Biology subjects

Meneguzzo, F.

Publications and source records attributed to Meneguzzo, F..

11 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

In vitro Activity of Citrus IntegroPectin against Lung Cancer Cells

Citrus IntegroPectin bioconjugates obtained through acoustic cavitation in water of different citrus fruit (lemon, red orange, and sweet orange) processing waste show substantial anticancer activity in vitro against human non- small cell lung cancer cells. Dissolved in aqueous phase at different concentrations, all IntegroPectin phytocomplexes tested affected long-term proliferation and cell migration of adenocarcinoma cells of line A549. Compared to sweet orange, IntegroPectin from lemon and red orange were more effective in reducing colony formation activity. Pointing to significant reduction in cancer cell progression, these results support further investigation of these new low methoxyl pectins rich in citrus flavonoids and RG-I regions for the treatment of lung cancer. O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=150 SRC="FIGDIR/small/633201v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (24K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@166c56eorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@2bd739org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@3f0c68org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1479375_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG

pharmacology and toxicology↗

bioRxiv2023

Anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory properties of grapefruit IntegroPectin on human microglial HMC3 cell line

Background and aim O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=127 SRC="FIGDIR/small/549931v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (29K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@2a9626org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1e7a321org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@870907org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@161aef0_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG Despite the intense research, most therapeutic strategies failed in preventing or treating neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by a combination of chronic neurodegeneration, oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. The broad protective activity of IntegroPectin derived from industrial waste grapefruit peel via hydrodynamic cavitation has been recently characterized. In this study, we investigated the beneficial effects of grapefruit IntegroPectin treatment in microglia cells exposed to oxidative stress conditions. Experimental procedureHuman microglial HMC3 cells were challenged with tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBH), a powerful hydroperoxide, in the presence of grapefruit IntegroPectin. The apoptotic process, the oxidative stress and the neuroinflammatory responses with the relative intracellular cascades were evaluated. Key resultsGrapefruit IntegroPectin fully counteracted the apoptotic process induced by cell exposure to TBH. The protective effects of grapefruit IntegroPectin were accompanied with a decrease in the amount of ROS, and were strictly dependent on the activation of the PI3K/Akt cascade. Finally, IntegroPectin treatment inhibited basal microglia activation and the neuroinflammatory response by down-regulating the PI3K-NF-kB-iNOS cascade. Conclusions and implicationsThese findings reveal that the innovative IntegroPectin exerts a potent protective activity on microglia cells and strongly support further investigations aimed at exploring its therapeutic role in in vivo models of neurodegenerative disorders.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2022

Cross-linked natural IntegroPectin films from Citrus biowaste with intrinsic antimicrobial activity

Pectin recovered via hydrodynamic cavitation (IntegroPectin) from lemon and grapefruit agri-food waste intrinsically containing antimicrobial bioactive substances (flavonoids, phenolic acids, terpenes, and terpenoids) was used to generate innovative and eco-compatible films that efficiently inhibit the growth of Gram-negative pathogens. Extensive characterization of films confirmed the presence of these substances, which differently interact with the polysaccharide polymer (pectin), plasticizer (glycerol), surfactant (Tween 60), and cross-linker (Ca2+), conferring to these films a unique structure. Besides, IntegroPectin-based films constitute sustained, controlled, and slow-release (up to 72h) systems for bioactive substances in an aqueous environment. This feature is crucial for the good in vitro antimicrobial activity exerted by IntegroPectin films against three Gram-negative bacteria (two indicator pathogen strains Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 10145, P. aeruginosa PAO1, and the clinical isolate Klebsiella pneumoniae) that are involved in the global emergence of the antimicrobial resistance.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2021

Neuroprotective, antioxidant and antiproliferative activity of grapefruit IntegroPectin on SH-SY5Y cells

Tested in vitro on SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, grapefruit IntegroPectin is a powerful neuroprotective, antioxidant and antiproliferative agent. The strong antioxidant properties of grapefruit IntegroPectin, and its ability to preserve mitochondrial membrane potential and morphology, severely impaired in neurodegenerative disorders, make this new biopolymer highly soluble in water an attractive therapeutic agent for oxidative stress-associated brain disorders. Similarly, the ability of this new citrus pectin rich in naringin, linalool, linalool oxide and limonene adsorbed at the outer surface to inhibit cell proliferation or even kill, at high doses, neoplastic cells, coupled to its excellent health and safety profile, opens up new therapeutic strategies in cancer research. In order to take full advantage of its vast therapeutic and preventive potential, detailed studies of molecular mechanism involved in the antiproliferative and neuroprotective of IntegroPectin are urgently needed.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2021

Neuroprotective and Mitoprotective Effects of Lemon IntegroPectin on SH-SY5Y Cells

Lemon IntegroPectin obtained via hydrodynamic cavitation of organic lemon processing waste in water shows significant neuroprotective activity in vitro, as first reported in this study investigating the effects of both lemon IntegroPectin and commercial citrus pectin on cell viability, cell morphology, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and mitochondria perturbation induced by treatment of neuronal SH-SY5Y human cells with H2O2. Mediated by ROS including H2O2 and its derivatives, oxidative stress alters numerous cellular processes, including mitochondrial regulation and cell signaling, propagating cellular injury that leads to incurable neurodegenerative diseases. These results, and the absence of toxicity of this new pectic substance rich in adsorbed flavonoids and terpenes, support further investigations to verify its activity in preventing, retarding, or even curing neurological diseases.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Towards a new treatment against polymicrobial infections: high antibacterial activity of lemon IntegroPectin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli

Lemon IntegroPectin obtained via hydrodynamic cavitation of waste lemon peel in water only shows high antibacterial activity against two Gram-negative bacteria, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli. The antibacterial effect against the ubiquitous pathogen P. aeruginosa was evaluated in terms of the minimal bactericidal (MBC) and minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC). Preliminary insight on the antibacterial mechanism of IntegroPectin originates from investigating its inhibitory activity against E. coli. Given the non-cytotoxic nature of citrus IntegroPectin and the ease of its reproducible production in large amounts, the route is open to the industrial development of a new antimicrobial treatment against polymicrobial infections unlikely to develop drug resistance.

microbiology↗

bioRxiv2018

Hydrodynamic cavitation as an energy efficient process to increase biochar surface area and porosity: a case study

The effectivity of biochar as soil amendment is depending by its physical and chemical characteristics that are related to the type and the features of the thermal production process, such as peak temperature, heating rate, holding time, as well as from the used feedstocks. The textural characteristics of biochar in term of surface area, pore size and pore volume distribution, important for the physicochemical properties of the material, are critically dependent on the production process and the feedstock type. In this study, based on a single biochar type and a single experiment, for the first time controlled hydrodynamic cavitation was proven as a fast and effective way to enhance the biochar surface area by as much as 120%, while preserving or improving the respective chemical composition, showing far higher efficiency than the conventional increase of the peak pyrolysis temperature.\n\nAbbreviations

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2017

Beer produced via hydrodynamic cavitation retains higher amounts of xanthohumol and other hops prenylflavonoids

A fraction of the most valuable bioactive compounds in beer comes from hops polyphenols, mainly flavonoids, some of which are unique to inflorescences of that flowering plant. Although far from pharmacologically relevant concentrations, the intake of low doses of xanthohumol and related prenylflavonoids found in beer contributes to significant preventive actions with regards to certain diseases, such as cardiovascular and neurodegenerative, as well as to distinct chemopreventive effects on certain cancer types. Hence the efforts to explore both ingredients and methods able to enhance the concentration of such bioactive compounds in the final beers. A novel brewing method assisted by hydrodynamic cavitation was proved able, under suitable process conditions, to retain or generate higher amounts of xanthohumol, desmethylxanthohumol and 6-geranylnaringenin, extending recent evidence about different food and respective bioproducts, as well as adding to its distinct benefits to the brewing process.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2017

Innovative beer-brewing of typical, old and healthy wheat varieties to boost their spreading

Certain typical old wheat varieties grown in the Mediterranean countries and elsewhere are renowned for their nutritional value due to higher concentration of polyphenols, especially flavonoids, as well as of important minerals, than modern varieties. However, the respective economical sustainability is constrained by reduced yield, increasing costs and stagnating or decreasing market prices. Moreover, under certain conditions, connected with the respective scale and local market volume, low-input, organically grown cereals can lead to lower environmental footprint. Brewing with a portion of such old grains can effectively boost their spreading, conditioned on its ability to supply a significant additional net income to farmers. Beer has become the worldwide most consumed alcoholic beverage and, although its market is dominated by few global players and standardized products, craft breweries have quickly spread out in most countries. Nevertheless, a scale issue has arisen about the economic sustainability of microbreweries, mainly due to high initial capital investment, energy costs, scale, and sometimes taxation. It is shown how breakthrough, cheaper, more efficient and profitable microbreweries can help solving the sustainability issues affecting old wheat varieties, thus boosting the respective spreading, lowering the environmental footprint of the cereal sector and contributing to improve the public health.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2017

Advanced Protection Against Marine Biofouling Using Solar Light

We undertook prolonged testing of a new xerogel coating (AquaSun) to protect from marine biofouling a surface probe immersed in the seawater of Abu Dhabi. Electron microscopy, Raman mapping, and photoluminescence experiments coupled to extensive analyses of marine water before and after 122 days of testing showed excellent action against biofouling when irradiating the probe with visible light. Considering the high chemical and mechanical stability and the low cost of the sol-gel coating, the technology has significant potential en route to replacing conventional antifouling and foul release coatings with a single product of broad applicability.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2016

Gluten-Free Beer via Hydrodynamic Cavitation Assisted Brewing ofBarley Malts

We provide evidence that novel brewing technology based on controlled hydrodynamic cavitation greatly reduces gluten concentration in wort and finished beer. We advance the hypothesis that the degradation of proline, the most recalcitrant among gluten constituents, leads to gluten concentration reduction in the unfermented as well as in the fermenting wort and later during maturation. These findings are significant as the new cavitation-assisted technology could provide coeliac patients and gluten-intolerant people with gluten-free beer of high quality, offering an alternative to existing methods to lower the gluten concentration, which are detrimental to flavor and taste.

biochemistry↗