Monitoring of Non-Maximum-Residue-Level Pesticides in Animal Feed: A Study from 2019 to 2023.

Pesticides play a critical role in modern agriculture by protecting crops and ensuring higher yields, but their widespread use raises concerns about human health and environmental impact. Regulatory agencies impose Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) to ensure safety, and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) assesses pesticide risks. This study monitored pesticide residues in 169 feed samples from Piedmont (Italy) collected between 2019 and 2023.

Mammary gland, skin and soft tissue tumors in pet cats: findings of the feline tumors collected from 2002 to 2022.

Introduction: Cancer is a leading cause of death in cats, and the rate of such disease has been increasing recently. Nonetheless, feline oncology represents an important area of study not only for the health and wellbeing of cats but also for human health since various types of cancer in cats share similarities to those found in humans. Therefore, epidemiological studies on feline oncology may suggest environmental and genetic factors contributing to cancer in cats, which can eventually be translated to improve human cancer care.

Marine phycotoxin levels in shellfish-14 years of data gathered along the Italian coast.

Along the Italian coasts, toxins of algal origin in wild and cultivated shellfish have been reported since the 1970s. In this study, we used data gathered by the Veterinary Public Health Institutes (IZS) and the Italian Environmental Health Protection Agencies (ARPA) from 2006 to 2019 to investigate toxicity events along the Italian coasts and relate them to the distribution of potentially toxic species. Among the detected toxins (OA and analogs, YTXs, PTXs, STXs, DAs, AZAs), OA and YTX were those most frequently reported.

Shellfish sanitation monitoring in La Spezia gulf: Chemometric evaluation of data from 2015 to 2021.

Shellfish sanitary controls are very important to guarantee consumer health because bivalve molluscs (BVM) are filter-feeders so they can accumulate pathogens, environmental contaminants and biotoxins produced by some algae, causing infections and food poisoning in humans after ingestion. The purpose of this work was to analyse with chemometric methods the historical data relating to routine analyses carried out by the competent authority (Liguria Local Health Unit, National Health Service) on the BVM reared in a shellfish farm located in the Gulf of La Spezia (Italy). Chemometric analysis was aimed at identifying any correlations between the variables, as well as any seasonal trends and similarities between the stations, in order to be able to provide further material for a more accurate risk assessment and to improve the monitoring organization for example by reducing sampling stations and/or sampling frequency.

Soy, Rice and Oat Drinks: Investigating Chemical and Biological Safety in Plant-Based Milk Alternatives.

During the last decades, plant-based milk has become very appreciated by consumers, becoming a staple ingredient, especially for alternative breakfasts. Milk contains lactose, which is a sugar hydrolysed by the lactase enzyme. Lactose intolerance and lactose malabsorption are very common food intolerances among individuals.

Cadmium and wild boar: Environmental exposure and immunological impact on macrophages.

Cadmium (Cd) is regarded as one of the most toxic heavy metals, which can enter the food chain through environmental contamination and be bioaccumulated. Its exposure in Ligurian wild boars was monitored between 2016-2020 and revealed high level of this heavy metal in different provinces. In one of these polluted area, 21 wild boars were additionally sampled and the relationship between hepatic and renal Cd concentration suggested that majority of these animals presented chronic intoxication.

Characterization of MDCK cells and evaluation of their ability to respond to infectious and non-infectious stressors.

The Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cell line is widely used as epithelial cell model in studies ranging from viral infection to environmental pollutants, and vaccines production. However, little is known about basal expression of genes involved in innate immunity, and the ability to respond to infectious and non-infectious stressors. Therefore, the aims of our study were to evaluate the basal level of expression of pivotal genes in the innate immune response and cell cycle regulation, as well as to evaluate the ability of this cell line to respond to infectious or non-infectious stressors.

Correction: Occurrence of Harmful Algal Species and Shellfish Toxicity in Sardinia (Italy).

[This corrects the article on p. 6095 in vol. 5, PMID: 28058244.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon levels in European catfish from the upper Po River basin.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a major concern in environmental studies as many of them have been labeled as probable carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC 1983). Due to their lipophilic properties and resistance to degradation, PAHs can accumulate in organic tissue. As a consequence, alarming concentrations of these compounds have been found in many aquatic species.