A Comparative Study between Beeswax and Glycerol Monostearate for Food-Grade Oleogels.

With the aim to produce solid fats with a high percentage of unsaturated fatty acids, oleogels based on olive and peanut oil with different concentrations of beeswax (BW) and glycerol monostearate (GMS) as oleogelators were studied and compared. The critical oleogelator concentration for both BW and GMS was 3%. Thermal properties of the developed GMS-based oleogels pointed to a polymorphic structure, confirmed by the presence of two exothermic and endothermic peaks. All developed oleogels released less than 4% of oil, highlighting their high oil binding capacity. A morphology evaluation of oleogels showed platelet-like crystals, characterized by a cross-sectional length of 50 µm in BW-based oleogels and irregular clusters of needle-like crystals with a higher diameter in GMS-based oleogels. BW-based oleogels showed a solid fat content ranging from 1.16% to 2.27%, and no solid fat content was found at 37 °C. GMS-based oleogels reached slightly higher values of SFC that ranged from 1.58% to 2.97% at 25 °C and from 1.00% to 1.75% at 37 °C. Olive oil-based oleogels with GMS showed higher firmness compared with BW-based ones. The stronger structure network in olive oil/GMS-based oleogels provided a real physical barrier to oxidants, showing a high oxidation stability.

Optimization of Hazelnut Spread Based on Total or Partial Substitution of Palm Oil.

Palm oil is widely used in the manufacturing of hazelnut-based spreads due to its unique fatty acid and triacylglycerol profile and, thus, its crystallization behaviour, which makes it suitable for use in fat-based spreadable products. An interesting solution that enables the replacement of palm oil is given by oleogels made with high nutritional quality oil. In this study, the influence of the replacement of palm oil with different glycerol monostearate/olive oil-based oleogels, as well as the influence of the different amounts of GMS employed in oleogel preparation, on the oil binding capacity, spreadability, and rheological and sensory parameters of hazelnut cocoa spreads was investigated. A design of experiment (DoE) approach, with the adoption of the D-optimal design, was used to plan the cocoa hazelnut spread formulations, with the aim being to identify the optimal formulation with desirable quality parameters in terms of Casson's viscosity, spreadability, and oil binding capacity. The resulting optimized formulation was identified in a spread characterized by a total replacement of palm oil with an oleogel made of 95% olive oil and 5% GMS.

NGS transcriptomic analysis uncovers the possible resistance mechanisms of olive to Spilocea oleagina leaf spot infection.

Spilocea oleagina is a dangerous obligate fungal pathogen of olive, feared in the Mediterranean countries, causing Peacock's eye or leaf spot infection, which can lead to a serious yield loss of approximately 20% or higher depending on climatic conditions. Coping with this disease is much more problematic for organic farms. To date, knowledge on the genetic control of possible mechanisms of resistance/low susceptibility is quite limited. In this work, comparative transcriptomic analysis (RNA-seq) was conducted in leaf tissues of a low susceptible cultivar Koroneiki and a high susceptible cultivar Nocellara del Belice, both tested in the field using the NaOH test, considering two stages-"zero sign of disease" and "evident sign of infection". Cultivars showed a very large number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in both stages. 'Koroneiki' showed an extensive hormonal crosstalk, involving Abscisic acid (ABA) and ethylene synergistically acting with Jasmonate, with early signaling of the disease and remarkable defense responses against Spilocea through the over-expression of many resistance gene analogs or pathogenesis-related (PR) genes: non-specific lipid-transfer genes (nsLTPs), LRR receptor-like serine/threonine-protein kinase genes, GDSL esterase lipase, defensin Ec-AMP-D2-like, pathogenesis-related leaf protein 6-like, Thaumatin-like gene, Mildew resistance Locus O (MLO) gene, glycine-rich protein (GRP), MADS-box genes, STH-21-like, endochitinases, glucan endo-1,3-beta-glucosidases, and finally, many proteinases. Numerous genes involved in cell wall biogenesis, remodeling, and cell wall-based defense, including lignin synthesis, were also upregulated in the resistant cultivar, indicating the possible role of wall composition in disease resistance. It was remarkable that many transcription factors (TS), some of which involved in Induced Systemic Resistance (ISR), as well as some also involved in abiotic stress response, were found to be uniquely expressed in 'Koroneiki', while 'Nocellara del Belice' was lacking an effective system of defense, expressing genes that overlap with wounding responses, and, to a minor extent, genes related to phenylpropanoid and terpenoid pathways. Only a Thaumatin-like gene was found in both cultivars showing a similar expression. In this work, the genetic factors and mechanism underlying the putative resistance trait against this fungal pathogen were unraveled for the first time and possible target genes for breeding resistant olive genotypes were found.

Development and analysis of a multi-module peristaltic simulator for gastrointestinal research.

Many existing in vitro digestion systems do not accurately represent the peristaltic contractions of the gastrointestinal system; most of the systems that have physiologically-relevant peristaltic contractions have low throughput and can only test one sample at a time. A device has been developed that provides simulated peristaltic contractions for up to 12 digestion modules simultaneously using rollers of varying width to modulate the dynamics of the peristaltic motion. The force applied to a simulated food bolus varied from 2.61 ± 0.03 N to 4.51 ± 0.16 N (p < 0.05) depending on roller width. Video analysis showed that the degree of occlusion of the digestion module varied from 72.1 ± 0.4% to 84.6 ± 1.2% (p < 0.05). A multiphysics, computational fluid dynamics model was created to understand the fluid flow. The fluid flow was also examined experimentally using video analysis of tracer particles. The model-predicted maximum fluid velocity in the peristaltic simulator incorporating the thin rollers was 0.016 m/s, and the corresponding value measured using tracer particles was 0.015 m/s. The occlusion, pressure, and fluid velocity in the new peristaltic simulator fell within physiologically representative ranges. Although no in vitro device perfectly recreates the conditions of the gastrointestinal system, this novel device is a flexible platform for future gastrointestinal research and could allow for high-throughput screening of food materials for health-promoting properties under conditions representative of human gastrointestinal motility.

Combination of Enzymes and Deep Eutectic Solvents as Powerful Toolbox for Organic Synthesis.

During the last decade, a wide spectrum of applications and advantages in the use of deep eutectic solvents for promoting organic reactions has been well established among the scientific community. Among these synthetic methodologies, in recent years, various examples of biocatalyzed processes have been reported, making use of eutectic mixtures as reaction media, as an improvement in terms of selectivity and sustainability. This review aims to show the newly reported protocols in the field, subdivided by reaction class as a 'toolbox' guide for organic synthesis.

Clinical Onset of Action of Incobotulinum Toxin A Preparation.

BACKGROUND: Many studies in vitro compared the onset of action, maximum efficacy, and duration of botulinum toxin type A (BoNT/A) preparations. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we analyzed the onset of action of BoNT/A preparation free of complexing proteins in patients with upper limb spasticity post stroke up to 30 days after treatment. METHODS: 75 patients affected by Biceps Brachii spasticity were enrolled. Outcome measures were instrumental muscle tone modification (myometric measurement), improvement of Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), improvement of elbow's passive extension, and improvement of compound muscle action potential (cMAP) evaluated by electroneurography. We analyzed data at t0 (pre-injection), t1 (1 day after), t2 (7 days after), t3 (14 days after), and t4 (30 days after). RESULTS: All measurements decreased at t2, t3, and t4 with initial improvement at t2 and maximum improvement at t4; no statistical difference at t1 was found. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the onset of Incobotulinumtoxin A efficacy started after 7 days; this rapid action and efficacy of BoNT/A preparation could improve an intensive rehabilitation program after some days post-injection. Early clinical onset of action could be by the absence of complexing proteins in the preparation.

Physical-Chemical Characterization of Different Carbon-Based Sorbents for Environmental Applications.

Biochar has been used in various applications, e.g., as a soil conditioner and in remediation of contaminated water, wastewater, and gaseous emissions. In the latter application, biochar was shown to be a suitable alternative to activated carbon, providing high treatment efficiency. Since biochar is a by-product of waste pyrolysis, its use allows for compliance with circular economics. Thus, this research aims to obtain a detailed characterization of three carbonaceous materials: an activated carbon (CARBOSORB NC 1240®) and two biochars (RE-CHAR® and AMBIOTON®). In particular, the objective of this work is to compare the properties of three carbonaceous materials to evaluate whether the application of the two biochars is the same as that of activated carbon. The characterization included, among others, particle size distribution, elemental analysis, pH, scanning electron microscope, pore volume, specific surface area, and ionic exchange capacity. The results showed that CARBOSORB NC 1240® presented a higher specific surface (1126.64 m2/g) than AMBIOTON® (256.23 m2/g) and RE-CHAR® (280.25 m2/g). Both biochar and activated carbon belong to the category of mesoporous media, showing a pore size between 2 and 50 nm (20-500 Å). Moreover, the chemical composition analysis shows similar C, H, and N composition in the three carbonaceous materials while a higher O composition in RE-CHAR® (9.9%) than in CARBOSORB NC 1240 ® (2.67%) and AMBIOTON® (1.10%). Differences in physical and chemical properties are determined by the feedstock and pyrolysis or gasification temperature. The results obtained allowed to compare the selected materials among each other and with other carbonaceous adsorbents.

Olive Oil-Based Oleogel as Fat Replacer in a Sponge Cake: A Comparative Study and Optimization.

Oleogels (defined as structured solid-like materials with a high amount of oil entrapped within a three-dimensional network of gelator molecules) represent a healthy alternative to fats that are rich in saturated and trans fatty acids. Given its fatty acids composition (oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids), olive oil is an excellent candidate for the use of oleogels in the food industry. In this study, a D-optimal mixture design was employed to optimize the replacement of butter with olive oil-based oleogel in a type of sponge cake formulation: the plum cake. In addition, emulsifiers and whey proteins were used as recipe ingredients to extend the product's shelf life by delaying staling phenomena and mold growth. In the experimental design, oleogel, emulsifier, and whey protein variables were set as the ingredients that change in specific ranges, while hardness, porosity, water activity, and moistness were used to characterize the obtained formulations. The experimental data of each response were fitted through polynomial regression models with the aim of identifying the best plum cake formulation. The results revealed that the best mixture was the formulation containing 76.98% olive oil-based oleogel, 7.28% emulsifier E471, and 15.73% whey protein. We stored the optimized plum cake for 3 months at room temperature and then checked for any hardness and moistness changes or mold spoilage.

Physiological and Structural Responses to Prolonged Water Deficit in Young Trees of Two Olive Cultivars.

This study aimed to characterize the physiological and structural responses of potted one-year-old olive trees belonging to two olive cultivars­'Nocellara del Belice' and 'Cerasuola'­exposed to prolonged drought under greenhouse conditions. Two irrigation treatments based on evapotranspiration (ET) were imposed for 69 days, i.e., well-watered (WW, 100% ET) and drought-stressed (DS, 10−30% ET). Leaf stomatal conductance (gs), stem water potential (Ψstem), transpiration (E), photosynthetic capacity (Amax), water use efficiency (WUE), stem (Kstem) and root (Kroot) hydraulic conductance, trunk diameter variations (TDV), and leaf patch attenuated pressure fluctuations (pp, a proxy of the inverse of leaf turgor pressure) were measured in WW and DS trees at different stages of the experiment. Leaf gs did not significantly differ between cultivars under DS, whereas differences in Ψstem only became significant at the end of prolonged drought, when 'Nocellara del Belice' experienced Ψstem < −4 MPa. 'Cerasuola' trees expressed the best WUE under drought, although they were more susceptible to photoinhibition under optimal plant water status. Both cultivars tended to increase their Kstem at the end of the drought period. A marked reduction in Kroot occurred in 'Cerasuola' plants after prolonged drought; however, a similar mechanism was not observed in 'Nocellara del Belice'. The ratio between Kstem and Kroot exponentially increased towards the end of the prolonged drought period in both cultivars, but more markedly in 'Cerasuola'. TDV and pp trends suggested that 'Cerasuola' plants keep better plant water status under severe drought compared to 'Nocellara del Belice' by maintaining high leaf turgor and reduced trunk diameter fluctuations. These responses may be related to reduced cell wall elasticity and xylem vessel size and/or wall thickness­drought avoidance mechanisms. The Kstem/Kroot ratio can serve as an indicator of drought stress avoidance mechanisms to compare genotype-specific responses to drought stress.

Effect of Load Spatial Configuration on the Heating of Chicken Meat Assisted by Radio Frequency at 40.68 MHz.

Food heating assisted by radio frequencies has been industrially applied to post-harvest treatment of grains, legumes and various kind of nuts, to tempering and thawing of meat and fish products and to post-baking of biscuits. The design of food processes based on the application of radiofrequencies was often based on rules of thumb, so much so that their intensification could lead significant improvements. One of the subjects under consideration is the shape of the food items that may influence their heating assisted by radiofrequency. In this work, a joint experimental and numerical study on the effects of the spatial configuration of a food sample (chicken meat shaped as a parallelepiped) on the heating pattern in a custom RF oven (40.68 MHz, 50 Ohm, 10 cm electrodes gap, 300 W) is presented. Minced chicken breast samples were shaped as cubes (4 × 4 × 4 cm3) to be organized in different loads and spatial configurations (horizontal or vertical arrays of 2 to 16 cubes). The samples were heated at two radiofrequency operative power levels (225 W and 300 W). Heating rate, temperature uniformity and heating efficiency were determined during each run. A digital twin of the experimental system and process was developed by building and numerically solving a 3D transient mathematical model, taking into account electromagnetic field distribution in air and samples and heat transfer in the food samples. Once validated, the digital tool was used to analyze the heating behavior of the samples, focusing on the most efficient configurations. Both experiments and simulations showed that, given a fixed gap between the electrodes (10 cm), the vertically oriented samples exhibited a larger heating efficiency with respect to the horizontally oriented ones, pointing out that the gap between the top electrode and the samples plays a major role in the heating efficiency. The efficiency was larger (double or even more; >40% vs. 10−15%) in thicker samples (built with two layers of cubes), closer to the top electrode, independently from nominal power. Nevertheless, temperature uniformity in vertical configurations was poorer (6−7 °C) than in horizontal ones (3 °C).

Food Products and Digital Tools: The Unexpected Interconnections.

This article discusses the current advances and proposes future directions in the use of science-based digital tools in food product design, highlighting some unexpected interconnections among tools science-based and tools thought for other purposes. The article is structured in two main parts: an overview of the literature on the work done to explore food-related apps and social media for understanding consumers' perception and preferences; a discussion on the integration of consumers' perception and preferences in a wider scheme for food product design based on a prediction of product features using advanced multiscale and hybrid methods for the design of food product features associated to consumer perception and preferences. Understanding consumer needs and preferences and linking them to product features will benefit start-uppers and researchers who develop tools for reinventing food product design.

Computer-aided food engineering.

Computer-aided food engineering (CAFE) can reduce resource use in product, process and equipment development, improve time-to-market performance, and drive high-level innovation in food safety and quality. Yet, CAFE is challenged by the complexity and variability of food composition and structure, by the transformations food undergoes during processing and the limited availability of comprehensive mechanistic frameworks describing those transformations. Here we introduce frameworks to model food processes and predict physiochemical properties that will accelerate CAFE. We review how investments in open access, such as code sharing, and capacity-building through specialized courses could facilitate the use of CAFE in the transformation already underway in digital food systems.

Establishing a Reference Baseline for Midday Stem Water Potential in Olive and Its Use for Plant-Based Irrigation Management.

Midday stem water potential (SWP) is rapidly becoming adopted as a standard tool for plant-based irrigation management in many woody perennial crops. A reference or "baseline" SWP has been used in some crops (almond, prune, grape, and walnut) to account for the climatic influence of air vapor pressure deficit (VPD) on SWP under non-limiting soil moisture conditions. The baseline can be determined empirically for field trees maintained under such non-limiting conditions, but such conditions are difficult to achieve for an entire season. We present the results of an alternative survey-based approach, using a large set of SWP and VPD data collected over multiple years, from irrigation experiments in olive orchards located in multiple countries [Spain, United States (California), Italy, and Argentina]. The relation of SWP to midday VPD across the entire data set was consistent with an upper limit SWP which declined with VPD, with the upper limit being similar to that found in Prunus. A best fit linear regression estimate for this upper limit (baseline) was found by selecting the maximum R 2 and minimum probability for various upper fractions of the SWP/VPD relation. In addition to being surprisingly similar to the Prunus baseline, the olive baseline was also similar (within 0.1 MPa) to a recently published mechanistic olive soil-plant-atmosphere-continuum (SPAC) model for "super high density" orchard systems. Despite similarities in the baseline, the overall physiological range of SWP exhibited by olive extends to about -8 MPa, compared to about -4 MPa for economically producing almond. This may indicate that, despite species differences in physiological responses to low water availability (drought), there may be convergent adaptations/acclimations across species to high levels of water availability. Similar to its use in other crops, the olive baseline will enable more accurate and reproducible plant-based irrigation management for both full and deficit irrigation practices, and we present tentative SWP guidelines for this purpose.

Trigeminal Metastasis of Malignant Melanoma: Clinical, Neuroradiological, and Pathological Features. A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Perineural spread of malignant melanoma (MM) along cranial nerves is a rare complication of MM of the head and neck. CASE REPORT: A 78-year-old man presented with untreatable facial pain and cutaneous hypoesthesia in V2/V3 branches of right trigeminal nerve. Six months earlier patient removed a lentigo maligna melanoma in his right upper lip and a MM in his right gingiva. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed pathologic thickening of the right maxillary and mandibular nerves and of the intracranial trigeminal nerve. Infraorbital nerve biopsy confirms MM neural metastasis. BRAFV600E mutation was identified only in the lentigo maligna melanoma. Patient was treated with brain proton therapy but 5 months later developed sensorimotor deficit of his right arm because of a cervical metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: In patients presenting with atypical facial pain and history of head and neck melanoma a trigeminal spreading should be considered. Magnetic resonance imaging can detect early perineural spread and target biopsy.

Musculoskeletal Pain in Gymnasts: A Retrospective Analysis on a Cohort of Professional Athletes.

Gymnastics athletes are exposed to a high risk of injury, but also of developing musculoskeletal pain. These data are still little investigated in the available scientific literature. An online survey was distributed to 79 professional athletes who practiced artistic and rhythmic gymnastics. The survey collected demographic and anthropometric data, information about the sport practice, the training sessions, the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain gymnastics-related, and lifestyle habits. Musculoskeletal pain had a high prevalence, involving 65 of 79 athletes (82.3%). A significant correlation was found between musculoskeletal pain and the duration of sports practice, both for general pain (p = 0.041) and for specific districts: right wrist pain (p = 0.031), left wrist pain (p = 0.028), right shoulder (p = 0.039), left hip (p = 0.031), right thigh (p = 0.031), and left knee (p = 0.005). Another statistical association was found between right wrist pain and BMI (p = 0.001), and hip pain and BMI (p = 0.030). Hours spent in a sitting position were also correlated with the incidence of pain (p = 0.045). Wrist pain and right shoulder pain had a statistically significant association with the age of the athletes (right wrist pain: p = 0.038; left wrist pain: p = 0.004; right shoulder pain: p = 0.035). The more the gymnasts practice this sport, the more likely they are to develop musculoskeletal pain. Increased age and a higher BMI, as well as daily prolonged sitting position, seem to be potential risk factors for the onset of musculoskeletal pain. Future studies could plan training strategies aimed at preventing musculoskeletal pain associated with gymnastics, in order to promote its further spread.

Gold(I)-Catalyzed Reactivity of Furan-ynes with N-Oxides: Synthesis of Substituted Dihydropyridinones and Pyranones.

The reactivity of "furan-ynes" in combination with pyridine and quinoline N-oxides in the presence of a Au(I) catalyst, has been studied, enabling the synthesis of three different heterocyclic scaffolds. Selective access to two out of the three possible products, a dihydropyridinone and a furan enone, has been achieved through the fine-tuning of the reaction conditions. The reactions proceed smoothly at room temperature and open-air, and were further extended to a broad substrate scope, thus affording functionalized dihydropyridinones and pyranones.

Frequency analysis of storm-scale soil erosion and characterization of extreme erosive events by linking the DWEPP model and a stochastic rainfall generator.

Soil erosion affects agricultural landscapes worldwide, threatening food security and ecosystem viability. In arable environments, soil loss is primarily caused by short, intense rainstorms, typically characterized by high spatiotemporal variability. The complexity of erosive events challenges modeling efforts and explicit inclusion of extreme events in long-term risk assessment is missing. This study is intended to bridge this gap by quantifying the discrete and cumulative impacts of rainstorms on plot-scale soil erosion and providing storm-scale erosion risk analyses for a cropland region in northern Israel. Central to our analyses is the coupling of (1) a stochastic rainfall generator able to reproduce extremes down to 5-minute temporal resolutions; (2) a processes-based event-scale cropland erosion model (Dynamic WEPP, DWEPP); and, (3) a state-of-the-art frequency analysis method that explicitly accounts for rainstorms occurrence and properties. To our knowledge, this is the first study in which DWEPP runoff and soil loss are calibrated at the plot-scale on cropland (NSE is 0.82 and 0.79 for event runoff and sediment, respectively). We generated 300-year stochastic simulations of event runoff and sediment yield based on synthetic precipitation time series. Based on this data, the mean annual soil erosion in the study site is 0.1 kg m-2 [1.1 t ha-1]. Results of the risk analysis indicate that individual extreme rainstorms (>50 return period), characterized by high rainfall intensities (30-minute maximal intensity > ~60 mm h-1) and high rainfall depth (>~200 mm), can trigger soil losses even one order of magnitude higher than the annual mean. The erosion efficiency of these rainstorms is mainly controlled by the short-duration (≤30 min) maximal intensities. The results demonstrate the importance of incorporating the impact of extreme events into soil conservation and management tools. We expect our methodology to be valuable for investigating future changes in soil erosion with changing climate.

Transmission of SARS-Cov-2 and other enveloped viruses to the environment through protective gear: a brief review.

Over the past two decades, several deadly viral epidemics have emerged, which have placed humanity in danger. Previous investigations have suggested that viral diseases can spread through contaminants or contaminated surfaces. The transmission of viruses via polluted surfaces relies upon their capacity to maintain their infectivity while they are in the environment. Here, a range of materials that are widely used to manufacture personal protective equipment (PPE) are summarized, as these offer effective disinfection solutions and are the environmental variables that influence virus survival. Infection modes and prevention as well as disinfection and PPE disposal strategies are discussed. A coronavirus-like enveloped virus can live in the environment after being discharged from a host organism until it infects another healthy individual. Transmission of enveloped viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 can occur even without direct contact, although detailed knowledge of airborne routes and other indirect transmission paths is still lacking. Ground transmission of viruses is also possible via wastewater discharges. While enveloped viruses can contaminate potable water and wastewater through human excretions such as feces and droplets, careless PPE disposal can also lead to their transmission into our environment. This paper also highlights the possibility that viruses can be transmitted into the environment from PPE kits used by healthcare and emergency service personnel. A simulation-based approach was developed to understand the transport mechanism for coronavirus and similar enveloped viruses in the environment through porous media, and preliminary results from this model are presented here. Those results indicate that viruses can move through porous soil and eventually contaminate groundwater. This paper therefore underlines the importance of proper PPE disposal by healthcare workers in the Mediterranean region and around the world.

Algerian Olive Germplasm and Its Relationships with the Central-Western Mediterranean Varieties Contributes to Clarify Cultivated Olive Diversification.

Olive tree with its main final product, olive oil, is an important element of Mediterranean history, considered the emblematic fruit of a civilization. Despite its wide diffusion and economic and cultural importance, its evolutionary and phylogenetic history is still difficult to clarify. As part of the Mediterranean basin, Algeria was indicated as a secondary diversification center. However, genetic characterization studies from Maghreb area, are currently underrepresented. In this context, we characterized 119 endemic Algerian accessions by using 12 microsatellite markers with the main goal to evaluate the genetic diversity and population structure. In order to provide new insights about the history of olive diversification events in the Central-Western Mediterranean basin, we included and analyzed a sample of 103 Italian accessions from Sicily and, a set of molecular profiles of cultivars from the Central-Western Mediterranean area. The phylogenetic investigation let us to evaluate genetic relationships among Central-Mediterranean basin olive germplasm, highlight new synonymy cases to support the importance of vegetative propagation in the cultivated olive diffusion and consolidate the hypothesis of more recent admixture events occurrence. This work provided new information about Algerian germplasm biodiversity and contributed to clarify olive diversification process.

Alginate hydrogel: The influence of the hardening on the rheological behaviour.

Alginate based gels are widely adopted in many pharmaceutical and biomedical fields. The main rheological characteristics of the alginate-based gels are important design parameters for gel preparation. A new methodology for rheological tests on the alginate-based gels has been assessed in order to obtain reliable and reproducible results in terms of loss and storage moduli. The methodology accounts for the effect of morphology on the rheological properties. Reliable results can be achieved if the structure of the gel is preserved during the analysis, thus, the control of the load applied during the rheological test plays a crucial role. The application of the proposed methodology allows to obtain information about the cross-linking degree of hydrogels. To this purpose, hydrogels with different ratios of divalent cations and alginate have been adopted. The number of junctions in the network formed during the cross-linking process has been evaluated and the results are consistent with the infrared analysis conducted on the same hydrogels.