Research Publications (Food Safety)

Congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) is a cluster of malformation, and the mechanisms that lead it are still unclear. Using hypothesis-driven candidate genes and their function in viral infections, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped by quantitative polymerase chain reaction in a sample population from Sergipe State, Brazil.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading killer among infectious diseases of humans worldwide. Delayed diagnosis is a crucial problem in global TB control programs. Bacteriological methods currently used to diagnose TB in endemic countries take up to 8 weeks, which poses a significant delay in starting antibiotic therapy. The presence of a heterogeneous population of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of TB, is among the reasons for delayed diagnosis by bacteriological methods.

Little is known regarding differences in the gut microbiomes of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and healthy cohorts in China. This study aimed to identify differences in the fecal microbiomes of 66 Chinese patients with RA and 60 healthy Chinese controls. The V3-V4 variable regions of bacterial 16S rRNA genes were sequenced with the Illumina system to define the bacterial composition.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and zearalenone (ZEN) exert deleterious effects to human and animal health. In this study, the ability of a CotA laccase from Bacillus subtilis (BsCotA) to degrade these two mycotoxins was first investigated. Among the nine structurally defined chemical compounds, methyl syringate was the most efficient mediator assisting BsCotA to degrade AFB1 (98.0%) and ZEN (100.0%).

An analytical procedure is proposed for determining three cyanotoxins (microcystin RR, microcystin LR, and nodularin) and two phycotoxins (domoic and okadaic acids) in seawater and algae-based food supplements. The toxins were first isolated by a salting out liquid extraction procedure. Since the concentration expected in the samples was very low, a dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction procedure was included for preconcentration.

Galicia is an area with a strong mussel aquaculture industry in addition to other important bivalve mollusc fisheries. Between 2014 and 2017, 18,862 samples were analyzed for EU regulated marine lipophilic toxins. Okadaic acid (OA) was the most prevalent toxin and the only single toxin that produced harvesting closures. Toxin concentrations in raft mussels were generally higher than those recorded in other bivalves, justifying the use of this species as an indicator.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) infections are the product of the interaction between bacteria, phages, animals, humans, and the environment. In the late 1980s, Alberta had one of the highest incidences of STEC infections in North America. Herein, we revisit and contextualize the epidemiology of STEC O157 human infections in Alberta for the period 2009–2016.

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is an alarming threat, and targeted deep sequencing (DS) may be an effective method for rapid identification of drug-resistant profiles, including detection of heteroresistance. We evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of targeted DS versus phenotypic drug susceptibility testing (pDST) among patients starting first-line anti-TB therapy in Botswana. Overall, we found high concordance between DS and pDST.

Author(s): Shoko Okitsu, Pattara Khamrin, Sayaka Takanashi, Aksara Thongprachum, Sheikh Ariful Hoque, Haruko Takeuchi, Md Alfazal Khan, S.M. Tafsir Hasan, Tsutomu Iwata, Hiroyuki Shimizu, Masamine Jimba, Satoshi Hayakawa, Niwat Maneekarn, Hiroshi Ushijima

Author(s): Henry M. Kariithi, Catharine N. Welch, Helena L. Ferreira, Elizabeth A. Pusch, Leonard O. Ateya, Yatinder S. Binepal, Auleria A. Apopo, Thomas D. Dulu, Claudio L. Afonso, David L. Suarez

Author(s): Cristina Alamprese, Massimo Cigarini, Andrea Brutti

Author(s): H.M. Hernández-Hernández, L. Moreno-Vilet, S.J. Villanueva-Rodríguez

Author(s): Dongxu Wang, Qiang Gao, Taotao Wang, Zhipeng Kan, Xin Li, Lizhen Hu, Chuan-yi Peng, Frank Qian, Yijun Wang, Daniel Granato

Author(s): Gabriele Rocchetti, Luigi Lucini, Shaimaa R. Ahmed, Fatema R. Saber

Author(s): Dele Raheem, António Raposo, Oluwatoyin Bolanle Oluwole, Maaike Nieuwland, Ariana Saraiva, Conrado Carrascosa

Author(s): Henry Munyanduki, Ruzaiq Omar, Nicola Douglass, Anna-Lise Williamson

Author(s): Kimberley D. Hughes, Shane R. de Solla, Michael L. Schummer, Scott A. Petrie, April White, Pamela A. Martin

Author(s): Cheng Gao, Li Gao, Pengfei Duan, Haiming Wu, Ming Li

Author(s): Qumber Abbas, Guijian Liu, Balal Yousaf, Muhammad Ubaid Ali, Habib Ullah, Mehr Ahmed Mujtaba Munir, Rafay Ahmed, Abdul Rehman

Genotype S H9N2 avian influenza virus, which has been predominant in China since 2010, and contributed its entire internal gene cassette to the genesis of novel reassortant influenza viruses, including H5Nx, H7N9 and H10N8 viruses that pose great threat to poultry and humans. A key feature of the genotype S H9N2 virus is the substitution of G1‐like M and PB2 genes for the earlier F/98‐like M and PB2 of genotype H virus.

In reversed‐phase LC, tetracycline antibiotics yield broad and asymmetrical peaks, as a result of their ionic interaction with the anionic free silanol groups and metal ion present in the silica‐based stationary phases (commonly derivatized with C18 groups). These frequently encountered difficulties were absolutely eliminated based on dual effect when methanesulfonic acid was employed as an eluent additive.

Conventional method of roasting plantain is cumbersome and leads to the contamination of the food items with different toxicants due to contact of the food item with combustion gases. Thus, a need for a roaster oven which utilizes indirect charcoal heat for roasting plantain is of paramount importance. In this study, a charcoal fired plantain roasting equipment was designed and developed and performance testing carried out.