Antibiotics are used for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes in both human and veterinary medicine and as growth promoting agents in farms and aquaculture. They can accumulate in environmental matrices and in the food chain, causing adverse effects in humans and animals including the development of antibiotic resistance. This review aims to update and discuss the available data on antibiotic residues, using bivalves as biomonitoring organisms. The current research indicates that antibiotics’ presence in bivalves has been investigated along European, American and Asian coasts, with the majority of studies reported for the last. Several classes of antibiotics have been detected, with a higher frequency of detection reported for macrolides, sulfonamides and quinolones. The highest concentration was instead reported for tetracyclines in bivalves collected in the North Adriatic Sea. Only oxytetracycline levels detected in this latter site exceeded the maximum residual limit established by the competent authorities. Moreover, the risk that can be derived from bivalve consumption, calculated considering the highest concentrations of antibiotics residues reported in the analyzed studies, is actually negligible. Nevertheless, further supervisions are needed in order to preserve the environment from antibiotic pollution, prevent the development of antimicrobial resistance and reduce the health risk derived from seafood consumption.

Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) are compounds found in several environmental compartments whose ubiquitous presence can cause toxicity for the entire ecosystem. Several personal care products, including antibiotics, have entered this group of compounds, constituting a major global threat. It is essential to develop simple and reliable methods by which to quantify these contaminants in several matrices. In this work, mussels were chosen as sentinel organisms to assess environmental pollution and the safety of bivalve mollusk consumption according to the “One Health perspective”. A liquid chromatographic tandem mass spectrometry method (LC-MS/MS) was developed for the quantification of two macrolides, erythromycin (ERY) and azithromycin (AZI), in mussels. This new method was validated according to international guidelines, showing high selectivity, good recoveries (>60% for both of them), sensitivity, and precision. The method was successfully applied for ERY and AZI research in mussels farmed along the Sardinian coasts (Italy), demonstrating itself to be useful for routine analysis by competent authorities. The tested macrolides were not determined in the analyzed sites at concentrations above the limits of detection (LODs). These results demonstrate the food safety of mussels (as concerns the studied antibiotics) and a negligible amount of pollution derived from these drugs in the studied area.

This study describes the acute poisoning of four 3-month-old Franconia geese (Anser anser) by oleander plants (Nerium oleander). After the accidental ingestion of oleander clippings, the geese exhibited a rapid onset of severe symptoms, leading to mortality within 15–90 min. Necropsy revealed cardiac and renal lesions. Specifically, interstitial edema, red blood cell infiltration, and myofibril loss were observed in the cardiac muscle, and tubular epithelial degeneration, interstitial edema, and hemorrhages were evident in the kidneys. Oleandrin, a glycoside with cardiac effects, was detected in the liver, kidneys, heart, brain, and muscles. The clinical implications underscore the urgency of veterinary intervention upon oleander ingestion, and the specific findings contribute valuable insights into the pathological effects of acute oleander poisoning in geese, aiding veterinarians in prompt diagnosis and treatment.

Gabapentin is a structural analogue of gamma-aminobutyric acid. Initially introduced as an anti-epileptic drug, it has also been shown to be effective in the treatment of pain in humans and non-human animals. The main purpose of this study was to test the suitability of the cockroach Gromphadorhina portentosa (Blattodea: Blaberidae) as a non-vertebrate in vivo model for evaluation of the antinociceptive properties of gabapentin. After the intersegmental abdominal membrane administration of different doses of gabapentin (50, 150 and 250 mg/kg), two acute thermal pain tests were performed: the hot plate test and the hot box escape test. In the hot plate test, 50 mg/kg gabapentin was the most potent dose in terms of reducing thermal stimulus-associated movement of the cockroaches; in the hot box escape test, 150 mg/kg gabapentin was the most efficacious dose. Thus, when comparing the two different tests, gabapentin exerted effective antinociception effects in cockroaches at different doses. This is similar to the effects observed in mice and rats exposed to thermal stimuli. Our results therefore demonstrate that G. portentosa could be a suitable non-vertebrate in vivo model for the study of pain, and suggest that it could be effectively used for the evaluation and screening of other analgesic compounds.

Gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) represent a major and persistent threat to the health and productivity of small ruminants. Increasing anthelmintic resistance has made traditional drugs less effective, requiring sustainable alternatives. Among the most promising solutions are natural anthelmintics: bioactive compounds and organisms derived from plants, essential oils, condensed tannins, saponins, probiotics, and nematophagous fungi. These natural agents are not just supplementary but vital for integrated parasite control. This review examines the host–parasite relationship, focusing on resistance, tolerance, and resilience, and discusses the impact of GINs on productivity. It evaluates natural anthelmintics, including their mechanisms, efficacy, benefits, and safety. To ensure the successful integration of natural anthelmintics into mainstream parasite control programs, future research must prioritize real-world validation, longitudinal safety assessments, and comprehensive cost–benefit analyses.

The increasing social, ethical and regulatory pressure on the use of vertebrates in bioscience research has promoted the development of alternative models. The use of invertebrate models is very common in basic research, where insects are used in many studies. Cockroaches such as Gromphadorhina portentosa have emerged as a promising model organism due to their ease of maintenance, breeding in laboratory conditions, longevity, physiological resilience, size, and ability to be manipulated for sample collection. Similarly, prior to 2010, the Periplaneta americana was widely used as a bioscience model and shares many of the attributes of the Gromphadorhina portentosa. The objective of our study was to carry out a review in which we described the biological characteristics and analyzed the application of cockroaches, and specifically Gromphadorhina portentosa, as an alternative model in bioscience research. To do so, we established the period from 2010 to 2025 to carry out the bibliographic search in international scientific databases, PubMed and Scopus, using only peer-reviewed scientific publications on cockroach applications in bioscience research. This review outlines the principal biological characteristics of cockroaches and evaluates their suitability as experimental models. Additionally, potential humane euthanasia methods are discussed. The most common applications of cockroaches in laboratory experimentation are described, and a critical analysis of their advantages and limitations as model organisms is presented. The analysis reveals significant potential for the use of cockroaches in preliminary and educational studies, as well as an opportunity to expand the diversity of species in scientific research, applying the principle of replacement of the use of animals in experimentation. The document highlights the need for protocol standardization and regulatory recognition for this species, offering an updated perspective on the state of the art regarding its rational incorporation into bioscience research.