Molecular and Serological Detection of Bovine Coronaviruses in Marmots (Marmota marmota) in the Alpine Region.

In this study, virological surveillance focused on coronaviruses in marmots in the Alpine region in 2022, captured as part of a population control reduction program in the Livigno area. Seventy-six faecal samples were randomly collected from marmots at the time of capture and release and tested for genome detection of pan-coronavirus, pan-pestivirus, canine distemper virus, and influenza A and D virus. Nine faecal samples were positive in the Pan-CoV RT-PCR, while all were negative for the other viruses. Pan-coronavirus positives were further identified using Illumina's complete genome sequencing, which showed the highest homology with Bovine Coronavirus previously detected in roe deer in the Alps. Blood samples (n.35) were collected randomly from animals at release and tested for bovine coronavirus (BCoV) antibodies using competitive ELISA and VNT. Serological analyses revealed that 8/35 sera were positive for BCoV antibodies in both serological tests. This study provides molecular and serological evidence of the presence of BCoV in an alpine marmot population due to a likely spillover event. Marmots share areas and pastures with roe deer and other wild ruminants, and environmental transmission is a concrete possibility.

Potential application of electronic olfaction systems in feedstuffs analysis and animal nutrition.

Electronic Olfaction Systems (EOSs) based on a variety of gas-sensing technologies have been developed to simulate in a simplified manner animal olfactory sensing systems. EOSs have been successfully applied to many applications and fields, including food technology and agriculture. Less information is available for EOS applications in the feed technology and animal nutrition sectors. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which are derived from both forages and concentrate ingredients of farm animal rations, are considered and described in this review as olfactory markers for feedstock quality and safety evaluation. EOS applications to detect VOCs from feedstuffs (as analytical matrices) are described, and some future scenarios are hypothesised. Furthermore, some EOS applications in animal feeding behaviour and organoleptic feed assessment are also described.

Use of the electronic nose as a screening tool for the recognition of durum wheat naturally contaminated by deoxynivalenol: a preliminary approach.

Fungal contamination and the presence of related toxins is a widespread problem. Mycotoxin contamination has prompted many countries to establish appropriate tolerance levels. For instance, with the Commission Regulation (EC) N. 1881/2006, the European Commission fixed the limits for the main mycotoxins (and other contaminants) in food. Although valid analytical methods are being developed for regulatory purposes, a need exists for alternative screening methods that can detect mould and mycotoxin contamination of cereal grains with high sample throughput. In this study, a commercial electronic nose (EN) equipped with metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) sensors was used in combination with a trap and the thermal desorption technique, with the adoption of Tenax TA as an adsorbent material to discriminate between durum wheat whole-grain samples naturally contaminated with deoxynivalenol (DON) and non-contaminated samples. Each wheat sample was analysed with the EN at four different desorption temperatures (i.e., 180 °C, 200 °C, 220 °C, and 240 °C) and without a desorption pre-treatment. A 20-sample and a 122-sample dataset were processed by means of principal component analysis (PCA) and classified via classification and regression trees (CART). Results, validated with two different methods, showed that it was possible to classify wheat samples into three clusters based on the DON content proposed by the European legislation: (a) non-contaminated; (b) contaminated below the limit (DON < 1,750 µg/kg); (c) contaminated above the limit (DON > 1,750 µg/kg), with a classification error rate in prediction of 0% (for the 20-sample dataset) and 3.28% (for the 122-sample dataset).

Alpha-tocopherol counteracts the cytotoxicity induced by ochratoxin a in primary porcine fibroblasts.

The aims of the current study were to determine the half-lethal concentration of ochratoxin A (OTA) as well as the levels of lactate dehydrogenase release and DNA fragmentation induced by OTA in primary porcine fibroblasts, and to examine the role of α-tocopherol in counteracting its toxicity. Cells showed a dose-, time- and origin-dependent (ear vs. embryo) sensitivity to ochratoxin A. Pre-incubation for 3 h with 1 nM α-tocopherol significantly (P < 0.01) reduced OTA cytotoxicity, lactate dehydrogenase release and DNA damage in both fibroblast cultures. These findings indicate that α-tocopherol supplementation may counteract short-term OTA toxicity, supporting its defensive role in the cell membrane.