Priscilla Farina

University of Pisa | UNIPI · Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment (DAFE)

Rapid urbanization and migration in Latin America have intensified exposure to insect-borne diseases. Malaria, Chagas disease, yellow fever, and leishmaniasis have historically afflicted the region, while dengue, chikungunya, and Zika have been described and expanded more recently. The increased presence of synanthropic vector species and spread in...

Developing effective and sustainable green solutions for managing arthropod pests and vectors is a timely challenge. The present review is dedicated to mites and ticks (Acari), species which represent a burden for human and animal health. The focus is on hard ticks (Ixodidae), primarily belonging to the genera Haemaphysalis spp., Hyalomma spp., and...

Citrus fruits, widely consumed around the world, can be negatively affected by pests and fungal infections during their cultivation, handling, transportation, and storage, thus resulting in substantial yield losses and food waste. The use of natural preservatives like chitosan (CHT) and essential oils (EOs) is a promising approach for reducing chem...

As there has been no scientific evidence of the bioactivity of Sambucus ebulus (Adoxaceae) extracts against insects, we chemically characterized S. ebulus leaves and flowers extracted in methanol and water. The crude extracts, phenolic compounds, and amino acids isolated were tested as larvicides against the fourth-instar larvae of Aedes albopictus...

Notonecta species (Hemiptera: Notonectidae) are generalist true predators with a strong impact on the size, structure, and richness of the aquatic communities, particularly on mosquito populations. Juvenile and adult backswimmers not only prey on mosquito larvae (consumptive effect) but their presence can also deter the oviposition of gravid mosqui...

Sitophilus oryzae (L.) (Coleoptera: Dryophtoridae) represents one of the most important pests of stored products. The adults are considered very effective packaging penetrators, causing serious economic losses. Hence, the development of new food packaging technologies is crucial to prevent its infestations. In this study, Citrus × aurantium L., Ele...

Aromatic plant essential oils (EOs) represent a promising alternative to synthetic compounds for humans, food and crop protection from insect pests. However, although many studies have demonstrated the toxic and repellent effect of EOs against harmful insects, some studies indicate that EOs can act, on the contrary, as attractants for harmful insec...

Meat production has a higher economic and ecological impact than other commodities. The reduction in meat loss and waste throughout the whole supply chain is a demanding challenge. In recent years, the interest in the food-grade polysaccharide chitosan (CH) and essential oils (EOs) employed as allies in meat protection has increased. In this work,...

The Malpighian Tubules (MTs) are the main excretory organs in most insects. They play a key role in the production of primary urine and osmoregulation, selectively reabsorbing water, ions, and solutes. Besides these functions conserved in most insects, MTs can serve some specialized tasks at different stages of some species’ development. The specia...

Among the various existing techniques, enzymatic degumming represents a process that is establishing itself as a valid alternative to the more classic chemical processes. Moreover, vegetable oils of various origins have been gaining more consideration as sustainable and affordable protectants for cereals and pulses against the attack of several ins...

Blowflies are vectors of microorganisms and human pathogens, and their maggots cause myiasis in vertebrates and infest and spoil meat and fish products. Essential oils (EOs) from spices were proven to be a safer and more sustainable alternative to synthetic insecticides for the control of blowflies and are suitable for protecting food from such pes...

BACKGROUND Bread represents a significant share of food waste worldwide. The extension of the bread shelf life together with innovative systems of food waste treatment might decrease waste biomass decay, the need for transportation, and the need for storage. In recent years, insects have been selected as a valuable tool for food waste treatment owi...

Blowflies play a substantial role as vectors of microorganisms, including human pathogens. The control of these insect pests is an important aspect of the prevention of foodborne diseases, which represent a significant public health threat worldwide. Among aromatic plants, spices essential oils (EOs) are the most suitable to protect food from insec...

Ficus carica L. is one of the earliest cultivated fruit trees, and figs are a typical fruit of the Mediterranean diet and traditional medicine as well. In recent years, a new pest, the black weevil Aclees taiwanensis Kȏno, 1933 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) native to Asia, has been recorded in France and Italy. Aclees taiwanensis causes the rapid dea...

: The present work evaluates for the first time two Lavandin (Lavandula × intermedia Emeric ex Loisel.) aromatic waters obtained from different plant organs, the flowers and the stems. Both extracts were analysed by GC-MS, which indicates semi-quantitative differences between the major metabolites including linalool, 1,8-cineole, camphor, linalyl a...

Lettuce, Lactuca sativa, is one of the main leafy vegetable crops, interesting as a source of phytonutrients. It is extensively studied for biotechnological applications based on in vitro regeneration. However, in lettuce, histological studies of adventitious morphogenesis during the regeneration process are lacking. Analogously, the genes involved...

The long-term use of synthetic insecticides has led to negative side effects on human health, environmental pollution, and to the development of resistance in treated pests. As an alternative, essential oils (EOs), complex mixtures of volatile compounds extracted from aromatic plants, have been largely investigated. EOs have a wide range of biologi...

Sitophilus zeamais (Motschulsky) is considered as one of the most destructive foodstuff pests. Due to their efficiency, low toxicity for mammalians and low environmental impact, plant-derived essential oils (EOs) are promising tools for pest control. In particular, the OEs extracted from Lamiaceae are considered among the most bioactive in terms of...