Exploring the Functional Properties of Leaves of <i>Moringa oleifera</i> Lam. Cultivated in Sicily Using Precision Agriculture Technologies for Potential Use as a Food Ingredient
This study aimed to evaluate the microbiological quality and functional properties of <i>Moringa oleifera</i> Lam. leaves from plants cultivated in Sicily, with the objective of exploring their potential use in functional food production. Precision agriculture techniques, including unman...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Antioxidants |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/14/7/799 |
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| author | Carlo Greco Graziella Serio Enrico Viola Marcella Barbera Michele Massimo Mammano Santo Orlando Elena Franciosi Salvatore Ciulla Antonio Alfonzo Rosario Schicchi Daniela Piazzese Carla Gentile Luca Settanni Giuseppe Mannino Raimondo Gaglio |
| author_facet | Carlo Greco Graziella Serio Enrico Viola Marcella Barbera Michele Massimo Mammano Santo Orlando Elena Franciosi Salvatore Ciulla Antonio Alfonzo Rosario Schicchi Daniela Piazzese Carla Gentile Luca Settanni Giuseppe Mannino Raimondo Gaglio |
| author_sort | Carlo Greco |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study aimed to evaluate the microbiological quality and functional properties of <i>Moringa oleifera</i> Lam. leaves from plants cultivated in Sicily, with the objective of exploring their potential use in functional food production. Precision agriculture techniques, including unmanned aerial vehicle-based multispectral remote sensing, were used to determine the optimal harvesting time for <i>M. oleifera</i>. After harvesting, leaves were dried using a smart solar dryer system based on a wireless sensor network and milled with a laboratory centrifugal mill to produce powdered <i>M. oleifera</i> leaves (PMOLs). Plate counts showed no colonies of undesired microorganisms in PMOLs. The MiSeq Illumina analysis revealed that the class Alphaproteobacteria was dominant (83.20% of Relative Abundance) among bacterial groups found in PMOLs. The hydroalcoholic extract from PMOLs exhibited strong redox-active properties in solution assays and provided antioxidant protection in a cell-based lipid peroxidation model (CAA<sub>50</sub>: 5.42 μg/mL). Additionally, it showed antiproliferative activity against three human tumour epithelial cell lines (HepG2, Caco-2, and MCF-7), with GI<sub>50</sub> values ranging from 121.03 to 237.75 μg/mL. The aromatic profile of PMOLs includes seven phytochemical groups: alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, esters, acids, terpenes, and hydrocarbons. The most representative compounds were terpenes (27.5%), ketones (25.3%), and alcohols (14.5%). Results suggest that PMOLs can serve as a natural additive for functional foods. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e9bd54b2f41b4f0b9a7b5659890d3e86 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2076-3921 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Antioxidants |
| spelling | doaj-art-e9bd54b2f41b4f0b9a7b5659890d3e862025-08-20T02:48:19ZengMDPI AGAntioxidants2076-39212025-06-0114779910.3390/antiox14070799Exploring the Functional Properties of Leaves of <i>Moringa oleifera</i> Lam. Cultivated in Sicily Using Precision Agriculture Technologies for Potential Use as a Food IngredientCarlo Greco0Graziella Serio1Enrico Viola2Marcella Barbera3Michele Massimo Mammano4Santo Orlando5Elena Franciosi6Salvatore Ciulla7Antonio Alfonzo8Rosario Schicchi9Daniela Piazzese10Carla Gentile11Luca Settanni12Giuseppe Mannino13Raimondo Gaglio14Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Bldg. 5, 90128 Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Bldg. 16, 90128 Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Bldg. 5, 90128 Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Earth and Marine Sciences, University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 22, 90123 Palermo, ItalyCREA—Research Centre for Plant Protection and Certification, Via Titina de Filippo 21, 90135 Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Bldg. 5, 90128 Palermo, ItalyResearch and Innovation Centre, Fondazione Edmund Mach (FEM), Via E. Mach 1, 38098 San Michele all’Adige, ItalyAssociation of Producers SiciliaBio, Via Vittorio Emanuele 100, 92026 Favara, ItalyDepartment of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Bldg. 5, 90128 Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Bldg. 16, 90128 Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Earth and Marine Sciences, University of Palermo, Via Archirafi 22, 90123 Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Bldg. 16, 90128 Palermo, ItalyDepartment of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Bldg. 5, 90128 Palermo, ItalyInnovation Centre, Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Quarello 15/A, 10135 Turin, ItalyDepartment of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Bldg. 5, 90128 Palermo, ItalyThis study aimed to evaluate the microbiological quality and functional properties of <i>Moringa oleifera</i> Lam. leaves from plants cultivated in Sicily, with the objective of exploring their potential use in functional food production. Precision agriculture techniques, including unmanned aerial vehicle-based multispectral remote sensing, were used to determine the optimal harvesting time for <i>M. oleifera</i>. After harvesting, leaves were dried using a smart solar dryer system based on a wireless sensor network and milled with a laboratory centrifugal mill to produce powdered <i>M. oleifera</i> leaves (PMOLs). Plate counts showed no colonies of undesired microorganisms in PMOLs. The MiSeq Illumina analysis revealed that the class Alphaproteobacteria was dominant (83.20% of Relative Abundance) among bacterial groups found in PMOLs. The hydroalcoholic extract from PMOLs exhibited strong redox-active properties in solution assays and provided antioxidant protection in a cell-based lipid peroxidation model (CAA<sub>50</sub>: 5.42 μg/mL). Additionally, it showed antiproliferative activity against three human tumour epithelial cell lines (HepG2, Caco-2, and MCF-7), with GI<sub>50</sub> values ranging from 121.03 to 237.75 μg/mL. The aromatic profile of PMOLs includes seven phytochemical groups: alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, esters, acids, terpenes, and hydrocarbons. The most representative compounds were terpenes (27.5%), ketones (25.3%), and alcohols (14.5%). Results suggest that PMOLs can serve as a natural additive for functional foods.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/14/7/799<i>Moringa oleifera</i> Lam. leaves powderprecision agriculturesolar smart dryermicrobiological qualityantiproliferative activitycellular antioxidant activity |
| spellingShingle | Carlo Greco Graziella Serio Enrico Viola Marcella Barbera Michele Massimo Mammano Santo Orlando Elena Franciosi Salvatore Ciulla Antonio Alfonzo Rosario Schicchi Daniela Piazzese Carla Gentile Luca Settanni Giuseppe Mannino Raimondo Gaglio Exploring the Functional Properties of Leaves of <i>Moringa oleifera</i> Lam. Cultivated in Sicily Using Precision Agriculture Technologies for Potential Use as a Food Ingredient Antioxidants <i>Moringa oleifera</i> Lam. leaves powder precision agriculture solar smart dryer microbiological quality antiproliferative activity cellular antioxidant activity |
| title | Exploring the Functional Properties of Leaves of <i>Moringa oleifera</i> Lam. Cultivated in Sicily Using Precision Agriculture Technologies for Potential Use as a Food Ingredient |
| title_full | Exploring the Functional Properties of Leaves of <i>Moringa oleifera</i> Lam. Cultivated in Sicily Using Precision Agriculture Technologies for Potential Use as a Food Ingredient |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the Functional Properties of Leaves of <i>Moringa oleifera</i> Lam. Cultivated in Sicily Using Precision Agriculture Technologies for Potential Use as a Food Ingredient |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the Functional Properties of Leaves of <i>Moringa oleifera</i> Lam. Cultivated in Sicily Using Precision Agriculture Technologies for Potential Use as a Food Ingredient |
| title_short | Exploring the Functional Properties of Leaves of <i>Moringa oleifera</i> Lam. Cultivated in Sicily Using Precision Agriculture Technologies for Potential Use as a Food Ingredient |
| title_sort | exploring the functional properties of leaves of i moringa oleifera i lam cultivated in sicily using precision agriculture technologies for potential use as a food ingredient |
| topic | <i>Moringa oleifera</i> Lam. leaves powder precision agriculture solar smart dryer microbiological quality antiproliferative activity cellular antioxidant activity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/14/7/799 |
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