Mycotoxin profile of Fusarium langsethiae isolated from wheat in Italy: production of type‐A trichothecenes and relevant glucosyl derivatives

Fusarium langsethiae, formally described as a new species over a decade ago, has been identified as the main producer of HT‐2 (HT2) and T‐2 (T2) toxins in Europe in small cereal grains. Mycotoxin contamination caused by this Fusarium species can represent a food safety hazard that deserves further attention. In the present work, the mycotoxin profile in wheat cultures of F. langsethiae is presented with particular reference to the production of major type‐A trichothecenes and their glucosyl derivatives. F. langsethiae isolates, representative of the major Italian wheat cultivation areas, were tested for the production of T2, HT2, diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS) and neosolaniol (NEO), and relevant glucosyl derivatives. Liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) was used for the identification and chemical characterization of these metabolites. F. langsethiae isolates under investigation resulted to be potent producers of T2, HT2 and NEO. Furthermore, a well‐defined set of isolates, all originating from Central Italy, produced also DAS. All isolates were found to be able to produce HT2 glucosyl derivatives, whereas only traces of T2 glucoside were detected in one sample. Furthermore, two mono‐glucosyl derivatives of NEO and one mono‐glucoside derivative of DAS were identified and characterized. The screening for the presence/absence of glucosylated trichothecenes in analyzed fungal extracts revealed a general co‐occurrence of these derivatives with the parent toxin at levels that could be roughly estimated to account up to 37% of the relevant unconjugated toxin. This is the first report of the production of glucosylated trichothecenes by F. langsethiae cultured on small grains. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

New Results on Rational Approximation

Results in Mathematics - First asymptotic relations of Voronovskaya-type for rational operators of Shepard-type are shown. A positive answer in some senses to a problem on the pointwise...     

A Combined NMR and Computational Approach to Determine the RGDechi‐hCit‐αvβ3 Integrin Recognition Mode in Isolated Cell Membranes

The critical role of integrins in tumor progression and metastasis has stimulated intense efforts to identify pharmacological agents that can modulate integrin function. In recent years, α_vβ₃ and α_vβ₅ integrin antagonists were demonstrated to be effective in blocking tumor progression. RGDechi‐hCit, a chimeric peptide containing a cyclic RGD motif linked to an echistatin C‐terminal fragment, is able to recognize selectively α_vβ₃ integrin both in vitro and in vivo. High‐resolution molecular details of the selective α_vβ₃ recognition of the peptide are certainly required, nonetheless RGDechi‐hCit internalization limited the use of classical in cell NMR experiments. To overcome such limitations, we used WM266 isolated cellular membranes to accomplish a detailed NMR interaction study that, combined with a computational analysis, provides significant structural insights into α_vβ₃ molecular recognition by RGDechi‐hCit. Remarkably, on the basis of the identified molecular determinants, we design a RGDechi‐hCit mutant that is selective for α_vβ₅ integrin.     

Weighted Approximation by Rational Operators

The author constructs rational operators for the weighted uniform approximation of functions with endpoints singularities by algebraic weights in [?1,1]. New direct and converse results not possible by polynomials are proved.     

A Weighted Generalization of the Classical Kantorovich Operator. II: Saturation

In [1], we have introduced a new weighted type of modification of the classical Kantorovich operator. The advantage of this operator is that there is no restriction on the parameters of the weight, and the class of functions is wider than in the earlier version of the weighted operator (cf. the monograph of Ditzian and Totik [3]). Direct and converse theorems and a Voronovskaya-type relation were proved. Here we solve the saturation problem of the operator (Theorem 2.1). We follow the method developed in [3], but the details are much more involved. A surprising fact emerges in determining the trivial class of saturation (Theorem 3.1).     

Weighted approximation of functions with endpoint or inner singularities by Bernstein operators

We give direct and converse results for the weighted approximation of functions with endpoint or inner singularities by Bernstein operators.     

Lignans and Gut Microbiota: An Interplay Revealing Potential Health Implications

Plant polyphenols are a broad group of bioactive compounds characterized by different chemical and structural properties, low bioavailability, and several in vitro biological activities. Among these compounds, lignans (a non-flavonoid polyphenolic class found in plant foods for human nutrition) have been recently studied as potential modulators of the gut–brain axis. In particular, gut bacterial metabolism is able to convert dietary lignans into therapeutically relevant polyphenols (i.e., enterolignans), such as enterolactone and enterodiol. Enterolignans are characterized by various biologic activities, including tissue-specific estrogen receptor activation, together with anti-inflammatory and apoptotic effects. However, variation in enterolignans production by the gut microbiota is strictly related to both bioaccessibility and bioavailability of lignans through the entire gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, in this review, we summarized the most important dietary source of lignans, exploring the interesting interplay between gut metabolites, gut microbiota, and the so-called gut–brain axis.     

Simultaneous approximation by hermite interpolation of higher order

The authors consider a procedure of Hermite interpolation of higher order based on the zeros of Jacobi polynomials plus the endpoints ±1 and prove that such a procedure can always well approximate a function and its derivatives simultaneously in uniform norm.     

Weighted approximation by entire functions interpolating at finitely or infinitely many points on the real line

We give error estimates for the weighted approximation of functions on the real line with Freud-type weights, by entire functions interpolating at finitely or infinitely many points on the real line. The error estimates involve weighted moduli of continuity corresponding to general Freud-type weights for which the density of polynomials is not always guaranteed.