Research Publications (Food Safety)

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) leads to a major risk to poultry and its residues in meat products can also pose serious threat to human health. In this study, after feeding 165-day-old Roman laying hens for 35 days, the toxic effects of aflatoxin B1 at different concentrations were evaluated. The purpose of this study was to explore the mechanism of liver toxicosis responses to AFB1.

Author(s): Seyed Mohammad Bagher Hashemi, Mohammad Javad Amiri

Author(s): Liye Zhu, Chuchu Huang, Xuan Yang, Boyang Zhang, Xiaoyun He, Wentao Xu, Kunlun Huang

Author(s): Mosaad A. Abdel-Wahhab, Aziza A. El-Nekeety, Amal S. Hathout, Asmaa S. Salman, Sekena H. Abdel-Aziem, Bassem A. Sabry, Nabila S. Hassan, Mohamed S. Abdel-Aziz, Soher E. Aly, Irwandi Jaswir

Employing theoretical calculations with density functional theory (DFT) using the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) functional and basis set, the interaction of the aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) molecule and the functional groups present in the Pyracantha koidzumii biosorbent was investigated. Dissociation free energy and acidity equilibrium constant values were obtained theoretically both in solution (water) and gas phases.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the major crops susceptible to Aspergillus flavus infection and subsequent contamination with aflatoxins, the most potent naturally produced carcinogenic secondary metabolites. This pathogen can pose serious health concerns and cause severe economic losses due to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations on permissible levels of aflatoxins in food and feed.

Fungal secondary metabolites play important roles not only in fungal ecology but also in humans living as beneficial medicine or harmful toxins. In filamentous fungi, bZIP-type transcription factors (TFs) are associated with the proteins involved in oxidative stress response and secondary metabolism.

Author(s): Huirong He, Da-Wen Sun, Hongbin Pu, Lunjie Huang

Author(s): Shi-Jun Chen, Lian Gan, Ying-Chi Guo, Yong-Jian Liu, Li-Xia Tian

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a secondary metabolite produced by some Aspergillus spp. fungi affecting many crops and feed materials. Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), the 4-hydroxylated metabolite of AFB1, is the main AFB1-related compound present in milk, and it is categorized by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as a “group 1 human carcinogen”.

Author(s): Yongpeng Guo, Xiaojuan Qin, Yu Tang, Qiugang Ma, Jianyun Zhang, Lihong Zhao

The diffusion of the legalization of cannabis for recreational, medicinal and nutraceutical uses requires the development of adequate analytical methods to assure the safety and security of such products. In particular, aflatoxins are considered to pose a major risk for the health of cannabis consumers.

Author(s): Amin O. Elzupir, Babiker Y. Abdulkhair

Author(s): M.L. González Pereyra, A.L. Di Giacomo, A.L. Lara, M.P. Martínez, L. Cavaglieri

Aspergillus spp. are widely occurring fungi in nature; they produce toxic compounds such as aflatoxins (AFs) and mainly target plant products such as corn and nuts. The development of prevention strategies is challenging because AFs are highly toxic and have been regulated to small concentrations.

A reliable, sensitive and accurate multiple mycotoxin method was developed for the simultaneous determination of 17 mycotoxins in swine, poultry and dairy feeds using stable isotope dilution (13C-ISTD) and (ultra)-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS).

Low moisture content ready-to-eat foods vended in Nigerian markets could be pre-packaged or packaged at point of sale. These foods are widely and frequently consumed across Nigeria as quick foods. Despite their importance in the daily diets of Nigerians, a comprehensive study on the diversity of fungi, fungal metabolite production potential, and mycotoxin contamination in the foods has not yet been reported.

The emergence of commercial fish farming has stimulated the establishment of fish feed factories in Uganda. However, no information is available on the safety of the feed, mainly due to lack of mycotoxin testing facilities and weak regulatory systems.

Author(s): T.O. Ajiboye , H.O. Raji , H.F. Muritala , O.B. Ojewuyi , M.T. Yakubu The capability of anthocyanins extract of Lannea microcarpa fruits to scavenge reactive oxygen species and stall aflatoxin B1-mediated oxidative rout on cellular proteins, lipids and DNA was investigated.

Author(s): Ming Du, Yang Liu, Genyi Zhang Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and fumonisin B1 (FB1) are mycotoxins commonly coexisted in cereal-based ingredients or foods, and their co-apoptotic activity in HepG2 cells was studied to further the understanding of their combinative toxicity. The values of IC50, based on sulforhodamine B (SRB) colorimetric assay, were 9.5μM and 481.7μM for AFB1 and FB1, respectively, showing AFB1 is more toxic to HepG2 cells than FB1.

Author(s): Grace A. Odongo, Nina Schlotz, Susanne Baldermann, Susanne Neugart, Benard Ngwene, Monika Schreiner, Evelyn Lamy

Author(s): Yanan Gao, Qiaoyan Ye, Xiaoyu Bao, Xin Huang, Jiaqi Wang, Nan Zheng

This study aimed at evaluating the physicochemical and microbiological quality, besides the occurrence of aflatoxins M1 and B1, in samples (229) of the whole, semi‐skimmed and skimmed milk processed by the ultra‐high‐temperature system, in the three Brazilian southern states (Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Paraná).

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) induce the synthesis of a myriad of secondary metabolites, including aflatoxins. It raises significant concern as it is a potent environmental contaminant. In Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus), antioxidant enzymes link ROS stress response with coordinated gene regulation of aflatoxin biosynthesis. In this study, we characterized the function of a core component of the antioxidant enzyme catalase (CTA1) of A. flavus.

Author(s): C. Martins, A. Vidal, M. De Boevre, S. De Saeger, C. Nunes, D. Torres, A. Goios, C. Lopes, P. Alvito, R. Assunção Martins