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Introduction
Publications
Publications (44)
In Calabria, as in other Italian regions, the wild boar (Sus scrofa) population has increased considerably in the last few years. The presence of this wild ungulate, a huntable species, was detected throughout this region. Wild boars are a host for many endoparasites, some of which are zoonotic. Our aim was to acquire data on the prevalence endopar...
In Calabria region (southern Italy) goat farming is very widespread. Inside the several firms, autochthonous races, such the Nicastrese goats, are bred in a wild state. They represent an important economic resource for the agro-food sector. The aim of this research is to evaluate the possible correlation between haematological profile and parasitic...
A common seagull (Larus fuscus) was found near the southern coast of Italy by the veterinarians of the local wild animal rescue center. Physical examination of the bird revealed an ulcerated mass involving a majority of the oral cavity; the mass did not allow for normal feeding. After the bird died necropsy was performed and the mass was histologic...
The helminth community of the Mediterranean gull (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus) from the Calabria region in southern Italy was examined. Ten species of helminths, including 2 cestodes (Alcataenia larina and Tetrabothrius cylindraceus), 4 digeneans ( Aporchis massiliensis , Brachylaima fuscatum, Cardiocephaloides longicollis, and Ornithobilharzia cana...
Hive products, encompassing honey, propolis, bee venom, royal jelly, and pollen, are recognized for their antimicrobial and therapeutic properties. This review examines their chemical composition, explores their mechanisms of action, and discusses their potential applications in both human and veterinary medicine, particularly in addressing the cha...
The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) stands out as a crucial sentinel species for assessing environmental contamination, owing to its widespread distribution, high position in the food chain, and susceptibility to pollutants. As apex predators, these remarkable birds accumulate various contaminants found in their prey, thus serving as valuable i...
The hepatitis E virus (HEV) has become increasingly important in recent years in terms of risk for public health, as the main causative agent of acute viral hepatitis. It is a foodborne disease transmitted to humans through the consumption of contaminated water or contaminated food. Human-to-human transmission is sporadic and is linked to transfusi...
A large amount of waste material derives from the horticultural industry. These plant matrices constitute a valuable source of active secondary metabolites with a wide spectrum of potential applications, including both human health and veterinary science. Italy is one of the leading European producers of fennel, and the ‘Finocchio di Isola Capo Riz...
Antimicrobial resistance represents an alarming public health problem; its importance is related to the significant clinical implications (increased morbidity, mortality, disease duration, development of comorbidities, and epidemics), as well as its economic effects on the healthcare sector. In fact, therapeutic options are severely limited by the...
Background: The increasing difficulties in combating anthelmintic resistance in gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) of sheep worldwide and the residues of chemical drugs in animal products and the environment necessitate the search for alternatives. Previous studies have shown that plant essential oils (EOs) could be valuable anthelmintic agents. The...
Anthelmintic resistance in small ruminants is a serious worldwide problem. To reduce their spread, it is essential to know the prevalence of helminths on farms and the control practices adopted. As these studies in the Calabria region of southern Italy are fragmentary and outdated, a study on the prevalence of helminths in small ruminant holdings i...
Heavy metals are environmental contaminants and can easily accumulate and biomagnify in various marine species (fishes and mammalians) at the top of the aquatic food chain. Among marine mammalians, the striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) is the most abundant cetacean in the Mediterranean Sea and is considered to be a sentinel species to monitor...
Beekeeping provides products with nutraceutical and pharmaceutical characteristics. These products are characterized by abundance of bioactive compounds. For different reasons, honey, royal jelly, propolis, venom, and pollen are beneficial to humans and animals and could be used as therapeutics. The pharmacological action of these products is relat...
Background
Gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) represent major obstacle to modern small ruminant farming due to their various negative effects on animal health, welfare and productivity. The exclusive use of commercial, synthetic anthelmintics is no longer a sustainable option due to the development of resistance in GINs and the problem of residues o...
The bee gut microbiota plays an important role in the services the bees pay to the environment, humans and animals. Alongside, gut-associated microorganisms are vehiculated between apparently remote habitats, promoting microbial heterogeneity of the visited microcosms and the transfer of the microbial genetic elements. To date, no metaproteomics st...
Simple Summary
The exposure of pollinating insects to pesticides is a common phenomenon in ecosystems. Exposure to toxic doses of two or more compounds can lead to additive, synergistic, or antagonistic effects. These drug interactions are often unknown but may amplify or reduce the toxic effect on target and non-target organisms. In the following...
Bovine colostrum is the first mammary secretion after parturition; it is rich in Igs and bioactive compounds and could play a role in the development of naturally based products with positive effects on human health. In this discussion, we critically examine the effect of bovine colostrum on the properties of mesenchymal stem cells. Multipotent mes...
Flupyradifurone (FLU) is a butenolide insecticide that has come onto the market relatively recently. It is used in agriculture to control aphids, psyllids, and whiteflies. Toxicity studies have decreed its low toxicity to honeybees. However, recent research has challenged these claims; oral exposure to the pesticide can lead to behavioral abnormali...
Antimicrobial resistance is an increasingly widespread phenomenon that is of particular concern because of the possible consequences in the years to come. The dynamics leading to the resistance of microbial strains are diverse, but certainly include the incorrect use of veterinary drugs both in terms of dosage and timing of administration. Moreover...
Anthelmintic drug resistance has proliferated across Europe in sheep gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs). Sheep welfare and health are adversely impacted by these phenomena, which also have an impact on productivity. Finding alternatives for controlling GINs in sheep is thus of utmost importance. In this study, the anthelmintic effectiveness (AE) of...
Simple Summary
Essential oils (EOs) have been shown to possess several pharmacological properties, among which we can mention antibacterial, antiviral and acaricidal effects. The latter activity is particularly interesting in beekeeping for the control of Varroa destructor parasitosis. This research aimed to verify the acaricidal potential of four...
Simple Summary
Varroa destructor acariasis is currently the main threat to the health and survival of honeybee colonies. Chemicals are often used to control this parasitosis. However, overuse and misuse over the years has allowed the mite to acquire resistance to synthetic active ingredients. In this scenario, it is vital to search for alternative...
Simple Summary
The inappropriate use of pesticides is one of the underlying causes of the extensive honeybee die-off that is taking place worldwide. Pesticides can cause acute, sub-acute, and chronic toxicity, in the latter case leading to physiological and behavioral changes in honeybees. Acute pesticide toxicity is exacerbated by nutritional defi...
Plants are an untapped natural resource; their secondary metabolites take part in a variety of pharmacological activities, making them an essential ingredient in the synthesis of novel medications and the source of reserve resources in this process. Hepatitis and liver cancer are two conditions that can result from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease...
The most important pollinator for agricultural crops is the Western honeybee (Apis mellifera). During the winter and summer seasons, diseases and stresses of various kinds endanger honeybee numbers and production, resulting in expenses for beekeepers and detrimental effects on agriculture and ecosystems. Researchers are continually in search of the...
The majority of honeybee farms in industrialized countries currently base their Varroa destructor control programs on the use of acaricides in conjunction with other management practices. However, the outcomes of these practices are often misunderstood and have only been studied to a limited extent. Better yields are guaranteed by having hives with...
The Varroa destructor parasite is the main obstacle to the survival of honey bee colonies. Pest control mainly involves the use of synthetic drugs which, used with the right criteria and in rotation, are able to ensure that infestation levels are kept below the damage threshold. Although these drugs are easy to use and quick to apply, they have num...
Skeletal muscle atrophy is a condition characterized by a loss of muscle mass and muscle strength caused by an imbalance between protein synthesis and protein degradation. Muscle atrophy is often associated with a loss of bone mass manifesting as osteoporosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate if chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic...
Apitherapy is a branch of alternative medicine that consists of the treatment of diseases through products collected, processed, and secreted by bees, specifically pollen, propolis, honey, royal jelly, and bee venom. In traditional medicine, the virtues of honey and propolis have been well-known for centuries. The same, however, cannot be said for...
Varroatosis is an important parasitic disease of Apis mellifera caused by the mite Varroa destructor (V. destructor). The parasite is able to transmit numerous pathogens to honeybees which can lead to colony collapse. In recent years, the effectiveness of authorized drug products has decreased due to increasing resistance phenomena. Therefore, the...
Parasites, in particular, gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) represent one of the main burdens affecting small ruminant farming and pose a serious threat to their health, welfare, productivity, and reproduction. The correct management of animals and the correct use of anthelmintic drugs are the pillars of the GIN control programs for small ruminants...
Varroa destructor is the most dangerous pest that poses a threat to honey bee survival. In recent years, increasingly worrying phenomena of drug resistance have occurred to various active ingredients of pharmaceutical formulations used to control this parasitosis. Determining the level of infestation is essential to preventing the inappropriate use...
Drug resistance threatening humans may be linked with antimicrobial and anthelmintic resistance in other species, especially among farm animals and, more in general, in the entire environment. From this perspective, Green Veterinary Pharmacology was proven successful for the control of parasites in small ruminants and for the control of other pests...
Background
Skeletal muscle atrophy is a condition characterized by a loss of muscle mass and muscle strength. This condition correlates with an imbalance between protein synthesis and protein degradation caused by the hyperactivation of some cellular catabolic pathways. Muscle and bone interact through physical forces and chemical pathways and musc...
Sheep gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infestation represents a limiting factor for sheep farming and milk production in Italy. The development of anthelmintic resistance to conventionally used drugs suggests the path towards the use of natural remedies as a possible alternative. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the in vitro anthelmintic eff...
Varroatosis, caused by the Varroa destructor mite, is currently the most dangerous parasitic disease threatening the survival of honey bees worldwide. Its adverse effect on the welfare and health of honey bees requires the regular use of specific acaricides. This condition has led to a growing development of resistance phenomena towards the most fr...
The emergence of resistance to chemical drugs in beekeeping is becoming a phenomenon of widespread concern. One promising alternative to the use of chemicals is entomopathogenic organisms that are environmentally friendly and are capable of stopping the expression of resistance once it has evolved. In the recent past, the scientific community has c...
Ivermectin has a wide number of many diverse functions. Certainly, it is irreplaceable for the treatment of parasitic pathologies in both human and veterinary medicine, and the latter represents the major field of its application. It has been called the “drug for the world’s poor” because of its role as a saviour for those living on the margins of...
Resistance to anthelmintic drugs in gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) of sheep is of high concern for livestock production worldwide. In Calabria (southern Italy), many plants have been used in ethnoveterinary medicine for parasite control in small ruminants. Here, we present an in vivo evaluation of anthelmintic efficacy of three plant extracts. Th...
Varroa destructor is the most important ectoparasitic mite of honey bees that has a negative impact on bee health and honey production. The control programs are mainly based on the use of synthetic acaricides that are often administered indiscriminately. All this has led to drug resistance that now represent a great concern for honey bee farming. T...
The worldwide increased difficulty to counteract gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infection in sheep, due to progressing anthelmintic resistance, has led to the evaluation of other alternative helminth control options, mainly from plants. The anthelmintic efficacy of an aqueous Punica granatum macerate was evaluated in sheep naturally infected by GI...
The treatments of gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) infection in sheep is almost exclusively based on the use of synthetic drugs. In some European regions the intensive use of antiparasitic drugs is leading to widespread development of anthelmintic resistance (AR). Currently in southern Italy AR is rare, but a constant monitoring of anthelmintic eff...
Despite the strict rules of the current legislation, road transport origins countless stress factors to animals. The purpose of this retrospective study is to assess the current welfare conditions during animal transport in Calabria and all related operations in the three years 2013-2015.The results showed that during this period 2015 the checks ca...