Nowadays, it is urgent to produce in larger quantities and more sustainably to reduce the gap between food supply and demand. In a circular bioeconomy vision, insects receive great attention as a sustainable alternative to satisfy food and nutritional needs. Among all insects, Tenebrio molitor (TM) is the first insect approved by the European Food Safety Authority as a novel food in specific conditions and uses, testifying its growing relevance and potential. This review holistically presents the possible role of TM in the sustainable and circular solution to the growing needs for food and nutrients. We analyze all high value‐added products obtained from TM (powders and extracts, oils and fatty acids, proteins and peptides, and chitin and chitosan), their recovery processes (evaluating the best ones in technical and environmental terms), their nutritional and economical values, and their biological effects. Safety aspects are also mentioned. TM potential is undoubted, but some aspects still need to be discussed, including the health effects of substances and microorganisms in its body, the optimal production conditions (that affect product quality and safety), and TM capacity to convert by‐products into new products. Environmental, economic, social, and market feasibility studies are also required to analyze the new value chains. Finally, to unlock the enormous potential of edible insects as a source of nutritious and sustainable food, it will be necessary to overcome the cultural, psychological, and regulatory barriers still present in Western countries.
Children who consume SSBs have poorer diet quality and higher total energy intake than children who do not consume SSBs. Interventions for obesity and chronic disease should focus on replacing SSBs with water and improving other aspects of diet quality that correlate with SSB consumption.
BackgroundApart from findings on both functional and motor asymmetries in captive aquatic mammals, only few studies have focused on lateralized behaviour of these species in the wild.Methodology/Principal FindingsIn this study we focused on lateralized visual behaviour by presenting wild striped dolphins with objects of different degrees of familiarity (fish, ball, toy). Surveys were conducted in the Gulf of Taranto, the northern Ionian Sea portion delimited by the Italian regions of Calabria, Basilicata and Apulia. After sighting striped dolphins from a research vessel, different stimuli were presented in a random order by a telescopic bar connected to the prow of the boat. The preferential use of the right/left monocular viewing during inspection of the stimuli was analysed.ConclusionResults clearly showed a monocular viewing preference with respect to the type of the stimulus employed. Due to the complete decussation of the optical nerves in dolphin brain our results reflected a different specialization of brain hemispheres for visual scanning processes confirming that in this species different stimuli evoked different patterns of eye use. A preferential use of the right eye (left hemisphere) during visual inspection of unfamiliar targets was observed supporting the hypothesis that, in dolphins, the organization of the functional neural structures which reflected cerebral asymmetries for visual object recognition could have been subjected to a deviation from the evolutionary line of most terrestrial vertebrates.
Little is known about the distribution and species composition of cetaceans in the Gulf of Taranto, central Mediterranean Sea. Available information is limited to stranding reports and to scant preliminary observations at sea. Cetacean sightings were recorded between April 2007 and October 2009 during 23 daily boat surveys, totalling 1728 km of navigation. Three cetacean species were encountered: striped dolphins (n = 41), Risso's dolphins (n = 5) and fin whales (n = 3). An additional sighting of a sperm whale group is reported. Encounter rates of striped dolphins were the highest, suggesting a regular occurrence in the study area. Risso's dolphins seemed to be predictably present in continental slope waters off the coast of Basilicata. Fin whales and striped dolphins, normally inhabiting deep pelagic waters offshore, were found in continental slope waters relatively close to the coast, possibly due to the particular bathymetry of the Gulf of Taranto and to oceanographic conditions that enhance local productivity. High human impact and worsening environmental conditions in the northern Gulf of Taranto raise concerns over the future of cetaceans living in these waters. This study expands previous knowledge and aims to stimulate research on whales and dolphins in what seems to be an important portion of their Mediterranean range.
Sixteen carcasses of wild boars, pigs, hybrids F1 (wild boar x pig) and reared wild boar have been examined to study the meat quality and the fatty acid composition. Four carcasses came from hunted wild boars and twelve from animals reared in outdoor pens till nine months of age. The meat produced by the hunted wild animals, although not marketable, offers the best quality and nutritional characteristics. The use of hybrids reared in outdoor pens can approximate or equalize the hunted wild boars meat traits. Reared wild boar meat has, in the complex, better compositional characters than hybrids and domestic groups, but acidic quality of fat is not particularly useful for human feeding
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<p>Chitin is the second most plentiful natural biomass after cellulose, with a yearly production of about 1 × 10<sup>10</sup>–1 × 10<sup>12</sup> tonnes. It can be obtained mainly from sea crustaceans' shells, containing 15–40% chitin. Full or partial deacetylation of chitin generates chitosan. Chitin and chitosan are used in several industrial sectors, as they exhibit high biocompatibility, biodegradability and several biological functions (e.g., antioxidant, antimicrobial and antitumoral activities). These biopolymers' market trends are destined to grow in the coming years, confirming their relevance. As a result, low-cost and industrial-scale production is the main challenge. Scientific literature reports two major technologies for chitin and chitosan recovery from crustacean waste: chemical and biological methods. The chemical treatment can be performed using conventional solvents, typically strong acid and alkaline solutions, or alternative green solvents, such as deep eutectic solvents (DESs) and natural deep eutectic solvents (NADESs). Biological methods use enzymatic or fermentation processes. For each route, this paper reviews the advantages and drawbacks in terms of environmental and economic sustainability. The conventional chemical method is still the most used but results in high environmental impacts. Green chemical methods by DESs and NADESs use low-toxic and biodegradable solvents but require high temperatures and long reaction times. Biological methods are eco-friendly but have limitations in the upscaling process, and are affected by high costs and long reaction times. This review focuses on the methodologies available to isolate chitin from crustaceans, providing a comprehensive overview. At the same time, it examines the chemical, biological and functional properties of chitin and its derivative, along with their most common applications. Consequently, this work represents a valuable knowledge tool for selecting and developing the most suitable and effective technologies to produce chitin and its derivatives.</p>
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