Monica Marilena Miazzi

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• PhD
• Researcher at University of Bari Aldo Moro

Due to rapid global population growth and the resulting significant increase in food demand, the world is facing an epidemic of malnutrition. Although yield improvement remains one of the main targets of breeding programs, much attention is being paid to the nutritional aspects of crops, including nutrients and bioactive compounds that are often im...

The success of the Primitivo variety underscores the critical need for the managing of clone genetic conservation, utilization, and improvement. By combining genomic and environmental data, breeders can better predict the performance of varieties, thereby improving breeding efficiency and enabling more targeted development of high-quality grapevine...

The centennial olive trees of Tunisia serve as enduring symbols of resilience, having withstood the test of time while witnessing the effects of climate change, rising temperatures, water scarcity, and the emergence of new diseases. Presently, there is a notable lack of research on the genomic analysis of ancient trees. This study investigates the...

Xylella fastidiosa subsp. pauca (Xfp), a quarantine pathogen in the European Union, severely threatens Mediterranean olive production, especially in southern Italy, where Olive Quick Decline Syndrome (OQDS) has devastated Apulian olive groves. This study addresses the urgent need to identify resistant olive genotypes by monitoring 16 potentially to...

Given the rapidly increasing global demand for food, it is mandatory to consider new sources of nutrients, safe and sustainably produced protein foods to complement the current traditional and limited sources of protein in the human diet. In recent years, a wide range of nontraditional protein foods have been explored, prompting the European Union...

The centennial olive trees of Tunisia serve as enduring symbols of resilience, having withstood the test of time while bearing witness to the effects of climate change, rising temperatures, water scarcity, and the emergence of new diseases. Presently, there is a notable lack of research on the genomic analysis of ancient trees. This study investiga...

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is a precious and healthy ingredient of Mediterranean cuisine. Due to its high nutritional value, the interest of consumers in the composition of EVOO is constantly increasing, making it a product particularly exposed to fraud. Therefore, there is a need to properly valorize high-quality EVOO and protect it from fraudu...

Tunisia has a long tradition of viticulture, and the grapevine is used for a variety of traditional foods. The country has traditional plant-based dishes, which may have different compositions and names depending on the region of origin. Unfortunately, over the years, traditional preparations are no longer as popular as they used to be, due to both...

Tunisia has a long tradition of viticulture, and the grapevine is used for a variety of traditional foods. The country has traditional plant-based dishes, which may have different compositions and names depending on the region of origin. Unfortunately, over the years, traditional preparations are no longer as popular as they used to be, due to both...

The growing demand for sustainable and environmentally friendly viticulture is leading to a multiplication of breeding programs aimed at obtaining vines that are resistant to powdery mildew (PM) and downy mildew (DM), the two most damaging vine diseases. In Puglia, the most important Italian region for the production of table grapes, an extensive c...

The genetic diversity of the ancient autochthonous olive trees on the Maltese islands and the relationship with the wild forms growing in marginal areas of the island (57 samples), as well as with the most widespread cultivars in the Mediterranean region (150 references), were investigated by genetic analysis with 10 SSR markers. The analysis revea...

The availability of a traceability method for monovarietal and blend oils of Croatian autochthonous varieties would be useful for producers and consumers. To preserve the integrity of such oils, DNA profiling technologies are becoming increasingly important as they are rapid, reliable, and objective methods that directly compare genetically inherit...

Sexual reproduction has contributed to a significant degree of variability in cultivated grapevine populations. However, the additional influence of spontaneous somatic mutations has played a pivotal role in shaping the diverse landscape of grapevine agrobiodiversity. These naturally occurring selections, termed 'clones,' represent a vast reservoir...

The olive tree (Olea europaea subsp. europaea var. europaea) represents the cornerstone crop of Apulian agriculture, which is based on the production of oil and table olives. The high genetic variability of the Apulian olive germplasm is at risk of genetic erosion due to social, economic, and climatic changes. Furthermore, since 2013, the spread of...

In Tunisia, the olive tree has been cultivated for more than 3000 years by different civilizations, such as the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, and Arabs. The ancient olive trees, which thrive in harsh environments, are little known and contain a foremost part of the olive germplasm. This study focused on the chemical oil analysis of th...

Genetic structure and distinctive features of landraces, such as adaptability to local agroecosystems and specific qualitative profiles, can be substantially altered by the massive introduction of allochthonous germplasm. The landrace known as “Cipolla rossa di Acquaviva” (Acquaviva red onion, further referred to as ARO) is traditionally cultivated...

The durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. ssp. durum Desf.) landraces constitute a useful natural germplasm to increase the genetic diversity in the modern durum cultivars. The Tunisian durum germplasm constitutes 28 accessions conserved in Genebank of Tunisia, which are still unexplored. In this study, a comparative genetic analysis was performed to i...

Algerian wild olives can represent an important resource for cultivated olive breeding, since they are characterized by great morphological variability. Moreover, they grow in different bioclimatic environments, including dry and hot climates, making the collections of wild olives a good source of abiotic stress resistance traits. Our study aimed t...

The olive tree, an iconic symbol of the Mediterranean basin, is the object of growing international interest in the production of olive oil for the world food market. In Tunisia, which is the fourth-largest producer of olive oil in the world, the production of olives and olive oil is of great socio-economic importance. Cultivation is widespread fro...

Climate change and global population growth call for urgent recovery of genetic variation from underexploited or unexplored durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum) landraces. Indeed, these untapped genetic resources can be a valuable source of favorable alleles for environmental adaptation and tolerance or resistance to (a)biotic stress. In sout...

A single phenolic group and even a compound play different roles in the sensory properties and stability of virgin olive oil (VOO), which in turn are strongly influenced by several factors. Understanding the causes of differences in phenolic compound composition and oxidative stability (OS) in VOOs is essential for targeted and timely harvest and p...

Oleaster (Olea europaea L. subsp. europaea var. sylvestris) is the ancestor of cultivated olive (Olea europaea L. subsp. europaea var. europaea) and it is spread through the whole Mediterranean Basin, showing an overlapping distribution with cultivated olive trees. Climate change and new emerging diseases are expected to severely affect the cultiva...

Olive is one of the most important crops in the Mediterranean Basin, because of the olive oil economic value and its role in characterization of the rural landscape. The strong influence of climatic changes on the modern agriculture and the availability of a large source of genetic variability pose as crucial future challenges. Therefore, safeguard...

Calabria is a region located in Southern Italy and it is characterized by a long tradition of viticulture practices and favorable pedoclimatic conditions for grapevine cultivation. Nevertheless, less than 2% of cultivated land is dedicated to grapevine growing in Calabria. The characterization of local grapevine accessions is crucial to valorize th...

In the last decades, the demand for molecular tools for authenticating and tracing agri-food products has significantly increased. Food safety and quality have gained an increased interest for consumers, producers, and retailers, therefore, the availability of analytical methods for the determination of food authenticity and the detection of major...

Studying and understanding the genetic basis of polyphenol oxidases (PPO)-related traits plays a crucial role in genetic improvement of crops. A tetraploid wheat collection (T. turgidum ssp., TWC) was analyzed using the 90K wheat SNP iSelect assay and phenotyped for PPO activity. A total of 21,347 polymorphic SNPs were used to perform genome-wide a...

Among the countries of the Mediterranean Basin, Tunisia is located at the crossroad for the immigration of several civilizations over the last two millennia, becoming a strategic place for gene flow, and a secondary center of diversity for olive species. Olive is one of the principal crop species in Tunisia and now it strongly characterizes the rur...

Tunisia is one of the world's largest producers of olive oil, and it preserves pools of olive genetic diversity that are still unexplored. A recent prospection and collection program of the National Gene Bank of Tunisia (NGBT) focused on the vast oasis of Degache, in the south west part of Tunisia, where 47 samples were collected and genetically ch...

Tunisia is one of the world's largest producers of olive oil, and it preserves pools of olive genetic diversity that are still unexplored. A recent prospection and collection program of the National Gene Bank of Tunisia (NGBT) focused on the vast Oasis of Degache, in the South West part of Tunisia, where 47 samples were collected and genetically ch...

Tunisia is one of the world's largest producers of olive oil, and it preserves pools of olive genetic diversity that are still unexplored. A recent prospection and collection program of the National Gene Bank of Tunisia (NGBT) focused on the vast oasis of Degache, in the south west part of Tunisia, where 47 samples were collected and genetically ch...

The investigation on the genetic diversity of grapevine germplasm is crucial for a more efficient use of grapevine genetic resources in light of changing environmental conditions. Here, we used simple sequence repeats (SSRs) coupled with single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers to disclose grapevine genetic diversity of a collection of Apulian...

Olive is one of the oldest cultivated species in the Mediterranean Basin, including Tunisia, where it has a wide diversity, with more than 200 cultivars, of both wild and feral forms. Many minor cultivars are still present in marginal areas of Tunisia, where they are maintained by farmers in small local groves, but they are poorly characterized and...

Cultivation of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) in Tunisia is largely based on improved varieties of the crop. However, a few farmers continue to produce local cultivars or landraces. The National Gene Bank of Tunisia (NGBT) recently launched a collection project for faba bean landraces, with special focus on the regions of the North West, traditionally d...

The olive tree is one of the most important economic, cultural, and environmental resources for Italy, in particular for the Apulian region, where it shows a wide diversity. The increasing attention to the continuous loss of plant genetic diversity due to social, economic and climatic changes, has favored a renewed interest in strategies aimed at t...

A new and optimized protocol, here called 6hDNA (i.e. a genomic DNA obtained by a six-hour extraction method), has been developed based on the traditional Cetyl-TrimethylAmmonium Bromide (CTAB) method. It allows a fast and easy isolation of genomic DNA from plant species, especially from those with high polyphenol and polysaccharide contents. Co-pr...

A new and optimized protocol, here called 6h DNA (i.e. a genomic DNA obtained by a six-hour extraction method), has been developed based on the traditional Cetyl-TrimethylAmmonium Bromide (CTAB) method. It allows a fast and easy isolation of genomic DNA from plant species, especially from those with high polyphenol and polysaccharide contents. Co-p...

The olive is a fruit tree species with a century-old history of cultivation in theMediterranean basin. In Apulia (Southern Italy), the olive is of main social, cultural and economicimportance, and represents a hallmark of the rural landscape. However, olive cultivation in thisregion is threatened by the recent spread of the olive quick decline synd...

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is one of the oldest cultivated plants, with wide genetic diversification and phenotypic plasticity that remains largely under-explored. Since ancient times, Apulia has served as a central hub for commercial exchanges that have resulted in a rich heritage of grape genetic resources adapted to the pedoclimate conditions...

The wine sector is one of the most active and profitable in Italy; Italy is the largest wine producer in the world, followed by Spain and France. For this reason, it is subject to extensive legislative discipline. Calabria ranks sixteenth among Italian regions for wine production; however, in recent years, much effort has been made to promote the w...

Algeria has several genetic resources on olive trees, mainly made up of small indigenous cultivars, and a very important wild heritage. We characterized 20 olive samples including eight cultivars and twelve wild trees from the province of Bejaia (Algeria), by combining molecular data (13 SSRs), fruit and pit morphological traits, fatty acids compos...

Abstract Information on the distribution of genetic variation is essential to preserve olive germplasm from erosion and to recover alleles lost through selective breeding. In addition, knowledge on population structure and genotype–phenotype associations is crucial to support modern olive breeding programs that must respond to new environmental con...

Background The olive tree is a typical crop of the Mediterranean basin where it shows a wide diversity, accounting for more than 2,600 cultivars. The ability to discriminate olive cultivars and determine their genetic variability is pivotal for an optimal exploitation of olive genetic resources. Methods We investigated the genetic diversity within...

Table S1. List of the 11 microsatellite markers (SSR) tested on olive accessions. For each SSR, the identification code (SSR ID), bibliographic reference, repeat motif, primer sequence and annealing temperature (Ta) is reported.

Table S2. Genetic diversity parameters at SSR loci estimated in the three groups identified following population structure analysis. For each cluster, the observed heterozygosity (Ho), the expected heterozygosity (He), and the fixation index (F) are reported. Cluster I (Algerian accessions), Cluster II (Syrian accessions), Cluster III (Italian acce...

In contrast to other fruit crops, olive (Olea europaea) production is based mainly on traditional, locally selected cultivars. The world olive germplasm contains more than 2600 different cultivars, but olive genetic resources are poorly exploited and studied. Increasing our knowledge on olive tree genetics is a crucial step for breeding purposes an...

As part of the Rural Development Programme for 2007-2013, the importance of protecting, characterizing and identifying the autochthonous olive germplasm of the Apulia Region was examined through the subaction "Integrated projects for biodiversity". The main objective of the Re.Ger.O.P. (Recupero del germoplasma olivicolo pugliese) project was to ef...

Enzymatic browning is a colour reaction occurring in plants, including cereals, fruit and horticultural crops, due to oxidation during postharvest processing and storage. This has a negative impact on the colour, flavour, nutritional properties and shelf life of food products. Browning is usually caused by polyphenol oxidases (PPOs), following cell...

The present work was aimed at assessing the genetic diversity of 42 local cultivars and oleaster genotypes from the area of Bejaia in Algeria. Fifteen highly polymorphic Simple Sequence Repeat markers were evaluated and proved to be very informative, producing a total number of 160 alleles with an average value of 10.7 per locus; the SSRs DCA09 and...

Methods to trace food through the different stages of production, processing and distribution, play a key role in assuring food safety and in protecting product authenticity. Biotechnologies provide innovative tools useful for these purposes. Among the Italian regions, Apulia has the highest number of typicality brands in the olive sector, with fiv...

Methods to trace food through the different stages of production, processing and distribution, play a key role in assuring food safety and in protecting product authenticity. Biotechnologies provide innovative tools useful for these purposes. Among the Italian regions, Apulia has the highest number of typicality brands in the olive sector, with fiv...

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the most important legumes worldwide. We addressed this study to the genetic characterization of a germplasm collection from main chickpea growing countries. Several Italian traditional landraces at risk of genetic erosion were included in the analysis. Twenty-two simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, widely...

Wine and fermenting musts are grape products widely consumed worldwide. Since the presence of mycotoxin-producing fungi may greatly compromise their quality characteristics and safety, there is an increasing need for relatively rapid “user friendly” quantitative assays to detect fungal contamination both in grapes delivered to wineries and in final...

The need of accurate and reliable methods for DNA isolation and plant species identification in foodstuffs is of great importance, especially in the protection of high added value products. Fresh foods, which are not subjected to any modifications, are suitable for many kind of analysis; for processed products, such as musts, wines, olive oils, and...

The need of accurate and reliable methods for DNA isolation and plant species identification in foodstuffs is of great importance, especially in the protection of high added value products. Fresh foods, which are not subjected to any modifications, are suitable for many kind of analysis; for processed products, such as musts, wines, olive oils, and...

The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) regulates many key processes in plants, such as seed germination, seedling growth, and abiotic stress tolerance. In particular, drought stress signals are transmitted through at least two pathways: one is abscissic acid (ABA)-dependent, and the other is ABA-independent. In the ABAdependent pathway, drought stres...

Abscisic acid (ABA) is associated with regulating plant adaptive responses to various environmental stresses. In particular, drought stress signals are transmitted through at least two pathways: one is abscisic acid (ABA)-dependent, and the other is ABA-independent. In the first case, drought stress increases the cellular ABA levels, which induces...

The aim of the research was to verify the applicability of microsatellite (SSR) markers in High Resolution Melting (HRM) analysis for the identification of the olive cultivars used in the " Terra di Bari " PDO extra virgin olive oil. A panel of nine cultivars, widespread in Apulia region, was tested with seventeen SSR primer pairs and the PCR produ...

Talc (hydrated magnesium silicate) is a physical coadjuvant that can be employed in the production of extra virgin olive oil to increase yield. The adsorbent properties of talc could hamper DNA recovery, leading to false negatives in DNA analysis. The aim of this work was to verify the effect of talc addition on olive oil DNA by targeting four sele...

Cicer arietinum, molecular markers, genetic diversity Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a grain legume widely cultivated in the warm temperate and semi-arid regions for its high nutritional value, given the 15-25% high quality protein seed content. In Italy, about 3,500 hectares are cultivated with chickpea, mainly in southern and island regions. We...

Wine sector is one of the main productive activities in Italy, which is the first producer of PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) and PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) wines in the world. In Italy, this sector is subject to extensive legislative discipline , the Regulation n. 260 of 2000, states that is not allowed to use table grape cultiv...

Olea europaea, genetic variability, SSR markers, Algerian olive germplasm Olive (Olea europaea L.) is a crop tree species worldwide cultivated since the Third Millennium B.C. in the East Mediterranean area, from which spread in the whole Mediterranean Basin. The genetic diversity existing for this species is huge and so far about 2,600 different cu...

yabby family, inner no outer, ovule, grapevine Although the biological function of fruiting is the production and dissemination of seeds, humans have developed seedless fruits in a number of plant species to facilitate consumption. In grapevine, seedlessness trait has traditionally been used for raisin production, however there has also been intere...

In populations of Erysiphe necator, the causal agent of grapevine powdery mildew, two genetic groups have been described, based on several molecular markers. In single vineyards, the two groups seem to occupy different temporal niches, with a temporal alternation that is clear-cut in vineyards intensively treated with chemical fungicides. To shed l...

Powdery mildews, caused by Golovinomyces cichoracearum and Podosphaera xanthii, are the most common and severe diseases of cucurbits in the Mediterranean basin. In southern Italy, only P. xanthii is apparently present. However, information on its distribution and population biology is scanty, although it would be crucial for a more rational disease...

Powdery mildew, caused by the obligate fungus Erysiphe necator Schw., is a common and severe fungal disease of grapevine worldwide, due to the high adaptability of the pathogen to different climatic conditions. The disease control is exclusively depending on an intensive usage of fungicides in each season, including QoI-STAR (Quinol Outside Inhibit...

Powdery mildew, caused by the obligate biotrophic ascomycete Erysiphe necator, is one of the most destructive grapevine diseases worldwide. Cultivars of Vitis vinifera L, for wine and table grape production, are all susceptible to E. necator, whose attacks result in severe epidemics under the warm and dry conditions of the Mediterranean basin. The...

Erysiphe necator overwinters as mycelium or conidia in dormant buds and/or as cleistothecia, but the importance of the two forms as sources of primary inoculum varies in different viticultural areas. The present study summarizes the observations made over 2001-2003, in 29 vineyards of southern Italy, on the occurrence and frequency of the two overw...