Non-toxic Food Research Articles

A simple and affordable method for estimating the fluid volume a mosquito sucks using food dyes

BackgroundBlood-sucking by mosquitoes is an inevitable behavior when pathogens are transmitted among humans. Adenine nucleotides such as ATP are known as phagostimulants for mosquitoes and are widely used to induce and enhance the blood-sucking activity in an artificial manner. Although using ATP solution is convenient to introduce a variety of substances (for example chemicals and pathogens) into the mosquito body via sucking, establishing an easy and cost-effective method to quantify the amount of solution ingested has yet to be reported.ResultsA set of commercial food dyes (green, blue, yellow, and red) was employed in this study. Each dye was added to ATP solution used to colorize the abdomen of Ae. aegypti female mosquitoes after ingestion. The intake of food dyes did not show any toxicity to the mosquitoes, affecting neither ATP-sucking behavior nor survival of the mosquitoes. We observed that quantifying the color intensity of green dye in the mosquito abdomen by spectral analysis, as well as distinguishing the size of the colored abdomen using the naked eye, allowed the estimation of the amount of ingested solution. Using this method, capsaicin, a pungent component of chili peppers, was identified as an aversive tastant that can discourage mosquitoes from sucking the ATP solution.ConclusionsEmploying commercially available, non-toxic food dyes converted ATP-driven membrane feeding into an easy-to-use method to estimate the amount of solution ingested by mosquitoes. This method can be further applied for a variety of experiments such as introducing a certain quantity of chemical compounds or microbes into the mosquito body.

How Copepods Can Eat Toxins Without Getting Sick: Gut Bacteria Help Zooplankton to Feed in Cyanobacteria Blooms.

Toxin-producing cyanobacteria can be harmful to aquatic biota, although some grazers utilize them with often beneficial effects on their growth and reproduction. It is commonly assumed that gut microbiota facilitates host adaptation to the diet; however, the evidence for adaptation mechanisms is scarce. Here, we investigated the abundance of mlrA genes in the gut of the Baltic copepods Acartia bifilosa and Eurytemora affinis during cyanobacteria bloom season (August) and outside it (February). The mlrA genes are unique to microcystin and nodularin degraders, thus indicating the capacity to break down these toxins by the microbiota. The mlrA genes were expressed in the copepod gut year-round, being >10-fold higher in the summer than in the winter populations. Moreover, they were significantly more abundant in Eurytemora than Acartia. To understand the ecological implications of this variability, we conducted feeding experiments using summer- and winter-collected copepods to examine if/how the mlrA abundance in the microbiota affect: (1) uptake of toxic Nodularia spumigena, (2) uptake of a non-toxic algal food offered in mixtures with N. spumigena, and (3) concomitant growth potential in the copepods. The findings provide empirical evidence that the occurrence of mlrA genes in the copepod microbiome facilitates nutrient uptake and growth when feeding on phytoplankton mixtures containing nodularin-producing cyanobacteria; thus, providing an adaptation mechanism to the cyanobacteria blooms.

Impact of industrial pollution on physiological growth and nutrient contents of common green leafy vegetables

The agriculture has been always remaining as backbone of economy. Maintenance of soil and water quality has been pointed out as one of the major contributing factors for sustainability of agricultural production. Conserving the water sources and agricultural lands for getting non-toxic food from plants, the present study has undertaken to investigate the mineral composition and vitamin contents of green leafy vegetables as well as the effect of pollution on plant physiology. Normal soil and water, Industrial non - recycled water and soil were collected from the Thekkampatti village of Karamadai, Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu. Industrial recycled water and soil have collected from the Otterpalayam (Annur) of Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu. The result indicates that industrial non recycled water possess pH of 8.9 shows alkalinity. Industrial water non recycled soil the Chromium (58.0 mg/L) is present in higher quantity. The germination percentage was desirably good in normal soil and followed by water recycled soil cultivated green leaves. In non-recycled soil it was delayed thegermination and percentage also very poor. In case of Amaranthus polygonoides, the germination was completely inhibited by the water recycled soil as well as water non-recycled polluted soil. The impact of pollution present in the non-recycled soil was clearly observed in respective plant leaf numbers, size and shoot length. The present study is also one of the attempts to prove the importance of recycling of industrial pollution as well as the impact of non-recycled heavy metal pollution in common green leafy vegetables growth and nutrients. The industries should follow the recycling process based on the chemicals utilized for their products. The soil and water are need to conserve with efficient recycling methods in order to prevent the pollution which in turn becomes health hazards for the human and other living organisms through crop plants.

Carnosic acid increases sorafenib-induced inhibition of ERK1/2 and STAT3 signaling which contributes to reduced cell proliferation and survival of hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has increasing worldwide incidence but when unresectable lacks curative options. Treatment with a kinase inhibitor Sorafenib (Sf), while initially effective, results in only short increases in patient survival, thus there is a need for improved treatment regimens. Numerous treatment regimens have been explored wherein Sf is combined with other agents, such as non-toxic botanicals like Curcumin or Silibinin. Recently, we have shown that carnosic acid (CA), a component of the food preservative Rosemary Extract, can markedly enhance the cytotoxic actions of Sf in several cell lines derived from HCC, but not in the cell line Hu1545 derived from normal hepatocytes. CA has been shown to enhance Sf-induced cell death in the neoplastic cell lines, principally due to the composite of increased apoptosis and cytotoxic autophagy. In the present study we focused on the mechanisms that underlie the reduced proliferation and survival of HCC cells when CA is added to Sf and how this relates to the increase in Sf-induced DNA damage as well as to the elevation of cytoplasmic levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Importantly, the elevation of ROS levels induced by Sf was increased by adding CA. We found that CA enhanced Sf-induced prolongation of cell cycle, and the overall decrease in cell growth was associated with reduced activation of both STAT3 transcription factor (TF) and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (Erk)1/2. Our data suggest that a regimen incorporating CA, an inexpensive and non-toxic food additive, in the treatment of advanced HCC merits clinical evaluation.

Dietary Antioxidants Significantly Reduced Phorbol Myristate Acetate Induced Oxidative Stress of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease responsible for maximum human morbidity in modern life, whereas oxidative stress is the ultimate potential biomarker for determining disease activity in patients with RA. The present study scientifically validated the effectiveness of antioxidants commonly present in different food supplements to neutralize the free radicals mediated oxidative stress in isolated peripheral blood mononuclear lymphocytes (PBML) of patients with RA. The study population included patients with Rheumatoid arthritis, RA (n =15), who fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology criteria for RA. Peripheral blood was collected, and isolated mononuclear lymphocyte cells (PBML) were pretreated with phorbol myristate acetate (PMS) and furthermore, incubated with different concentrations of Naringenin, β carotene and Nacetyl cysteine (NAC) in an ex vivo condition. The resultant cell lysate was used for further studies for the determination of other oxidative biomarkers. The increase of superoxide and nitric oxide production was observed when PBML was treated PMS. Importantly, the increased oxidative stress was effectively decreased by the selected plantderived compounds β-carotene and naringenin. The study scientifically evaluated the efficacy of the molecules validated by one-way ANOVA, followed by Dunnett's post hoc test of significance. Collectively, our results indicate that both β carotene and naringenin may be a promising non-toxic food supplement in attenuating the oxidative stress associated pathology in RA, meriting further pharmacological studies on other inflammatory cells like neutrophils.

Epsilon-poly-l-lysine (ε-PL) exhibits antifungal activity in vivo and in vitro against Botrytis cinerea and mechanism involved

Abstract e-Poly- l -lysine (e-PL) is a non-toxic food preservative, but the antifungal effect of e-PL against postharvest pathogenic fungi has rarely been reported. Grey mold caused by Botrytis cinerea is one of the main postharvest diseases on fruit and vegetables. The objective of this study was to investigate the antifungal activity of e-PL against B. cinerea in vivo and in vitro, and elucidate the underlying mechanism involved. e-PL treatment significantly inhibited the incidence of grey mold rot on cherry tomato, strawberry, grape, and green pepper caused by B. cinerea. Moreover, in vitro assay showed that e-PL exerted strongly antifungal activity against mycelial growth, spore germination, and germ tube elongation of B. cinerea, with the increase of the concentration of e-PL. Furthermore, significant leakages of intercellular electrolytes and protein suggested that e-PL treatment increased the membrane permeability of B. cinerea. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content and Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide (PI) double staining assay confirmed that e-PL treatment induced membrane disruption of the test pathogen. Morphological alterations after e-PL treatment revealed severe damage to B. cinerea mycelia, which resulted in distortion and shriveling of mycelial surface. The results indicated that e-PL exerted antifungal activity by inducing the membrane damage of B. cinerea, and e-PL treatment was a promising approach to controlling postharvest grey mold on fruit and vegetables.

Characterization of novel nanoemulsions, with improved properties, based on rosemary essential oil and biopolymers.

Nowadays, it is of great interest to develop stable and sustainable formulations that act as nanocarriers of active ingredients. In this work, the droplet size distribution, rheology and physical stability of nanoemulsions with improved properties containing rosemary essential oil and biopolymers as a function of the concentration of these polysaccharides were investigated. Mean diameters below 150 nm were achieved, indicating nanostructures were obtained. Regardless of gum type, a gel-like structure and a shear thinning behaviour was achieved. In addition, an increase of G', G″ and viscosity and a decrease of J0 , J1 , J2 , λ1 and λ2 with increasing gum concentration were observed, due to the formation of a three-dimensional network in the aqueous phase. Slight differences between nanoemulsions containing welan or xanthan were found. Creaming, depletion flocculation and gel aggregation were the main destabilization processes at low, intermediate and high gum concentration, respectively. A 0.4 wt% gum nanoemulsion exhibited the best physical stability. These stable and sustainable nanoemulsions with improved rheological properties contribute to the development of biodegradable and non-toxic food or agrochemical products. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Highly Efficient Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells with Composited Food Dyes

As a representative of third-generation solar cells, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) possess the advantages of easy fabrication and relatively high power conversion efficiency (PCE). However, the commonly used dyes (such as N719, N3, C217, and Z907) in DSSCs are expensive and toxic. Herein, the nontoxic food dyes, including Amaranth, Sunset Yellow, and Erythrosin B, were explored for DSSC applications. Particularly, this is the first study to combine two of three nontoxic food dyes for DSSCs, leading to a remarkable increase of PCE. Furthermore, a correlation was identified between the PCE and the composition of the combined dyes. The ZnO-based DSSCs with combined Amaranth and Erythrosin B dyes exhibited the highest PCE of 2.64%.

Evaluation of Cyantraniliprole, Spinetoram, and Chromobacterium subtsugae Extract in Bait for Killing and Reducing Oviposition of Rhagoletis indifferens (Diptera: Tephritidae).

Insecticides mixed in sugar-protein baits or insecticides alone have been used to control tephritid fruit flies for many years. Here, effects of cyantraniliprole, spinetoram, and the biopesticide Chromobacterium subtsugae extract in sucrose-yeast extract bait or alone on kill and oviposition of western cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis indifferens Curran (Diptera: Tephritidae), were evaluated in the laboratory. Flies were exposed to dry insecticide bait or insecticide alone in the presence or absence of a nontoxic food strip. Spinetoram alone caused greater mortality than cyantraniliprole alone, while cyantraniliprole in bait caused mortality as high as spinetoram bait and greater mortality than cyantraniliprole alone. Chromobacterium subtsugae extract alone but not in bait caused significant mortality compared with controls, but was much less effective than cyantraniliprole and spinetoram. Spinetoram alone reduced oviposition more than cyantraniliprole alone. However, cyantraniliprole bait reduced oviposition as much or more than spinetoram alone or spinetoram bait. Cyantraniliprole and spinetoram baits caused greater mortality when a nontoxic food strip was absent than present, but there was no corresponding reduction in oviposition. Chromobacterium subtsugae extract did not significantly reduce oviposition compared with controls. Potential benefits of using cyantraniliprole baits as an additional or alternative method to using more toxic spinosyn insecticides for controlling R. indifferens warrant study.

Effect of anti‐browning agents and package atmosphere on the quality and sensory of fresh‐cut Birgit and Lady Claire potato during storage at different temperatures

The influence of cultivar, anti-browning agents, package atmosphere, storage time and temperature on quality, and sensory of fresh-cut potatoes (FCP) were investigated. Slices of cv. Birgit and Lady Claire were dipped in water, sodium chloride solution (1%) and sodium ascorbate solution (2%) and stored under air, vacuum, and active modified atmosphere at 3 and 10°C for 10 days. Dry matter, pH, color and texture properties, gas composition within packages, and microbial activity were monitored during storage. Also, raw and boiled FCP were sensory evaluated. Examined influences significantly affected majority of FCP properties. Generally, sodium ascorbate showed more efficiency in browning prevention, as well as vacuum-packaged samples were more acceptable. Storage at 3°C did not have significantly better effect compared to storage at 10°C. FCP quality and sensory retained well till the 8th day of storage. Cv. Birgit demonstrated greater potential for FCP production. Practical applications Although fresh-cut potato (FCP) has been extensively investigated, there is an existing need for further study of adequate cultivars, as well as prevention of enzymatic browning as important factor for maintaining its quality. This research provides a better insight of the influence of legally permitted anti-browning agents (quantum satis) that are accepted by consumers as natural and nontoxic food additives, as well as low-cost packaging method and storage conditions on FCP quality and sensory properties in order to achieve and improve its required quality and durability during storage. Furthermore, present study could also contribute to better knowledge of relatively new potato cultivars on the market.

Non-toxic green food additive enables efficient polymer solar cells through adjusting the phase composition distribution and boosting charge transport

Solvent additives play an important role in optimizing the morphology of the photoactive layer and improving the photovoltaic performance of polymer solar cells (PSCs).

Effects of ε-poly-l-lysine on vegetative growth, pathogenicity and gene expression of Alternaria alternata infecting Nicotiana tabacum

Microbial secondary metabolites produced by Streptomyces are applied to control plant diseases. ε-poly-l-lysine (ε-PL) is a non-toxic food preservative, but the potential application of ε-PL as a microbial fungicide in agriculture has rarely been reported. In this study, Alternaria alternata (A. alternata) was used to reveal the effect and mode of action for ε-PL on the plant pathogenic fungi. The results showed that ε-PL effectively inhibited necrotic-lesion development caused by A. alternata on tobacco. Mycelial growth was also significantly inhibited in vitro by 100 μg/ml ε-PL using in vitro analysis. Moreover, 25 μg/ml ε-PL inhibited spore germination and induced abnormal morphological development of A. alternata hyphae. To clarify the molecular-genetic antifungal mechanisms, we selected several crucial genes involved in the development and pathogenesis of A. alternata and studied their expression regulated by ε-PL. Results of real-time quantitative PCR showed that a mycelium morphology and pathogenic process related cyclic adenosine monophosphate protein (cAMP) dependent protein kinase A (PKA), Alternaria alternata cAMP-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit (AAPK1) and the early infection-related glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) were down-regulated after ε-PL treatment. The results provide novel insights for the application of ε-PL in the control of plant diseases caused by A. alternata.

Insoluble and Thermostable Polyhydroxyesters From a Renewable Natural Occurring Polyhydroxylated Fatty Acid.

To explore the potential of long chain polyhydroxyalkanoates as non-toxic food packaging materials, the characterization of polyesters prepared from a natural occurring polyhydroxylated C16 carboxylic acid (9,10,16-trihydroxyhexadecanoic or aleuritic acid) has been addressed. Such monomer has been selected to elucidate the reactivity of primary and secondary hydroxyl groups and their contribution to the structure and properties of the polyester. Resulting polyaleuritate films have been produced using an open mold in one-step, solvent-free self-polycondensation in melt state and directly in air to evaluate the effect of oxygen in their final physical and chemical properties. These polymers are amorphous, insoluble, and thermostable, being therefore suitable for solvent, and heat resistant barrier materials. Structurally, most of primary hydroxyls are involved in ester bonds, but there is some branching arising from the partial participation of secondary O-H groups. The oxidative cleavage of the vicinal diol moiety and a subsequent secondary esterification had a noticeable effect on the amorphization and stiffening of the polyester by branching and densification of the ester bond network. A derivation of such structural modification was the surface compaction and the reduction of permeability to water molecules. The addition of Ti(OiPr)4 as a catalyst had a moderate effect, likely because of a poor diffusion within the melt, but noticeably accelerated both the secondary esterification and the oxidative processes. Primary esterification was a high conversion bulk reaction while oxidation and secondary esterification was restricted to nearby regions of the air exposed side of cast films. The reason was a progressive hindering of oxygen diffusion as the reaction progresses and a self-regulation of the altered layer growth. Despite such a reduced extent, the oxidized layer noticeably increased the UV-vis light blockage capacity. In general, characterized physical properties suggest a high potential of these polyaleuritate polyesters as food preserving materials.

Efficiently Anti-Obesity Effects of Unsaturated Alginate Oligosaccharides (UAOS) in High-Fat Diet (HFD)-Fed Mice.

Obesity and its related complications have become one of the leading problems affecting human health. However, current anti-obesity treatments are limited by high cost and numerous adverse effects. In this study, we investigated the use of a non-toxic green food additive, known as unsaturated alginate oligosaccharides (UAOS) from the enzymatic degradation of Laminaria japonicais, which showed effective anti-obesity effects in a high-fat diet (HFD) mouse model. Compared with acid hydrolyzed saturated alginate oligosaccharides (SAOS), UAOS significantly reduced body weight, serum lipid, including triacylglycerol (TG), total cholesterol (TC) and free fatty acids (FFA), liver weight, liver TG and TC, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, adipose mass, reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, and accumulation induced in HFD mice. Moreover, the structural differences in β-d-mannuronate (M) and its C5 epimer α-l-guluronate (G) did not cause significant functional differences. Meanwhile, UAOS significantly increased both AMP-activated protein kinase α (AMPKα) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) phosphorylation in adipocytes, which indicated that UAOS had an anti-obesity effect mainly through AMPK signaling. Our results indicate that UAOS has the potential for further development as an adjuvant treatment for many metabolic diseases such as fatty liver, hypertriglyceridemia, and possibly diabetes.

Edible Chitosan Films and Their Nanosized Counterparts Exhibit Antimicrobial Activity and Enhanced Mechanical and Barrier Properties.

Chitosan and chitosan-nanoparticles were combined to prepare biobased and unplasticized film blends displaying antimicrobial activity. Nanosized chitosans obtained by sonication for 5, 15, or 30 min were combined with chitosan at 3:7, 1:1, and 7:3 ratios, in order to adjust blend film mechanical properties and permeability. The incorporation of nanosized chitosans led to improvements in the interfacial interaction with chitosan microfibers, positively affecting film mechanical strength and stiffness, evidenced by scanning electron microscopy. Nanosized or blend chitosan film sensitivity to moisture was significantly decreased with the drop in biocomposite molecular masses, evidenced by increased water solubility and decreased water vapor permeability. Nanosized and chitosan interactions gave rise to light biobased films presenting discrete opacity and color changes, since red-green and yellow-blue colorations were affected. All chitosan blend films exhibited antimicrobial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The performance of green unplasticized chitosan blend films displaying diverse morphologies has, thus, been proven as a potential step towards the design of nontoxic food packaging biobased films, protecting against spoilage microorganisms, while also minimizing environmental impacts.

Yucca schidigera can mitigate ammonia emissions from manure and promote poultry health and production.

Mojaveyucca (Yucca schidigera) is widely grown in the deserts. This herb is commercially used because it is rich in saponins and phenolic compounds with antioxidant effect. Y. schidigera or its derivatives are included as nontoxic food supplements, in cosmetics, and in the pharmaceutical industry. Saponins originated from Y. schidigera have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunostimulatory, growth promoter, hypocholesterolemic, and hypoglycemic effects. To date, the key role of Y. schidigera or its products in animal nutrition is to reduce the ammonia content in the atmosphere and fecal odor in poultry excreta. Mitigating ammonia by using this plant could be achieved by the modification of gut microbiota, enhancement in digestion, and absorption of nutrients, leading to a better growth and production performance of animals and poultry. Various methods were applied to mitigate the emission of odor from the litter by different strategies including biofilters, litter treatments, air scrubbers, neutralizing agents, windbreak walls, etc., but these techniques are expensive. This article provides a new insight to scientists and poultry breeders to use Y. schidigera plant or its products as inexpensive and safe sources of a feed supplement to overcome the ammonia and fecal odor problems, as well as reduce environmental pollution in poultry houses.

Glyceryl Monostearate: Probing the Self Assembly of a Lipid Amenable To Surface Modification for Hepatic Targeting

Glyceryl monostearate (GMS) is a single-tailed lipidic monoglyceride commonly used as a nontoxic food additive. In this study, we have investigated GMS, specifically its self-assembling properties ...

Gold nanoparticles functionalized with Pluronic are viable optical probes for the determination of uric acid.

The authors describe the preparation of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) coated with poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) (Pluronic F-108) by reducing Au3+ to Au0 using curcumin, a natural and non-toxic food spice, in water of pH ~7 in the presence of F-108 and Ag+ ion. The coated AuNPs display strong resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) and fluorescence that results from the functionalization of the gold surface with curcumin and Pluronic F-108. The molar mass of Pluronic F-108 affects the particle size of the AuNPs formed, and small AuNPs are formed when using low molar weight F-108 that was purified by centrifugation or dialysis. The coated AuNPs were employed in an optical method for the determination of uric acid. The combination of uric acid with the AuNPs boosts both the RRS signal and the fluorescence of the AuNPs. However, higher concentrations of uric acid shift the fluorescence peak to shorter wavelengths. The method is simple, and fluorescence, best measured at excitation/emission wavelengths of 425/534nm, increases linearly in the 50μM to 50mM uric acid concentration range, with a 0.14μM detection limit which is lower than reported for other methods in the literature. Graphical abstract Pluronic F-108 capped gold nanoparticles prepared by reducing Au3+ to Au0 using curcumin can estimate uric acid in 50μM to 50mM concentration range.

Evaluation of the stability of tyrosol esters during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion.

Lipophenols such as tea polyphenol palmitate derivatives (palmitoyl esters of tea polyphenols) have been classified as non-toxic food additives due to their better protective effects on lipidic food matrices from oxidation, but their digestion and absorption have remained unexplored. In this study, the digestive stability of tyrosol acyl esters (TYr-Es) with fatty acids of different chain lengths and different degrees of unsaturation such as C12:0, C14:0, C16:0, C18:0, C18:1, C18:2, and C22:6 was evaluated using an in vitro simulated gastrointestinal tract model containing various digestive enzymes (pancreatin, pancreatic lipase and phospholipase A2). HPLC-UV measurements demonstrated that only pancreatin and pancreatic lipase, but not phospholipase A2, could hydrolyze TYr-Es to free TYr. The degree of TYr-E hydrolysis negatively correlated with the chain length but positively correlated with the degree of unsaturation of their lipid moiety. In addition, the fact that TYr in fatty acid ester forms could be absorbed by the intestinal lumen, at least partially in the form of free TYr, may explain a sustained release behavior of TYr-Es to TYr during the time-course following the digestion process.

Feeding, survival, and reproduction of two populations of Eurytemora (Copepoda) exposed to local toxic cyanobacteria

Studying the responses of crustacean zooplankton to harmful algal blooms is important for understanding changes in lower food webs following eutrophication in the Laurentian Great Lakes and other regions around the world. Here we examine responses to toxic cyanobacteria by crustacean copepods of the genus Eurytemora from eutrophic coastal regions of Lake Michigan (Green Bay) and the Baltic Sea (Gulf of Finland). We measured grazing, survivorship, reproduction, and juvenile (nauplius) size in short-term laboratory experiments. Females were incubated with representative non-toxic food and mixtures of non-toxic food with either cyanobacteria or cyanobacteria filtrate. Eurytemora from both locations were affected negatively by cyanobacteria filtrates, even with non-toxic food available. Eurytemora carolleeae from Green Bay exhibited reduced grazing rates when exposed to filtrates, but this effect was not observed when animals were fed the cyanobacteria and filtrate along with non-toxic food. Eurytemora sp. from the Baltic Sea given filtrates and non-toxic food also exhibited decreased grazing rates, as well as decreased adult survival and nauplius size. Similarly, when cyanobacterial cells were included along with filtrate and non-toxic food these effects were not observed. Our results also demonstrated a significant trade-off between offspring quantity and quality for both groups of animals, being more pronounced when food quality was manipulated by the presence of cyanobacterial cells. These findings further our knowledge of how a widely distributed group like Eurytemora may respond in the face of changing local selection pressures from natural and anthropogenic stressors.