Research Publications (Food Safety)

Bioenzymatic degradation of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a safe, efficient and environmentally friendly detoxification technology.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) contaminates rice during harvest or storage and causes a considerable risk to human and animal health. In this study, Trametes versicolor AFB1–degrading enzyme (TV–AFB1D) gene recombinantly expressed in engineered E. coli BL21 (DE3) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The TV–AFB1D enzymatic characteristics and AFB1 degradation efficiency in contaminated rice were investigated. Results showed that the size of recombinant TV-AFB1D expressing in E. coli BL21 (DE3) and S.

Peanuts and peanut butter play an important role nutritionally in improving the diets of individuals in many parts of Africa, especially in the fight against child malnutrition. However, in developing countries such as Zimbabwe, most of the raw peanuts and peanut butter produced in backyard industries are sold in informal markets and rarely undergo formal safety inspection for aflatoxin contamination.

In this study, a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for simultaneous determination of deoxynivalenol, aflatoxin B1, zearalenone, ochratoxin A, T-2 toxin and fumonisin B1 in feed and feedstuff was established.

Aflatoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by Aspergillus fungi. The most toxic among them is Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) which is known to have genotoxic, immunotoxic, teratogenic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic toxic effects (amongst others). The mechanisms responsible for its toxicity include the induction of oxidative stress, cytotoxicity, and DNAdamage.

The almond industry suffers product losses caused by mold growth and toxin contamination. Gaseous chlorine dioxide (ClO2) has the potential for postharvest reduction of mycotoxic Aspergillus flavus. In this study, almonds inoculated with A. flavus were fumigated with gaseous ClO2 for 1, 2, 3, 8, 12, and 24 h using a dry precursor sachet batch method. The headspace concentration ranged from 0.5-2.4 mg/L, depending on initial dosing and time.

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is second only to aflatoxin in toxicity among mycotoxins. Recent studies have shown that selenomethionine (SeMet) has a protective effect on mycotoxin-induced toxicity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effect and mechanism of SeMet on OTA-induced liver injury in rabbits.

Environmental Microbiology, Accepted Article. Aspergillus flavus is a ubiquitous saprotrophic soil-borne pathogenic fungus that causes crops contamination with the carcinogen aflatoxins. Although Sirtuin E (SirE) is known to be a NAD-dependent histone deacetylase involved in global transcriptional regulation. Its biological functions in A. flavus are not fully understood.

The aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, and G2) were investigated in 60 beer samples of the leading commercial beer brands, with and without adjuncts, produced in Brazil. An analytical method was standardized and validated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection. The extraction was carried out using immunoaffinity columns.

Maize-dependent populations in sub-Saharan Africa are continually exposed to aflatoxin poisoning owing to their regular consumption of this dietetic cereal. Being a staple in Kenyan households, consumption of maize-based meals is done almost daily, thereby exposing consumers to aflatoxicoses. This study assessed awareness levels, knowledge disparities, and perceptions regarding aflatoxin contamination at the post-harvest phase among farmers in the Rift Valley Region of Kenya.

Plant-based milk alternatives (PBMAs) are a potential source of mycotoxin uptake. To ensure food safety, simple and rapid testing methods of PBMAs for mycotoxins are therefore required. This study investigated the applicability of enzyme immunoassay (EIA) methods for direct testing of PBMAs without sample extraction. Mycotoxin analyses included aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), sterigmatocystin (STC), ochratoxin A (OTA), deoxynivalenol (DON), and T-2/HT-2-toxin (T-2/HT-2).

Simultaneous aflatoxin (AFB1) and zearalenone (ZEN) contamination in agro-products have become widespread globally and have a toxic superposition effect. In the present study, we describe a highly sensitive and specific dual lateral flow immunochromatographic assay (dual test strip) for rapid and simultaneous detection of AFB1 and ZEN in food and feed samples based on respective monoclonal antibodies (mAbs).

Aflatoxins are toxic compounds produced by several Aspergillus species that contaminate various crops. The impact of aflatoxin on the health of humans and livestock is a concern across the globe. Income, trade, and development sectors are affected as well. There are several technologies to prevent aflatoxin contamination but there are difficulties in having farmers use them. In Nigeria, an aflatoxin biocontrol product containing atoxigenic isolates of A.

Aflatoxin exposure is endemic in developing countries with warm, humid climates that promote toxigenic mold growth on crops and foodstuffs. Estimating human aflatoxin exposure is key to identifying and abating contamination sources. Serum aflatoxin B1 bound to albumin lysine (AFB1-lys) is a preferred exposure biomarker, but field sample collection, processing, transportation, and storage logistics are challenging.

Aflatoxin B1 (AF) is an unavoidable environmental pollutant that contaminates food, feed, and grains, which seriously threatens human and animal health. Arabic gum (AG) has recently evoked much attention owing to its promising therapeutic potential. Thus, the current study was conducted to look into the possible mechanisms beyond the ameliorative activity of AG against AF-inflicted hepatic injury.

A total of 603 samples of selected spices from different seasons (winter and summer) were analyzed for the occurrence of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), total AFs, and tocopherols. The findings revealed that 120 (38.7%) samples from the summer and 136 (46.4%) samples from the winter season were observed to be infected with AFB1 and a large amount of AFs. The highest means of both AFB1 and total Afs were observed in red pepper, i.e., 15.5 ± 3.90 µg/kg and 22.90 ± 4.10 µg/kg, respectively.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important crop in Argentina. Aspergillus flavus may infect this crop at growing stage and the harvested kernels can be contaminated with aflatoxins (AFs), whose levels may increase during storage. In Argentina, silo bags, a hermetic type of storage system, are widely used. Biocontrol based on competitive exclusion by atoxigenic A. flavus strains is a useful tool for AFs management at pre-harvest stage.

Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, Accepted Article. The occurrence of Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in milk results from ingestion of contaminated feed with Aflatoxin B1 by dairy animals, its conversion into AFM1 and secretion in milk. The objective of this work was to investigate AFM1 fate along goat and sheep cheese production. Cheese production was carried out using spiked milk (levels between 0.08 and 0.10 μg/L).

Mycotoxin contaminations in the feed and food chain are common. Either directly or indirectly, mycotoxins enter the human body through the consumption of food of plant and animal origin. Bacteria with a high mycotoxin elimination capability can reduce mycotoxin contamination in feed and food.

The aim of this study was to measure total aflatoxin (AFT), aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), ochratoxin A (OCA) and fumonisin (FUM) concentrations in dry dog feed and to evaluate the risk to animal health posed by their increased levels. A total of 90 dry food samples, which were commercially available to the owner, were collected from different shops in Turkey. Some of the food samples were collected from open packages, from which the dry food was sold in smaller amounts.

The dangers of population-level mycotoxin exposure have been well documented. Climate-sensitive aflatoxins (AFs) are important food hazards. The continual effects of climate change are projected to impact primary agricultural systems, and consequently food security. This will be due to a reduction in yield with a negative influence on food safety.

Raw feed materials are often contaminated with mycotoxins, and co-occurrence of mycotoxins occurs frequently. A total of 250 samples i.e., rice bran and maize from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand were analysed using state-of-the-art liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for monitoring the occurrence of regulated, emerging, and masked mycotoxins.

Aflatoxin is a threatening mycotoxin primarily present in the agricultural environment, especially in food and feedstuff, and poses significant global health risks. Aflatoxins are produced mainly by Aspergillus flavus. Conidia germination is the first step for A. flavus development. In this study, the transcriptome of A. flavus conidia was analyzed at three different stages of conidia germination, which were characterized by two different microscopes.

The transformation of mango fruits into dried slices is a way of valuing this fruit. The requirements of good manufacturing practices (GMP) and batch monitoring are not systematically respected. The objective of this work was to study the main factors influencing the sanitary quality of dried mangoes produced in Burkina Faso, emphasizing the importance of implementing a quality approach within the drying units. A survey on dried mangoes units has been performed.

Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, Accepted Article. This study investigated the effect of radiofrequency treatment (RF) on the quality of peanut and peanut oil. After treating at the least electrode height and conveyor speed of 180mm and 5m/h respectively, it resulted in a temperature rise of up to 89.96°C showing a maximum effect on the quality of peanuts and peanut oil.