Vision Measurement System for Gender-Based Counting of .

The exploitation of insects as protein sources in the food industry has had a strong impact in recent decades for many reasons. The emphasis for this phenomenon has its primary basis on sustainability and also to the nutritional value provided. The gender of the insects, specifically , is strictly related to their nutritional value and therefore the availability of an automatic system capable of counting the number of Acheta in an insect farm based on their gender will have a strong impact on the sustainability of the farm itself.

Unlocking the elemental signature of European tea gardens: Implications for tea traceability.

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the elemental profiles of tea leaves coming from plants grown in several European gardens, with a focus on the bioaccumulation of essential and potentially toxic trace elements in relation to processing and location of tea garden. Samples were collected from various gardens across Europe, including Portugal, the Azores, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. Elemental analysis was conducted on fresh tea leaves, dried leaves, and leaves processed for the production of green and black tea, along with soil samples from the root zones of tea plants.

Evaluation of Growth Performance and Environmental Impact of Larvae Reared on Coffee Silverskins Enriched with or Microalgae.

is a promising insect due to its ability to convert low-value substrates as food chain by-products into highly nutritious feed. Its feeding and nutrition are important issues. The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of different substrates consisting of coffee silverskin, a by-product of the roasting process, enriched with different inclusions of microalgae (5%, 10%, 20%, and 25%), and , combined with the assessment of environmental sustainability by LCA.

Insights on the Nutraceutical Properties of Different Specialty Teas Grown and Processed in a German Tea Garden.

European countries have recently started experimenting with growing and producing their own teas in small quantities, mainly for the specialty tea sector. To characterize European teas, this study investigated a set of five tea types obtained from different varieties/cultivars, representing various oxidation grades (green, white, yellow, oolong, black), all grown and processed in the only tea garden in Europe (in Germany) that focuses on all five types. Hot and cold brews were studied by measuring the total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid contents (TFC), the antioxidant capacity and UV-Vis spectra, also with the objective of discriminating between the different tea types and the different plant varieties.

Determination of Hg and Se in swordfish (Xiphias gladius) from Mediterranean Sea: Implications for nutritional recommendations during pregnancy and childhood.

Swordfish (Xiphias gladius) are important marine predators facing potential mercury (Hg) contamination. This study analyzed Hg levels in swordfish muscle tissue from two Mediterranean Sea stocks. Italian specimens showed significantly higher Hg concentrations (1.

Mercury in honey from the Marche region (central Italy). Risk assessment from human consumption and its use as bioindicator of environmental pollution.

Honey is a natural product made by honeybees () from nectar or honeydew. It is a very popular and appreciated product all over the world as it represents a rapidly available energy source and exerts several beneficial properties for humans. However, it has been demonstrated that honey can be contaminated by potentially toxic elements (PTEs) of natural or anthropogenic origin.

Comparative Analysis of Hot and Cold Brews from Single-Estate Teas () Grown across Europe: An Emerging Specialty Product.

Tea is grown around the world under extremely diverse geographic and climatic conditions, namely, in China, India, the Far East and Africa. However, recently, growing tea also appears to be feasible in many regions of Europe, from where high-quality, chemical-free, organic, single-estate teas have been obtained. Hence, the aim of this study was to characterize the health-promoting properties in terms of the antioxidant capacity of traditional hot brews as well as cold brews of black, green and white teas produced across the European territory using a panel of antioxidant assays.

Essential and Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) Content in European Tea () Leaves: Risk Assessment for Consumers.

Tea () is the second most consumed beverage worldwide, playing a key role in the human diet. Tea is considered a healthy drink, as its consumption has been linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease-related events and death, stroke, metabolic syndrome and obesity. However, several studies have shown that is a hyperaccumulator of Al and other elements that are considered potentially toxic.

Mercury levels in Merluccius merluccius muscle tissue in the central Mediterranean Sea: Seasonal variation and human health risk.

In this study we analysed total mercury (THg) levels in European hake (Merluccius merluccius) - an ecologically and commercially important species throughout the Mediterranean - caught in the northern and central Adriatic Sea. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study evaluating THg levels in hake fillets in relation to ecological (season) and biological (body size, sex, sexual maturity, lipid content) parameters. THg levels in muscle showed no sex-related differences; in contrast, significant season-related differences were found in females, with higher levels in spring-summer compared with autumn-winter.

New Eco-Sustainable Feed in Aquaculture: Influence of Insect-Based Diets on the Content of Potentially Toxic Elements in the Experimental Model Zebrafish ().

According to the concept of circular economy, insects represent good candidates as aquafeed ingredients. Nevertheless, there are some potential chemical risks linked with insect consumption. In this study, we reared the teleost , used as an experimental model, with five experimental diets characterized by increasing levels (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) of full-fat (Hi) prepupae, substituting for fish meal (FM) and fish oil (FO).

Erratum: Illuminati et al. Determination of Cd, Pb, and Cu in the Atmospheric Aerosol of Central East Antarctica at Dome C (Concordia Station). 2021, , 1997.

The authors wish to make the following corrections to the paper [...

The impact of seawater warming on fatty acid composition and nutritional quality indices of Trematomus bernacchii from the Antarctic region.

There is a growing interest in exploiting Antarctic fisheries for human consumption. However, information on how the nutritional qualities of these resources will respond to the predicted seawater warming in the region for the next century is poor. The present research investigates changes in various nutritional indices of dietary importance (e.

Determination of Cd, Pb, and Cu in the Atmospheric Aerosol of Central East Antarctica at Dome C (Concordia Station).

Trace heavy metals Cd, Pb, and Cu were determined (by square wave anodic stripping voltammetry) in aerosol samples collected at Dome C (the Italo-French Station Concordia), a remote site of the Central East Antarctic plateau, for which no data are available until now. During the Austral Summer 2005-2006, three PM10 high-volume impactors were installed in two locations nearby of Concordia station: the first one very close and downwind of the station (about 50 m north), the other two (very close to each other) in a 'distant' site, upwind of the station and close to the astrophysics tent (not used in that expedition) at ~800 m south of Station Concordia. For each sample, the availability of the mass of the aerosol collected (obtained by differential weighing carried out on site), in addition to the volume of the filtered air, allowed us to express results both in terms of metal mass fractions in the aerosol and in the usual way of metal atmospheric concentrations.

Possible Dietary Effects of Insect-Based Diets across Zebrafish () Generations: A Multidisciplinary Study on the Larval Phase.

Insects represent a valuable and sustainable alternative ingredient for aquafeed formulation. However, insect-based diets have often highlighted controversial results in different fish species, especially when high inclusion levels were used. Several studies have demonstrated that nutritional programming through parental feeding may allow the production of fish better adapted to use sub-optimal aquafeed ingredients.

Physiological responses of Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) juveniles fed on full-fat insect-based diet in an aquaponic system.

Over the last years, the potential use of Black Soldier Fly meal (BSF) as a new and sustainable aquafeed ingredient has been largely explored in several fish species. However, only fragmentary information is available about the use of BSF meal-based diets in sturgeon nutrition. In consideration of a circular economy concept and a more sustainable aquaculture development, the present research represents the first comprehensive multidisciplinary study on the physiological effects of a BSF diet during sturgeon culture in an aquaponic system.

Seasonal Evolution of Size-Segregated Particulate Mercury in the Atmospheric Aerosol Over Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica.

Size-fractionated particulate mercury (PHg) measurements were performed from November 2017 to January 2018 at Terra Nova Bay (Antarctica) for the first time. Samples were collected every 10 days by a six-stage high-volume cascade impactor with size classes between 10 μm and 0.49 μm.

Can Insect-Based Diets Affect Zebrafish () Reproduction? A Multidisciplinary Study.

Black Soldier Fly (BSF) meal is considered an alternative, emerging, and sustainable ingredient for aquafeed formulation. However, results on fish physiological responses are still fragmentary and often controversial, and no data are available on the effect of insect meal-based diets on fish reproduction. On this regard, zebrafish, with its relatively short life cycle, represents an ideal experimental model to explore this topic.

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) physiological and behavioural responses to insect-based diets: a multidisciplinary approach.

Black Soldier Fly (BSF) meal is considered as an alternative, emerging and sustainable ingredient for aquafeed production. However, results on fish physiological responses are still fragmentary and often controversial, while no studies are available on fish behavior in response to these new diets. The present work represents the first comprehensive multidisciplinary study aimed to investigate zebrafish physiological and behavioural responses to BSF-based diets.

A Chemically Safe Way to Produce Insect Biomass for Possible Application in Feed and Food Production.

Black soldier fly (, HI, Diptera, Stratiomydae) has great potential as a food and feed ingredient in the European Union (EU). The production of insects as livestock feed or as food ingredients requires strict monitoring of the content of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the growth substrate, to meet the security requirements. This study aims to investigate the presence of PTEs, like cadmium, lead, mercury, arsenic, and nickel, in HI prepupae and in their growth substrates based on coffee roasting by-product and microalgae sp.

Mercury Content in Central and Southern Adriatic Sea Sediments in Relation to Seafloor Geochemistry and Sedimentology.

Mercury contents were determined in surface sediments from the Central and Southern Adriatic Sea to gain insight into the processes, factors, and variables affecting its distribution. Mercury concentration was measured by thermal decomposition amalgamation atomic absorption spectrometry in samples collected by box-corer from Ancona to Santa Maria di Leuca during the CNR-PERTRE cruise (16/9-4/10/2016). Sediments were also evaluated for chemical-physical parameters (pH, Eh), biogeochemical composition (total carbon, inorganic carbon, total organic carbon, organic matter) and grain size.

Influence of Feeding Substrates on the Presence of Toxic Metals (Cd, Pb, Ni, As, Hg) in Larvae of : Risk Assessment for Human Consumption.

Larvae of L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) are particularly suitable as novel food for the human consumption; nevertheless, there are some potential safety risks linked with insect consumption. In this study we investigated the presence of Cd, Pb, Ni, As, Hg in new feeding substrates coming from solid residues generated by olive fruits processing, called olive-pomace, and their influence on the metal content in larvae of .

A six-months study on Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) based diets in zebrafish.

Intensive fish farming relies on the use of feeds based on fish meal and oil as optimal ingredients; however, further development of the aquaculture sector needs new, nutritious and sustainable ingredients. According to the concept of circular economy, insects represent good candidates as aquafeed ingredients since they can be cultured through environmental-friendly, cost-effective farming processes, on by-products/wastes, and many studies have recently been published about their inclusion in fish feed. However, information about the physiological effects of insect-based diets over the whole life cycle of fish is presently missing.

Determination of Hg in Farmed and Wild Atlantic Bluefin Tuna ( L. Muscle.

Mercury (Hg) is a well-known toxic element, diffused in the environment, especially in the Mediterranean Sea which is rich in cinnabar deposits. Mercury bioaccumulation in fish is of great concern, especially for top-level aquatic predators (e.g.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) accumulation in different common sole (Solea solea) tissues from the North Adriatic Sea peculiar impacted area.

This study extends our knowledge of the bioaccumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in marine organisms and investigates its possible determinants. PAH levels were measured in Solea solea tissue and in marine sediments collected from three areas of the northern Adriatic Sea characterized by different anthropic impacts (Venetian Lagoon, Po Delta, and fishing grounds off Chioggia). The possibility of differential PAH bioaccumulation in different tissues (muscle, liver and gills) was investigated by seeking relationships between mean individual and total PAH concentrations in tissue and sediment samples, the physicochemical properties of PAHs (rings and K), and some key biological variables (lipid content of tissues, body size, habitat).