The barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) of Sardinia, Italy

Since ancient times, barley has been an important food resource for the people of Sardinia. The oldest traces of its cultivation are from the mid-Neolithic (fourth millennium B.C.). Archaeological, historical and anthropological aspects of barley cultivated in Sardinia are discussed in this paper. We describe the traditional process for making barley bread (orgiathu) in Sardinia, where a special starter called ghimisone was prepared. Today, barley is cultivated only as animal feed, with two uses, grain yield and grazing. Many farmers prefer to grow local populations belonging to landrace locally known as S' orgiu sardu. Local Sardinian populations of barley evolved in diverse environments, being cultivated from sea-level up to 1000 m elevation, on various soil types at different intensities of abiotic stresses, and with climates and environments associated with various agricultural practices, depending both on production strategies and climatic conditions. These barley materials are thought to be valuable genetic and cultural inheritance which must be preserved and used for both productive and research purposes.     

A statistical protocol to describe differences among nutrient utilization patterns of Fusarium spp. and Trichoderma gamsii

The Biolog phenotype microarrays (PM) system offers a simple and cheap tool to rapidly provide a high throughput of information about the phenotypes of fungal isolates in a short time. In order to improve the use of the PM system in fungal ecology studies, the present work proposes a new statistical protocol based on two approaches, that is, a functional principal components analysis to describe similarity patterns of growth curves, and a Bayesian generalized additive model (GAM) to allow inferences on specific growth features, in order to analyse nutrient fungal utilization in a model system including four causal agents of Fusarium head blight, the natural competitor Fusarium oxysporum, and the beneficial isolate Trichoderma gamsii T6085. Analysis of data collected by the Biolog PM in our biological system showed a different nutritional competitive potential of the four pathogens, as well as an intermediate behaviour of the natural competitor and of our biocontrol agent. This protocol, applicable to different fungal phenotypical studies at both isolate and community level, allows a full exploitation of data obtained by the PM system and provides important information about the nutritional pattern of a single isolate compared to those of other fungi, a key factor to be exploited in biocontrol strategies.     

Population structure of Phytophthora infestans collected on potato and tomato in Italy

Late blight caused by the oomycete Phytophthora infestans is a disease of potato and tomato of worldwide relevance and is widespread throughout Europe and the Mediterranean region. While pathogen populations in northern Europe have been sampled and characterized for many years, the genetic structure of populations from southern Europe, including Italy, has been less studied. Between 2018 and 2019, we collected 91 samples of P. infestans from potato and tomato crops in Italy, Algeria, and Tunisia on FTA cards and genotyped them using 12-plex microsatellites. These samples were compared to genotypes of P. infestans previously collected within the framework of the EuroBlight network and from published sources. Four clonal lineages were identified: 13_A2 (Blue 13), 2_A1, 23_A1, and 36_A2. Two other isolates collected could not be matched to any currently known clonal lineage. The 13_A2 and 36_A2 lineages were found exclusively in southern Italy and Algeria, while 2_A1 was only found in Algeria. This is the first report of the 36_A2 lineage in Italy. Two isolates from Solanum nigrum were 13_A2, suggesting this weed host could be a reservoir of inoculum. The 23_A1 lineage was found widely on infected tomato crops in Italy and is the same as the lineage US-23 that is widespread in North America. Differences in genotypes across the country suggests that there may be different sources of introduction into Italy, possibly via infected seed tubers from other countries in Europe, tubers for consumption from North Africa, or tomatoes.     

Porcine circovirus type 2 detection in in vitro produced porcine blastocysts after virus sperm exposure

This study was aimed at assessing the capability of semen experimentally infected with porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) to produce porcine blastocysts PCR positive for PCV2. Embryos were obtained from in vitro maturation (IVM) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) of porcine oocytes or by parthenogenesis. Sperm suspension was exposed to PCV2b and utilized for IVF. PCV2 spiked semen did not reveal any reduction in sperm viability or motility but its ability to produce infected blastocysts was irrelevant as only one out of 15 blastocysts obtained by IVF were PCV2b; however two blastocysts were PCV2a positive. Furthermore, the presence of PCV2 was demonstrated also in embryos obtained by parthenogenesis (one out of 17 was PCV2b and one PCV2a positive). Even if PCV2 firmly attaches to the surface of spermatozoa, experimentally spiked sperm were not effective in infecting oocytes during IVF and in producing PCR positive embryos. The infected blastocysts we obtained derived most probably from infected oocytes recovered at the abattoir.     

Phenolic compounds and saponins in quinoa samples (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) grown under different saline and nonsaline irrigation regimens

Quinoa is a pseudocereal from South America that has received increased interest around the world because it is a good source of different nutrients and rich in antioxidant compounds. Thus, this study has focused on the effects of different agronomic variables, such as irrigation and salinity, on the phenolic and saponin profiles of quinoa. It was observed that irrigation with 25% of full water restitution, with and without the addition of salt, was associated with increases in free phenolic compounds of 23.16 and 26.27%, respectively. In contrast, bound phenolic compounds were not affected by environmental stresses. Saponins decreased if samples were exposed to drought and saline regimens. In situations of severe water deficit, the saponins content decreased 45%, and 50% when a salt stress was added. The results suggest that irrigation and salinity may regulate the production of bioactive compounds in quinoa, influencing its nutritional and industrial values.     

Effect of parboiling on physical and chemical characteristics and non-enzymatic browning of emmer (Triticum dicoccon Schrank)

Parboiling is a popular technology applied to rice to increase its milling yield, nutritional value and resistance to spoilage by insects and mould. This process was applied to Triticum dicoccon Schrank to induce physical, chemical and organoleptic modifications in order to increase its use and product diversification.     

Triglycerides from Urena lobata

Two triglycerides, both bearing polyunsaturated fatty acid residues, were isolated from the hexane extract of Urena lobata. One of them is characterized by the presence of three different polyunsaturated fatty acids. Their structures were studied with spectral methods.     

Astaxanthin Delivery Systems for Skin Application: A Review

Astaxanthin (AST) is a biomolecule known for its powerful antioxidant effect, which is considered of great importance in biochemical research and has great potential for application in cosmetics, as well as food products that are beneficial to human health and medicines. Unfortunately, its poor solubility in water, chemical instability, and low oral bioavailability make its applications in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical field a major challenge for the development of new products. To favor the search for alternatives to enhance and make possible the use of AST in formulations, this article aimed to review the scientific data on its application in delivery systems. The search was made in databases without time restriction, using keywords such as astaxanthin, delivery systems, skin, cosmetic, topical, and dermal. All delivery systems found, such as liposomes, particulate systems, inclusion complexes, emulsions, and films, presented peculiar advantages able to enhance AST properties, among which are stability, antioxidant potential, biological activities, and drug release. This survey showed that further studies are needed for the industrial development of new AST-containing cosmetics and topical formulations.