24663 research outputs found
Sort by
Chlorinated and brominated contaminants in Italian chicken eggs from different housing systems
No full textChicken eggs are universally consumed and produced globally using different rearing and husbandry systems. Eggs accumulate a range of contaminants through physiological and environmental mechanisms, with contamination levels being regulated in some regions such as the EU. This study used a unique method which allowed simultaneous determination of commonly occurring toxic environmental contaminants - polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs), and hexabromocyclododecanes (HBCDDs) in the same sample. This methodology was used to investigate Italian eggs raised by three different chicken rearing systems – caged, barn and organic. Despite generally higher (literature) reported levels of these contaminants in organic produce, the study data showed remarkably similar contamination across the three systems. Contamination levels were generally lower (considerably below regulated levels) than literature reports, including in Italian eggs. Mean (and maximum) concentrations detected were 0.14 (0.58) pg TEQ/g fat for PCDD/Fs plus dioxin like-PCBs (DL-PCBs), 0.51 (2.0) ng/g fat for non-dioxin-like PCBs (NDL-PCBs) 1.08 (3.85) ng/g fat for ΣPBDE10, and 0.12 (0.44) ng/g fat for HBCDDs. The only significant differences were found for DL-PCBs and NDL-PCBs in caged chicken eggs compared to the other two systems. The low levels of contamination, particularly in organic eggs may result from: • high levels of control with respect to animal housing and regulation on feed production • limited accessibility to soil contamination that may arise through high and regular turnover of birds over the same areas which depletes inherent soil contaminants • predominance of samples taken from Northern Italy which generally shows relatively lower contamination level
Mechanisms of Pulsed-Light Antifungal Activity: Direct Cellular Damage and Stress Adaptation in Alternaria alternata from Chees
No full textFungal spoilage in cheese production poses a significant risk because of mycotoxin production. As a result, it is crucial to use a structured approach that combines practical measures with strategies that inhibit fungal growth and activity. In this work, we studied the antifungal effect of pulsed light (PL) technology, mainly focusing on Alternaria alternata, a mycotoxin-producing spoilage fungus, frequently present in the semi-hard cheese matrix. Pulsed light was found to be efficient in controlling A. alternata, inhibiting its growth in a dose-dependent manner both on cheese agar medium (CAM) and potato dextrose agar (PDA). The CAM closely mimics the physicochemical properties of real cheese surfaces, making it a relevant model for practical applications. PL treatment caused up to 30 % inhibition of mycelial growth, while spore germination was significantly reduced by up to 79 %. Confocal microscopy revealed that PL induced cell death in A. alternata FCS26, which was marked by cellular and mitochondrial membrane potential loss, suggesting membrane depolarization. Additionally, PL elicited oxidative stress through increased intracellular levels of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) and calcium, along with DNA damage and mitochondrial impairment. Chitin accumulation and lipid droplet reorganization were identified as adaptive responses reflecting cell wall reinforcement and altered lipid metabolism. Overall, this study provides new mechanistic insight into A. alternata inactivation and highlights PL as a promising, non-thermal antifungal intervention for the dairy industry
Enhancing antioxidant and bioactive metabolite production in Carthamus tinctorius cell suspension culture through nano-elicitor mediated elicitation
No full textIn this study, Se-doped CeO2@Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized and applied to a Carthamus tinctorius (safflower) cell suspension culture using liquid medium (B5). The application of these NPs at various levels (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 mg L−1) was studied for its e ects on cell growth, physio-biochemical traits and antioxidative activities. The addition of NPs to the culture media signi cantly improved the cell biomass, antioxidant potential and phenolic contents. The addition of NPs at the rate of 15 mg L−1 (T3 treatment group) signi cantly improved the dry biomass of cells (128.72%), total chlorophyll contents (76.02%), and reduced levels of hydrogen peroxide (5.15%) and reactive oxygen (26.51%) compared to the control group (0 mg L−1). Furthermore, this study identified 29 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the jasmonate signalling pathway. Notably, only the two DEGs from the MYC2 family showed mixed expression at di erent time points (6 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h) following treatment with Se-doped CeO2@Fe3O4 NPs. In conclusion, these findings demonstrate that this approach is effective, adaptable, biocompatible, and cost-efficient, offering a promising strategy for enhancing the production of antioxidant and bioactive metabolites in industrial-scale safflower cultivation
Image-based assessment of tail docking and tail biting in slaughtered pigs across three European countries
No full textSlaughterhouse monitoring provides a cost-effective and suitable tool for large-scale surveillance of tail-biting, which is a major welfare issue in pig production. The European Union Council Directive 2008/120/EC prohibits routine tail-docking as a preventive measure against tail-biting. Nevertheless, compliance remains inconsistent, and tail-docking is still widely practiced in Europe. This study aimed to assess the occurrence of tail-biting and tail-docking in slaughtered pigs (n = 15,000) from Italy, Netherlands and Spain using digital images. Results indicate that most pigs were tail-docked (88.1%), with substantial variation among countries: tail-docking was most common in Spain (99.4%), followed by Netherlands (86.5%), and least common in Italy (78.5%). Overall, tail-biting lesions were observed in 5.4% of pigs, with the highest prevalence in Italy (11.6%), followed by Netherlands (3.4%), and Spain (1%). The differences among the three countries were significant (p < 0.0001), tail lesions being more frequent in pigs with undocked tails than docked tails (p < 0.0001). The risk of having a lesion was substantially higher in pigs with undocked/intermediate tails (relative risk = 4.6). The severity of lesions was scored using two different methods, which showed an almost perfect agreement (weighted Cohen’s kappa coefficient 0.826; p < 0.0001). Lesions were most frequently detectable in the two lateral views, whereas the central view alone was inconclusive in most of pigs (99%)
Integrated cloverleaf-like paper-based analytical device for quantitative colorimetric sensing of maleic hydrazide
No full textPaper-based analytical devices (PADs) are becoming pivotal tools in the sensing field; however, the integration of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) on them deserves further exploration to obtain all-in-one selective devices. Herein, a cloverleaf-like PAD integrating a MIP for the smartphone-based selective colorimetric determination of maleic hydrazide (MH), a widely used plant growth regulator, is proposed. The device encompasses the complete MH analysis in a 4-leaved format (4L-μMIP/PAD), where the μMIP is housed at the center and each leaf encloses an analytical step (i.e., sample excess removal, washing, analyte elution, and MH colorimetric detection). The μMIP was synthesized with a UV lamp on fiberglass, while the entire paper device was manufactured via laser plotter and wax printer. The μMIP displays an imprinting factor of 17 and was characterized via FTIR, SEM, and elemental mapping, resulting selective toward MH. The colorimetric sensing, integrated on the sensing leaf, was attempted on 13 different paper types. The final 4L-μMIP/PAD allows the selective MH determination in the range 5–60 mg kg−1 (R2 = 0.995; RSD ≤ 11 %, n = 3) with a LOD of 0.7 mg kg−1, meeting the requirements for MH analysis in samples at Maximal Residual Levels admitted by the law. The device ensures the complete MH analysis in 50 min, with 40 μL of sample, resulting stable and ready-for-use, for 1 month (RSD = 9 %). Eventually, the 4L-μMIP/PAD was successfully tested for MH analysis in garlic, onions, and carrots, obtaining recoveries between 89 % and 110 % and reproducible data (RSD ≤ 15 %, n = 3)