Amalia Piscopo

University of Reggio Calabria | UNIRC · Department of Agricultural Science

This work was carried out on twenty-nine fig accessions cultivated in the Calabria region (Italy). The main antioxidant parameters were determined with the aim of selecting superior genotypes and supporting the establishment of new commercial orchards specializing in breba production. The studied samples were divided into two main classes character...

The sustainable utilization of production wastes in the agri-food sector is an increasing challenge. This work aims to evaluate the applicability of coffee silverskin, the main by-product of coffee roasting, in the formulation of gummy candies. Firstly, the experimental plan envisaged the extraction and characterization of bioactive compounds from...

Contemporary consumers demonstrate an increasing preference for foods formulated with sustainable ingredients and health-promoting benefits. In this study, both demands were addressed by formulating enriched pasta using by-products derived from the processing of bergamot, a typical Calabrian citrus fruit. Wheat flour was replaced with different per...

In this study, the effect of the antioxidant extract from lemon by-products (Citrus × Limon L.) integrated into an edible alginate-based coating was evaluated to preserve the storage quality of ready-to-eat Clementine (Citrus × Clementina) fruits. The effects of different coatings (1.5% of alginate and 1.5% of alginate + 2–4% of lemon by-product ex...

This research investigates the effects of using edible gel coatings and bio-based packaging materials on extending the shelf life of cherry tomatoes. Two edible gel coatings (guar gum and guar gum +5% of a lemon (Citrus limon (L.) Osbeck pomace extract obtained in the research laboratory) were applied on cherry tomatoes, then they were packaged in...

Background: According to Neapolitan Pizza Traditional Specialty Guaranteed (TSG) regulation, Mozzarella di Bufala Campana and Fiordilatte mozzarella are the exclusive cheeses to be used, together with tomato and extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), to season pizza in the “Margherita” variant. However, the so-called “Pizza mozzarella”, that is a diary pro...

From a sustainability and circular economy point of view, this study evaluated the possibility of recovering antioxidant compounds from Rossa di Tropea onion waste for application in the food industry as natural ingredients. In particular, the aim was to investigate the effect of adding natural antioxidants recovered from ‘Rossa di Tropea’ onion wa...

Modern consumers are increasingly interested in eating healthy food and paying attention to the reduction of synthetic preservatives and the increased use of natural preservatives. For this reason, the aim of this work was to assess the effect of the addition of natural antioxidants extracted from Bergamot Pomace on the fortification of vegetable f...

Conventional and innovative preservation treatments were compared to extend the shelf life of ready-to-eat Clementine (Citrus x Clementina) segments. The aim of this research was to find an environmentally friendly packaging typology for this fruit while preserving quality and meeting the needs of the consumer in terms of practicality of use and fo...

The purpose of this study was to select the best green extraction technique to recover the bioactive compounds in Calabrian Bergamot waste (Pomace). Different experimental variables such as solvent, time, and temperature were tested and the main physicochemical characteristics and antioxidant activity and constituents, such as total flavonoids, ind...

The aim of this work was to enhance the use of a food-grade antioxidant extract obtained from lemon processing byproducts (peel, pulp and seeds) to extend the shelf life of minimally processed radishes. The extract (LPE) was previously characterized in terms of total phenolic (6.75 ± 0.34 mg GAE g−1 d.w.) and flavonoid content (2.04 ± 0.09 mg CE g−...

In this study, the effects of the application of edible coatings on the shelf life of the strawberry were evaluated, with the aim of extending the fruit’s availability and shelf life while preserving its qualitative characteristics. In particular, the application of edible coatings enriched with a natural antioxidant to strawberries was evaluated f...

Background: According to the regulations of the Neapolitan Pizza TSG, extra virgin olive oil must be exclusively used as topping ingredient, together with tomato for pizza marinara-type production. As, often deliberately, other oils are replaced by pizza makers for economical and organoleptic purposes, the present study was conducted to analyze th...

A natural antioxidant extract obtained from oil mill wastewater was used for the formulation of basil pesto sauce, with the aim to improve quality and stability during storage. The antioxidant extract was added to traditional ingredients (basil, cheese, oil, etc.) and after preparation, packaging, and thermal treatment it was submitted to storage (...

Ready‐to‐eat minimally processed fruits and vegetables are an ideal substrate for the growth of microorganisms, including human pathogens and mycotoxin‐producing species, which question their quality and safety for customers. While we are aware of the importance of production workflows in structuring the products' microbial communities, we still kn...

In this study, ripening period and several pomological and qualitative characteristics of brebas were determined in forty autochthonous fig accessions grown in Calabria (South Italy). The evaluated forty accessions are characterized by producing brebas with a very different ripening period, carpometric and qualitative characteristics. Regarding the...

The effect of an edible pectin-based coating supplemented with a lemon byproduct extract on the quality attributes of fresh-cut carrots was studied. Color, hardness, microbial growth, respiratory activity, and antioxidant properties of fresh-cut carrots were studied during 14 days of storage at 4 °C. The application of a pectin-based coating contai...

The aim of this work was to maximize the recovery of the bioactive components from an important solid waste derivate from Tropea onion processing. To achieve this, three different extractive procedures (conventional for maceration, ultrasound, and microwave-assisted) were employed, using only food-grade extraction solvents such as water and ethanol...

In this work, optimized techniques of conventional, ultrasound and microwave-assisted extraction were applied for the recovery of antioxidant compounds from lemon by-products (Citrus limon L). Specifically, the effect of solvent, temperature, microwave power, time and their interaction on the extraction was investigated. Among the tested solvents,...

Using 35 artisanal Calabrian table-olive brines, 153 strains of lactic acid bacteria were isolated. A screening procedure was designed, involving the following steps: 1) Gram stain, cellular morphology, homolactic fermentation, acidifying activity in MRS broth; 2) growth in olive paste with NaCl 11%; 3) increase of the antioxidant activity; 4) iden...

This work aimed to evaluate the antioxidant effect determined by the addition of phenolic extract on the oxidative stability and quality of vegan mayonnaise. Two different antioxidant extracts containing 100 mg L−1 of hydroxytyrosol and obtained by olive mill wastewater were used in the preparation. After preliminary studies, already evaluated in o...

In this study, functionalized biscuits were prepared through the enrichment of dough with lemon peel and natural antioxidants extracted from lemon pomace. Lemon pomace extract (LPE) was analyzed for total phenolic content before addition, and then a known concentration of 50 mg kg − 1 was used for the formulation of enriched biscuits. Three differe...

Authentication of extra virgin olive oils is a key strategy for their valorization and a way to preserve olive biodiversity. Physical and thermal analysis have been proposed in this study as fast and green techniques to reach this goal. Thirteen extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs) obtained from minor olive cultivars, harvested at three different ripeni...

Background: Plant viral infections induce changes in the host plant, which can potentially impact composition, organoleptic properties, and storability characteristics of plant products. In particular, onion odor and flavor are determined mainly by volatile organic compounds, and changes upon infection with onion yellow dwarf virus may deeply influ...

Reducing food waste as well as converting waste products into second-life products are global challenges to promote the circular economy business model. In this context, the aim of this study is to quantify the environmental impact of lab-scale food preparations enriched with phenolic extracts from olive oil mill waste, i.e., wastewater and olive l...

This work aims to analyze the chemical and biological evaluation of two extracts obtained by olive mill wastewater (OMW), an olive oil processing byproduct. The exploitation of OMW is becoming an important aspect of development of the sustainable olive oil industry. Here we chemically and biologically evaluated one liquid (L) and one solid (S) extr...

Trees of the olive (Olea europaea L.) cultivar Carolea grown in Calabria (Italy) in three sites with different main climate traits (temperatures, rainfall, Growth Degree Days seasonal variations) were studied for three years to see the ripening time course and quality of the oils. The optimal harvesting time for obtaining the best-quality olive oil...

The valorization of minor accessions of olive is potentially a good way to improve the qualitative production of a specific territory. Olive oils of four minor accessions (Ciciarello, Tonda di Filogaso, and Ottobratica Calipa and Ottobratica Cannavà clones) produced in the same area of the Calabria region were characterized for the principal qualit...

Traditional Mozzarella is a fresh cheese produced in Italian local market without additives that shows a short shelf life of about 5 d. This work tested the use of natural additives (bergamot juice concentrate-BJ and calcium lactate-CL) in preserving liquid for a Mozzarella cheese with the aim to extend its shelf life, regarding the microbial growt...

The autoxidation process of vitamin C in orange juice is the most important cause of quality loss during its storage. We evaluated the enrichment with different concentrations of a phenolic extract in a commercial orange juice for some qualitative parameters such as the content of vitamin C, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity. The lowest...

BACKGROUND Different antioxidant compounds are generally transferred from olives to olive oil during the production process. This work characterized the principal total bioactive compounds (tocopherols and phenols) in olives, olive oil and by‐products of four cultivars grown in Calabrian areas (southern Italy), considering the effect of harvesting...

The effect of different governing liquids on qualitative parameters of lacto-fermented mozzarella cheeses were studied. 0.6% calcium lactate solution maintained the quality of mozzarella cheese for microbial, color and textural properties and prolonged its shelf life up to 18 days, also improving its antioxidant activity by Trolox equivalent antiox...

The biofortification of food crops for human consumption is a direct strategy for increasing dietary intake of selenium (Se). The aims of this study were the evaluation of different Se-fortification variables (concentration and number of foliar applications) for obtainment of fortified olives and the efficacy of two technological treatments (brinin...

The disposal of olive mill wastewaters is a considerable subject for the development of a sustainable olive oil industry considering their high content of pollutants. Nevertheless, the selective extraction of phenolic compounds from olive mill wastewaters represents a promising approach to obtain phenolics suitable for food enrichment. This work ai...

BACKGROUND Plant viral infections induce changes in metabolic components in the host plant, with potential effects on compositional, organoleptic and storability features of agricultural products. Identification of modulated metabolites may provide clues concerning pathways implementing responses in plant–pathogen interactions. A time course study...

Agro food industry generates significant amounts of by‐products, as olive oil mill waste waters (OMWW), which could be valorize for their extraordinary content of bioactive compounds. The aim of this work was to evaluate the antioxidant stability of a hydrophilic model system with the possibility to create a functional beverage. The study was divid...

Olive ripening, climate conditions, geographic area, and cultivar may influence the composition and quality of olive oils. This study aims to identify the optimal harvesting period for qualitative production of three cultivars grown in Calabria. The obtained results show that all the olive oils produced in October are classified as extra virgin, an...

Calabrian Provola cheese is typically manufactured in the Southern Italy. The request of a more suitable expansion in the national market has promoted this research, based on the evaluation of biodegradable packaging on its qualitative characteristics as alternative of the conventional plastic multilayer film. The tested materials were: Polyethylen...

The aim of this work was to evaluate the quality of olives of three typical cultivars of Southern Italy and correspondent brines after different fermentation variables: two NaCl concentrations with and without acidification up to pH 4). In particular, physicochemical parameters, microbiological counts and antioxidant activity of olive samples and b...

The whiteness of shredded carrots is generally caused by enzymatic reactions after removal of natural protection during the minimal processing. Moreover, the use of chlorinated solution in sanitizing step of processing, promotes the formation of halogenated by-products, with correlated environmental and health risks in processing areas. This study...

Among the 15 virus species detected in olive trees, Olive leaf yellowing associated virus (OLYaV) is found with high incidence and frequency in Southern Italy in particular. Effects of OLYaV on virgin olive oil yield and quality of Leccino and Ottobratica cultivars in the Calabria region (Southern Italy) are analyzed. Oil yield, free acidity, numbe...

The effect of alternative dipping solutions to chlorinated water was studied on qualitative parameters of ready-to-eat rocket: sanitised tap water, 1% of citric acid solution and a mixture of citric and ascorbic acids solution. After packaging in normal atmosphere, a monitoring of total bacterial count and physico-chemical parameters was carried ou...

The properties of ZnO, In2O3, and SnO2 have been investigated as possible sensing layer in resistive sensors for monitoring hexanal in food applications. Sensors performances were tested at different temperatures (100–350 °C) and analyte concentrations (50–100 ppm). Results showed the ability of the analyzed metal oxides sensors, each one character...

Minimally processed vegetables are sensitive to leaves discoloration and quality deterioration, and these negative aspects can affect their shelf life. During the manufacturing processing, Valeriana leaves were submitted to different dipping acid solutions and then were stored at cold temperature in dark and in light to study the influence of the l...

The aim of this work was to evidence the effect of the olive storage temperature on the quality of the extracted oils from the cultivars Carolea and Ottobratica, grown in the South of Italy. Qualitative parameters of oils were evaluated by analysis of major and minor components, in particular free acidity, peroxide value, fatty acid composition, st...

In this study, the effects of experimental variables such as type of solvent, sample/solvent ratio, and time of extraction have been evaluated to individuate the best results in phenolic recovery by Olive Pomaces (OP) belonging to Carolea and Ottobratica cultivars. Folin–Ciocaulteu procedure and DPPH and ABTS assays were used, respectively, for tot...

The aim of this work was to evidence the quality of four monovarietal olive oils (Carolea, Grossa di Gerace, Ottobratica, and Sinopolese cv) produced at two crop years and at different harvesting times in Calabria region, located in the South of Italy. Qualitative parameters of oils were evaluated by analysis of major and minor components, in parti...

The aim of this work was to enhance—by yeast activity—the quality of red wine produced from black grapes of the Calabrian Gaglioppo variety, used as a model for grapes with reduced synthesis of anthocyanins. Six selected strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were used to control winemaking trials. Among the wines, there are significant differences, d...

Agro-food is considered one of most polluting economic sector, in particular due to the large amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission, the contribute to the terrestrial acidification, the depletion of water resources and the large amount of wastes linked to agricultural production, end of life of food products and food losses. Among agro-food sy...

This data article contains complementary results related to the paper “Characterization of monovarietal olive oils obtained from mills of Calabria region (Southern Italy)” [1]. Data was obtained by capillary-column gas chromatography, analysing sterols and triterpene dialcohols and ethyl esters in the composition of Carolea olive oils. They were pr...

The qualitative characteristics of four monovarietal olive oils produced in Calabria region (Southern Italy) were evaluated. The aim of this work was to evidence the differences on chemical parameters due to variety and to growing environment. Results demonstrated a large variability in qualitative indexes according to the variety. Most of the Gros...

Calabrian Provola cheese, an Italian typical dairy product, is commonly sold unwrapped with an expiry date of 45 d. The influence of different packagings and subsequent storage at 4 and 7 °C on maintaining cheese quality and prolonging its shelf life was evaluated. The following packaging systems were used: Polyamide/Polyethylene pouch under vacuum...

This work was aimed to study the effect of a thermal processing on brined olives (and their covering liquids) packaged in different types of containers (glass jar with two volumes and plastic pouches made of two materials). The results show an increase of antioxidant activity of all pasteurized olives because of the melanoidin formation in pulp aft...

The aim of this research was to study the inheritability of the yeast trait “interaction with natural antioxidant activity of red wine” and to enhance this trait by spore clone selection and hybridization of wine yeasts. This research was carried out using as a model three strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (wild types), 24 derived spore clones, t...

Typical Calabrian cured meat products, produced with meat of local and commercial pig breeds were evaluated and characterized for their quality and homogeneity. Sensory, microbiological and physicochemical analyses were carried out at the end of cured meat products ripening. A wide statistical variability was observed in these commercial products d...

The main objective of this paper was to evaluate the variation of qualitative parameters in dried olives and brined dried olives. Physical and chemical analyses and an investigation of new formed antioxidants were carried out on samples before and after treatments. The results of analyses reported a decreased content of total phenolic compounds aft...

Gli antiossidanti presenti nel succo delle arance contrastano l’invecchiamento cellulare e alcune patologie neurodegenerative, consentono di classificare questo alimento come funzionale per la capacità d’influire positivamente sulle funzioni fisiologiche dell’organismo umano. In questo studio è stato esaminato il succo, conservato in diverse condiz...

In food industry, Olive Oil Mill Wastewater (OOMWW) is considered a by-product because of the presence of biostatic compounds with a high polluting rate, in particular phenols. Moreover, during olive oil processing, a large amount of this by-product constitutes an ecological and economical problem for the producers. To reevaluate this by-product, t...

In the present work, the effects of different drying and brining treatments on pigmented Biancolilla olives were evaluated. The olive cultivar considered is typical of Sicily and was harvested at pigmented state. The carpological data revealed its good quality as table olives. A preliminary fermentation in brine was applied to the samples. Half of...

Commercially available green table olives of the Nocellara del Belice cultivar were processed in 26 companies. Three different processing conditions were used to obtain olive debittering: natural fermentation, “Castelvetrano” (a typical west Sicilian method) and cracked olives. The green olives packed into 200-500 mL glass jars were analyzed for ph...

The cardiovascular benefits associated with diets rich in fruit and vegetables are thought to be due to phytochemicals contained in fresh plant material. However, whether processed plant foods provide the same benefits as unprocessed ones is an open question. Melanoidins from heat-processed apricots were isolated and their presence confirmed by col...

In the present work, the effects of different drying and brining treatment on pigmented Biancolilla olives were evaluated. The considered olive cultivar is typical of Sicily and it was harvested at pigmented state. The carpological data revealed its good quality as table olives. A preliminary fermentation in brine was applied on samples. Half of th...

In the present work the effects of the drying process on variation of the quality parameters of several almond cultivars were evaluated. The samples were collected in a field in the South of Italy and subsequently dried in a laboratory pilot dryer. Wide variations were observed in the free acidity content whereas no significant differences were inv...

In the present work the effects of different brining treatments on mature table olives during natural fermentation were evaluated. The considered olive cultivars are typical of Sicily: Moresca and Giarraffa. They were harvested at pigmented state. The carpological data revealed their good quality as table olives. Natural fermentation was performed...