Research Publications (Food Safety)

A microcosm study was conducted at two different temperatures under laboratory conditions to investigate the regulatory capacity and the interactive performance of two soil fauna species (Aporrectodea caliginosa, earthworms, and Proisotoma minuta, collembolans) on the reduction of Fusarium toxins in contaminated maize stubbles.

Breast milk is the best, most complete form of nutrition for newborns and infants. However, human milk can contain aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) upon ingestion of dietary mycotoxin contaminants, namely, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), by lactating mothers. AFB1 and its hydroxylated metabolite AFM1 are potent carcinogens and thus an important issue in food safety and public health.

Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is one of the most common sites for biliary tract cancers. It has a worldwide distribution being endemic in South America and Southern Asia. These high GBC rates have previously been linked to the determinants of health such as nutrition, genetics, lifestyle, and environment. Exposure to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), a human carcinogen, is suggested to be involved with GBC development.

Driven by increasing temperatures and the higher incidences of heat waves during summer, an increased incidence of Aspergillus flavus next to Fusarium verticillioides in European maize can be expected. In the current study, we investigated the interaction between both species. Colonies of A. flavus/F. verticillioides were grown in a single culture, in a dual culture, and in a mixed culture. The growth rate of A. flavus and F.

Aflatoxins are carcinogenic compounds produced by some species of Aspergillus, especially those belonging to Aspergillus section Flavi. Their occurrence in food may start in the field, in the post-harvest, or during storage due to inadequate handling and storage.

Concerns regarding food safety and ‘One Health’ are increasing globally. Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), a human carcinogenic toxin, is excreted by lactating animals in their milk after consumption of feed contaminated with aflatoxin B1. The present cross-sectional study aimed to determine the occurrence of AFM1 in cattle and buffalo milk produced in rural and peri-urban areas under different agro-climatic conditions of Chhattisgarh, India, and assesses human health risks.

The occurrence of mycotoxins and mycotoxigenic fungi in palm dates has not been thoroughly documented. The aims of the present study were to identify the mycobiota present in commercial date samples (n = 19), to determine the ability of the isolated fungi to produce mycotoxins, and to determine and quantify the presence of OTA in date fruits. The majority of products originated from Tunisia (n = 14) and Algeria (n = 3).

Mycotoxins are frequently found in fruits and fruit juices. However, data about occurrence and fate of mycotoxins along the fruit juice processing chain are currently insufficient.

Black aspergilli are some of the most common mycotoxigenic fungi in vineyards worldwide. The aims of this research were to assess the occurrence of fumonisin-producing black aspergilli in Australian wine grapes and the effects of environmental factors on fumonisin production by A. niger and A. welwitschiae (syn. A. awamori).

New information is needed regarding the types and concentrations of mycotoxins in swine feed. We hypothesized that (1) the mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-AcDON), 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-AcDON), nivalenol (NIV), and zearalenone (ZEN) vary among swine ingredient and feed types, and (2) the inclusion of specific ingredients is associated with mycotoxin contamination in complete feed.

A quantitative risk assessment for exposure to aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) related to the consumption of milk and traditional dairy products of Argentina was developed. The frequency and concentration of AFM1 was modelled at various stages through the milk processes, considering Argentinean practices. Concentration of AFM1 (0.046 μg/l, 95%CI = 0.002–0.264 μg/l) in raw milk was estimated.

Novel protein sources for animal feed are needed, and the use of insects as feed ingredient is explored. The insect production sector offers opportunities for a circular and sustainable approach to feed production by upgrading waste or side streams into high-quality proteins. However, potential food or feed safety issues should be studied in advance.

Non-aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus strains are used as a biocontrol system on maize fields to decrease the aflatoxin biosynthesis of aflatoxigenic A. flavus strains. A. flavus strain AF36 was the first commercially available biocontrol strain and is authorized for use on maize fields by the US Environmental Protection Agency, e.g., in Texas and Arizona.

Phomopsins are mycotoxins mainly infesting lupines, with phomopsin A (PHOA) being the main mycotoxin. PHOA is produced by Diaporthe toxica, formerly assigned as toxigenic Phomopsis leptostromiformis, causing infections in lupine plants and harvested seeds. However, Diaporthe species may also grow on other grain legumes, similar to Aspergillus westerdijkiae as an especially potent ochratoxin A (OTA) producer.

Food security goes beyond food being available; the food needs to be free of contaminants. Trichothecenes mycotoxins, produced by Fusarium fungus, are. among the most frequently found contaminants of wheat. In this study, we evaluated the production of trichothecenes Deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-AcDON), 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-AcDON), and nivalenol (NIV) by Fusarium meridionale, F. austroamericanum, and F.

Mosquitoes transmit many damaging vector-borne diseases. Unfortunately, the rise of insecticide resistance has become a major obstacle to mosquito control. A preliminary study showed that a CYP6 cluster is significant for deltamethrin resistance in colonized Culex pipiens pallens. Here, several field strains were collected to explore the association of the cluster in deltamethrin tolerance.

Undercooked or raw meat containing cyst-stage bradyzoites and oocyst-contaminated pets are presumed to constitute a major source of human toxoplasmosis. As the geospatial epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection in livestock, pets, and humans is rarely studied in China, we undertook a geospatial analysis using GIS visualization techniques.

Abstract Engineered nanomaterials (ENM) have a high potential for use in several areas of agriculture including plant pathology. Nanoparticles (NPs) alone can be applied for disease management due to their antimicrobial properties. Moreover, nanobiosensors allow a rapid and sensitive diagnosis of pathogens because NPs can be conjugated with nucleic acids, proteins and other biomolecules.

Abstract Shigella spp. invade the colonic epithelium and cause bacillary dysentery in humans. Individuals living in areas that lack access to clean water and sanitation are the most affected. Even though infection can be treated with antibiotics, Shigella antimicrobial drug resistance complicates clinical management. Despite decades of effort, there are no licensed vaccines to prevent shigellosis.

Abstract Aeromonas hydrophila is a zoonotic pathogen that exhibits high level resistance to classic antibiotics and is a heavy burden for aquaculture industry. Lytic enzymes encoded by phages or prophages have shown potential for use against pathogenic bacteria. In this study, an intact prophage (named phAhD4) was identified from A. hydrophila D4. phAhD4 is highly conserved in all 10 published A.

Abstract Microalgae are known to be abundant in various habitats around the globe, and are rich in high value-added products such as fatty acids, polysaccharides, proteins, and pigments. Microalgae can be exploited as the basic and primitive food source of aquatic animals.

Abstract Food safety affected by food-borne pathogen has received increasing attention by researchers. Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes), widespread in the environment, could easily cause some diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate how L.

The goals of this study were to predict the genes associated with the biodegradation of organic contaminants and to examine microbial community structure in samples from two contaminated sites.

Although the prevalence of elevated childhood blood lead levels (BLLs) has been declining, there are still an estimated 500,000 children (1 to 5 years) with BLLs above the CDC’s reference value (≥ 5 μg/dL). The objective of this study was to evaluate the ecological association between soil lead (Pb) concentrations in greenspaces in Brooklyn, NY and elevated BLLs of children aged 1 to 5 years old.

Seventeen organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) and seven indicator polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) residues in 80 sediment samples from four cage aquaculture farms on the Volta Basin were determined to find out the extent of their contamination as well as their risk to biota in the aquatic ecosystem. The extracted residues of the OCPs and PCBs were analysed on a gas chromatograph equipped with an electron capture detector and mass spectrometer, respectively.