Research Publications (Food Safety)

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), particularly seven serogroups O26, O45, O103, O111, O121, O145, and O157, are major food borne pathogens. Cattle are a major reservoir in which STEC colonize the hindgut and are shed in the feces. Most cattle shed the organisms at low concentrations and a small proportion, called super shedders, shed at high concentrations (≥ 104 per g).

In swine production, using feed antibiotics as antimicrobial growth promotants has been reduced; thus, feed alternatives to manage gut health are required to prevent post-weaning diarrhea. Dietary fiber, resistant starch, oligosaccharides, and exopolysaccharides are carbohydrates that together with glycoproteins are nutritional tools that may be part of managing gut health in pigs.

Administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as the widely available drug aspirin, or acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), may improve health and milk production in postpartum dairy cows. However, plasma pharmacokinetic (PK) data for salicylic acid (SA), the active metabolite of ASA, are unrepresentative of lactating dairy cows and current treatment regimens, and there are currently no published milk residue and minimal pharmacodynamic data available for ASA or SA in dairy cows.

This study aimed to evaluate factors that modulate phosphorus (P) use, such as calcium (Ca) intake that is well known and deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination which has been the subject of few studies until now.

A total of 4,318 pigs (337×1050, PIC; initially 6.5±0.08kg) were used in a 35-d trial to evaluate dietary mycotoxin control strategies on nursery pig performance and blood measures. Pigs were weaned at 21-d of age and randomly allotted to 1 of 5 dietary treatments. A total of 160 pens were used with 80 double-sided 5-hole stainless steel fence line feeders, with feeder serving as the experimental unit. For each feeder, 1 pen contained 27 gilts and 1 pen contained 27 barrows.

The current experiment was conducted to determine if the dosage or timing of exposure to diets containing high deoxynivalenol (DON), a mycotoxin in a variety of feed ingredients, causes performance loss in nursery pigs. In total, 448 mixed-sex nursery pigs [initial BW = 6.18 ± 0.97 kg] weaned at 21 ± 1 d were allotted to 112 pens, with 4 pigs per pen, in a randomized complete block design.

Heat stress (HS) and Zearalenone (Zen) exposure negatively impact growth, production efficiency, animal welfare, and both can be lethal. Zearalenone, a mycotoxin, can contaminate a variety of feedstuffs. As both HS and Zen independently can cause oxidative stress, we hypothesized that concomitant exposure to HS and Zen would cause oxidative stress in pig skeletal muscle more than either agent alone.

To evaluate the effects of lactylate and Bacillus subtilis on growth performance, complete blood cell count, and microbial changes, 264 weaning pigs were assigned to 4 treatments (1) control (Con) basal diets that met the nutrient requirement for each phase, (2) 0.2% lactylate (LA), (3) 0.05% Bacillus subtilis strains mixtures (BM) providing 2 x 105 CFU/g of complete feed, or (4) the combination of LA and BM (LA+BM) added to the control basal diet at their respective inclusion rates in each o

Mycotoxins are harmful secondary fungal metabolites detrimental to animal health even at low levels. The study was conducted to compare mycotoxin contamination of initial samples of the 2021 corn crop with previous year trends.

Recently, phytogenic feed additives containing flavonoids, essential oils and phenols are getting more attention as they have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and digestibility aiding abilities. Flavonoids have proved their abilities in reducing environmental stress along with activating immune responses.

Weaning stress and the negative health effects that occur with it cause serious concerns for pork producers. The abrupt environmental and dietary transitions that occur at weaning often take place before the gut microbiome is stabilized in the piglet. This leaves weanling piglets vulnerable to gut dysbiosis and increases susceptibility to enteric pathogens.

The objective was to evaluate the effects of dietary treatments designed to increase passage rate on the rumen microbiome. Factors such as particle size, feedstuff degradability, and rumen motility may drive ruminal passage rates and alter the composition of rumen microorganisms responsible for methane formation. Eight ruminal-cannulated steers were assigned to a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design.

Shigella flexneri serotype 2a2 (II:9;10) is the most prevalent strain in causing bacillary dysentery in developing countries. Chemical modifications such as glucosylation, O-acetylation, and phosphoethanolamine modifications of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) O antigen (Oag) contribute to the emergence of various serotypes. Sf6 is a Shigella-specific bacteriophage that infects only a limited range of S. flexneri serotypes [X, Y].

Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic heavy metal in our environment. The influence of Cd on the development of platelets, or megakaryocytopoiesis, remains to be defined. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of Cd on megakaryocytopoiesis. C57BL/6 (B6) mice aged 6–8 weeks were treated with 10 ppm Cd via drinking water or control for 3 months, and megakaryocytopoiesis was evaluated thereafter.

Norfloxacin is an antibiotic in the fluoroquinolone family licenced for use in animals. However, residues in animal products can have negative consequences for consumers. As a result, residue detection in various food matrices must be considered. Norfloxacin accumulates in animal-derived foods, causing deleterious consequences in humans such as foetal deformity, renal failure and drug resistance.

The electrochemical immunosensor is one of the most promising detection approaches for pathogenic microorganism. In this study, a label-free electrochemical immunosensor based on chitosan/gelatin was fabricated for the detection of Bacillus cereus. Anti-Bacillus cereus polyclonal antibodies were immobilized through a cross-linking method on a chitosan/gelatin-modified electrode.

Permeable pavements (PPs) are used to address water quality impacts from urban roads. However, the effectiveness of different structure combinations in removing runoff pollutants throughout the permeable system remains unclear. In this study, 26 PP structures were tested to investigate their pollutant removal efficiency by the self-developed laboratory apparatus to provide a quantitative understanding of these combinations.

The receptor-binding domain of botulinum neurotoxin (HC fragment), is a promising botulism vaccine candidate. In the current study, fermentation strategies were evaluated to upscale HC fragment expression. A simple translation of the growth conditions from shake flasks to a batch fermentation process resulted in limited culture growth and protein expression (OD of 11 and volumetric protein yields of 123 mg/L).

Salmonella spp. are among the most prevalent foodborne pathogens. Rapid identification of etiologic agents during foodborne outbreaks is of great importance. In this study, we report a traceback investigation of a Salmonella outbreak in China. Metagenomic sequencing of suspected food samples was performed on MinION and MiSeq platforms. Real-time nanopore sequencing analysis identified reads belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family.

by Ambachew W. Hailu, Abraham Degarege, Beyene Petros, Damien Costa, Yonas Yimam Ayene, Ven-ceslas Villier, Abdelmounaim Mouhajir, Loic Favennec, Romy Razakandrainibe, Haileeysus Adamu Non-Human Primates (NHPs) harbor Cryptosporidium genotypes that can infect humans and vice versa.

by Saba Ahmed, Nadeem Iqbal, Xiaoyan Tang, Rafiq Ahmad, Muhammad Irshad, Usman Irshad Functioning of ecosystems depends on the nutrient dynamics across trophic levels, largely mediated by microbial interactions in the soil food web. The present study investigated the use of phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) and poultry manure (PM) for maintaining labile P in the soil for an extensive fertility enhancement and as a substitution of chemical fertilizers.

This research aims to analyze 57 pesticide residues in 35 ready-to-use barberry samples collected from hypermarkets in Iran by Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe (QuEChERS) approach using acetonitrile for the extraction, and surface adsorbents for clean-up procedure, followed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS).

The effect of the application of different disinfectants on the microbial load and sensory quality of fresh-cut lettuce was evaluated during washing, and after subsequent storage at 4 °C under modified atmosphere packaging (MAP).

Salmonella species are common foodborne pathogenic bacteria. At present, most detection methods for Salmonella are unsuitable for on-site applications because they require large instruments or complicated procedures. This study developed a novel method of the on-site detection for Salmonella in food by combining the CRISPR/Cas12a system with recombinant polymerase amplification (RPA).

Alternative solutions are eminently needed to combat the escalating number of infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Bacteriocins produced by lactic acid bacteria are promising candidates for next-generation antibiotics. Studies have found that these stable and nontoxic ribosomally synthesized antimicrobial peptides exhibit significant potency against other bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant strains.