Edible insects – defining knowledge gaps in biological and ethical considerations of entomophagy

While seeking novel food sources to feed the increasing population of the globe, several alternatives have been discussed, including algae, fungi or in vitro meat. The increasingly propagated usage of farmed insects for human nutrition raises issues regarding food safety, consumer information and animal protection. In line with law, insects like any other animals must not be reared or manipulated in a way that inflicts unnecessary pain, distress or harm on them. Currently, there is a great need for research in the area of insect welfare, especially regarding species-specific needs, health, farming systems and humane methods of killing. Recent results from neurophysiological, neuroanatomical and behavioral sciences prompt caution when denying consciousness and therefore the likelihood of presence of pain and suffering or something closely related to it to insects. From an animal protection point of view, these issues should be satisfyingly solved before propagating and establishing intensive husbandry systems for insects as a new type of mini-livestock factory farming

Formulations for Allergen Immunotherapy in Human and Veterinary Patients: New Candidates on the Horizon

Allergen immunotherapy is currently the only causal treatment for allergic diseases in human beings and animals. It aims to re-direct the immune system into a tolerogenic or desensitized state. Requirements include clinical efficacy, safety, and schedules optimizing patient or owner compliance. To achieve these goals, specific allergens can be formulated with adjuvants that prolong tissue deposition and support uptake by antigen presenting cells, and/or provide a beneficial immunomodulatory action. Here, we depict adjuvant formulations being investigated for human and veterinary allergen immunotherapy

Nutrient supplementation for prevention of viral respiratory tract infections in healthy subjects:A systematic review and meta-analysis

It remains uncertain as to whether nutrient supplementation for the general population considered healthy could be useful in the prevention of RTIs, such as COVID-19. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, the evidence was evaluated for primary prevention of any viral respiratory tract infection (RTI) such as SARS-CoV-2, through supplementation of nutrients with a recognized role in immune function: multiple micronutrients, vitamin A, folic acid, vitamin B12, C, D, E, beta-carotene, zinc, iron and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. The search produced 15,163 records of which 93 papers (based on 115 studies) met the inclusion criteria, resulting in 199,055 subjects (191,636 children and 7,419 adults) from 37 countries. Sixty-three studies were included in the meta-analyses, which was performed for children and adults separately. By stratifying the meta-analysis by world regions, only studies performed in Asia showed a significant but heterogeneous protective effect of zinc supplementation on RTIs (RR 0.86, 95% CI 0.7-0.96, I-2 = 79.1%, p = .000). Vitamin D supplementation in adults significantly decreased the incidence of RTI (RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.79-0.99, p = .272), particularly in North America (RR 0.82 95% CI 0.68-0.97), but not in Europe or Oceania. Supplementation of nutrients in the general population has either no or at most a very limited effect on prevention of RTIs. Zinc supplementation appears protective for children in Asia, whilst vitamin D may protect adults in the USA and Canada. In 10/115 (8.7%) studies post-hoc analyses based on stratification for nutritional status was performed. In only one study zinc supplementation was found to be more effective in children with low zinc serum as compared to children with normal zinc serum levels

Cow's milk protein β-lactoglobulin confers resilience against allergy by targeting complexed iron into immune cells

Departamento de Biotecnología (INIA)Beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) is a bovine lipocalin in milk with an innate defense function. The circumstances under which BLG is associated with tolerance of or allergy to milk are not understood.Supported by the Austrian Science Fund FWF (grant SFB F4606-B28 ) and in part by Biomedical International R+D GmbH, Vienna, Austria, and by Bencard Allergie GmbH, Munich, Germany. S.M.A. was supported by a grant from the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education .Peer reviewed18 Pág

Cow's milk protein β-lactoglobulin confers resilience against allergy by targeting complexed iron into immune cells

Departamento de Biotecnología (INIA)Beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) is a bovine lipocalin in milk with an innate defense function. The circumstances under which BLG is associated with tolerance of or allergy to milk are not understood.Supported by the Austrian Science Fund FWF (grant SFB F4606-B28 ) and in part by Biomedical International R+D GmbH, Vienna, Austria, and by Bencard Allergie GmbH, Munich, Germany. S.M.A. was supported by a grant from the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education .Peer reviewed18 Pág

Micronutritional supplementation with a holoBLG-based FSMP (food for special medical purposes)-lozenge alleviates allergic symptoms in BALB/c mice: Imitating the protective farm effect

Background: Previously, the protective farm effect was imitated using the whey protein beta-lactoglobulin (BLG) that is spiked with iron-flavonoid complexes. Here, we formulated for clinical translation a lozenge as food for special medical purposes (FSMP) using catechin-iron complexes as ligands for BLG. The lozenge was tested in vitro and in a therapeutical BALB/c mice model. Methods: Binding of iron-catechin into BLG was confirmed by spectroscopy and docking calculations. Serum IgE binding of children allergic or tolerating milk was assessed to loaded (holo-) versus empty (apo-) BLG and for human mast cell degranulation. BLG and Bet v 1 double-sensitized mice were orally treated with the holoBLG or placebo lozenge, and immunologically analysed after systemic allergen challenge. Human PBMCs of pollen allergic subjects were flow cytometrically assessed after stimulation with apoBLG or holoBLG using catechin-iron complexes as ligands. Results: One major IgE and T cell epitope were masked by catechin-iron complexes, which impaired IgE binding of milk-allergic children and degranulation of mast cells. In mice, only supplementation with the holoBLG lozenge reduced clinical reactivity to BLG and Bet v 1, promoted Tregs, and suppressed antigen presentation. In allergic subjects, stimulation of PBMCs with holoBLG led to a significant increase of intracellular iron in circulating CD14+ cells with significantly lower expression of HLADR and CD86 compared to their stimulation with apoBLG. Conclusion: The FSMP lozenge targeted antigen presenting cells and dampened immune activation in human immune cells and allergic mice in an antigen-non-specific manner, thereby conferring immune resilience against allergic symptoms

Retinoic acid-loading of the major birch pollen allergen Bet v 1 may improve specific allergen immunotherapy: In silico, in vitro and in vivo data in BALB/c mice

5 Pág.This work was supported by the SFB F4606-B28 grant of the Austrian Science Fund FWF.Peer reviewe