Recently, seaweeds and their extracts have attracted great interest in the pharmaceutical industry as a source of bioactive compounds. Studies have demonstrated the cytotoxic activity of macroalgae towards different types of cancer cell models, and their consumption has been suggested as a chemo-preventive agent against several cancers such as breast, cervix and colon cancers. Reports relevant to the chemical properties of brown algae Padina sp. are limited and those accompanied to a comprehensive evaluation of the biological activity on osteosarcoma (OS) are non existent. In this report, we explored the chemical composition of French Polynesian Padina pavonica extract (EPP) by spectrophotometric assays (total phenolic, flavonoid and tannin content, and antioxidant activity) and by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, and provided EPP lipid and sterols profiles. Several compounds with relevant biological activity were also identified that suggest interesting pharmacological and health-protecting effects for EPP. Moreover, we demonstrated that EPP presents good anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic activities against two OS cell lines, SaOS-2 and MNNG, with different cancer-related phenotypes. Finally, our data suggest that EPP might target different properties associated with cancer development and aggressiveness.
In recent years, the preservation of biodiversity has become an important issue. Despite much public discussion, however, current practices in the food industry seldom take account of its potential economic importance: on the contrary, the introduction of industrialized agriculture practices over large areas has often resulted in a dramatic reduction in biodiversity.
In this paper, we report on the remarkable degree of biodiversity in the wine yeast populations naturally present in a small area of Sicily (Italy) where traditional (non-industrial) winery practices are still in place. Out of more than 900
Saccharomyces
yeast isolates recovered from late spontaneous fermentations, we detected at least 209 strains. Most interestingly, when evaluated at the fermentation and technological level, a number of isolates were found to be superior to industrial yeast strains. Out of a selected group, isolates from two strains were used for experimental fermentations in a winery environment and the quality of the wines produced was assessed at the technological, quality and sensory levels. Given that the characteristics of the wines produced were found to be industrially appealing, the study demonstrated the economic potential of preserving the patrimony of Sicilian yeast biodiversity and highlighted the importance of maintaining traditional wine making practices.
Significance and Impact of the Study: In recent years, interest is growing for wine production by nonSaccharomyces yeasts, both in research and in the industry. This study describes the yeast population of the grapes in a small-secluded island in the Mediterranean Sea, useful site for the search of new strains. Evaluation of fundamental oenological characters identifies potential best yeasts to assay in experimental vinifications. We also describe, for the first time, 14 new colony morphologies on WL Nutrient Agar, culture medium used to monitor the yeast population dynamics.
AbstractWe isolated, identified and characterized yeast strains from grapes, and their fermented musts, sampled in the small island of Linosa, where there are no wineries and therefore the possibility of territory contamination by industrial strains is minimal. By traditional culture-dependent methods, we isolated 3805 colonies, distinguished by molecular methods in 17 different species. Five hundred and fortyfour isolates were analysed for the main oenological characteristics such as fermentative vigour with and without sulphites, sugar consumption and production of alcohol, volatile acidity, hydrogen sulphide, glycerol and b-glucosidase. This analysis identified Kluyveromyces marxianus (seldomly used in winemaking) as the most interesting candidate yeast for the production of innovative wines.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.