Total-scale quantitative research literature analysis on the food toxicology scientific field has yet to be conducted. In this work, we identified and analysed food toxicology publications in the existing scientific literature. A literature search was performed with the online Web of Science database. Full records and cited references of the 73,099 identified manuscripts were imported into VOSviewer software for analysis. This research field has been growing steadily since the 1990s. Article to review ratio was 7.4:1. The publications were mainly related to toxicology, environmental sciences, food science and technology, pharmacology/pharmacy and biochemistry/molecular biology. The United States and China are major contributors to food toxicology research, followed by other European and Asian countries. The prolific authors have formed three major clusters within a citation network. Toxic or hazardous chemicals related to food with high citations included aflatoxin, dioxin, fumonisin, malondialdehyde, mycotoxin, ochratoxin, phthalate, and polychlorinated biphenyl.

Advanced maternal age is associated with adverse pregnancy and offspring outcomes, including neurodevelopmental disorders. While age-related oocyte and embryonic abnormalities may underlie this association, the aged maternal uterine environment also plays an important role in offspring development and survival. The aim of this study was to evaluate the contribution of maternal age-related embryonic and uterine factors on pregnancy and offspring behavior, by using a model of reciprocal embryo transfer between old and young female mice. Pregnancies were obtained by transferring embryos collected from either old (9–14 months) or young (3–4 months) C57BL/6J female mice to either young or old recipients. The results showed that embryos from old and young donors have comparable developmental potential when transferred to young recipients, whereas no pregnancies were obtained by transferring embryos of young females to old recipients. Moreover, the offspring conceived by aged females displayed altered ultrasonic vocalization and learning skills compared to the progeny of young females, even though they were both prenatally and postnatally fostered by young recipients. These results indicate that maternal factors mostly determine the occurrence of age-related pregnancy complications, whereas the long-term effects of maternal aging on the offspring’s behavior could be already established at pre-implantation stages and depend on embryonic factors.

The available evidence on dogs’ scent preferences is quite limited. The purpose of this study was to verify the canine response to selected odors that may also be preferred by humans. The experiment was performed using 14 adult dogs (10 female and 4 male) of different breeds, body size, and age (1–14 years). During the experiment, dogs were exposed to 33 odor samples: a neutral sample containing pure dipropylene glycol (control) and 32 samples containing dipropylene glycol and fragrance oils. The dog was brought to the experimental area by its handler, who then stopped at the entrance, unleashed the dog, and remained in the starting position. The dog freely explored the area for 30 s. All dog movements and behavior were recorded and analyzed. The methodology of observing the dogs freely exploring the experimental area allowed us to determine the smells that were the most attractive to them (food, beaver clothing). Our study shows that dogs interacted more frequently with the scents of blueberries, blackberries, mint, rose, lavender, and linalol.

Autism spectrum disorders encompass diverse neurodevelopmental conditions marked by alterations in social communication and repetitive behaviors. Advanced maternal age is associated with an increased risk of bearing children affected by autism but the etiological factors underlying this association are not well known. Here, we investigated the effects of advanced maternal age on offspring health and behavior in two genetically divergent mouse strains: the BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) mouse model of idiopathic autism, and the C57BL/6 J (B6) control strain, as a model of genetic variability. In both strains, advanced maternal age negatively affected female reproductive and pregnancy outcomes, and perturbed placental and fetal growth, and the expression of genes in the fetal brain tissues. Postnatally, advanced maternal age had strain-dependent effects on offspring sociability, learning skills, and the occurrence of perseverative behaviors, varying between male and female offspring. These findings disentangle the relationship between genetic determinants and maternal age-related factors in shaping the emergence of autism-like behaviors in mice, highlighting the interplay between maternal age, genetic variability, and prenatal programming, in the occurrence of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Aging is associated with a drastic decline in fertility/fecundity and with an increased risk of pregnancy complications. Resveratrol (RES), a natural polyphenolic compound, has shown anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in both human and animal models, thus representing a potential therapeutic and prophylactic anti-aging supplement. Here, we investigated whether preconceptional resveratrol supplementation improved reproductive outcomes in mid-aged (8-month-old) and old (12-month-old) C57BL/6J female mice. Female siblings were cohoused and assigned to either RES or vehicle supplementation to drinking water for 10 consecutive weeks. Subsequently, females were mated with non-supplemented males and their pregnancy outcomes were monitored. RES improved mating success in old, but not in mid-aged females, and prevented the occurrence of delivery complications in the latter. These results indicate that preconceptional RES supplementation could partially improve age-related reproductive complications, but it was not sufficient to restore fecundity in female mice at a very advanced age.

The European wisent (Bison bonasus), an iconic yet genetically vulnerable species, faces ongoing conservation challenges due to a restricted gene pool. Advances in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology offer promising prospects for preserving and restoring genetic diversity in endangered species. In this study, we sought to reprogram wisent somatic cells into iPSCs using the PiggyBac transposon system, a non-viral method known for being successfully applied in bovine species. We applied a six-factor reprogramming cocktail (OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, LIN28, c-MYC, NANOG) alongside small-molecule enhancers to fibroblasts isolated from adult wisent tissue. While initial colony formation was observed, the reprogrammed cells exhibited limited proliferation and failed to maintain stable pluripotency, suggesting intrinsic barriers to complete reprogramming. Despite optimizing culture conditions, including hypoxia and extracellular matrix modifications, the reprogramming efficiency remained low. Our findings indicate that wisent somatic cells may require alternative reprogramming strategies, such as new-generation delivery systems and epigenetic modulators, to achieve stable iPSC lines. This study underscores the need for species-specific optimization of reprogramming protocols and highlights the potential of emerging cellular technologies for conservation efforts. Future research integrating advanced reprogramming tools may pave the way for genetic rescue strategies in wisent and other endangered species.