A new series of multifunctional hybrids, based on the structure of the donepezil (DNP) drug, have been developed and evaluated as potential anti Alzheimer’s disease (AD) agents. The rationale of this study was the conjugation of a benzylpiperidine/benzylpiperazine moiety with derivatives of bioactive heterocyclics (benzimidazole or benzofuran), to mimic the main structure of DNP and to endow the hybrids with additional relevant properties such as inhibition of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide aggregation, antioxidant activity and metal chelation. Overall, they showed good activity for AChE inhibition (IC50=4.0–30.0 μΜ) and moderate ability for inhibition of Aβ1–42 self-mediated aggregation. The hybrids containing chelating groups showed improvement in the inhibition of Cu-induced Aβ42 aggregation and the antioxidant capacity. Moreover, neuroprotective effects of these compounds were evidenced in neuroblastoma cells after Aβ1–42 induced toxicity. Structure–activity relationship allowed the identification of some promising compounds and the main determinant structural features for the targeted properties.

The occurrence of patulin was investigated in 100 conventional and 69 organic fruity foodstuffs samples commercially available in Italy by using an HPLC method with a limit of quantification of 0.5 microg kg(-1). Patulin was detected in 26 (26%) conventional and 31 (45%) organic products with a significantly higher (p<0.01) mean concentration in the organic products (4.78 vs. 1.15 microg kg(-1)). Mean patulin concentrations in conventional apple juices, pear juices, other juices and fruits purees were 3.14, 0.22, 0.19, 0.11 microg kg(-1), respectively, and 7.11, 11.46, 2.10, 0.18 microg kg(-1) in the relevant organic products. Four samples of juices (one conventional and two organic apple, and one organic pear) contained patulin at concentrations above the limit of 50 microg kg(-1), four at concentrations between 10 and 25 microg kg(-1), and the remaining ones below 10 microg kg(-1). Patulin was detected (<1 microg kg(-1)) in only three of the 23 fruity baby food samples tested (homogenized fruits, 11 conventional and 12 organic). Based on the available data on Italian intakes of fruit juices, the estimated daily intakes of patulin, were 0.38 and 1.57 ng kg(-1) body weight (bw) from conventional and organic products, respectively. Estimated daily intakes of patulin for children were higher, 3.41 ng kg(-1) bw from conventional and 14.17 ng kg(-1) bw from organic products, but largely below the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI) of 400 ng kg(-1) bw. Patulin was also found in two samples of organic apple vinegar (<5 microg kg(-1)) and in fresh apples with rotten spots (12 out of 24 samples) with maximum levels at 16,402 and 44,572 microg kg(-1) for conventional and organic apples, respectively.