PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R Bortolomeazzi

Publications and source records attributed to R Bortolomeazzi.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Sesquiterpene, alkene, and alkane hydrocarbons in virgin olive oils of different varieties and geographical origins.

The hydrocarbon fraction of 30 virgin olive oils was analyzed, focusing in particular on the sesquiterpenes. The oil samples were of different geographical origins and obtained from different olive varieties. The hydrocarbon fraction was isolated by silica gel column chromatography of the unsaponifiable fraction of the oils. The sesquiterpene hydrocarbons were then fractionated, on the basis of their degree of unsaturation, by AgNO3 TLC and silica gel AgNO3 column chromatography. The composition of the sesquiterpenes was more complex than previously reported. Among the 31 sesquiterpenes detected, 24 have been tentatively identified, by comparison of the linear retention indices on two capillary columns of different polarities and mass spectra with those reported in the literature. The total concentration of the sesquiterpenes in the oils analyzed ranged from about 2 to 37 ppm. Among the sesquiterpenes the more abundant were alpha-farnesene, alpha-copaene, eremophyllene, and alpha-muurolene. The alkenes present in the hydrocarbon fraction were isolated by TLC AgNO3 and characterized by GC-MS of their dimethyl disulfide derivatives. The series of n-Delta9-alkenes from C22 to C27, 8-heptadecene, and 6,10-dimethyl-1-undecene were detected. Among the n-alkanes, those with an odd number of carbon atoms predominated in all of the analyzed oils, the most common being C23, C25, C27, and C29. The concentration of the n-alkenes ranged from about 0.5 to 2 ppm, whereas for the n-alkanes the range was from 30 to 177 ppm.

Alkanes↗

Identification of new steroidal hydrocarbons in refined oils and the role of hydroxy sterols as possible precursors.

The dehydration of sterols during the refining process of vegetable oils results in the formation of steroidal hydrocarbons (sterenes or steradienes) with two double bonds in the ring system. Other steroidal hydrocarbons whose structures were in agreement with the presence of three double bonds in the ring system were detected in the sterene fractions of refined vegetable oils. The 5alpha-, 7alpha-, and 7beta-hydroxy derivatives of cholesterol and phytosterols have been dehydrated in n-butanol/H(3)PO(4) to form steroidal hydrocarbons with three double bonds at the 2, 4, and 6 positions in the ring system. These hydrocarbons had the same relative retention time and mass spectra as those present in the sterene fractions of refined oils. The dehydration of the hydroxy sterols dissolved in extra virgin olive oil and in the presence of 1% bleaching earths at 80 degrees C for 1 h results in the formation of the same steroidal hydrocarbons found in the refined oils.

Food Handling↗

Mass spectrometry characterization of the 5alpha-, 7alpha-, and 7beta-hydroxy derivatives of beta-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, and brassicasterol.

The 5alpha-hydroperoxides of beta-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, and brassicasterol were obtained by photooxidation of the respective sterols in pyridine in the presence of hematoporphyrine as sensitizer. The reduction of the hydroperoxides gives the corresponding 5alpha-hydroxy derivatives. The 7alpha- and 7beta-hydroperoxides of the sterols were obtained by allowing an aliquot of the 5alpha-hydroperoxides to isomerize to 7alpha-hydroperoxides, which in turn epimerize to 7beta-hydroperoxides. The reduction gave the corresponding 7alpha- and 7beta-hydroxy derivatives. The 5alpha-, 7alpha-, and 7beta-hydroxy derivatives of beta-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, and brassicasterol were identified by comparing thin-layer chromatography mobilities, specific color reactions, and mass spectral data with those of the corresponding hydroxy derivatives of cholesterol, which were synthesized in the same manner. The phytosterols had the same behavior to photooxidation as cholesterol and, moreover, the different phytosterols photooxidized at about the same rate. The mass spectra of the trimethylsilyl ethers of the hydroxy derivatives of the phytosterols investigated and of the corresponding hydroxy derivatives of cholesterol have the same fragmentation patterns and similar relative ion abundances.

Cholestadienols↗

Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water and water-based alcoholic beverages.

This paper proposes a simple HPLC method for the determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water, wine and beer. Samples were purified by PAH collection in solid-phase extraction (SPE) and analysed by reversed-phase HPLC (Supelcosil LC-PAH column from Supelco). For the beer sample, recoveries amounted to 28% for naphthalene and varied from 57% to 103% for the other PAHs; results are quantitative starting from fluoranthene (FI, the seventh component eluted). Almost all the beer and wine samples showed the presence of benzo(b)fluoranthene (BbF), benzo(k)fluoranthene (BkF), benzo(a)pyrene (BaP), benz(ghi)perylene (BghiP) and indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene (IP), and in some cases there were traces of FI, benzo(a)anthracene (BaA) and dibenz(ah) anthracene (DBahA). Total contents of PAHs ranged from trace amounts to 0.72 ppb. Traces of BbF, BkF, BaP, BghiP and IP were also found in the wine samples.

Beer↗

Identification of thermal oxidation products of cholesteryl acetate.

The polar products separated by solid-phase extraction from the peroxidation mixture of cholesteryl acetate, were investigated. The oxidation products were identified by comparing GC retention times as well as the mass spectra against those of available or synthesized standards. The main oxidation products where 7 beta-chydroperoxicholesteryl acetate, 7 alpha-hydroperoxicholesteryl acetate, 7-ketocholesteryl acetate, the alpha and beta isomers of 7-hydroxycholesteryl acetate, the alpha- and beta-epoxy isomers in 5,6 position and several derivatives from the loss of groups (especially the acetic and/or hydroxyl groups in the form of acetic acid and water).

Cholesterol Esters↗

Improvement of extraction procedure for biogenic amines in foods and their high-performance liquid chromatographic determination.

A high-performance liquid chromatography method is described for the simultaneous determination of the biogenic amines tryptamine, 2-phenylethylamine, putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, tyramine, spermidine, and spermine in cheese. The optimization of the procedure for the extraction of amines from the matrix is described. The separation of dansyl derivatives of the amines was achieved by reversed-phase liquid chromatography with gradient elution, followed by UV detection at 254 nm. The mobile phase was acetonitrile-0.01 M phosphate buffer (pH 7)-water. Under these conditions, rapid elution of the amines in less than 13 min was obtained. Validation of the method included calibration experiments, addition of standard amines for the determination of amine recoveries and repeatability tests.

Biogenic Amines↗

Cannabinoid acids analysis.

The cannabinoid pattern of vegetable preparations from Cannabis sativa (hashish, marijuana) allows to recognize the phenotype of the plants, to be used as drug or for fiber. Cannabinoid determination by analytical point of view has represented some problems caused by the complex composition of the hexane extract. Capillary gas chromatography of the hexane extracts of vegetable samples, shows the presence of rather polar constituents that eluted, with noticeable interactions, only on polar phase. The compounds can be methylated by diazomethane and silanized (TMS) by silylating reagents. The methyl and methyl-TMS derivatives are analyzed by high resolution gas chromatography (HRGC) and by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The identification of the compounds shows their nature of cannabinoid acids, which the main by quantitative point of view results the cannabidiolic acid (CBDA). It is known that the cannabinoid acids are thermally unstable and are transformed in the corresponding cannabinoids by decarboxilation. This is of interest in forensic analysis with the aim to establish the total amount of THC in the Cannabis preparations, as the active component.

Cannabinoids↗

Oxisterol determination in selected coffees.

The main aim of green-coffee processing techniques, such as decaffeination and roasting, is always to maintain a very high level of quality in taste and flavor, the beverage's most important characteristics to consumers. Oxidative alterations of coffee lipids, which can occur in roasting, exert a very marked influence on these quality traits. Determining the extent of oxidation thus can provide an indication of the product's potential shelf-life and reveal traces of any newly-formed oxidative products that might prove nutritionally unsafe. Yet, while much attention has recently been focused on certain by-products induced by cholesterol oxidation and their proven toxicity as risk factors in atherosclerosis and cancer, oxidated phytosterols have largely gone unnoticed, being considered along with beta-sitosterol as not very dangerous in that neither is absorbed by the intestinal tract. The present study investigates the substances derived from phytosterol oxidation (oxisterols) in samples of regular and decaffeinated commercial coffees. The findings show that oxisterols were absent in some samples and that the traces of oxidate phytosterols detected in others were well below the threshold considered as toxicologically active.

Coffee↗

Detection of hazelnut oil in virgin olive oil by assessment of free sterols and triacylglycerols.

Free sterols were evaluated as factors for discriminating between genuine virgin olive oil and hazelnut-mixed virgin olive oil. Numeric analyses of the results amplified the differences between groups. The application of this method to virgin olive oil samples and their mixtures with 10% hazelnut oil distinguished between genuine and nongenuine virgin olive oil with statistical certainty. Triacylglycerol analysis was tested for the same purpose by using parameter deltaECN42, but although it possessed a discriminating capacity, it alone could not distinguish the aforementioned groups with sufficient certainty. Free delta7-sterols data were combined with deltaECN42 data into a single discriminating function to improve differentiation and bring more ruggedness, and for detection of low amounts (10%) of hazelnut oil in virgin olive oil. In fact, the values obtained by addition of delta7-sterol data and deltaECN42 data showed a higher discriminating capacity than single parameters. In a single operation the method produced all the oil fractions necessary for analysis of free sterols and triacylglycerols with ECN42. Solid-phase extraction was applied in substitution of traditional chromatography on a silica column.

Chromatography, Gas↗