Giovanni Dinelli - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Giovanni Dinelli

Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, Jan 16, 2007

Bifidobacteria strains from human origin were screened for the specific activity (beta-glucosidas... more Bifidobacteria strains from human origin were screened for the specific activity (beta-glucosidase activity) involved in the metabolism of dietary flavonoids. Five strains with high beta-glucosidase activity were selected for further metabolism analyses (high-performance liquid chromatography separations) of flavonoid glycosides occurring in Phaseolus vulgaris L. (common bean) seeds and seedlings. All selected strains were found to be active in the conversion of kaempferol 3-O-glucoside, daidzin, genistin, and glycitin into their aglyconic forms. No metabolites were detected after the fermentation tests with the diglucosidic compound kaempferol 3-O-xylosylglucoside. In addition, to verify the effective bioavailability of flavonoid aglycones, the degradation rates of daidzein, genistein, glycitein, and kaempferol, following incubation with selected strains, were monitored. The results showed that the five selected strains of bifidobacteria, being active in the biotranformation of fla...

Journal of the science of food and agriculture, 2010

Tagetes species produce thiophenes, polyacetylenic compounds that possess strong biocidal activit... more Tagetes species produce thiophenes, polyacetylenic compounds that possess strong biocidal activity, thus making Tagetes plants very useful for suppressing nematode populations in the soil and as sources of natural pesticides. In the present study, Tagetes species (T. erecta, T. filifolia, T. lucida, T. minuta, T. patula and T. tenuifolia) grown in northern Italy were evaluated for their morphophenological parameters and thiophene pattern in different plant parts (roots, shoots and flowers). Roots had the highest diversity and contents of thiophenes (from 64 to 100% of the total thiophene amount), with 5-(3-buten-1-ynyl)-2,2'-bithienyl (BBT) as the main component followed by 5-(4-acetoxy-1-butynyl)-2,2'-bithienyl (BBTOAc), 2,2':5',2''-terthienyl (alpha-T) and 5-(4-hydroxy-1-butynyl)-2,2'-bithienyl (BBTOH). Tagetes lucida and T. tenuifolia possessed the highest amounts of total thiophenes (6717.3 and 6452.5 mg kg(-1) dry weight respectively), while T. minut...

Journal of Chromatography A, 2011

The health-promoting properties of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) have been largely attribut... more The health-promoting properties of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) have been largely attributed to the presence of unique phytochemicals of whole grains. The aim of this study was to profile the phenolic content of 16 old and 6 modern Italian wheat varieties, cropped in the same location and growing season. High variability was observed among the investigated wheat genotypes, both in the free and bound phenolic extracts. The total polyphenol content ranged from 885.5 to 1715.9 mol GAE/100 g of grain and, on average, the bound fraction contributed for 72.0% to the total phenolic content. As regards the flavonoid content, the free fraction ranged from 50.7 to 106.1 mol CE/100 g of grain and the bound fraction from 78.3 to 148.9 mol CE/100 g of grain. Moreover, the interpretation of the mass spectra allowed the characterization of 34 phenolic compounds (104 including isomer forms) belonging to the phenolic acid, flavonoid, coumarin, stilbene, proanthocyanidin and lignan chemical classes. HPLC-ESI-TOF-MS analysis highlighted remarkable differences in the phytochemical fingerprints of old and modern wheat varieties. Six ancient wheat genotypes (Bianco Nostrale, Frassineto, Gentil Rosso, Gentil Rosso Mutico, Marzuolo d'Aqui, Verna) showed phenolic profiles with a number of total compounds and isomer forms much higher than that identified in the modern cultivars. The present findings confirm that ancient wheat may represent a valuable source of biodiversity, especially as regards phenolic compounds. The investigated old wheat genotypes may be successfully used in breeding programs for developing bread wheat varieties with added value in terms of health-promoting phytochemicals.

Die Naturwissenschaften, 2013

The present paper reports on an observation that dendrite-like polycrystalline structures from ev... more The present paper reports on an observation that dendrite-like polycrystalline structures from evaporating droplets of wheat grain leakages exhibit bilateral symmetry. The exactness of this symmetry, measured by means of fluctuating asymmetry, varies depending on the cultivar and stress factor influence, and seems to correspond to the seed germination rate. In the bodies of plants, animals, and humans, the exactness of bilateral symmetry is known to reflect the environmental conditions of an organism's growth, its health, and its success in sexual selection. In polycrystalline structures, formed under the same conditions, the symmetry exactness depends on the properties of the crystallizing solution such as the composition and viscosity; however, it has never been associated with sample quality. We hypothesize here that, as in living nature, the exactness of approximate bilateral symmetry might be considered a quality indicator also in crystallographic methods applied to food qu...

Weed Science, 2004

... At the genus level, four (LOL2 900 bp; LOL 2 1,000 bp; LOL4 700 bp; LOL9 700 bp), two (LOL2 1... more ... At the genus level, four (LOL2 900 bp; LOL 2 1,000 bp; LOL4 700 bp; LOL9 700 bp), two (LOL2 1,600 bp; LOL9 1,300 bp), and one (LOL4 1,500 bp) ISSR fragments were exclusively detected in all analyzed Lolium, Festuca, and Festulolium samples, re-...

Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology, 2005

... 2 Lolium spp. biotypes were carried out. The two resistant Lolium spp. biotypes were compared... more ... 2 Lolium spp. biotypes were carried out. The two resistant Lolium spp. biotypes were compared with both a susceptible biotype (Vetralla 1994) and a tolerant wheat cultivar (Triticum aestivum L., cv Cirillo). The selectivity of wheat ...

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2011

Glyphosate resistance evolution in weeds is a growing problem in world agriculture. Here, we have... more Glyphosate resistance evolution in weeds is a growing problem in world agriculture. Here, we have investigated the mechanism(s) of glyphosate resistance in a Lolium rigidum population (DAG1) from South Africa. Nucleotide sequencing revealed the existence of at least three EPSPS homologues in the L. rigidum genome and identified a novel proline 106 to leucine substitution (P106L) in 52% DAG1 individuals. This mutation conferred a 1.7-fold resistance increase to glyphosate at the whole plant level. Additionally, a 3.1-fold resistance increase, not linked to metabolism or translocation, was estimated between wild-type P106-DAG1 and P106-STDS sensitive plants. Point accepted mutation analysis suggested that other amino acid substitutions at EPSPS position 106 are likely to be found in nature besides the P106/S/A/T/L point mutations reported to date. This study highlights the importance of minor mechanisms acting additively to confer significant levels of resistance to commercial field rates of glyphosate in weed populations subjected to high selection pressure.

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2004

Wheat quality criteria continually evolve in response to market pressure and consumer preference.... more Wheat quality criteria continually evolve in response to market pressure and consumer preference. Characterization of cereal cultivars for quality and agronomic properties, have widely shown the importance of the protein content to ensure good quality products. The aim of this work is a comparison of reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and free zone capillary electrophoresis (FZCE) in the identification of Italian wheat cultivars and detection of durum wheat flour adulteration. Mainly alcohol soluble (gliadins) and water soluble (albumins) proteins were extracted from 14 common wheat cultivars and from 9 durum wheat cultivars. In RP-HPLC chromatograms, wheat albumins and gliadins eluted between 3 and 9 min and between 10 and 42 min, respectively. Even if the chosen chromatographic conditions (reversed phase) did not permit a complete resolution of hydrophilic proteins such as albumins, a good reproducibility was observed for both albumins and gliadins. In FZCE electropherograms, wheat albumins and gliadins migrated between 8 and 14 min and 16-25 min, respectively. A good reproducibility was found for wheat albumins, while the relatively poor reproducibility of gliadin fractions was a consequence of the selected separation conditions aimed to separate in the same run either hydrophilic (albumins) and alcohol-soluble (gliadins) proteins. The principal component analysis (PCA) of HPLC and FZCE data evidenced that both techniques allowed the univocal identification of the great proportion of investigated wheat cultivars. Three peaks were exclusively detected in RP-HPLC chromatograms of common wheat cultivars, while three unique peaks were found in FZCE electropherograms of common wheat cultivars. These peaks were investigated as a basis for detecting and estimating the adulteration of durum wheat flour with flour from common wheat. The direct relationship between the area of the peaks and adulteration level enabled standard curves to be constructed. The standard curves showed that adulteration may be quantified by either RP-HPLC or FZCE.

ELECTROPHORESIS, 2006

The aim of the present study was to develop a quantitative-competitive PCR (QC-PCR) method to det... more The aim of the present study was to develop a quantitative-competitive PCR (QC-PCR) method to detect DNA from transgenic herbicide-resistant (roundup ready, RR) soybean and maize. Since no QC-PCR system for the quantification of RR maize had been published at the time of writing, a specific competitor DNA for transgenic event was developed. For the QC-PCR of RR-soybean, a commercially available competitor was employed. These internal standards were calibrated by coamplifying with mixtures containing RR-soybean and maize DNAs. The calibrated QC-PCR systems were applied to certified RR-soybean and maize flour mixtures in order to demonstrate their suitability not only for the quantification of the glyphosate resistance traits in DNA matrices, but also in practically relevant samples. In addition, a special focus of the present work was to compare the detection of QC-PCR products by slab gel and CGE with UV detection. CGE permitted the precise detection of transgenic events also below the equivalence points; while in slab gel electrophoresis, due to the low sensitivity the quantification of genetically modified DNA was allowed only at the equivalence point.

The fast development of agro-biotechnologies asks for a harmonized approach in risk analysis of G... more The fast development of agro-biotechnologies asks for a harmonized approach in risk analysis of GMO's releases, where "risk analysis" entails the assessment, management and communication of risk. Risk assessment consists in the evaluation of the likelihood that a hazard occurs, associated with the presence of the receptor(s) in the receiving environment, and the determination of their potential degree of exposure to the hazard. The whole process has to be both science based and applied case by case, and it involves a very complicated procedure that needs to be transformed in an operational and standardized tool. Beginning in 2003, an expert group on behalf of the Italian Ministry of the Environment elaborated an Operating Model for the Environmental Risk Assessment (OMERA) mainly addressed to scientists, companies, regulators, environmentalists, and also aiming to provide the stakeholders with a scientifically correct source of information. OMERA is based on a logic scheme, moving from the assumption that the occurring of a risk, associated to the release of a GMO into the environment, is strictly related to the presence of four elements: a) source; b) diffusion factors; c) dispersal routes; d) receptors. It comprises two main components: a conceptual model represented as a flowchart and an electronic Questionnaire (eQ) driven by a relational database (Microsoft Office Access). The eQ includes sets of questions specifically formulated for each box of the flowchart that create a "decision tree" that can be followed from the source to all the components of the conceptual model. Completing the eQ leads to the identification of the potentially affected receptors and related potential effects. Within the framework of a LIFE+ project (MAN-GMP-ITA) a multidisciplinary group was formed to validate and improve this methodology. The questionnaire has been filled simulating the release of herbicide tolerant GT73 oilseed rape and insect resistant MON810 maize in different experimental areas. The results attested that OMERA allows the collection and comparison of experimental data in a standard way and at the same time leads to the identification of receptors, potential effects and related monitoring activities specifically for the case study. The experiences described in this paper have shown the potential area of improvement of OMERA to achieve a more functional Decision Supporting System (DSS) that would give a quantitative risk evaluation and the extension to commercial fields. As for OMERA, the DSS will be user-friendly and could be easily modified and adapted to specific situations i.e risk assessment of GM crop field trials.