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Research Publications (Food Safety)

This page tracks research articles published in national and international peer-reviewed journals. Recent articles are available ahead of print and searchable by Journal, Article Title, and Category. Research publications are tracked across six categories: Bacterial Pathogens, Chemical Contaminants, Natural Toxins, Parasites, Produce Safety, and Viruses. Articles produced by USDA Grant Funding Agencies (requires login) and FDA Grant Funding Agencies (requires login) are also tracked in Scopus.

Displaying 126 - 150 of 676

  1. The Antimicrobial Peptide Mastoparan X Protects Against Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 Infection, Inhibits Inflammation, and Enhances the Intestinal Epithelial Barrier

    • Frontiers in Microbiology
    • Escherichia coli can cause intestinal diseases in humans and livestock, destroy the intestinal barrier, exacerbate systemic inflammation, and seriously threaten human health and animal husbandry development. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the antimicrobial peptide mastoparan X (MPX) was effective against E. coli infection. BALB/c mice infected with E. coli by intraperitoneal injection, which represents a sepsis model.

      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
      • Bacterial pathogens
  2. Divergent Temporal Response of Abundant and Rare Bacterial Communities to Transient Escherichia coli O157:H7 Invasion

    • Frontiers in Microbiology
    • The release of Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 has been widely found in various environments, but little is known about the probable influence of the transient E. coli O157:H7 invasion on the native microbial community. Here, we investigated the temporal response of two bacterial biospheres (abundant and rare) of two marsh sediments against E. coli O157:H7 during a 60-day incubation. The diversity of both biospheres showed no evident response to O157:H7 invasion.

      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
      • Bacterial pathogens
  3. Effect of UVC light-emitting diodes on pathogenic bacteria and quality attributes of chicken breast

    • Journal of Food Protection
    • This study aimed to investigate the inactivation of foodborne pathogens and the quality characteristics of fresh chicken breasts after Ultraviolet-C light-emitting diode (UVC-LED) treatment. Fresh chicken breasts were separately inoculated with Salmonella Typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes at an initia population of 6.01, 5.80, and 6.22 log 10 CFU/cm 2 , respectively, then were treated by UVC-LED at 1000 to 4000 mJ/cm 2 .

      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
      • Listeria monocytogenes
      • Salmonella
      • Bacterial pathogens
  4. A VHH-Fc Fusion Targeted to the Chloroplast Thylakoid Lumen Assembles and Neutralizes Enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157:H7

    • Frontiers in Plant Science
    • Chimeric fusion proteins comprising a single domain antibody (VHH) fused to a crystallizable fragment (Fc) of an immunoglobulin are modular glycoproteins that are becoming increasingly in demand because of their value as diagnostics, research reagents and passive immunization therapeutics.

      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
      • Bacterial pathogens
  5. A novel smartphone-based colorimetric aptasensor for on-site detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in milk

    • Journal of Dairy Science
    • Effective testing tools for Escherichia coli O157:H7 can prevent outbreaks of foodborne illness. In this paper, a smartphone-based colorimetric aptasensor was developed using functionalized gold nanoparticles (GNP) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) for monitoring E. coli O157:H7 in milk. The maximum absorption peak of GNP bonded with aptamer (Apt) generated evident transformation from 518 to 524 nm.

      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
      • Bacterial pathogens
  6. Assessment of butylparaben (4‐hydroxybenzoic acid butyl ester)‐assisted heat treatment against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica serotype Typhimurium in meat and bone meal

    • Journal of Food Science
    • Journal of Food Science, EarlyView. Heat-resistant foodborne pathogens have been a concern in low-moisture foods and ingredients (LMFs). Due to low thermal conductivity of low moisture materials, thermal treatment is not efficient and may cause nutritional loss. This study investigated the enhancement of thermal treatment of meat and bone meal (MBM) at low water activity (aw) by inclusion of butylparaben (BP) as a model antimicrobial compound.

      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
      • Salmonella
      • Bacterial pathogens
  7. Lactic acid bacteria biofilms and their ability to mitigate Escherichia coli O157:H7 surface colonization

    • Letters in Applied Microbiology
    • Letters in Applied Microbiology, Accepted Article. LAB (Lactic Acid Bacteria) exert antagonistic activities against diverse microorganisms, including pathogens. In this work, we aimed to investigate the ability of LAB strains isolated from food to produce biofilms and to inhibit growth and surface colonization of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 at 10°C. The ability of 100 isolated LAB to inhibit EHEC O157:H7 NCTC12900 growth was evaluated in agar diffusion assays.

      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
      • Bacterial pathogens
  8. A Novel Small RNA Promotes Motility and Virulence of Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Response to Ammonium

    • mBio
    • ABSTRACT Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli serotype O157:H7 (O157) is a critical, foodborne, human intestinal pathogen that causes severe acute hemorrhagic diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and even death. Small RNAs (sRNAs) are noncoding regulatory molecules that sense environmental changes and trigger various virulence-related signaling pathways; however, few such sRNAs have been identified in O157.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
  9. An aptamer-exonuclease III (Exo III)–assisted amplification-based lateral flow assay for sensitive detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in milk

    • Journal of Dairy Science
    • Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157:H7), one of the most widespread foodborne pathogens, can cause a series of diseases and even lead to death. In this study, a highly sensitive method was developed by combining aptamer-exonuclease III (Exo III)–assisted amplification with lateral flow assay (LFA) based on gold nanoparticles (AuNP). The compound of single-stranded (ss) DNA-anti-E. coli O157:H7 aptamer (ssDNA-aptamer) was formed by hybridization between designed target ssDNA and aptamer.

      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
      • Bacterial pathogens
  10. Effects of High Hydrostatic Pressure and Beef Patty Formulations on the Inactivation of Native Strains of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli O157:H7

    • Food and Bioprocess Technology
    • This study aimed to evaluate the effects of beef patty formulations and pressure levels on the inactivation of spoilage microbiota and native Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7. Beef patties were made with different salt and fat content (A: 1% NaCl – 10% fat, B: 2% NaCl – 10% fat, C: 1% NaCl – 20% fat and D: 2% NaCl – 20% fat) and treated at 400 and 600 MPa. STEC reductions after 400 and 600 MPa were 2 and 4 log CFU/g, respectively.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
  11. Differential Outcome between BALB/c and C57BL/6 Mice after Escherichia coli O157:H7 Infection Is Associated with a Dissimilar Tolerance Mechanism

    • Infection and Immunity
    • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) infections can result in a wide range of clinical presentations despite that EHEC strains belong to the O157:H7 serotype, one of the most pathogenic forms. Although pathogen virulence influences disease outcome, we emphasize the concept of host-pathogen interactions, which involve resistance or tolerance mechanisms in the host that determine total host fitness and bacterial virulence.

      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
      • Bacterial pathogens
  12. Anti-biofilm Potential of Elletaria cardamomum Essential Oil Against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella Typhimurium JSG 1748

    • Frontiers in Microbiology
    • Foodborne pathogens, microbial recurrent infections, and antibiotic resistance have driven researchers to explore natural compounds as safe alternative antimicrobials. In this study, the chemical profile, antimicrobial, and mutagenic activities of the Elletaria cardamomum essential oil were investigated.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
      • Salmonella
  13. Comparative Whole Genome Analysis of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Isolates From Feedlot Cattle to Identify Genotypes Associated With the Presence and Absence of stx Genes

    • Frontiers in Microbiology
    • A comparative whole genome analysis was performed on three newly sequenced Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains with different stx profiles, previously isolated from feedlot cattle [C1-010 (stx1−, stx2c+), C1-057 (stx−), and C1-067 (stx1+, stx2a+)], as well as five foodborne outbreak strains and six stx-negative strains from NCBI. Phylogenomic analysis demonstrated that the stx2c-carrying C1-010 and stx-negative C1-057 strains were grouped with the six NCBI stx-negative E.

      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
      • Bacterial pathogens
  14. Growth and thermal inactivation of L. monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7 in four kinds of traditionally non‐fermented soybean products

    • International Journal of Food Science & Technology
    • International Journal of Food Science & Technology, Accepted Article. This study evaluated growth and thermal inactivation of L. monocytogenes and E. coli O157:H7 inoculated in tofu, dougan, qianzhang and doupi which were stored at 4, 25 and 37 ℃ and heated at 55, 60, 65 and 70 ℃. Growth of the two pathogens in four soybean products increased with temperature or Aw of soybean products increasing. At the same temperature, lag time (LT) values of L. monocytogenes (16.32 ‐ 0.94 h) and E.

      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
      • Listeria monocytogenes
      • Bacterial pathogens
  15. Heat stress aggravates intestinal inflammation through TLR4-NF-κB signaling pathway in Ma chickens infected with Escherichia coli O157:H7

    • Poultry Science
    • Author(s): Lu-Ping Tang, Wei-Hao Li, Yi-Lei Liu, Jian-Chi Lun, Yong-Ming He

      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
      • Bacterial pathogens
  16. Preservation of protective capacity of hyperimmune anti-Stx2 bovine colostrum against enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 pathogenicity after pasteurization and spray-drying processes

    • Journal of Dairy Science
    • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7 is a major etiologic agent that causes bloody diarrhea, hemorrhagic colitis, and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Shiga toxin (Stx) is the main virulence factor of EHEC responsible for the progression to HUS. Although many laboratories have made efforts to develop an effective treatment for Stx-mediated HUS, a specific therapy has not been found yet.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
  17. Antagonistic effects of Lactobacillus reuteri against Escherichia coli O157:H7 in white-brined cheese under different storage conditions

    • Journal of Dairy Science
    • This study aimed to investigate the survival of the foodborne pathogen Escherichia coli O157:H7 in white-brined cheeses as influenced by the presence of Lactobacillus reuteri. The white cheeses were made from pasteurized bovine milk inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 (cocktail of 3 strains) to achieve ∼5 log10 cfu/g with absence or presence of Lb. reuteri (∼6 log10 cfu/g). Cheese samples were brined in 10% or 15% NaCl solution and stored at 10°C and 25°C for 28 d.

      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
      • Bacterial pathogens
  18. Electrostatic Spraying of Passion Fruit ( Passiflora edulis L.) Peel Extract for Inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes on Fresh-Cut Lollo Rossa and Beetroot Leaves

    • Food and Bioprocess Technology
    • In the present study, we evaluated the antimicrobial activity of passion fruit peel extract (PPE) against Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes. The application of PPE using an electrostatic spraying system for the disinfection of fresh-cut Lollo Rossa and beetroot leaves was also examined and compared with conventional PPE washing.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Fresh Cut
      • Produce Safety
      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
      • Listeria monocytogenes
  19. High concentration of sodium chloride could induce the viable and culturable states of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis

    • Letters in Applied Microbiology
    • Letters in Applied Microbiology, Accepted Article. In the present study, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis were transferred into Luria‐Bertani medium without NaCl (LBWS) and adjusted to various pHs (4, 5, 6, and 7) with lactic acid containing 0.75%, 5%, 10%, and 30% NaCl, and stored at 25°C until the bacterial populations reached below detectable levels on tryptic soy agar (TSA). Although E. coli O157:H7 and S.

      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
      • Salmonella
      • Bacterial pathogens
  20. Persistence of Foodborne Pathogens on Farmers Market Fomites

    • Journal of Food Protection
    • The number of farmers markets registered by the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has seen a significant increase, jumping from 1,755 in 1994 to 8,771 in 2019. Microbial studies have found evidence that produce sold at farmers can yield higher microbial counts than their retail counterparts; however, no previous literature explored the efficacy of microbial (bacteria and virus) persistence on a variety of different farmers market fomites over a 2-month period.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
      • Listeria monocytogenes
      • Salmonella
      • Staphylococcus aureus
  21. Recovery of high pressure processing (HPP) induced injured Escherichia coli O157:H7 inhibited by Lactobacillus sakei on vacuum-packed ground beef

    • Food Bioscience
    • Author(s): Longfeng Wang, Xiaoxue Kong, Yun Jiang (Source: Food Bioscience) High pressure processing (HPP) has been demonstrated as an effective technique in reducing E. coli O157:H7 levels on beef. However, an “injure and recover” action of E. coli O157:H7 was found to raise their beef contamination after HPP disinfection. Furthermore, the recovered cell could be miscalculated owing to the complex bacterial community of meat.

      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
      • Bacterial pathogens
  22. Influence of Soil Microbes on Escherichia coli O157:H7 Survival in Soil Rinse and Artificial Soil

    • Journal of Applied Microbiology
    • This research investigated the influence of soil microbiota on E. coli O157:H7 survival in soil rinse and artificial soil. Additionally, the influence of selected soil bacteria on E. coli O157:H7 in soil environments was determined.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
  23. Beef-based medium influences biofilm formation of Escherichia coli  O157:H7 isolated from beef processing plants

    • Journal of Food Protection
    • Beef-based medium beef extract (BE) and standard medium tryptic soy broth (TSB) are used as minimally processed food models to study their effects on Escherichia coli O157:H7 biofilm formation. The effects of temperatures (4 °C, 10 °C, 25 °C, 37 °C, and 42 °C), pH values (4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, 7.0, and 8.0), strain characteristics, and the expression of functional genes on biofilm formation ability of the bacteria were determined. The three tested E.

      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
      • Bacterial pathogens
  24. Genome Sequences of 104 Escherichia coli O157:H7 Isolates from Pigs, Cattle, and Pork Production Environments in Alberta, Canada

    • Microbiology Resource Announcements
    • Genome sequences of Escherichia coli O157:H7 originating from pigs are limited in the public databases. We sequenced 104 E. coli O157:H7 isolates from pig and cattle feces and pork production environments in Alberta, Canada. The information will aid studies investigating sources of E. coli O157:H7 contaminating pork and the associated environments.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
  25. Size Matters: Biological and Food Safety Relevance of Leaf Damage for Colonization of Escherichia coli O157:H7 gfp+

    • Frontiers in Microbiology
    • This study examined the biological and food safety relevance of leaf lesions for potential invasion of food pathogens into the plant tissue (internalization). This was done by determining the role of artificial leaf damage in terms of damaged leaf area on proliferation of E. coli O157:H7 gfp+.

      • Escherichia coli O157:H7
      • Leafy Greens
      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Produce Safety