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PloS One 2022Taenia solium is an important cause of acquired epilepsy worldwide and remains endemic in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Transmission of this parasite is still poorly...
Taenia solium is an important cause of acquired epilepsy worldwide and remains endemic in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Transmission of this parasite is still poorly understood despite the design of infection experiments to improve our knowledge of the disease, with estimates for critical epidemiological parameters, such as the probability of human-to-pig infection after exposure to eggs, still lacking. In this paper, a systematic review was carried out and eight pig infection experiments were analyzed to describe the probability of developing cysts. These experiments included different pathways of inoculation: with ingestion of proglottids, eggs, and beetles that ingested eggs, and direct injection of activated oncospheres into the carotid artery. In these experiments, different infective doses were used, and the numbers of viable and degenerated cysts in the body and brain of each pig were registered. Five alternative dose-response models (exponential, logistic, log-logistic, and exact and approximate beta-Poisson) were assessed for their accuracy in describing the observed probabilities of cyst development as a function of the inoculation dose. Dose-response models were developed separately for the presence of three types of cysts (any, viable only, and cysts in the brain) and considered for each of the four inoculation methods ("Proglottids", "Eggs", "Beetles" and "Carotid"). The exact beta-Poisson model best fit the data for the three types of cysts and all relevant exposure pathways. However, observations for some exposure pathways were too scarce to reliably define a dose-response curve with any model. A wide enough range of doses and sufficient sample sizes was only found for the "Eggs" pathway and a merged "Oral" pathway combining the "Proglottids", "Eggs" and "Beetles" pathways. Estimated parameter values from this model suggest that a low infective dose is sufficient to result in a 50% probability for the development of any cyst or for viable cyst infections. Although this is a preliminary model reliant on a limited dataset, the parameters described in this manuscript should contribute to the design of future experimental infections related to T. solium transmission, as well as the parameterization of simulation models of transmission aimed at informing control.
Topics: Animals; Coleoptera; Cysticercosis; Cysts; Swine; Swine Diseases; Taenia solium
PubMed: 35286329
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0264898 -
Mycotoxin Research Nov 2021Novel protein sources for animal feed are needed, and the use of insects as feed ingredient is explored. The insect production sector offers opportunities for a circular... (Review)
Review
Novel protein sources for animal feed are needed, and the use of insects as feed ingredient is explored. The insect production sector offers opportunities for a circular and sustainable approach to feed production by upgrading waste or side streams into high-quality proteins. However, potential food or feed safety issues should be studied in advance. Mycotoxins, such as aflatoxin B1, are natural contaminants commonly found in agricultural crops and have proven to be detrimental to the agricultural industry, livestock, and human health. This systematic review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the published evidence on effects of mycotoxin exposure on insect growth and survival, mycotoxin accumulation within the insect body, and metabolization of various mycotoxins by insects. The review includes 54 scientific articles published in the past 55 years, in total covering 32 insect species. The main findings are the following: (1) Insects of the order Coleoptera show lower mortality after exposure to aflatoxin B1 when compared to Lepidoptera and Diptera; (2) effects of mycotoxins on larval growth and survival are less detrimental in later larval stages; (3) accumulation of mycotoxins was low in most insect species; (4) mycotoxins are metabolized within the insect body, the degree of which depends on the particular mycotoxin and insect species; (5) cytochrome P450s are the main family of enzymes involved in biotransformation of mycotoxins in some insect species. Results of this review support an optimistic outlook for the use of mycotoxin-contaminated waste streams as substrate for insect rearing.
Topics: Animal Feed; Animals; Biotransformation; Food Contamination; Humans; Insecta; Larva; Mycotoxins
PubMed: 34618340
DOI: 10.1007/s12550-021-00441-z -
International Journal of Food... Jan 2024Insects represent a sustainable and protein-rich food source. This new supply chain requires the study and monitoring of pathogens' presence and impact, as for other... (Review)
Review
Insects represent a sustainable and protein-rich food source. This new supply chain requires the study and monitoring of pathogens' presence and impact, as for other farmed animals. Among pathogens, Salmonella is of interest due to the well-established possibility for insects to harbor it. Since Acheta domesticus (cricket) and Tenebrio molitor (mealworm) are the most sold and farmed insect species, the present systematic review aimed to collect, select, and evaluate, in the available scientific literature, studies investigating the occurrence of Salmonella in these species sampled. All available studies published in peer-reviewed journals in English, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, and Spanish were considered. No time limits were imposed. We searched PUBMED, EMBASE, WEB of Science Core Collection, and Food Science and Technology Abstracts. The first date searched was May 10th, 2022; an update of the search was conducted on May 5th, 2023. The data synthesis was presented in tables reporting the number of positives on the number of total analyzed samples with other relevant characteristics of the study. The quality assessment was carried out considering relevant aspects for sampling and the method of analysis for Salmonella detection. At the end of the screening process, 10 and nine studies conducted on crickets and mealworms, respectively, were included for data extraction. The S. serovar Wandsworth and S. serovar Stanley were isolated only in one sample of ready-to-eat crickets. A second study detected OTUs related to S. enterica in cricket and mealworm powders. No studies detected Salmonella in mealworms according to cultural methods. The limitations of the present review are that few studies were retrieved and that included studies had important limitations in terms of study design as sampling was mostly based on convenience and not on a sound statistical basis. The present systematic review underlines the need to obtain reliable data about Salmonella presence in insects considering the growing market and the scaling up of existing farms. This research was funded by the Italian Ministry of Health - Ricerca Corrente IZSVe 03/21. The review protocol was published on the Systematic Reviews for Animals and Food (SYREAF) Web site (https://syreaf.org/protocols/).
Topics: Animals; Food; Gryllidae; Salmonella; Tenebrio; Edible Insects
PubMed: 37956634
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2023.110464 -
PeerJ 2018Despite great progress in studies on infection in insects, the knowledge about its relations with beetle species, populations and individuals, and the effects of...
BACKGROUND
Despite great progress in studies on infection in insects, the knowledge about its relations with beetle species, populations and individuals, and the effects of bacteria on these hosts, is still unsatisfactory. In this review we summarize the current state of knowledge about occurrence and interactions with Coleopteran hosts.
METHODS
An intensive search of the available literature resulted in the selection of 86 publications that describe the relevant details about presence among beetles. These publications were then examined with respect to the distribution and taxonomy of infected hosts and diversity of found in beetles. Sequences of genes () were used for the phylogenetic analyses.
RESULTS
The collected publications revealed that has been confirmed in 204 beetle species and that the estimated average prevalence of this bacteria across beetle species is 38.3% and varies greatly across families and genera (0-88% infected members) and is much lower (c. 13%) in geographic studies. The majority of the examined and infected beetles were from Europe and East Asia. The most intensively studied have been two groups of herbivorous beetles: Curculionidae and Chrysomelidae. Coleoptera harbor belonging to three supergroups: F found in only three species, and A and B found in similar numbers of beetles (including some doubly infected); however the latter two were most prevalent in different families. A total of 59% of species with precise data were found to be totally infected. Single infections were found in 69% of species and others were doubly- or multiply-infected. caused numerous effects on its beetle hosts, including selective sweep with host mtDNA (found in 3% of species), cytoplasmic incompatibility (detected in c. 6% of beetles) and other effects related to reproduction or development (like male-killing, possible parthenogenesis or haplodiploidy induction, and egg development). Phylogenetic reconstructions for genes rejected cospeciation between these bacteria and Coleoptera, with minor exceptions found in some Hydraenidae, Curculionidae and Chrysomelidae. In contrast, horizontal transmission of bacteria has been suspected or proven in numerous cases (e.g., among beetles sharing habitats and/or host plants).
DISCUSSION
The present knowledge about infection across beetle species and populations is very uneven. Even the basic data about infection status in species and frequency of infected species across genera and families is very superficial, as only c. 0.15% of all beetle species have been tested so far. Future studies on diversity in Coleoptera should still be based on the Multi-locus Sequence Typing system, and next-generation sequencing technologies will be important for uncovering relations with host evolution and ecology, as well as with other, co-occurring endosymbiotic bacteria.
PubMed: 29568706
DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4471 -
International Journal of Medicinal... 2015Ophiocordyceps sinensis (syn. Cordyceps sinensis), well known as DongChongXiaCao (DCXC), is one of the most valuable traditional Chinese medicinal species. In this... (Review)
Review
Ophiocordyceps sinensis (syn. Cordyceps sinensis), well known as DongChongXiaCao (DCXC), is one of the most valuable traditional Chinese medicinal species. In this article, we provide a systematic review of natural enemies and diseases encountered in artificial cultivation of DCXC. Unfortunately, DCXC has been endangered over the past decades due to overharvesting and a worsening ecological environment. Therefore, the artificial cultivation of DCXC has been extensively investigated in recent years. Complete indoor artificial cultivation and semi-field cultivation are the two most common strategies used to cultivate DCXC. However, cultured DCXCs are often attacked by various natural enemies and diseases, which have resulted in substantial loss of the valuable medicinal resource. In this study, we have summarized the species of natural enemies and types of diseases confronted by DCXC. Twenty reported natural enemy species are categorized into four classes, one of which is reported for the first time in this study. Moreover, six microbial pathogens are also discussed. The recapitulation of the natural enemies and diseases in DCXC artificial cultivation not only promote the development of integrated pest management of DCXC cultivation but also provide important information to help preserve and develop this valuable resource.
Topics: Animals; China; Coleoptera; Endangered Species; Hypocreales; Larva; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Moths; Tibet
PubMed: 26559703
DOI: 10.1615/intjmedmushrooms.v17.i7.90 -
Global prevalence of free-living amoebae in solid matrices - A systematic review with meta-analysis.Acta Tropica Nov 2023The ubiquitous free-living amoebae (FLA) are microorganisms of significant medical, sanitary, and ecological importance. However, their characterization within solid... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
The ubiquitous free-living amoebae (FLA) are microorganisms of significant medical, sanitary, and ecological importance. However, their characterization within solid matrices such as soil, dust, sediment, mud, sludge, and compost remain to be systematized. In this study, we conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis to explore the global distribution of FLA in solid matrices. From the analysis of 104 out of 4,414 scientific articles retrieved from different databases, it was found that the general global prevalence of FLA in solid matrices was of 55.13% (95% confidence interval (CI) 49.32-60.94). Specifically, FLA prevalence was high in soil (72.40%, 95% CI 69.08-75.73), sediment (57.91%, 95% CI 50.01-65.81), mud (52.90%, 95% CI 24.01-81.78), dust (48.60%, 95% CI 43.00-54.19), and sewage sludge (40.19%, 95% CI 30.68-49.70). In aerosols it was comparatively lower (17.21%, 95% CI 12.76-21.66). Acanthamoeba spp. (52.23%) and Hartmanella/Vermamoeba spp. (36.06%) were found to be more prevalent, whereas Naegleria spp. (34.98%) and Balamuthia spp. (27.32%) were less prevalent. The distribution of the highest global prevalence values for species of Acanthamoeba spp., considering different publication periods of the studies, is as follows: A. hatchetti (51.46%), A. rhysodes (47.49%), A. polyphaga (36.37%), A. culbertsoni (34.31%), A. castellanii (34.21%), and A. lenticulata (32.82%). For other FLA species, the distribution is: Hartmannella/Vermamoeba vermiformis (91.57%), Naegleria fowleri (42.32%), Naegleria gruberi (32.39%), and Balamuthia mandrillaris (25%). The most prevalent Acanthamoeba genotypes were T4 (33.38%) and T3 (23.94%). Overall, the global prevalence of FLA in solid matrices is as high as or greater than that reported in water by previous systematic reviews. Thus, actions aimed at reducing exposure to FLA or exploring their ecological dynamics should consider not only water but also the various solid matrices. The finding outlined here can provide valuable insights for such actions, e.g., informing on the level of exposure to FLA, or on the microbial biodiversity of specific environmental compartments.
Topics: Animals; Amoeba; Prevalence; Sewage; Acanthamoeba; Coleoptera; Dust; Soil; Water
PubMed: 37633571
DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.107006 -
Biological Reviews of the Cambridge... Mar 2024Carrion ecology, i.e. the decomposition and recycling of dead animals, has traditionally been neglected as a key process in ecosystem functioning. Similarly, despite the...
Carrion ecology, i.e. the decomposition and recycling of dead animals, has traditionally been neglected as a key process in ecosystem functioning. Similarly, despite the large threats that inland aquatic ecosystems (hereafter, aquatic ecosystems) face, the scientific literature is still largely biased towards terrestrial ecosystems. However, there has been an increasing number of studies on carrion ecology in aquatic ecosystems in the last two decades, highlighting their key role in nutrient recirculation and disease control. Thus, a global assessment of the ecological role of scavengers and carrion in aquatic ecosystems is timely. Here, we systematically reviewed scientific articles on carrion ecology in aquatic ecosystems to describe current knowledge, identify research gaps, and promote future studies that will deepen our understanding in this field. We found 206 relevant studies, which were highly biased towards North America, especially in lotic ecosystems, covering short time periods, and overlooking seasonality, a crucial factor in scavenging dynamics. Despite the low number of studies on scavenger assemblages, we recorded 55 orders of invertebrates from 179 families, with Diptera and Coleoptera being the most frequent orders. For vertebrates, we recorded 114 species from 40 families, with birds and mammals being the most common. Our results emphasise the significance of scavengers in stabilising food webs and facilitating nutrient cycling within aquatic ecosystems. Studies were strongly biased towards the assessment of the ecosystem effects of carrion, particularly of salmon carcasses in North America. The second most common research topic was the foraging ecology of vertebrates, which was mostly evaluated through sporadic observations of carrion in the diet. Articles assessing scavenger assemblages were scarce, and only a limited number of these studies evaluated carrion consumption patterns, which serve as a proxy for the role of scavengers in the ecosystem. The ecological functions performed by carrion and scavengers in aquatic ecosystems were diverse. The main ecological functions were carrion as food source and the role of scavengers in nutrient cycling, which appeared in 52.4% (N = 108) and 46.1% (N = 95) of publications, respectively. Ecosystem threats associated with carrion ecology were also identified, the most common being water eutrophication and carrion as source of pathogens (2.4%; N = 5 each). Regarding the effects of carrion on ecosystems, we found studies spanning all ecosystem components (N = 85), from soil or the water column to terrestrial vertebrates, with a particular focus on aquatic invertebrates and fish. Most of these articles found positive effects of carrion on ecosystems (e.g. higher species richness, abundance or fitness; 84.7%; N = 72), while a minority found negative effects, changes in community composition, or even no effects. Enhancing our understanding of scavengers and carrion in aquatic ecosystems is crucial to assessing their current and future roles amidst global change, mainly for water-land nutrient transport, due to changes in the amount and speed of nutrient movement, and for disease control and impact mitigation, due to the predicted increase in occurrence and magnitude of mortality events in aquatic ecosystems.
PubMed: 38509722
DOI: 10.1111/brv.13075 -
Carabid Beetles (Coleoptera) as Indicators of Sustainability in Agroecosystems: A Systematic Review.Sustainability Feb 2023The sustainability of agroecosystems is at risk owing to continuous anthropogenic disturbance. As such, there is a need to evaluate indicator taxa that may be used to...
The sustainability of agroecosystems is at risk owing to continuous anthropogenic disturbance. As such, there is a need to evaluate indicator taxa that may be used to monitor the health of agricultural management systems. Carabid beetles are ubiquitous and functionally crucial in agroecosystems while at the same time are sensitive to the changes caused by management practices. Their quick response to anthropogenic disturbances has been proposed as a practical and realistic tool for monitoring the sustainability of agricultural practices. However, there is still disagreement about carabids as possible indicators of agroecosystem sustainability. We conducted a systematic review of the responses of carabid beetles to agricultural systems in different biogeographical areas. We examined whether these beetles could serve as potential indicators of agroecosystem sustainability. The ISI Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Scopus were used to search for papers published from 2000-2019. In total, we included 69 studies indicating the use of carabids to monitor the impact of management practices in agroecosystems. Most studies were conducted in European countries (n = 37), while Southern Africa and East Asia countries were significantly under-represented (n = 10). Carabid beetle response to agroecosystems varied between management practices, with biodiversity indices (n = 41: positive 60%, negative 19%, and neutral 19%) being the most measured response variable, followed by functional diversity (n = 28: positive 67%, negative 25%, and neutral 7%). Overall, our findings highlight the need for more research in underdeveloped countries, to investigate the potential of overlooked carabids and include response variables measuring functional diversity in assessing the sustainability of agricultural management. This will assist policy makers and land managers in making active and informed decisions about agroecological disturbances and management.
PubMed: 37680852
DOI: 10.3390/su15053936 -
Insects Jun 2022Reitter, 1887 is a monotypic genus of the tenebrionid tribe Blaptini and is endemic to the Tibetan Plateau. In this study, the genus was reviewed using a combination...
Systematic Review of the Genus Nalepa Reitter, 1887 (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae, Blaptinae, Blaptini) from the Tibetan Plateau, with Description of Six New Species and Two Larvae.
Reitter, 1887 is a monotypic genus of the tenebrionid tribe Blaptini and is endemic to the Tibetan Plateau. In this study, the genus was reviewed using a combination of molecular and morphological datasets. Based on the results, six new species were described: , , , , , and In addition, the larvae of Reitter, 1887 and were described and associated with related adults using molecular approaches. This study provides valuable molecular and morphological data for phylogenetic studies.
PubMed: 35886774
DOI: 10.3390/insects13070598 -
ZooKeys 2022The Luciolinae genus Fu, Ballantyne & Lambkin, 2012 is reviewed. Phylogenetic relationships based on DNA barcoding sequences from 42 fireflies and 2 outgroup species...
The Luciolinae genus Fu, Ballantyne & Lambkin, 2012 is reviewed. Phylogenetic relationships based on DNA barcoding sequences from 42 fireflies and 2 outgroup species are reconstructed. The dataset included three main Lampyridae subfamilies: Luciolinae, Photurinae and Lampyrinae, and was recovered within Luciolinae. A new species, Zhu & Zhen , is described from the wetland of Lishui, Zhejiang, China. is sister species to from Sichuan, which is supported by morphological characters and a phylogeny based on DNA barcoding sequences. The two species are separated geographically as shown on the distribution map. A key to species of using males is provided.
PubMed: 36762232
DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1113.79721