Research Publications (Food Safety)

Author(s): Homa Arak, Mohammad Amir Karimi Torshizi, Mehdi Hedayati, Shaban Rahimi

This work aimed at assessing the presence of total aflatoxins (AFs) and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in fish farmed in two Cameroonian localities and the possible origin of that contamination through analysis of fish feeds as well as water and mud collected from the fish farming ponds. Four fish species (kanga, tilapia, catfish, and carp) were collected from two fish farming sites (Mfou and Batié).

Almonds rejected as inedible are often used for production of almond oil. However, low-quality almonds are frequently contaminated with aflatoxins, and little is known regarding transfer of aflatoxins to almond oil during processing. In this study, oil was produced from reject almonds by hexane extraction.

The objective of this study was to investigate the occurrence of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in Chinese liquid milk products. A total of 190 liquid milk samples, including 168 ultra-high temperature treated (UHT) milk samples and 22 pasteurized milk (PM) samples were collected in August 2019. A screening assay with the Charm Rapid Test Kit and a confirmation method with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used for AFM1 analysis.

Author(s): Hamid Khaneghahi Abyaneh, Alireza Bahonar, Negin Noori, Hassan Yazdanpanah, Mohammad Hossein Shojaee Aliabadi

Aflatoxin contamination in agricultural products has posed serious health hazards and brought huge economic loss in the food and feed industries. Monitoring aflatoxins in various foods and feeds has become a crucial means to protect public health. This study aimed to report an immuno-loop-mediated isothermal amplification (iLAMP) assay by using an anti-idiotypic nanobody-phage for on-site and rapid detection of aflatoxin in real samples.

Author(s): Nasrin Rashidi, Ali Khatibjoo, Kamran Taherpour, Mohammad Akbari-Gharaei, Hassan Shirzadi

The efficacy of eleven essential oils (EOs) against Aspergillus flavus NRRL 3357 was investigated. The highest antifungal activity against this aflatoxigenic fungus was exhibited by cinnamon, oregano and lemongrass, which showed low minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values under vapor conditions. Interactions of the three EOs were evaluated by the fractional inhibition concentration index (FICI), and the composite essential oils (CEO) showed synergistic inhibitory activities.

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by filamentous fungi that colonise various crops around the world and cause major damage to the agro-industrial sector on a global scale. Considering the estimative of population growth in the next decades, it is of fundamental importance the implementation of practices that help prevent the economics and social impacts of aflatoxin contamination.

In this paper, a study of fungal and multi-mycotoxin contamination in 140 Camellia sinensis and 26 herbal teas marketed in Latvia is discussed. The analysis was performed using two-dimensional liquid chromatography with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (2D-LC-TOF-MS) and MALDI-TOF-MS.

Author(s): Komal Azam, Saeed Akhtar, Yun Yun Gong, Michael N. Routledge, Amir Ismail, Carlos A.F. Oliveira, Shahzad Zafar Iqbal, Hassan Ali

ABSTRACT

Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites produced by specific strains of fungi, especially Aspergillus spp. These natural toxins are mainly found in soil, decaying vegetation and food storage systems and are particularly abundant during drought stress. Aflatoxin contamination is one of the most important threats to food safety and human health due to its toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic properties.

Author(s): Mahror Norlia, Selamat Jinap, Mahmud Ab Rashid Nor-Khaizura, Son Radu, Joshua Mark John, Mohd Azuar Hamizan Rahman, Mshelia Ladi Peter, Zawiyah Sharif

As a class of mycotoxins with regulatory and public health significance, aflatoxins (e.g., aflatoxin B1, B2, G1 and G2) have attracted unparalleled attention from government, academia and industry due to their chronic and acute toxicity. Aflatoxins are secondary metabolites of various Aspergillus species, which are ubiquitous in the environment and can grow on a variety of crops whereby accumulation is impacted by climate influences.

In the current study; the presence and the level of total aflatoxin concentrations in corn and corn based products (namely, corn fiber, corn gluten and corn starch) obtained from a corn wet‐milling industry in Turkey, were analyzed by ELISA method. The samples were collected during the years 2018 and 2019. Among the samples the total aflatoxin concentrations were the least in the corn starch and the highest in the corn gluten.

Mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades are highly conserved in eukaryotic cells and known to play crucial roles in the regulation of various cellular processes. However, compared with kinase‐mediated phosphorylation, dephosphorylation catalyzed by phosphatases has not been well characterized in filamentous fungi.

Push‐pull involves intercropping of cereals with Desmodium as a ‘push’ crop and planting Napier grass/Brachiaria as the ‘pull’ crop at the border. The technology has been reported to effectively control stemborers, striga weed and fall armyworm (FAW), and to improve soil nutrition resulting in increased grain yield.

Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, and Alternaria species which produce toxic metabolites, create a big problem in terms of the production of reliable human food and animal feeds. This study was conducted to determine the mycotoxin contents of foodstuff collected uniformly in each year of 2017, 2018, and 2019 in Şebinkarahisar, Turkey by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.

In this study, the effectiveness of ACP in inactivating Aspergillus flavus inoculated to military rations snack using response surface methodology (RSM) was investigated. Additionally, the effect of this treatment on the total count and yeast–mold count, as well as some quality properties of military rations snack, was examined.

Author(s): Regina Ngozi Ugbaja, Oluwasegun Micheal Okedairo, Adejare Rasaq Oloyede, Emmanuel Ifeanyichukwu Ugwor, Dorcas Ibukun Akinloye, Olusola Peter Ojo, Oladipo Ademuyiwa

Author(s): Hamid Khaneghahi Abyaneh, Alireza Bahonar, Negin Noori, Hassan Yazdanpanah, Mohammad Hossein Shojaee Aliabadi

Aflatoxins, produced mainly by filamentous fungi Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, are one of the most carcinogenic compounds that have adverse health effects on both humans and animals consuming contaminated food and feed, respectively. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and aflatoxin B2 (AFB2) as well as aflatoxin G1(AFG1) and aflatoxin G2 (AFG2) occur in the contaminated foods and feed.

Groundnut pre- and post-harvest contamination is commonly caused by fungi from the Genus Aspergillus. Aspergillus flavus is the most important of these fungi. It belongs to section Flavi; a group consisting of af...

Author(s): Tuncay Söylemez, Mustafa Yamaç, Zeki Yıldız