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The aim of this study is the extraction and the identification of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and total phenolic compounds of three Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill., species from Morocco, namely Dellahia, Aissa and Shoul. The VOCs were extracted with Solid-Phase Microextraction (SPME) associated to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The antioxidant compounds in extracts were determined by liquid- Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS). The study allowed the identification of forty-six compounds for the VOCs. The most abundant compounds in the three varieties (Dellahia, Aissa and Shoul) were 2-hexanal and n-hexanol with a percentage of 10.6%, 10.9% and 44.0% for the first compound and 10.3 %, 59.0%, 18.7% for the second, successively. The extraction of phenolic compounds permitted the identification and quantification of 15 fractions of flavonoids and phenolic acids. Caffeic acid was the most abundant phenolic acid with 16.0 and 10.8 mg/100g of plant material respectively for Dellahia and Aissa. For flavoinoids composition, isorhamnetin was the major compound. It accounted respectively for 40.5% and 43.2% for Dellahia and Aissa. We can conclude that cactus pear fruits are a good source of natural antioxidants and the major compounds responsible of flavor in the studied varieties are 2-hexanal and n-hexanol.

Wheat straw is an abundant source of lignocellulosic biomass that is generally not utilized for biofuel production, nor for other uses. Recent EU renewable energy directive fosters bioethanol production through lignocellulosic sugars fermentation, but the cost of this process is an issue that often depends on biomass characteristics. Lignin is a class of three-dimensional polymers providing structural integrity of plant tissues. Its complex structure, together with hemicelluloses and uronic acids content, could affect the ability of hydrolyzing biomass to fermentable sugars. To get insights into this variation, a set of 10 durum wheat genotypes was analyzed to determine variation of straw digestibility to fermentable sugars. The results showed that the lignin content was the major factor determining the recalcitrance to enzymatic process. The analysis of Spearman’s correlation indicated that the sugar released after enzymatic hydrolysis had a negative connection with the lignin content, while it was positively correlated with the culm length. The possible role of other cell wall components, such as arabinose and uronic acids, was also discussed. This work aimed at analyzing the diversity of lignocellulosic digestibility to fermentable sugars of wheat straw in a small germplasm collection. Some of the selected genotypes were characterized by high sugars digestibility and high grain yield, characteristics that could make biorefining of wheat straw profitable.

The production of saffron spice generates large quantities of plant by-products: over 90% of the plant material collected is discarded, and a consideration fraction of this waste is plant stamens. This work investigated the chemical composition and the antimicrobial activities of the non-polar fraction extracted from four different saffron flower stamens. The chemical composition of ethereal extracts of the saffron stamens was qualitatively assessed by means of gas–chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses. These analyses revealed ethereal extracts to possess a high polyunsaturated fatty acid content. In vitro antibacterial activity of stamen extracts showed no large differences between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in terms of minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). In food matrix microbial analysis of the bacterial strains belonging to the main foodborne pathogen species, including Staphylococcus aureus DSM 20231, Escherichia coli DSM 30083, and Listeria monocytogenes DSM 20600, using low-fat UHT milk, revealed a statistically significant reduction in the number of cells (particularly for E. coli and S. aureus with a complete elimination of the population of the two target bacteria following incubation in diethyl ether extracts of saffron stamen (DES) at high concentrations tested, both at 37 °C and 6 °C (for 48 h and 7 days, respectively). A synergic effect was observed when the pathogens were incubated at 6 °C with DES. This work shows these by-products to be excellent sources of bioactive compounds, which could be exploited in high-added-value products, such as food, cosmetics, and drugs.

GC-FID/MS is a powerful technique used to analyze food and beverage aromas. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in grape berries play an important role in determining wine quality and are affected by many factors, such as climate and soil that mainly influence their relative concentrations. Wine aroma is generated by a complex mixture of compounds, and the sensory relevance of individual VOCs is far from elucidated. Herein, the VOC content (free and glycosylated) of Cannonau grape skin and juice and of Cannonau wine collected in different areas of Sardinia is explored. Wine sensory analysis was also carried out and the relationship between sensory attributes and VOCs was investigated. Although Cannonau grapes showed the same VOC fingerprint, great variability was identified between samples, although only the differences in 2-phenylethanol and benzyl alcohol concentration in the grape skins and benzyl alcohol and a terpenoid in grape juice were significantly different according to ANOVA. The correlation between VOC content and the sensory profile highlights the role played by 2-methyl-1-butanol and 2-phenylethanol in increasing wine sensory complexity.

This work aimed at developing a mouthwash based on liposomes loading Citrus limon var. pompia essential oil or citral to treat oropharyngeal diseases. Vesicles were prepared by dispersing phosphatidylcholine and pompia essential oil or citral at increasing amounts (12, 25 and 50 mg/mL) in water. Transparent vesicle dispersions were obtained by direct sonication avoiding the use of organic solvents. Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) confirmed the formation of unilamellar, spherical and regularly shaped vesicles. Essential oil and citral loaded liposomes were small in size (~110 and ~100 nm, respectively) and negatively charged. Liposomes, especially those loading citral, were highly stable as their physico-chemical properties did not change during storage. The formulations were highly biocompatible against keratinocytes, were able to counteract the damages induced in cells by using hydrogen peroxide, and able to increase the rate of skin repair. In addition, liposomes loading citral at higher concentrations inhibited the proliferation of cariogenic bacterium.

Citrus species extracts are well known sources of bio-functional compounds with health-promoting effects. In particular, essential oils are known for their antibacterial activity due to the high content of terpenes. In this work, the steam-distilled essential oil from the leaves of Citrus limon var. pompia was loaded in phospholipid vesicles. The physico-chemical characteristics of the essential oil loaded vesicles were compared with those of vesicles that were loaded with citral, which is one of the most abundant terpenes of Citrus essential oils. The biocompatibility of the vesicles was assessed in vitro in human keratinocytes. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity of the vesicles was tested while using different bacterial strains and a yeast: Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans, respectively. The vesicles were small in size (~140 nm), slightly polydispersed (PI ~ 0.31), highly negatively charged (~ −73 mV), and able to incorporate high amounts of essential oil or citral (E% ~ 86%). Pompia essential oil and citral exhibited antimicrobial activity against all of the assayed microorganisms, with P. aeruginosa being the least sensitive. Citral was slightly more effective than pompia essential oil against E. coli, S. aureus, and C. albicans. The incorporation of citral in vesicles improved its antifungal activity against C. albicans.

The chemical composition and the color of samples of waste cooking oils (WCOs) were determined prior to and after filtration on two different pads of bentonite differing in particle size. The volatile fraction was monitored by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas-chromatography, while the variation of the composition of the main components was analyzed by 1H NMR. Both techniques allowed the detection of some decomposition products, such as polymers, terpenes, and derivatives of the Maillard process. The analysis of the chemical composition prior to and after bentonite treatment revealed a tendency for the clays to retain specific chemical groups (such as carboxylic acids or double bonds), independent of their particle size. A pair comparison test was conducted in order to detect the sensory differences of the intensity of aroma between the WCO treated with the two different bentonites. In addition, characterization of the bentonite by means of powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric measurements (TG) was performed.