Edible insects such as the black soldier fly Hermetia illucens L. represent a potential and sustainable source of nutrients for food and feed due to their valuable nutritional composition, which can be modulated through dietary enrichment. The high content of saturated fatty acid (FA) of Hermetia illucens larvae fats can be modulated through dietary enrichment as a result of adding vegetable oils in the rearing substrate. Therefore, the present research aims to highlight the effects of a 10% addition of vegetable oils from five dietary fat sources (linseed oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, rapeseed oil, and hempseed oil) on the growth, development, reproductive performance, and the fat and fatty acids profile of H. illucens. Oil inclusion in the larval diet improved (p < 0.05) the weight of larvae, prepupae, pupae, and imago without influencing (p > 0.05) the egg clutch weight and the number of eggs in the clutch. In addition, the larvae fatty acid profile was different (p < 0.001) according to the oil type, because the unsaturated FAs (UFA) increased from 11.23 to 48.74% of FAME, as well as according to the larvae age, because the saturated FAs decreased from 85.86 to 49.56% of FAME. Linseed oil inclusion led to the improvement of the FA profile at 10 days age of larvae, followed by hempseed and rapeseed oil. These three dietary treatments recorded the highest concentrations in UFA (29.94–48.74% of FAME), especially in polyunsaturated FA (18.91–37.22% of FAME) from the omega-3 series (3.19–15.55% of FAME) and the appropriate n–6/n–3 ratio. As a result, the degree of the lipid polyunsaturation index increased (17.76–41.44) and the value of the atherogenic (3.22–1.22) and thrombogenic (1.43–0.48) indices decreased. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that enriching the larval diet with these oils rich in UFA can modulate the larvae FA profile, making them suitable sources of quality fats for feed and indirectly for food.

This study quantified differences in methanolic extracts composition among four grain amaranth cultivars (e.g. ‘Hopy Red Dye’, ‘Amont’, ‘Plenitude’, and ‘Golden Giant’) farmed under three planting conditions: no irrigation/no fertilization (NN), no irrigation/fertilization (NF), irrigation/no fertilization (IN). The study main outcomes were total flavonoids, polyphenols, antioxidant activity, and protein content. Antioxidant activity was assessed using two Single Electron Transfer (SET) based assays: the 2,2'-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical cation decolorization assay (ABTS) and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC). The total protein content was assessed by Gornall spectrophotometric method, the total flavonoid content (TFC) was determined using a colorimetric technique, while total polyphenols content (TPC) was assessed using the Folin-Ciocalteu method. Mean differences in outcomes were calculated using ANOVA and Dunnet’s test for multiple comparisons. The findings revealed that TPC ranged from 5 to 18 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/100 g dry weight (DW), being highest in ‘Plenitude’ under NF conditions. The highest TFC (7.5 mg quercetin equivalent (QE)/100 g DW) and the highest protein content (37.25%) were revealed for the ‘Hopi Red Dye’ cultivar under the NF planting conditions. Amaranth seeds represent a potential rich source of polyphenols and protein gluten-free compounds, with the ‘Hopi Red Dye’ representing the richest cultivar in such compounds. Fertilized and non-irrigated soil provided the optimal planting conditions across all amaranth cultivars. ********* In press - Online First. Article has been peer reviewed, accepted for publication and published online without pagination. It will receive pagination when the issue will be ready for publishing as a complete number (Volume 47, Issue 4, 2019). The article is searchable and citable by Digital Object Identifier (DOI). DOI link will become active after the article will be included in the complete issue. *********

The significant momentum received by Hermetia illucens as a worldwide species is due to its biological traits and large applicability in scientific research, environmental entomoremediation, insect meal production, and for biodiesel yield. The aim of this research is to develop a method for the preparation and precise egg counting of the H. illucens egg clutch, as well as an accurate technique for evaluating egg biometric parameters. The precise proposed method for egg preparation and counting consists in dispersing the eggs clutch under a stereo microscope and counting the eggs on a photographic capture using the Clickmaster software. Five solution types were used to disperse the egg clutches: glycerin 50%, ethanol 70%, ethanol 80%, physiological serum 0.9% and purified water. The efficiency of the estimation method for eggs number evaluation was also tested by using the estimated egg weight as a conversion factor. The biometric parameters of single eggs (length and width) were determined using the free Toupview software. The precise method of egg preparation and counting allows for the registration of the eggs number manually identified by the operator. The appropriate dispersion solutions were glycerin 50% and ethanol 70%. The method has an error of 1.4 eggs for each 500 counted eggs, thus an accuracy of over 99.4%. The eggs number estimation method is not applicable without significant errors, the accuracy being less than 32%, due to egg heterogeneity in the clutch. Biometric parameters (length and width) are positively correlated with egg weight (r = 0.759) and with the number of eggs in the clutch (r = 0.645). In conclusion, the results clearly suggest the method of egg preparation and precise counting for an accurate evaluation of quality parameters of the H. illucens clutches, as well as the technique for evaluating egg biometric parameters.

Extraction and Characterization of Phenolic Compounds from Rose Hip ( Rosa canina L.) Using Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Electrospray Ionization - Mass Spectrometry