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Microplastic pollution poses an escalating concern, particularly in coastal lagoons rich in biodiversity. This study delved into the occurrence of microplastics (MPs) in Magallana gigas (formerly Crassostrea gigas ) from the Orbetello and Varano coastal lagoons (Italy), also investigating the response of these filter-feeding organisms to various colors (P = pink; B = blue; W = white) of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) MP fragments. Oysters were exposed for 7 days under controlled conditions. Subsequently, the oysters underwent analysis for both MP presence and biochemical markers of oxidative stress. Diverse ingestion rates of HDPE were noted among oysters from the two lagoons, eliciting antioxidant responses and modifying baseline activity. The two-way ANOVA revealed the significant effects of treatment (control; HDPE_B; HDPE_P; HDPE_W), site, and the interaction between treatment and site on all biomarkers. Non-metric multidimensional scaling showed a divergent effect of HDPE color on biomarkers. Further investigation is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the influence of MP color, dose-dependent effects, and the long-term impacts of exposure. Comprehending these intricacies is imperative for devising effective strategies to mitigate plastic pollution and safeguard marine health.

The most worrisome fraction within plastic pollution is that of microplastics (MP). A category of MP almost completely ignored is that of glitter. The objective of this study is to test the toxicity of nine types of glitter leachate (3 soak times: 3, 90 and 180 days) on model organisms in freshwater ( Allivibrio fischeri , Raphidocelis subcapitata , Daphnia magna ) and saltwater ( Allivibrio fischeri , Phaeodactylum tricornutum , Paracentrotus lividus ). An integrated approach was applied to obtain the percentage of ecotoxicological risk. The results show that (i) photosynthesizing primary producers are the most sensitive trophic level; (ii) algae transitioned from growth inhibition to biostimulation; (iii) D. magna showed higher sensitivity after 48 h compared to 24 h; (iv) A. fischeri responded more strongly in saltwater than in freshwater. The integrated data show a greater risk associated with the marine environment, with the highest risk for glitters that are hexagonal and composed of poly-methyl-methacrylate. Our multivariate analysis shows that the toxicity of plastic leaching is a complex phenomenon that depends on the sensitivity of the species, in some cases on the soaking time and on the medium, and is not clearly linked to the polymer type, the contact area or the colors of the particles.

Nano- or microdevices, enabling simultaneous, long-term, multisite, cellular recording and stimulation from many excitable cells, are expected to make a strategic turn in basic and applied cardiology (particularly tissue engineering) and neuroscience. We propose an innovative approach aiming to elicit bioelectrical information from the cell membrane using an integrated circuit (IC) bearing a coating of nanowires on the chip surface. Nanowires grow directly on the backend of the ICs, thus allowing on-site amplification of bioelectric signals with uniform and controlled morphology and growth of the NWs on templates. To implement this technology, we evaluated the biocompatibility of silicon and zinc oxide nanowires (NWs), used as a seeding substrate for cells in culture, on two different primary cell lines. Human cardiac stromal cells were used to evaluate the effects of ZnO NWs of different lengths on cell behavior, morphology and growth, while BV-2 microglial-like cells and GH4-C1 neuroendocrine-like cell lines were used to evaluate cell membrane-NW interaction and contact when cultured on Si NWs. As the optimization of the contact between integrated microelectronics circuits and cellular membranes represents a long-standing issue, our technological approach may lay the basis for a new era of devices exploiting the microelectronics' sensitivity and "smartness" to both improve investigation of biological systems and to develop suitable NW-based systems available for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

This review describes the state of the art in the field of poly (lactic acid) (PLA)-based materials activated by natural compounds and extracts (active ingredients, AIs) from plant sources for food and biomedical applications. With a multidisciplinary approach, after a description of the synthesis and properties of PLA, special attention was paid to the chemical properties and unconventional extraction technologies of AIs used for PLA activation. Innovative techniques for the incorporation of AIs into PLA; characterization and the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of the novel materials were discussed. In view of future perspectives, this study has evidenced that some aspects need to be further investigated from joint research between academia and industry, according to the green chemistry principles and circular economy strategy.

Phytotherapy is based on the use of plants to prevent or treat human and animal diseases. Recently, the use of essential oils and polyphenol-enriched extracts is also rapidly increasing in the aquaculture sector as a means of greater industrial and environmental sustainability. Previous studies assessed the antibacterial and antiparasitic effects of these bioactive compounds on fish. However, studies on the modulation of oxidative stress biomarkers are still scant to date. Thus, in this study, the modulation of antioxidant defense against oxidative stress exerted by fish diets supplemented with a basil supercritical extract (F1-BEO) was assessed in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss . The F1-BEO extracted with supercritical fluid extraction was added to the commercial feed flour (0.5, 1, 2, 3% w / w ) and mixed with fish oil to obtain a suitable compound for pellet preparation. Fish were fed for 30 days. The levels of stress biomarkers such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione S-transferase, glutathione reductase, glyoxalase I, glyoxalase II, lactate dehydrogenase, glutathione and malondialdehyde showed a boost in the antioxidant pathway in fish fed with a 0.5% F1-BEO-supplemented diet. Higher F1-BEO supplementation led to a failure of activity of several enzymes and the depletion of glutathione levels. Malondialdehyde concentration suggests a sufficient oxidative stress defense against lipid peroxidation in all experimental groups, except for a 3% F1-BEO-supplemented diet (liver 168.87 ± 38.79 nmol/mg prot; kidney 146.86 ± 23.28 nmol/mg prot), compared to control (liver 127.76 ± 18.15 nmol/mg prot; kidney 98.68 ± 15.65 nmol/mg prot). Our results suggest supplementing F1-BEO in fish diets up to 0.5% to avoid potential oxidative pressure in farmed trout.

Microplastics (MPs) pose biological and chemical hazards in aquatic and terrestrial food webs across the globe. Research on microplastic contamination has long focused on marine ecosystems, whereas the toxicological impact on freshwater organisms is still little explored. In this study, the lethal and sublethal response of the freshwater macroinvertebrate Hydropsyche pellucidula exposed to polypropylene MPs after different pre-conditioning treatments was assessed. Field samples were collected in a riverine system (Vipacco river; northeast Italy) to assess the characteristics of the MPs in the aquatic environment Both water and sediment were contaminated by MPs (3.73 ± 2.11 items m -3 per min and 3.33 ± 4.16 items dm -3 , respectively). The chemical MPs composition included polystyrene, polyethylene terephthalate, polyurethane, polyamide, polypropylene, and polyethylene. Polypropylene (PP), although not the most abundant polymer recorded in the study area, was preferred over the other types according to its abundance in freshwater and H. pellucidula feeding behavior. A housing test was performed to recreate the natural conditions of larvae sampled for a reliable response to the ecotoxicological tests. The microplastics underwent either preconditioning with Vipacco River water (PP-river) and surfactant Triton X-100 (PP-sf) or no pre-treatment (PP). Submersion of microplastics in 10 µg L -1 of surfactant solution for 24 h was sufficient to induce consistent spectral changes and modify the chemical profile of the plastic surface. Mortality rate differed according to treatment: PP and PP-river > positive control > PP-sf > negative control. Integrated biomarker response (IBRv2) and analysis of oxidative stress biomarker levels showed a greater response of superoxide dismutase and lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde) in larvae treated with PP conditioned in surfactant. Our findings enhance knowledge on the toxicity of PP and conditioning phases on H. pellucidula larvae.