Bio‐based products are nowadays useful tools able to affect the productivity and quality of conventionally cultivated crops. Several bio‐based products are currently on the market; one of the newest and most promising is the wood distillate (WD) derived from the pyrolysis process of waste biomass after timber. Its foliar application has been widely investigated and shown to promote the antioxidant profile of cultivated crops. WD was used here as additive for the cultivation of tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.) plants. The application improved quality (chemical) parameters, minerals, polyphenols, and lycopene contents of tomato fruits. The extracts of WD‐treated and untreated tomatoes have been chemically and biologically characterized. The ¹ H‐NMR and ESI‐mass spectrometry analyses of the extracts revealed the presence of different fatty acids, amino acids and sugars. In particular, the WD‐treated tomatoes showed the presence of pyroglutamic acid and phloridzin derivatives, but also dihydrokaempferol, naringenin glucoside, cinnamic acid, and kaempferol‐3‐ O ‐glucoside. When tested in cells, the extracts showed a promising anti‐inflammatory profile in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. Furthermore, the extracts displayed a slight vasorelaxant activity on rat aorta rings (either endothelium‐denuded or endothelium‐intact) pre‐contracted with phenylephrine or potassium chloride. Practical Application: Wood distillate has been used for tomato plant growth. Tomatoes showed improved nutritional parameters, and their extracts displayed antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory activities.

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is the typical source of fats in the Mediterranean diet. While fatty acids are essential for the EVOO nutraceutical properties, multiple biological activities are also due to the presence of polyphenols. In this work, autochthonous Tuscany EVOOs were chemically characterized and selected EVOO samples were extracted to obtain hydroalcoholic phytocomplexes, which were assayed to establish their anti-inflammatory and vasorelaxant properties. The polar extracts were characterized via ¹H-NMR and UHPLC-HRMS to investigate the chemical composition and assayed in CaCo-2 cells exposed to glucose oxidase or rat aorta rings contracted by phenylephrine. Apigenin and luteolin were found as representative flavones; other components were pinoresinol, ligstroside, and oleuropein. The extracts showed anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties via modulation of NF-κB and Nrf2 pathways, respectively, and good vasorelaxant activity, both in the presence and absence of an intact endothelium. In conclusion, this study evaluated the nutraceutical properties of autochthonous Tuscany EVOO cv., which showed promising anti-inflammatory and vasorelaxant effects.

Walnuts (Juglans regia L.) are recognized for their rich nutritional profile and health-promoting properties. This study investigates the impact of biostimulation, via wood distillate application, on the chemical composition and therapeutic potential of walnut kernels, focusing on their wound healing activity. Biostimulated walnuts showed enhanced levels of phenolic compounds including antioxidants, sugars, and amino acids compared to untreated or agrochemically treated controls. Phytocomplexes extracted from walnut kernels using green methodologies were tested on human keratinocytes (HaCaT), revealing pro-migratory effect, boosted by biostimulation. Molecular analyses demonstrated the activation of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathways, marked by downregulation of epithelial markers and upregulation of mesenchymal genes such as MMP3, MMP9, vimentin, and SMAD3. Furthermore, a synergistic effect was observed between extracts derived from biostimulated kernels and manuka honey in promoting wound closure. These findings suggest that kernels from biostimulated walnuts may serve as functional foods, paving the way for their use in regenerative medicine.

The escalating threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) compels the development of novel antibiotics with broad spectrum activity and environmentally responsible degradation profiles. Chalcones, naturally occurring 1,3-diaryl-2-propen-1-ones, have emerged as promising scaffolds due to their pleiotropic bioactivity and structural tunability. In this study, we explored the synthesis and functionalization of oxyprenylated chalcones as potential antibacterial compounds and explored their functionalization with protonatable moieties to enhance their affinity for bacterial membranes and their solubility properties. Starting from hydroxycordoin 1a, we synthesized a series of isomeric and hydroxy derivatives, with the aim of studying their structure-activity relationships, and based on the initial results we further modified their structure by including protonatable side chains. A key synthetic step was optimized using a Design of Experiments (DoE) approach, promoting resource efficiency in line with Green Chemistry principles. The antibacterial properties of the synthesized compounds were evaluated in vitro against Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains, and their toxicological profiles and predicted environmental biodegradability were also assessed. These multifunctional chalcone derivatives demonstrate potential as effective and sustainable antimicrobial agents and the benzofuran derivative 20, the most potent compound of the series, could represent an interesting compound for further optmization