The consumption of seafood has considerably increased over recent decades; however, as wild seafood stocks are limited, the cultured ones represent a possible valuable alternative. The purpose of this study was to compare wild and cultured scallops, Flexopecten glaber, on the basis of their marketability indices and biochemical characteristics. Wild and cultured specimens were harvested from the Ionian Sea (the Central Mediterranean Sea). Protein and lipid were significantly different between scallops, with the values of protein of 8.50 and 11.6 g/100 g and lipid of 1.45 and 1.70 g/100 g for wild and cultured scallops, respectively. Regarding fatty acids (FAs), statistical differences were also detected. The cultured species showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) than its wild counterpart. Eicosapentaenoic (EPA, 20:5 n3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6:3) were the major polyunsaturated fatty acids, although only DHA showed significant differences between wild and culture scallops (p < 0.05). The ratio of n3/n6 PUFA showed high values, with 2.7 and 3.1 for wild and cultured scallops, respectively. The atherogenic and thrombogenic indices and hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic fatty acid ratio indicated an import role in human diet. The appreciated nutritional properties of this species could support the interest to promote its cultivation, ensuring high food nutritive value for the purchasers.

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This study investigated the effect of five in-house cooking methods (grilling, oven-cooking, frying, microwaving, and boiling) on lipid content and fatty acid composition in red mullet (Mullus barbatus). Moreover, the nutritional quality of the lipid fraction was evaluated by determining a number of lipid nutritional quality indices (LNQI). Moisture content of red mullet decreased after cooking, with the exception of boiled fish, while the lipid content significantly increased after microwave treatment and frying. After the latter, a ten-fold increase in lipid content was noted compared to fresh fish (from 2.1 to 21.1 g/100 g wet matter). All cooking methods caused significant changes in the fatty acid (FA) profile of M. barbatus. The content of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) varied significantly between raw and cooked fish with the lowest values determined for fried sample. Monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) content increased after oven cooking and frying, while polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content showed an opposite trend. The eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) were the dominant fatty acids among n3 acids in all samples. EPA+DHA contribution in total FAs was significantly lower in the samples after oven cooking (19.6% total FAs) and frying (4.99% total FAs) than in the raw (25.5% of total FAs) fish. The n3/n6 ratio (range 1.25-3.65) decreased significantly after cooking; however, it remained above the recommended values for a healthy human nutrition (1:5). The PUFA/SFA ratio was between 0.69 in fried and 1.02 in boiled fish, both being greater than those recommended by the WHO/FAO [2003]. Atherogenicity index value decreased significantly after the cooking particularly in fried fish. The polyene index (PI), as a measure of PUFA damage, was in the range of 0.42-1.18. Although all cooking methods affected the FA profile, based on LNQI, it can be concluded that barbecue-grilling and boiling were the best cooking methods for healthy eating, due to their lowest effect on essential FAs.

Pharmaceuticals can be considered a global threat to aquatic ecosystems due to their pseudo-persistence and their potential toxicity towards non-target species. Amoxicillin (AMX) and carbamazepine (CBZ) and their mixture (1:1) were investigated on the marine copepod Tigriopus fulvus (Fischer, 1860) considering both acute and chronic endpoints. While acute and chronic exposure did not directly affect survival, reproductive endpoints were affected like the mean egg hatching time that was significantly longer than the negative control for treatments with AMX (0.789 ± 0.079 μg/L), CBZ (8.88 ± 0.89 μg/L), and AMX and CMZ as a mixture (1.03 ± 0.10 μg/L and 0.941 ± 0.094 μg/L), in that order.

Mussels are an important source of the essential omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs), which play a critical role in human health, preventing a variety of diseases. This study aimed to evaluate, for the first time, the combined effect of glyphosate (Gly) and culturing temperature on the lipid content and fatty acid (FA) profile of the Mediterranean mussel M. galloprovincialis. In addition, a number of lipid nutritional quality indices (LNQIs) were applied as important tools to assess the nutritional value of food. Mussels were exposed for 4 days to two Gly concentrations (1 mg/L, 10 mg/L) and two temperatures (T°: 20–26 °C). Statistical analysis showed significant effects of T°C, Gly, and T°C × Gly interaction (p < 0.05) on the lipid and FA profiles of M. galloprovincialis. Mussels exposed to 10 mg/L Gly at 20 °C showed a decrease in eicosapentaenoic (EPA, from 14.6% to 12% of total FAs) and docosahexaenoic acids (DHA, from 10% to 6.4% of total FAs), compared to the control mussels. Both stressors caused a considerable decrease in n-3 PUFAs, which resulted in a less favorable n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio. Overall, this study demonstrated a decline in the nutritive values of mussels, most prominently in groups exposed to 10 mg/L Gly at a temperature of 20 °C and in those exposed to a temperature of 26 °C. This was confirmed by such LNQIs as EPA + DHA, PUFA/Saturated FAs, atherogenic and thrombogenic indices (AI and TI), the health promoting index (HPI), and the unsaturation index (UI). Further investigations into chronic exposure to both stressors are desirable to predict the impacts on aquatic ecosystems and food quality.