1,721,130 research outputs found
Snacking insects? A global market investigation
Full text linkThe world population is expected to grow rapidly and exceed 10.4 billion by 2100. In this scenario, greater
environmental pressure and natural resource scarcity are inevitable. A possible solution suggested by international authorities is the use of novel protein sources for conventional production, such as the use of edible insects
as food, in Western countries. The present work investigates recent market trends in the edible insect sector, in
terms of a growing focus on sustainability, product offerings, diversification of insect-based products, and
increasing consumer awareness. The Mintel Global New Product Database was used to identify newly launched
products in the global market that incorporate insects as ingredients. The market analysis focused on the food
category with the highest number of newly launched products, the insect snack bar category. The results of a
global market investigation on insect snack bars are further presented including the market analysis of several
aspects, such as price, country distribution, nutritional values, and communication strategies. Finally, market
considerations are provided that could interest stakeholders in the insect supply chain, including retailers, manufacturers, and policymakers
Looking for biomarkers of health status in the hemolymph of Apis mellifera
No full textThe demographic decline of honeybees (Apis mellifera) determines negative effects not only for agriculture and apiculture, but also for the ecosystems.
For this reason, it is mandatory to understand the determinants causing the decline and to establish objective criteria to evaluate their health status. Proteins in the hemolymph may represent a source of valuables biomarkers to assess the health status of the hive; however, they are still poorly investigated.
The aim of this study is to separate, to identify the most abundant proteins in the hemolymph, and to identify biomarkers of health status that could help beekeepers and veterinarians in the management and treatment of the hives.
Four apiaries were chosen for this research, characterized by different management and location (A= hill, B and D= plain, C= apiary subjected to nomadism). In each apiary, three hives were selected and bees were collected in June, July, August, September, and October. Then 2 μL of hemolymph were withdrawn from each bee and the total proteins were determined by the Bradford method. The proteins of the hemolymph were separated using the SDS-PAGE electrophoresis and identified using mass spectrometry. Colony-level traits (areas covered with bees, brood, sealed brood and pollen) were also estimated.
In the hemolymph of honeybees, 20 proteins were identified and among these, five proteins showed relevant variations. These are vitellogenin, apolipophorin, hexamerin, transferrin and prophenoloxidase. In particular, in October, the apiary C presented worst general conditions and a lower population associated with lower concentrations of total proteins, apolipoforin and vitellogenin. The apiary D, on the contrary, had the best trophic and health conditions, associated with higher concentrations of all the aforementioned five proteins.
Thereby, it is possible to hypothesize that these proteins may be valuables biomarkers of health status, and it is worthy to continue their study
Efficacy of Extracts of Oleogum Resin of Boswellia in the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Full text linkBackground: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) has recently been ranked as the 11th highest contributor to global disability. More than 40% of the patients use complementary and alternative medicine including supplements containing phytoextracts with anti-inflammatory properties as those from Boswellia genus.
Objective: The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy of phytoextracts from the oleogum resin of the Boswellia genus as a supplementation for patients affected by knee OA.
Search Methods: Four electronic databases were used for the research and PRISMA statements were followed throughout the study.
Selection Criteria: The following inclusion criteria were used: a) the subjects of the study were humans with a diagnosis of knee OA reported by medical staff; b) randomisation and the presence of a control (placebo, negative or positive control), and c) outcomes reported with WOMAC and/or VAS score.
Data collection and analysis: Publication bias was assessed with funnel plot and through the Egger test. Jadad scale was used in order to assess the quality of the studies included. The statistical heterogeneity was assessed using I2 statistics. Results of meta-analysis and sub-group analysis were reported using forest plot.
Results: A total of 13 studies involving 850 (WOMAC) and 1185 (VAS) patients met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis did not detect a significant effect of the use of Boswellia extracts between the control and the treatment groups due to the high heterogeneity of the studies (p=0.0865 for WOMAC) and (p= 0.3966 VAS). However, the subsequent sub-group analysis demonstrated the significant beneficial effect of Boswellia extracts with respect to a placebo (lower WOMAC score in the treatment groups). This was also confirmed in the meta-regression applied to the WOMAC scores.
Conclusion: Boswellia extracts showed potential benefits in the treatment of knee OA respect to a placebo using the WOMAC score. This is an important finding as people exposed to NSAID-related adverse effects could benefit from the use of Boswellia extracts. However, further high-quality studies are needed to establish the clinical efficacy of extracts from genus Boswellia
Consumer Perception of and Involvement in Healthy and Sustainable Eating: A Cross-sectional Study with American Consumers
Full text linkGlobal rising concerns about non-communicable diseases and the environmental impact of food production
require a call for action that involves a deeper understanding of how individuals make choices for healthy and
sustainable diets. To further explore this topic, our study aimed at investigating how food involvement,
perception, and sociodemographic factors influence the adoption of healthy and sustainable eating by using a
socio-psychological model. Data were collected from a representative sample (n = 1001) of the US population
using an online survey and linear regression models were employed to test the hypotheses of our theoretical
framework. The main findings indicated a positive influence of involvement in and perception of self-reported
behaviors towards both sustainable and healthy eating. However, contrasting results were identified for the
moderating role of perception, which had a significant and positive moderating effect between involvement and
self-reported eating for sustainable diets only. Regarding sociodemographic characteristics affecting healthy
dietary behaviors, our model suggested that age, employment status, dietary regimen, and BMI influence consumers’ self-reported healthy behaviors. Based on our findings, tailored strategies for policymakers and marketers are suggested. These strategies include education campaigns, widespread availability of sustainable
products, and easily identifiable labeling systems
Urine proteome in canicross dogs before and after a competition
No full textThe dataset contains the data on urinary biochemical parameters and urinary proteins to investigate the effects of exercise during canicross competition on to determine whether exercise and stress associated with competition could still have a negative effect on renal function.
In particular, pH was affected by exercise and proteinuria also showed changes immediately after physical exercise with a return to baseline within 2 hours after the physical activity.
SDS-PAGE electrophoresis allowed the separation of the urinary proteins on the basis of their molecular mass allowing a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the urinary proteome, which showed significant increase in urinary albumin and a decrease in uromodulin after exercise
Nutri-Score and Eco-Score Labeling: A Systematic Review of Their Impact on Consumer Understanding, Attitudes, and Behaviors
No full textThe increasing socio-political interest in front-of-pack (FOP) labels is leading to a larger body of consumer studies on the topic. This work explores the current literature on a highly discussed color-coded label format at the European level: the Nutri-Score (NS) and its environmental counterpart, the Eco-Score (ES). Our systematic review investigates consumers’ responses to the labels in terms of consumers’ understanding, attitudes, and behaviors. Results from the retrieved articles (n = 72) showed a positive performance of the NS in promoting objective understanding. Specifically, the NS more consistently led to correct responses in tasks assessing objective understanding (e.g. ranking products based on their nutritional quality) compared to other nutrition labels. Additionally, the NS showed promising effects on purchasing behavior, frequently guiding consumers toward choices with improved nutritional quality. More heterogeneity was identified for subjective understanding. Regarding the ES and the dual-labeling system (i.e. the two labels are displayed simultaneously), the restricted number of studies limited our conclusions and implications. Finally, limitations and suggestions for future research were proposed, as well as policy implications. Given the current socio-political debates on this FOP label format, our analysis can contribute to the ongoing discussion to adopt mandatory FOP labels to support public health
Consumer perceptions and market analysis of plant-based foods: A global perspective
No full textPlant-based alternatives have gained increased attention during the past decades, from both industries and consumers. This chapter aims to highlight the current market situation of these products and provide a comprehensive picture of the role of consumers in the plant-based alternative sector. Specifically, this chapter investigates the current knowledge of both consumers’ perception and the sensory evaluation of plant-based foods that strive to mimic animal products—that is, meat, dairy, seafood, and eggs—and identifies research gaps that should be addressed to enhance plant-based alternatives and enable them to become a practical tool toward a sustainable plant-forward transition
Trace elements in unconventional animals: A 40-year experience
No full textThe role of trace elements in animal health has attracted increasing interest in recent years. The essentiality and toxicity of these elements have been extensively investigated in humans, laboratory animal models and partially in domestic animals, whereas little is known about trace element metabolism in most living organisms. Forty years ago our research started on Cd metabolism in molluscs, thereafter expanding to Zn, Cu, and Fe metabolism in many unconventional animal species of veterinary interest. This review summarizes the main results obtained over this long period of time: some of the findings are original and have not been published to date. They are discussed in more detail and compared with data obtained in conventional animals, including man
Antioxidant enzymes in canine mammary tumors
No full textSpontaneous mammary tumors are very common in bitches. The involvement of oxidative stress and the function of antioxidant enzymes in cancerogenesis have been studied in depth in human medicine, while data in veterinary medicine are still fragmentary. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the activity and the expression of superoxide dismutases (Cu-ZnSOD and MnSOD) and the activity of catalase (CAT) in canine mammary tumors in comparison with the adjacent healthy tissue. Six female dogs (mean age 10.4 years) were included in this study. After surgery, fresh tumor and healthy tissue samples were immediately frozen in dry ice and stored at -80°C for biochemical analyses, while the remaining parts were used for histopathological analysis. Enzyme activity was measured by spectrophotometric assays and protein expression by western blotting. In canine mammary tumors, Cu-ZnSOD activity and expression increased significantly compared with healthy control tissues (p=0.03). MnSOD showed a significantly lower activity in tumoral tissues at stage 2 (p<0.05), while a significant increase of expression was measured in tumors. CAT activity was significantly higher in healthy tissues respect to tumors (p=0.015). These variations of antioxidant enzymes activities and expression could be related to an increase of oxidative stress in breast cancer tissues and could be considered as biomarker candidates for neoplastic transformation
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