Biodiversity Journal - For wildlife research and environmental studies

Antonello Cicero

Biodiversity Journal, 10 (4): 497-498 - MONOGRAPH

Gianluigi Maria Lo Dico, Antonello Cicero, Ladislao La Scala, Innocenzo Ezio Giangrosso, Ignazio Munna, Antonella Amato, Francesca Ornella Assiria, Vincenza Lo Verde, Andrea Macaluso, Gaetano Cammilleri, Rosaria Collura, Stefania Graci, Valentina Cumbo, Francesco Giuseppe Galluzzo, Giulia Caracappa, Maria Drussilla Buscemi, Antonio Vella & Vincenzo Ferrantelli
Heavy metal toxicity and food contamination: lead, cadmium, and mercury determination on fish matrices from the FAO 37.2.2
https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2019.10.4.497.498

ABSTRACT
Heavy metals can be essential, benefits and toxic. The 246 samples of swordfish, tuna and bivalve molluscs examined coming from the request of private individuals and at the request of the Control Authorities in order to carry out routine checks or inspections of food safety. All the elements were determined by an ICP-MS. The level of contamination of heavy metals in the fish species sampled in the Mediterranean Sea has been investigated as an indicator of water pollution. This study highlighted the presence of lead and cadmium, especially in swordfish samples, but all within the limits of law; mercury is absent in all samples. Top predators have higher levels of heavy metals than other species due to the bioaccumulation phenomenon.
Biodiversity Journal, 10 (4): 489-490 - MONOGRAPH

Claudio Fiorista, Luigi Maria Mammina, Michele Chetta, Pietro Sposito, Antonello Cicero, Innocenzo Ezio Giangrosso, Valentina Cumbo, Francesca Ornella Assiria, Andrea Macaluso, Gaetano Cammilleri, Rosaria Collura, Stefania Graci, Maria Drussilla Buscemi, Antonio Vella, Gianluigi Maria Lo Dico, Francesco Giuseppe Galluzzo, Ilaria Rizzuto, Viviana Giangreco, Giulio Bagnato & Vincenzo Ferrantelli
Sulphite’s determination in equine meat and its preparations
https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2019.10.4.489.490

ABSTRACT
Sulphites are antimicrobial and antioxidant substances recognized as additives. Furthermore, these chemicals may reduce the nutritional quality of food by interacting with some vitamins such as nicotinamide, folic acid, thiamine and pyridoxal. An ionic chromatography with conductivity suppressor detector, after rapid distillation method was carried out for the quantitative determination of sulfites in food products. On two hundred samples of equine meat, we revealed that 23% of the analyzed samples are above the limit allowed by law. Sulphites are used illegally with the purpose of obtaining and maintaining the aesthetic and commercial characteristics.
Biodiversity Journal, 10 (4): 481-484 - MONOGRAPH

Gianluigi Maria Lo Dico, Antonello Cicero, Licia Pantano, Giuseppe Giangrosso, Ignazio Munna, Andrea Pulvirenti, Francesca Ornella Assiria, Vincenza Lo Verde, Andrea Macaluso, Gaetano Cammilleri, Valentina Cumbo, Rosaria Collura, Stefania Graci, Maria Drussilla Buscemi, Antonio Vella & Vincenzo Ferrantelli
Evaluation of Histamine level in the Red Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) of the Mediterranean Sea in 2010–2015
https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2019.10.4.481.484

ABSTRACT
Histamine is a biogenic amine present in fish species associated with a high amount of histidine, and it can cause the ‘scombroid poisoning’. The Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 govern the criteria to analyze histamine in fishery products and specifies that the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is the reference method. In this work, 664 samples were presented in the 2010–2015 shine, of which 46 (6.9%) were positive. With Chart 1 it can be noted that the number of samples has increased substantially in recent years (2013–2015) due to intensified official controls. On the contrary, the number of positives has decreased progressively.
Biodiversity Journal, 10 (4): 479-480 - MONOGRAPH

Antonio Vella, Graziella Graci, Francesco Olibrio, Valentina Cumbo, Antonello Cicero, Daniele Di Salvo, Giulia Caracappa & Vincenzo Ferrantelli
Presence of Ocratoxin (OTA) in wine produced in Sicily (Italy)
https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2019.10.4.479.480

ABSTRACT
Ocratoxin (OTA) occurs naturally in different foodstuffs, including grapes and their derivatives. OTA is a secondary fungal metabolite produced naturally by Aspergillus and Penicillium species. The purpose of this work was to estimate the occurrence of OTA in wine produced in Sicily to obtain a risk assessment of these substances. A total of 470 wine samples were quantitatively analysed by screening analysis method based on immunoenzymatic assay (ELISA) for ochratoxin. Results confirmed the presence of contamination by OTA in only one sample of red wine “Nero D’Avola” from south-oriental Sicily.
Biodiversity Journal, 10 (4): 471-473 - MONOGRAPH

Gianluigi Maria Lo Dico, Antonello Cicero, Giovanni Lo Cascio, Valentina Cumbo, Francesca Ornella Assiria, Andrea Macaluso, Gaetano Cammilleri, Rosa Filippi, Francesco Giuseppe Galluzzo, Barbara Randisi, Rosaria Collura, Vita Giaccone, Stefania Graci, Maria Drussilla Buscemi, Antonio Vella & Vincenzo Ferrantelli
Use of terrestrial gastropods (Cornu aspersum) as bioindicators of the environmental contamination status of the Sicilian Natural Parks to assess the contamination status of the pastures
https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2019.10.4.471.473

ABSTRACT
The use of land molluscs in biomonitoring can evidence interactions between the contaminant and the biotic sphere. The concentration of heavy metals were determined by ICP-MS. In areas where anthropic and industrial contamination persist, heavy metal levels were above the quantification limit; sampling in agricultural areas shows lower levels of heavy metals. The same trend of results can be found for the analysis of IPAs. Snails can be considered as bioindicators of pollutants living in close contact with the soil and ingesting plants with a high concentration of contaminants.
Biodiversity Journal, 10 (4): 465-468 - MONOGRAPH

Stefania Graci, Rosaria Collura, Maria Drussilla Buscemi, Antonella Costa, Gaetano Cammilleri, Valentina Cumbo, Giuseppe Giangrosso, Michele Chetta, Antonello Cicero, Antonio Vella, Andrea Macaluso & Vincenzo Ferrantelli
Detection of Anisakidae larvae in fish products commercialized in Sicily
https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2019.10.4.465.468

ABSTRACT
In this work a total of 1331 fish samples belonging to 15 species (Engraulis encrasicolus, Alaccia aurita, Loligo vulgaris, Trigla lyra, Conger conger, Merluccius merluccius, Zeus faber, Lophius piscatorius, Sardina pilchardus, Lepidopus caudatus, Scorpaena scrofa, Scomber scombrus, Trachurus trachurus, Todarodes sagittatus, Trachinus draco) from Sicilian commercialized in Sicily (FAO 37, FAO 37.1.3, FAO 37.1.1, FAO 37.2.2, FAO 37.3, FAO27, FAO 41, FAO87), were examined for the detection of Anisakidae larvae and molecular identification. The fish samples were examined for the research of nematodes by visual inspection and digestion method according to the EC Regulation 2075/2005. Detected larvae were subjected to morphological identification through the optical microscopy. Subsequently, the DNA was extracted and the molecular identification of the larvae was conducted by RFLP-PCR of the nuclear ITS region (ITS-1, ITS-2 and 5.8 S subunit). The polymerase chain reactions targeting the cytochrome c oxidase subunit II (cox2) was performed and subjected to sequence reaction. A number of 370 larvae have been identified at species level, of which 330 belong to the Anisakis pegreffii, 23 to the Anisakis simplex sensu strictu, 6 to the recombinant genotype Anisakis pegreffii/simplex s. s., 1 to Anisakis physeteris and 10 to Hysterothylacium fabri. The data obtained provide interesting reflections on the presence of parasites belonging to the Anisakidae family in fishery products marketed in the Sicilian territory. These findings are an excellent tool for assessing and preventing possible risks due to the consumption of these products.
Biodiversity Journal, 10 (4): 463-464 - MONOGRAPH

Gianluigi Maria Lo Dico, Antonello Cicero, Valentina Cumbo, Francesca Ornella Assiria, Giuseppe Giusto, Andrea Macaluso, Barbara Randisi, Francesco Giuseppe Galluzzo, Michele Chetta, Gaetano Cammilleri, Rosaria Collura, Stefania Graci, Maria Drussilla Buscemi, Antonio Vella & Vincenzo Ferrantelli
Investigation on the presence of Dioxins in the Sicilian Sheep’s milk
https://doi.org/10.31396/Biodiv.Jour.2019.10.4.463.464

ABSTRACT
Our studies were conducted in 2016 and several sicilian sheep farms were involved. The goal of this research was to evaluate the possible use of sheep as a “sentinel” body to be used as a biological indicator for environmental biomonitoring of dioxins. For the determination of dioxins in sheep’s milk was used a method on high-resolution gas chromatography along with a high resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS) in order to evaluate the existence of dioxins with concentrations exceeding the limits imposed by the EC Regulation 1881/2006. A total of 200 samples were analyzed, of which 14 samples exceeded the limits imposed by the EC Regulation 1881/2006: 3.0 pg/g fat sum of dioxins (WHO.PCDD/F-TEQ). It is conceivable that the proximity to high anthropization areas and industrialization, may have a positive influence on the propagation of dioxins in the environment having been detected values exceeding the allowed limit. The samples with low dioxin concentrations were analyzed, with values not exceeding the prescribed limit.

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Antonello Cicero