Research Publications (Food Safety)

Author(s): Xueli Luo, Yong Han, Xiumei Chen, Wenzhi Tang, Tianli Yue, Zhonghong Li

Author(s): Jixian Zhang, Chaoting Wen, Haihui Zhang, Yuqing Duan, Haile Ma

Author(s): Pradeep Paudel, Su Hui Seong, Aditi Wagle, Byung Sun Min, Hyun Ah Jung, Jae Sue Choi

Author(s): Yabo Liu, Fei Wu, Qing Chen, Yuanyuan Ying, Yi Jiang, Junwan Lu, Xi Lin, Kewei Li, Teng Xu, Qiyu Bao, Liyan Ni

In this review, we focus on per‐ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), synthetic compounds used for a variety of applications, including firefighting foam and manufacturing. Recently, researchers have linked human exposure to PFAS to negative health effects. Hundreds of communities are affected by PFAS contamination, which has raised awareness about the toxicity of these chemicals.

BACKGROUND The research focused on the evaluation of the impact of cover cropping on trace metals (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, Pb, Co and Cd) and nutrients in vineyard soils and Vitis vinifera L. For this purpose, two types of cover crops (Lolium perenne L. and Medicago sativa L.) and their mixture were planted between vine rows of Muscat white in the vineyard in South Crimea.

The health status of the commercial Tehuelche scallop Aequipecten tehuelchus from San Román and El Riacho in San José gulf (Patagonia, Argentina) was evaluated through biomarkers widely used in ecotoxicological applications. Natural levels of arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) were measured to determine their potential relationships with fluctuations of several oxidative stress biomarkers in the scallop.

Cadmium (Cd) contamination in water resources has become a potentially serious threat to public health and environment across the globe. In this experiment, we investigated the capacity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) for selective removal of Cd from wastewater. The TiO2 NPs were prepared using newly developed sol-gel method and sorption attributes were investigated as a function of contact time, sorbent dosage, pH, and initial Cd concentration.

The presence of ear rots in maize caused by Aspergillus flavus that are also associated with the production of aflatoxins has evolved into an increasing problem over the last few years. Since no commercial biological control products are still available to control A. flavus in maize in Europe, this study targets to the evaluation of six biopesticides/biostimulants (Botector®, Mycostop®, Serenade Max®, Trianum®, Vacciplant®, and zeolite) for the control of A.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains are responsible for multiple clinical syndromes, including hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). E. coli O157:H7 is the most prevalent serotype associated with HUS and produces a variety of virulence factors being Stx2 the responsible of the most HUS severe cases.

Cholera toxin B subunit (CTB), a non-toxic homopentameric component of Vibrio cholerae holotoxin, is an oral cholera vaccine antigen that induces an anti-toxin antibody response. Recently, we demonstrated that a recombinant CTB variant with a Lys-Asp-Glu-Leu (KDEL) endoplasmic reticulum retention motif (CTB-KDEL) exhibits colon mucosal healing effects that have therapeutic implications for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

It has been reported that Heteropodatoxin3 (HpTx3), a peptidic neurotoxin purified from the venom of the spider species Heteropoda venatoria, could inhibit Kv4.2 channels. Our present study newly found that HpTx3 also has potent and selective inhibitory action on Nav1.7, with an IC50 of 135.61 ± 12.98 nM.

Author(s): Laura Nyhan, Nicholas Johnson, Máire Begley, Padraic O’Leary, Michael Callanan

Author(s): Gabriella Mendes-Oliveira, Amanda J. Deering, M. Fernanda San Martin-Gonzalez, Osvaldo H. Campanella

Author(s): Svetlana V. Klinova, Ilzira A. Minigalieva, Larisa I. Privalova, Irene E. Valamina, Oleg H. Makeyev, Eugene A. Shuman, Artem A. Korotkov, Vladimir G. Panov, Marina P. Sutunkova, Julia V. Ryabova, Tatiana V. Bushueva, Tatiana N. Shtin, Vladimir B. Gurvich, Boris A. Katsnelson

Author(s): Ellen Cristina Rivas Leonel, Silvana Gisele Pegorin Campos, Luiz Henrique Alves Guerra, Carolina Marques Bedolo, Patrícia Simone Leite Vilamaior, Marilia Freitas Calmon, Paula Rahal, Christiani Andrade Amorim, Sebastião Roberto Taboga

Author(s): Edoardo Pozio

The public assumes that some foods, such as milk and ground beef from cattle receiving steroidal implants, are associated with estrogenic hormones, while other foods are presumed “safe” or nonestrogenic.

Plantaricins are natural antimicrobial peptides produced by Lactobacillus plantarum strains. Plantaricin bacteriocins belong to the Bacteriocin class I and II, they have relatively low molecular weights. Most of them have a bactericidal effect against many pathogenic and nonpathogenic bacteria that is, Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Lactobacillus thermophilus, and Lactobacillus rhamnosus.

In this work, the photodynamic bactericidal effect of Rose Bengal (RB), combined with green LED light, against Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella Typhimurium, was investigated. The interaction of RB concentration and illumination time was evaluated using a response surface methodology, and a second‐order polynomial empirical model was adjusted to the experimental data. The derived model predicted the combined influences of these factors on S. aureus and S.

46% of raw and 14% of ready‐to‐eat vegetable samples from Arusha city were contaminated with pesticide residues from the groups of organophosphates pyrethroids and organochlorines. Washing of vegetables twice or more and changing the washing water after each use (p = .01) or peeling (p = .008) was significantly associated with a reduction of pesticide residues in them.

Cadmium (Cd) pollution is constantly increasing in agricultural systems due to anthropogenic activities and causes significant reductions in the yield of crop species. In this study, we aimed to determine the effect of Cd stress on growth, element contents, oxidative damage, antioxidant enzyme activities, and genotoxicity in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

The issues of heavy metal contamination in water sources have been increasing substantially along with the rapid pace of industrial revolution. Lead, particularly, is one of the heavy metals that received considerable attention lately due to its frequent detection in the environment and hazardous effects. Although conventional water treatment processes had been utilized for ages, it is still a challenge to remove lead in the treatment plant effectively.

All organisms depend on symbiotic associations with bacteria for their success, yet how these interspecific interactions influence the population structure, ecology, and evolution of microbial symbionts is not well understood. Additionally, patterns of genetic variation in interacting species can reveal ecological traits that are important to gene flow and co-evolution.

Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) is a promising novel method for biofilm inactivation as log-reduction values up to 4.0 log10 (CFU/cm2) have been reported. Nevertheless, as the efficacy of CAP itself is not sufficient for complete inactivation of mature biofilms, the hurdle technology could be applied in order to obtain higher combined efficacies.