Papers by Gianni Sagratini
International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 2013
Biogenic amines (BAs) are considered as an important indicator of freshness and quality of food. ... more Biogenic amines (BAs) are considered as an important indicator of freshness and quality of food. In this work, a new active packaging (AP) system for meat that, incorporating essential oil of Rosmarinus officinalis at 4% (w/w), inhibits the increase of BAs and the bacteria involved into their production was developed. BAs were analyzed by a SPE-HPLC-DAD method during the storage time of meat (0-7 d, 4 C). Results showed that, in each monitored day, Biogenic Amine Index (BAI) expressed in mg kg À1 is lower in meat wrapped in AP with respect to that packed in polycoupled packaging (PP) (from 19% to 62%). A strong correlation was found between the inhibition of increase of putrescine, cadaverine, histamine and their bacteria producers such as Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas spp. and Brocothrix thermospacta. By exploiting antimicrobial and antioxidant action of essential oil of R. officinalis, the new APs contribute to increase the shelf life of fresh meat and to preserve its important nutrients.
Journal of Food Research, 2013
Chlorogenic acids (CGA) are a group of phenolic acid derivatives, which are commonly found in cof... more Chlorogenic acids (CGA) are a group of phenolic acid derivatives, which are commonly found in coffee at concentrations reaching 0.1-0.2%. A method based on high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) is proposed for the simultaneous determination of three chlorogenic acids, i.e. 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid (3-CQA), 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid (5-CQA) and 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (3,5-diCQA), in time portions of espresso coffee. Two different espresso coffee machines working with different pressure and temperature curves, and two different blends (i.e. Arabica and Robusta) were used. The method presents good linearities (correlation coefficient greater than 0.99) and recoveries (in the range 67-99%) for the 3 chlorogenic acids. The concentration of total CGAs in a cup of Certified Italian Espresso ranged from 1522.5 to 2223.4 mg kg -1 and CGA isomer contents were, in decreasing order, 5-CQA > 3-CQA > 3,5-diCQA.
Journal of Chromatography A, 2014
In this work, we present for the first time a rapid and robust UHPLC-MS/MS method for analyzing t... more In this work, we present for the first time a rapid and robust UHPLC-MS/MS method for analyzing taurine, GlcLA and GlcA in energy drinks simultaneously and without derivatization. The separation of three analytes was achieved using a Kinetex Hilic analytical column (100 mm × 4.6 mm i.d.) and a mobile phase formed by water (A) and acetonitrile (B) both with formic acid 0.1% at a flow rate of 0.8 ml min −1 with isocratic elution in 3.5 min. Calibration curves were calculated using the method of standard addition in a concentration range from 2 to 6 mg/100 ml for taurine (R 2 > 0.987), from 0.4 to 1.2 mg/100 ml for GlcLa (R 2 > 0.997), and from 0.2 to 0.6 mg/100 ml for GlcA acid (R 2 > 0.998). The validated method was applied to the analysis of nine commercial energy drinks. The level of taurine found ranged from 0.01 to 0.45 g/100 ml, and it matched with that reported in the labels of the analyzed energy drink samples.
Food and Chemical Toxicology, 2015
Alternariol (AOH) is a mycotoxin produced by Alternaria spp. Soyasaponin I (Ss-I) is present natu... more Alternariol (AOH) is a mycotoxin produced by Alternaria spp. Soyasaponin I (Ss-I) is present naturally in legumes, and it has antioxidant properties. Cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of AOH have been demonstrated previously in vitro. In the present study, the cytotoxicity of AOH, Ss-I, and soyasaponins-rich extract from lentils was investigated; as well as, the cytoprotective effects of Ss-I and lentil extracts against AOH induced-cytotoxicity on Caco-2 cells. Cytotoxicity was carried out using MTT and PC assays (AOH: 3.125-100 μM, Ss-I: 3.125-50 μM, and lentil extracts: 1:0-1:32) during 24 h of exposure. Only AOH showed cytotoxic effect. The reduction in cell proliferation ranged from 25% to 47%. Simultaneous combination of Ss-I with AOH (1:1) increased cell proliferation (35%) compared to AOH tested alone. The Ss-I and extracts showed synergistic cytoprotective effects against cytotoxicity induced by AOH on Caco-2 cells. Food commodities containing Ss-I could contribute to diminish the toxicological risk that natural contaminant as AOH in diet can produce to humans.
Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry, Jan 15, 2007
alpha(1)-Adrenoceptor selective antagonists are crucial in investigating the role and biological ... more alpha(1)-Adrenoceptor selective antagonists are crucial in investigating the role and biological functions of alpha(1)-adrenoceptor subtypes. We synthesized and studied the alpha(1)-adrenoceptor blocking properties of new molecules structurally related to the alpha(1B)-adrenoceptor selective antagonist (+)-cyclazosin, in an attempt to improve its receptor selectivity. In particular, we investigated the importance of substituents introduced at position 5 of the 2-furan moiety of (+)-cyclazosin and its replacement with classical isosteric rings. The 5-methylfuryl derivative (+)-3, [(+)-metcyclazosin], improved the pharmacological properties of the progenitor, displaying a competitive antagonism and an 11 fold increased selectivity for alpha(1B) over alpha(1A), while maintaining a similar selectivity for the alpha(1B)-adrenoceptor relative to the alpha(1D)-adrenoceptor. Compound (+)-3 may represent a useful tool for alpha(1B)-adrenoceptor characterization in functional studies.
Journal of Food Research, 2013
Chlorogenic acids (CGA) are a group of phenolic acid derivatives, which are commonly found in cof... more Chlorogenic acids (CGA) are a group of phenolic acid derivatives, which are commonly found in coffee at concentrations reaching 0.1-0.2%. A method based on high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector (HPLC-DAD) is proposed for the simultaneous determination of three chlorogenic acids, i.e. 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid (3-CQA), 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid (5-CQA) and 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (3,5-diCQA), in time portions of espresso coffee. Two different espresso coffee machines working with different pressure and temperature curves, and two different blends (i.e. Arabica and Robusta) were used. The method presents good linearities (correlation coefficient greater than 0.99) and recoveries (in the range 67-99%) for the 3 chlorogenic acids. The concentration of total CGAs in a cup of Certified Italian Espresso ranged from 1522.5 to 2223.4 mg kg -1 and CGA isomer contents were, in decreasing order, 5-CQA > 3-CQA > 3,5-diCQA.
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2006
A rapid LC-MS method, which compares different mass analyzersssingle quadrupole, ion trap, and tr... more A rapid LC-MS method, which compares different mass analyzersssingle quadrupole, ion trap, and triple quadrupoleswas developed for the quantitative determination of isopropyl thioxanthone (ITX) in fruit juices. ITX, a photoinitiator in UV-cured inks that can reach foods from the cartons for beverages in which they are used, was extracted from fruit juice samples with acetone/hexane (50:50) using pressurized liquid extraction. This method gave detection limits of 3, 3, and 0.01 µg/L and quantification limits of 10, 10, and 0.05 µg/L using single quadrupole, ion trap, and triple quadrupole, respectively. Five replicate fortifications of different fruit juices at the quantification limit gave recoveries oscillating between 68 and 72% with CV varying between 14 and 18%. This is the first report of a positive mass spectrometric identification and quantification of ITX in fruit juice samples packed in TetraPack. The sensitivity and specificity of the LC-MS/MS analysis using the triple quadrupole enables it to be the method of choice for risk assessment and monitoring. The method was applied to apricot, orange, peach, apple, grape and pineapple, and cherry and strawberry juices and to fruit nectars from Spain and Italy, and the ITX was detected in the range of 0.05-0.78 µg/L.
Food chemistry, 2015
The root of Gentiana lutea L., famous for its bitter properties, is often used in alcoholic bitte... more The root of Gentiana lutea L., famous for its bitter properties, is often used in alcoholic bitter beverages, food products and traditional medicine to stimulate the appetite and improve digestion. This study presents a new, fast, and accurate HPLC method using HPLC/ESI-MS and HPLC/DAD for simultaneous analysis of iridoids (loganic acid), secoiridoids (gentiopicroside, sweroside, swertiamarin, amarogentin) and xanthones (isogentisin) in different populations of G.lutea L., cultivated in the Monti Sibillini National Park, obtained wild there, or purchased commercially. Comparison of HPLC/ESI-MS and HPLC/DAD indicated that HPLC/ESI-MS is more sensitive, reliable and selective. Analysis of twenty samples showed that gentiopicroside is the most dominant compound (1.85-3.97%), followed by loganic acid (0.11-1.30%), isogentisin (0.03-0.48%), sweroside (0.05-0.35%), swertiamarin (0.08-0.30%), and amarogentin (0.01-0.07%). The results confirmed the high quality of the G.lutea cultivated in ...
Flavour and Fragrance Journal, 2014
As part of our research on local plants, including neglected horticultural crops to be rediscover... more As part of our research on local plants, including neglected horticultural crops to be rediscovered as culinary vegetables, we focused on Smyrnium olusatrum, a biennal herb used in cuisine for many centuries by Romans that has now been replaced by celery. We investigated the essential oil compositions of different plant organs collected in 18 populations of central Italy (Marche, Umbria, Abruzzo, Tuscany and Latium) by gas chromatography (GC) with a flame ionization detector and GC with mass spectrometry (MS) to identify the main chemotypes that occur. Owing to the presence of thermosensitive molecules such as isofuranodiene, curzerene and germacrone undergoing Cope-rearrangement during the GC run, a truthful quantitative determination of these constituents was accomplished by high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode-array detector (HPLC-DAD). Chemical data were supported by a chemometric technique in the form of principal component analysis, which allowed identification of chemical differences among organs. Furanosesquiterpenoids were the main fraction of the oils, with isofuranodiene as the most abundant in flowers and roots, furanoeremophil-1-one in leaves and roots and 1-β-acetoxyfuranoeudesm-4(15)-ene in fruits. To complete the phytochemical analysis, polar compounds such as chlorogenic acid, isoquercitin, 3-indoleacetic acid and saccharose were isolated from the ethanolic extracts of the plant by column chromatography and structurally elucidated by nuclear magnetic resonance. Moreover, a morphological and histochemical survey on the secretory structures was performed, with the special aim to localize the sites of terpenes biosynthesis in both above-and belowground organs. Overall, the results can be considered important in the light of the recent interest in neglected edible plants for botanical food supplements and functional foods market.
Phytotherapy Research, 2010
For centuries, Hypericum perforatum has been used in folk medicine to treat wounds. In the presen... more For centuries, Hypericum perforatum has been used in folk medicine to treat wounds. In the present study, the wound healing activities of extracts of H. perforatum ssp. perforatum (HPP) and H. perforatum ssp. veronense (HPV) were evaluated by comparing with a titrated extract of Centella asiatica (TECA) on NIH3T3 fibroblasts. The cells were incubated with the extracts. Using microscopical methods by staining cells, mitotic ability, morphological changes and collagen production in the fibroblasts were evaluated as parameters to approach possible wound repair mechanism(s). The wound healing activity caused an increase in the percentage of polygonal fibroblasts and in collagen granule numbers in fibroblasts of HPP and HPV. At 1 mg/mL, HPP caused a greater increase in mitotic cell numbers than HPV. The most increases in polygonal cell numbers were observed with HPV at 1 and 10 mg/mL. The number of collagen granules was increased with 1 mg/mL HPV being higher than HPP. As an indication of cytotoxic effects, round cells in response to HPV and HPP extracts, were found to be increased in concentrations higher than 10-50 mg/mL. The results indicated that the two subspecies of H. perforatum have different wound healing profiles as a result of the fibroblast migration and stimulation of collagen synthesis.
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 2014
BACKGROUND: Poncirus trifoliata, also known as trifoliate orange, is a tree native to China and K... more BACKGROUND: Poncirus trifoliata, also known as trifoliate orange, is a tree native to China and Korea and widely used all over the world as a rootstock breeding material. In this study the differences among the volatile profiles of flavedo, pulp and seeds from two cultivars (var. trifoliata and var. monstrosa) grown in Italy (Marche, Abruzzo and Sicily) were determined. Headspace solid phase microextraction and hydrodistillation techniques were used in combination with GC/FID and GC/MS to obtain the volatile profiles of the samples.
BACKGROUND: Teucrium species (Lamiaceae) are interesting for the food industry since many of them... more BACKGROUND: Teucrium species (Lamiaceae) are interesting for the food industry since many of them are used in the preparation of flavoured wines and beers, herbal teas, bitters and liqueurs. On this basis, the analysis of the aroma components of Teucrium flavum L. subsp. flavum growing in central Italy was carried out by means of both hydrodistillation (HD) and headspace solid-phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME), coupled with GC/FID and GC/MS. RESULTS: A total of 102 components were identified in the essential oils, representing 99.0-99.3% of the total oils. Sesquiterpenes hydrocarbons constituted the major fraction (48.5-49.4%), with the apple-like flavour (Z,E)-α-farnesene being the major component. HS-SPME allowed the analysis of the volatiles not only emitted by specific plant parts, but also by different parts within a single flower: flower calyx afforded the highest contribution, in terms of volatiles, to the aroma of the plant.
Journal of Separation Science, 2008
Alkannin/shikonin mixture from roots of Onosma echioides (L.) L.: Extraction method study and qua... more Alkannin/shikonin mixture from roots of Onosma echioides (L.) L.: Extraction method study and quantification This work reports the extraction procedures of alkannin/shikonin mixture from roots of six populations of Onosma echioides, by means of three extraction techniques: Soxhlet extraction, maceration and rapid solid -liquid dynamic extraction (RSLDE). Five solvents with different polarity (hexane, petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, methanol) were also studied. Analysis of the extracts was performed by an HPLC-DAD (diode array detector) system. The most efficient extraction technique was Soxhlet procedure using ethyl acetate for 6 h. Studied samples of O. echioides showed an alkannin/shikonin content in the range of 0.02 -0.24 mg/kg. Other naphthoquinone derivatives (deoxyalkannin/deoxyshikonin and 5,8-dihydroxy-2-(4methyl-6-oxo-5,6-dihydro-2H-pyran-2-yl)-[1,4]naphthoquinone and arnebin-6) were found for the first time in O. echioides and characterized in the extracts using HPLC-MS apparatus equipped with an ESI ionization source.
Journal of Essential Oil Research, 2010
The essential oil of Ephedra nebrodensis Tineo ex Guss. subsp. nebrodensis growing in central Ita... more The essential oil of Ephedra nebrodensis Tineo ex Guss. subsp. nebrodensis growing in central Italy was analyzed for the first time by GC and GC/MS. Fifty-nine components were identified, representing 89.3% of the oil under study. The oxygenated monoterpenes gave the highest contribution (33.0 %), and citronellol (29.7%) was the main component of this fraction. Esters were the second most abundant group of components (18.8%) with ethyl hexadecanoate (9.5%) as the main representative in this fraction. Qualitative and quantitative composition of the oil was discussed in order to support the actual botanical discrimination from E. major Host, so far exclusively morphologically based.
Journal of Chromatography A, 2007
A new analysis method to detect carbamates and phenylurea pesticide residues in fruit juices was ... more A new analysis method to detect carbamates and phenylurea pesticide residues in fruit juices was developed using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) coupled with liquid chromatography-single quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC/MS) and liquid chromatography-quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometry (LC/QIT-MS). The pesticide residues present in watery matrices as fruit juices were extracted using three types of fibers: 50m Carbowax/templated resin (CW/TPR), 60-m poly(dimethylsiloxane)/divinylbenzene (PDMS/DVB) and 85-m polyacrylate. The different extraction conditions were evaluated choosing as the best parameters 90 min (time), 20 • C (temperature) and 1 ml (volume). After extraction, the desorption (in a static mode) was performed in the specific interface chamber SPME/HPLC, previously filled with 70% methanol and 30% water. The best recoveries, evaluated at two fortification levels (0.2 and 0.5 mg kg −1 ) in fruit juices, were obtained using PDMS/DVB and CW/TPR fibers, and ranged from 25 to 82% (monolinuron, diuron and diethofencarb), with relative standard deviations (RSDs) from 1 to 17%. All the limits of quantification (LOQs) were in the range of 0.005-0.05 g ml −1 and, in any case, equal to, or lower than, maximum residue limits (MRLs) established by Italian and Spanish legislations. The mass spectrometry analyses were carried out using an electrospray ionization (ESI) source operating in the positive mode both for single quadrupole and for QIT mass analysers, operating in selected ion monitoring (SIM) and in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) modes, respectively. The proposed new method can be applied to the determination of selected pesticides in real samples of fruit juices.
Journal of Chromatography A, 2008
A new analytical method, using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and liquid chromatogr... more A new analytical method, using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) techniques, was developed for the determination in packaged food beverages of five ink photoinitiator residues: 2-isopropylthioxanthone (ITX), benzophenone, 2-ethylhexyl-4-dimethylaminobenzoate (EHDAB), 1-hydroxycyclohexyl-1-phenyl ketone (IRGACURE 184) and ethyl-4-dimethylaminobenzoate (EDAB). Samples were extracted from selected beverages (milk, fruit juices and wine) and relative packagings, using n-hexane and dichloromethane, respectively, purified on solid-phase extraction (SPE) silica gel cartridges, and then analyzed in GC/MS and LC/MS. The recovery percentages, obtained spiking the beverage samples at concentrations of 4 and 10 g l −1 with a standard mixture of photoinitiators, were in the range 42-108% (milk), 50-84% (wine), and 48-109% (fruit juices). The repeatability of the method was assessed in all cases by the % of correlation value, that was lower than 19%. The lowest limits of detection (LODs) and limits of quantification (LOQs), obtained using GC/MS, were in the range 0.2-1 and 1-5 g l −1 , respectively. The method was applied to the analysis of forty packaged food beverages (milk, fruit juices and wine samples). The most significant contamination was that of benzophenone, found in all samples in a concentration range of 5-217 g l −1 . Its presence was confirmed by an LC/Atmospheric-Pressure PhotoIonization (APPI)/MS/MS analysis. The photoinitiator (EHDAB) was found in eleven out of forty beverages in a concentration range of 0.13-0.8 g l −1 . Less important was the ITX contamination, found in three out of forty samples in a range 0.2-0.24 g l −1 . The work proposes a new method to analyze ink photoinitiator residues in polycoupled carton packaging and in contained food beverages.
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2009
Lentil saponins are triterpene glycosides, mainly soyasaponins I and βg (also known as VΙ), with ... more Lentil saponins are triterpene glycosides, mainly soyasaponins I and βg (also known as VΙ), with multiple health-promoting properties. This paper reports the isolation of soyasaponins I and βg from soybeans as analytical standards and the development of a new analytical procedure for quantification of their content in various cultivars of Italian lentils, by SPE-HPLC-MS. Soyasaponins I and βg were isolated from soybeans at a purity of >90% and characterized by MS/MS (ion trap) experiments. The determination of soyasaponins in lentils was performed by extraction, SPE purification, and HPLC-MS (single quadrupole) analysis; results were confirmed by MALDI-TOF experiments. Calibration curves for soyasaponin I and βg showed correlation coefficients of 0.998 and 0.997, respectively. LOD and LOQ values were 0.02 and 0.2 mg kg -1 for soyasaponins I and 0.1 and 1 mg kg -1 for soyasaponin βg. Recoveries calculated at a 100 mg kg -1 fortification level ranged from 85 to 97%, with n = 10 and RSDs of <12%. In the 32 lentil samples, contents of soyasaponin I ranged from 28 to 407 mg kg -1 , whereas that of soyasaponin βg ranged from 110 to 1242 mg kg -1 .
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2013
Legumes contain a rich variety of phytochemicals as soyasaponins, triterpenoidal glycosides that ... more Legumes contain a rich variety of phytochemicals as soyasaponins, triterpenoidal glycosides that possess multiple health-promoting properties, such as lowering of cholesterol. In this work, the quantification of soyasaponins I and βg in 60 raw and cooked legumes by using a solid phase extraction (SPE) coupled to a liquid chromatography (LC)−mass spectrometry (MS) method was carried out. Results showed that lentils are a good source of soyasaponins, with a content of soyasaponin I that ranged from 636 to 735 mg kg −1 and of soyasaponin βg from 672 to 1807 mg kg −1 . The cooking process produced a small loss of soyasaponins in water, that is, 4.8−8.7%, and partially converted soyasaponin βg into soyasaponin I. In addition, the bioaccessibility of soyasaponins I in lentils was studied; the values ranged from 8.9 ± 0.3 to 10.6 ± 1.1% in the duodenal compartment. On the basis of these results, soyasaponins could be effective in lowering exogenous cholesterol.
Food Chemistry, 2009
a b s t r a c t 1-Octen-3-ol is the most important C8 mushroom aromatic compound produced by many... more a b s t r a c t 1-Octen-3-ol is the most important C8 mushroom aromatic compound produced by many species of edible fungi and is also an aroma component in several food and beverages products. Under this view, the essential oil of flowering aerial parts of Melittis melissophyllum subsp. melissophyllum (Lamiaceae) growing in central Italy, obtained by hydrodistillation was characterised by GC-FID and GC-MS. This oil contained extremely high amount of the mushroom-like aroma component 1-octen-3-ol (43.6-54.2%), and could be considered as a new natural product for the use as flavouring agent in the food industry. Furthermore, headspace analysis suggested that this aromatic compound is only present in low concentration in the plant part, and is primarily formed in higher amount during hydrodistillation of this material.
Food Analytical Methods, 2014
A simple, fast and accurate method has been developed to simultaneously determine 18 bioactive co... more A simple, fast and accurate method has been developed to simultaneously determine 18 bioactive compounds in Italian bitter liqueurs containing gentian, cinchona, cinnamon, rhubarb, clove, star anise or orange, by reversed-phase highperformance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) coupled with diode array detection (DAD). HPLC analysis was performed with a C18 column using methanol and aqueous phosphoric acid (pH 2.5) as mobile phase. Selected wavelengths, i.e. 210, 232, 275, 285, 291, 310 and 368 nm, were used for quantification of compounds. The column temperature was controlled at 30°C. The correlation coefficients (R 2 ) of the calibration curves of the analysed compounds were ≥0.9999 in a relatively wide concentration range (0.5-50 μg/ml). The proposed method proved successful in simultaneously analysing 18 bitter liqueurs produced in Italy. The concentration of the most important bitter principles, gentiopicroside, amarogentin, quinine and naringin, ranged as follows: 1.17-299.20, 0.25-32.24, 1.44-6.93 and 0.28-39.99 μg/ml, respectively.
Uploads
Papers by Gianni Sagratini