Publications by authors named "M Di Giovine"
Article Synopsis
- Secondary metabolites are compounds that help organisms defend against others or attract mates, and their production is influenced by evolutionary factors.
- This study focused on the ecotoxicological effects of extracts from three marine sponges and two benthic diatoms on marine organisms, specifically the Mediterranean purple sea urchin and other diatoms.
- Results indicated that while unfertilized eggs showed some protection from harmful sponge compounds, treatments with sponge extracts had significant negative effects post-fertilization, and diatom extracts led to increased malformations in both pre- and post-fertilization stages.
Article Synopsis
- * Researchers analyzed the nematocyst extract from a common hydrozoan, identifying 783 proteins including structural components, enzymes, and potential toxins, similar to those found in more harmful cnidarians.
- * Biochemical tests identified active enzymes like proteases and phospholipases, suggesting future research could explore the pharmacological uses of these venom components through recombinant methods.
Edible ice is often produced by special machines that can represent a source of significant chemical and microbiological contamination. In this work, the presence of phthalic acid esters (phthalates, PAEs) and heavy metals in ice cubes distributed by 77 vending machines installed in two different zones in southern Italy and fed by water from the public water supply was investigated. Solid-phase microextraction coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC/MS) was used to evaluate contamination with four PAEs, which were selected because they are commonly used in the production of food-contact plastics, while inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP/MS) was used to quantify the heavy metals.
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- The oceans, covering over 70% of Earth, are rich in biodiversity, with sponges acting as vital ecosystem engineers that provide habitats and bioactive compounds.
- A study utilized metataxonomic techniques to analyze bacterial communities in sponges collected from Faro Lake and Porto Paone, employing molecular markers for sponge identification.
- The analysis discovered a variety of bacterial classes, including several first-time findings, and highlighted that certain sponge species hosted specific bacteria previously associated mainly with soil and plants.
Global warming has led to an increase in extreme weather and climate phenomena, including floods and heatwaves. Marine heatwaves have frightening consequences for coastal benthic communities around the world. Each species exhibits a natural range of thermal tolerance and responds to temperature variations through behavioral, physiological, biochemical, and molecular adjustments.
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