Search

The Italian wolf population in human-modified landscapes has increased greatly in the last few decades. Anthropisation increases the risk of transmission of many zoonotic infections and in this context, control of taeniid cestode species needs to be addressed from a One Health perspective. Predator-prey interactions are at the root of taeniid cestode transmission, and the wolf plays a key role in the maintenance and transmission of taeniids. To date, all available data on the taeniids of wolves in Italy refer to populations living in a wild habitat. Between 2018 and 2019, we investigated taeniids in a wolf pack living in a highly anthropic hilly agro-ecosystem. Thirty-eight faecal samples were collected and analysed, 4 of which were also genetically characterised for individual wolves and belonged to three different animals. Samples collected were analysed microscopically and by molecular analysis in order to identify the taeniid species. Taeniid eggs were detected in 34.2% (13/38) of samples. Within samples positive to taeniid eggs only Echinococcus granulosus s.s. and Taenia hydatigena were identified in 26.3% and 10.5% of the samples, respectively. On microscopic examination, Capillaria spp., Ancylostomatidae and Toxocara canis eggs, Crenosoma vulpis larvae, and coccidian oocysts were also found. The combination of low biodiversity of taeniid species with a high occurrence of E. granulosus s.s. recorded in this study could be the consequence of a deeper link occurring between wolves and livestock in human-modified landscapes than in wild settings.

Brucellosis is a zoonosis that affects domestic and wild animals, causing reproductive disorders and significant economic losses in livestock. Brucella melitensis, B. abortus, and B. suis are the main agents of brucellosis in livestock and humans, thereby their control and eradication are crucial. Serological tests based on identification of antibodies against Brucella smooth lipopolysaccharides (sLPS) in the serum of infected animals are traditionally used. This approach shows two main limits: (i) tests can give false positives due to the similarity of Brucella sLPS with the LPS of other Gram-negative bacteria; (ii) antigen production represents a possible risk of zoonoses. In this work, a proteomic approach, starting from B. melitensis Brucellergene, was employed to identify possible Brucella antigenic proteins useful for a more specific and safe serological diagnosis. Four proteins binding to the infected swine serum were identified: (i) "probable sugar-binding periplasmic protein B. abortus str 2308A"; (ii) "peptide ABC transporter substrate-binding protein B. melitensis"; (iii) "GntR family transcriptional regulator B. melitensis"; (iv) "conserved hypothetical protein B. melitensis M28". These proteins could be promising specific antigens for serological investigations in swine. In the near future, these antigenic proteins could be synthesized in vitro and used to produce a safer and more specific diagnostic kit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, wolf conservation has been driven by several rapid environmental changes and intense anthropogenic pressures. At the beginning of the 17th century wolves were commonly present in the Pisan hills especially in the upper hills, where killing regularly occurred. Severe reclamation, deforestation actions, human persecution, deep socio-economic and environmental changes occurred between the 17th and 20th century causing the local extinction of wolf in the Pisan hills by the Second World War. A process of wolf recolonization of the Pisan hills started from the second half of the 20th century due to a gradual restoration of the natural environment. In this context, changes of socio-economic and cultural conditions, the technological development, and the mitigation of human's attitudes toward wolf may be a base for the development of new approaches able to promote humans-wolf coexistence and balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Settlements are usually shared at different times by semi-fossorial mammals. Porcupine reproductive pair shows high den-site fidelity, but no data are available on the spatio-temporal inhabitation of settlements. In this investigation, the spatio-temporal inhabitation of settlements by crested porcupine families was investigated using camera-trapping as well as the ethological factors affecting the settlements selection. The crested porcupine resulted to be the main inhabitant of settlements surveyed in the present study. Each settlement was inhabited exclusively by one porcupine family. Five out of six porcupine families, each alternatively and complementarily inhabited the same two settlements. In all the five monitored families, settlements selection doesn’t follow a seasonal pattern. Settlement inhabitation of porcupines resulted positively affected by cohabitation with badger, while presence of porcupettes did not affect settlements selection. Long periods of settlement inhabitation were positively affected both by the presence of porcupettes and cohabitation with badger. The pattern of settlements inhabitation in relation to their availability and porcupine population density as well as factors promoting porcupine-badger cohabitation should be further investigated. New ethological knowledge obtained in this investigation could be involved in the evaluation of the ecological epidemiology of infectious diseases between porcupine and badger within a one health approach and may be a useful tool for a sustainable management of semi-fossorial mammals.

Abstract Previous data on crested porcupine reproduction biology were mostly collected in captivity or semi-captivity due to its elusive, burrowing and mainly nocturnal habits. Between 2017 and 2019 the reproductive behaviour (i.e., intrapair mounting and copulation, birth and parental care) of free-ranging crested porcupine was documented and described. Nightly rhythms of single and multiple mounting occurred throughout the year while only two copulation events were recorded. Three months after both copulation events, the birth of porcupettes (porcupine

Land-use change and intensification threaten bee populations worldwide, imperilling pollination services. Global models are needed to better characterise, project, and mitigate bees' responses to these human impacts. The available data are, however, geographically and taxonomically unrepresentative; most data are from North America and Western Europe, overrepresenting bumblebees and raising concerns that model results may not be generalizable to other regions and taxa. To assess whether the geographic and taxonomic biases of data could undermine effectiveness of models for conservation policy, we have collated from the published literature a global dataset of bee diversity at sites facing land-use change and intensification, and assess whether bee responses to these pressures vary across 11 regions (Western, Northern, Eastern and Southern Europe; North, Central and South America; Australia and New Zealand; South East Asia; Middle and Southern Africa) and between bumblebees and other bees. Our analyses highlight strong regionally-based responses of total abundance, species richness and Simpson's diversity to land use, caused by variation in the sensitivity of species and potentially in the nature of threats. These results suggest that global extrapolation of models based on geographically and taxonomically restricted data may underestimate the true uncertainty, increasing the risk of ecological surprises.

Bee pollen's nutritional and beneficial health properties depend on the botanical origin and storage conditions. Palynological analysis determines the botanical composition of the multiflora and colour fractions. This study aimed to characterize the phytochemical profile and antioxidant activity of Tuscan bee pollen stored at freezing temperature for 2 years to verify the preservation of nutraceutical properties of the multiflora and colour fractions. Polyphenols, flavonoids content, antioxidant activity and volatile compounds profiles were measured. Non-terpene derivatives (acids and aldehydes) represented the main class of volatile compounds in most analysed samples. Among the colour fractions, coral showed significant differences in the antioxidant compounds. In the multiflora were also determined the soluble sugar content (128.33 mg/g of fresh weight) and mineral content, with the prevalence of K, organic N and Ca. The results suggest that the freezing storage of bee pollen for a long period can be still used as food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The crested porcupine is a mainly nocturnal mammal that shows both moonlight avoidance and some diurnal motor activity, the latter as an extension of its night-time foraging behaviour. Furthermore, a peculiar daytime behaviour, described as “sunbathing”, was reported as episodic in H. africaeaustralis. Between 2016 and 2019 a camera-trapping monitoring was performed within 10 porcupine settlements in order to detect the diurnal motor activity and to verify and describe the sunbathing behaviour in crested porcupine. Out of 1,003 trap days, a total of 148 events of diurnal motor activity were recorded. The diurnal motor activity occurred throughout the year mainly between December and June from 15:00 to 16:00, with no statistical difference between cubs, youngsters and adults. The sunbathing behaviour was detected for a total of 36 episodes recorded. Sunbathing was performed mainly by cubs. The sunbathing behaviour occurred only between April and June during the hottest hours of the day (11:00 to 12:00). Diurnal motor activity and sunbathing behaviour of porcupine are discussed in relation to food availability and porcupine physiology.

The effects of dietary supplementation of tannins mix (quebracho and chestnut) in rabbit diet were evaluated for productive performances, health parameters and digestibility in order to quantify their practical utilisation in the rearing system. One-hundred and twenty Martini group hybrid rabbits of 30 days old were fed four different diets for 60 days. The diets were formulated as: basal diet (negative control, C), basal diet supplemented by 0.3% of tannins mix (T0.3), basal diet supplemented by 0.6% of tannins mix (T0.6) and basal diet supplemented with coccidiostat (positive control, CC). Live performances did not show any significant differences, moreover, no significant differences were observed for all carcase traits except for gastrointestinal tract (p = .015, lowest values for T0.3 diet). Also, digestibility of the feed and faecal microbial load was not influenced by tannins addition. Slight differences between the diets were detected in catalase and glutathione peroxidase concentrations in plasma, as a common trend was revealed with higher values of C than the other diets. From an economical point of view, T0.3 diet showed to be more profitable than CC and T0.6. Tannins addition might be taken into account as potential feed additive in rabbit feeds, as it does not affect negatively the productive performances, digestibility and induce a slight increase of antioxidant status.Highlights On an economical point of view tannin diet showed to be more profitable than a diet added with coccidiostat. Addition of tannins in rabbits’ feed did not affect negatively productive performances and digestibility. Tannins represent a valuable feed additive in rabbit farming as a slightly increase of antioxidant status was induced.

Simple Summary: Varroa destructor is a mite that parasitises honeybee hives, weakening colonies and transmitting viruses. Beekeepers apply acaricide treatments to bee colonies to limit the spread of Varroa and the resulting negative effects on bee health. Oxalic acid treatment is the most widely applied, but little is known about its potential effects on the physiology of bees, particularly their immune system. This study investigated the short-term effects of oxalic acid treatment on the immune and antioxidant systems of house bees (i.e., glucose oxidase, phenoloxidase, glutathione S-transferase, catalase activities, and vitellogenin content). Residual concentrations of oxalic acid on the bees' external body and in the haemolymph were also measured. The results showed that the treatment did not affect the concentration of oxalic acid in the haemolymph, in which it was constitutively present. Residues of oxalic acid remained on the outer body of the bees for up to 48 h after treatment. Both glucose oxidase activity and vitellogenin concentration were affected by the treatment, increasing significantly after 48 and 24 h, respectively. No effects were observed on the other parameters investigated (phenoloxidase, glutathione S-transferase, and catalase activities). Honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) have to face many challenges, including Varroa destructor infestation, associated with viral transmission. Oxalic acid is one of the most common treatments against Varroa. Little is known about the physiological effects of oxalic acid, especially those on honeybees' immune systems. In this study, the short-term effects (0–96 h) of oxalic acid treatment on the immune system components (i.e., glucose oxidase, phenoloxidase, glutathione S-transferase, catalase activities, and vitellogenin contents) of house bees were preliminarily investigated. Oxalic acid contents of bee bodies and haemolymphs were also measured. The results confirm that oxalic acid is constitutively present in bee haemolymphs and its concentration is not affected by treatment. At 6 h after the treatment, a maximum peak of oxalic acid content was detected on bees' bodies, which gradually decreased after that until physiological levels were reached at 48 h. In the immune system, the oxalic acid treatment determined a peak in glucose oxidase activity at 48 h, indicating a potential defence response and an increase in vitellogenin content at 24 h. No significant changes were recorded in phenoloxidase, glutathione S-transferase, and catalase activities. These results suggest a time-dependent response to oxalic acid, with potential immune system activation in treated bees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrolysable tannins are polyphenolic molecules contained in plant foodstuffs, potentially toxic for animals. Since tannins have been found in some bee products such as bee pollen, propolis, and honey, this work aimed to test the effects of tannins dietary assumption on bees' health. Results showed that supplementation of honey bees diets with 0.05% (w/w), as naturally amount reported in the honey, and 0.5% (w/w) of tannins significantly reduced bees' survival in a dose-dependent manner. In honey bees fed with a 0.5% tannins-enrichment diet a significantly decreased phenoloxidase activity than those fed with a 0.05% tannins-enrichment diet and with only syrup was recorded. Conversely, glucose oxidase activity significantly increased in honey bees fed with 0.5% tannins-enrichment diet than those with a 0.05% tannins-enrichment diet and only syrup. No differences were detected in glutathione S-transferase activity between honey bees fed with tannins-enrichment diets and syrup. Therefore, a naturally amount of hydrolysable tannins in foods can weakly affect bee wellness, whereas high levels of tannins can have a negative impact on honey bees' immunity and metabolism leading to a reduction of lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Propolis antimicrobial activity has been limitedly studied in food, particularly in dairy products. We studied the antimicrobial activity of an alcoholic extract of an Italian propolis in sterile skim milk, pasteurized cow’s milk, and cow’s and goat’s whey cheese (ricotta). Following the determination of the minimal inhibitory concentration on Gram+ and Gram- bacteria, the extract was employed at 2 and 5% (P2, P5), using controls with the same ethanol concentrations (E2, E5) and without any addition. In milk trials, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, and Pseudomonas fluorescens were tested. P2 and P5 samples registered significant decreases of Gram+ bacteria in skim milk. The same was true for P5 in cows’ milk, but only with S. aureus for P2. Ricotta was inoculated with L. monocytogenes, S. aureus and B. cereus and stored at 8.5°C. In cow’s milk ricotta, L. monocytogenes counts in P5 were always lower than control during the storage time, significantly so from the 14th day. In goat’s ricotta, L. monocytogenes counts in P5 were at least one logarithm lower than E5, whereas the extract didn’t show a significant effect on S. aureus and B. cereus. The antimicrobial activity of propolis, particularly on L. monocytogenes, could be employed in ready-to-eat refrigerated dairy products.

The health status of the honey bee populations has attracted a great amount of interest in recent years. We investigated honey bee health in five natural protected areas in Italy from October 2009 to December 2010. Areas were selected to represent a wide range of bio‑geographical zones including alpine, continental, and Mediterranean. Within each of these natural protected areas, one apiary of 20 colonies near potential pollution sources (e.g., agricultural areas, industrial areas, or urban settlements) and another apiary of 20 colonies far from possible sources of pollutants have been placed. To monitor honey bee health, colony mortality was related to: honey bee pathologies, environment (Naturality Index, plant protection products and heavy metal exposure), and apiary management. Anthropogenic pollutants and pathogens did not have significant effects on colony mortality while environment and the poor colony management skills of the beekeepers did.