Research Publications (Food Safety)

We studied the effect of early pathogenic Escherichia coli infection on newborn calves’ intestinal barrier and immune function. A total of 64 newborn Holstein male calves (40–43 kg) were divided into two groups: normal (NG) and test (TG), each with 32 heads. At the beginning of the experiment, the TG calves were orally administered pathogenic E. coli O1 (2.5 × 1011 CFU/mL, 100 mL) to establish a calf diarrhea model. In contrast, the NG calves were given the same amount of normal saline.

Persistent infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus remain a clinical challenge. Adaptational mechanisms of the pathogen influencing infection persistence, treatment success, and clinical outcome in these types of infections by S. aureus have not been fully elucidated so far. We applied a whole-genome sequencing approach on fifteen isolates retrieved from a persistent S. aureus infection to determine their genetic relatedness, virulome, and resistome.

Antimicrobial resistance is an exigent public health concern owing to the emergence of novel strains of human resistant pathogens and the concurrent rise in multi-drug resistance. An influx of new antimicrobials is urgently required to improve the treatment outcomes of infectious diseases and save lives.

Background:Serratia is an opportunistic pathogen known to cause an array of infectious presentations. Aside from case reports, intravenous (IV) drug use has not been adequately quantified as a major risk factor for Serratia infection.Methods:A retrospective cohort study of 103 adult patients admitted to four community hospitals in Ohio from January 2014 to December 2018 with a positive blood culture for Serratia species.

Zoonoses and Public Health, EarlyView. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of control strategies (probiotic supplementation and vaccination) at farm on thermotolerant Campylobacter infection due to the consumption of salad cross-contaminated from broiler meat. The broiler food chain was modelled considering the most common practices applied in Argentina (baseline model) and their effect on the prevalence and counts of Campylobacter.

Journal of Applied Microbiology, Volume 132, Issue 3, Page 1616-1635, March 2022. Occult hepatitis B infection (OBI) is characterized by the detection of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA in serum or liver but negativity for hepatitis B surface antigen. OBI, which is thought to be maintained by host, immunological, viral and/or epigenetic factors, is one of the most challenging clinical features in the study of viral hepatitis. Currently, there is no validated detection test for OBI.

Journal of Applied Microbiology, Volume 132, Issue 3, Page 2355-2367, March 2022. Aims Develop and standardize multiplex high-resolution melt curve (HRM) real-time PCR assays for simultaneous detection of Salmonella virulence and extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) genes in food. Methods and Results Two sets of multiplex real-time PCR assays targeting six virulence and three ESBL genes with internal amplification control were standardized.

Journal of Applied Microbiology, Volume 132, Issue 3, Page 2342-2354, March 2022. Aims This study investigated Salmonella concentrations following combinations of horticultural practices including anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD), soil amendment type and irrigation regimen. Methods and Results Sandy-loam soil was inoculated with a five-serovar Salmonella cocktail (5.5 ± 0.2 log CFU per gram) and subjected to one of si

Journal of Applied Microbiology, Volume 132, Issue 3, Page 2331-2341, March 2022. Aim This study aimed to identify genotype enterotoxigenic antimicrobial-resistant Staphylococcus aureus species, mainly methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA) among commensal rodents. Methods and results A total of 280 samples were collected from nasal and mouth swabs

Journal of Applied Microbiology, Volume 132, Issue 3, Page 1866-1876, March 2022. Aims This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of selected essential oils (EOs) and hydrolates (Hs) against Listeria monocytogenes biofilms on polystyrene (PS) and stainless steel (SS) surfaces. Methods and Results Among others, Origanum hirtum EO, Corydothymus capitatus EO and Citrus aurantium H were selected to

Journal of Applied Microbiology, Volume 132, Issue 3, Page 1840-1855, March 2022. Aims Because the Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most well-known pathogens associated with medical devices and nosocomial infections, the aim of the study was to examine antibiofilm potential of emodin against it. Methods and Results Antibacterial activity was examined through microdilution assay.

Journal of Applied Microbiology, Volume 132, Issue 3, Page 2464-2474, March 2022. Aims The study of microbial inactivation rates in aquifer systems has most often been determined in aerobic and oxidized systems. This study examined the inactivation (i.e.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is considered as the staple food for 50% of the world's population. Humans are exposed to arsenic (As) through rice consumption, which is a global health issue that requires attention. The present review reflects the scenario of rice grown in As endemic regions of Asia that has a significant portion of inorganic As (iAs) compared to other rice grown areas around the world.

Introduction and purpose: Yersinia enterocolitica belongs to the family of Enterobacteriaceae and is a psychrophilic pathogen that is associated with foodborne infections. It usually causes gastroenteritis, mesenteric lymphadenitis, and septicemia. This study aimed to molecular detection, biotyping, and serotyping of Yersinia enterocolitica isolated from chicken livers in Tabriz.

Listeria monocytogenes is causing listeriosis, a rare but severe foodborne infection. Listeriosis affects pregnant women, newborns, older adults, and immunocompromised individuals. Ready-to-eat (RTE) foods are the most common sources of transmission of the pathogen This study explored the virulence factors and antibiotic resistance in L. monocytogenes strains isolated from ready-to-eat (RTE) foods through in vitro and in silico testing by whole-genome sequencing (WGS).

A bacterial strain, designated J12C1-MA-4T, was isolated from liquid culture of the dinoflagellate Ceratoperidinium margalefii. The bacterium was Gram-negative, aerobic, and rod-shaped. Oxidase and catalase were positive. Optimal growth was observed at 30 °C, pH 7.0, in the presence of 1% (w/v) NaCl.

Doxycycline residues in claws may pose a potential risk to humans. A study with broiler chickens was performed to find the concentrations of doxycycline in claws after treatment. For the quantification of the antibiotic of interest in claws, an ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry method was developed.

Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide parasitic zoonosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii. Pigs can become infected by consuming water or food contaminated with sporulated oocysts, or by carnivorism (like the consumption of infected rodents). In pigs most infections are asymptomatic. In certain countries, pig meat containing tissue cysts is a major source of infection for human beings.

In this study, an electrochemical aptasensor for sensitive detection of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was fabricated by electrodepositing gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on the glass carbon electrode (GCE) modified with zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8). The high specific surface area of AuNPs/ZIF-8 nanocomposite increased the aptamers loading on the electrode surface.

A method using isotope dilution-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (ID-LC/MS/MS) was developed for the accurate determination of zearalenone (ZEN) and its five major metabolites in corn. 13C- or 2H-labeled analogues of the target mycotoxins were used as internal standards.

Pesticides are indispensably essential in agricultural practices. Traditional pesticides and environmentally friendly pesticides both are used to control the damage caused by pests and diseases. Conventional procedures were carried out to detect pesticide residues using chromatography and spectrophotometric techniques.

A portable near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer coupled with chemometrics for the detection of fumonisin B1 and B2 (FBs) in ground corn samples was proposed in the present work. A total of 173 corn samples were collected, and their FB contents were determined by HPLC–MS/MS. Partial least squares (PLS), support vector machine (SVM) and local PLS based on global PLS score (LPLS-S) algorithms were employed to construct quantitative models.

This study set out to assess the mitigative effects of curcumin on AFB1-induced necroptosis and inflammation in chicken liver. Ninety-six one-day-old AA broiler chickens were separated into four groups, including control group, AFB1 (1 mg/kg) group, curcumin (300 mg/kg) + AFB1 (1 mg/kg) group and curcumin (300 mg/kg) group.

Arsenic (As) is known to induce toxic responses in many organs of human beings and animals. However, research concerning toxicity in the stomach is limited. In this study, arsenic-induced gastric toxicity was investigated in a mouse model, and grape skin extract (GSE) was confirmed to have protective effects against arsenic toxicity. Our experimental results showed that exposure to 10 mg/l arsenic via drinking water for 56 days caused oxidative damage and inflammatory responses.

Salmonellosis is one of the most important zoonoses in Europe and the world. Human infection may evolve in severe clinical diseases, with the need for hospitalization and antimicrobial treatment. Colistin is now considered an important antimicrobial to treat infections from multidrug- resistant Gram-negative bacteria, but the spreading of mobile colistin-resistance (mcr) genes has limited this option.