First Insight into Nutraceutical Properties of Local Salento Cichorium intybus Varieties: NMR-Based Metabolomic Approach

Effects of a feed supplement, containing undenatured type II collagen (UC II®) and Boswellia Serrata, in the management of mild/moderate mobility disorders in dogs: A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled, cross-over study

This study was designed as a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded, cross-over trial performed to investigate the effects of a dietary supplement containing undenatured type II collagen (UCII®) and Boswellia Serrata on mobility, pain and joint metabolism in mild moderate osteoarthritis (OA) in dogs. A total of 60 dogs with mobility problems were evaluated and enrolled in the study. Seventeen of these dogs with mild/moderate OA were randomized to receive the product A (UCII® + Boswellia Serrata supplement-UCII®-BW) or product B (Placebo -PL), 1 chew per day for 8 weeks by oral route, and repeated in a crossover design after 4 weeks of washout period. All the subjects had veterinary evaluations during the trial and owners were requested to fill out a questionnaire on mobility impairment using the Liverpool Osteoarthritis in dogs scale (L.O.A.D.) at each time of the study. Objective tools were used to assess mobility, activity, and pain. Metabolomic analysis was performed on synovial fluid of most affected joint at the beginning and the end of the study. The results proved that UCII®+Boswellia serrata supplemented group over a period of eight weeks results in an improvement of mobility impairment, already at 4 weeks of administration, according to the owner´s evaluation. In contrast, its absence increased the risk of OA crisis and decreased the pain threshold on the most affected joint. Furthermore, the synovial fluid metabolic profile showed moderate differences between the beginning and the end of the supplementation period, with a particular influence associated to the time of UCII®-BW administration.

Editorial for the Special Issue "NMR- and MS-Based Metabolomics Approaches for Local and Traditional Foods' Characterization"

Metabolomics is a powerful tool in food sciences, widely used in food analysis for authenticity and traceability assessment and regulatory compliance, processing, quality, and safety [...].

Metabolomic NMR analysis and organoleptic perceptions of pomegranate wines: Influence of cultivar and yeast on the product characteristics

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) fruits are a historical agricultural product of the Mediterranean basin that became increasingly popular in the latest years for being rich in antioxidants and other micronutrients, and are extensively commercialized as fruits, juice, jams and, in some Eastern countries, as a fermented alcoholic beverage. In this work, four different pomegranate wines specifically designed using combinations of two cultivars (Jolly Red and Smith) and two yeast starters with markedly different characteristics (Saccharomyces cerevisiae Clos and Saccharomyces cerevisiae ex-bayanus EC1118) were analyzed. The chemical characterization of the wines together with the originating unfermented juices was performed by ¹H NMR spectroscopy metabolomic analysis. The full spectra were used for unsupervised and supervised statistical multivariate analysis (MVA), namely Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Orthogonal Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA), and sparse PCA (SPCA). The MVA of the wines showed a clear discrimination between the cultivars, and a smaller, yet significant, discrimination between the yeasts used. In particular, a higher content of citrate and gallate was observed for the Smith cv. and, on the contrary, a statistically significant higher content of fructose, malate, glycerol, 2,3 butanediol, trigonelline, aromatic amino acids and 4-hydrophenylacetate was observed in Jolly Red pomegranate wines samples. Significant interaction among the pomegranate cultivar and the fermenting yeast was also observed. Sensorial analysis was performed by a panel of testing experts. MVA of tasting data showed that the cultivar significantly affected the organoleptic parameters considered, while the yeast had a minor impact. Correlation analysis between NMR-detected metabolites and organoleptic descriptors identified several potential sensorially-active molecules as those significantly impacting the characteristics of the pomegranate wines.

1H-NMR Metabolomics Study after Foliar and Endo-Therapy Treatments of Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca Infected Olive Trees: Medium Time Monitoring of Field Experiments

Here we report the medium-term effects of foliar spray and endo-therapy treatments with different doses of a Cu/Zn citric acid biocomplex (Dentamet®) in Xylella fastidiosa infected olive trees of Salento, Apulia region (South-east Italy). Leaf extract samples from field-treated 150 years old olive trees cvs Ogliarola salentina and Cellina di Nardò were studied by 1H NMR-based metabolomics. The result of different applications of Dentamet® endo-therapy after 60, 120 and 180 days in comparison with traditional foliar spray treatment and water injection as a control have been investigated. The metabolic profile analyses, performed by 1H NMR-based metabolomic approach, indicated plant metabolites variations connected to the disease progression such as mannitol, quinic acid, and oleuropein related compounds. The best results, in terms of discrimination of the metabolic profiles with respect to water injection, were found for monthly endo-therapy treatments. Dentamet® foliar application demonstrated more specific time related progressive effectiveness with respect to intravascular treatments. Therefore, besides a possible more effective performance of endo-therapy with respect to foliar treatments, the need of further doses/frequencies trimming to obtain long-term results was also assessed. The present field studies confirmed the indication of Dentamet® effectiveness in metabolic variation induction, potentially linked with reducing the X. fastidiosa subspecies pauca related Olive Quick Decline Syndrome (OQDS) symptoms development.

Interdisciplinary Approach to Improve Agri-Food Safety and Quality

The agri-food sector is very broad and includes a whole series of steps in the supply chain ranging from agricultural production to the processing and marketing of final products [...]

Belgian endive-derived biostimulants promote shoot and root growth in vitro

Recovering biostimulant compounds from by-products of crops is a promising strategy to add value, enhance sustainability, and increase the environmental safety of the agricultural production chain. Here, we report consistent root and shoot growth-stimulating bioactivity present in water-based extracts from Belgian endive forced roots (Cichorium intybus var. foliosum) over two consecutive harvest years. The shoot and the primary root of in vitro cultivated Arabidopsis thaliana treated with Belgian endive extract were about 30% increased in size compared to plants grown under control conditions. The ornamental species Plectranthus esculentus also showed enhanced in vitro shoot and root growth, suggesting bioactivity on a broad range of species. Fractionation of the Belgian endive extracts into aqueous and organic subfractions coupled with bioactivity measurements showed that the principal root and shoot growth-promoting ingredients are primarily water-soluble. NMR-based characterization of the bioactive aqueous fractions revealed the presence of predominantly sugars and organic acids. Malate and sugars were abundant and common to all water fractions, suggesting these molecules contributed to the growth stimulation phenotype. The findings indicate that Belgian endive roots are a source for the development of organic waste-derived biostimulants with potential for application in tissue culture and putatively for soil-grown crop production.