Integrated metabolomics analysis of chill-stored rose shrimp (Parapenaeus longirostris) treated with different pressure levels of high hydrostatic pressure by 1H-NMR spectroscopy.

The antimicrobial effects of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatments on chill-stored seafood are well-documented, while their impact on the metabolic profile of seafood, especially the metabolome of fish flesh, and remains underexplored. Addressing this gap, this study investigates the effects of HHP on the metabolome of chill-stored rose shrimp by conducting multivariate data analysis based on untargeted proton nuclear magnetic resonance observations. Vacuum-packed rose shrimp samples were subjected to HHP at 0, 400, 500, and 600 MPa for 10 min and then stored at 2-4°C. The microorganism analysis and metabolic analysis were carried out on days 1 and 14. HHP treatment effectively deactivated Lactobacillus spp., Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas spp., total Coliforms, and sulfite-reducing anaerobic bacteria. Consequently, HHP treatment significantly reduced the formation rate of decay-related metabolites, such as hypoxanthine, trimethylamine, and biogenic amines, which exhibited significant accumulation in untreated samples. Multivariate unsupervised analyses provided insights into the overall changes in the metabolite profile induced by HHP. Metabolic pathway analysis revealed several pathways underlying spoilage, including pyruvate metabolism, valine, leucine, and isoleucine biosynthesis, purine metabolism, methane metabolism, glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism, citrate cycle (TCA cycle), glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, sulfur metabolism, pantothenate and CoA biosynthesis, glutathione metabolism, and glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism. Importantly, these pathways underwent alterations due to the application of HHP, particularly at high-pressure levels. In summary, the results unveil the potential mechanisms of HHP effects on chill-stored rose shrimps.

Defect-Engineered WO3-x Architectures Coupled with Random Forest Algorithm Enables Real-Time Seafood Quality Assessment.

Reliable and real-time monitoring of seafood decay is attracting growing interest for food safety and human health, while it is still a great challenge to accurately identify the released triethylamine (TEA) from the complex volatilome. Herein, defect-engineered WO3-x architectures are presented to design advanced TEA sensors for seafood quality assessment. Benefiting from abundant oxygen vacancies, the obtained WO2.91 sensor exhibits remarkable TEA-sensing performance in terms of higher response (1.9 times), faster response time (2.1 times), lower detection limit (3.2 times), and higher TEA/NH3 selectivity (2.8 times) compared with the air-annealed WO2.96 sensor. Furthermore, the definite WO2.91 sensor demonstrates long-term stability and anti-interference in complex gases, enabling the accurate recognition of TEA during halibut decay (0-48 h). Coupled with the random forest algorithm with 70 estimators, the WO2.91 sensor enables accurate prediction of halibut storage with an accuracy of 95%. This work not only provides deep insights into improving gas-sensing performance by defect engineering but also offers a rational solution for reliably assessing seafood quality.

Cell-cultivated aquatic food products: emerging production systems for seafood.

The demand for fish protein continues to increase and currently accounts for 17% of total animal protein consumption by humans. About 90% of marine fish stocks are fished at or above maximum sustainable levels, with aquaculture propagating as one of the fastest growing food sectors to address some of this demand. Cell-cultivated seafood production is an alternative approach to produce nutritionally-complete seafood products to meet the growing demand. This cellular aquaculture approach offers a sustainable, climate resilient and ethical biotechnological approach as an alternative to conventional fishing and fish farming. Additional benefits include reduced antibiotic use and the absence of mercury. Cell-cultivated seafood also provides options for the fortification of fish meat with healthier compositions, such as omega-3 fatty acids and other beneficial nutrients through scaffold, media or cell approaches. This review addresses the biomaterials, production processes, tissue engineering approaches, processing, quality, safety, regulatory, and social aspects of cell-cultivated seafood, encompassing where we are today, as well as the road ahead. The goal is to provide a roadmap for the science and technology required to bring cellular aquaculture forward as a mainstream food source.

Decoding Seafood: Multi-Marker Metabarcoding for Authenticating Processed Seafood.

Given the recognized nutritional value of fish and shifting consumer lifestyles, processed seafood has become increasingly prevalent, comprising a significant portion of global food production. Although current European Union labeling regulations do not require species declaration for these products, food business operators often voluntarily provide this information on ingredient lists. Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) approaches are currently the most effective methods for verifying the accuracy of species declarations on processed seafood labels. This study examined the species composition of 20 processed seafood products, each labeled as containing a single species, using two DNA metabarcoding markers targeting the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and 16S rRNA genes. The combined use of these markers revealed that the majority of the products contained multiple species. Furthermore, two products were found to be mislabeled, as the declared species were not detected. These findings underscore that NGS is a robust technique that could be adopted to support routine food industry activities and official control programs, thereby enhancing the 'From Boat to Plate' strategy and combating fraudulent practices in the complex fisheries supply chain.

Consumption Patterns and Willingness to Pay for Sustainable Aquatic Food in China.

China, as the world's largest producer, trader, and consumer of aquatic foods, lacks comprehensive research on consumption patterns and willingness to pay for sustainable aquatic food. This study addressed this gap through an online survey of 3403 participants across Chinese provinces. A majority of consumers (34.7% of the participants) consume aquatic food twice or more per week, mainly from traditional markets (26%). Most prefer fresh or live products (76%), with 42% seeing no difference between farmed and wild options. Consumption is higher among older, affluent, urban, and coastal residents. Crustaceans, especially shrimp, are frequently consumed species, with growing interest in luxury species like salmon and abalone. Taste and quality emerge as the primary factors motivating consumer choices in aquatic food purchases. Food safety is the primary concern, followed by environmental impact. Notably, 92.4% of participants would pay extra for certified products. Factors influencing a higher willingness to pay include higher income, inland residence, price sensitivity, origin consciousness, and concerns about food safety and the environment. The findings highlight that China's aquatic food industry and consumption can become more sustainable by aligning with consumer preferences for high-quality and diverse aquatic food through both production and import, while also addressing concerns related to food safety and environmental impact. This research provides valuable insights into China's rapidly transforming aquatic food market landscape, offering implications for industry innovation and the promotion of sustainable consumption patterns.

Protein, Essential Amino Acid, and Fatty Acid Composition of Five Target Fishery Species of Central Mediterranean Sea.

The protein, essential amino acid, and fatty acid composition of European pilchard (Sardina pilchardus), European hake (Merluccius merluccius), surmullet (Mullus surmuletus), red mullet (Mullus barbatus), and deep water rose shrimp (Parapenaeus longirostris) from the central Mediterranean Sea were investigated. All the species showed an essential amino acid content of about 50% of total amino acids, while the protein and total fatty acids content varied from 19.9 to 24.8% and from 1.4 to 5.1%, respectively. The fatty acid profile mainly followed the order SFA (39.1-52.6%) > PUFA (21.0-39.3%) > MUFA (15.6-24.3%). Palmitic and stearic acids were predominant among saturated fatty acids (38-52% and 21-25%, respectively), while palmitoleic and oleic acids were the most represented of the total monounsaturated acids (10-21% and 55-68%, respectively). All the species, as expected, showed a more significant proportion of n-3 PUFA (EPA + DHA) of about 81-93% of the total PUFA, with the highest values was found in European pilchard. Also, several fat quality index values, such as n-6/n-3 ratio, PUFA/SFA, the index of atherogenicity (IA), the index of thrombogenicity (IT), the hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio (HH), and fish lipid quality/flesh lipid quality (FLQ) were calculated to assess the nutritional quality. All the obtained results, along with the fat quality indexes, indicated the excellent nutritional values of the selected species.

Assessment of cancer and dietary risks in commercially valuable marine organisms in coast of a region of future exploration (Equatorial South Atlantic).

The Equatorial South Atlantic region, spanning over 1700 km, is currently undergoing extensive exploitation through various activities such as oil extraction, desalination plants, marine mineral explorations, and wind power for green hydrogen production. This undoubtedly also contributes to the exacerbation of pre-existing chronic environmental impacts. This study aims to investigate the concentrations of 60 substances, categorized as Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) from various classes including: polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), as well as Pyrethroids (PPs), Triazines (TPs) and Organophosphates (OPPs) pesticides in consumable fish, shellfish, and crabs. The bivalve (Mytella charruana), crab (Ucides cordatus), and catfish (Sciades herzbergii) samples were collected in areas of ecological, environmental and economic importance. This data was used to estimate concentrations in the organisms, and to calculate cancer and human health risk. The most prevalent pollutant classes in the organisms were OCPs, followed by TPs and PPs. Shellfish and fish samples had more compounds indicating health risks, when compared to crabs. The substances causing cancer risks varied across organisms and study areas. The heightened cancer risks linked to specific compounds in various species highlight the urgent need to address persistent pollutants to prevent long-term health impacts on both humans and wildlife. Compounds such as PPs, TPs, and OPPs pose significant risks of neurotoxicity and endocrine disruption. This study underscores the interconnectedness of environmental and human health in coastal ecosystems, calling for continuous monitoring and adaptive management strategies to protect these fragile environments and the communities that rely on them.

Ultrasonic-driven chemical reduction synthesis of alizarin complexone-modified gold nanoparticles for dual-signal colorimetric and fluorometric sensing of histamine in seafood products.

Alizarin complexone-modified gold nanoparticles (Au0-NPsALz) were synthesized using a proposed ultrasonic irradiation-assisted chemical reduction method. Ultrasonic irradiation powers, reaction time and alizarin complexone concentration had been proven to be the main parameters for controlling the nucleation and growth of Au0-NPsALz. In the synthesized ultrasonic irradiation-assisted chemical reduction conditions, Au0-NPsALz had a spherical oriented morphology with a uniform size of 17.84 ± 1.37 nm and are shiny red with a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of 535 nm. A rapid colorimetric and fluorometric dual-mode detection strategy for selective detection of histamine in seafood was developed based on the self-assembly of Au0-NPsALz-Ni (II) complexes. Ni (II) can capture the histamine molecules close to Au0-NPsALz surfaces, making changes in the colorimetric and fluorometric responses of the solution. The quantitative analysis of histamine was realized through the variation of dual-signal colorimetric and fluorometric responses. Such Au0-NPsALz sensor offered good detection sensitivity for histamine with a detection limit (LOD) of 59.32 µmol L-1 and 116.20 µmol L-1 and wide linear response within the range of 10-10000 µmol L-1 (R2 = 0.9952) and 100-5000 µmol L-1 (R2 = 0.9947) for colorimetric and fluorometric measurement, respectively. Recoveries ranging from 94.99 to 103.29 % and 97.67-106.88 % for colorimetric and fluorometric assay were obtained, showing low levels of matrix effects. Particularly, the results of the dual-mode sensor were also validated by comparing with the HPLC method for improving the assay accuracy and dependability. Ultimately, the developed Au0-NPsALz colorimetric and fluorometric probe performs excellently in practical applications, with promising results for detecting histamine in seafood products.

Fish species authentication in commercial fish products using mass spectrometry and spectral library matching approach.

Seafood fraud has become a global issue, threatening food security and safety. Adulteration, substitution, dilution, and incorrect labeling of seafood products are fraudulent practices that violate consumer safety. In this context, developing sensitive, robust, and high-throughput molecular tools for food and feed authentication is becoming crucial for regulatory purposes. Analytical approaches such as proteomics mass spectrometry have shown promise in detecting incorrectly labeled products. For the application of these tools, genome information is crucial, but currently, for many marine species of commercial importance, such information is unavailable. However, when combining proteomic analysis with spectral library matching, commercially important fish species were successfully identified, differentiated, and quantified in pure muscle samples and mixtures, even when genome information was scarce. This study further tested the previously developed spectral library matching approach to differentiate between 29 fish species from the North Sea and examined samples including individual fish, laboratory-prepared mixtures and commercial products. For authenticating libraries generated from 29 fish species, fresh muscle samples from the fish samples were matched against the reference spectral libraries. Species of the fresh fish samples were correctly authenticated using the spectral library approach. The same result was obtained when evaluating the laboratory-prepared mixtures. Furthermore, processed commercial products containing mixtures of two or three fish species were matched against these reference spectral libraries to test the accuracy and robustness of this method for authentication of fish species. The results indicated that the method is suitable for the authentication of fish species from highly processed samples such as fish cakes and burgers. The study shows that current and future challenges in food and feed authentication can efficiently be tackled by reference spectral libraries method when prospecting new resources in the Arctic.

Improper toy waste handling can harm human health via seafood consumption: A comprehensive risk assessment of heavy metals.

Toy production has been increasing over the last few decades to meet the growing demands for toys across the globe, which has inevitably worsened the problem of toy waste. Given the lack of modern waste disposal facilities, rural villagers in developing countries often discard and incinerate toy waste in backyards or riverbanks, which may release the pollutants from toys (e.g., heavy metals), contaminate the surrounding areas, and eventually threaten the health of residents. As such, this study assessed the impact of improper toy waste handling on the nearby aquaculture site by measuring the contamination level of heavy metals (As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) in the sediment and seafood (crabs, shrimps, and fish). The health risk of heavy metals via seafood consumption was assessed in different groups of people (males, females, teenagers, and seniors). Results showed that the sediment and seafood at the aquaculture site were generally not contaminated with heavy metals (i.e., contamination factor and bioaccumulation factor < 1). However, consuming the seafood cultured at this site, especially for crabs, could pose health risks to humans due to As and Cd (hazard quotient > 1), irrespective of their age and gender. This risk could not be lowered by cooking, except As by boiling. Overall, we revealed that improper toy waste handling did not cause severe heavy metal pollution in the surrounding environment. However, the consumption of contaminated seafood could still threaten human health. To safeguard public health, we propose that toy waste be appropriately treated by the authorities concerned. At the same time, consuming seafood with long culture periods (e.g., crabs) should be reduced to minimize the dietary intake of heavy metals and their associated health risk.

Bioaccumulation dynamics, noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic risks of heavy metals in commercially valuable shellfish and finfish species from the world largest floating slum, Makoko, Nigeria.

This study examined ten heavy metals in five species: Macrobrachium vollenhovenii, Penaeus monodon, P. notialis, Chloroscombrus chrysurus, and Pseudotolithus typus, from Makoko floating slum, Lagos Lagoon to discern their bioaccumulation potentials, sources of origin, and health implications. The concentrations were in this order: Fe (4.172-10.176) > Zn (1.310-5.754) > Mn (0.475-2.330) > Cu (0.238-1.735) > Pb (0.121-0.391) > Cd (0.055-0.283) > Co (0.056-0.144) > Ni (0.039-0.121) > Cr (0.022-0.095) > As (0.003-0.031) mg/kg. The MPDI denotes "low toxicity," and the BAF/BSAF revealed that benthic species had higher bioconcentration potentials. Multivariate analyses revealed that heavy metals exhibited mutual relationships during chemical transport, and their sources were both geogenic and human-induced. The HI values were below 1, and the TCR values were below the threshold of 1 × 10-4. This suggests that the probabilities of noncancer and carcinogenic risks in human populations due to long-term consumption of the evaluated species are unlikely.

Bacterial community of kimchi added with seafood based on culture-dependent investigations.

Previously, microbial communities of five commercial kimchi added with seafood and one kimchi without seafood were analyzed using a culture-independent (CI) method. In the current study, microbial communities of the same samples were analyzed using a culture-dependent (CD) method with two media: tryptic soy agar (TSA) and Lactobacilli de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) agar. MRS agar showed a higher proportion of lactic acid bacteria, while TSA showed a higher proportion of Bacillus species. Leuconostoc mesenteroides became dominant over time except in kimchi added with hongeu (HBK, okamejei kenojei). In the case of HBK, Bacillus was dominant. The low pH of HBK was confirmed by cell size and heat treatment under pH 4-7 conditions that Bacillus could be present in the form of spores. With the CD method, only Lactococcus lactis, Leu. citreum, and Weissella cibaria were detected. With the CI method, only Pediococcus inopinatus was detected. A notable finding was that Leu. mesenteroides was more abundant than Latilactobacillus sakei with the CD method, whereas it was similar or lower with the CI method. This discrepancy was confirmed to be due to different rates of DNA recovered from the two strains. This shows that the assay method may influence the detection of these two strains.

Using isotopic fingerprints in gastropod shells to validate commercial production pathway and geographic provenance.

Growing demand for high-value seafood is fuelling provenance fraud, which threatens the sustainability of wild fisheries while posing biosecurity and human health risks. Here, we investigated carbon (δ 13C) and oxygen (δ 18O) isotopes in abalone shells (Haliotis sp.) to determine the production method and geographical provenance. Using X-ray diffraction and isotope ratio mass spectrometry, we found that shell mineralogy did not influence isotope values. Isotope values between wild and farmed sectors were statistically different, with 64% of individuals correctly classified as farmed or wild. Subsequently, we successfully distinguished the provenance of abalone collected from farms (with 83% of individuals correctly classified), as well as wild-caught abalone collected from four state jurisdictions (with 88% correctly classified). Carbon isotopes were strongly correlated to longitude, with both isotopes correlated to latitude. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential of isotopic fingerprints in gastropod shells to track the provenance of commercially valuable species.

Addition of lime juice and NaCl to minced seafood may stimulate the expression of Listeria monocytogenes virulence, adhesion, and stress response genes.

Listeria monocytogenes is a ubiquitous opportunistic bacterium responsible for deadly listeriosis outbreaks. This pathogen has been recognized as a significant food-borne pathogen in seafood products. The present study aimed to investigate the transcript levels of virulence, adhesion, and stress response genes of L. monocytogenes upon exposure to sublethal levels of lime juice and NaCl in shrimp matrix. For this purpose, minced and broth shrimp samples (control, 2% NaCl, 5% NaCl, 25 µL/mL lime, and 50 µL/mL lime, as well as 2% NaCl+25 µL/mL lime) were inoculated with approximately 107 CFU/g or ml of L. monocytogenes, and subsequently, the samples were stored at 12°C or 37°C. For the minced samples, the transcription of one stress-related (sigB), two adhesion (imo1634 and imo1847), and four virulence (hly, prf, intA, and plc) genes was assessed by RT-qPCR after different storage times (0 and 48 h). Results showed that the transcript levels of sigB, imo1847, and imo1634 genes increased with increasing storage temperatures of shrimp broth (12°C to 37°C). At the beginning, the transcription of the studied genes decreased in all treatments of minced shrimp; however, after 48 h of storage at 12°C, the transcript levels of hly, prf, imo1847, imo1634, and intA genes were significantly upregulated up to 0.5-9 log2 fold-change in all treatments compared to the control group (p < .05). These results highlight that the survived L. monocytogenes after exposure to moderate salt content or lime juice could represent enhanced virulence and adhesion capabilities, posing a significant public health risk.

Linear isomer but not branched isomers of perfluorooctane sulfonate in plasma is associated with eicosapentaenoic acid, a seafood consumption biomarker.

BACKGROUND: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are global contaminants. Seafood consumption is a possible PFAS exposure route to humans while the isomer specific analysis has not been conducted. METHODS: Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluoroheptane sulfonate (PFHpS) and perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS) were investigated in residents of Kyoto, Japan (n = 51). The relationship between plasma PFAS and seafood consumption biomarker, the ratio of eicosapentaenoic acid to arachidonic acid (EPA/AA) was examined by multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: Linear PFOS concentrations showed a significant positive correlation with the EPA/AA ratio in plasma samples (ß = 6.80, p = 0.0014). Linear PFHpS was marginally associated with EPA/AA ratio (ß = 0.178, p = 0.0874). Branched PFOS isomers and PFHxS had no associations with EPA/AA ratios. CONCLUSION: Seafood intake may be a significant exposure pathway for PFAS, such as PFOS but the isomers differ.

Cell-based fish production case study for developing a food safety plan.

Given the expanding global population and finite resources, it is imperative to explore alternative technologies for food production. These technologies play a crucial role in ensuring the provision of safe, nutritious, and sustainable food options to meet the growing demand. Cellular agriculture plays an important in developing an alternative method for developing food products. While, cellular agriculture is emerging rapidly, food safety aspects and regulatory frameworks stayed behind. Despite developing several regulatory framework papers on cellular agriculture, there is no systematic approach for developing a comprehensive food safety plan (FSP), particularly for cultivated seafood. Thus, the overall goal of this article is to develop a FSP for cultivated seafood. The main differences between the food safety plan for cultivated seafood and the conventional seafood industries were the number of allergens in cultivated seafood products, including soy, wheat, and fish cells, compared to only fish for the conventional seafood industry. In addition, there are several hazards associated with mycoplasma in cultivated seafood, which should be considered. This guidance intends to help regulatory agencies, food safety experts, startup companies, and the cultivated seafood industry by providing a valuable platform to develop regulations, guidance, and food safety plans applicable to most cultivated seafood companies. This article will also help the industry to identify the hazards in their processing line and develop preventive controls, and as a comprehensive food safety plan, it could be easily adapted for other cultivated seafood products. This guidance applied systematic approaches to developing food safety plans using cell culture, pharmaceuticals, fermentation, seafood, meat, and aquaponics safety plans, collaborating with experts with different backgrounds, and working closely with the conventional and cultivated meat and seafood industries.

Preparation, design, identification and application of self-assembly peptides from seafood: A review.

Hydrogels formed by self-assembling peptides with low toxicity and high biocompatibility have been widely used in food and biomedical fields. Seafood contains rich protein resources and is also one of the important sources of natural bioactive peptides. The self-assembled peptides in seafood have good functional activity and are very beneficial to human health. In this review, the sequence of seafood self-assembly peptide was introduced, and the preparation, screening, identification and characterization. The rule of self-assembled peptides was elucidated from amino acid sequence composition, amino acid properties (hydrophilic, hydrophobic and electric), secondary structure, interaction and peptide properties (hydrophilic and hydrophobic). It was introduced that the application of hydrogels formed by self-assembled peptides, which lays a theoretical foundation for the development of seafood self-assembled peptides in functional foods and the application of biological materials.

Effect of harvesting season and location on the microbial quality and community composition of the edible sea urchin (Echinus esculentus) gonads.

Despite the crucial role of microbial community composition in the quality and stability of seafood, little emphasis has been given to the microbiota profile of sea urchin gonads. This study investigates the microbial quality and community composition of sea urchin gonads (Echinus esculentus) as a function of harvesting season (autumn, winter, spring, and summer) and location (one site proximal to urban activity areas while the other is located in open water close to the coastline). Significant season-dependent variations were found in psychrotrophic and aerobic plate counts, with higher counts in summer, followed by autumn, spring, and winter. H2S-producing bacteria and Pseudomonas spp. counts were unaffected by harvesting season or location. Sea urchin gonad microbial composition proved resilient and dynamic, primarily shaped by seasonal variations, and minimally influenced by location. Winter and spring samples exhibited higher diversity than autumn and summer. Key genera like Pseudomonas, Psychromonas, Vibrio, Chryseobacterium, Shewanella, and Photobacterium varied seasonally. Pseudomonas, Vibrio, and Photobacterium are crucial in assessing microbial quality and safety due to their roles as specific spoilage organisms (SSOs) and, in some cases, human pathogens. Though relative abundances differed slightly between locations, harvesting location did not notably impact microbial community shaping in gonads. However, the results suggest that harvesting locations near areas with urban activity may lead to contamination with specific bacterial species, possibly due to water quality variations. These findings emphasize the importance of considering seasonality when evaluating sea urchin gonad microbial quality. Identifying key genera enhances insights into potential SSOs and human pathogens, enhancing food safety considerations in the consumption of raw or lightly processed sea urchin gonads and guiding the development of preservation methods to extend shelf life.

Seafood intake in childhood/adolescence and the risk of obesity: results from a Nationwide Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Obesity has been linked to various detrimental health consequences. While there is established evidence of a negative correlation between seafood consumption and obesity in adults, the current research on the association between seafood intake in childhood/adolescence and the risk of obesity is lacking. Our aim was to evaluate the association between seafood intake in childhood/adolescence and the risk of obesity in a Chinese nationwide cohort. METHODS: We utilized data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) from the year of 1997 to 2015. Seafood consumption was evaluated through 3-day 24-hour recalls. In our study, overweight/obesity status was determined based on the Chinese Criteria of Overweight and Obesity in School-age Children and Adolescents (WS/T 586-2018), while abdominal obesity status was determined according to the Chinese Criteria of Waist Circumference Screening Threshold among Children and Adolescents (WS/T 611-2018). RESULTS: During an average follow-up of 7.9 years, 404 cases developed overweight/obesity among 2206 participants in the seafood-overweight/obesity analysis, while 381 cases developed abdominal obesity among 2256 participants in the seafood-abdominal-obesity analysis. The high-consumer group was associated with 35% lower risk of overweight/obesity risk and 26% lower risk of abdominal obesity after fully adjusting for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, compared with the non-consumer group. Considering different cooking methods, boiled seafood consumption was associated with 43% lower risk of overweight/obesity and 23% lower risk of abdominal obesity in the fully adjusted model, while stir-fried seafood did not demonstrate a statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Higher intake of seafood in childhood/adolescents, particularly in a boiled way, was associated with lower obesity risk.

Twenty-three years of PCR-based seafood authentication assay development: What have we learned?

Seafood is a prime target for fraudulent activities due to the complexity of its supply chain, high demand, and difficult discrimination among species once morphological characteristics are removed. Instances of seafood fraud are expected to increase due to growing demand. This manuscript reviews the application of DNA-based methods for commercial fish authentication and identification from 2000 to 2023. It explores (1) the most common types of commercial fish used in assay development, (2) the type of method used, (3) the gene region most often targeted, (4) provides a case study of currently published assays or primer-probe pairs used for DNA amplification, for specificity, and (5) makes recommendations for ensuring standardized assay-based reporting for future studies. A total of 313 original assays for the detection and authentication of commercial fish species from 191 primary articles published over the last 23 years were examined. The most explored DNA-based method was real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), followed by DNA sequencing. The most targeted gene regions were cytb (cytochrome b) and COI (cytochrome c oxidase 1). Tuna was the most targeted commercial fish species. A case study of published tuna assays (n = 19) targeting the cytb region found that most assays were not species-specific through in silico testing. This was conducted by examining the primer mismatch for each assay using multiple sequence alignment. Therefore, there is need for more standardized DNA-based assay reporting in the literature to ensure specificity, reproducibility, and reliability of results. Factors, such as cost, sensitivity, quality of the DNA, and species, should be considered when designing assays.