Ricerc@Sapienza

Resveratrol (3,5,4'-trihydroxystilbene) is one of the most abundant polyphenols in red grapes, and red wine represents one of the most important dietary source of this compound. Although its beneficial properties on human health have been widely investigated over the last 30 years, very little is known about its derivatives. Resveratrol can indeed undergo glycosylation, oligomerization and, upon UV-light exposure, it can isomerize from the trans- to the cis-isomer, which can further cyclize to 2,4,6-trihydroxyphenanthrene (THP).

La vite (Vitis vinifera L.) è una delle piante più note e sfruttate dall’uomo. Nonostante le molteplici qualità e potenzialità dell’uva dal punto di vista fitoterapico, in Letteratura non si riscontrano studi relativi alla distillazione di questo frutto (tranne la pressatura dei soli vinaccioli). In questo lavoro, considerato l’interesse crescente verso gli idrolati (acque aromatiche), anche per la loro maggiore versatilità rispetto agli oli essenziali (OE), si è deciso, per la prima volta, di sottoporre a distillazione in corrente di vapore uve mature cv Italia (bianca). Scopo.

A comprehensive study on essential oil and different solvent extracts of Sideritis romana L. subsp. purpurea (Tal. ex Benth.) Heywood (Lamiaceae) from Montenegro is reported. The gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the essential oil revealed a total of 43 components with bicyclogermacrene (23.8%), germacrene D (8%), (E)-caryophyllene (7.9%) and spathulenol (5.5%) as the major ones. Sesquiterpenoid group was found to be the most dominant one (64.8%), with 19.9% of the oxygenated forms.

In forensic cases, dried blood spot (DBS) collection and analysis for the detection of substances of abuse can give important information about the psycho-physical condition of the victim or the aggressor at the time of the crime. Nevertheless, morphine determination and stability in DBSs realized with post-mortem blood has not yet been sufficiently investigated. Therefore, a sensitive and specific gas chromatography with mass spectrometry method for morphine identification and quantification in post- mortem DBSs was developed and validated.

A novel multi-analyte method for the simultaneous determination of 46 compounds of environmental concern, most of them belonging to the category of persistent organic pollutants, was developed using high-performance liquid chromatography and the results were compared to those obtained by gas chromatography. This study was performed in perspective of a cumulative exposure assessment of substances of health concern in environments where high levels, relatively to airborne particulate matter, can be found.

Cantharidin (CA), a toxic terpene produced by blister beetles (Coleoptera: Meloidae), attracts the interest of many researchers for its renowned medical properties. The CA content in blister beetles has been mainly quantified in some Oriental species, due to their use in traditional Chinese medicine, or in few other species of toxicological importance. As CA quantification has been largely ignored in many other members of this family, we aimed at estimating CA content in natural populations of two of the most abundant species in central Italy, Mylabris variabilis and Lydus trimaculatus.

Olive oil contains many different compounds which are responsible for its nutritional and sensorial value. However, some compounds present in olive oil at very low amounts have not yet been identified. Here, the detection of tetrahydrogeranylgeraniol and dihydrogeranylgeraniol, in both the total aliphatic alcohol and waxy fractions of extra virgin olive oil, is reported for the first time using GC and GC-MS methodologies.

Papaver rhoeas plant is common in many regions worldwide and contributes to the landscape with its red flower. In the present study we first carried out morphological investigation by optical and scanning electron microscopy of the ovules within the ovary. After ovules’ isolation we prepared extracts to test possible cytotoxic activities on HL60 leukemia human cells and investigated the extracts using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and gas-chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS). P.