This work was aimed at investigating the recovery of wine-derived bioactive compounds from white wine lees through a combination of hydroalcoholic extraction and membrane-based operations, as a potential alternative for winery wastewater treatment and valorisation. Hydroalcoholic extracts obtained in selected conditions of solid-liquid ratio, extraction time and working temperature (1:10, 25 % and 32 ± 2 °C, respectively) were previously clarified by ultrafiltration (UF) in order to produce a clarified solution free of suspended solids and colloidal substances. The concentration of bioactive compounds from the clarified extract was investigated by using three different spiral-wound NF membranes with molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) in the range of 200-1000 Da (TS40, XN45 and NP010, all from Microdyn-Nadir); their performance was analysed in terms of productivity, fouling index and retention towards target compounds (polyphenols, flavonoids, sugars) and antioxidant activity. Low molecular weight polyphenols (i.e. gallic acid, catechin, vanillic acid, epicatechin and caffeic acid) were highly rejected by the selected membranes despite their difference in MWCO; on the other hand, the rejection index for total phenolic content (TPC), flavonoids and glucose was in agreement with the MWCO. The TS40 membrane, with a lowest cut-off (200-300 Da), showed the highest rejection for flavonoids (100 %) and rejections for total phenolic compounds of 85 % resulting in concentrated fractions containing 1.7 g of gallic acid equivalents per liter (GAE/L); most of the components analysed in the retentate samples showed a concentration factor of approximately 3.5 in agreement with the weight reduction factor of the NF process. The analysis of fouling mechanisms according to the Hermia's model revealed that the cake filtration mechanism was the predominant one for all selected NF membranes.

The phenolic compounds are the most common antioxidants produced under adverse conditions by photosynthetic organisms to survive both abiotic and biotic stressors and find application in many industrial fields. The most abundant phenolic compounds are flavonoids such as apigenin and phenylpropanoids such as p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid and ferulic acid. Phenylproponoids are synthetized through the shikimate-phenylpropanoid pathway, which involves several enzymes that might be differently expressed depending on the environmental conditions or in response to stress. Despite being a diatom model species, in Phaeodactylum tricornutum the shikimate-phenylpropanoid pathway is still poorly characterized from a genetic and functional point of view. Only scares studies are also available for P. tricornutum quantitative and qualitative composition of phenylpropanoids. Here, we investigate the natural phenylpropanoid production of P. tricornutum CCAP 1055/1 by combining metabolic and bioprocess engineering. We overexpressed two native proteins of the shikimate pathway, i.e. the 3-deoxy-D-arabinoheptulosonate 7-phosphate (DAHP) synthase and the shikimate kinase (SK), known to be the main flux-controlling steps in higher plants. Additionally, we assessed different stress cultivation conditions which potentially affect the phenylpropanoids synthesis, i.e. light stress coupled with iron depletion. The present study will provide new insights into the regulation of this pathway in order to modulate the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis in diatoms in order to exploit their potential as a production platform.

Mediterranean pasture and forage legumes are important components of sustainable production systems. Subterranean clover and sulla represent key species having proven high agronomic value and traits for production and multiple services. Our research investigated the potential of the abovementioned species as a source of phenolic compounds and antioxidants for contributing to support their full exploitation in the fodder, animal welfare, and nutraceutical sectors. Antioxidant capacity, as well as the content of total phenolic compounds and individual phenolic compounds, was determined in subterranean clover and sulla shoots at the vegetative, flower bud, flowering, and seed ripening phenological stages. The antioxidant capacity and the phenolic content were affected significantly by harvest time. In subterranean clover, 10 individual phenolic compounds were detected, and isoflavones were the most abundant (3.19-18.27 mg·g-1 DM). Eleven phenolic compounds were identified in sulla shoots, and chlorogenic acid (0.76-3.43 mg·g-1 DM) and diosmin (3.64-4.94 mg·g-1 DM) were the most represented compounds at the vegetative and flower bud stage. On the basis of our findings, a complementary utilization of both legume species is suggested; this might ensure the exploitation of all phenolic compounds in view of the potential benefits for animal production and health.

The differential effects of UV-B on the inhibition or activation of protective mechanisms to maintain cells photosynthetically active were investigated in native microalgae. Four strains were used, including two Chlorella sorokiniana strains, F4 and LG1, isolated from a Mediterranean inland swamp and a recycled cigarette butt's substrate, respectively, and two isolates from an Ecuadorian highland lake related to Pectinodesmus pectinatus (PEC) and Ettlia pseudoalveolaris (ETI). Monocultures were exposed to acute UV-B (1.7 W m?2) over 18 h under controlled conditions. UV-B-untreated microalgae were used as the control. Comparative physiological responses, including photosynthetic pigments, non-enzymatic antioxidants, and chlorophyll a fluorescence, were evaluated at specific time points. Results showed that UV-B significantly compromised all the physiological parameters in F4, thereby resulting in the most UV-B-sensitive strain. Contrarily, UV-B exposure did not lead to changes in the PEC physiological traits, resulting in the best UV-B-resistant strain. This could be attributed to the acclimation to high light habitat, where maintaining a constitutive phenotype (at the photosynthetic level) is strategically advantageous. Differently, LG1 and ETI at 12 h of UV-B exposure showed different UV-B responses, which is probably related to acclimation, where in LG1, the pigments were recovered, and the antioxidants were still functioning, while in ETI, the accumulation of pigments and antioxidants was increased to avoid further photodamage. Consequently, the prolonged exposure in LG1 and ETI resulted in species-specific metabolic regulation (e.g., nonenzymatic antioxidants) in order to constrain full photoinhibition under acute UV-B.

The winemaking process generates different types of waste and by-products such as grape pomace, grape stems, wine lees and wastewater. Although these residues are mainly produced in the harvest period, they are distributed throughout the year causing environmental problems if they are not properly disposed of. Among wastes, wine lees and grape pomaces constitute a valuable source of bioactive compounds, especially phenolic compounds, with potential uses as food additives, nutraceuticals, and/or cosmeceuticals. For this reason, the winemaking industry is geared towards innovative and sustainable waste management systems, with an increasing demand for recycling or valorization strategies which deal with the principles of the Circular Economy. The coupling of membranes and other physical-chemical treatment appears to be a promising research domain in this field. In this work ultra- and nano-filtration laboratory-made flat-sheet membranes were investigated for the recovery of phenolic compounds from wine lees and red grape pomace extracts. The membrane performance was measured in terms of productivity, fouling index, cleaning efficiency and rejection coefficients towards total phenolics content, antioxidant activity, proanthocyanidins, glucose and fructose. UF and NF membranes were effective in separating target compounds from wine lees rejecting more than 92% of polysaccharides, with polyphenols preferentially permeating through the membrane. Concentrated fractions with high antioxidant activity can be produced through a combination of UF and NF processes in a sequential design. Among the prepared membranes, a specific NF membrane provided the best results in terms of separation between sugars and phenolic compounds of wine lees, with low rejections for glucose and fructose (19% and 12%, respectively) and high rejections for total phenolics content and proanthocyanidins (73% and 92%, respectively). This membrane exhibited also high productivity, with permeate flux of about 50.58 L/m2h (at 20 bar and 25 °C) and low fouling index.

Apple is one of the most consumed fruits in the world because of its availability throughout the year in various products, including fresh fruit, juice and concentrate. Epidemiological studies have shown that apple consumption as fresh fruit can prevent chronic heart and vascular diseases, diabetes, respiratory and pulmonary dysfunctions, obesity, and cancer, among others. All these quality properties are ultimately based on the metabolic composition of the fruit. On the other hand, processing steps for producing ready-to-drink apple juices, including juice extraction and clarification, harm the health-promoting compounds of apples, and clear apple juice has been associated with adverse effects, mainly related to its high fructose and low fiber content. Partial removal of sugars in apple juice without compromising its biofunctional properties represents a significant technological challenge. In the present work, apple juice was initially characterized using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Mass spectrometry (MS) coupled with HPLC-UV. Three different spiral-wound nanofiltration (NF) membranes with a molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) range of 200-500 Da were tested to reduce the sugar content of the juice and preserve its phenolic composition. In addition, a combination of diafiltration and batch concentration processes was investigated. For all selected membranes, the permeate flux and recovery rate of glucose, fructose, and phenolic compounds were evaluated in both diafiltration and concentration processes. Among the investigated membranes, a thin-film composite membrane with an MWCO of 200-300 Da provided the best results in preserving phenolic compounds in the selected operating conditions. More than 70% of phenolic compounds were recovered in the retentate stream, while the content of sugars was reduced by about 60%.

Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) is an aromatic and medicinal plant spreading in the Mediterranean area. The main uses of myrtle plants are liqueur and essential oil production with several biological properties. A large part of the properties of these products is due to phenolic compounds. Twenty-two myrtle cultivars originating from several areas of Sardinia Island and cultivated at the same site were analysed for phenolic compounds determination. Pearson's correlation was used to investigate a possible correlation between phenolic compounds content observed in the cultivation site and historical agrometeorological parameters in the sites of cultivar origin. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and principal component analysis (PCA) were applied to data to evaluate the characterization of myrtle cultivars based on the relationship between sites of origin with their climate traits and phenolic compounds content as recorded in the same field of comparison. Anthocyanins are negatively correlated with minimum, maximum, and average temperatures of some months. Total phenols content decreases with high temperatures in the summer months. Rainfall affected mainly tannins content. Two principal components explained about 79% of the variability and allowed the classification of cultivars into four groups, while cultivars from Laconi, Siniscola and Cuglieri sites were not included in any group. The HCA allowed the subdivision of the wild populations into three clusters

Hydroxytyrosol (HT) is one of the most powerful natural antioxidants, mainly contained in olive oil and its by-products. Here, a procedure for the preparation of an HT-enriched sample is described. An acidic aqueous extract (pH 1.25) from Olive Oil Dregs (OOD), a by-product from oil mills, was prepared by incubation at 37 °C for 1 h. The total phenolic content and HT amount were 6.24 +/- 0.10 mg gallic acid equivalent/g OOD and 532.98 +/- 5.78 ug/g OOD, respectively. Amberlite XAD16N and XAD7HP resins were used for the recovery of HT from the raw extract. Several elution conditions were tested with both resins, and elution with 25% ethanol provided the highest HT recovery (92.50% from XAD7HP). Antioxidant activities were assessed in the pool containing the highest quantity of HT. The results were compared with those of the raw extract. Ferric reducing antioxidant power values were comparable (95.71 +/- 2.50 and 96.64 +/- 13.47 ug ascorbic acid equivalent/mg for HT-enriched pool and raw extract, respectively), while the radical scavenging activity was higher for the pool (92.83% +/- 0.44 and 44.12% +/- 1.82, respectively). The results reported here demonstrate that HT can be recovered with a high yield from OOD, providing a preparation with high radical scavenging power. In addition, it is proved that this by-product, poorly considered up to now, can be usefully exploited.

In this study, the potential of ultraviolet B (UV-B) radiation to alleviate the effects of pollutants in cigarette butt wastewater (CBW) was investigated using different Chlorella sorokiniana strains (F4, R1 and LG1). Microalgae were treated with UV-B (1.7 W m-2) for 3 days prior to their exposure to CBW and then incubated for 4 days in the absence or presence of UV-B. UV-B-untreated microalgae were used as the control. Comparative physiological responses, including photosynthetic pigments and non-enzymatic antioxidants, as well as nicotine and nicotyrine removal, were evaluated in 7-day cultures. UV-B treatments did not negatively impact algal chlorophyll or carotenoid production. UV-B acclimation was strain-dependent, correlating with native environment adaptations and genetic constitutions. UV-B as a pretreatment had long-term positive effects on non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity. However, LG1 needed more time to readjust the pro-oxidant/antioxidant balance, as it was the most UV-B-sensitive. Phenolic compounds played an important role in the antioxidant system response to UV-B, while flavonoids did not contribute to the total antioxidant capacity. Although cross-resistance between UV-B and CBW was observed in F4 and R1, only R1 showed nicotine/nicotyrine catabolism induction due to UV-B. Overall, the results suggest that UV-B activates defense pathways associated with resistance or tolerance to nicotine and nicotyrine

The Mediterranean diet has, among its cornerstones, the use of olive oil for its nutraceutical and organoleptic properties. Despite the numerous merits, olive-oil mill wastewater (OMWW), which is generated by the olive-oil extraction process, is one of the most serious environmental pollutants in the Mediterranean countries. The polluting potential of OMWW is due to its high content of tannins, polyphenols, polyalcohols, pectins and lipids. In order to close the recovery cycle of a fortified citrus olive oils previously developed, we tested the ability of five microalgae of the Chlorella group (SEC_LI_ChL_1, CL_Sc, CL_Ch, FB and Idr) in lowering the percentage of total phenolic compounds in vegetation water. This was obtained with three different extraction processes (conventional, and lemon and orange peels) at three concentrations each (10%, 25% and 50%). The results showed that strains Idr, FB and CL_Sc from the Lake Massaciuccoli can tolerate vegetation water from conventional and lemon peel extractions up to 25%; these strains can also reduce the phenolic compounds within the tests. The application of microalgae for OMWW treatment represents an interesting opportunity as well as an eco-friendly low-cost solution to be developed within companies as a full-scale approach, which could be applied to obtain a fortified microalgal biomass to be employed in nutraceutical fields.

Plantago lanceolata L. (plantain) is an interesting multipurpose perennial species whose aerial parts are used in herbal medicine due to its precious phytochemicals and are palatable to animals. Moreover, peculiar traits such as drought tolerance, an extended growth season and a deep root system, make plantain a promising pioneer plant for quarry reclamation based on the use of native species. This study evaluated the effects of different environmental conditions and seasons on the accumulation of the bioactive compounds of its aerial organs. An autochthonous plantain population was grown in three locations in Sardinia (Italy). Leaves, peduncles and inflorescences were collected between October 2020 and July 2021. Phenolic contents and antioxidant capacity were determined. The analysis of the individual phenolic compounds was performed using liquid chromatography. In leaves, the content of total phenolics, antioxidant capacity and total flavonoids were significantly influenced by location and season. Total phenolic content ranged from 65 to 240 g gallic acid equivalent kg-1, whereas total flavonoids were from 16 to about 89 g catechin equivalent kg-1. Neochlorogenic, chlorogenic, cryptochlorogenic acids, verbascoside, diosmin and luteolin were identified in the methanolic extracts of leaves, peduncles and inflorescences. Verbascoside was the main antioxidant isolated from plantain extracts. Results evidenced an increasing accumulation pattern of phenolics from vegetative stage to flowering, followed by a decrement towards the seed ripening as well as site-specific differences with amounts of phenolics even 25% higher for same plantain accession.

Hydroalcoholic extracts obtained from buds of P. nigra, P. deltoides and P. trichocarpa were characterized by HPLC-DAD-MS analysis and subsequently evaluated in vitro for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. ABTS and DPPH assays evidenced that P. nigra showed the best antioxidant activity in line with its highest total phenolic content. The analysis of the anti-inflammatory activity clearly demonstrated that all extracts suppressed the production of key pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, Il-1 beta and TNF-alpha) and HMGB1 inflammatory danger signal. These results show antioxidant and critical anti-inflammatory activities mediated by the extracts, emphasising their potentiality as therapeutic agents.

Droughts and high temperatures are the main abiotic constraints hampering durum wheat production. This study investigated the accumulation of phenolic acids (PAs) in the wholemeal flour of six durum wheat cultivars under drought and heat stress. Phenolic acids were extracted from wholemeals and analysed through HPLC-DAD analysis. Ferulic acid was the most represented PA, varying from 390.1 to 785.6 g/g dry matter across all cultivars and growth conditions, followed by sinapic acids, p-coumaric, vanillic, syringic, and p-hydroxybenzoic acids. Among the cultivars, Cirno had the highest PAs content, especially under severe drought conditions. Heat stress enhanced the accumulation of minor individual PAs, whereas severe drought increased ferulic acid and total PAs. Broad-sense heritability was low (0.23) for p-coumaric acid but >0.69 for all other components. Positive correlations occurred between PA content and grain morphology and between test weight and grain yield. Durum wheat genotypes with good yields and high accumulation of PAs across different growing conditions could be significant for durum wheat resilience and health-promoting value.

Olive oil dregs (OOD), which are an underutilized by-product from oil mills, were used for the extraction of antioxidant compounds. The residues from three oil mills located in Campania (Southern Italy) were extracted with acidified methanol, and hydroxytyrosol (HT) was the main phenolic compound detected. Total phenolic content (TPC) and HT amount were measured. EVO Campania oil mill provided the residue with the highest TPC and HT quantities: 6.801 ± 0.159 mg Gallic Acid Equivalents (GAE)/g OOD and 519.865 ± 9.082 µg/g OOD, respectively. Eco-friendly extractions at different temperatures and times were performed on EVO Campania OOD, obtaining 9.122 ± 0.104 mg GAE/g OOD and 541.330 ± 64.087 µg/g OOD for TPC and HT, respectively, at 121C for 60 min. Radical Scavenging Activity (RSA), Superoxide Scavenging Activity (SSA), and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) were measured in OOD aqueous extracts. Extract prepared at 37C for 60 min showed the greatest RSA and SSA values (44.12 ± 1.82 and 75.72 ± 1.78, respectively), whereas extract prepared at 121C for 60 min exhibited the highest FRAP value (129.10 ± 10.49 µg Ascorbic Acid Equivalents (AAE)/mg). OOD extracts were able to protect sunflower oil from oxidation for 4 weeks at 65C. The overall results suggest that this novel residue can be usefully valorized by providing HT-rich extracts to use as antioxidant agents.

The purpose of the current study was to determine the phenolic composition, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities in grape cane extracts from typical cultivars of Southern Italy. Aqueous extracts at different pHs (1-13) were prepared from "Aglianico", "Fiano", and "Greco" grape canes. The results demonstrated that an alkaline pH (13.00) produced the best polyphenol-rich extracts, as the total phenolic content was more than double when compared to the respective extracts prepared at pH 1.00. "Greco" grape canes gave the highest quantity of phenolic compounds at each pH, ranging from 42.7 0.4 to 104.3 3.0 mg Gallic Acid Equivalents (GAE)/g Dry Extract (DE) from pH 1.00 to 13.00. The Radical Scavenging Activity (RSA) and the Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) were measured. The highest antioxidant activity was showed by "Greco" extract at pH 7.00. Seventy-five compounds were identified in the extracts by HPLC-MS with six of them described for the first time in grape canes. Procyanidins were highly abundant in extracts at pH 7.00, whereas stilbenoids were the most represented compounds at pH 13.00. Very strong antiviral activity against herpes simplex viruses was recorded for the extracts at pH 7.00 and 13.00 that were active in the early stages of infection by acting directly against the viral particles. The overall results suggest that grape canes, currently underutilized, can be usefully valorised by providing active extracts to use as antioxidant and antiviral agents.

This work investigates the occurrence of OCPs, such as hexachlorocyclohexane (?-, ?-, ?- and ?-HCH) isomers, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (p,p'-DDT) and its metabolite dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE), endosulfan (?- and ?-EDS) isomers, chlorpyrifos (CPF), dacthal (DAC) and phenolic compounds, such as 4-nonylphenol (4-NP) and its precursors nonylphenol polyethoxylates (NP1EO and NP2EO) and bisphenol A (BPA), in polar cod sampled in and outside Bessel Fjord (NE Greenland). Linear regressions between target contaminants and morphological parameters (age, length, weight, gonad- and hepato-somatic indices and Fulton K) have been also evaluated. Polar cod collected at shelf had higher average concentrations of BPA, NP1EO, NP2EO and 4-NP (muscle: 6.2, 13.2, 8.9 and 1.9 ng/g w.w., respectively; liver: 5.8, 7.5, 5.2 and 0.9 ng/g w.w. respectively), than fjord's specimens (muscle: 3.5, 9.1, 3.9 and 1.0 ng/g w.w., respectively; liver: 2.4, 5.3, 2.9 and 1.1 ng/g w.w. respectively). ?HCHs, ?EDSs, ?DDTs, CPF and DAC, were more accumulated in the polar cod from the fjord (average amount in muscle: 9.1, 4.8, 7.9, 3.8 and 2.8 ng/g w.w., respectively; average amount in the liver: 11.2, 9.0, 3.8, 5.9 and 4.9 ng/g w.w., respectively) than shelf's ones (average amount in muscle 3.9, 4.5, 4.2, 0.9 and 1.2 ng/g w.w., respectively; average amount in liver 7.8, 6.3, 2.1, 3.4 and 2.5 ng/g w.w., respectively). The comparison between the concentration of target contaminants and morphologic parameters suggested a different exposure of polar cod occupying the fjord and shelf habitats, due to a combination of genetic and dietary differences, climate change effects and increased human activities.

BACKGROUND Grass pea (Laithyrus sativus L.) is a rustic plant whose seeds are rich in polyphenols and antioxidants, and it has been consumed as food by human beings since ancient times. This study was conducted in Italy between 2017and 2019 to evaluate under field conditions, the stability of seed yield, biomass and 1000 seed weight (THS) and to assess the antioxidant composition and activity of eleven grass pea accessions. RESULTS The analysis of variance revealed significant effects of the environment, accession and accession x environment (A×E) on the yield, above-ground biomass and the THS. We found that the environment (year) and A×E explained 52.61% and 23.76 % of the total seed yield variation, respectively. No relationship was observed between the yield and the total protein of seeds. Most grass pea accessions showed sensitivity to frost conditions that occurred in the third growing season. The total phenolic content ranged from 50.51 to 112.78 mg/100 g of seeds and the antioxidant activity ranged from 0.576 to 0.898 mmol TE/100 g of seeds and from 0.91 to 1.6 mmol Fe²? /100 g of seeds in ABTS and FRAP, respectively. Among the accessions, the "Campi Flegrei" and "di Castelcività" showed the best performance with the highest yield and stability, phenolic content and superior antioxidant activity. CONCLUSION The results showed that the yield of grass pea was mainly influenced by different climate conditions. This variability in yield, phenolic content and antioxidant activity among different accessions could help breeders and farmers select high-performance accessions for cultivation

To preserve quality and extend the shelf life of tomato, a bioactive edible coating was prepared using gelatin wastes from pharmaceutical industry and lyophilised blueberry juice (BJ). The effectiveness of gelatin-coating (G) and G enriched with blueberry juice (GB) was tested, monitoring carotenoids, polyphenols and flavonoids content, the antioxidant activity and the antimicrobial efficiency of coating against the native microflora. After 7 d of storage, coated fruit showed higher phenolic and flavonoids content and increased antioxidant activity, while carotenoids were unaffected by the treatments. The growth of mesophilic bacteria of GB, and the growth of coliform bacteria of G and GB were significantly reduced during the entire period. The results indicate that GB preserved the nutritional quality of tomatoes and that BJ was able to increase the antimicrobial activity of the coating. This paves the way for a possible use of this biodegradable waste polymer as an eco-friendly coating material.

Upcycling food industry by-products has become a topic of interest within the framework of the circular economy, to minimize environmental impact and the waste of resources. This research aimed at verifying the eectiveness of using almond skins, a by-product of the confectionery industry, in the preparation of functional biscuits with improved nutritional properties. Almond skins were added at 10 g/100 g (AS10) and 20 g/100 g (AS20) to a wheat flour basis. The protein content was not influenced, whereas lipids and dietary fiber significantly increased (p < 0.05), the latter meeting the requirements for applying "source of fiber" and "high in fiber" claims to AS10 and AS20 biscuits, respectively. The addition of almond skins altered biscuit color, lowering L* and b* and increasing a*, but improved friability. The biscuits showed sensory dierences in color, odor and textural descriptors. The total sum of single phenolic compounds, determined by HPLC, was higher (p < 0.05) in AS10 (97.84 g/g) and AS20 (132.18 g/g) than in control (73.97 g/g). The antioxidant activity showed the same trend as the phenolic. The p-hydroxy benzoic and protocatechuic acids showed the largest increase. The suggested strategy is a practical example of upcycling when preparing a health-oriented food product.