Search Results (26)

New Zealand green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus) is a premium seafood product that may be substituted with morphologically similar mussels after shucking and cooking, particularly Asian green mussel (Perna viridis). This study developed a rapid, on-site duplex recombinase-aided amplification–lateral flow dipstick (dRAA–LFD) assay to authenticate P. canaliculus and differentiate it from P. viridis. Species-specific primers were designed from mitochondrial COI alignment and combined in a dRAA reaction. Reaction conditions were optimized at 37–42 °C and 15–60 min. Specificity was assessed against 11 non-target seafood species, and sensitivity was evaluated using 2-fold serial dilutions. The assay was further validated using DNA from boiled (85 °C, 5–15 min), steamed (105 °C, 10–30 min), and fried (185 °C, 30–90 s) mussels, and 15 restaurant products labeled as New Zealand mussel dishes. Optimal performance was achieved at 40 °C for 30 min, with no cross-reactivity. The LFD detection limits were 0.05 ng/reaction for P. viridis and 0.2–0.1 ng/reaction for P. canaliculus. All cooked samples remained identifiable, and commercial testing classified 13/15 products as P. canaliculus and 2/15 as P. viridis. Overall, the dRAA–LFD assay enables rapid, equipment-light authentication of cooked mussel products for routine screening. Full article

The transplanting of juvenile and adult mussels onto soft sediments is an emerging technique for the ecological restoration of the biogenic habitat formed by mussels. While these habitats are often found within estuarine systems, the spatial suitability of these environments for restoration is poorly described. The dynamic and variable environmental conditions characteristic of estuaries could represent challenges to the persistence of restored mussel beds. To assess whether there are spatial differences in mussel responses to transplantation within an estuarine environment, six experimental mussel beds of adult green-lipped mussels (Perna canaliculus) were established along an environmental gradient in a small estuarine harbour in northern New Zealand. Transplanted mussel beds were sampled immediately after installation and again at 3 and 9 months later. Minor differences in the density, length and condition index of mussels were identified among the six sites over the course of the study; however, their responses were typically similar across sites. These results suggest that these mussels have the capacity to establish themselves within estuarine environments and that their subsequent performance once transplanted onto the seafloor appears to be determined by other site-specific factors, such as the presence of predators and the degree of exposure to storm waves. Full article

Machine vision/image analysis is used in the sorting and handling of many aquatic species. Pictures of 474 New Zealand Greenshell™ (Perna canaliculus, Gmelin, 1791) whole unopened mussels (215 females and 259 males) from the top and from the side were analyzed to evaluate if visual attributes (size, shape, and color) can be used to differentiate gender. Size (length, width, height, and view area), color, and shape (by elliptic Fourier analysis and by ray length-ray angle analysis) were analyzed and differences by gender tested. Application of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Canonical Discriminant Analysis (CDA), and Random Forest (RF) to the shape parameters failed to reliably predict gender. Comprehensive morphometric and color characterization of males and females, as well as shape parameters, are presented as a reference for future image-based research. The parasitic crustacean pea crab can change the shape of mussel shells, and elliptic Fourier analysis can quantify this difference. Full article

The morphological characteristics and surface roughness of substrata can significantly affect the settlement behaviour of planktonic larvae and the post-settlement survival of benthic organisms, such as mussels. Despite widespread recognition of these effects on ecological and aquaculture processes, species-specific complexities and limited research hinder a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon and the potential to harness its application. In this study, the settlement of juvenile green-lipped mussels (Perna canaliculus; 0.32–3.59 mm shell length) on 42 different custom-designed artificial substrata with varied branch widths and surface microstructures were compared. Mussels smaller than 0.99 mm in shell length exhibited a clear preference for substrates with a thinner branch width (1.6 mm), wider roughness width (3.2 mm), and shorter roughness height (0.4 mm) on both V-shaped and squared-shaped surface microstructures. In contrast, for mussels larger than 1 mm, only the branch width of artificial substrata significantly influenced mussel attachment, while millimetre-scale surface features had no measurable effect. These findings indicate that, at the millimetre scale, the attachment of mussels > 1 mm does not conform to the surface contact theory, which proposes that settling organisms prefer substrates with microstructures that maximize their surface contact. Overall, a thinner branch width consistently yielded higher attachment densities, underscoring its dominant role. Our results reveal significant opportunities for optimizing the design of artificial substrata in mussel aquaculture, such as spat catching and nursery ropes, potentially improving seed collection efficiency and reducing the subsequent loss of seed mussels during their culture on mussel farms. Full article

The immune system plays a crucial role in defending the body against foreign invaders, and the balance of various polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), can impact immune cell functions and overall immune responses. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of mussel oil extracts in modulating inflammatory responses by analysing their effects on immune cell lines and cytokine expression. Four different mussel oil extracts were obtained using two extraction methods (organic solvent and supercritical CO₂ extraction) from two tissue sources (fresh and commercial). These extracts were then tested at various concentrations on T lymphocyte (Jurkat) cells, monocytes, and macrophages (THP-1 and U-937). Cytokine levels were quantified using ELISA. The results showed that the solvent-extracted samples had a dose-dependent effect on tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) cytokine secretion in THP-1 and U937 cells, with the extract from a commercial mussel powder being more efficient than the extract from fresh powder. However, supercritical CO₂ samples showed elevated cytokine secretion levels despite their high omega-3 content. Furthermore, 100 ug/mL extract from fresh powder successfully reduced interleukin-2 (IL-2) secretion while maintaining cell viability after stimulation. The study demonstrated that solvent-extracted mussel oil can effectively regulate cytokine secretion, modulate immune cell activation, and alleviate inflammation. These findings offer valuable insights into using mussel oil extracts to treat inflammatory disorders and enhance immune responses. Full article

Transport out of the water is one of the most challenging events for juvenile Perna canaliculus and can be a highly inefficient process, with many juveniles subsequently being lost following extended periods of emersion. Hardening techniques offer a possible method for reducing transport-related stress. In this study, different hardening treatments (short, long and intermittent sub-lethal emersion) were used to prepare ~1.2 mm P.canaliculus for transport (20 h) and subsequent reoxygenation stress during re-immersion (i.e., recovery). The oxidative stress responses, resettlement behaviour, respiration rates and survival of the mussels after transport and during recovery were all assessed. Short emersion (1 h) as a hardening treatment prior to transport did not cause major stress to the mussels, which maintained respiration at control levels, showed significantly stimulated antioxidant defences during recovery, showed greater resettlement behaviour and remained viable after 24 h of recovery. In comparison, the long and intermittent emersion treatments negatively impacted oxidative stress responses and affected the viability of the mussels after 24 h of recovery. This study showed that exposing juvenile P.canaliculus to a mild stress prior to transport may stimulate protective mechanisms, therefore eliciting a hardening response, but care must be taken to avoid overstressing the mussels. Improving the management of stress during the transport of juvenile mussels may be key to minimising mussel losses and increasing harvest production, and biomarkers associated with oxidative stress/antioxidant metabolism could be valuable tools to ensure emersion hardening does not overstress the mussels and reduce survival. Full article

Tagetes erecta and Ocimum basilicum are medicinal plants that exhibit anti-inflammatory effects against various diseases. However, their individual and combined effects on osteoarthritis (OA) are unknown. Herein, we aimed to demonstrate the effects of T. erecta, O. basilicum, and their mixture, WGA-M001, on OA pathogenesis. The administration of total extracts of T. erecta and O. basilicum reduced cartilage degradation and inflammation without causing cytotoxicity. Although WGA-M001 contained lower concentrations of the individual extracts, it strongly inhibited the expression of pathogenic factors. In vivo OA studies also supported that WGA-M001 had protective effects against cartilage destruction at lower doses than those of T. erecta and O. basilicum. Moreover, its effects were stronger than those observed using Boswellia and Perna canaliculus. WGA-M001 effectively inhibited the interleukin (IL)-1β-induced nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of the activated B cell (NF-κB) pathway and ERK phosphorylation. Furthermore, RNA-sequence analysis also showed that WGA-M001 decreased the expression of genes related to the IL-1β-induced NF-κB and ERK signaling pathways. Therefore, WGA-M001 is more effective than the single total extracts of T. erecta and O. basilicum in attenuating OA progression by regulating ERK and NF-κB signaling. Our results open new possibilities for WGA-M001 as a potential therapeutic agent for OA treatment. Full article

The development of new tools for assessing the health of cultured shellfish larvae is crucial for aquaculture industries to develop and refine hatchery methodologies. We established a large-volume ecotoxicology/health stressor trial, exposing mussel (Perna canaliculus) embryos to copper in the presence of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). GC/MS-based metabolomics was applied to identify potential biomarkers for monitoring embryonic/larval health and to characterise mechanisms of metal toxicity. Cellular viability, developmental abnormalities, larval behaviour, mortality, and a targeted analysis of proteins involved in the regulation of reactive oxygen species were simultaneously evaluated to provide a complementary framework for interpretative purposes and authenticate the metabolomics data. Trace metal analysis and speciation modelling verified EDTA as an effective copper chelator. Toxicity thresholds for P. canaliculus were low, with 10% developmental abnormalities in D-stage larvae being recorded upon exposure to 1.10 μg·L⁻¹ bioavailable copper for 66 h. Sublethal levels of bioavailable copper (0.04 and 1.10 μg·L⁻¹) caused coordinated fluctuations in metabolite profiles, which were dependent on development stage, treatment level, and exposure duration. Larvae appeared to successfully employ various mechanisms involving the biosynthesis of antioxidants and a restructuring of energy-related metabolism to alleviate the toxic effects of copper on cells and developing tissues. These results suggest that regulation of trace metal-induced toxicity is tightly linked with metabolism during the early ontogenic development of marine mussels. Lethal-level bioavailable copper (50.3 μg·L⁻¹) caused severe metabolic dysregulation after 3 h of exposure, which worsened with time, substantially delayed embryonic development, induced critical oxidative damage, initiated the apoptotic pathway, and resulted in cell/organism death shortly after 18 h of exposure. Metabolite profiling is a useful approach to (1) assess the health status of marine invertebrate embryos and larvae, (2) detect early warning biomarkers for trace metal contamination, and (3) identify novel regulatory mechanisms of copper-induced toxicity. Full article

Temperature is considered to be a major abiotic factor influencing aquatic life. Marine heatwaves are emerging as threats to sustainable shellfish aquaculture, affecting the farming of New Zealand’s green-lipped mussel [Perna canaliculus (Gmelin, 1791)]. In this study, P. canaliculus were gradually exposed to high-temperature stress, mimicking a five-day marine heatwave event, to better understand the effects of heat stress on the metabolome of mussels. Following liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analyses of haemolymph samples, key sugar-based metabolites supported energy production via the glycolysis pathway and TCA cycle by 24 h and 48 h of heat stress. Anaerobic metabolism also fulfilled the role of energy production. Antioxidant molecules acted within thermally stressed mussels to mitigate oxidative stress. Purine metabolism supported tissue protection and energy replenishment. Pyrimidine metabolism supported the protection of nucleic acids and protein synthesis. Amino acids ensured balanced intracellular osmolality at 24 h and ammonia detoxification at 48 h. Altogether, this work provides evidence that P. canaliculus has the potential to adapt to heat stress up to 24 °C by regulating its energy metabolism, balancing nucleotide production, and implementing oxidative stress mechanisms over time. The data reported herein can also be used to evaluate the risks of heatwaves and improve mitigation strategies for aquaculture. Full article

Greenshell mussel (GSM- Perna canaliculus) is the most important aquaculture species in New Zealand and produces one of the most expensive bioactive lipid extracts on the nutraceutical market. There have been numerous studies on the composition of GSM as well as pre-clinical and clinical studies on the efficacy of GSM extracts and foods. With increases in analytical capabilities, lipidomic studies using advanced mass spectral data may provide new insight into the content and activity of the lipidome, the totality of all lipids, of GSM. This study is the first reported characterisation of the GSM lipidome which may disclose important novel information regarding its nutrition, biology, physiology, and epidemiology. This study adds to the traditional lipid analytical outputs with new lipidomic capabilities to interrogate the lipid species differences between tissues rich in oil. We have identified 16 different lipid species in GSM including ceramide aminoethyl phosphonate (CAEP). Many lipid species are differentially expressed between tissues and correlation analysis demonstrates lipid species associated with the digestive gland that may be obtained from food sources, whilst other lipid species are dominant in the mantle or gonad. Linking this new information to the GSM breeding programmes may deliver functional breeding attributes to deliver premium strains for enhanced nutrition and/or extract production. Full article

Here, we report a two-dimensional (2D) amorphous photonic structure (APS) discovered in the central layer of the periostracum of the mussel Perna canaliculus, based on field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometer, attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and fiber optic spectrometry combined with the image processing technology and pair correlation function analysis. This APS contains ~29% in volume of protein fibers embedded in a protein matrix. These fibers, with diameters of 103 ± 17 nm, are densely arranged and unevenly crimped. In addition, they are locally parallel with each other and exhibit short-range order with a nearest-neighbor distance of 189 nm. Interestingly, the APS is humidity-responsive with a vivid green structural color (~530 nm) in the wet state, which disappears in the dry state. Moreover, the APS is sandwiched by two dense layers in the periostracum, which is flexible in wet and can spontaneously or artificially deform into various shapes. We hope this APS may provide new inspirations for the design and synthesis of 2D amorphous photonic materials. Full article

Greenshell^TM mussels (GSMs), Perna canaliculus, are Aotearoa/New Zealand’s most important aquaculture species and is sold as a variety of food products worldwide. GSMs are a traditional and culturally valuable food of the Māori people. Following the development of a series of nutraceutical products (dried powders and extracted oils) by the GSM aquaculture industry in the 1960s, there has been an increased scientific interest in the clinical health benefits of GSM products. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in GSMs have exhibited significant anti-inflammatory activity, and the clinical evidence has led to GSM powders and oils being extensively promoted as treatments for rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. This review defines the nutritional composition of GSMs and describes the sustainability of GSMs and their traditional uses. The review also details the health benefits of GSMs in clinical applications and identifies potential mechanisms and molecular pathways initiated by the various bioactive components of GSMs. Full article

Providing benthic substrate is the most common method used for oyster reef restoration. The physical relief from the seabed, increased habitat complexity, and attachment surfaces have been shown to improve oyster health, recruitment, and survival. While the addition of shell material is an effective substrate for oyster restoration, its usefulness in mussel restoration has been understudied. This study tested the effectiveness of adding shell substrate to two different types of soft sediment for the restoration of adult green-lipped mussels. Over 10 t of shell was used to create a 10 cm layer on the seabed in replicated experimental plots at the two locations. 10 t of live adult mussels were deployed onto the shell substrate and an additional 10 t of mussels onto adjacent soft sediment control plots. A year after deploying the live mussels, mussel survival across all plots was 80.6 ± 6.5%, with no differences between mussel plots with or without the added shell substrate for either of the two locations. This study emphasizes the importance of context-dependency, revealing promising avenues for future research, and indicates that for adult green-lipped mussels the addition of a shell substrate appears to provide little advantage for adult mussel restoration at high deployment densities. Full article

It is a concern that microplastics have been discovered in the food sources and water that we consume. This research was to evaluate the methods to isolate microplastics from organisms and how much of the environment of New Zealand (NZ), which is one of the least polluted countries, is contaminated by microplastics. New Zealand green-lipped mussels (Perna canaliculus) are considered to be an important product in the NZ food industry. For this reason, the existence of microplastics in these were investigated. Tarakihi fish (Nemadactylusmacropterus) consume food near the bottom of ocean, so this fish can be an indicator of the contamination of microplastics denser than water. In addition, bottled water, tap water and sea salt samples were also investigated. To isolate solid particles in an animal body, its tissues were chemically digested. It was found that 10% (w/w) potassium hydroxide (KOH) was a practical digestive protocol on biological tissues since polymers such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS) are relatively resistant to KOH. Thus, treating tissues with KOH can be considered a viable method to remove tissues and isolate microplastics. Nile red was used to stain the plastic particles from the samples for visual inspection. Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) was performed to identify the particles. It was evaluated that all those samples had traces of microplastics. Full article

Soil contamination with cresol is a problem of the 21st century and poses a threat to soil microorganisms, humans, animals, and plants. The lack of precise data on the potential toxicity of o-cresol in soil microbiome and biochemical activity, as well as the search for effective remediation methods, inspired the aim of this study. Soil is subjected to four levels of contamination with o-cresol: 0, 0.1, 1, 10, and 50 mg o-cresol kg⁻¹ dry matter (DM) of soil and the following are determined: the count of eight groups of microorganisms, colony development index (CD) and ecophysiological diversity index (EP) for organotrophic bacteria, actinobacteria and fungi, and the bacterial genetic diversity. Moreover, the responses of seven soil enzymes are investigated. Perna canaliculus is a recognized biosorbent of organic pollutants. Therefore, microbial biostimulation with Perna canaliculus shells is used to eliminate the negative effect of the phenolic compound on the soil microbiome. Fungi appears to be the microorganisms most sensitive to o-cresol, while Pseudomonas sp. is the least sensitive. In o-cresol-contaminated soils, the microbiome is represented mainly by the bacteria of the Proteobacteria and Firmicutes phyla. Acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase and urease can be regarded as sensitive indicators of soil disturbance. Perna canaliculus shells prove to be an effective biostimulator of soil under pressure with o-cresol. Full article