In the last two decades, phenolic compounds occurring in olive oils known as secoiridoids have attracted a great interest for their bioactivity. Four major olive oil secoiridoids, i.e., oleuropein and ligstroside aglycones, oleacin and oleocanthal, were previously characterized in our laboratory using reversed-phase liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization-Fourier transform-mass spectrometry (RPLC-ESI-FTMS). The same analytical approach, followed by multivariate statistical analysis (i.e., Principal Component Analysis), was applied here to a set of 60 Italian extra-virgin olive oils (EVOO). The aim was to assess the secoiridoid contents as a function of olive cultivars, place of cultivation (i.e., different Italian regions) and olive oil processing, in particular two- vs. three-phase horizontal centrifugation. As expected, higher secoiridoid contents were generally found in olive oils produced by two-phase horizontal centrifugation. Moreover, some region/cultivar-related trends were evidenced, as oleuropein and ligstroside aglycones prevailed in olive oils produced in Apulia (Southern Italy), whereas the contents of oleacin and oleocanthal were relatively higher in EVOO produced in Central Italy (Tuscany, Lazio and Umbria). A lower content of all the four secoiridoids was generally found in EVOO produced in Sicily (Southern Italy) due to the intrinsic low abundance of these bioactive compounds in cultivars typical of that region.

In this study, we developed a composite hydrogel based on Gellan gum containing Boswellia serrata extract (BSE). BSE was either incorporated directly or loaded into an MgAl-layered double hydroxide (LDH) clay to create a multifunctional cartilage substitute. This composite was designed to provide anti-inflammatory properties while enhancing chondrogenesis. Additionally, LDH was exploited to facilitate the loading of hydrophobic BSE components and to improve the hydrogel's mechanical properties. A calcination process was also adopted on LDH to increase BSE loading. Physicochemical and mechanical characterizations were performed by spectroscopic (XPS and FTIR), thermogravimetric, rheological, compression test, weight loss and morphological (SEM) investigations. RPLC-ESI-FTMS was employed to investigate the boswellic acids release in simulated synovial fluid. The composites were cytocompatible and capable of supporting the mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) growth in a 3D-conformation. Loading BSE resulted in the modulation of the pro-inflammatory cascade by down-regulating COX2, PGE2 and IL1β. Chondrogenesis studies demonstrated an enhanced differentiation, leading to the up-regulation of COL 2 and ACAN. This effect was attributed to the efficacy of BSE in reducing the inflammation through PGE2 down-regulation and IL10 up-regulation. Proteomics studies confirmed gene expression findings by revealing an anti-inflammatory protein signature during chondrogenesis of the cells cultivated onto loaded specimens. Concluding, BSE-loaded composites hold promise as a tool for the in-situ modulation of the inflammatory cascade while preserving cartilage healing.

Scopatizzo, belonging to the Cucumis melo L., is a local variety of Apulia (Southern Italy), which is consumed as unripe melon as an alternative of cucumber due to its better-quality profile and for the absence of cucurbitacins. The latter are tetracyclic triterpenes synthesized by some Cucurbitaceae species, known to confer an unpleasant taste to fruits and cause health problems. Following the discovery of Scopatizzo fruits with bitter taste, cucurbitacins were searched for in their ethanolic extract. Flow injection analysis with detection performed by atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-high resolution mass spectrometry provided evidence for the presence of at least four cucurbitacins, which were absent in typical, sweet-tasting fruits. Further insight into this discovery will be required in the near future to assess if the detection of cucurbitacins may mark the appearance of genotypes whose fruits have features not compatible with commercialization.

Boswellia serrata Roxb. extract (BSE), rich in boswellic acids, is well known as a potent anti-inflammatory natural drug. However, due to its limited aqueous solubility, BSE inclusion into an appropriate carrier, capable of improving its release in the biological target, would be highly desirable. Starting with this requirement, new hybrid composites based on the inclusion of BSE in a lamellar solid layered double hydroxide (LDH), i.e., magnesium aluminum carbonate, were developed and characterized in the present work. The adopted LDH exhibited a layered crystal structure, comprising positively charged hydroxide layers and interlayers composed of carbonate anions and water molecules; thus, it was expected to embed negatively charged boswellic acids. In the present case, a calcination process was also adopted on the LDH to increase organic acid loading, based on the replacement of the original inorganic anions. An accurate investigation was carried out by TGA, PXRD, FT-IR/ATR, XPS, SEM, and LC-MS to ascertain the nature, interaction, and quantification of the active molecules of the vegetal extract loaded in the developed hybrid materials. As a result, the significant disruption of the original layered structure was observed in the LDH subjected to calcination (LDHc), and this material was able to include a higher amount of organic acids when its composite with BSE was prepared. However, in vitro tests on the composites’ bioactivity, expressed in terms of antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity, evidenced LDH–BSE as a better material compared to BSE and to LDHc–BSE, thus suggesting that, although the embedded organic acid amount was lower, they could be more available since they were not firmly bound to the clay. The composite was able to significantly decrease the number of viable pathogens such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, as well as the internalization of toxic active species into human cells imposing oxidative stress, in comparison to the BSE.

Plant metabolites known as cucurbitacins are known to impart an unpleasant bitter taste to edible fruits and even lead to severe health complications after the ingestion of relatively high amounts. In this study, an analytical method based on reversed phase liquid chromatography with combined detection by UV spectroscopy and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization high-resolution single/tandem mass spectrometry was applied to confirm the occurrence of four cucurbitacins (B, D, and R, and 23,24-dihydro cucurbitacin B) previously inferred in unexpectedly bitter-tasting fruits of an Italian variety (Scopatizzo) of unripe melon (Cucumis melo L.), known for the sweetness of its fruits. The method also unveiled the occurrence of eleven different cucurbitacins in not edible fruits of "exploding (squirting) cucumber" (Ecballium Elaterium L.), a well-known natural source of cucurbitacins. The unexpected occurrence of cucurbitacins in Scopatizzo fruits warrants further investigation into the factors triggering their biosynthesis, to help preventing both economic losses for farmers and potential health risks for consumers.