Trace elements in feathers, pectoral plumage, and blood of griffon vultures (Gyps fulvus) from a captive environment of Southern Italy.

Heavy metals and metalloids are increasingly recognised as a threat to avian health, especially in species at the top of the food chain such as vultures. Griffon Vultures (Gyps fulvus) are ideal bioindicators for studying environmental contamination due to their scavenging habits and territorial behavior. In this study, we analysed the concentrations of six trace elements (Cd, Pb, Cr, Sb, Ni, and Cu) in feathers, pectoral plumage, and blood samples of Griffon Vultures from a captive environment in Sicily, Southern Italy, using an ICP-MS method.

Survey on the presence of floating microplastics, trace metals and metalloids in seawater from Southern Italy to the United States of America.

The presence of microplastics (MPs), trace metals (TM) and metalloids (Ms) in surface seawater is a severe emerging issue of global concern. Information about the distribution of these pollutants is often lacking, and large-scale studies come with uncertainties because of difficult comparisons of results obtained using different methods to collect and process data. This study presents a comprehensive investigation of microplastics (MPs), trace metals (TM) and metalloids (Ms) in surface seawater during two transatlantic sampling campaigns, covering approximately 17,000 nautical miles.

Screening of Anisakis-Related Allergies and Associated Factors in a Mediterranean Community Characterized by High Seafood Consumption.

Dietary changes expose consumers to risks from larvae in seafood, leading to parasitic diseases and allergies. is recognized by EFSA as a significant hazard, with potential oncogenic implications. Diagnostic advancements, like the Basophil Activation Test (BAT), enhance sensitivity and accuracy in identifying sensitization, complementing traditional IgE tests.

Metal Levels in Striped Dolphins () and Common Dolphins () Stranded along the Sicilian Coastlines of the Mediterranean Sea.

Dolphins, top predators of the aquatic food chain, are used as sentinel species of marine pollution as they are sensitive to environmental changes and able to accumulate a large content of contaminants. Several EU directives promote study of marine mammalians as bio-indicators to evaluate the presence of contaminants in the aquatic environment, such as the Mediterranean Sea, which is rich in environmental pollutants due to its geographic and geo-morphological characteristics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the content of toxic and essential metals and metalloids (Hg, Pb, Cd, As, Se and Zn), through ICP-MS analysis, in organs/tissues (liver, muscle, lung, kidney and skin) of striped dolphins () and common dolphins ) stranded along the Sicilian coastlines of the Mediterranean Sea.

Distribution of trace metals and metalloids in tissues of Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) from Southern Italy.

Heavy metals and metalloids in the environment are recognised as a threat to the health of organism. Terrestrial birds are ideal subjects for the examination of these pollutants because of their high mobility and high intra- and interspecific variation in trophic levels. We examined the contents of 6 trace metals (Cd, Pb, Cr, Sb and V) and metalloids (As) in the liver, kidney, muscle, and feathers of woodcocks (Scolopax rusticola) from Southern Italy by a validated ICP-MS method.

Trace Elements in : Assessment of Marine Environmental Pollution and Dolphin Health Status.

Heavy metals are environmental contaminants and can easily accumulate and biomagnify in various marine species (fishes and mammalians) at the top of the aquatic food chain. Among marine mammalians, the striped dolphin () is the most abundant cetacean in the Mediterranean Sea and is considered to be a sentinel species to monitor the environmental marine pollution. In this study, the contents of toxic metals and metalloids (Cd, Pb, Hg, and As), micro-elements (Ni, Cr, Cu, Fe, Co, Mn, Se and Zn) and macro-elements (Na, Ca, K, Mg and P) were evaluated by ICP-MS analysis in several organs/tissues (lung, skin, muscle and liver) of .

Microbiological and Toxicological Investigations on Bivalve Molluscs Farmed in Sicily.

Bivalves can concentrate biological and chemical pollutants, causing foodborne outbreaks whose occurrence is increasing, due to climatic and anthropic factors that are difficult to reverse, hence the need for improved surveillance. This study aimed to evaluate the hygienic qualities of bivalves sampled along the production and distribution chain in Sicily and collect useful data for consumer safety. Bacteriological and molecular analyses were performed on 254 samples of bivalves for the detection of enteropathogenic , spp.

Determination of Mycotoxins in Plant-Based Meat Alternatives (PBMAs) and Ingredients after Microwave Cooking.

In this study, we investigate the role of microwave cooking in reducing mycotoxin contamination in plant-based food matrices, with a focus on veggie burgers (purchased and home-made) and their ingredients (soybean, potatoes, zucchini, carrots). Two different conditions were studied (Max-Min) that were 800 W for 60 s and 800 W for 90 s, respectively. The degradation patterns of aflatoxins (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1, AFG2), fumonisins (FB1, FB2, FB3), trichothecenes (T2, HT2, ZEA), and ochratoxin A (OTA) were studied.

Autophagy machinery plays an essential role in traumatic brain injury-induced apoptosis and its related behavioral abnormalities in mice: focus on Sacra gum resin.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is described as a structural damage or physiological disturbance of brain function that occurs after trauma and causes disability or death in people of all ages. New treatment targets for TBI are being explored because current medicines are frequently ineffectual and poorly tolerated. There is increasing evidence that following TBI, there are widespread changes in autophagy-related proteins in both experimental and clinical settings.

Redox Modulation of Meniere Disease by Treatment, a Nutritional Mushroom Approach with Neuroprotective Potential.

Background: Meniere's disease (MD) is a cochlear neurodegenerative disease. Hearing loss appears to be triggered by oxidative stress in the ganglion neurons of the inner ear.

Objective: Here, we confirm the variation of markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in patients with Meniere and hypothesize that chronic treatment with Coriolus mushroom helps in the response to oxidative stress and acts on α-synuclein and on NF-kB-mediated inflammatory processes Methods: Markers of oxidative stress and inflammation were evaluated in MD patients with or without Coriolus treatment for 3 or 6 months.

Polyphenols of white lupin ( L.) seeds cultivated in Southern Italy by a LC-HRMS method.

In this work we examined the contents of 14 polyphenols in white lupin ( L.) samples cultivated in Southern Italy by the optimisation and validation of a LC-HRMS method. The validation of the LC-HRMS method showed linearity results r > 0.

Antioxidants, Hormetic Nutrition, and Autism.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) includes a heterogeneous group of complex neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by atypical behaviors with two core pathological manifestations: deficits in social interaction/communication and repetitive behaviors, which are associated with disturbed redox homeostasis. Modulation of cellular resilience mechanisms induced by low levels of stressors represents a novel approach for the development of therapeutic strategies, and in this context, neuroprotective effects of a wide range of polyphenol compounds have been demonstrated in several in vitro and in vivo studies and thoroughly reviewed. Mushrooms have been used in traditional medicine for many years and have been associated with a long list of therapeutic properties, including antitumor, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, and hepatoprotective effects.

Identification of (Nematoda: Anisakidae) in Great Cormorants (Blumenbach, 1978) from Southern Italy.

In this study, four dead great cormorant (Blumenbach, 1978) specimens, collected from the coasts and lakes of Southern Italy, were examined by necropsy for the detection of sp. The adults and larvae found were subjected to morphological analysis and molecular identification by PCR-RFLP. A total of 181 specimens were detected in all of the four great cormorants examined (prevalence = 100%), showing an intensity of infestation between nine and ninety-two.

Toxic metals in Loggerhead sea turtles () stranded freshly dead along Sicilian coasts.

Background: The Loggerhead sea turtle () is a marine reptile belonging to a monophyletic group of chelonians. As these animals are long-lived, they have the ability to accumulate pollutants.

Aim: To collect epidemiological data on toxic metals in marine Loggerhead sea turtles.

Evolution of Free Amino Acids, Histamine and Volatile Compounds in the Italian Anchovies ( L.) Sauce at Different Ripening Times.

In this study, the evolution of the safety, nutritional, and volatile profile of a traditional Italian anchovy sauce with protected designation of origin (PDO), called "colatura di alici di Cetara", is investigated after 12, 24, and 48 months of aging in wooden barrels. Some physicochemical parameters, free amino acids, volatile compounds, and histamine contents were evaluated during the aging of the samples. Glutamate, which together with aspartate is responsible for the umami taste, was the predominant free amino acid in the tested fish sauce, with a significant increase during the 48 months of maturation.

First Report on the Presence of Toxic Metals and Metalloids in East Asian Bullfrog () Legs.

We examined the presence of As, Cr, Cd, and Pb in 42 samples of farmed East Asian bullfrog (Hoplobatrachus rugulosus) from Vietnam and Thailand by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). An estimation of the dietary intake and exposure to the toxic elements analysed was also carried out. The results showed very high As levels, with mean values of 0.

Effect of steaming on chemical composition of Mediterranean mussel (): Evaluation of potential risk associated with human consumption.

Steaming process is the most popular method for cooking mussels worldwide. The effect of this cooking process on some toxic (Cd, Ni, Pb), essential (Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn) elements, minerals (Na, K, Ca, Mg), total lipids, and fatty acid profiles in the Mediterranean mussels () harvested from the Black Sea was studied. Different approaches to assess the benefits and risks (-6/-3, PUFA/SFA, AI, TI, h/H, EDI, THQ, HI, TR, and HQ) were employed.

Effects of Sulfamethoxazole on Fertilization and Embryo Development in the Sea Urchin.

To date, drugs released into the aquatic environment are a real problem, and among antibiotics, sulfamethoxazole is the one most widely found in wastewater; thus, the evaluation of its toxicity on marine organisms is very important. This study, for the first time, investigates the in vitro effects of 4 concentrations of sulfamethoxazole (0.05 mg/L, 0.

Essential and non-essential elements in white lupin ( L.) cultivated in Southern Italy.

We assessed the presence of V, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Sb, Cd, and Pb in white lupin samples cultivated in Southern Italy by the validation of an Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) method. The ICP-MS method validation showed satisfactory values of linearity (r > 0.999), recovery (87.

Fatty Acids Composition of Stomach Oil of Scopoli's Shearwater () from Linosa's Colony.

is a Procellariforms seabird having a very representative colony in Linosa Island (Southern Italy). The adult forms of produce a pasty oil from their proventriculus to feed their chicks during the rearing period. In this work, we examined the fatty acids composition of the stomach oil of from Linosa Island by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID).

Anisakicidal Effects of R (+) Limonene: An Alternative to Freezing Treatment in the Industrial Anchovy Marinating Process.

Anisakiasis is a fish-borne zoonotic disease caused by the ingestion of raw/undercooked fishes or cephalopods parasitized by members of the genus . Freezing ensures the inactivation of viable larvae; however, since it affects the organoleptic properties of food, essential oils and their compounds were proposed as an alternative. In this study, fresh anchovy fillets were experimentally parasitized with L3 larvae to test the anisakicidal efficacy of R (+) limonene (LMN) in marinated fishery products.

Toxic metals and total lipids comparison between wild and farmed fish of South mediterranean.

A total of 151 wild and farmed fish samples of three species (, and ) from south Mediterranean were examined for cadmium, lead and mercury and total lipids detection to verify possible differences between wild and farmed fish. Mercury was detected only in samples, with mean values of 0.056 ± 0.