Enrico Gugliandolo

Effective waste management has become an urgent societal challenge. Food waste is made up of items meant for human consumption that are lost, polluted, disposed of, or deteriorated; the reutilization of shells from mollusk waste is a severe problem in terms of environmental protection and the development of the circular economy. The properties of waste shells are presented and discussed, including their biological–natural origin and high calcium carbonate content. This could add social and innovation focus on shell waste management, getting a non-toxic, eco-sustainable, low-cost, biodegradable supplement to invest in. Furthermore, it has the potential to support the circular economy approach by creating a closed system that minimizes the use of natural resources and environmental contamination. This review explores edible mollusk shell waste sources and functional properties of inorganic components of snail shell waste like minerals and active substances like chitin, chitosan, and calcium carbonate and attempts to carry out a comprehensive analysis of the scientific literature published over the last 20 years, elucidating prominent patterns in the utilization of shell waste in food application industry, as additives and supplements development to promote both human and animal health.

The aim of this study was to determine the most appropriate sedation protocol for a standing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination in horses, comparing continuous rate infusions (CRIs) of detomidine and romifidine combined with a single bolus of morphine. Sixteen horses referred for standing low-field open-magnet MRI were randomly assigned to one of two sedation protocols. The horses were premedicated with 0.03 mg/kg of intramuscular acepromazine, and those animals belonging to Group D received an intravenous (IV) loading dose of detomidine (0.01 mg/kg) 30 min later, while those of Group R received romifidine (0.04 mg/kg). If the horses were inadequately sedated, an additional dose of IV detomidine (0.005 mg/kg) or romifidine (0.02 mg/kg) was administered, according to the animal’s group. During the MRI, a single IV bolus of morphine (0.05 mg/kg) was administered, and according to which group it belonged to, the animal started the administration of detomidine (0.01 mg/kg/h) or romifidine (0.02 mg/kg/h). Heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), rectal temperature (RT), depth of sedation, and degree of ataxia were evaluated every 10 min during MRI. Two horses belonging to Group D and four horses from Group R needed additional sedation before entering the MRI unit because they were unsatisfactorily sedated. No side effects were observed following morphine bolus administration. During the MRI procedure, five horses in Group R received an additional IV romifidine bolus (0.01 mg/kg) because the depth of sedation score was 1 and the ataxia score was 0. Any substantial differences were recorded between the two treatments in terms of HR, RR, and RT. In conclusion, at the doses used, a detomidine–morphine combination following a CRI of detomidine appears more suitable than a romifidine–morphine combination following a CRI of romifidine for maintaining an adequate depth of sedation and adequate immobility in horses undergoing standing MRI.