Research Publications (Food Safety)

The inhibitory action of 20 antagonistic Trichoderma isolates against the aflatoxigenic isolate A. flavus ITEM 9 (Af-9) and their efficacy in reducing aflatoxin formation in vitro were examined. Production of metabolites with inhibitory effect by the Trichoderma isolates was also investigated. Antagonistic effect against Af-9 was assessed by inhibition of radial growth of the colonies and by fungal interactions in dual confrontation tests.

Edible oils, especially peanut oil, usually contain aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) at extremely high concentrations. This study focused on the synthesis of rice husk-based mesoporous silica (MCM-41) for the removal of AFB1 from peanut oil. MCM-41 was characterized by X-ray diffraction, N2 physisorption, and transmission electron microscope. MCM-41 was shown to have ordered channels with high specific surface area (1246 m2/g), pore volume (1.75 cm3/g), and pore diameter (3.11 nm).

Zoonoses and Public Health, EarlyView. Objective We describe the epidemiology of live poultry-associated salmonellosis (LPAS) and investigate potential risk factors associated with hospitalization among adults aged ≥65 years in the United States during 2008–2017.

Molecular Microbiology, Accepted Article. Desulfovibrio fructosovorans, a sulfate-reducing bacterium, possesses six gene clusters encoding six hydrogenases catalyzing the reversible oxidation of H2 into protons and electrons. Among them, Hnd is an electron-bifurcating hydrogenase, coupling the exergonic reduction of NAD+ to the endergonic reduction of a ferredoxin with electrons derived from H2.

Thyreostatic drugs (thyreostats) interfere with thyroid function and have been used illegally in animals slaughtered for food. Thyreostat use leads to poorer quality meat, and the drug residues can cause adverse effects in humans. These drugs, with the exception of thiouracil, do not occur naturally and require sensitive methodologies for their detection in animal tissues.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of tussah immunoreactive substances (TIS) and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) on microbial community and resistance against 

Pesticides are contaminants that pose serious risks to human health and the environment worldwide; however, little information is available on the occurrence of pesticide residues in vegetables in either Chile or Mexico. This study evaluated the presence of 22 pesticide residues in vegetables sold at supermarkets and farmers markets in Chile and Mexico and estimated the dietary risk.

In this work, we determined the degree of filamentous fungi contamination in cocoa fermented seeds and the fungal potential to produce enzymes that could contribute to the cocoa quality. Internal transcribed spacer amplicon sequencing (ITS) showed 11 different species with Byssochlamys spectabilis, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus carbonarius, Circinella muscae and Penicillium citrinum as the most abundant species.

Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a widespread mycotoxin produced by fungal Fusarium species—mainly in maize, one of the plants most commonly used for food and feed. Pigs and horses are the animal species most susceptible to this mycotoxin. FB1 exposure can cause highly diverse clinical symptoms, including hepatotoxicity, immunotoxicity, and intestinal barrier function disturbance.

Here, we report the current status of the bioactive peptides isolated and characterized from mushrooms during the last 20 years, considering ‘peptide’ a succession from to 2 to 100 amino acid residues. According to this accepted biochemical definition, we adopt ~10 kDa as the upper limit of molecular weight for a peptide. In light of this, a careful revision of data reported in the literature was carried out.

Triazine herbicides (TRZHs) are widely used in agricultural production, but their improper use can threaten the environment and organisms. Herein, rapid extraction of four chlorotriazine herbicides (Cl-TRZHs) in irrigation water was achieved using an ionic liquid modified porous m-aminophenol formaldehyde resin (IL-MAPFR) as a dispersive filter extraction (DFE) adsorbent.

The peanut plant accumulates defensive stilbenoid phytoalexins in response to the presence of soil fungi, which in turn produce phytoalexin-detoxifying enzymes for successfully invading the plant host. Aspergillus spp. are opportunistic pathogens that invade peanut seeds; most common fungal species often produce highly carcinogenic aflatoxins.

by Donatien Serge Mbaga, Sebastien Kenmoe, Cyprien Kengne-Ndé, Jean Thierry Ebogo-Belobo, Gadji Mahamat, Joseph Rodrigue Foe-Essomba, Marie Amougou-Atsama, Serges Tchatchouang, Inès Nyebe, Alfloditte Flore Feudjio, Ginette Irma Kame-Ngasse, Jeannette Nina Magoudjou-Pekam, Lorraine K. M.

by Davit Baliashvili, Francisco Averhoff, Ana Kasradze, Stephanie J. Salyer, Giorgi Kuchukhidze, Amiran Gamkrelidze, Paata Imnadze, Maia Alkhazashvili, Gvantsa Chanturia, Nazibrola Chitadze, Roena Sukhiashvili, Curtis Blanton, Jan Drobeniuc, Juliette Morgan, Liesl M. Hagan In preparation for the National Hepatitis C Elimination Program in the country of Georgia, a nationwide household-based hepatitis C virus (HCV) seroprevalence survey was conducted in 2015.

Energy storage deployment for stationary applications is expected to grow in the next decade, and there is a requirement for storage solutions that minimise materials demand. Soluble lead redox flow battery is a type of flow battery in the early phase of design with the potential for a lower cost than other flow battery solutions. This study presents the first cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment of the soluble lead redox flow battery.

A simple, rapid, and sensitive method was developed for simultaneous determination of 103 multiclass pesticides in edible oils. A new strategy of sample preparation involving a spontaneous emulsification followed by membrane-based demulsification was proposed. The developed strategy was compared with other reputed clean-up procedures and found to improve the removal efficiency of matrix interferences without a significant loss of pesticides.

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) actively colonize the plant rhizosphere, which not only stimulates plants’ growth and development but also mitigates the adverse effects of abiotic stressors. Besides other techniques and approaches used for the alleviation of abiotic stress conditions, the utilization of PGPR with multiplant growth-promoting traits is desirable because the application of PGPR is pragmatic, sustainable, and environmentally friendly.

This study aimed to develop a combination of immunomagnetic separation (IMS) and real-time PCR (qPCR) techniques to detect and analyze Salmonella spp. (SAL), Listeria monocytogenes (LM), and Escherichia coli O157:H7 (O157: H7) in meat samples quickly and accurately. Bacteria-specific immunomagnetic beads (IMBs) were prepared from carboxyl magnetic beads and affinity-purified polyclonal antibodies using a novel magnetic bead activator.

In this work, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and DNA tetrahedral nanostructure (DTN) as a signal probe carrier platform to control the density of aptamers were used to construct an ultrasensitive electrochemical aptasensor (AuNPs-DTN sensor).

Corn (Zea mays) is a worldwide crop subjected to infection by toxigenic fungi such as Fusarium verticillioides during the pre-harvest stage. Fusarium contamination can lead to the synthesis of highly toxic mycotoxins, such as Fumonisin B1 (FB1) and Fumonisin B2 (FB2), which compromises human and animal health. The work aimed to study the antifungal properties of fermented yellow and oriental mustard extracts using nine lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in vitro.

Zearalenone is a common mycotoxin contaminant in cereals that causes severe economic losses and serious risks to health of human and animals. Many strategies have been devised to degrade ZEN and keep food safe. The hydrolase ZHD101 from Clonostachys rosea, which catalyzes the hydrolytic degradation of ZEN, has been studied widely.

Translational fidelity is maintained by multiple quality control steps in all three domains of life. Increased translational errors (mistranslation) occur due to genetic mutations and external stresses. Severe mistranslation is generally harmful, but moderate levels of mistranslation may be favored under certain conditions. To date, little is known about the link between translational fidelity and host–pathogen interactions.

Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, Accepted Article. The presence of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in baby milk and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in cereal-based foods for infants marketed in Kosovo was investigated. One hundred and forty-three samples collected during 2016–2017 were analyzed by ELISA and suspected positive samples were further analyzed by LC-MS/MS. A positive incidence of 15.0% for AFM1 in baby milk and 62.14% for AFB1 in infant cereal-derived samples was found.

Environmental Microbiology, Volume 23, Issue 12, Page 7314-7340, December 2021. Vibrio spp. thrive in warm water and moderate salinity, and they are associated with aquatic invertebrates, notably crustaceans and zooplankton. At least 12 Vibrio spp. are known to cause infection in humans, and Vibrio cholerae is well documented as the etiological agent of pandemic cholera.

Journal of Applied Microbiology, Volume 132, Issue 2, Page 872-889, February 2022. This systematic review focuses on obtaining the most relevant information from multiple studies that detected a mobilized colistin resistance mcr gene in Salmonella for a better comprehension of its global distribution.