Flavia Gasperi - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Flavia Gasperi

Euro Berry Symposium - COST-Action 836 Final Workshop, 2004

... F. Biasioli, F. Gasperi, D. Mott and E. Aprea Istituto Agrario S. Michele 38010 S.Michele a/A... more ... F. Biasioli, F. Gasperi, D. Mott and E. Aprea Istituto Agrario S. Michele 38010 S.Michele a/A, Trento, Italy ... Boschetti, A., Biasioli, F., van Opbergen, M., Warneke, C., Jordan, A., Holzinger, R., Prazeller, P., Karl, T., Hansel, A., Lindinger, W. and Iannotta, S. 1999. ...

$Research paper thumbnail of Determination of the aromatic fraction in raspberry$

The volatile compounds emitted by two raspberry varieties {(Rubus} idaeus, cv. Polka and cv. Tula... more The volatile compounds emitted by two raspberry varieties {(Rubus} idaeus, cv. Polka and cv. Tulameen) were analyzed, both in the case of fresh fruits and juices, by two headspace methods rapid, solvent free and with reduced or without pre-treatment: {SPME/GC-MS} and {PTR-MS.} Multivariate analysis of the {SPME/GC-MS} results allows an unambiguous sample discrimination both for mashed fruits and juices. {PTR-MS} instrumental fingerprint provides, in a faster way, similar qualitative information on the overall flavor profile and was also used to monitor rapid processes such as lipo-oxigenase activity induced by tissue damages occurring during industrial transformation, accidental mechanical damages or as a consequence of chewing.

Plant Pathology, 2014

Botrytis cinerea, the main pathogen of strawberry, has the ability to remain quiescent in unripe ... more Botrytis cinerea, the main pathogen of strawberry, has the ability to remain quiescent in unripe tissue and develop disease symptoms in ripe fruit. As strawberry ripening is characterized by an increase of aroma compounds, the role of volatile emission in the development of infection was investigated. Thirty-five strawberry volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were tested on B. cinerea in vitro and volatile emission was analysed in strawberry harvested at four ripening stages by headspace solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and proton transfer reactiontime of flight-mass spectrometry. The coupling of such data sets made it possible to conclude that key strawberry aroma compounds stimulate B. cinerea conidial germination and some typical wound-volatiles stimulate pathogen conidial germination or mycelial growth. This study is the first report of fungal stimulation by some VOCs naturally occurring in strawberry: the esters ethyl butanoate, cis-3-hexenyl acetate, trans-2-hexenyl acetate, methyl butanoate and hexyl butanoate, the furanones furaneol and mesifurane, and the alcohol trans-2-hexenol. The results of this work provide advances in understanding the functional role of fruit VOCs and suggest, for the first time, that fruit VOCs may influence the development of B. cinerea from the latent phase and that they could favour the invasive growth of B. cinerea after wounding. In particular, ethyl butanoate and furaneol could signal strawberry ripening, and the green leaf volatiles trans-2-hexenol, trans-2-hexenyl acetate and cis-3-hexenyl acetate could signal the presence of damaged tissues that are easier sites for penetration by B. cinerea.

Gut

INTRODUCTION: Being rapid and non-invasive, breath analysis is a promising diagnostic tool althou... more INTRODUCTION: Being rapid and non-invasive, breath analysis is a promising diagnostic tool although difficulties related to data interpretation, reproducibility and sensibility have limited its application. AIMS & METHODS: The aim of the present work was to investigate whether a recently realized direct injection mass spectrometric technique (Proton Transfer Reaction Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry, PTR-ToF-MS) allows the direct and noninvasive diagnosis of cirrhosis as well as the assessment of the disease severity by direct analysis of exhaled breath. Twelve patients (M/F 8/4, mean age 70.5, range 42−80 years) with liver cirrhosis of different etiologies and status and 14 healthy subjects (M/F 5/9, mean age 52.3, range 35−77 years) were enrolled in the study. The etiology of cirrhosis was viral in 9 (8 HCV and 1 HBV) and metabolic in 3. The Child-Pugh class was A in 6 patients, B in 3, and C in the remaining 3 patients. Real time breath analysis was performed using a buffered end...

Journal of Dairy Science, 2014

The aim of this study was to analyze the volatile compounds, physicochemical characteristics, and... more The aim of this study was to analyze the volatile compounds, physicochemical characteristics, and sensory properties of Montasio, a semicooked pressed cheese, produced from the milk of the dual-purpose Italian Simmental cows grazing on alpine pastures. A total of 72 cows grazing on 2 pastures, which differed in botanical composition (nutrient-rich pasture vs. nutrient-poor pasture), received 2 different levels of supplementation (3.0 vs 1.5 kg/head per day). The experimental cheeses were produced from whole, raw milk and ripened for 60 d. Sixty-one volatile compounds, including alcohols (11), aldehydes (6), ketones (10), lactones (2), esters (6), hydrocarbons (3), carboxylic acids (6), phenolic compounds (4), monoterpenes (7), sesquiterpenes (1), sulfur compounds (4), and amines (1), were detected. The main families in terms of relative weight appeared to be carboxylic acids, esters, and alcohols. A panel of trained assessors described the experimental cheeses as having an intense color; small and evenly distributed eyes; an intense odor and flavor of milk-sour, milk, and cow; and a tender and creamy texture. The pasture type affected the volatile fraction, particularly ketones, phenolic compounds, and terpenes, which are overall higher in nutrient-poor pastures. A slight effect on the sensory analyses, in particular the effect of the cow attribute on odor and flavor, was perceived by the panelists. The cheeses produced on nutrient-rich pasture had higher b* (yellowness) index. These results were consistent with the color evaluation of the sensory panel. In addition, the pasture affected some textural attributes (adhesivity, creaminess, and granules) as perceived by the panelists. Concentrate supplementation, which is required to meet the feeding requirements of grazing cows, had no clear effect on either the volatile compounds or the sensory properties of the cheeses. Thus, at least within levels of integration adopted, it is expected not to alter the organoleptic characteristics of this product.

Food Research International, 2015

The headspace of six roasted Coffea arabica coffees, both brew and powder, of different geographi... more The headspace of six roasted Coffea arabica coffees, both brew and powder, of different geographical origins (Brazil, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Colombia, and India) was analysed by Proton Transfer Reaction-Time of Flight-Mass Spectrometry. For the first time, in the case of coffee, a Switching Reagent Ion System has been used to produce different ionisation agents: H 3 O + , NO + and O 2 + . Significant differences were found among volatile concentrations for the different origins both for powders and brews, in particular high concentrations of terpenes for Ethiopia, sulphur compounds for Colombia and thiazoles for Brazil and India. Effective classification models have been set for the different ionisation modes and data fusion of the data obtained by different reagent ions further reduced the classification errors.

ABSTRACT During the ongoing of strawberry ripening one of the most relevant changes is fruit soft... more ABSTRACT During the ongoing of strawberry ripening one of the most relevant changes is fruit softening which occurs very rapidly, causing the major loss during the short-term post-harvest storage, strongly affecting the commercial chain and the fruit economic value. Textural attributes vary significantly within strawberry cultivars and these are largely dependent by the genetic constitution as well as environmental and horticultural management. Fruit softening is usually associated with an extensive modification of pectin and hemicellulosic cell wall fractions which in turn is determined to a great extent by the action of cell wall-modifying enzymes, with particular regards to pectin methylesterase, polygalacturonase, endoglucanase, α-arabinofuranosidase, β-galactosidase, and β-xylosidase (Figueroa et al., 2010). To support future breeding programs aimed to improve strawberry fruit texture we have applied a texture analyzer TAXT plus in order to improve the phenotyping resolution, profiling the mechanical response of the samples during the compression phase. This advanced phenotyping technology was employed in this context in order to monitor the texture evolution during strawberry fruit development, ripening and post-harvest in three short day cultivars: Elsanta, Darselect and Candonga. In addition, this equipment was also exploit to dissects the fruit texture behaviour of 28 varieties, both junebearing and everbearing.

Human chemosensation can be strongly influenced by how much attention people pay to chemosensory ... more Human chemosensation can be strongly influenced by how much attention people pay to chemosensory stimuli (e.g., Marks and Wheeler in Chem Senses 23:19-29, 1998; Prescott et al. in Chem Senses 29:331-340, 2004). In a recent study, a scale has been devised (i.e., the Odor Awareness Scale; OAS; see Smeets et al. in Chem Senses 33:725-734, 2008) to investigate the level of awareness people have of the available odorants in the environment. Here, we explored whether a variant (Italian version) of the OAS could be used to discriminate between different groups of participants in terms of olfactory abilities (i.e., performance in an odor identification task) and/or personal/demographic characteristics (e.g., gender, age, etc.). Ninety-eight participants underwent this study that was composed of a personal detail questionnaire, the OAS, and a deep investigation of odor identification ability based on a large variety of odor stimuli. During 6 testing sessions, a total of 72 odor stimuli were evaluated: 36 aromas in vapor phase presented in vials and 36 chemical compounds in hydroalcoholic solutions. The results did not indicate any relationships between the participants' declared awareness of odors and the real performance in the identification test. However, differences in the awareness of odors were found as a function of a number of personal factors such as, for example, gender (with females showing higher scores than males) or age (with younger collecting lower scores than older participants). In conclusion, we could not predict from modified OAS scores the participants' specific ability to identify odors. Nevertheless, we could extend the scale's characterization by highlighting different connections between OAS scores and individual parameters.

ABSTRACT The effects of innovative techniques for orchard light management on the sensory propert... more ABSTRACT The effects of innovative techniques for orchard light management on the sensory properties and quality of apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.) fruit were measured using sensory and instrumental techniques. In the first experiment, ‘Rosy Glow’ fruit, thinned chemically or by shading, were compared. In the second experiment, ‘Fuji’ fruit were grown under five different coloured photo-selective hail nets and compared. For ‘Rosy Glow’ fruit, the efficacy of both thinning methods was comparable in terms of crop load, and no sensory differences were perceived between treatments by a trained sensory panel, based on quantitative descriptive profiling, except for the “green flesh” attribute. Nevertheless, ‘Rosy Glow’ fruit from the shade-based thinning had a higher mean fresh weight (FW; 215 g vs. 198 g) and higher titratable acidity (5.3 vs. 4.5 malic acid eq. 100 g–1 juice). Some significant differences were reported by the trained sensory panel for four out of the ten attributes rated among the ‘Fuji’ apples produced under the neutral black net (control), and the red, white, yellow, and blue photo-selective hail nets. Differences were greatest between fruit from the red and yellow hail nets. Apples from the red hail net had higher scores for yellow colour perception (average intensity 42.3 vs. 28.5, based on a linear scale anchored at 0 as the minimum and 100 as the maximum), sweet taste (score 54.9 vs. 42.4), and hardness (i.e., sensory definition for firmness; score 52.0 vs. 43.0), and a lower score for green colour (4.6 vs. 10.0). In terms of objective instrumental measurements, fruit from the red net treatment had a higher mean FW (217 g), with larger cells and larger intercellular spaces measured in terms of the number of cells mm–3 and the percentage of intercellular spaces, and a higher mean dry matter (DM) content [14.7% (w/w)], when compared to fruit from the other photo-selective net treatments. The spectrum of transmitted light influenced fruit growth by affecting cell proliferation and ripening, which changed the sensory perceptions of fruit appearance, taste, and texture. This study demonstrated that it is possible to use sensory panel analysis to measure the impact of new pre-harvest treatments on the quality of harvested apple fruit.

Journal of mass spectrometry : JMS, 2014

Characterisation of coffees according to their origins is of utmost importance for commercial qua... more Characterisation of coffees according to their origins is of utmost importance for commercial qualification. In this study, the aroma profiles of different batches of three monoorigin roasted Coffea arabica coffees (Brazil, Ethiopia and Guatemala) were analysed by Proton-Transfer-Reaction-Time of Flight-Mass Spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS). The measurements were performed with the aid of a multipurpose autosampler. Unsupervised and supervised multivariate data analysis techniques were applied in order to visualise data and classify the coffees according to origin. Significant differences were found in volatile profiles of coffees. Principal component analysis allowed visualising a separation of the three coffees according to geographic origin and further partial least square regression-discriminant analysis classification showed completely correct predictions. Remarkably, the samples of one batch could be used as training set to predict geographic origin of the samples of the other batch,...

Journal of mass spectrometry : JMS, 2015

Drying process is commonly used to allow long time storage of valuable porcini mushrooms (Boletus... more Drying process is commonly used to allow long time storage of valuable porcini mushrooms (Boletus edulis). Although considered a stable product dried porcini flavour changes during storage. Monitoring of volatile compounds during shelf life may help to understand the nature of the observed changes. In the present work two mass spectrometric techniques were used to monitor the evolution of volatile compounds during commercial shelf life of dried porcini. Solid phase microextraction (SPME) coupled to gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC-MS) allowed the identification of 66 volatile compounds, 36 of which reported for the first time, monitored during the commercial shelf life of dried porcini. Proton transfer reaction - time of flight - mass spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS) , a direct injection mass spectrometric technique, was shown to be a fast and sensitive instrument for the general monitoring of volatile compound evolution during storage of dried porcini. Furthermore, PTR-ToF-MS gr...

In this work we evaluated the possibility to use the proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry {... more In this work we evaluated the possibility to use the proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry {(PTR-MS)} for the online monitoring and direct sampling of olive oil headspace. In a first experiment, the headspace of an extravirgin olive oil at 33 c was continuously monitored for more than 70 hours observing the formation of compounds related to secondary oxidation products, showing

Food Quality and Preference, 2015

The main objective of this work was to study whether the intensity of intrinsic sensory attribute... more The main objective of this work was to study whether the intensity of intrinsic sensory attributes and different information about fibre and antioxidant content (extrinsic attributes) provided immediately before tasting could affect the acceptability of four apple varieties characterised by two levels of crunchiness and sweetness. The tested products (Fuji, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, and Reinette du Canada) were selected on the basis of the results of the quantitative descriptive analysis performed on 21 commercially available varieties.

Open Agriculture Journal, 2012

An expert’s panel according to the official method of International Olive Oil Council analyzed th... more An expert’s panel according to the official method of International Olive Oil Council analyzed the organoleptic profile of the oils produced during one single harvesting season from 57 cultivars of the Tuscan germoplasm. The oils were grouped in three different clusters depending on the presence of different organoleptic features. The identified clusters of the extra virgin olive oils were compared

We recently introduced the Random Forest -Recursive Feature Elimination (RF-RFE) algorithm for fe... more We recently introduced the Random Forest -Recursive Feature Elimination (RF-RFE) algorithm for feature selection. In this paper we apply it to the identification of relevant features in the spectra (fingerprints) produced by Proton Transfer Reaction -Mass Spectrometry (PTR-MS) analysis of four agro-industrial products (two datasets with cultivars of Berries and other two with typical cheeses, all from North Italy). The method is compared with the more traditional Support Vector Machine -Recursive Feature Elimination (SVM-RFE), extended to allow multiclass problems. Using replicated experiments we estimate unbiased generalization errors for both methods. We analyze the stability of the two methods and find that RF-RFE is more stable than SVM-RFE in selecting small subsets of features. Our results also show that RF-RFE outperforms SVM-RFE on the task of finding small subsets of features with high discrimination levels on PTR-MS datasets.

Postharvest Biology and Technology, 2012

Texture is a principal quality factor and represents one of the main priorities in apple postharv... more Texture is a principal quality factor and represents one of the main priorities in apple postharvest management and breeding programs designed for the creation of new ideotypes defined by a better fruit quality and extended storability. The apple panorama is characterized by a great variability of texture performance due to specific functional regulation and genetic control of the physiological machinery devoted to the degradation of the polysaccharide architecture of the middle lamella/cell wall structure. In this work we present an investigation of texture dynamics in apple, in terms of variation of several texture components dissected over two months of postharvest storage. Apple texture was assessed at harvest and after storage, by acquiring both mechanical and acoustic profiles in a collection of 83 apple cultivars. The general texture variability, illustrated over the reduced hyperspace defined by principal components, revealed a different variety distribution between the two stages. Time evolution plots and the novel storage index presented here highlighted that each single texture component behaves differently, as seen by some cultivars (i.e. 'Fuji') having a more favourable acoustic response after postharvest. The dissected fruit texture dynamics assessed in a set of reference apple cultivars are discussed.

Food and Bioprocess Technology, 2012

In the present study, the effects of milk fat (0.3% and 3.5% w/w), solids non-fat (8.4% and 13% w... more In the present study, the effects of milk fat (0.3% and 3.5% w/w), solids non-fat (8.4% and 13% w/w), and modified tapioca starch (0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0% w/w) concentrations on the textural and physicochemical properties as well as the concentration of several endogenous flavor compounds in the headspace of set and stirred yogurts were investigated. The novel proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry technique was implemented for the non-invasive determination of the amounts of volatile organic compounds in the samples headspace. Milk fat and skim milk powder supplementation of the milk samples increased significantly the firmness and adhesiveness of yogurts (p<0.001) and improved the stability of the formed gels by increasing their water holding capacity and reducing the amounts of expulsed whey (3.94 and 5.1 g for the milk fat and SNF-fortified samples). Acetaldehyde was significantly (p<0.001) higher in the low fat-unfortified systems (6.15±0.48 and 5.6± 0.60 ppmv, respectively). A similar trend was also reported in the case of 2-propanone (0.91 ± 0.11 and 1.13 ± 0.07 ppmv), diacetyl (334±37 and 350±34 ppbv), 2,3pentanedione (54±6 and 55±6 ppbv), and 2-butanone (56± 7 and 68±5 ppbv) for the same systems. In contrast, the concentration of flavor compounds in the headspace with hydroxyl groups (ethanol and acetoin) increased (p<0.001) by solid non-fat fortification of milk base (350±32 and 206±7 ppbv, respectively, for the systems fortified with skim milk powder). Modified tapioca starch addition improved the textural properties and gel stability of yogurts whereas affected only the ethanol concentration (222±16 and 322±55 for the control and 2.0% w/w containing systems, respectively). Our data suggested that the reinforcement of textural and structural properties combined with the protein binding affinity of the flavor compounds seemed to be responsible for the aforementioned observations. In the case of stirred yogurts, the gel breakdown did not provoke significant changes in the headspace concentration of the most compounds, with the exception of ethanol, acetoin, and 2,3-pentanedione being significantly (p<0.05) higher in the stirred yogurts (267±29, 153±11, and 38±1 ppbv, respectively) than set style ones (232±19, 134±9, and 45±3 ppbv, respectively).