Sara Vitalini

Traditional knowledge on medicinal and food plants used in Val San Giacomo (Sondrio, Italy)—An alpine ethnobotanical study

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE This work increases the ethnobotanical data from Northern Italy and, in particular, the Lombardy region, till now poorly documented, safeguarding the local folk knowledge, and provides information on new or scarcely reported properties of medicinal plants, whose traditional use needs to be validated experimentally. AIM OF THE STUDY The present study aimed to gather, analyse and evaluate the ethnobotanical information on the species used for medicinal and food purposes by the native people of Val San Giacomo. MATERIALS AND METHODS The plant use was documented by speaking with more than 100 people, mainly over 60 years old, born and resident in Val San Giacomo. Information was collected using semi-structured interviews and then analysed by indices such as Ethnophytonomic Index (EPI), Ethnobotanicity Index (EI), relative frequency of citation (RFC), use value (UV), relative importance (RI) and factor informant consensus (FIC). RESULTS Information on 66 plants belonging to 35 families (Asteraceae, Rosaceae and Lamiaceae, mainly) was gathered. The preference ranking placed Achillea moschata Wulfen at first place, both for the citation number and for RFC and UV. Arnica montana L., Thymus pulegioides L. and Artemisia genipi Stechm. were also in relevant use. Sixty species were wild and six were cultivated. Leaves, flowers, complete aerial parts and fruits were the plant parts most commonly used for remedy preparation (infusion, especially). The interviewees collected local flora for medicinal purposes, specifically. About 51.5% of the plant species were used to treat gastrointestinal tract of humans as digestive, depurative, appetiser, laxative, astringent and carminative remedies. About 56% of the plants were used in cookery, 24.2% in veterinary field, and 3% as cosmetics. The calculated indices demonstrated that in the studied area there is a small retention of plant knowledge. Only 6.2% of the autochthonous plants proved useful in folk tradition. Despite this, the uses of Sempervivum montanum L., Rhododendron ferrugineum L. and Panicum miliaceum L. were never documented by other ethnobotanical investigations conducted in the alpine area. CONCLUSIONS This survey was an extension of the ethnobotanical investigations performed in the Italian Alps. A study like this, though performed in a small area with a reduced traditional knowledge, could be the basis for subsequent research on the species that are interesting from a phytochemical point of view and on the potential use of their active metabolites.

Melatonin in traditional Mediterranean diets.

Abstract:  Compared with other industrialized countries, the lower incidence of chronic‐degenerative disorders in Mediterranean populations has been emphasized in recent decades. The health‐promoting effects arising from Mediterranean dietary habits have been attributed to the large intake of plant foodstuffs rich in bioactive phytochemicals, such as melatonin. Recently, it has been suggested that melatonin present in edible plants may improve human health, by virtue of its biological activities and its good bioavailability. Plant melatonin, besides contributing to optimize the physiological functions regulated, in humans, by endogenous melatonin, may be involved in nutritional therapy to reduce the risk of cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases in western populations. In this view, the presence of melatonin in some Mediterranean foods and beverages adds a new element to the hypothesis of health benefits associated to Mediterranean dietary patterns, although the available data are still preliminary and incomplete.

Melatonin, melatonin isomers and stilbenes in Italian traditional grape products and their antiradical capacity

Although polyphenols represent the paradigm of the health‐promoting effects ascribed to grape products, recently, attention has been paid to dietary melatonin, significantly present in Mediterranean foods. In this work, we measured melatonin, its isomers, stilbenes (trans‐ and cis‐resveratrol and their glucosides, piceids) and total polyphenols in some different grape products (red, white and dessert wines, grape juices and Modena balsamic vinegars) of distinct Italian areas. We also evaluated their antiradical activity by DPPH· and ABTS·+ assays. For indoleamine analysis, the separation was carried out on a 1.7‐μm C18 BEH column and the detection performed by means of mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization in positive ion mode with multiple reaction monitoring. The confirmation of the peak identity was accomplished by injection into the high‐resolution system (Orbitrap) using accurate mass measurements (error below 1.0 ppm). Mass spectrometry analyses revealed, for the first time, the presence of melatonin in dessert wines and balsamic vinegars, as well as the occurrence of three different melatonin isomers in grape products.

Neuroprotective herbs and foods from different traditional medicines and diets.

Plant secondary metabolites include an array of bioactive constituents form both medicinal and food plants able to improve human health. The exposure to these phytochemicals, including phenylpropanoids, isoprenoids and alkaloids, through correct dietary habits, may promote health benefits, protecting against the chronic degenerative disorders mainly seen in Western industrialized countries, such as cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we briefly deal with some plant foods and herbs of traditional medicines and diets, focusing on their neuroprotective active components. Because oxidative stress and neuroinflammation resulting from neuroglial activation, at the level of neurons, microglial cells and astrocytes, are key factors in the etiopathogenesis of both neurodegenerative and neurological diseases, emphasis will be placed on the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity exerted by specific molecules present in food plants or in remedies prescribed by herbal medicines.

From vineyard to glass : agrochemicals enhance the melatonin and total polyphenol contents and antiradical activity of red wines

Abstract:  Resistance inducers are a class of agrochemicals, including benzothiadiazole and chitosan, which activate the plant own defence mechanisms. In this work, open‐field treatments with plant activators were performed on two red grape (Vitis vinifera L.) varieties cultivated in different localities, Groppello (Brescia, Lombardia, Italy) and Merlot (Treviso, Veneto, Italy). Treatments were carried out every 10 days until the véraison and, after harvesting, experimental wines (microvinificates) were prepared. In general, both melatonin and total polyphenol content, determined by mass spectrometry and Folin‐Ciocalteu assay, respectively, were higher in wines produced from grapes treated with resistance inducers than in those obtained from untreated control and conventional fungicide‐treated grapes. Accordingly, antiradical power of wines derived from plant activator‐treated grapes, measured by both DPPH (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl) and the ABTS [(2,2′‐azino‐bis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid)] radical–scavenging assay, was higher than in their counterparts. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the effects of agrochemicals on the melatonin content of red wine.

The presence of melatonin in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) berry tissues

Abstract:  Melatonin has been reported in a variety of food plants and, consequently, in a number of plant‐derived foodstuffs. In grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) products, it was found in berry exocarp (skin) of different cultivars and monovarietal wines. Herein, we assessed, by means of mass spectrometry, the occurrence of melatonin in all berry tissues (skin, flesh, and seed) at two different phenological stages, pre‐véraison and véraison. We detected the highest melatonin content in skin, at pre‐véraison, whereas, at véraison, the highest levels were reported in the seed. Furthermore, during ripening, melatonin decreased in skin, while increasing in both seed and flesh. The relative concentrations of melatonin in diverse berry tissues were somewhat different from those of total polyphenols (TP), the latter measured by the Folin‐Ciocalteau assay, and more abundant in seed at pre‐véraison and in exocarp at véraison. The highest antiradical activity, determined by both DPPH (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐pycryl hydrazyl) and ABTS [(2,2′‐azinobis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid)] radical‐scavenging assay, was reported at pre‐veráison in seed. To the best of our knowledge, we reported, for the first time, the occurrence of melatonin in grape seeds.

Flavonoid characterization and in vitro antioxidant activity of Aconitum anthora L. (Ranunculaceae)

In this paper, we report studies on morphological, phytochemical, and biological aspects of a population belonging to Aconitum anthora L. Two compounds, quercetin 3-O-((beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->3)-(4-O-(E-p-coumaroyl))-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->6)-beta-D-galactopyranoside))-7-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside (1) and kaempferol 3-O-((beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->3)-(4-O-(E-p-coumaroyl))-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->6)-beta-D-galactopyranoside))-7-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside (2), together with two known flavonol glycosides (3-4) were isolated and identified from A. anthora. The antioxidant activity of the four identified flavonoids was screened by three in vitro tests.

Identification of Minor Secondary Metabolites from the Latex of Croton lechleri (Muell-Arg) and Evaluation of Their Antioxidant Activity

Dragon’s blood (Sangre de drago), a viscous red sap derived from Croton lechleri Muell-Arg (Euphorbiaceae), is extensively used by indigenous cultures of the Amazonian basin for its wound healing properties. The aim of this study was to identify the minor secondary metabolites and test the antioxidant activity of this sustance. A bio-guided fractionation of the n-hexane, chloroform, n-butanol, and aqueous extracts led to the isolation of 15 compounds: three megastigmanes, four flavan-3-ols, three phenylpropanoids, three lignans, a clerodane, and the alkaloid taspine. In addition to these known molecules, six compounds were isolated and identified for the first time in the latex: blumenol B, blumenol C, 4,5-dihydroblumenol A, erythro-guaiacyl-glyceryl-β-O-4’-dihydroconiferyl ether, 2-[4-(3-hydroxypropyl)-2-methoxyphenoxy]-propane-1,3-diol and floribundic acid glucoside. Combinations of spectroscopic methods (1H-, 13C- NMR and 2D-NMR experiments), ESI-MS, and literature comparisons were used for compound identification. In vitro antioxidant activities were assessed by DPPH, total antioxidant capacity and lipid peroxidation assays. Flavan-3-ols derivatives (as major phenolic compounds in the latex) exhibited the highest antioxidant activity.

Phytosterols in grapes and wine, and effects of agrochemicals on their levels

To improve the knowledge on the chemical diversity and complexity of grapevine, we investigated the plant sterol content of berry and seed tissues at pre-véraison and véraison stages in 2009 and 2010. We also assessed the effects of benzothiadiazole and chitosan elicitors on content of sterols in grapes and their levels in the corresponding experimental wines. β-Sitosterol was the most abundant component in berry tissues, in both growth stages and years, with the highest amounts in the flesh and skin at pre-véraison and véraison, respectively. Stigmasterol and campesterol were present in lower concentrations in both phenological stages and vintages. During the transition from pre-véraison to véraison, phytosterols decreased in all tissues, in both years, apart from stigmasterol in seeds. In addition, the results showed that the plant activators were more effective than conventional fungicides in rising the levels of sterols, particularly β-sitosterol, both in grapes and in microvinificates.

The application of chitosan and benzothiadiazole in vineyard (Vitis vinifera L. cv Groppello Gentile) changes the aromatic profile and sensory attributes of wine.

This work reports the effects of resistance inducers on wine aroma compounds and sensory attributes. Resistance inducers are a class of products able to elicit the plant defence mechanisms against pathogens, incurring lower toxicological risks than conventional agrochemicals. Among them, chitosan (CHT) and benzothiadiazole (BTH) are particularly effective in stimulating the biosynthesis of bioactive phytochemicals. They were used in a two-year survey conducted to assess experimental wines obtained from elicitor-treated grapes. Compared with conventional fungicides (penconazole and methyldinocap), in 2009, BTH increased total acetals and esters, while CHT raised the levels of total acetals and alcohols. Sensory analysis revealed that overall acceptance was higher in CHT than in BTH. In 2010, differences were not significant. Therefore, plant activators deserve attention beyond their efficacy in crop protection. In particular, in our experimental conditions, CHT improved the volatile profile, flavour and taste of Groppello wine.