Research Publications (Food Safety)

Carvacrol is a natural antimicrobial with excellent antimicrobial properties against several foodborne pathogens. Encapsulation can increase carvacrol stability and solubility, and mask its pronounced odor. Mucilages have been studied as wall material for nanoparticles due to their high retention capacity of bioactive compounds and ease of chemical modifications to improve their stability.

Understanding the molecular mechanisms of plants in response to Cd stress is crucial for improving plants adaptation to Cd stress. Fulvic acid (FA) is an active humic substance that is often used as a 

This study aimed to identify molecular markers associated with antimicrobial resistance and genotype in isolates of Campylobacter spp. isolated from broiler and swine flocks due to its importance to one-health. C. jejuni (n=27) and C.

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.

Salmonellosis is a bacterial zoonosis causing an array of health conditions. Non-typhoidal salmonellosis (NTS) has a discrete adaptation to certain animals; in poultry, pullorum and fowl typhoid are its primary disease manifestations. The diseases are prevalent in Nigerian poultry and have been well-studied in Nigeria, but less so in North Central Nigeria (NCN).

Conjugation, the process by which conjugative plasmids are transferred between bacteria, is regarded as a major contributor to the spread of antibiotic resistance, in both environmental and clinical settings. Heavy metals are known to co-select for antibiotic resistance, but the impact of the presence of these metals on conjugation itself is not clear.

This research was conducted in Jableh city in the Latakia Governorate during 2019–2020 to study the level of pollution of the soils and plants of some greenhouses in Jableh city with the elements cadmium and nickel. Several greenhouses were randomly distributed in different areas in Jableh city based on the period of their investment (5, 10, 20, and 25 years), as the investment period was considered the variable factor between greenhouses.

Journal of Bacteriology, Ahead of Print. Shigella flexneri implements the Wzy-dependent pathway to biosynthesize the O antigen (Oag) component of its surface lipopolysaccharide.

Biochar as an environmentally friendly soil amendment, has attracted widespread attention and in combination with other amendments is considered to be more conducive to crop growth, soil fertility, and crop safety production.

Salmonella spp. and Shigella spp. are known as the leading causes of food poisoning worldwide. In this study, we developed a new multiple fluorescent saltatory rolling circle amplification (MF-SRCA) assay for simultaneous and sensitive detection of Salmonella spp. and Shigella spp. in food based on the generation of real-time fluorescence curves that distinguish the positive from the negative samples.

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.

“Green-covering” Tuqu (TQ), as one of Xiaoqu, is a special fermentative starter (also known as Jiuqu in Chinese) that originated in southern China and is characterized by a layer of green mold covering (Aspergillus clavatus) the surface and (sometimes) with a red heart. It plays a vital role in producing light-aroma-type Baijiu (LATB).

Salmonella enterica is capable of invading different host cell types including epithelial cells and M cells during local infection, and immune cells and fibroblasts during the subsequent systemic spread. The intracellular lifestyles of Salmonella inside different cell types are remarkable for their distinct residential niches, and their varying replication rates. To study this, researchers have employed different cell models, such as various epithelial cells, immune cells, and fibroblasts.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 119, Issue 33, August 2022. The type III secretion system (T3SS) encoded in the Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1) is a primary virulence factor for Salmonella, required for initiating the inflammatory diarrhea that is the hallmark of salmonellosis and for invading the intestinal epithelium, leading to potentially lethal systemic infection.

The carcinogenic metalloid arsenic (As), owing to its persistent behavior in elevated levels in soils, aggravates environmental and human health concerns. The current strategies used in the As decontamination involve several physical and chemical approaches. However, it involves high cost and even leads to secondary pollution. Therefore, it is quite imperative to explore methods that can eradicate As menace from the environment in an eco-friendly, efficient, and cost-competitive way.

In an attempt to develop potent and non-toxic antimicrobial agent, the palmitoylated analogue of α-melanocyte stimulating hormone(11–13), Pal-α-MSH(11–13) was conjugated with gold nanoparticles (GNPs) for the first time and the efficacy of derived complex was investigated against two strains of Staphylococccus aureus. The GNPs were synthesized using tri-sodium citrate as reductant and Pal-α-MSH(11–13) was conjugated thereafter.

Multi-drug resistance (MDR) in Salmonella is one of the major reasons for foodborne outbreaks worldwide. Decreased susceptibility of Salmonella Typhi to first-line drugs such as ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, and azithromycin has raised concern.

Orobanche cumana is an obligate holoparasitic plant with noxious effects in sunflower crops. Bellardia trixago is a facultative hemiparasitic plant that infects ruderal plants without noxious significance in agriculture and is known to produce a wide spectrum of bioactive metabolites. The objective of this study was to evaluate the allelopathic effects of B. trixago on the growth of O. cumana seedlings.

Antibiotic resistance among bacteria is a growing global challenge. A major reason for this is the limited progress in developing new classes of antibiotics active against Gram-negative bacteria. Here, we investigate the antibacterial activity of a dicationic bisguanidine-arylfuran, originally developed as an antitrypanosomal agent, and new derivatives thereof.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Ahead of Print. Temperature is a critical environmental factor that affects the cell growth of dinoflagellates and bloom formation. To date, the molecular mechanisms underlying the physiological responses to temperature variations are poorly understood.

Environmental Microbiology, Accepted Article. Bacillus cereus strain CPT56D-587-MTF (CPTF) was isolated from the highly contaminated Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) subsurface. This site is contaminated with high levels of nitric acid and multiple heavy metals. Amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes (V4 region) in sediment from this area revealed an amplicon sequence variant (ASV) with 100% identity to the CPTF 16S rRNA sequence.

Vibrio vulnificus is a pathogenic bacterium that causes disease in marine fish, affecting fish farming and human health worldwide. In May 2021, in the Bohai Bay region, a disease broke out in commercially farmed pearl gentian grouper (♀Epinephelus fuscoguttatus × ♂Epinephelus lanceolatus), causing huge economic losses. The diseased fish had skin lesions, water accumulation in their abdomens, and showed tissue and organ damage. V.

Cryptosporidium is a zoonotic protozoan parasite that is distributed globally and impacts both human and animal health. There are over 40 species of Cryptosporidium described to date, of which four (C. parvum, C. bovis, C. ryanae and C. andersoni) are routinely reported in cattle.

by Lauren K. Nicastro, Jaime de Anda, Neha Jain, Kaitlyn C. M. Grando, Amanda L. Miller, Shingo Bessho, Stefania Gallucci, Gerard C. L. Wong, Çagla Tükel Deposition of human amyloids is associated with complex human diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Amyloid proteins are also produced by bacteria.

The New Zealand Greenshell™ mussel (Perna canaliculus) is an endemic bivalve species with cultural importance, that is harvested recreationally and commercially. However, production is currently hampered by increasing incidences of summer mortality in farmed and wild populations. While the causative factors for these mortality events are still unknown, it is believed that increasing seawater temperatures and pathogen loads are potentially at play.