Research Publications (Food Safety)

Food chain contamination by soil lead (Pb), beginning with Pb uptake by leafy vegetables, is a threat to food safety and poses a potential risk to human health.

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and lead (Pb) are widely used in industrial field, which poses a serious threat to human and animal health. In particular, a large volume of wastewater containing TBBPA and Pb was discharged into the aquatic environment, causing a seriously negative impact on fish. Currently, whether TBBPA and Pb have a synergistic toxicity on fish remains unclear.

Abstract Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the assessment of the application for renewal of authorisation of sodium hydroxide as a technological additive (acidity regulator) for dogs, cats and ornamental fish. The applicants have provided evidence that the additive currently on the market complies with the existing conditions of authorisation.

Soil microorganisms play a crucial role in remediating contaminated soils in modern ecosystems. However, the potential of combining microorganisms with legumes to enhance the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils remains unexplored. To investigate this, we isolated and purified a highly efficient cadmium and lead-tolerant strain. Through soil-cultivated pot experiments with two leguminous plants (Robinia pseudoacacia L.

Introduction

Approximately 200 million people worldwide are affected by arsenic toxicity emanating from the consumption of drinking water containing inorganic arsenic above the prescribed maximum contaminant level. The current investigation deals with the role of prenatal arsenic exposure in modulating the gut microbial community and functional pathways of the host.

Method

A dual-mode sensing platform for Pb2+ was constructed based on the dual optical channels of Au NPs system with the amplification of DNAzyme, and it was successfully applied for Pb2+ determination in preserved egg with satisfactory results. The presence of Pb2+ activated the DNAzyme and induced the dispersion change of Au NPs in high salt concentration.

Vegetable cultivation on solid wastes dumpsites (SWD) soils is very common in developing countries though unsafe due to heavy metals pollution. In order to evaluate the ecological and human health risks of this practice, Talium triangulare and Lycopersicon esculentum were grown in a greenhouse on soils from two abandoned and active SWD, and control site.

The heavy-metal-associated (HMA) proteins are a class of PB1-type ATPases related to the intracellular transport and detoxification of metals.

Rice is the major source of arsenic (As) intake in humans, as this staple crop readily accumulates As in the grain. Identifying the genes and molecular mechanisms underlying As accumulation and tolerance is a crucial step toward developing rice with reduced As levels. We identified 25 rice genes that improve As tolerance in yeast cells by expressing a complementary DNA (cDNA) library generated from As-treated rice roots.

Se (Selenium) has been reported to be an important protective agent to decreases Cd (Cadmium) induced toxic in plants. However, it remains unclear how Se mitigates the uptake of Cd and increased the resistance to Cd toxicity. Hydroponic experiments were arranged to investigate the changes of physiological properties, root cell membrane integrity and Cd-related transporter genes in rape seedlings.

The gut barrier plays an essential role in maintaining homeostasis and is usually composed of a mechanical barrier, a chemical barrier, an immune barrier, and a biological barrier. However, the impacts of lead (Pb) exposure on avian gut barrier are still unclear.

Elemental tracer concentrations of copper, lead, nickel and zinc, were assessed in the muscles of Oreochromis amphimelas and Clarias gariepinus from Lake Manyara, Tanzania, to evaluate their safety to consumers, specifically humans. Results revealed that no elemental concentrations exceeded the FAO permissible levels, indicating fish from all sites are safe for human consumption.

In this study, heavy metal accumulation levels (Cu, Zn, Cr, Pb, As) in biotic [Carassius gibelio (Bloch, 1782), Squalius pursakensis (Hankó 1925)] and abiotic (sediments) components in a significant freshwater ecosystem in Türkiye were investigated on the basis of seasonal variations using geographic information systems (GIS) and some ecotoxicological risk assessment indices [PLI (pollution load index), PERI (potential ecological risk index), Igeo (geo accumulation index), C

Introduction Soil pollution caused by toxic elements such as lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) induces environmental stress on vegetable plants and soil microbial communities, reducing crop yield and disrupting ecosystem functions. Methodology In this study, nanoscale zerovalent iron supported with eggshell biochar and activated carbon (nZVI-ESB/AC) was synthesized using ca

Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) in foods are a threat to global health. This study investigated concentrations of selected PTEs; cadmium, chromium, nickel and lead in fish and cultivated vegetables from and along the dams, respectively. Totally, 84 samples; 60 Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), 12 Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) and 12 Bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) obtained from six dams in Southwestern Nigeria were digested using aqua-regia.

Monascus sp. is an important food microbial resource with the production of cholesterol-lowering agent lovastatin and other healthy metabolites. However, the mycotoxin citrinin naturally produced by Monascus sp. and the insufficient productivity of lovastatin limit its large-scale use in food industry.

Cadmium-109 whole-body and internal biokinetics were experimentally investigated in critically endangered diamond sturgeon Acipenser gueldenstaedtii after uptake from water or food, in fresh (FW) and brackish (BW; 9‰) salinities typical of the Caspian Sea. Whole-body rates of uptake of 109Cd from water and subsequent depuration were quantified over 14 and 28 days, respectively.

Abstract Genotoxic and hepatotoxic effects of lead (Pb) on a freshwater fish, climbing perch (Anabas testudineus) were studied at an environmentally relevant concentration (43.3 ppm). The genotoxic potential of Pb was confirmed by micronucleus study, with increased frequencies of erythrocytic nuclear alterations like lobed, blebbed, notched, fragmented, and micronuclei were observed in erythrocytes in treated groups as compared to control.

In aquatic ecosystems, arsenate (As(V)) and lead (Pb(II)) frequently coexist but their joint toxicity on microalgae remains unknown. In this study, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii was exposed to various levels of combined As(V) and Pb(II) treatments. The cell growth, respiration, pigment synthesis, polysaccharides and protein secretion as well as As speciation of C. reinhardtii were analyzed.

A major obstacle to agricultural production and yield quality is heavy metal contamination of the soil and water, which leads to lower productivity and quality of crops. The situation has significantly worsened as a result of the growing population and subsequent rise in food consumption. The growth of nutrient-rich plants is hampered by lead (Pb) toxicity in the soil. Brassica oleracea L.

Phenotyping is used in plant breeding to identify genotypes with desirable characteristics, such as drought tolerance, disease resistance, and high-yield potentials. It may also be used to evaluate the effect of environmental circumstances, such as drought, heat, and salt, on plant growth and development. Wheat spike density measure is one of the most important agronomic factors relating to wheat phenotyping.

Nano-enabled agriculture has emerged as an attractive approach for facilitating soil pollution mitigation and enhancing crop production and nutrition. In this study, we conducted a greenhouse experiment to explore the efficacy of silicon oxide nanoparticles (SiONPs) and iron oxide nanoparticles (FeONPs) in alleviating arsenic (As) toxicity in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and elucidated the underlying mechanisms involved.

Arsenic poses a significant health risk worldwide, impacting the gut microbiota, reproductive health, and development. To address this issue, a cost-effective method like probiotic supplementation could be beneficial. However, the interplay between arsenic toxicity, probiotics, gut microbiota, and maternal transcript modulation remains unexplored. This study investigates the impact of Lactobacillus rhamnosus (L.

Environmental quality and food safety is threatened by contamination of lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) heavy metals in agricultural soils. Therefore, it is necessary to develop effective techniques for remediation of such soils. In this study, we prepared iron-modified biochar (Fe-BC) which combines the unique characteristics of pristine biochar (BC) and iron.

Abstract Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the assessment of the application for renewal of Agal‐Pro BL/BL‐L®. The additive is a preparation of alpha‐galactosidase produced by a genetically modified strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (CBS 615.94) and endo‐1,4‐beta‐glucanase produced by a non‐genetically modified strain of Aspergillus niger (CBS 120604).