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Tonto TC, Cimini S, Grasso S, Zompanti A, Santonico M, De Gara L, Locato V. Methodological pipeline for monitoring post-harvest quality of leafy vegetables. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20568. [PMID: 37996463 PMCID: PMC10667519 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47873-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Plants are primary source of nutrients for humans. However, the nutritional value of vegetables tends to decrease once organ and tissue sinks are detached from the plant. Minimal processing of leafy vegetables involves cutting and washing before packaging and storage. These processing procedures result in stressful conditions and post-harvest disorders senescence-related can also occur. The aim of this work is to define a methodological pipeline to evaluate the "quality" changes of fresh cut leafy vegetables over their shelf-life. At this purpose, intra-species variability has been investigated considering two varieties of Lactuca sativa (var. longifolia and capitata), showing different susceptibility to browning. Since browning mainly depends on phenol oxidation, redox parameters as well as the activity of the enzymes involved in phenol biosynthesis and oxidation have been monitored over storage time. At the same time, the metabolic changes of the lettuce leaves have been estimated as response patterns to chemical sensors. The obtained sensor outputs were predictive of browning-related biological features in a cultivar-dependent manner. The integration of the results obtained by this multivariate methodological approach allowed the identification of the most appropriate quality markers in lettuce leaves from different varieties. This methodological pipeline is proposed for the identification and subsequent monitoring of post-harvest quality of leafy vegetables.
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Affiliation(s)
- T C Tonto
- Department of Science and Technology for Sustainable Development and One Health, Unit of Food Science and Nutrition, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Via Alvaro del Portillo 21, 00128, Rome, Italy
| | - S Cimini
- Department of Science and Technology for Sustainable Development and One Health, Unit of Food Science and Nutrition, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Via Alvaro del Portillo 21, 00128, Rome, Italy
| | - S Grasso
- Department of Science and Technology for Sustainable Development and One Health, Unit of Electronics for Sensor Systems, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Via Alvaro del Portillo 21, 00128, Rome, Italy
| | - A Zompanti
- Department of Engineering, Unit of Electronics for Sensor Systems, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, via Alvaro del Portillo 21, 00128, Rome, Italy
| | - M Santonico
- Department of Science and Technology for Sustainable Development and One Health, Unit of Electronics for Sensor Systems, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Via Alvaro del Portillo 21, 00128, Rome, Italy
| | - L De Gara
- Department of Science and Technology for Sustainable Development and One Health, Unit of Food Science and Nutrition, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Via Alvaro del Portillo 21, 00128, Rome, Italy
| | - V Locato
- Department of Science and Technology for Sustainable Development and One Health, Unit of Food Science and Nutrition, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Via Alvaro del Portillo 21, 00128, Rome, Italy.
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3An Electrochemical Conducting Polymer-based Biosensor for Leukocyte Esterase and Nitrite Detection for Diagnosing Urinary Tract Infections: A Pilot Study. Microchem J 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2023.108493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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Di Gioia C, Santonico M, Zompanti A, Sabatini A, Grasso S, Ursini F, Pedone C, Galdi F, Antonelli Incalzi R, Pennazza G. Detecting Dementia by Saliva Analysis: A Fingerprinting Unobtrusive Method Based on a Fast and Cheap Sensor System. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 95:1067-1075. [PMID: 37638437 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies have shown that oxidative stress plays a relevant role in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and in the pathogenesis of vascular dementia (VaD). New diagnostic methods look for biological samples with non-invasive sampling methods. Among these, saliva shows an increase in oxidative stress products, thus a corresponding reduction in antioxidant products were found in dementia cases compared to healthy controls. Compounds identified in saliva include some hydrocarbons whose production has been related to the presence of reactive oxygen species. OBJECTIVE The hypothesis is that the voltammetric analysis performed on saliva could be a useful test for diagnosing dementia, potentially discriminating between AD and VaD. METHODS A single-center observational study was conducted on patients referred to the dementia clinic in the Neurology area and healthy controls recruited in the Orthopedics area of the Campus Bio-Medico Hospital in Rome. The study was aimed at evaluating the discriminative properties of salivary voltammetric analysis between healthy subjects and patients with dementia and, as a secondary outcome, between AD and VaD. A total of 69 subjects were enrolled, including 29 healthy controls, 20 patients with AD, and 20 patients with VaD. The degree of cognitive impairment was classified on the basis of the Mini-Mental State Examination score. RESULTS The results obtained are promising, with an accuracy of 79.7%, a sensitivity of 82.5%, and a specificity of 75.8%, in the discrimination of dementia versus controls. CONCLUSIONS The methods tested demonstrate to be relevant in the discrimination between dementia and controls. A confirmatory study is already running.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Di Gioia
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Research Unit of Geriatrics, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Roma, Italy
| | - Marco Santonico
- Department of Science and Technology for Sustainable Development and One Health, Unit of Electronics for Sensor Systems, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Zompanti
- Department of Engineering, Unit of Electronics for Sensor Systems, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Sabatini
- Department of Engineering, Unit of Computational Systems and Bioinformatics, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Simone Grasso
- Department of Science and Technology for Sustainable Development and One Health, Unit of Electronics for Sensor Systems, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Ursini
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, Operative Research Unit of Neurology, Roma, Italy
| | - Claudio Pedone
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, Operative Research Unit of Geriatrics, Roma, Italy
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Research Unit of Geriatrics, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Roma, Italy
| | - Flavia Galdi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Research Unit of Geriatrics, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Roma, Italy
| | - Raffaele Antonelli Incalzi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Research Unit of Geriatrics, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Roma, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Campus Bio-Medico, Operative Research Unit of Internal Medicine, Roma, Italy
| | - Giorgio Pennazza
- Department of Engineering, Unit of Electronics for Sensor Systems, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
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De Vincentis A, Santonico M, Del Chierico F, Altomare A, Marigliano B, Laudisio A, Reddel S, Grasso S, Zompanti A, Pennazza G, Putignani L, Guarino MPL, Cicala M, Antonelli Incalzi R. Gut Microbiota and Related Electronic Multisensorial System Changes in Subjects With Symptomatic Uncomplicated Diverticular Disease Undergoing Rifaximin Therapy. Front Med (Lausanne) 2021; 8:655474. [PMID: 34350192 PMCID: PMC8326398 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.655474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Intestinal dysbiosis might play a pathogenetic role in subjects with symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease (SUDD), but the effect of rifaximin therapy has been scantly explored with regard to gut microbiota variations in patients with SUDD. Aims: To verify to which extent rifaximin treatment affects the gut microbiota and whether an electronic multisensorial assessment of stools and breath has the potential for detecting these changes. Methods: Breath and stool samples were collected from consecutive patients with SUDD before and after a 7 days' therapy with rifaximin. Stool microbiota was assessed, and the electronic multisensorial assessment was carried out by means of the BIONOTE electronic (e-)tongue in stools and (e-)nose in breath. Results: Forty-three subjects (female 60%, median age 66 years) were included, and 20 (47%) reported clinical improvement after rifaximin therapy. Alpha and beta diversity of stool microbiota did not significantly change after treatment, while a significant variation of selected taxa was shown (i.e., Citrobacter, Coprococcus, Anaerotruncus, Blautia, Eggerthella lenta, Dehalobacterium, SMB53, and Haemophilus parainfluenzae). Overall, the electronic multisensorial system suboptimally mirrored microbiota changes, but it was able to efficiently predict patients' clinical improvement after rifaximin with accuracies ranging from 0.81 to 0.98. Conclusions: In patients with SUDD, rifaximin administration is associated with significant variation of selected taxa. While inaccurate in predicting gut microbiota change, an electronic multisensorial system, made up of e-tongue and e-nose, was able to predict clinical improvement, thus potentially qualifying as an easy and cheap tool to forecast subjects taking most likely benefit from rifaximin therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marco Santonico
- Unit of Electronics for Sensor Systems, Department of Science and Technology for Humans and the Environment, University Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Del Chierico
- Multimodal Laboratory Medicine Research Area, Unit of Human Microbiome, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Rome, Italy
| | - Annamaria Altomare
- Unit of Gastroenterology, University Campus Bio Medico of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Alice Laudisio
- Unit of Geriatrics, University Campus Bio Medico of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Sofia Reddel
- Multimodal Laboratory Medicine Research Area, Unit of Human Microbiome, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Rome, Italy
| | - Simone Grasso
- Unit of Electronics for Sensor Systems, Department of Science and Technology for Humans and the Environment, University Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Zompanti
- Unit of Electronics for Sensor Systems, Department of Engineering, University Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Giorgio Pennazza
- Unit of Electronics for Sensor Systems, Department of Engineering, University Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Lorenza Putignani
- Multimodal Laboratory Medicine Research Area, Unit of Human Microbiome, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Rome, Italy.,Department of Diagnostic and Laboratory Medicine, Unit of Microbiology and Diagnostic Immunology, Unit of Parasitology and Multimodal Laboratory Medicine Research Area, Unit of Human Microbiome, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Michele Cicala
- Unit of Gastroenterology, University Campus Bio Medico of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Design of an Innovative Methodology for Cerebrospinal Fluid Analysis: Preliminary Results. SENSORS 2021; 21:s21113767. [PMID: 34071694 PMCID: PMC8198196 DOI: 10.3390/s21113767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis supports diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), however a number of issues limits its potentialities in clinical practice. Here, a newly developed technique for fluid voltammetry, relying on a simple sensor (BIOsensor-based multisensorial system for mimicking Nose, Tongue and Eyes, BIONOTE), was used to test the applicability for CSF analysis. BIONOTE was initially calibrated on an artificial CSF-like solution and then applied on human CSF, either immediately after collection or after refrigerated storage. Following optimization, it was used to evaluate 11 CSF samples correlating the electrochemical dataset with CSF routine parameters and biomarkers of neurodegeneration. Multivariate data analysis was performed for model elaboration and calibration using principal component analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis. BIONOTE presented a high capacity to predict both physiological and pathological constituents of artificial CSF. It differentiated distinct fresh human CSF samples well but lost accuracy after refrigerated storage. The electrochemical analysis-derived data correlated with either CSF routine cytochemical indexes or a biomarker of neurodegeneration. BIONOTE resulted as being a reliable system for electrochemical analysis of CSF. The CSF fingerprint provided by the sensor has shown itself to be sensitive to CSF modification, thus it is potentially representative of CSF alteration. This result opens the way to its testing in further study addressed at assessing the clinical relevance of the methodology. Because of its advantages due to the ease and rapidity of the methodology, a validation study is now required to translate the technique into clinical practice and improve diagnostic workup of NDs.
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Integration of voltammetric analysis, protein electrophoresis and pH measurement for diagnosis of pleural effusions: a non-conventional diagnostic approach. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15222. [PMID: 32938981 PMCID: PMC7495467 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71542-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Pleural effusion is very common, but an etiologic diagnosis is often difficult. We used three unconventional diagnostic techniques (voltammetric analysis, protein electrophoresis and pH measurement) performed on pleural effusion to do a preliminary distinction between a neoplastic and a non-neoplastic origin. Pleural fluid samples were collected through thoracentesis, thoracoscopy, or post-surgery pleural drainage of 116 patients admitted to acute care wards. Samples were analyzed with the three unconventional techniques: voltammetric analysis using the BIONOTE system, capillary electrophoresis and pH measurement using a potentiometric method. The BIONOTE system is an innovative system that performs a cyclic voltammetric analysis of a biological liquid sample. The final output of the electrochemical analysis is an electrical pattern that represents a fingerprint of the analyzed sample and each sample has a different fingerprint. Data from the three unconventional diagnostic techniques were analyzed using partial least squares discriminant analysis to discriminate neoplastic from non-neoplastic effusions; we also evaluated sensitivity, specificity and percentage of correct classification. The mean age was 68 years (SD: 12); 78 (67.24%) participants were men. Results obtained from all the unconventional techniques employed showed that neoplastic and non-neoplastic pleural effusions were correctly classified in 80.2% of cases, with a sensitivity of 77% and specificity of 83%. The combined use of voltammetric analysis, protein electrophoresis and pH measurement of pleural fluid can easily and quickly distinguish a neoplastic from a non-neoplastic pleural effusion with reliable accuracy and represents an innovative diagnostic approach. In fact, this protocol can be executed in just few minutes directly in the patient's bed and it holds great promise to improve the prognosis and therapeutic chances.
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Voltammetric analysis for distinguishing portal hypertension-related from malignancy-related ascites: A proof of concept study. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0233350. [PMID: 32437441 PMCID: PMC7241828 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Serum-ascites albumin gradient (SAAG) remains the most sensitive and specific marker for the differentiation of ascites due to portal hypertension from ascites due to other causes. SAAG has some limitations and may fail in selected conditions. Voltammetric analysis (VA) has been used for the detection of electroactive species of biological significance and has proven effective for detection infections in biological fluids. Aims In this study, we compared the accuracy of voltammetric analysis (VA) with that of SAAG to differentiate ascites due to portal hypertension from that having a different origin. Methods 80 ascites samples were obtained from patients undergoing paracentesis at the Campus Bio-Medico Hospital of Rome. VA was performed using the BIONOTE device. The ability of VA to discriminate ascitic fluid etiology and biochemical parameters was evaluated using Partial Least Square Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA), with ten-fold cross-validations. Results Mean age was 68.6 years (SD 12.5), 58% were male. Ascites was secondary to only portal hypertension in 72.5% of cases (58 subjects) and it was secondary to a baseline neoplastic disease in 27.5% of cases (22 subjects). Compared to SAAG≥1.1, e-tongue predicted ascites from portal hypertension with a better accuracy (92.5% Vs 87.5%); sensitivity (98.3% Vs 94.8%); specificity (77.3% Vs 68.2%); predictive values (PPV 91.9% Vs 88.7% and NPV 94.4% Vs 83.3%). VA correctly classified ascites etiology in 57/58 (98.2%) of cases with portal hypertension and in 17/22 (77.2%) of cases with malignancy. Instead, VA showed poor predictive capacities towards total white blood count and polymorphonuclear cell count. Conclusions According to this proof of concept study, VA qualifies as a promising low-cost and easy method to discriminate between ascites secondary to portal hypertension and ascites due to malignancy.
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Lelli D, Pedone C, Frezzotti E, Pennazza G, Santonico M, Grasso S, Antonelli Incalzi R. Use of voltammetric analysis for fast and objective discrimination of the etiology, evolution, and bacterial infection of lower limb ulcers. Wound Repair Regen 2019; 27:288-291. [PMID: 30663822 DOI: 10.1111/wrr.12696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Revised: 12/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The timely recognition of leg ulcers (LU) etiology and infection is pivotal to optimize management and accelerate healing. The objective of this proof-of-concept study was to test the diagnostic performance of voltammetric analysis (VA) on ulcer exudate to identify LU etiology, infection, and predict clinical course. We enrolled 25 patients aged ≥60 years, affected by 42 venous/arterial LU. Clinical examination (Leg Ulcer Measurement Tool score, LUMT), swab culture, and VA were performed at baseline and 30 days. The ability of VA to predict outcomes was tested using partial least square-discrimination analysis. Mean age was 75 years (SD 11.1), 9/25 were male. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity vs. etiology were 97.4, 100%, and 94.1%, respectively; the corresponding figures were 95.2%, 100%, 88.9%, for infection and 94%, 84.6%, 100% for predicted objective LUMT worsening. VA is a promising diagnostic/prognostic tool for management of LU that may allow a more timely targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Lelli
- Geriatric Unit, Campus Bio-Medico University Hospital, via Alvaro del Portillo 200, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Claudio Pedone
- Geriatric Unit, Campus Bio-Medico University Hospital, via Alvaro del Portillo 200, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Elena Frezzotti
- Geriatric Unit, Campus Bio-Medico University Hospital, via Alvaro del Portillo 200, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Giorgio Pennazza
- Unit of Electronics for Sensor Systems, Faculty of Engineering, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, via Alvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Santonico
- Unit of Electronics for Sensor Systems, Faculty of Engineering, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, via Alvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy
| | - Simone Grasso
- Unit of Electronics for Sensor Systems, Faculty of Engineering, Campus Bio-Medico University of Rome, via Alvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy
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