Research Publications (Food Safety)

Scallops are delicious and healthy, but their filter feeding habits make them vulnerable to ingesting and accumulating toxic chemicals from the environment, resulting in food safety issues. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of steaming process on the concentration, distribution and bioaccessibility of cadmium (Cd) in Chlamys farreri tissues.

Aflatoxins contaminate a variety of food and feeds and have a serious health concern to humans and animals. The present work investigated the effect of Zingiber officinale (ginger) for the reduction of aflatoxin B1, G1, B2, and G2. Ginger juice reduced 70.2 ± 0.1%, 99.76 ± 0.0%, 56.8 ± 0.5%, and 98.6 ± 0.0% of aflatoxin B1, G1, B2, and G2, respectively.

Aflatoxins, the mycotoxins produced as secondary metabolites by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, are the most common known food contaminants implicated with liver cancer and lethal aflatoxicosis outbreaks. This study aimed to evaluate the levels of total aflatoxins in stored maize, maize flour, and stiff porridge consumed in schools in Dodoma Region.

In order to reveal the influences of supplemented dietary selenium (Se) on the suppressive effect of cadmium (Cd) toxicity on performance and egg properties of laying hens, the effects of co-treatment Se and Cd on the performance, egg quality, levels of amino acids and the antioxidant capacity of egg and serum were investigated.

Salmonella is a zoonotic foodborne bacterial pathogen that can seriously harm health. Persistence of Salmonella and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in different types of soil under flooding and natural conditions are rare explored. This study investigated the dynamic changes of the Salmonella, ARGs and bacterial communities in three types of soils applied with pig manure in lab scale.

Molecular Microbiology, Accepted Article. The marine pathogen Vibrio vulnificus senses and responds to environmental stimuli via two chemosensory systems and 42-53 chemoreceptors. Here we present an analysis of the V. vulnificus Aer2 chemoreceptor, VvAer2, which is the first V.

Ras GTPases belong to one of the small G proteins, which regulate morphology and growth of filamentous fungi. However, whether Ras GTPases are involved in the biological process of Penicillium expansum remains unclear. In this study, RasA and RasB gene knockout mutants of P.

Species identification and growth rates for a collection of Cronobacter strains from clinical and non-clinical sources have been previously reported. However, advancements in DNA sequencing-based identification methods now allow for more accurate identification.

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a pathogen that commonly causes foodborne illness and represents a health hazard to consumers. The combined use of synergistic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is a promising way to improve the microbiological safety of foods. In this study, we detected the synergistic interactions between thanatin and BF-15a3 to reduce their usage and obtain more efficient antibacterial activity.

Clostridial diseases are one of the foremost causes of mortality in quails which occur by Clostridium colinum, Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens), and Clostridium sordellii. C. perfringens genotypes responsible for quail enteritis are not well understood. In this study, the prevalence of C.

Egg white powder (EWP), the main ingredient in many food products, is widely used in the food industry due to its whipping, textural properties and practical advantages. Significant food safety risks might occur when contamination/cross-contamination takes place after a lethal processing step. It is critical to use appropriate D- and Z-values to evaluate the food safety risks.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the functional properties and volatile compounds formation of Staphylococcus simulans HZ01 and HZ02 isolated from Chinese dry fermented sausages. The phylogenetic tree analysis showed that these strains formed an independent evolutionary branch. HZ01 and HZ02 could grow at pH 5.0, 15 °C, 150 mg/L NaNO2, and 120 g/L NaCl. The two strains possess high protease and moderate lipase activity.

Introduction

Peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch,) and nectarine fruits (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch, var nectarine), are characterized by a rapid deterioration at room temperature. Therefore, cold storage is widely used to delay fruit post-harvest ripening and extend fruit commercial life. Physiological disorders, collectively known as chilling injury, can develop typically after 3 weeks of low-temperature storage and affect fruit quality.

Methods

A wide range of protozoan pathogens either transmitted by vectors (Plasmodium, Babesia, Leishmania and Trypanosoma), by contaminated food or water (Entamoeba and Giardia), or by sexual contact (Trichomonas) invade various organs in the body and cause prominent human diseases, such as malaria, babesiosis, leishmaniasis, trypanosomiasis, diarrhea, and trichomoniasis.

Symbiotic associations, widespread in terrestrial and marine ecosystems, are of considerable ecological importance. Many tropical coral species are holobionts, formed by the obligate association between a cnidarian host and endosymbiotic dinoflagellates of the family Symbiodiniaceae. The latter are abundant on coral reefs from very shallow water down to the upper mesophotic zone (30–70 m).

Salmonella enterica is a diverse species of bacterial pathogens comprised of >2,500 serovars with variable host ranges and virulence properties. Accumulating evidence indicates that two AB5-type toxins, typhoid toxin and ArtAB toxin, contribute to the more severe virulence properties of the Salmonella strains that encode them.

DEAD/H-box helicases are an essential protein family with a conserved motif containing unique amino acid sequences (Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp/His). Current evidence indicates that DEAD/H-box helicases regulate RNA metabolism and innate immune responses. In recent years, DEAD/H-box helicases have been reported to participate in the development of a variety of diseases, including hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, which is a significant risk factor for hepatic fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer.

Introduction

This study aimed to identify the characteristics of Campylobacter isolated from wild birds (Black-headed gulls Chroicocephalus ridibundus and Great tits Parus major) and collect surface water samples (from rivers, ponds, ornamental lakes, freshwater beaches). Research material included 33 Campylobacter isolates. All the strains were isolated by different monitoring and surveillance plans.

Methods

Aflatoxin B1 is a potent carcinogen produced by Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus) and Aspergillus. parasiticus (A. parasiticus), mainly during grain storage. The efficacy of the freeze-dried culture filtrate of Streptomyces philanthi (S. philanthi) strain RL-1-178 (DCF) on degradation of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) were evaluated and its bioactive compounds were identified. The DCF at a concentration of 9.0% (w/v) completely inhibited growth and AFB1 production of A.

Mycotoxins are natural metabolites produced by fungi that contaminate food and feed worldwide. They can pose a threat to human and animal health, mainly causing chronic effects, e.g., immunotoxic and carcinogenic. Due to climate change, an increase in European population exposure to mycotoxins is expected to occur, raising public health concerns. This urges us to assess the current human exposure to mycotoxins in Europe to allow monitoring exposure and prevent future health impacts.

Alteration of sphingolipid synthesis is a key event in fumonisins toxicity, but only limited data have been reported regarding the effects of fumonisins on the sphingolipidome. Recent studies in chickens found that the changes in sphingolipids in liver, kidney, lung, and brain differed greatly. This study aimed to determine the effects of fumonisins on sphingolipids in heart, gizzard, and breast muscle in chickens fed 20.8 mg FB1 + FB2/kg for 9 days.

Because of their trace existence, exquisite structure and unique role, highly toxic marine biotoxins have always led to the development of natural product identification, structure and function research, chemistry and biosynthesis, and there are still many deficiencies in the injury and protection of highly toxic organisms, toxin biosynthesis, rapid detection, poisoning and diagnosis and treatment.

Zoonoses and Public Health, EarlyView.

Background Food-borne infections mainly due to Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) are major concerns worldwide. S. Enteritidis isolates may serve as reservoirs for spreading antimicrobial drug resistance genes including carbapenemases. This study aimed to screen the occurrence of virulence factors, carbapenemases, and antibiotic resistance genes in S.

With mounting evidence indicating an enhanced thermal resistance of Salmonella at lower aw, the effectiveness of thermal treatment in wheat flour decontamination is challenged.