An insight into the role of trissolcus mitsukurii as biological control agent of halyomorpha halys in Northeastern Italy

11noSustainable strategies such as classical or augmentative biological control are currently being evaluated for the long-term management of the alien invasive pest Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). A three-year study carried out in northeastern Italy was performed to investigate the distribution and field performance of the H. halys egg parasitoid Trissolcus mitsukurii (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), in comparison with other parasitoid species. In the study area, adventive populations of T. mitsukurii were present since 2016, representing the earliest detection of this species in Europe. Trissolcus mitsukurii was the most abundant parasitoid and showed a higher “parasitoid impact” (i.e., number of parasitized eggs over the total number of field-collected eggs) compared to the other species, i.e., Anastatus bifasciatus (Geoffroy) (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae), Trissolcus basalis (Wollaston) and Trissolcus kozlovi Rjachovskij (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae). The hyperparasitoid Acroclisoides sinicus (Huang and Liao) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) was also recorded. Phylogenetic analysis of T. mitsukurii population distinguished two clades, one covering samples from Italy, Japan and China, the other from South Korea. The present study provides promising results for the biological control of a pest that is having a dramatic impact on a wide range of crops worldwide.openopenScaccini D.; Falagiarda M.; Tortorici F.; Martinez-Sanudo I.; Tirello P.; Reyes-Dominguez Y.; Gallmetzer A.; Tavella L.; Zandigiacomo P.; Duso C.; Pozzebon A.Scaccini, D.; Falagiarda, M.; Tortorici, F.; Martinez-Sanudo, I.; Tirello, P.; Reyes-Dominguez, Y.; Gallmetzer, A.; Tavella, L.; Zandigiacomo, P.; Duso, C.; Pozzebon, A

Assessing the distribution of exotic egg parasitoids of Halyomorpha halys in Europe with a large-scale monitoring program

The brown marmorated stink bug Halyomorpha halys is an invasive agricultural pest with a worldwide distribution. Classical biological control has been identified as the most promising method to reduce the populations of H. halys. Adventive populations of two candidates for releases, Trissolcus japonicus and Trissolcus mitsukurii, have recently been detected in Europe. To assess their distribution and abundance, a large-scale survey was performed. From May to September 2019, a wide area covering northern Italy and parts of Switzerland was surveyed, highlighting the expanding distribution of both Tr. japonicus and Tr. mitsukurii. Within four years after their first detection in Europe, both species have rapidly spread into all types of habitats where H. halys is present, showing a wide distribution and continuous expansion. Both exotic Trissolcus showed high levels of parasitism rate towards H. halys, while parasitization of non-target species was a rare event. The generalist Anastatus bifasciatus was the predominant native parasitoid of H. halys, while the emergence of native scelionids from H. halys eggs was rarely observed. The presence of the hyperparasitoid Acroclisoides sinicus was also recorded. This study provided fundamental data that supported the development of the first inoculative release program of Tr. japonicus in Europe

A critical assessment of the effects of aminoguanidine and ascorbate on the oxidative modification of LDL: evidence for interference with some assays of lipoprotein oxidation by aminoguanidine

Several lines of evidence support a role for oxidized low density lipoprotein (LDL) in the genesis of the atherosclerotic lesion. Hence, the effect of compounds with antioxidant properties on LDL oxidation assumes great significance. Ascorbate, a potent water-soluble chain-breaking antioxidant, has been shown to inhibit LDL oxidation. Aminoguanidine (AMG) is a pharmacological inhibitor of advanced non-enzymatic glycosylation. Recently it has been suggested that aminoguanidine might have an inhibitory effect on LDL oxidation, but total lipid peroxidation assayed by conjugated diene formation was not inhibited. Thus, in this study, we compared the effect of aminoguanidine with ascorbate to obtain a better appreciation of the effect of AMG on Cu(2+)-catalyzed LDL oxidation. Oxidative modification of LDL was monitored by assaying intermediates and end products of lipid peroxidation, conjugated dienes (CD), lipid peroxides (LPO), and relative electrophoretic mobility (REM). Apolipoprotein B-100 modification (increased fluorescence, fragmentation on SDS-PAGE, and 125I-labeled LDL degradation by human macrophages) was also measured. Ascorbate (100 microM) inhibited LDL oxidation by > 95%, as evidenced by all of the selected indices. Aminoguanidine (20 mM) substantially decreased thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) activity and lipid peroxide formation, but only partially prevented the increase of REM (-55%), apoB fluorescence (-39%), and degradation by macrophages (-54%). Unlike ascorbate, AMG failed to preserve alpha-tocopherol in LDL, prevent apoB-100 fragmentation, or inhibit conjugated diene formation during LDL oxidation. Furthermore, incubation of AMG with already oxidized LDL resulted in a significant decrease in TBARS activity and LPO, and 26.9% decrease in the REM of LDL.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS

Metabolic transformation of apple polyphenols in human body

Rationale: Fruit and vegetables are claimed to have beneficial effect on human health mostly due to their high polyphenol (PP) content. (1) Regular consumption is protective against age related diseases and different forms of cancer (2). As PP are largely metabolized both by the human organism and gut microbiota, identification of the forms of metabolites and the kinetics of their appearance into the circulation is essential for understanding their possible bioactivity in humans. Methods: In order to evaluate absorption and transformation of apple polyphenols, a human single-dose crossover controlled blind experiment was designed. In 2 different sessions 12 subjects were supplemented with apple juice (1 g/l total PF) or polyphenol enriched apple juice (4 g/l total PF). Urine and plasma samples were collected at different time points and analyzed using an untargeted metabolomics approach. Results: Scarcely metabolized polyphenols were recognized as potential biomarkers. These compounds showed two different kinetic patterns. Epicatechin methyl sulfate, ferulic acid sulfate and phloretin glucuronide reached their maximal concentration 1 hour after apple juice supplementation. While, the methyl, sulfate and glucuronide conjugates of valerolactons had their peak concentration 5 hours after the supplementation. The concentration of the majority of the biomarkers showed an increase four times greater in high PP diet than in low. Conclusion: Untargeted metabolomics allowed identification of biomarkers of apple consumption and demonstrated that an increase in polyphenol intake corresponds to an increase of circulating metabolites within the limits of ‘normal’ consumption. Thus, if the beneficial effects of these compounds are confirmed, it might prove beneficial to increase their plasma concentration by increasing their intake or choosing polyphenols richer food