Research Publications (Food Safety)

Hepatitis E is an emerging threat in industrialized countries. The foodborne transmission linked to consumption of pork and game meat is considered the main source of autochthonous infection. In Europe, small outbreaks have been reported linked to the consumption of pork liver sausages and wild boar meat.

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activation is associated with carcinogenicity of non-genotoxic AhR-activating carcinogens such as 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD), and is often observed with drug candidate molecules in development and raises safety concerns. As downstream effectors of AhR signaling, the expression and activity of Cyp1a1 and Cyp1a2 genes are commonly monitored as evidence of AhR activation to inform carcinogenic risk of compounds in question.

Clostridium perfringens toxinotype D, toxinotype E, and gastroenteritis-linked BEC/CPILE-positive strains have never been reported in healthy children. We isolated, whole-genome sequenced and bioinformatically characterised three C. perfringens isolates—type D (IQ1), type E (IQ2) and BEC/CPILE-positive (IQ3), recovered from the stools of three healthy two-year-olds, which were further compared to 128 C. perfringens genomes available from NCBI.

Patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) can exhibit various lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) owing to bladder outlet obstruction (BOO), prostatic inflammation, and bladder response to BOO. The pathogenesis of BPH involves an imbalance of internal hormones and chronic prostatic inflammation, possibly triggered by prostatic infection, autoimmune responses, neurogenic inflammation, oxidative stress, and autonomic dysfunction.

Available online 13 September 2019

Author(s): Takanori Tanino, Masayoshi Matsui, Kensuke Uehara, Takayuki Ohshima

Available online 13 September 2019

Author(s): Cui Han, Shuanglin Dong, Li Li, Fayi Wei, Yangen Zhou, Qinfeng Gao

Available online 17 September 2019

Author(s): Bernardo Martinez-Ribaya, Francisco J. Areal

Available online 18 September 2019

Author(s): Yue-wen Chen, Wen-qiang Cai, Yu-gang Shi, Xiu-ping Dong, Fan Bai, Shi-ke Shen, Rui Jiao, Xiang-yu Zhang, Xuan Zhu

Available online 19 September 2019

Author(s): Kannika Thongkhao, Chayapol Tungphatthong, Thatree Phadungcharoen, Suchada Sukrong

Publication date: March 2020

, Volume 109

Author(s): Oscar Martínez-Alvarez, María Elvira López-Caballero, Pilar Montero, María del Carmen Gómez-Guillén

Type VI secretion systems (T6SSs) are highly conserved and complex protein secretion systems that deliver effector proteins into eukaryotic hosts or other bacteria. T6SSs are regulated precisely by a variety of regulatory systems, which enables bacteria to adapt to varied environments.

To successfully colonize host tissues, bacteria must respond to and detoxify many different host-derived antimicrobial compounds, such as nitric oxide (NO). NO has direct antimicrobial activity through attack on iron-sulfur (Fe-S) cluster-containing proteins. NO detoxification plays an important role in promoting bacterial survival, but it remains unclear if repair of Fe-S clusters is also important for bacterial survival within host tissues.

Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is a leading cause of moderate to severe diarrhea among young children in developing countries, and EPEC isolates can be subdivided into two groups. Typical EPEC (tEPEC) bacteria are characterized by the presence of both the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) and the plasmid-encoded bundle-forming pilus (BFP), which are involved in adherence and translocation of type III effectors into the host cells.

In this study, a novel recombinant attenuated Yersinia pseudotuberculosis PB1+ strain (10069) engineered with yopK yopJ asd triple mutations was used to deliver a Y. pestis fusion protein, YopE amino acid 1 to 138-LcrV (YopENt138-LcrV), to Swiss Webster mice as a protective antigen against infections by yersiniae.

Infection with Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever, can result in life-threatening persistent infection. Reactogenicity hinders worldwide implementation of the only licensed human Q fever vaccine. We previously demonstrated long-lived immunoreactivity in individuals with past symptomatic and asymptomatic Coxiella infection (convalescents) to promiscuous HLA class II C. burnetii epitopes, providing the basis for a novel T-cell targeted subunit vaccine.

The conventional methodology for gastrointestinal pathogen detection remains time-consuming, expensive, and of limited sensitivity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of the BD Max enteric viral panel (Max EVP) assay for identification of viral pathogens in stool specimens from individuals with symptoms of acute gastroenteritis, enteritis, or colitis.

Author(s): Ningbo Liao, Liming Gong, Lili Chen, Liang Sun, Jiang Chen, Xiuyu Lou, Haiyan Mao, Yanjun Zhang, Ronghua Zhang

Publication date: January 2020

Source: LWT, Volume 117

Author(s): Chieh-Hsiu Lee, Yu-Ting Chen, Hsin-Jung Hsieh, Kai-Ting Chen, Yi-An Chen, Jung-Tsung Wu, Ming-Shiun Tsai, Jer-An Lin, Chang-Wei Hsieh

Toxins, Vol. 11, Pages 544: Towards Managing and Controlling Aflatoxin Producers Within Aspergillus Species in Infested Rice Grains Collected from Local Markets in Kenya

Toxins doi: 10.3390/toxins11090544

Authors:
Youmma Douksouna
Joel Masanga
Andrew Nyerere
Steven Runo
Zachée Ambang

Toxins, Vol. 11, Pages 543: Genomic Analysis of Clostridium perfringens BEC/CPILE-Positive, Toxinotype D and E Strains Isolated from Healthy Children

Toxins doi: 10.3390/toxins11090543

Authors:
Raymond Kiu
Kathleen Sim
Alex Shaw
Emma Cornwell
Derek Pickard
J. Simon Kroll
Lindsay J. Hall

Toxins, Vol. 11, Pages 548: Fumonisins at Doses below EU Regulatory Limits Induce Histological Alterations in Piglets

Toxins doi: 10.3390/toxins11090548

Authors:
Terciolo
Bracarense
Souto
Cossalter
Dopavogui
Loiseau
Oliveira
Pinton
Oswald

Food contact materials (FCMs) may release their chemical components into food and thus raise safety concerns. This paper attempted to study the presence of four major groups of FCM-related endocrine disruptors in fatty food: dialkyl phthalates, bisphenols, printing ink photoinitiators, and polyfluoroalkyl substances. All 41 target compounds were analyzed simultaneously by means of liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry.

Scope

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a multifaceted and recurrent immune disorder that requires long‐term potent pharmacological treatment. Honey, as a natural food of nourishment and pharmaceutical value, has been found to defend against colitis.

by Douglas Barker, Karen T. Gillum, Nancy A. Niemuth, Shantha Kodihalli

Co‐encapsulation of lupulon and xanthohumol, as major bioactive components of hop in lecithin‐based nanoliposomes was developed by sonication method. The procedure of production was optimized by considering the duration and the power of ultrasound device as well as the concentration of lecithin as variables for the Response Surface Methodology.