Luigi De Masi

Italian National Research Council IBBR

The purple carrot cultivar ‘Purple Sun’ (Daucus carota L.) is characterized by a relevant content of phenolic compounds and anthocyanins, which may play an important role in reducing the risk of chronic diseases and in the treatment of metabolic syndrome. In the present study, the genetic diversity, phytochemical composition, and bioactivities of t...

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain a leading global cause of morbidity and mortality. These diseases have a multifaceted nature being influenced by a multitude of biochemical, genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors. Epigenetic modifications have a crucial role in the onset and progression of CVD. Epigenetics, which regulates gene activit...

For some years, the stone pine (Pinus pinea L.) forests of the Domitian coast in Campania, Southern Italy, have been at risk of conservation due to biological adversities. Among these, the pine tortoise scale Toumeyella parvicornis (Cockerell) has assumed a primary role since its spread in Campania began. Observation of pine forests using remote se...

Natural products (NPs), broadly defined as chemicals produced by living organisms including microbes, marine organisms, animals, fungi and plants, are widely used as therapeutic agents for treating diseases and maintaining health and “wellness” [...]

Epigenetic mechanisms finely regulate gene expression and represent potential therapeutic targets. Cambinol is a synthetic heterocyclic compound that inhibits class III histone deacetylases known as sirtuins (SIRTs). The acetylating action that results could be crucial in modulating cellular functions via epigenetic regulations. The main aim of thi...

Knowledge of the spatial distribution of European chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) cultivar diversity is essential for managing and conserving the genetic resources of this fruit tree species in Southern Italy. To this goal, the present work investigated the feasibility of mapping, through spatial representation, the distribution of genetic diversi...

Il volume raccoglie vari contributi (autori: Andrea Becchimanzi, Marina Maura Calandrelli, Mario Conti, Emiddio de Franciscis di Casanova, Luigi De Masi, Flora Della Valle, Franco Di Pippo, Elvira Ferrara, Rosario Nicoletti, Angelina Nunziata, Milena Petriccione, Giulia Verrilli) di partecipanti al progetto "CASTARRAY", coordinato dal Consiglio per...

Grazie ad una stretta collaborazione tra CNR-DSSTTA e Rinnovabili.it questo spazio raccoglie contenuti unici e di rilevanza scientifica realizzati da scienziati e ricercatori degli Istituti di ricerca ambientale del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche che partecipano al progetto 4Elements (www.4elements.org). Tutto nasce dalla convinzione che la sos...

Ellagic acid (EA) is a bioactive polyphenolic compound naturally occurring as secondary metabolite in many plant taxa. EA content is considerable in pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) and in wood and bark of some tree species. Structurally, EA is a dilactone of hexahydroxydiphenic acid (HHDP), a dimeric gallic acid derivative, produced mainly by hydr...

A new betacoronavirus (CoV-2) is responsible for the pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) that began in China at the end of 2019, today known as COronaVIrus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Subsequent studies confirmed the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) as the main cell receptor of spike trimeric glycoprotein, located on the...

Il castagno europeo (Castanea sativa Mill.) è una specie arborea ad alto fusto, appartenente alla famiglia delle Fagaceae, di notevole interesse agroforestale per il nostro Paese (Nunziata et al. 2020). In Campania, il castagno ha un importante ruolo economico, producendo più del 50% di castagne a livello nazionale, oltre all'utilizzo del fusto (Ca...

An outbreak by a new severe acute respiratory syndrome betacoronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has spread CoronaVirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) all over the world. Immediately, following studies have confirmed the human Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2) as a cellular receptor of viral Spike-Protein (Sp) that mediates the CoV-2 invasion into the pulmonary h...

Over the centuries, humans have traditionally used garlic (Allium sativum L.) as a food ingredient (spice) and remedy for many diseases. To confirm this, many extensive studies recognized the therapeutic effects of garlic bulbs. More recently, black garlic (BG), made by heat-ageing white garlic bulbs, has increased its popularity in cuisine and tra...

Histone modifications through acetylation are fundamental for remodelling chromatin and consequently activating gene expression. The imbalance between acetylation and deacetylation activity causes transcriptional dysregulation associated with several disorders. Flavones, small molecules of plant origin, are known to interfere with class I histone d...

In modern cities, the abundance of allergenic plant species has contributed to making less healthy the urban environment, as on-going and direct contact of humans with the urban flora can increase the negative effects on people allergic to pollens. The allergenicity of ornamental species should be considered, and above all quantified, when designin...

European chestnut orchards are multifunctional agroforestry systems with a key role in environmental management. Their biodiversity is at risk of erosion and farmers do not have enough tools to protect and valorize traditional ecotypes. In particular, cost effective and reliable molecular markers for cultivar identification are lacking. The aim of...

European chestnut orchards are multifunctional agroforestry systems with a key role in environmental management. Their biodiversity is at risk of erosion and farmers do not have enough tools to protect and valorize traditional ecotypes. In particular, cost effective and reliable molecular markers for cultivar identification are lacking. The aim of...

European chestnut (Castanea sativa) forms agroecosystems of extreme importance for safeguarding territory of Campania Region, where about half of Italian chestnuts are produced. In spite of this, damages principally inflicted by the chestnut gall wasp have endangered the biodiversity of local varieties. Growers propagate chestnuts by grafting and t...

Il castagno (Castanea sativa Mill.) è una coltura tipica delle foreste italiane, con oltre la metà della produzione dalla Campania, regione particolarmente ricca di biodiversità castanicola attraverso numerose varietà locali. Fin dall'antichità gli estratti del castagno (frutti, ricci, foglie ecc.) sono stati usati nella medicina tradizionale. Più...

Plants produce a vast array of biomolecules with beneficial effects for human health. In this study, polyphenol and anthocyanin-rich extracts (PAE) from pigmented tubers of Solanum tuberosum L. varieties “Blue Star”, “Magenta Love”, and “Double Fun” in comparison with the more extensively studied “Vitelotte” were evaluated and compared for antiprol...

Plants produce a vast array of biomolecules with beneficial effects for human health. In this study, polyphenol and anthocyanin-rich extracts (PAE) from pigmented tubers of Solanum tuberosum L. varieties “Blue Star”, “Magenta Love”, and “Double Fun” in comparison with the more extensively studied “Vitelotte” were evaluated and compared for antiprol...

Introduzione In Italia, dopo oltre 10 anni dalla sua prima segna-lazione, il Dryocosmus kuriphilus Yasumatsu (1951), cinipide galligeno del castagno, risulta ormai insedia-to in tutto l'areale del castagno, isole comprese. Per seguire la diffusione del cinipide e per pianificare gli interventi di profilassi fitosanitaria è stata messa in atto un'in...

“Neapolitan limmo” is an ancient and rare sweet Mediterranean lime, now almost extinct but used until a few decades ago for the production of a fragrant liqueur called the “four citrus fruits”. The objective of this work was to compare, through the use of chemical (flavonoids, volatile organic compounds, and chiral compounds) and molecular (DNA fin...

Chestnut is a very promising forest species that may be used as biomass to recover high value-added biomolecules. Four cultivars coming from the Italian Park “Roccamonfina-Foce Garigliano” were characterized at biochemical level by phenolic chromatographic profiling and by means of antioxidant activity. The phenolic compounds were extracted from le...

Durante il XIX secolo, giardino e urbanistica si legano strettamente con la nascita del parco pubblico urbano, realizzato per molteplici motivi: l'attenzione alle esigenze della popolazione che richiede uno spazio vivibile all'interno della città, il miglioramento delle condizioni igieniche, l'attenzione alla progettazione urbana, la creazione di s...

Chestnut is a very promising forest species that may be used as biomass to recover high value-added biomolecules. Four cultivars coming from the Italian Park “Roccamonfina-Foce Garigliano” were characterized at biochemical level by phenolic chromatographic profiling and by means of antioxidant activity. The phenolic compounds were extracted from le...

‘Bouche de Bétizac’ is a Euro-Japanese chestnut hybrid (Castanea sativa × C. crenata) and, even if it is pollen sterile, it is consistently a high yield cultivar producing big nuts. It is well-adapted to growth in Europe, North America and Asia where it was demonstrated to survive in cold season conditions. Many extracts from different chestnut tis...

Biochemical profiling of local chestnuts from Campania region

Introduzione In Italia, dopo oltre 10 anni dalla sua prima segna-lazione, il Dryocosmus kuriphilus Yasumatsu (1951), cinipide galligeno del castagno, risulta ormai insedia-to in tutto l'areale del castagno, isole comprese. Per seguire la diffusione del cinipide e per pianificare gli interventi di profilassi fitosanitaria è stata messa in atto un'in...

Il processo di globalizzazione ha causato l'effetto collaterale dell'invasione di numerosi organismi esotici; tra questi il Dryocosmus kuriphilus, noto come cinipide galligeno del castagno, è stato introdotto accidentalmente nel nostro paese e ha causato seri danni alla settore castanicolo italiano, di cui la Regione Campania risulta essere il magg...

In a previous work, we in silico annotated protein sequences of Citrus genus plants as putative tryptophan decarboxylase (pTDC). Here, we investigated the structural properties of Citrus pTDCs by using the TDC sequence of Catharanthus roseus as an experimentally annotated reference to carry out comparative modeling and substrate docking analyses. T...

In a previous work, we in silico annotated protein sequences of Citrus genus plants as putative tryptophan decarboxylase (pTDC). Here, we investigated the structural properties of Citrus pTDCs by using the TDC sequence of Catharanthus roseus as an experimentally annotated reference to carry out comparative modeling and substrate docking analyses. T...

Common fig (Ficus carica L.), widespread in many regions of Southern Italy, occurs with a high number of local cultivars, many of them not well catalogued due to unresolved synonymy and homonymy issues. In particular, fig 'Moscione di San Mango' is a traditional agro-food product of Irpinia (Avellino province, Italy) for which the DOP certification...

Cantaloupe melon (Cucumis melo L.) belongs to Cucurbitaceae, a family that includes several cultivated species of great economic importance. This fruit is one of the most consumed crops worldwide due to its sweetness, juicy taste, pleasing flavor, and it is known for nutritive and medicinal properties of pulp. During fruit consumption and industria...

Appropriate traceability of agro-food products is essential to successfully certificate food quality and effectively safeguard the consumer by frauds. Nowadays, the relatively recent progresses of molecular profiling techniques allow discrimination of apparently similar plant varieties and/or their derived products. However, these molecular analyse...

Plant tryptophan decarboxylase (TDC) converts tryptophan into tryptamine, precursor of indolealkylamine alkaloids. The recent finding of tryptamine metabolites in Citrus plants leads to hypothesize the existence of TDC activity in this genus. Here, we report for the first time that, in Citrus x limon seedlings, deuterium labeled tryptophan is decar...

Plant tryptophan decarboxylase (TDC) converts tryptophan into tryptamine, precursor of indolealkylamine alkaloids. The recent finding of tryptamine metabolites in Citrus plants leads to hypothesize the existence of TDC activity in this genus. Here, we report for the first time that, in Citrus x limon seedlings, deuterium labeled tryptophan is decar...

Biochemical characterization of leaves, burs and shells of Bouche de Betizac chestnut cultivar

Table S1: SSR molecular markers assessed the genetic diversity of the pigmented potato variety ‘Vitelotte’ (S. tuberosum).

Fig (Ficus carica L.) is a typical and strategic crop of many marginal rural areas in the Mediterranean basin, where it has originated. This species, widespread in many regions of Southern Italy, occurs with a high number of local varieties many of them are not well catalogued, due to unresolved synonymy and homonymy issues. In particular, “Moscion...

The biological and molecular knowledge of the marine life is of enormous importance in discovering new classes of natural products and in improving management and sustainable utilization of these useful genetic resources. Nonetheless, in this frame, genomic and organelle DNA isolation has been reported to be a limiting step, since downstream applic...

The European chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) is of considerable agroforestry and economic interest for Campania region. The invasive species Dryocosmus kuriphilus Y., the chestnut gall wasp, was accidentally introduced in Campania in 2005 causing extensive damages to chestnut forest. It has long been observed that environmental factors and the spe...

The genus Capsicum is nowadays widely spread. Fruits are not only used for food (spice), but also for therapeutic and wellness purposes (pain relief, rheumatic illnesses, breast and prostate cancer, obesity, heart diseases, hair loss treatments, and so on). These bioactivities are due to the abundant presence of alkaloids, capsaicinoids, which are...

Il carciofo (Cynara cardunculs var. scolymus L., 2n = 2x = 34) è una delle più importanti colture ortive in Italia, primo paese produttore a livello mondiale con 49.577 ha coltivati e 474.550 t di capolini raccolti (dati FAOSTAT, 2011). Occupa il terzo posto, in termini di superficie coltivata, dopo pomodoro e patata e rappresenta una base economic...

Rhizosphere-competent fungi of the genus Trichoderma are widely used as biofertilizers and biopesticides in commercial formulates because of the multiple beneficial effects on plant growth and disease resistance. In this work, we demonstrate that genetic variability among wild and cultivated tomato lines affects the outcome of the interaction with...

Synthetic chemicals are widely used in agriculture for plant pest control but have serious negative effects both on human health and the environment. Besides, their production is energyconsuming, thus adding to their environmental cost. In this context, the use of Biological Control Agents (BCAs) as an alternative to conventional practices for plan...

Selected fungi of the genus Trichoderma have the ability to interact simultaneously with plants and pathogens. These antagonists can trigger systemic and localised resistance to diseases and promote plant growth and development. Additional effects include the suppression of deleterious soil microflora/fauna, degradation of toxic compounds, direct s...

In the past few years several formulations of biopesticides based on fungal and bacterial antagonists have been introduced in the world market, mainly designed for organic farming but also for alternative, low input methods of disease management. Among the best characterised fungal antagonists are those belonging to the genus Trichoderma, that have...

In the frame of the project “Laboratorio Pubblico-Privato di Genomica per l’innovazione e la valorizzazione della filiera del pomodoro” (GenoPOM, MIUR art. 12 DM 593/00) and due also to the technological platforms implemented, the responses of tomato to other organisms have been characterised in depth, confirming that many analogies exist between m...

Three forms of pectin methylesterase (PME) were purified, from bergamot fruit (Citrus bergamia R.), to homogeneity by ion-exchange and affinity chromatography. The isoforms, named PME I, PME II and PME III, according their elution order on a heparin-sepharose column, were characterized for their relative molecular mass, activity kinetic parameters...

Trichoderma harzianum T22 is one of the Trichoderma isolates most used as active ingredient in commercial bio-fungicides and bio-fertilizers. In addition to their mycoparasitic abilities, many Trichoderma strains can colonize and grow in association with plant roots and can significantly increase plant growth, development and systemic resistance to...

A study on morphology, productive yield, main quality parameters and genetic variability of eight landraces of hot pepper (Capsicum annuum ssp.) from Southern Italy has been performed. Morphological characters of berries and productivity values were evaluated by agronomic analyses. Chemical and genetic investigations were performed by HPLC and rand...

In the present work, agro-morphological characteristics, essential oil composition and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were studied to estimate the relationships among 12 basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) genotypes, belonging to nine known cultivars grown in Italy. The basil cultivars were distinguished on the basis of agro-morphologica...

Distribution of aglyconic and glycosidic limonoids in seeds, albedo (the inner part of the fruit), flavedo (the external part of the fruit), pulp and juice bergamot was eavaluated. Extracted limonoids were characterized by TLC and HPLC analyses. In bergamot seeds a sufficient quantity of aglyconic limonoids was found. In bergamot juice the extent o...

The genetic diversity among 15 fig accessions (Ficus carica L), belonging to 9 renowned cultivars of the Calabrian fig collection, and 24 unidentified genotypes of figs also located in the Calabrian region of Southern Italy, was investigated by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. The genetic similarity values were calculated for the 3...

The study of biological diversity of the bergamot cultivars (Citrus bergamia Risso et Poit.) “Castagnaro”, “Fantastico”, “Femminello” and “Variegato” represents the aim that should be achieved to value this typical citrus widespread in the Reggio Calabria province. Bergamot biodiversity was been investigated by chemical and agro-morphological marke...

By simple procedures six limonoids, commercially not available, belonging to the biosynthetic pathways of the limonin and of the 7a-acetate were synthetized. In particular limonol and limonyl acetate were prepared from limonin and obacunone, 7a-obacunol, 7a-obacunyl acetate and deacetylnomilin were generated from nomilin we have prepared. The produ...

In recent times, several crops have been bioengineered to express genes which impart new characteristics as insect resistance and herbicide tolerance. Thus, the intentional release, commercialisation and labelling of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have been regulated by European Commission (EC) guidelines and directives. An indispensable pre...

Origin, spreading and taxonomy Nutritional and medicinal properties Pedoclimatic requirements Irrigation Curing Fertilizing Transplanting Harvest Pathology

A Glycosylated derivated of the neohesperidin dihydrochalcone, the 1- (4- ((2- O- [6- deoxy- - L- mannopyranosyl]- 6- O- [- D- glucopyranosyl]- - D- glucopyranosyl)oxy)- 2,6- dihydroxyphenyl)- 3- [3- hydroxy- 4- methoxyphenyl]- 1- propanone, was prepared by precursory isolations of flavonoid obtained from extraction of exhausted peels of the wor...

La salvaguardia dei paesaggi silvestri regionali, degli ecosistemi e degli aspetti culturali ad essi connessi, oggi viene estesa a nuovi concetti che si inseriscono nei piani e nelle politiche di protezione territoriale. Le nuove necessità di tutela ambientale di vaste aree, comportano sostanziali mutamenti tra i quali, si auspica, vengano compresi...

The biological diversity study of the most important cv of bergamot (Citrus bergamia Risso et Poiteau) “Castagnaro”, “Fantastico” and “Femminello”, represents the aim that should achieved to value this typical citrus fruit widespread in the province of Reggio Calabria. For this reason, it was necessary to apply a genetic-molecular technique, named...

The genetic-molecular characterization of some Calabrian ecotypes of hot pepper (Capsicum annuum ssp.) has been effected through the methodic of the Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) based on the Polymerase Chain Reaction technique (PCR). Initially, the evaluation of the extraction method of the genomic DNA from pepper leaves on a total of ei...

Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) is a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-based molecular marker very useful for DNA fingerprinting plant varieties, so we used it to assess the genetic similarity of fig (Ficus carica L.) accessions cultivated in the Calabrian fig germplasm reference collection. RAPD analysis was performed using 7 arbitrary prime...

The agronomic and morphological characteristics of the basil cv “Red Ruffle” and “Red Dark Opal” were valued on the basis of the productivity, the height of the plants, the number and the distance of the internodes, the colour, the size and the shape of the leaves, the presence of bubbles on the leaves, the calibre of the stem, the colour of the fl...

In Italy the more largely widespread fig cultivars are “Bianco del Cilento” and “Dottato”, which are particularly suitable for fresh fruit, drying and syrup production. The areas of Salerno (Campania Region) and Cosenza (Calabria Region) are the most important ones in Italy for the production of “Bianco del Cilento” and “Dottato” figs, respectively...

The reliability of different methods for DNA isolation from several food matrices containing maize (Zea mays L.) was tested by a genetically modified organism (GMO) detection kit. Different maize-derived samples, representing three important food matrices, were analysed. In the present study, the Cauliflower Mosaic Virus 35S promoter (CaMV p-35S),...

In Southern Italy, a widespread edible fig (Ficus carica L.) cultivar is “Dottato”. Province of Cosenza (Calabria region) is a significant area for “Dottato” fig growing, this cultivar is particularly suitable for syrups, fresh and dry figs production. With the aim of characterizing the local fig population, RAPD (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA)...

A rapid and reliable DNA based method was optimised to identify chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) cultivars of Calabria region. RAPD (Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA) analysis was the DNA fingerprinting technique used to assess genomic polymorphism. Six accessions of chestnut belonging to 4 cultivars were considered in this preliminary study. RAP...