Alessandra Francini | Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna (original) (raw)
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Papers by Alessandra Francini
Molecules
Olive drupe traits (i.e., ripening index and pericarp water content) and minor components (i.e., ... more Olive drupe traits (i.e., ripening index and pericarp water content) and minor components (i.e., phenols and pigments in both fruit and oil) are important for human health and are affected by agronomic background. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between fruit traits, phenols, and pigments in samples derived from different soil and water management practices. Chromatographic (UHPLC-MS/MS) and spectroscopic (1HNMR and near UV-Vis spectroscopy) techniques were employed for the characterization of olive fruits and oils. The use of various techniques allowed the identification of interesting trace compounds. We observed that most of the fruit phenols (a total of 29 compounds) were correlated with the degree of ripening: most of the phenolic acids (and their derivatives), phenolic alcohols, and secoiridoids were negatively correlated, whereas the majority of the studied flavonoids were positively correlated. The relationship between the ripening index and fruit p...
Research Square (Research Square), Jan 3, 2023
Plant Growth Regulation
Salinity responses of Populus alba L. clone ‘Marte’ were evaluated using a split-root system to s... more Salinity responses of Populus alba L. clone ‘Marte’ were evaluated using a split-root system to simulate the heterogeneous soil conditions in the field and to assess the salinity tolerance of clone ‘Marte’. During the 26 days of experiment, we measured morpho-physiological parameters as well as the mineral content in substrate and plant organs in split-root plants watered with no salt on both sides of the system (0/0 mM - S1), salt on one side (0/100 mM – S2) and salt on both sides (100/100 mM – S3). Shoot elongation, stem diameter increase, and number of new leaves were not significantly different among and within each salt treatment. Leaf relative chlorophyll content and chlorophyll a fluorescence did not show any difference, while there was a decrease of 85% in terms of net photosynthesis (Pn) and 88% in stomatal conductance (gs) in S3 plants compared to S1. Na, absorbed by one side of the 0/100 mM plants, was equally distributed in all aerial organs and reached a concentration i...
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
BACKGROUNDBiofortification of vegetables is an important innovation technique in the horticultura... more BACKGROUNDBiofortification of vegetables is an important innovation technique in the horticultural sector. Vegetables can be a vector of different minor elements that have beneficial effects on human health. Selenium (Se) is an important element for human nutrition and plays a significant role in defence mechanisms. The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of Se in the nutrient solutions on the crop biofortification ability, yield, and quality parameters of four baby leafy vegetables destined to the minimally processed industry. Experiments were performed on lamb's lettuce, lettuce, wild rocket, and spinach. These crops were cultivated in the floating systems with nutrient solution enriched with 0, 2.6, 3.9, and 5.2 μmol L−1 Se provided as sodium selenate.RESULTSAt harvest, Se concentrations, yield, nitrate concentration, sugars, and some mineral elements were measured. Data collected and analyses showed that yield, nitrate, sucrose, and reducing sugars were not affect...
Plant Growth Regulation
Fragaria vesca L. (cv. Annabelle) plants were cultivated in hydroponic system and treated for 28 ... more Fragaria vesca L. (cv. Annabelle) plants were cultivated in hydroponic system and treated for 28 days with control (Hoagland solution), 1 mg L−1 of Cd, 10 µg L−1 of glufosinate ammonium and the mix of glufosinate ammonium and Cd. Cd and glufosinate influenced the photosynthetic parameters starting from day 18. Cd influenced the fruit fresh weight after 28 days of exposure. The accumulation of Cd in roots was highest among all plant organs and was estimated being 200 µg g−1DW followed by leaves at < 15 µg g−1DW and reaching the lowest concentrations in fruits at < 3 µg g−1DW. Only the metabolite 3-(hydroxymethylphosphinyl) propionic acid (MPP) of glufosinate was detected over the detection limit in each organ analysed. Glufosinate exposure reduced Ca uptake (− 35% compared to control) in fruits while Cd reduced the uptake of Fe and Ca in leaves and Zn, Mn and Ca in fruits. Thus, residual Cd and glufosinate ammonium, that could be present in wastewater used for irrigation, may a...
Plants
The native flora of different Mediterranean countries, often woody species, was widely recognized... more The native flora of different Mediterranean countries, often woody species, was widely recognized for its ornamental potential. The shrubs, in particular, are a typology of plants very widespread in the Mediterranean environment and constituent the ‘Macchia’, the typical vegetation of this ecosystem. The use of native shrubs for the realization of ornamental green areas has been recently examined for their adaptability to abiotic stress. Abiotic stresses, in fact, are the major limiting growth factor in urban and peri-urban areas. The identification and use of tolerant ornamental species allow the reduction of management costs and preserve the aesthetical value of green areas. Tolerance to drought stress, for instance, in the Mediterranean climate can improve the ecosystem services of these plants in the urban environment. In this review, the possibility to early individuate different plant species’ mechanisms to tolerate or avoid the stresses is analysed, as well as the possibility...
Frontiers Research Topics, 2020
Fruit and vegetables nutritional value has been gaining interest for consumers and it plays an im... more Fruit and vegetables nutritional value has been gaining interest for consumers and it plays an important role for human health and diet. The nutritional value is generally represented by the accumulation of bioactive molecules that are in large part constituted by secondary metabolites and antioxidant compounds. The biosynthesis of these compounds mainly occurs thorough the phenylpropanoid pathway. The accumulation of bioactive compounds is highly dependent on the plant species considered, cultivar/genotype, agronomic management, and environmental conditions before harvest and during postharvest. The preservation of the nutritional value after harvest is influenced by storage conditions, packaging systems, and postharvest treatments. Fruits and vegetables bioactive compounds content is very important for consumers, but it is also important for the produce preservation during the distribution chain as, for instance, produce with higher antioxidant compounds also have a longer shelf life. Among bioactive compounds, ascorbic acid, phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and glucosinolates represent the most important groups. The storage conditions and postharvest technologies can help to reduce the degradation or losses of bioactive compounds and even promote their accumulation. The physiological, biochemical and molecular changes can be correlated to the nutraceutical variations in pre- and postharvest stages. The plant hormones such as ethylene and abscisic acid possess a pivotal role in the regulation of fruit and leaf senescence of produce and directly influence their nutraceutical value. The regulation of the phenylpropanoids biosynthetic pathway can lead to the preservation or improvement of produce nutraceutical value. Therefore, understanding how the accumulation of bioactive compounds can be enhanced or preserved is becoming crucial in crop and product quality. The availability of advanced molecular tools allows fast and accurate transcriptome profiling that can help in the identification of the main gene clusters that are activated or repressed under different conditions. Such data coupled with metabolomics information can provide useful information for production and postharvest management of produce with high nutritional value. In this Research Topic we collect articles focused on: new insights on biosynthesis and catabolism of bioactive molecules in fruit and vegetables and the relationship with growing conditions and abiotic stresses; the regulation of biosynthesis of bioactive compounds in fruit and/or vegetables during development and ripening: role of plant hormones and elicitors; new postharvest technologies or treatments able to promote or preserve bioactive compounds of produce; potential role of molecular studies and genetic improvement for enhanced accumulation of bioactive compounds on fresh produce
Role of Potassium in Abiotic Stress, 2022
Antioxidants, Mar 31, 2022
Molecules
Olive drupe traits (i.e., ripening index and pericarp water content) and minor components (i.e., ... more Olive drupe traits (i.e., ripening index and pericarp water content) and minor components (i.e., phenols and pigments in both fruit and oil) are important for human health and are affected by agronomic background. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between fruit traits, phenols, and pigments in samples derived from different soil and water management practices. Chromatographic (UHPLC-MS/MS) and spectroscopic (1HNMR and near UV-Vis spectroscopy) techniques were employed for the characterization of olive fruits and oils. The use of various techniques allowed the identification of interesting trace compounds. We observed that most of the fruit phenols (a total of 29 compounds) were correlated with the degree of ripening: most of the phenolic acids (and their derivatives), phenolic alcohols, and secoiridoids were negatively correlated, whereas the majority of the studied flavonoids were positively correlated. The relationship between the ripening index and fruit p...
Research Square (Research Square), Jan 3, 2023
Plant Growth Regulation
Salinity responses of Populus alba L. clone ‘Marte’ were evaluated using a split-root system to s... more Salinity responses of Populus alba L. clone ‘Marte’ were evaluated using a split-root system to simulate the heterogeneous soil conditions in the field and to assess the salinity tolerance of clone ‘Marte’. During the 26 days of experiment, we measured morpho-physiological parameters as well as the mineral content in substrate and plant organs in split-root plants watered with no salt on both sides of the system (0/0 mM - S1), salt on one side (0/100 mM – S2) and salt on both sides (100/100 mM – S3). Shoot elongation, stem diameter increase, and number of new leaves were not significantly different among and within each salt treatment. Leaf relative chlorophyll content and chlorophyll a fluorescence did not show any difference, while there was a decrease of 85% in terms of net photosynthesis (Pn) and 88% in stomatal conductance (gs) in S3 plants compared to S1. Na, absorbed by one side of the 0/100 mM plants, was equally distributed in all aerial organs and reached a concentration i...
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
BACKGROUNDBiofortification of vegetables is an important innovation technique in the horticultura... more BACKGROUNDBiofortification of vegetables is an important innovation technique in the horticultural sector. Vegetables can be a vector of different minor elements that have beneficial effects on human health. Selenium (Se) is an important element for human nutrition and plays a significant role in defence mechanisms. The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of Se in the nutrient solutions on the crop biofortification ability, yield, and quality parameters of four baby leafy vegetables destined to the minimally processed industry. Experiments were performed on lamb's lettuce, lettuce, wild rocket, and spinach. These crops were cultivated in the floating systems with nutrient solution enriched with 0, 2.6, 3.9, and 5.2 μmol L−1 Se provided as sodium selenate.RESULTSAt harvest, Se concentrations, yield, nitrate concentration, sugars, and some mineral elements were measured. Data collected and analyses showed that yield, nitrate, sucrose, and reducing sugars were not affect...
Plant Growth Regulation
Fragaria vesca L. (cv. Annabelle) plants were cultivated in hydroponic system and treated for 28 ... more Fragaria vesca L. (cv. Annabelle) plants were cultivated in hydroponic system and treated for 28 days with control (Hoagland solution), 1 mg L−1 of Cd, 10 µg L−1 of glufosinate ammonium and the mix of glufosinate ammonium and Cd. Cd and glufosinate influenced the photosynthetic parameters starting from day 18. Cd influenced the fruit fresh weight after 28 days of exposure. The accumulation of Cd in roots was highest among all plant organs and was estimated being 200 µg g−1DW followed by leaves at < 15 µg g−1DW and reaching the lowest concentrations in fruits at < 3 µg g−1DW. Only the metabolite 3-(hydroxymethylphosphinyl) propionic acid (MPP) of glufosinate was detected over the detection limit in each organ analysed. Glufosinate exposure reduced Ca uptake (− 35% compared to control) in fruits while Cd reduced the uptake of Fe and Ca in leaves and Zn, Mn and Ca in fruits. Thus, residual Cd and glufosinate ammonium, that could be present in wastewater used for irrigation, may a...
Plants
The native flora of different Mediterranean countries, often woody species, was widely recognized... more The native flora of different Mediterranean countries, often woody species, was widely recognized for its ornamental potential. The shrubs, in particular, are a typology of plants very widespread in the Mediterranean environment and constituent the ‘Macchia’, the typical vegetation of this ecosystem. The use of native shrubs for the realization of ornamental green areas has been recently examined for their adaptability to abiotic stress. Abiotic stresses, in fact, are the major limiting growth factor in urban and peri-urban areas. The identification and use of tolerant ornamental species allow the reduction of management costs and preserve the aesthetical value of green areas. Tolerance to drought stress, for instance, in the Mediterranean climate can improve the ecosystem services of these plants in the urban environment. In this review, the possibility to early individuate different plant species’ mechanisms to tolerate or avoid the stresses is analysed, as well as the possibility...
Frontiers Research Topics, 2020
Fruit and vegetables nutritional value has been gaining interest for consumers and it plays an im... more Fruit and vegetables nutritional value has been gaining interest for consumers and it plays an important role for human health and diet. The nutritional value is generally represented by the accumulation of bioactive molecules that are in large part constituted by secondary metabolites and antioxidant compounds. The biosynthesis of these compounds mainly occurs thorough the phenylpropanoid pathway. The accumulation of bioactive compounds is highly dependent on the plant species considered, cultivar/genotype, agronomic management, and environmental conditions before harvest and during postharvest. The preservation of the nutritional value after harvest is influenced by storage conditions, packaging systems, and postharvest treatments. Fruits and vegetables bioactive compounds content is very important for consumers, but it is also important for the produce preservation during the distribution chain as, for instance, produce with higher antioxidant compounds also have a longer shelf life. Among bioactive compounds, ascorbic acid, phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and glucosinolates represent the most important groups. The storage conditions and postharvest technologies can help to reduce the degradation or losses of bioactive compounds and even promote their accumulation. The physiological, biochemical and molecular changes can be correlated to the nutraceutical variations in pre- and postharvest stages. The plant hormones such as ethylene and abscisic acid possess a pivotal role in the regulation of fruit and leaf senescence of produce and directly influence their nutraceutical value. The regulation of the phenylpropanoids biosynthetic pathway can lead to the preservation or improvement of produce nutraceutical value. Therefore, understanding how the accumulation of bioactive compounds can be enhanced or preserved is becoming crucial in crop and product quality. The availability of advanced molecular tools allows fast and accurate transcriptome profiling that can help in the identification of the main gene clusters that are activated or repressed under different conditions. Such data coupled with metabolomics information can provide useful information for production and postharvest management of produce with high nutritional value. In this Research Topic we collect articles focused on: new insights on biosynthesis and catabolism of bioactive molecules in fruit and vegetables and the relationship with growing conditions and abiotic stresses; the regulation of biosynthesis of bioactive compounds in fruit and/or vegetables during development and ripening: role of plant hormones and elicitors; new postharvest technologies or treatments able to promote or preserve bioactive compounds of produce; potential role of molecular studies and genetic improvement for enhanced accumulation of bioactive compounds on fresh produce
Role of Potassium in Abiotic Stress, 2022
Antioxidants, Mar 31, 2022