Re-shaping the “original SIN”: a need to re-think sediment management and policy by introducing the “buffer zone” concept

Purpose

The effects of long-standing industrialization processes and poor environmental management practices have often left a harmful legacy for marine-coastal sites worldwide, causing a wide range of unforeseen impacts on the ecosystem and on human health. A critical revision of available data from three highly contaminated Italian sites (Augusta Bay, Sicily; Cagliari Gulf, Sardinia; Pozzuoli Bay, Campania) revealed the crucial role of biogeochemical/physical dynamics and potential widespread delivery of contaminants as key components for a wider comprehensive sediment management.

Materials and methods

Datasets of organic pollutants (ΣPAHs, ΣPCBs), heavy metals (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn), radionuclides, and grain size composition of marine sediments of all three sites were critically reviewed and seafloor bathymetric data were analyzed.

Results and discussion

A critical review of available physical and chemical information of sediments collected from the three marine sites provides a better understanding of the physical and biogeochemical dynamics of large-scale dispersion of contaminants in those areas, as well as new insights in terms of improved sediments management policies with actions of larger scale monitoring of the “buffer zone” confining with the national relevance and highly contaminated site to trace inputs and accumulation effects of pollutants deriving from the point-source.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates how the presence of polluted sediments on the coastal areas can have, also after the closure of anthropogenic activities, a potential impact at a large scale. Then to better evaluate the effective impact, we suggest the adoption of a buffer zone contiguous to the national relevance sites (SIN) area. While SINs are optimized to define the state of the art of the near-source pollution, buffer zones may help to outline the rate of delivery of pollutants to the deep sea. Buffer zones must be designed by taking into account the local hydrodynamics, sedimentology, and geomorphology, and should be monitored, even if at a lower resolution, like SINs.

     

Immunomodulatory and Antitumoral Activity of Gold Nanoparticles Synthesized by Red Algae Aqueous Extracts

This study reports on the green and cost-efficient synthesis of gold nanoparticles from three different red algae extracts. The nanoparticles synthesized were fully characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, HRTEM, and Z-potential. Relevant components occurring in the extracts, such as polysaccharides or phenolic content, were assessed by analytical techniques such as spectrophotometric assays and liquid chromatography. Finally, the antioxidant, antitumoral, and anti-inflammatory potential of both the extracts and the gold nanoparticles synthesized were analyzed in order to determine a possible synergistic effect on the nanoparticles. The results obtained confirmed the obtainment of gold nanoparticles with significant potential as immunotherapeutic agents. The therapeutic potential of these nanoparticles could be higher than that of inert gold nanoparticles loaded with bioactive molecules since the former would allow for higher accumulation into the targeted tissue.     

The use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound with a second generation contrast medium: preliminary report in the dog

Veterinary Research Communications -     

The Effect of Temperature,Rainfall, and Light Conditions on Hair Cortisol Concentrations in Newborn Foals

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible effects of environmental factors such as temperature, rainfall, and light conditions on hair cortisol concentrations in foals during the perinatal period. The study, performed during three consecutive foaling seasons from January to July, enrolled 219 foals from one farm. Hair samples were collected from each foal immediately after birth and at 30 days of age, and the samples were analyzed by radioimmunoassay to measure the cortisol concentrations. The mean cortisol concentration of hair collected at 30 days of age was significantly (P < .01) lower than that found at birth, but none of the evaluated environmental factors (temperature, rainfall, or day length) influenced the hair cortisol concentrations.     

Differential scanning calorimetry evidence of the enhancement of beta-sitosterol absorption across biological membranes mediated by beta-cyclodextrins

beta-Sitosterol is a plant sterol that has received much attention because of its effectiveness in reducing the absorption of dietary cholesterol, as well as in offering protection from cardiovascular diseases and cancer development. Thus, the knowledge of the interaction of beta-sitosterol with biological membranes can help in understanding its mechanism of action. In the present paper, the differential scanning calorimetry technique has been used to study the interaction of beta-sitosterol with a biomembrane model constituted by dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine multilamellar vesicles. Furthermore, kinetic experiments have been carried out to follow the uptake of beta-sitosterol by biomembranes and the effect of beta-cyclodextrins on such a process. Our results indicate that opportune concentrations of beta-cyclodextrins improve the uptake of beta-sitosterol by phospholipid membranes.     

Tetraploid and hexaploid wheats express identical isoforms of nsLTP1

Nonspecific lipid-transfer proteins (nsLTPs) have been recognized as allergens in several plant species among which are cereals important in human nutrition. In this report, we purified a 9600 +/- 1 Da protein from both soft wheat and farro bran. Mass spectrometric analyses revealed that these proteins are identical, belong to the nsLTP1 class, and have high sequence homology with nsLTP1 isolated from other cereal species. Their identification was further supported by the ability of the soft wheat nsLTP1 to transfer pyrene-labeled lipids between donor and acceptor membranes. The results are discussed in view of the increasing diffusion on the markets of bran-rich products.     

Identification and quantification of stilbenes in fruits of transgenic tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) by reversed phase HPLC with photodiode array and mass spectrometry detection

Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) with photodiode array (PDA) and mass spectrometry (MS) detection was employed to study the accumulation of stilbenes and other naturally occurring polyphenol intermediates of flavonoid pathway in tomato fruits of plants genetically modified to synthesize resveratrol. The transgenic tomato fruits were obtained by overexpression of a grapevine gene encoding the enzyme stilbene synthase in tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.). Stilbenes and flavonoids, either glycosylated or free, were simultaneosly identified by electrospray interface (ESI)-MS in negative ionization mode and were quantified by PDA detection at the wavelength corresponding to their maximum absorbance. The two detectors were coupled online with an HPLC system utilizing a narrow-bore C18 reversed-phase column, which was eluted by a multistep gradient of increasing concentration of acetonitrile in water containing 0.5% (v/v) formic acid. The results of these analysis revealed that the genetic modification of the tomato plants originated different levels of accumulation of four stilbenes (i.e., trans- and cis-piceid and trans- and cis-resveratrol) in their fruit depending on the stages of ripening. Either at immature or at mature stages of ripening the stilbenes were preferentially accumulated in the fruit peel as the glycosylated form. The highest amount of trans-piceid and trans-resveratrol were found in the peel of fruits harvested at mature stage of ripening. The variations in the levels of rutin, naringenin, and chlorogenic acid found in the samples extracted from the fruits of transgenic tomato plants, in comparison to that determined in the control lines, seemed to be related to the genetic transformation, whose effect on the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway needs to be elucidated by additional studies.     

Simplified electrophoretic assay for human salivary alpha-amylase inhibitor detection in cereal seed flours

Alpha-amylase inhibitors are antinutritional proteins largely found in cereal seeds. An in-gel assay was developed that allowed the rapid screening of these compounds in complex seed extracts. The assay was based on the electrophoretic separation of the extract proteins on starch-containing gels, followed by the detection of alpha-amylase-inhibiting proteins after incubation of the gel in an alpha-amylase solution; inhibitors were revealed by a staining method based on iodine binding to nondigested starch. The one-dimensional method can be useful to test inhibitory activity of purified proteins or to assay fractions recovered during a purification procedure. A two-dimensional (IEF x PAGE) non-denaturing system with second-dimension separation on starch-PAGE was also developed; the technique allowed the screening of complex protein mixtures for multiple inhibitory proteins. The newly developed assay method was used to test the presence of inhibitory activity in a crude extract from wheat flour, and it was validated by comparing in-gel and in-solution assays of commercially available alpha-amylase inhibitors.     

Comparison of the volatile constituents in cold-pressed bergamot oil and a volatile oil isolated by vacuum distillation

The vacuum distillation of bergamot peels furnishes a high-quality essential oil that is totally bergapten-free. This oil was compared with that produced by distillation of cold-pressed oils and those commercially available. The oil obtained by vacuum distillation of the bergamot vegetable matrix shows a composition quite similar to that of the cold-pressed oil. It also displays qualitative characteristics that are superior with respect to those normally observed for essential oils isolated by distillation of cold-pressed oils. Oils isolated by the method presented here can constitute ideal candidates in producing foods, for example, Earl Grey tea, and cosmetic preparations.     

Extremely potent antifeedant neo-clerodane derivatives of scutecyprol A

Two known neo-clerodane diterpenoids, scutecyprol A (1) and scutalbin C (2), have been isolated from the acetone extract of the aerial parts of Scutellaria sieberi. The antifeedant activity of scutecyprol A (1), of its 15-oxo derivative (3), and of several halohydrins (4-9), synthesized starting from compounds 1 and 3, against Spodoptera littoralis have been determined and structure-antifeedant relationships are discussed.