The fatty acid profiles of wild adults and cysts of a population of the fairy shrimp Chirocephalus kerkyrensis from Circeo National Park (central Italy) were analysed at regular time intervals during the water phase of the pond, with the aim of relating eventual differences in fatty acid composition and profile to differences in environmental conditions. Four samplings were performed: at the beginning of adult life, at two intermediate stages, and at the end of the life cycle. The results show that lipid content and profile vary significantly in the samples examined, thus suggesting a relation with the fluctuations in the abiotic environmental variables, which, on their turn, cause variation in food quality and quantity.

Olive oil contains several phenolic compounds with antioxidant activity, whose levels depend strongly on the kind of cultivar grown, fruit ripening effects and the oil extraction process. Therefore, the beneficial effects exerted by olive oil consumption on the resistance of low density lipoproteins (LDLs) to oxidation depend not only on an increased intake of mono-unsaturated fatty acids (e.g. oleate) which are less prone to oxidation, but also phenolic antioxidants. The aim of this study was to analyze in vitro effects exerted on the oxidative modification of Cu-stimulated human LDL by two olive oil biophenols, i.e. 3,4-dihydroxyphenylethanol-elenolic acid (3,4-DHPEA-EA) and protocatecuic acid. These compounds have not been investigated in as much detail as the better-known olive oil biophenols - such as tyrosol (p-HPEA), o-coumaric acid, vanillic acid, caffeic acid, oleuropein and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylethanol (3,4-DHPEA). Modification of LDL was tested by measuring the formation of intermediate and end products of lipid peroxidation such as conjugated dienes, lipid hydroperoxides, cholesterol and cholesteryl ester oxides, as well as studying the decrease in oxidizable substrates like polyunsaturated fatty acids. In addition, the increase in LDL negative charges was evaluated. The results demonstrate the two-tested olive oil biophenols show high antioxidant activities. In particular, protocatecuic acid and 3,4-DHPEA-EA show an antioxidant activity comparable with that of caffeic acid, oleuropein and 3,4-DHPEA. They are not only able to retard lipid peroxidation, but also to reduce the extent of its activity.

Nauplii of the anostracan Chirocephalus ruffoi were grown until sexual maturity under standard laboratory conditions (18 +/- 1 degrees C; 12L/12D; 1600 lux light intensity) and fed ad libitum once a day on either an alga (Selenastrum capricornutum), baker's yeast, or a formulated diet. Both parents and cysts, as well as feeds were analysed for their fatty acid profiles and compared with wild adults and cysts. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were recorded among the different treatments.As far as total lipid content is concerned, a correlation was found between feeds and adult shrimps as well as between the latter and the cysts they produced during the different feeding tests. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were also recorded from a qualitative point of view. The results obtained provided evidence that the fatty acid profile of both fairy shrimps and cysts can be manipulated in order to improve their nutritional effectiveness, as it was previously shown in the case of the brine shrimp Artemia (Millamena et al., 1988, Lavens et al., 1989; Navarro & Amat, 1992) and of two other freshwater anostracan species (Mura et al., 1997a).

In the present work, modifications of water–matrix interactions in Grana Padano (GP) cheese were studied using thermogravimetric techniques in order to provide an index of ripening. These techniques represent a simple and rapid method for determining water content and for monitoring its behaviour in ripening GP cheese. It is possible to evaluate the quantity of water present in the matrix, as well as the different types of water bound to it both qualitatively and quantitatively. Samples of traditional GP cheese produced in the winter season (same day), and collected at different ripening stages (5,10,14,19 months), were investigated. When statistical models of the STARMAX (Space Time Autoregressive Moving Average eXogenous variables) class, augmented with surface trends, were fitted to thermoanalytical data, valuable insights into the chemical nature of the ripening were acheived with good predictive performances.

Ten Chirocephalus diaphanus populations from mountain and plain pools have been studied to evaluate intraspecific variation in fatty acid composition. A high variability in total lipid contents was recorded within mountain and plain populations, the latter having on the average higher lipid totals than the former. Similarly, significant differences in fatty acid profiles were found irrespective of the predictable or stable characteristics of the pool of origin and of the range of variation in the environmental variables. This seems to suggest that food quality and/or availability, rather than abiotic characteristics themselves, affect the fatty acid pattern of the fairy shrimps.

The pharmacokinetics of the anthelmintic drug albendazole was studied in the milk of twenty lactating Saanen goats treated with a single oral administration of valbazen, corresponding to a dose of 3.75 mg/kg b.w. of active principle. Results showed that in the goat milk the level of albendazole metabolite residues droped below the maximum residue level of 100 mu g/kg on the third day after drug administration. The concentrations of sulfone and sulfoxide metabolites were the highest on the first day and then decreased rapidly. The aminosulfone metabolite increased on the second day but to levels that did not exceed 100 mu g/kg.

The influence of refining technology on samples of lard picked up during each phase of three industrial processes was demonstrated. In each phase, the change of the spectrophotometric u.v. parameters was seen and the formation of 3.5-cholestadiene starting from the discoloration and deodorization phases was confirmed.

A survey on the freezing point (FP) of raw bulk milk (61 samples) from farms in Italy as well as of heat-treated (UHT) milk (94 samples) was carried out. The influence of deep-freezing of milk on its FP was also evaluated. Determinations were carried out by means of the thermistor cryoscopic method, standardized by the International Dairy Federation and adopted as the official method by the European Union (EU). The results show that raw bulk milk from herds in Italy had an FP that met the standard fixed by the EU for heat-treated milk (e.g. -0.520 degrees C), whereas, the FP of 29% of the heat-treated milk samples did not meet this standard.

Laboratory cultured fairy shrimps Branchipus pasai and Chirocephalus kerkyrensis, fed on an alga (Selenastrum capricornutum), a yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and an HUFA enriched yeast (Lansy PZ, produced by Artemia Systems, Gent, Belgium) were evaluated for their fatty acid (FA) profiles and total lipid content in order to obtain information on species differences in food conversion. The results indicate significant qualitative and quantitative differences (P < 0.001) in FA profiles both of feed and of fairy shrimp species. Among the three different diets, an appreciable lipid amount was recorded in the alga, as compared with baker‘s yeast which showed the poorest lipid content. The algal fatty acid profile showed adequate amounts of the EFA 18:2n6, 18:3n3 and20:5n3 (the most meaningful for aquacultural purposes). The enriched yeast was characterised by a considerable total lipid amount and by the presence of all the EFA.

The influence of refining technology on samples of lard picked up during each phase of three industrial processes was demonstred. In each phase, the change of the spectrophotometric U.V. parameters was seen and the formation of 3.5-cholestadiene starting from the discoloration and deodorization phases was confirmed.

Wild populations of five Chirocephalus species from Italy were tested for their fatty acid profiles, particularly essential fatty acids (EFA) in order to obtain information on species differences. Chirocephalus diaphanus, C. kerkyrensis and C. salinus were from temporary plain pools, whereas C. ruffoi and C. marchesonii came from a mountain pool and an astatic high altitude lake. Statistical comparisons of the results obtained revealed significant (P < 0.05) qualitative and quantitative differences among the species studied. Besides genetic make-up, other factors are presumably involved in these differences. Among these, environmental stability, and hence food quality and quantity, may play a major role, an hypothesis supported by previous findings regarding the possibility of manipulating fairy shrimp fatty acid patterns by using different diets. Further investigation is needed, however, on the fatty acid composition of the food resources from different habitats in relation to the fairy shrimp inhabitants.

SummaryThe distribution of albendazole (ABZ) and its main metabolites albendazole sulphoxide (ABZSO), albendazole sulphone (ABZS02) and albendazole 2-aminosulphone (NH2ABZSO2) were investigated in bulk milk and milk products after administration of a single oral dose of the drug (12·5 mg/kg) to 80 Laticauda sheep. An analytical method was developed for this investigation from an existing procedure used for the determination of these compounds in plasma and digesta samples. No traces of the parent compound or NH2ABZSO2were found in milk or milk products, with the exception of the milk collected 36 h after treatment in which 89 μg NH2ABZSO2/kg was detected. Results indicated that ABZ was rapidly oxidized to ABZSO and then to ABZSO2. These metabolites were found at high levels (1–4 mg/kg) in milk collected within 24 h after treatment. Products derived from such milk also contained high concentrations of the two oxidized metabolites, including up to 5 mg ABZSO/kg in Pecorino cheese. Only small quantities of these two metabolites were found in milk collected during the second day after treatment (range 50–500 μg/kg). They were no longer detectable in milk, collected during the third day after dosing, nor were they found in products made from such milk. These findings confirm that the two polar metabolites ABZSO and ABZSO2were efficiently excreted from the body. Considering that the established maximum residue limit for ovine milk is 100 μg/kg for ABZ plus its metabolites, our results confirmed the appropriateness of the currently prescribed withdrawal time (3 d) after the use of ABZ in lactating sheep. However, considerable levels of ABZSO were detected in milk collected within 24 h after treatment as well as in products and by-products derived from such milk. Owing to the known toxicity of the ABZSO, we stress the need for careful control to ensure adherence to the prescribed withdrawal time.

An investigation was undertaken with the aim of verifying whether it is useful for the purpose of speciation studies to combine high performance liquid chromatography and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, applying the HPLC/ICP-MS coupled technique to the speciation of minor and trace elements which are of clinical and nutritional interest in human milk. In particular, this method is meant to be used to detect the chemical forms under which some elements of primary importance such as Al, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sr, T1, V and Zn are present in human milk. Results show that experimental conditions must be carefully optimized to guarantee reliability of data. Moreover, the data collected made it possible to more credibly assess the distributions to be expected for some elements in human milk and can contribute in clarifying some problems as regards their metabolic fate.

The concentration ranges of certain health-related elements in milk and cheese are closely dependent upon animal species and feeding, time of year of sample collection, environmental conditions and manufacturing processes. The present study deals with the assessment of selected trace elements such as AI, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Pt, Sr and Zn in sheep and goat milk as well as in typical cheese, and concludes a series of studies previously carried out on cow's milk and related products. Samples of milk, curd and cheese following salting and after ripening for 1, 4 and 8 weeks were analysed. Quantitative determinations were performed mainly by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The results obtained show considerable differences among the trace element contents of sheep and goat milk and related products. Furthermore, significant differences were also found when comparing the present data on sheep and goat milk with those previously obtained for cow's milk. This sheds further light on the influence of animal species, feeding characteristics and environmental conditions on the distribution of trace elements in dairy products.

As part of an overall monitoring programme launched by the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (Italian National Institute of Health) within the framework of the RAISA (Advanced Researches for the Innovation of Agricultural Systems) project supported by the National Research Council, an investigation was undertaken with the following goals: (i) assessment of the content of selected trace elements such as Al, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Pt, Sr and Zn in raw cow's milk and cheese; (ii) identification of possible correlations between animal feeding, year period of sample collection, environmental conditions and levels of elements in raw cow's milk; and (iii) evaluation of the influence of the manufacturing process on the concentration ranges of certain health-related elements in milk products. Quantitative determinations were carried out mainly by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. The results obtained show considerable differences among the levels of trace elements in raw milk samples collected during different periods of the same year. Furthermore, differences occur also among the trace element contents of raw milk and related products. All this provides evidence that animal feeding, year period of sample collection, environmental conditions and manufacturing processes all play a key role in the distribution of trace elements.

There have been many studies on the efficacy of β2-adrenergic drugs as feed additives but no data are available at present on the use of clenbuterol in fish production. To evaluate the residues of clenbuterol in tissues of fish, 50 trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were fed for 21 days on a fish feed containing 5 ppm of the drug. The livers, muscles and skins of sample groups of fish were analysed by HPLC with visible spectrophotometric detection on days 15 and 21 of treatment and at intervals during a 30-day withdrawal time. Clenbuterol reached its highest levels in the liver (mean 440 ppb; SD=±159;n=5) on day 15 of treatment, with a slow depletion curve; 24±3 ppb was still present at the end of the withdrawal period. At this time, residues were still present in the edible tissues, i.e. muscle (5±1 ppb) and skin (7±3 ppb). Side-effects were noted during the first week of treatment.

Because of its high price, butter has always been the object of adulteration by addition of less expensive vegetable or animal fats. Although a number of methods have been proposed for the detection of butterfat adulteration, none has found widespread use. For this reason, a study was conduced to assess the use of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) for detecting the presence of added animal fat, i.e., chicken fat, in butter. The results obtained show that DSC is an efficient method for characterizing pure animal fats as well as their mixtures. Furthermore, the accuracy with which data are obtained, in combination with the sensitivity of DSC to subtle changes in chemical composition of the sample, makes DSC an attractive possibility for development as a quality control procedure.

A detailed protocol was applied to the study and quantification of Al, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Pt, Sr and Zn in raw cow's milk and dairy products. The investigation was prompted by the paucity of data available on minor and trace elements in such matrices, despite their importance in nutrition or in food contamination. As a part of an overall monitoring programme, a study was thus undertaken with the following goals: (i) actual measurement of the concentration of the aforesaid elements in milk and related products; (ii) identification of possible correlations between animal feeding, time of year of sample collection, environmental condition and levels of elements in raw cow's milk; and (iii) evaluation of the influence of the manufacturing process on the concentration ranges of certain health-related elements in milk products. Quantitative determinations were carried out by means of inductively-coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The results obtained show considerable differences among the levels of trace elements in raw milk and those in derived products. This provides evidence of the fact that manufacturing processes play a key role in the distribution of trace elements.