Effect of Vibration on the Quality of Strawberry Fruits Caused by Simulated Transport

Mechanical damage of agricultural products is one of the main problems in the harvest and postharvest chain due to the large economic loss that the shelf life reduction could generate. Measurements of change in the chemical components of highly perishable products and microbial growth under different static and dynamic loads is the first step in the development of intelligent logistic units that could help in predicting the residual shelf life in order to minimize losses along the supply chain. In our research, the effects of vibration along the supply chain of a case study were analyzed on strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) and woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca) in terms of microbiological…

Aspetti igienico-sanitari dei prodotti vegetali di IV gamma

Fresh vegetables are recommended for the daily diet because of their low caloric content, high amount of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Furthermore, these foods are source of various phytochemical compounds such as polyphenols, flavonoids and sterols exerting antioxidant activity. Some epidemiological and clinical studies clearly showed that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables might reduce the risk of some diseases, including some forms of cancer. Modern consumers pay a great attention to the “convenience foods”, foods characterized by ease of consumption. In particular, ready-to-eat products maintain almost all characteristics of fresh harvested products. These products are minimally proce…

Effect of red wine soaking on the microbiological profile, total phenolic content and sensory aspects of an ovine pressed cheese

The aim of this study was to produce an ovine pressed cheese with high polyphenol content. To this purpose, fresh Primosale Pecorino cheese was soaked for seven days in Nero d’Avola wine (NDW) and was indicated as experimental cheese production (EP). The final cheese was characterized for its microbiological, chemical and sensory characteristics. Specifically, cheese making was performed with pasteurized ewes’ milk and a commercial starter culture. Control cheese production (CP) did not include the soaking phase in NDW. Plate counts confirmed the dominance of the commercial starter until 109 CFU/g in both CP and EP cheeses. The soaking in NDW increased cheese total phenolic compounds (TPC) …

Dissemination of wine-related yeasts by migratory birds.

The present work was undertaken to evaluate the contribution of migratory birds in the environmental dissemination of yeasts. Four sites (Mazara del Vallo, Lampedusa, Ustica and Linosa), representing the main stop-over points in Sicily, were analysed during spring and autumnal bird migration and 349 birds (belonging to 10 families) were ringed and analysed for yeast presence. A total of 125 yeasts were isolated and identified by a multiple genotypic approach, consisting of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) of 5.8S rRNA gene and 26S rRNA and sequencing of D1/D2 domain of the 26S rRNA gene, which resulted in the recognition of 18 species, including the technological relevant Sac…

Biological activities of the extracts from macroalgae Carpodesmia crinita, Carpodesmia brachycarpa, Asparagopsis taxiformis

Marine species represent a rich source of biologically active products that can be used in various fields. Among them, marine algae produce numerous secondary metabolites responsible for different biological activities such as: immunomodulatory [1], antioxidant [2], and antimicrobial [3]. The aim of this study was chemically characterizing the extracts of three macroalgae species: Carpodesmia crinite (Duby) Orellana & Sansón, 2019, Carpodesmia brachycarpa (J. Agardh) Orellana & Sansón 2019, Asparagopsis taxiformis (Delile) Trevisan 1845 and evaluate their biological activities. The characterization of the secondary metabolites was performed by HPLC-MS and the results obtained showed…

Valutazione dell'applicazione di edible coating sulla qualità dei frutti di ficodindia in IV gamma

Evolution of the lactic acid bacterial biofilms on different wood typologies applied for the production of vats intended for cheese making

The present work was carried out to evaluate the lactic acid bacterial biofilms formation on wooden vat produced with seven different woods, derived from trees species grown in Sicily. The biofilm formation on the wooden surfaces was performed as reported by Gaglio et al. Microbiological and scanning electron microscopy analyses did not show differences in terms of microbial levels and composition within the neoformed biofilms (Fig.1). The specific investigation of Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli and positive-coagulase staphylococci did not generate any colony for all vats before and after microbial activation. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) populations dominated the s…

Biodiversità genetica e fisiologica, potenziale alterativo, di una popolazione di B. bruxellensis isolata da vini italiani

B. bruxellensis è il principale microrganismo alterativo in ambito enologico, in grado di deprezzare fortemente i vini nei quali dovesse svilupparsi. Questo lievito è da sempre diffuso in cantina, ma i cambiamenti ambientali e tecnologici intervenuti negli ultimi anni ne hanno accentuato la pericolosità. Un approfondimento riguardo alla biodiversità intrinseca alla specie B. bruxellensis, e dunque al suo potenziale alterativo, è necessario per ottimizzare le strategie di controllo.

Effect of the wooden vats on traditional cheese characteristics

Wooden vats have been used for centuries to collect and transform milk by farmers and cheesemakers all over the world. Nowadays, the tree species mostly used to this purpose are Douglas fir and chestnut. The use of wooden vats is mandatory for the production of all PDO Sicilian cheeses, such as Ragusano, Pecorino Siciliano, Piacentinu Ennese and Vastedda della valle del Belìce. In the last years, the wooden vats have been deeply explored for the microbiological characteristics and they are covered by biofilms mainly represented by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) entrapped in a polysaccharide matrix. These microbial associations do not include pathogenic species. Up to date, there are no studies …

Ecology and technological capability of lactic acid bacteria isolated during Grillo grape vinification in the Marsala production area

Grapes of the “Grillo” variety, used to produce Marsala wine, were harvested from five vineyards with different climatic and agronomic parameters, in order to obtain a first mapping of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inhabiting the production area. Marsala base wine production was followed at a large-scale, and also two experimental vinifications, with different lysozyme and SO2 concentrations and in combination, were carried out at pilot-plant scale. LAB communities and conventional chemical parameters were periodically analysed. LAB were found on grapes at an average concentration of about 102 CFU g−1 which decreased during the transformation process. A total of 146 colonies were collected, bu…