Nicola Cicero

Trace elements in Thunnus thynnus from Mediterranean Sea and benefit–risk assessment for consumers

Trace elemental levels were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry in muscle, eggs and sperm of 23 Thunnus thynnus fishes collected from May to August 2013 in the Mediterranean Sea. Zn, Mn, Fe, Cu, Cr, Ni and Se content was compared with Recommended Daily Allowances. Cd, Hg and Pb concentrations were below the maximum limits fixed by the European Legislation. Tuna food safety was evaluated considering Tolerable Weekly Intake (TWI) or Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake for As, Hg, Cd and Pb. Only BMDL01 data for As and Pb were calculated as established by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committed on Food Additives. The daily consumption of fresh tuna ensures a good intake of these elements. None of the tested samples surpassed the European maximum limits. Cd, Hg and Pb remained within safety margins, while As is slightly higher than the provisional TWI.

Statistical characterisation of heavy metal contents in Paracentrotus lividus from Mediterranean Sea

This work focuses on the estimation of Hg, As, Cr, Ni, Cu, V, Cd and Pb by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in 135 adult specimens of Paracentrotus lividus collected in different coastal areas of Sicily (Gela, Punta Secca, Ragusa (RG), Siracusa, Priolo, Catania, Messina, Milazzo, Brolo and Filicudi), in order to monitor the Mediterranean marine ecosystem by use of sea urchin as bioindicator. Moreover, the paper deals with the statistical classification of the tested samples according to the sampling area based on metal concentrations. The descriptive statistics findings were obtained and, a starting multivariate matrix was built. Data-sets were subjected to Kruskal–Wallis test to verify the significance of differences in metal concentrations, and then a factor analysis with principal components extraction was performed to try to differentiate urchin samples collected in different areas. The results showed that P. lividus is a suitable organism to be used as bioindicator.

Toxic and essential metals determination in commercial seafood: Paracentrotus lividus by ICP-MS

Toxic and essential metals content was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in commercial sea urchins samples from the Mediterranean Sea and Pacific Ocean. Results show that Chilean samples have the highest values of Cd, As, Ni, Cr and V; Spanish samples have the maximum Hg content while Sicilian samples have the lowest content of toxic metals. The toxic metal traces were compared with the limits of European Community (EC) No. 1881/2006 for bivalve molluscs. All samples exceed Pb and Cd limit levels; regarding Hg levels, only Sicilian and Sardinian samples have Hg content below the EC limits. The dietary intake of toxic and essential elements was evaluated for an adult. Furthermore, our study highlights a correlation between the toxic elements content and the marine environmental conditions of the places of origin even though only the generic FAO fishing area is specified.

Extracts deriving from olive mill waste water and their effects on the liver of the goldfish Carassius auratus fed with hypercholesterolemic diet.

The present research aims to evaluate the beneficial effects of polyphenols derived from waste water from a olive mill, obtained by non-plastic molecular imprinting device, in a hypercholesterolemic diet on Carassius auratus, commonly known as goldfish that was selected as experimental model. The study was conducted with morphological and histochemical analyses and also the data were supported by immunohistochemical analysis. Results show the beneficial activity of polyphenols with a reduction of the damage in the steatotic group, confirming that they may be suggested in the treatment of diseases by lipid accumulation, and used as any addition in feed for farmed fish, in order to improve the organoleptic and nutritional quality. The beneficial effects of waste oil extract should be suggested in the contexts of research programmes focused on the products to the health system. Furthermore, the olive mill waste water polyphenols free can be used as natural fertilizers.

1H HR-MAS NMR Spectroscopy and the Metabolite Determination of Typical Foods in Mediterranean Diet

NMR spectroscopy has become an experimental technique widely used in food science. The experimental procedures that allow precise and quantitative analysis on different foods are relatively simple. For a better sensitivity and resolution, NMR spectroscopy is usually applied to liquid sample by means of extraction procedures that can be addressed to the observation of particular compounds. For the study of semisolid systems such as intact tissues, High-Resolution Magic Angle Spinning (HR-MAS) has received great attention within the biomedical area and beyond. Metabolic profiling and metabolism changes can be investigated both in animal organs and in foods. In this work we present a proton HR-MAS NMR study on the typical vegetable foods of Mediterranean diet such as the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) cherry tomato of Pachino, the PGI Interdonato lemon of Messina, several Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) extra virgin olive oils from Sicily, and the Traditional Italian Food Product (PAT) red garlic of Nubia. We were able to identify and quantify the main metabolites within the studied systems that can be used for their characterization and authentication.

Heavy metals content by ICP-OES in Sarda sarda, Sardinella aurita and Lepidopus caudatus from the Strait of Messina (Sicily, Italy)

In this study copper, nickel, lead, cadmium, arsenic, chromium and vanadium content was measured in the muscles and gills of 24 fishes (Sarda sarda, Sardinella aurita and Lepidopus caudatus) caught in the Strait of Messina, by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy with microwave digestion techniques. In general, it was found that arsenic was higher than other analytes in all fish species, particularly its content was much higher in S. aurita than in the other two exemplary species. Lead and cadmium were always detected with values below the legal limits (CE no. 1881/2006 and subsequent modification CE no. 629/2008).

Mycotoxin contamination of animal feedingstuff: detoxification by gamma-irradiation and reduction of aflatoxins and ochratoxin A concentrations

Mycotoxins are fungal secondary metabolites identified in many agricultural products screened for toxigenic moulds. They have been reported to be carcinogenic, teratogenic, tremorogenic, haemorrhagic and dermatitic to a wide range of organisms. With the increasing stringent regulations for mycotoxins imposed by importing countries such as those of the European Union, many cereals that are not safe for human consumption are used in formulations intended for animal feed. Gamma-rays are reported in the scientific literature to destroy ochratoxin A and aflatoxin in food crops and feed. The present study provides preliminary data for establishing the effect of dose of gamma-irradiation, ranging from 0 to 15 kGy, on aflatoxins and ochratoxin A reduction in commercial animal feed. The mycotoxin levels were determined by means of immunoaffinity clean-up (IAC) and HPLC with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD). The maximum reductions found at 15 kGy were 23.9%, 18.2%, 11.0%, 21.1% and 13.6% for ochratoxin A, aflatoxin B1, aflatoxin B2, aflatoxin G1 and aflatoxin G2, respectively. Results showed that the gamma-rays even at 15 kGy were not effective in the complete destruction of ochratoxin A and aflatoxins in the tested feed.

Heavy metals in aromatic spices by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

ABSTRACT Objective of this study was to determine the content of Cd, Hg, As and Pb in common spices traded in the Italian market, using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results were compared with the maximum limits established by the national Legislative Decree (LD) no. 107 implementing the Council Directive 88/388/EEC and by international organisations, such as Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO). Food safety for spices was assessed considering the tolerable weekly intake (TWI) and the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI), respectively, for Cd and Hg and the 95% lower confidence limit of the benchmark dose of 1% extra risk (BMDL01) for As and Pb. Investigated elements in all samples were within the maximum limits as set by the national and international normative institutions. Nevertheless, the heavy metal content of some spices exceeded the PTWI, TWI and BMDL01, which needs attention when considering consumer’s health.

Nero d’Avola and Perricone cultivars: determination of polyphenols, flavonoids and anthocyanins in grapes and wines

Abstract In 2011 vintage, the evolution of monomer and total anthocyanins, as well as of total flavonoids and polyphenols of grapes and wine of Nero d’Avola and Perricone, varieties cultivated in Sicily, was studied. Anthocyanin profiles are commonly used for grapevine cultivar identification because it is currently accepted that this trait is closely related to their genetic characteristics. The concentration of Nero d’Avola and Perricone anthocyanins was determined by HPLC-DAD.

Study of quantitative and qualitative variations in essential oils of Sicilian Rosmarinus officinalis L.

In this study the chemical characterisation of 10 Sicilian Rosmarinus officinalis L. biotypes essential oils is reported. The main goal of this work was to analyse the relationship between the essential oils yield and the geographical distribution of the species plants. The essential oils were analysed by GC-FID and GC-MS. Hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis statistical methods were used to cluster biotypes according to the essential oils chemical composition. The essential oil yield ranged from 0.8 to 2.3 (v/w). In total 82 compounds have been identified, these represent 96.7–99.9% of the essential oil. The most represented compounds in the essential oils were 1.8-cineole, linalool, α-terpineol, verbenone, α-pinene, limonene, bornyl acetate and terpinolene. The results show that the essential oil yield of the 10 biotypes is affected by the environmental characteristics of the sampling sites while the chemical composition is linked to the genetic characteristics of different biotypes.