0000000000075617
AUTHOR
Carmine Guarino
An Endemic Plant of the Mediterranean Area: Phytochemical Characterization of Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo L.) Fruits Extracts at Different Ripening Stages
This work focused on the extraction, quantification, and characterization of bioactive compounds of Arbutus unedo L. fruits, comparing the results obtained from the different ripening states. Extractions were performed by different methods (such as maceration extraction and ultrasonic extraction) and food grade solvents (aqueous and hydroalcoholic solvents) in each of the all ripening states (four states considered, associated with four different colors, i.e., green, yellow, orange, and red). The presence of (poly)phenols was quantified and characterized, and scavenging activity was determined by the Folin–Ciocâlteu reagent and the DPPH method, respectively. The content of bioactive compoun…
More nature in the city
According to projects and practices that the Italian botanists and ecologists are carrying out for bringing “more nature in the city”, new insights for a factual integration between ecological perspectives and more consolidated aesthetic and agronomic approaches to the sustainable planning and management of urban green areas are provided.
Ethnobotany of dye plants in Southern Italy, Mediterranean Basin: floristic catalog and two centuries of analysis of traditional botanical knowledge heritage
Abstract Background Since ancient times, man has learned to use plants to obtain natural dyes, but this traditional botanical knowledge (TBK) is eroding. In the late, during, and the early 1800s, there was an increase in research related to dye species, and this allowed the development of industry and economy in rural contexts of Southern Italy. Today, dyes are mainly obtained from synthetic products, and this leads to risks for human health related to pollution. Methods Starting from the literature, three catalogs of the dyeing species (plants, algae, fungi, and lichens) used in the Mediterranean Basin and mainly in Southern Italy have been created. Percentages of parts used and colors ext…
Recurrent respiratory infections caused by a double aortic arch: The diagnostic role of spirometry
AbstractA young woman with a clinical history characterized by recurrent respiratory infections, occurring since early infancy, was referred to our hospital. When the patient was a young girl, she underwent sweat chloride test, serum analysis of immunoglobulins, and evaluation of blood lymphocyte subsets; all these diagnostic tests were normal, as well as chest X ray aside from pneumonia episodes. Skin prick tests were positive for several different allergens, and a diagnosis of allergic rhinitis was made. At the age of 11 years, she started to complain of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms, and a gastroscopy detected a hiatal hernia with esophagitis. Despite pharmacologic trea…
Genetic variability of Chamaerops humilis (Arecaceae) throughout its native range highlights two species movement pathways from its area of origin
AbstractThe European fan palm (Chamaerops humilis, Arecaceae) is the only native palm in continental Europe, providing ecosystem services that are hard to obtain from other species. However, its populations are declining in some areas due to anthropogenic effects including climate change. Knowledge of genetic variability among natural populations is needed to establish conservation plans, to prevent genetic contamination of native stands by cultivated germplasm and to exploit it as an ornamental species. However, information on the genetic similarities among C. humilis populations is scarce. The aims of this work were to study genetic structure in C. humilis using a set of specifically desi…