Edible Flesh Research Articles

Growth performance, plasma metabolites, meat quality, and meat and lipid health indices of New Zealand White rabbits as affected by dietary dried tomato pomace powder supplementation during the summer season.

One hundred and twenty New Zealand White rabbits (NZW) (5-week-old; 735.27 ± 27.23 g) were kept in an open-sided house during the summer season. The experiment aims to evaluate the impacts of dried tomato pomace powder (DTPP) supplementation on rabbits' performance, blood metabolites, carcass traits, meat quality, and lipid and health indices of NZW rabbits during 5-13 weeks of age. The four treatments were a standard rabbit feed (control) and the control diet supplemented with 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5% DTPP, respectively. Rabbits fed a diet containing 1.5% DTPP showed the highest growth rate through weeks 9-13 of age despite having the lowest feed intake spanning 5-13 weeks. The best feed conversion ratio (FCR) was recorded in rabbits fed with 1.5% DTPP-supplemented diet for 5-13 weeks. Diets supplemented with 0.5 or 1.0% DTPP enhanced markedly dressing %, total edible flesh, saturated (SFAs), monounsaturated (MUFAs), and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFAs) contents, as well as the ∑n - 6/∑n - 3 ratio and the total n - 6 of meat. Dietary supplementation with DTPP decreased kidney, abdominal, and back fat. Diets supplemented with DTTP decreased total cholesterol, triglycerides, and very low-density lipoprotein (vLDL) concentrations. The greatest levels of linoleic acid, arachidonic and water-holding capacity in meat were observed in rabbits fed 1.5% DTPP-supplemented diets. Diets containing 1 and 1.5% DTPP improved meats' atherogenic and thrombogenic indices, meat lipid quality desired fatty acids/undesired fatty acids ratio, and meat health index. Conclusively, DTPP up to 1.5% maintained the growth performance of rabbits, boosted meat quality through increasing vitamin E, reduced fat deposition, modified fatty acid composition, and improved atherogenic, thrombogenic, and hypocholesterolemic indices of rabbit meat.

In vitro and In vivo Determination of Biological Activities of Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia L.) Peel, Flesh and Seeds.

Momordica charantia L. has been remained a well-known medicinal vegetable used traditionally. However, which part is most effective against which disorder, has been remained undiscovered yet. The objective of this study was to examine the antimicrobial, antihyperlipidemic and antihyperglycemic activities of peel, flesh, and seeds of bitter gourd, through in vitro and in vivo assays. Ethanolic extracts from powders of three fractions of bitter gourd were assessed for antimicrobial potential against bacterial and fungal strains, whereas, powders of these fractions were used to determine antihyperlipidemic and antihyperglycemic activity, in alloxan induced diabetic rats. Our results showed that BSE exhibited better antimicrobial activity against Bacillus cereus, whereas BFE exhibited better against Escherichia coli. Blood glucose was significantly lowered by all three powders in a dose dependent manner, when fed to diabetic rats, with the highest decrease by BSP, which reduced the glucose level from 296.20 ± 2.00mg/dl to 123.10 ± 0.80mg/dl, at 15mg dose, after 28 days trial. Elevated levels of TC (101.18 ± 0.65mg/dl), TG (83.69 ± 0.61mg/dl) and LDL-C (25.90 ± 0.09mg/dl) in positive control rats were lowered down in well manners by BSP at 15mg dose, to 86.30 ± 0.53, 67.70 ± 0.53 and 19.32 ± 0.06mg/dl, respectively. As compared to BFP and BPP, BSP showed significant involvement in antibacterial, antihyperglycemic, and antihyperlipidemic actions. Along with the edible flesh, peels and seeds, which are usually discarded as waste, could also be utilized for development of pharma foods capable of promoting health.

Conventional versus Cultured meat

Conventional meat is the edible flesh of animals, usually mammals or birds, but also fish. There are two main categories of meat: white meat and red meat, based on the amount of myoglobin, a protein that gives meat its color. White meat includes chicken, turkey, rabbit, and some fish and seafood, and is generally leaner and lower in cholesterol than red meat. Red meat includes beef, lamb, pork, and venison (gazelle), which is richer in iron, zinc, and vitamin B12, but also higher in saturated fat and calories. The consumption of different types of meat can be good for health as part of a balanced diet because they are excellent sources of multiple nutrients. Including meat can be an excellent way to have a balanced diet. All the different types of meat are highly nutritious and can be healthy. Furthermore, there are many types of meat products, such as sausages, bacon, and salami, that are cured, smoked, dried, or fermented to enhance their flavor and shelf life. On the other hand, Cultured meat involves the production of meat outside of the animal and in vitro. Specifically, cultured meat is produced from animal cells cultured in a growth media in a bioreactor rather than being directly sourced from slaughtered animals.

Compositional Characteristics and Nutritional Quality of Indigenous Fruit of Artocarpus odoratissimus Blanco

Artocarpus odoratissimus, locally known as terap, is native to Borneo and holds great potential for providing nutrition and income to rural communities. The fruit's flesh is consumed raw, while the seeds are typically steamed and used in local dishes. The by-products, such as the pedicel and peel, often go to waste. This indigenous species has yet to be fully explored for its nutritional and phytochemical properties. Hence, the present study aims to evaluate the nutritional compositions and phytochemical properties of A. odoratissimus fruit. The nutritional and phytochemical properties of A. odoratissimus vary across its parts. The edible flesh and seeds exhibited higher carbohydrate content at 12.16±1.01% and 9.96±0.76%, respectively. Seeds possessed significantly higher crude protein (21.89±0.54%) and fat (18.23±0.20%). In contrast, the non-edible parts of the peel (5.57±0.11%) and pedicel (5.79±0.41%) exhibit considerably greater ash content than their edible counterparts in the flesh (3.87±0.42%) and seeds (0.62±0.29%). Potassium (905.61±18.89 to 2001.51±13.00 mg 100 g-1) was the most abundant in A. odoratissimus fruits, followed by calcium (578.30±7.00 to 1300.97±23.51 mg 100 g-1). The flesh is primarily composed of non-reducing sugars, including fructose (26.70±0.70 g 100 g-1) and glucose (25.38±0.45 g 100 g-1), with a notable amount of vitamin B1 (11.07±0.31 mg 100 g-1). The seed oil contains essential fatty acids, with a significant proportion of unsaturated fatty acids (57.10%), mainly nervonic acid (45.32%). The pedicel, often considered a by-product, exhibits relatively high levels of phytochemical properties in comparison to the edible portions. The current findings support the ethnobotanical uses of A. odoratissimus by local communities, underscoring its growing importance in the nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries.

Bioaccumulation of microplastics in the edible tissues of fish collected from urban lakes of Bangladesh: a potential exposure to public health.

Microplastic (MP) pollution is an emerging environmental problem, due to its universal dispersion. In the present study, we determined the MP pollution in water, sediment, and fish samples of three different urban lakes of Bangladesh to assess the bioaccumulation of MPs from the lake environment to fish's edible (flesh) and inedible tissue (gut), ecological risk and consequent human exposure to MPs by fish consumption. A total of forty-three fishes were collected from Jahangirnagar Co-Operative Housing Society (JCHS), Dhanmondi Lake (DL), and Saturia Thana Lake (MST). The average MP concentration in sediment and water of the lakes is 7588 ± 4353 MPs/kg dry weights; 142 ± 22 MPs/L, respectively. MPs were identified in the edible (2.8-20.2 MPs/g) and inedible (2.27-20.93 MPs/g) tissue of all fish species. The highest number of MPs was observed in the flesh of Labeo bata of the JCHS Lake and in the gut of Catla catla of DL. The most dominant shape of MPs was fiber and fragment, 0.1-0.4 mm was the dominant size range, and blue, purple, and transparent were the dominant colors. The presence of six polymer types was revealed by FT-IR analysis, which were polystyrene, polypropylene, nitrile, ethylene vinyl acetate, high-density polyethylene, and nylon. The concentration of MPs in fish is found to increase with the increment in body weight. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) analysis reveals that among all the fish species, Labeo bata and Oreochromis mossambicus accumulate the highest number of MPs from the lake environment. The pollution load index of MPs indicates that the sampling sites were within hazard levels III-IV. Estimated annual intake reveals that humans will be exposed to the highest number of MPs if they consume the flesh of Labeo bata of DL and JCHS Lake.

Overview of Cucurbita spp. (pumpkin) and development of value-added products emphasizing its nutritional and chemical composition

Pumpkin (Cucurbita spp.) is a commonly grown vegetable across the world however, due to its underutilization as a food source a significant imbalance between pumpkin production and consumption has been identified. Many researchers have reported morphological diversity and differences in the nutritional and chemical composition among the pumpkin species which resulted in a selective distribution of Cucurbita species in different parts of the world. As evidenced from literature, pumpkin has been identified as a remarkable source of nutrients and reported with high protein, carbohydrate, vitamins, and especially with high amounts of antioxidants. Despite their nutritional value, post-harvest loss associated with pumpkins is significantly high which highlights the importance of utilization of pumpkins through value addition. The value addition of pumpkin has drawn a huge research interest over the past years which has emphasized the nutritional and chemical composition of pumpkin, especially in the edible (flesh, seeds) and non-edible (peel and pulp) fruits parts and pumpkin flowers in several value additions. This review furnishes an overview of Cucurbita spp. production and the post-harvest loss associated with pumpkin along with the updated information about the reported value additions based on existing literature.

The influence of napier grass biomass mixed feed on the biorefinery indicator for Nile tilapia production.

Aquaculture is vital for feeding a growing population as aquatic creatures require more protein. Utilizing protein-rich biomass for feeding animals is a possible solution. Biorefinery technology can extract protein and non-protein components from biomass, creating an economically feasible value chain. This study replaced fish feed with napier grass and used a compensatory response to reduce the cost of feeding Nile tilapia. The trial involved dividing mono-sex male Nile tilapia, initially weighing between 11.10 and 13.60 g/f, into four groups with three replications based on their feeding regime. Therefore, in the study, four groups of Nile tilapia were fed different diets for 90 days. The control group (T1) received a commercial floating pellet diet throughout the trial. Group T2 and T3 received a mix of commercial floating pellet diet and napier grass in varying proportions, and group T4 was fed with only napier grass throughout the trial. The study found that groups T2 and T3 had remarkable fish growth performance, high digestibility of napier grass, and lower feed prices with the highest benefit-cost ratios. The percentage of edible flesh and Hepatosomatic Index (PT2) were higher in group T2 than T3. Cellulase activity decreased with the frequency of napier grass intake, and the amylase activity was higher in T2 than T3, which also had the highest growth performance and feed utilization. Therefore, the study suggests that the optimal feeding regimen for Nile tilapia is T2 or T3, which promotes growth and is cost-effective.

Shoot Nutrition and Flavor Variation in Two Phyllostachys Species: Does the Quality of Edible Bamboo Shoot Diaphragm and Flesh Differ?

For their quality evaluation, it is essential to determine both bamboo shoot nutrition and palatability, which will have a decisive effect on their economic value and market potential. However, differences in shoot nutrition and flavor variation among bamboo species, positions, and components have not been scientifically validated. This study assessed nutritional and flavor differences in two components (i.e., shoot flesh (BSF) and diaphragm (BSD)) of two Phyllostachys species (i.e., Phyllostachys edulis and Phyllostachys violascens) and analyzed any positional variation. Results showed that BSF protein, starch, fat, and vitamin C contents were comparatively higher. Nutrient compounds in the upper shoot segment of Ph. edulis were higher and contained less cellulose and lignin. However, both species' BSD total acid, oxalic acid, and tannin contents were comparable. BSD soluble sugar and sugar:acid ratio were higher than upper BSD total amino acid, four key amino acids (i.e., essential amino acid, bitter amino acid, umami amino acid, and sweet amino acid flavor compounds), and associated ratios were all higher than BSF while also being rich in amino acids. The content and proportion of BSF essential and bitter amino acid flavor compounds in Ph. edulis were high relative to Ph. violascens. Conversely, the content and proportion of BSD umami and sweet amino acid flavor compounds were comparable to that of Ph. edulis. Our results showed that bamboo shoot quality was affected by flavor compound differences and that interspecific and shoot components interact. This study offers a new perspective to determine the formative mechanisms involved in bamboo shoot quality while providing a basis for their different usages.

Identification of the egusi seed trait locus (eg) and its suppressor gene associated with the thin seed coat trait in watermelon.

Egusi watermelon has a unique egusi seed type, which could be useful for breeding both edible seeds and edible flesh in watermelon. However, the genetic basis of the unique egusi seed type is not clear. In the present study, we first reported that at least two genes with inhibitory epistasis were responsible for the thin seed coat (unique egusi seed type) in watermelon. Inheritance analysis of five populations, including F2, BC, and BCF2, suggested that the thin seed coat trait was controlled by a suppressor gene together with the egusi seed locus (eg) in egusi watermelon. Based on high-throughput sequencing technology, two quantitative trait loci located on chromosome 1 and chromosome 6 were identified for the thin seed coat trait in watermelon. One of the loci, the eg locus on chromosome 6, was finely mapped to a genomic region of 15.7 kb, which contained only one candidate gene. Comparative transcriptome analysis highlighted differentially expressed genes involved in cellulose and lignin synthesis between watermelon genotypes varying in the thickness of the seed coat and provided several potential candidate genes for the thin seed coat trait. Taken together, our data suggest that at least two genes are complementarily involved in the thin seed coat trait and will be useful for cloning novel genes. The results presented here provide a new reference for uncovering egusi seed genetic mechanisms and valuable information for marker-assisted selection in seed coat breeding.

Role of Salmonella Newport cell surface structures on bacterial attachment and transfer during cucumber peeling.

Fresh cucumbers have been recognized as a vehicle in foodborne disease outbreaks since several multistate outbreaks of salmonellosis linked to fresh cucumbers occurred in the United States. Little is known about how microbial cell surface characteristics that are known to affect adhesion can influence bacterial cross-contamination and transfer. This study investigated the role of S. Newport cell surface components on bacterial attachment and transfer in cucumbers. Wild type Salmonella Newport and its transposon mutants were used to inoculate cucumbers. Attachment strength of S. Newport wild type to cucumber was not significantly different than that of mutants. Log10 percent transfer of mutant strains to edible flesh was not different from the wild type. Significantly less wild type Salmonella remained on the peel and transferred to the peeler than one mutant did, but not the other. Our results suggest that while curli and cellulose enhance Salmonella attachment to surface of cucumbers, there appear to be other mechanisms and factors that govern Salmonella transfer in cucumbers.

Determining baseline radiation levels in marine biota – A comparison of SE Queensland commercial species

Limited data exists on the contribution to radiological dose to members of the public from ingestion of radioactivity in seafood in the Australian diet. There is also a lack of data available to assess the radiological dose to marine fauna in Australian waters. Natural and anthropogenic radionuclides and trace metals were measured in the edible flesh of prawns to determine the radiological dose to humans. The remaining tissues were combined and analysed to enable uptake and environmental radiological doses to be assessed. Although in international studies, the edible flesh is generally measured to determine radiation dose or ingestion of trace metals, the effects of preparation and cooking techniques are rarely assessed. In this study, cooking and preparation techniques that may influence the radiological dose to humans were assessed. Eggs were also removed from a selected number of samples to assess the potential dose in sensitive developmental tissues and possible implications for environmental effects. Order of magnitude differences in 210Po activity concentrations and Cd concentrations were observed between whole animals and the edible flesh of Australian caught King (Melicertus spp.) and Tiger (Penaeus spp.) prawns, with the hepatopancreas primarily responsible for this difference. Most 210Po was unsupported by 210Pb and activity concentrations of all other radionuclides measured (137Cs, 210Pb, 226Ra, 232Th, and 238U) were very low. The major contribution to radiation dose via the ingestion pathway and to the organism itself was from 210Po. Cooking techniques that may lead to leaching of 210Po from the hepatopancreas could substantially increase the radiological dose from ingestion of this isotope. Organism dose estimates using different input assumptions in the radiological assessment tool “ERICA”, including site-specific tissue activity concentrations with site- or region-specific media concentrations, were compared with ERICA default distribution coefficients (Kd) and concentration ratios.

Enterobacter aerogenes B199A May Be an Effective Surrogate for Quantifying Transfer of Salmonella Newport 96E01152C-TX from Cucumber Peel to Edible Flesh and Peeler during Peeling

Fresh cucumbers have been linked to multistate outbreaks of salmonellosis in the United States. Cutting, slicing, shredding, or peeling can transfer pathogens from the surface of fresh produce to the edible flesh portion through tools or hands. Different nonpathogenic surrogates have been used in various intervention studies to predict Salmonella behavior. Little is known about the degree to which pathogens or their surrogates can transfer from the surface of fresh produce to edible flesh during peeling. This study quantifies the transfer of Salmonella Newport from the surface of cucumber to the edible flesh portion or peeler during peeling and evaluates Enterobacter aerogenes B199A, as well as native mesophilic microbiota, as surrogates for Salmonella transfer. Cucumbers were dip inoculated with Salmonella Newport or E. aerogenes at 7 log CFU per cucumber. Half of each inoculated cucumber was hand peeled by using a sterilized peeler, resulting in four separate samples (unpeeled half, edible flesh half, removed peel, and used peeler) to quantify bacterial transfer. Most (>95%) of inoculated E. aerogenes, Salmonella, or native mesophilic microbiota generally remained associated with the peel during peeling. E. aerogenes transfer to cucumber flesh ranged from 0.02 to 12.9%, while transfer to the peeler ranged from 0.01 to 6.6%. Salmonella to cucumber flesh ranged from 0 to 0.6%, while transfer to the peeler ranged from 0 to 2.2%. Native microflora transfer to cucumber flesh ranged from 0.02 to 3.7%, while transfer to the peeler ranged from 0.04 to 3.7%. The log percent transfer of E. aerogenes at 24 h, as well as several shorter times, was not significantly different (P > 0.05) from that of Salmonella transferred to the edible flesh portion or peeler during peeling. E. aerogenes B199A may be a useful surrogate for Salmonella in cross-contamination studies and may help guide future risk management efforts to reduce pathogen risk associated with fresh cucumbers.

CONTRIBUTION TO THE ASSESSMENT OF PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS (POPS) IN MARINE ORGANISMS: THE CASE OF SAROTHERODON MELANOTHERON (RUPPELL, 1852) AND MUGIL BANANENSIS (PELLEGRIN, 1928) IN THE SALOUM DELTA

It is known that the consumption of seafood has several health benefits for humans. However, the accumulation of organic pollutants, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), in their flesh could pose public health problems. Thus, the concentrations of PCBs and OCPs in edible fish species (Mugil bananensis, Sarotherodon melanotheron) from the Sine Saloum Estuary located in central-western Senegal are investigated in order to assess the potential risks of these contaminants to human health. After analysis, PCB52 and chlordane show the highest concentrations in the edible flesh of these two species. The concentration of PCB52 is almost identical in these two species, while that of chlordane is higher in S. melanotheron. Regarding the distribution of PCBs and OCPs in M. bananensis, the highest concentration is found in Fimela for PCBs and in Sokone for OCPs. For S. melanotheron, the highest concentration is found in Toubacouta for PCBs and in Felir for OCPs. The cancer risk values obtained after calculation do not reveal any serious risk because they do not exceed the threshold value established by the U.S. EPA (2005) which is 1×10-4. However, it is recommended to the populations a moderate consumption because of the phenomenon of bioaccumulation.

Growth and carcass quality of on-growing river catfish Hemibagrus nemurus fed with dietary salted by-catch and fish viscera meal mixtures as fishmeal substitute

Dietary salted by-catches and fish viscera meal mixtures could totally replace fishmeal without negative effect on growth performance of small size (4–25 g) river catfish Hemibagrus nemurus, however, their effects on carcass quality and growth of on-growing river catfish remained uninvestigated. The present study therefore was conducted to assess the effects of dietary fishmeal (FM) replacement with salted by-catches and fish viscera meal mixtures (SBVM) on growth, feed utilization, and carcass quality of on-growing (120–300 g) river catfish. Four isoproteic and isocaloric (34% crude protein and 17 Kj g−1 gross energy) diets were prepared, where dietary FM was replaced with SBVM at levels of 0% as control diet (SBVM0), 50% (SBVM50), 75% (SBVM75), and 100% (SBVM100). A commercial pelleted diet (CD) was used as a reference. A total of 750 on-growing river catfish, 118.95 ± 2.19 g in weight was randomly distributed into 5 triplicate net cages (2 m × 2 m × 1.20 m) at a density of 50 fish per cage. The fish was fed at apparent satiation twice a day for a period of 90 days. Substitution of dietary FM with SBVM up to 75% did not affect survival rate, specific growth rate, weight gain, feed and protein efficiency, lipid retention, protein retention, amino acid profile, body proximate composition, edible flesh, carcass waste, dress-out percentage, flesh liquid holding capacity (P > 0.05). The sensory quality of the fish was comparable with the control and reference diets (P > 0.05). Complete substitution of dietary FM by SBVM negatively impacted specific growth rate, weight gain, feed intake, protein retention, body protein and lipid, lipid retention, flesh liquid holding capacity, and fillet appearance and texture (P < 0.05). Therefore, the SBVM can replace FM in the diet of river catfish up to 75%.

The effects of culinary processing on lithium from lithiated and reference button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus)

Lithiated products such as button mushrooms that are cultivated in substrates fortified with lithium (Li) salts, have the potential to provide accessible and safe Li dosing as a treatment for some neurological disorders. However, Li losses sustained during culinary processing are not known. This study of commonly used culinary treatments including various combinations of drying, maceration, blanching (of fresh, deep-frozen and re-hydrated mushrooms) and pickling (of fresh and deep-frozen mushrooms) shows that Li is lost from the edible flesh at varying rates depending on the treatment. Blanching of fresh lithiated mushrooms resulted in a 40% loss, increasing to 77–87% when blanching was followed by pickling. Corresponding losses were similar (47–72%) for non-lithiated mushrooms. Higher losses through the combined treatment relative to just blanching appear to be due to chelating and acidifying effects of the vinegar used. This finding has important dose implications for potential future use of lithiated products.

Non-destructive evaluation of the edible rate for pomelo using X-ray imaging method

Flesh content of pomelos sometimes does not match the price due to thick peel, which reduces their commercial value and consumer satisfaction. This study demonstrated the potential use of X-ray imaging method for non-destructive evaluation of the edible rate and the flesh content of ‘Hongrou’ pomelos and ‘Guanxi’ pomelos. An adaptive threshold segmentation method was used to segment the X-ray image into background, flesh region and peel region. Then, 2D edible rate and 2D flesh content were defined based on region area ratio and gray level logarithmic sum, respectively, and the multiple linear regression (MLR) models of edible rate and flesh content were established for quantitative analysis. The results showed that the residual predictive deviation (RPD) value of edible rate of ‘Hongrou’ and ‘Guanxi’ pomelos in prediction set were up to 2.78 and 2.82, respectively. The hybrid model based on both two cultivars pomelos also achieved good prediction accuracy (RPD = 2.83). In terms of flesh content prediction, the model prediction performance of ‘Hongrou’ pomelo (RPD = 2.92) was obviously better than that of ‘Guanxi’ pomelo (RPD = 2.05), and the RPD value of hybrid model in prediction set was 2.62. Further, both two-grade and three-grade linear discriminant analysis (LDA) classifiers were trained to explore the feasibility of using X-ray images to classify the edible rate of pomelos, and the classification accuracy of hybrid samples were 96.7% and 90.0%, respectively. Overall, the features extracted from X-ray image of pomelo could allow the non-destructive evaluation of the edible rate for pomelo.

Integrative Taxonomy Reveals Molicola uncinatus and Gymnorhynchus gigas (Cestoda: Trypanorhyncha) Coinfection in the Atlantic Pomfret Brama brama From the Mediterranean Sea, With Notes on the Phylogenetic Position of G. gigas Within the Family Gymnorhynchidae.

The cestode family Gymnorhynchidae Dollfus, 1935 (Trypanorhyncha) comprises three genera and six valid species that are typically intestinal parasites of large pelagic sharks. Members of Gymnorhynchidae show a wide geographic distribution and represent a global sanitary concern because as larvae they infect the edible flesh of several commercially important fishes with some species having allergenic potential. Larval Gymnorhynchidae collected from the muscles of the Atlantic pomfret Brama brama from various localities in the Mediterranean Sea were identified and characterized by combining traditional morphology, scanning electronic microscopy, and molecular analyses using newly generated nuclear 18S and 28S rRNA sequences. Overall, 98 larvae were collected from 20 (100%) Atlantic pomfrets (intensity of infection: 4.9; range: 1–12). High-quality sequences were obtained for 54 larvae. Of these, 11 and 43 larvae were identified as Molicola uncinatus and Gymnorhynchus gigas, respectively. The phylogenetic analysis showed the existence of three main clades within Gymnorhynchidae. The first included species of G. gigas and M. uncinatus from the Mediterranean and Atlantic; the second and third major clades included an unidentified species of Molicola from the Indian Ocean and specimens of Gymnorhynchus isuri from the Mediterranean and Atlantic, respectively. Finally, Chimaerarhynchus rougetae was the basal and most diverging taxon. The phylogenetic analysis suggested that G. gigas is more closely related to the members of Molicola. We demonstrated the coinfection of M. uncinatus and G. gigas from all localities studied and extended the intermediate hosts and geographical range of M. uncinatus by including the Atlantic pomfret and the Tyrrhenian and Ionian Seas, respectively. The present results supported the previous proposal that G. gigas and Molicola species should be included in the same genus. Our study demonstrated the usefulness of the integrative taxonomy for the unequivocal recognition of larval trypanorhynch species, resolving the current difficulties in the taxonomy, and elucidating the poorly known ecological and biological aspects of members of Gymnorhynchidae.

Proximate Composition, Predictive Analysis and Allometric Relationships, of the Edible Water Frog (Pelophylax epeiroticus) in Lake Pamvotida (Northwest Greece)

The edible water frog Pelophylax epeiroticus, distributed mainly in Northwest Greece and utilized commercially as food, was investigated in lake Pamvotida (Ioannina). The objective was to assess aspects of population structure (sex ratio, morphometric characteristics, allometric relationships) and proximate composition of the Epirus water frog (Pelophylax epeiroticus). Commercial samples (31 females and 54 males) were obtained and sex ratio, morphometric characteristics, allometric relationships and proximate composition were assessed. A significantly lower abundance of females was indicated (31 females and 54 males). Body length range was higher in females (females 3.4 mm, males 2.6 mm), whereas total weight range was higher in males (females 45.08 gr, males 48.35 gr). Differences in allometric relationships were indicated between sexes. The high protein (15.93 ± 3.32) and low lipid (0.25 ± 0.13) contents indicated that P. epeiroticus is an excellent food source of high nutritional value. A tree classification algorithm indicated that the principal contributing component for sex classification was dry matter, followed by a proportion of edible flesh and protein content. A predicted future increase in demand for wild-caught individuals requires the use of a suitable management plan, coupled with the development of farming practices aiming to assure the sustainable exploitation of this important resource and alleviate the pressure on its populations.

Explosives compounds from sea-dumped relic munitions accumulate in marine biota

Relic munitions are a hazardous legacy of the two world wars present in coastal waters worldwide. The southwest Baltic Sea has an especially high prevalence of unexploded ordnance and dumped munition material, which represent a large potential source of toxic explosive chemicals (munition compounds, MC). In the current study, diverse biota (plankton, macroalgae, tunicate, sponge, mollusc, echinoderm, polychaete, anemone, crustacea, fish) were collected from the Kiel Bight and a munitions dumpsite at Kolberger Heide, Germany, to evaluate the potential bioaccumulation of explosives and their derivatives (2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, TNT; 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene and 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene, ADNT; 2,4-diamino-6-nitrotoluene and 2,6-diamino-4-nitrotoluene, DANT; 1,3-dinitrobenzene, DNB; and 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazinane, RDX). One or more MCs were detected in >98% of organisms collected throughout the study region (n = 178), at a median level of 6 pmol/g (approximately 1 ng/g) and up to 2 × 107 pmol/g (TNT in Asterias rubens collected from Kolberger Heide). In most cases, TNT and its transformation product compounds ADNT and DANT were significantly higher in biota from the munitions dumpsite compared with other locations. Generally, DNB and RDX were detected less frequently and at lower concentrations than TNT, ADNT, and DANT. In commercially important fish species (plaice, flounder) from Kolberger Heide, TNT and ADNT were detected in 17 and 33% of samples, respectively. In contrast DANT was detected in every fish sample, including those outside the dumpsite. Dinitrobenzene was the second most prevalent MC in fish tissue. Fish viscera (stomach, kidney, liver) showed higher levels of DANT than edible muscle flesh, with highest DANT in liver, suggesting reduced risk to seafood consumers. This study provides some of the first environmental evidence for widespread bioaccumulation of MC in a coastal marine food web. Although tissue MC content was generally low, corrosion of munition housings may lead to greater MC release in the future, and the ecological risk of this exposure is unknown.

Effect of Three Cooking Techniques on Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Burgers Quality Attributes تأثير ثلاث تقنيات للطهي على خصائص جودة برجرسمک البلطي النيلي(Oreochromis niloticus)

Three cooking techniques (pan frying in corn oil, roasting in a Halogen convection oven, and grilling in a double jacket electric grill) were evaluated for their effect on the quality attributes (cooking characteristics, chemical composition, fatty acids, amino acids, physicochemical properties, microbiological activity, sensory evaluation, and cost-profit analysis) of the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) burgers. The Nile tilapia weighed an average of 500 grams and contained 52.13% edible flesh. There were no significant (p ≤ 0.05) differences in the proximate chemical composition of roasted and grilled burgers. While, the frying technique and both other cooking techniques differs significantly (p ≤ 0.05). In terms of pH, total volatile base nitrogen, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances values, there were no significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) between the three cooking techniques. During the frying process, the fatty acids and amino acids content of the fish burgers was considerably influenced. The results of the sensory evaluation of fish burgers revealed that fried and grilled burgers had better color, odor, appearance, and overall acceptability than roasted burgers. The Nile tilapia burgers were proven to be good for human eating, roasted and grilled as cooking methods for a healthy diet. The current research paves the way for optimal use of this product with profit margin 83.33%, especially during the peak of fishing season.