Background Silkworm pupae is the main by-product of the sericulture industry with an interesting nutritional profile, especially in terms of proteins. In consideration of its possible use as a food or food ingredient in Western countries, a comparative proteomic experiment has been performed to investigate the differences of the protein profile of male and female silkworm pupae reared on mulberry leaves or on an artificial diet. Methods The nutritional profile of lyophilized silkworm pupae in terms of dry matter and ash was evaluated according to the AOAC procedures, the total nitrogen content was determined by a nitrogen analyzer and the silkworm pupae gross energy value was measured using an adiabatic calorimetric bomb. The comparative proteomic analysis was performed on male and female silkworm pupae reared on mulberry leaves or on the artificial diet. Proteins were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis and, after a multivariate statistical analysis, the differentially expressed proteins were identified by LC-MS/MS. Results The comparative proteomic approach highlighted 47 silkworm pupae proteins differentially expressed comparing diet and gender. PCA analysis showed that seven proteins were more effective in discriminating the sex and five were more effective in discriminating the diet type. In spite of the above-mentioned differences in the silkworm pupae protein profile, no strong alteration of the pupa physiological traits have been demonstrated, suggesting a general silkworm pupae flexibility to adapt to a well-balanced artificial diet. Differences in lipid transport and metabolism were found among the experimental groups, that might have a relevant effect on the timing and on hormone secretion. This aspect may also affect silk production, as univoltine strains are the most productive. The proteomic data provided in this work, may offer a contribution in understanding also the influence of gender and farming strategy on the allergen profile of Bombyx mori, when used as food or as a food ingredient. Female silkworm pupae reared on mulberry leaves seemed to contain lower levels of known allergens than those reared in the other experimental conditions; these findings will have to be taken into account when farming B. mori for food production purposes. However, our results need to be supported by further characterization of the allergenic potential of B. mori.

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Wine, like other fermented foods, may contain biogenic amines produced by lactic acid bacteria via amino acids decarboxylation. The most relevant amines from the toxicological standpoint are histamine and tyramine. The complexity of fermented substrates makes it difficult to suggest a priori how variables can modulate amine production. Lactobacillus hilgardii ISE 5211 was isolated from an Italian red wine. Besides producing lactate from malate, this strain is also able to convert arginine to ornithine and histidine to histamine. In the present investigation we studied the influence of malate, arginine and ethanol on histamine accumulation by L. hilgardii ISE 5211. Ethanol concentrations above 13% inhibit both histamine accumulation and bacterial growth; concentrations below 9% affect neither growth nor histamine production. However, an ethanol concentration of 11% allows a low but continuous accumulation of histamine to occur. Arginine also delays histamine accumulation, while malate appears to have no effect on histidine-histamine conversion.