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Milk cream is a fluid milk product comparatively rich in fat, in the form of an emulsion of fat‐in‐skimmed milk, obtained by physical separation from milk, and widely used in the food industry. This study aims to evaluate the consequences of ozone treatment exposure time on lipid oxidation of milk cream, using peroxide value (PV) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) methods. Ozonation process significantly affects PV and TBARS value (P < 0.05), in particular, the lipid oxidation increases with the ozone exposure time. The color characteristics (L*, a*, and b* values) of milk cream samples are also affected by ozone treatment (P < 0.05); the decrease of color parameters can be related to carotenoids degradation due to ozone treatment. Practical applications: Although ozone treatment is an extremely useful method to reduce the microbiological load of foods, the duration of ozone treatment is a key factor to determine the capacity of the ozonation process to balance microbial and chemical quality of foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The production of fruit and vegetables rich in health‐promoting components in an eco‐friendly context represents the winning answer to the world population demand for food. In this study, the effects of different treatments on the yield and fruit chemical characteristics of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) are reported. The treatments included three inducers of plant defence responses (chitosan, Trichoderma harzianum T‐22 and Bacillus subtilis QST713) applied alone or before Cucumber mosaic virus infection. Fruit production and antioxidant compounds were investigated by ultrahigh‐performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). RESULTS: Compared to control fruit harvested from untreated and healthy plants, treatment with QST713 increased the fruit number. Furthermore, plant treatments with T22, QST713 and chitosan alone enhanced fruit carotenoids (lutein and β‐carotene), ascorbic acid and phenolic acids (caffeoyl glucoside and p‐coumaroyl glucoside). In parallel, compared to fruit harvested from only CMV‐infected plants, treatments with T22, QST713 and chitosan before CMV enhanced fruit ascorbic acid and flavonoids (quercetin 3‐O‐xylosyl‐rutinoside and rutin). CONCLUSION: Antioxidant compounds of tomato fruit can increase with the application of the plant defence inducers, thus protecting both the consumer and plant health. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Besides their nutritional value, vegetables are a source of health-promoting compounds, such as polyphenols, and their content can be influenced by the particular farming method. In this study polyphenolic extracts from Lactuca sativa (var. Maravilla de verano) plants cultivated with different farming methods were chemically characterised and tested in vitro and ex vivo inflammation models. RESULTS The tested extacts (250-2.5 µg mL−1) were able to reduce both the inflammatory and oxidative stress in LPS-stimulated J774A.1 murine monocyte macrophage cells, by lowering the release of nitric oxide ( NO) and reactive oxygen species ( ROS) and promoting nuclear translocation of nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2; (Nrf2) and nuclear factor- κB ( NF-κB). In this regard, quantitative profiles revealed different amounts of polyphenols, in particular quercetin levels were higher in plants under mineral fertilised treatment. Those extract showed an enhanced anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity. CONCLUSION Our data showed the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential of Maravilla de Verano polyphenolic extracts. The effect of farming methods on polyphenolic levels was highlighted. The higher reduction of inflammatory mediators release in extracts from plants cultivated under mineral fertilisation treatment was correlated to the higher amount of quercetin. These results can be useful for both nutraceutical or agronomic purposes. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of UV-C irradiation on the Turkey oak wood surface ( Quercus cerris L.). In order to compare the effect of irradiation, both untreated wood samples and those treated with steam and heat were analyzed. The steam treatments were carried out in an autoclave at 130 °C; samples were then heated in an oven for 2 h at 180 °C. The physical and chemical changes brought about in the untreated and treated wood samples by the UV-C light were monitored by colorimetry (color changes), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) (chemical composition) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) (microstructure and morphology). A detailed analysis of the results indicates that the UV-C treatment caused irreversible changes in both the chemical composition and morphology of the wood samples via photooxidation and photodegradation processes. Depending on the type of pre-treatment used, these processes affected the wood samples differently. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, almost no information is available in roots and shoots of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana about the hierarchic relationship between metal accumulation, phytohormone levels, and glutathione/phytochelatin content, and how this relation affects root development. For this purpose, specific concentrations of cadmium, copper and zinc, alone or in triple combination, were supplied for 12 days to in vitro growing seedlings. The accumulation of these metals was measured in roots and shoots, and a significant competition in metal uptake was observed. Microscopic analyses revealed that root morphology was affected by metal exposure, and that the levels of trans‐zeatin riboside, dihydrozeatin riboside, indole‐3‐acetic acid and the auxin/cytokinin ratio varied accordingly. By contrast, under metal treatments, minor modifications in gibberellic acid and abscisic acid levels occurred. Real‐time polymerase chain reaction analysis of some genes involved in auxin and cytokinin synthesis (e.g. AtNIT in roots and AtIPT in shoots) showed on average a metal up‐regulated transcription. The production of thiol‐peptides was induced by all the metals, alone or in combination, and the expression of the genes involved in thiol‐peptide synthesis (AtGSH1, AtGSH2, AtPCS1 and AtPCS2) was not stimulated by the metals, suggesting a full post‐transcriptional control. Results show that the Cd/Cu/Zn‐induced changes in root morphology are caused by a hormonal unbalance, mainly governed by the auxin/cytokinin ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]