Simona Fabroni

Fruit quality and bioactive compounds relevant to human health of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) cultivars grown in Italy

The fruit quality characteristics, phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacities of 24 sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) cultivars grown on the mountainsides of the Etna volcano (Sicily, Italy) were evaluated. High-performance liquid chromatographic methods were used to identify and quantify sugars, organic acids and phenolics. A total of seven phenolic compounds were characterised as hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives (neochlorogenic acid, p-coumaroylquinic acid and chlorogenic acid) and anthocyanins (cyanidin 3-glucoside, cyanidin 3-rutinoside, pelargonidin 3-rutinoside and peonidin 3-rutinoside). The total anthocyanin content ranged from 6.21 to 94.20mg cyanidin 3-glucoside equivalents/100g fresh weight (FW), while the total phenol content ranged from 84.96 to 162.21mg gallic acid equivalents/100g FW. The oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay indicated that fruit of all genotypes possessed considerable antioxidant activity. The high level of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity of some sweet cherry fruits implied that they might be sources of bioactive compounds that are relevant to human health.

Chemical Characterization of Different Sumac and Pomegranate Extracts Effective against Botrytis cinerea Rots.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) peel and sumac (Rhus coriaria L.) fruit and leaf extracts were chemically characterized and their ability to inhibit table grape (cv. Italia) rots caused by Botrytis cinerea was evaluated on artificially inoculated berries. Different extraction methods were applied and extracts were characterized through Ultra Fast High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled to Photodiode array detector and Electrospray ionization Mass spectrometer (UPLC-PDA-ESI/MSn) for their phenol and anthocyanin contents. The concentrated pomegranate peel extract (PGE-C) was the richest in phenols (66.97 g gallic acid equivalents/kg) while the concentrated sumac extract from fruits (SUF-C) showed the highest anthocyanin amount (171.96 mg cyanidin 3-glucoside equivalents/kg). Both phenolic and anthocyanin profile of pomegranate and sumac extracts were quite different: pomegranate extract was rich in cyanidin 3-glucoside, pelargonidin 3-glucoside and ellagic acid derivatives, while sumac extract was characterized by 7-methyl-cyanidin 3-galactoside and gallic acid derivatives. The concentrated extracts from both pomegranate peel and sumac leaves significantly reduced the development of Botrytis rots. In particular, the extract from pomegranate peel completely inhibited the pathogen at different intervals of time (0, 12, and 24 h) between treatment and pathogen inoculation on fruits maintained at 22–24 °C and high relative humidity (RH). This extract may represent a valuable alternative to control postharvest fungal rots in view of its high efficacy because of the low cost of pomegranate peel, which is a waste product of processing factories.

Essential oil profiles of new Citrus hybrids, a tool for genetic citrus improvement

The essential oil composition of new Citrus hybrids obtained from the Citrus genetic improvement programs at the CRA-Centro di Ricerche per l’Agrumicoltura e le Colture Mediterranee of Acireale, Italy (CRA-ACM), were used to evaluate the fruit quality and to identify new valuable flavor components. The common objective of genetic improvement programs is to generate Citrus cultivars with a higher resistance to disease and to biotic and abiotic stresses, as well as seedless and easy to peel fruits with optimal size and shape and with new organoleptic characteristics. The chemical characterization of the volatile components in the essential oils from the peel of new Citrus hybrids were determined by gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The fruits studied were respectively: seven hybrids (P1–P7) coming from crossing a diploid clementine with a tetraploid grapefruit; a new hybrid with lemon-like character obtained by crossing a diploid clementine with a tetraploid lemon; two pigmented triploid hybrids obtained by crossing a diploid clementine with a tetraploid ‘Tarocco’ orange (‘A146’ and ‘C1867’); a new mandarin hybrid named ‘Cami’; four pigmented hybrids whose parents were clementine and ‘Moro’ orange (‘OMO 15’, ‘OMO 31’, ‘OMO 6’ and ‘OMO 12’); and finally, a red-fleshed hybrid (Amoa-8) obtained from ‘Moro’ orange and ‘Avana’ mandarin.

An Alginate/Cyclodextrin Spray Drying Matrix to Improve Shelf Life and Antioxidant Efficiency of a Blood Orange By-Product Extract Rich in Polyphenols: MMPs Inhibition and Antiglycation Activity in Dysmetabolic Diseases

Alginate and β-cyclodextrin were used to produce easily dosable and spray-dried microsystems of a dried blood orange extract with antidysmetabolic properties, obtained from a by-product fluid extract. The spray-dried applied conditions were able to obtain a concentrate dried extract without the loss of AOA and with TPC and TMA values of 35–40% higher than that of the starting material. They were also effective in producing microparticles with 80–100% of encapsulation efficiency. The 2% sodium alginate was capable of improving the extract shelf life, while the beta-cyclodextrin (1 : 1 molar ratio with dried extract) prolonged the extract antioxidant efficiency by 6 hours. The good inhibition effect of the dried extract on the AGE formation and the MMP-2 and MMP-9 activity is presumably due to a synergic effect exerted by both anthocyanin and bioflavonoid extract compounds and was improved by the use of alginate and cyclodextrin.

Nutritional Composition of Clementine (Citrus x clementina) Cultivars

Abstract Clementine fresh fruits have been always prized on the market for their typical agreeable physicochemical characteristics such as low acidity, good sugar level, and a well-balanced sugar to acid ratio. The oldest genotypes worldwide are considered to be ‘Fina’, or ‘Comune’, and ‘Monreal’ cultivars. The rapid spread of this crop in the last century has produced the isolation of several natural selections that are strictly different, compared with the ancient genotype in terms of ripening stage, peel color, vegetative habit, and fruit size. The selection of several early- and late-ripening mutants has led to an extension of the harvest period of the fresh fruit from September through October to mid-February. In the present work, the nutritional and antioxidant composition of traditional and modern clementine cultivars is critically reviewed with the final aim of identifying how nutrient and bioactive constituents vary with different clementine varieties.