Effectiveness of thymus vulgaris essential oil on ovine mammary pustular dermatitis

The effectiveness of Thymus vulgaris L. Essential Oil (TvEO) for topical use in 21 sheep affected by mammary pustular dermatitis (MPD), not subjected to previous antibacterial therapy, was studied. After the evaluation of the antimicrobial susceptibility of isolated microorganisms(Staphylococcus epidermidis and Staphylococcus aureus) in milk samples to TvEO, some antimicrobials drugs (amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, doxycycline, florfenicol and enrofloxacin) and Citrus bergamia Risso et Poiteau EO (CvEO), the sheep, divided in two groups, were treated topically for 7 days with TvEO(13 animals) and CvEO (8 animals) respectively. The results showed that only TvEO induced a decrease in clinical signs 3 days after treatment and the complete disappearance of udder lesions after 7 days. No revival of infection was observedin the following months. The use of TvEOcould be an alternative to antibiotic treatment in ovine affected by MP

Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals and Pesticides in Honey From Sicily (Italy)

Honey, obtained by the honeybee (Apis mellifera) from nectar plants, with different composition according to floral sources, regional and climatic conditions, is widely consumed for its nutritional value and various properties. It could be considered a bio-indicator of environmental pollution to assess the presence of metals, naturally present in soil, and pesticides, widely used in agricultural practices. Actually no specific legislation on honey's metals and pesticides content exists. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of toxic metals (Pb and Cd) and insecticides (organochlorines, organophosphates, pyrethrins and pyrethroids) in carob, chestnut and eucalyptus honey samples from Sicily and carried out a risk assessment to dietary intake of these contaminants. The results obtained showed low residual levels of Pb (0.1709 ± 0.078 mg kg-1) and Cd (0.0153 ± 0.004 mg kg-1) while the concentrations of all pesticides analyzed were under the LOD (&lt; 0.01 mg kg-1). To explain the source of metals contamination in honey, the analytical investigation was conducted also in carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.), chestnut (Castanea sativa) and eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globules Labill.) powders, from which nectar honey is produced, confirming the presence of Pb and Cd concentrations with statistically significant differences (P &lt; 0.05 and P &lt; 0.01) in all three types. The risk assessment, evaluated through the Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) and confirmed also by EFSA Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI), showed that metals daily intake through Sicilian honey consumption is not likely to cause deleterious effect for consumers.</p

Are Biometric Parameters Helpful to Assess the Health Risk of Consuming Organochlorine Compounds Contaminated Silver European Eel (Anguilla anguilla)?

Several organochlorine compounds (OCs) were measured in European eels from the Tevere river (Italy). It followed that some of them are still important chemical contaminants. Concentrations of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) are hazardous for the consumer health; those of the 6 indicator polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are often close to the current European maximum residue limit and always higher than the former limit. The relationship between OC concentrations, biometric parameters and the lipid content was then investigated. A strong positive correlation with eel size emerged for the indicator PCBs and DDTs concentrations expressed on wet weight basis. This is explained by the corresponding higher lipid percentage that characterizes bigger eels and the absence of a dilution effect for compounds of main concerns. On the basis of the PCB-TDI threshold for a 70 kg person, we suggest that 1 should consume no more than 2 eels per week each weighing about 100 g. Thus, we conclude that eel consumption should be limited and restricted to eels relatively shorter and lighter

Calorimetric analysis points out the physical-chemistry of organic olive oils and reveals the geographical origin

The thermal properties of many organic extra Virgin Olive Oils (eVOOs) coming from different countries of the world were investigated by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). This technique, through a series of heating and cooling cycles, provides a specific curve, i.e., a thermogram, which represents the fingerprint of each eVOO sample. In fact, variations due to the different cultivars, geographical origin or chemical composition can be highlighted because they produce changes in the corresponding thermogram. In particular, in this work, we show the results of an unsupervised multivariate statistical analysis applied to the DSC thermograms of many organic eVOOs. This analysis allows us to discriminate the geographical origin of the different studied samples in terms of the peculiar features shown by the melting profiles of the triacylglycerol moieties

Mineral composition of some varieties of beans from Mediterranean and Tropical areas

In this study has been evaluated the mineral composition (Cd, Pb, As, Hg, Ba, Cr, Co, Ni, Se, Sb, V, Cu, Fe, Zn, Mo, Na, K, Ca, Mg) of some varieties of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris, Vigna unguiculata and V. angularis) from Mediterranean and Tropical areas of the world (Italy, Mexico, India, Japan, Ghana and Ivory Coast); the correlation between beans mineral composition in micro and macroelements and botanical and/or geographical origin; trace elements dietary intake by beans consumption. The results showed a correlation between beans mineral composition and their geographical origin, with higher values in Ivory Coast samples. Moreover, minerals content found confirmed the importance of these legumes in the diet for the significant content of essential micro and macroelements and a safe consumption of beans for the low residual levels of toxic metals

HR-MAS and NMR towards Foodomics

The integrated approaches of Foodomics, defined as a discipline that studies food and nutrition domains through the application of advanced omic technologies, represent the new frontier to explain some critical issues in food science. Among several applications of omic sciences in food analysis, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is the most used for the instrumental sensitivity and precision. Furthermore, in the last years the NMR technique known as high-resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS) has been successfully applied in the field of food science. In particular, this powerful technique is unique for the analysis of talis qualis samples of food products. The results reported in this review showed the validity of this technique for food characterization and authentication but also for the comprehension of the changes in the metabolic profile due to different condition

Gourmet Table Salts: The Mineral Composition Showdown

Table salts with their specialty flake size, textures, flavors, and colors can be considered a gastronomy niche food already increasing in demand worldwide. Being unrefined, they can contain trace elements potentially both healthy and toxic. In this study, 12 mineral elements (Al, Ca, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn) in 10 different salts commercially available in southern Italy namely, Atlantic grey, Baule volante, Guerande, Hawaiian pink, Hawaiian black, Himalayan pink, Maldon, Mozia, Persian blue, and smoked salts were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and thermal decomposition amalgamation-atomic absorption spectrophotometry (TDA-AAS). The concentration of mineral elements was variable according to the type of salt and its geographical origin. Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Se levels were tolerable and Al, Ca, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Zn ranged significantly among the samples. Persian Blue and Atlantic Grey salts showed elevated levels of Fe and Zn; their intake can be helpful in some specific conditions. Nevertheless, Ni levels were high in Persian Blue and Smoked salts. Pb exceeded the maximum level in all samples. Additional monitoring analyses of mineral contents in table salts are recommended for human health