% and 30% with white sorghum or yellow pea wholemeal flours (WS, YP, respectively) or using wholemeal flour from a natural mixture of rye and durum wheat (RDW). The physico-chemical composition of the raw materials, rheological properties of dough, the bread quality characteristics, glycaemic index and sensory quality of bread were examined. Compared to 100% DW, 100% YP had twice the protein levels, RDW had almost three times the dietary fibre, while the colorimetric indices for WS and YP flour addition showed increased redness (for RDW) and similar yellowness (for YP). With respect to the control dough (100% DW), RDW and addition of WS or YP produced showed negative impact on water absorption (RDW, WS), stability (RDW, YP), dough strength (RDW, WS, YP), tenacity and extensibility ratio (RDW, YP), loaf volume (RDW, WS, YP), yellowness (RDW, WS) and sensory acceptance of bread (RDW, WS). However, these changes were counterbalanced by higher dietary fibre and lower glycaemic index of the breads, especially for RDW and at high additions of WS and YP (20–30%). Moreover, breads fortified with YP were better in terms of colour and overall acceptability scores.