Research Publications (Food Safety)

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is the most dangerous and abundant mycotoxin, which is toxic to almost all animals, and poultry is more sensitive to AFB1 toxicity. Ingesting AFB1-contaminated feed can cause significant liver damage and brings serious harm to poultry, which greatly restricts the development of the poultry industry. The present research was implemented to explore the intervention effect and its mechanism of taraxasterol on liver damage induced by AFB1 in broiler chickens.

Lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) based on fluorescent microbeads has attracted much attention for its use in rapid and accurate food safety monitoring. However, conventional fluorescent microbeads are limited by the aggregation-caused quenching effect of the loaded fluorophores, thus resulting in low signal intensity and insufficient sensitivity of fluorescent LFIA.

The frequent occurrence of ochratoxins in food and herbs poses a considerable threat to consumer and animal health. Here, we generated a broad-specificity monoclonal antibody against three ochratoxins. Concentrations for 50% inhibition (IC50) for OTA, OTB, and OTC were 0.37, 0.23, and 2.24 ng/mL, respectively.

Detrimental contamination of zearalenone (ZEN) in crops and foodstuffs has drawn intensive public attention since it poses an ongoing threat to global food security and human health. Highly sensitive and rapid response ZEN trace analysis suitable for complex matrices at different processing stages is an indispensable part of food production. Conventional detection methods for ZEN encounter many deficiencies and demerits such as sophisticated equipment and heavy labor intensity.

Semen coicis is not only a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), but also a typical food in China, with significant medical and healthcare value. Because semen coicis is rich in starch and oil, it can be easily contaminated with Aspergillus flavus and its aflatoxins (AFs). Preventing and controlling the contamination of semen coicis with Aspergillus flavus and its aflatoxins is vital to ensuring its safety as a drug and as a food.

Electrochemical aptasensors have been extensively used to quantify food contaminants (e.g., mycotoxin) by using high-affinity aptamer for target recognition. Yet, analytical performance of aptasensors using different aptamers can be varied for the same target. Here, four aptamers with different sequences (i.e., A22, A34, A42, and A45) of patulin (PAT) were selected to estimate sensing behaviors at electrodes with electrochemical (EC) and photoelectrochemical (PEC) assays.

Mycotoxin co-occurrence compromises the safety of food crops worldwide. Environmental factors, as well as fungal interaction, can substantially influence the infectivity of mycotoxigenic fungi and their subsequent production of multi-mycotoxin. Here, we investigated the mutual effects of the co-culture of ochratoxigenic and aflatoxigenic Aspergillus strains on the co-production of ochratoxin A (OTA) and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). Single cultures of ochratoxigenic A.

Food and feed contamination by fungi, especially by toxigenic ones, is a global concern because it can pose serious health problems when the production of mycotoxins is involved. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB), well-known for fermenting foods, have been gaining attention for their antifungal and anti-mycotoxin properties.

Zearalenone (ZEN) is one of the most common mycotoxins in maize, wheat, barley, sorghum, rye and other grains. ZEN contamination in feed is an international health issue due to its estrogenicity by competitively binding to estrogen receptors.

The current research aims to examine the effect of storage conditions on aflatoxin production in different spices.

Mycotoxins are ubiquitously present in feeds and raw materials and can exert toxicity on animals and humans. Therefore, mycotoxin occurrence should be monitored. We report here a multi-mycotoxin survey of feed samples in China from 2017 to 2021. Concentrations of aflatoxins, trichothecenes type B, fumonisins, and zearalenone were determined in a total of 9392 samples collected throughout China.

Aflatoxin is a potent mycotoxin and a common source of grain contamination that leads to great economic losses and health problems. Although distilled baijiu cannot be contaminated by aflatoxin, its presence in the brewing process affects the physiological activities of micro-organisms and reduces product quality. Bacillus cereus XSWW9 capable of degrading aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was isolated from daqu using coumarin as the sole carbon source.

Mycotoxins contamination and pest infestation of foods and feeds represent a pivotal threat for food safety and security worldwide, with crucial implications for human and animal health. Controlled atmosphere could be a sustainable strategy to reduce mycotoxins content and counteract the vitality of deleterious organisms in foodstuff.

Aflatoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by Aspergillus spp. found in staple food and feed commodities worldwide. Aflatoxins are carcinogenic, teratogenic, and mutagenic, and pose a serious threat to the health of both humans and animals. The global economy and trade are significantly affected as well. Various models and datasets related to aflatoxins in maize have been developed and used but have not yet been linked.

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a non-steroidal estrogenic mycotoxin produced by the fungi of the Fusarium genera, and is a contaminant of cereals and plant products. ZEN and its metabolites are considered endocrine disruptors, and could have various toxic effects on animals and humans. In recent years, there has been a significant demographic increase in wild boar (Sus scrofa) in many mountainous and hilly areas of Italy, including the Campania region, mainly due to global climate change.

Rapid and sensitive analysis of ochratoxin A (OTA) plays an important role in food safety. Here, an aptasensor based on novel exponential rolling circle amplification (ERCA) was proposed for ultrasensitive and label-free fluorescence detection of OTA. The attachment of OTA to its aptamer could release H and rapidly hybridize with CT to initiate rolling circle amplification (RCA).

An integrated strategy for the rapid and sensitive detection of deoxynivalenol in cereals was developed by combining Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticle-modified metal organic framework-5-based magnetic solid-phase extraction and the optical fiber-based homogeneous chemiluminescence immunosensor. The hybrid magnetic material was prepared and characterized, exhibiting good enrichment capacity up to 1.68 mg/g.

A novel charge neutralization strategy with positively charged SYBR Green I was used for the convenient detection of fumonisin B1. In the absence of the fumonisin B1, the aggregation of gold nanoparticles would appear in less than 2 min. In the presence of the fumonisin B1, the positive charge of SYBR Green I was neutralized by the negatively charged fumonisin B1. As a result, the aggregation of gold nanoparticles could not be achieved.

The estrogenic mycotoxin zearalenone (ZEN) is a common contaminant of animal feed. Effective strategies for the inactivation of ZEN in feed are required. The ZEN-degrading enzyme zearalenone hydrolase ZenA (EC 3.1.1.-, commercial name ZENzyme®, BIOMIN Holding GmbH, Getzersdorf, Austria) converts ZEN to hydrolyzed ZEN (HZEN), thereby enabling a strong reduction in estrogenicity.

Aflatoxins (AFs) frequently contaminate food and animal feeds, especially in (sub) tropical countries. If animals consume contaminated feeds, AFs (mainly aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), B2 (AFB2), G1 (AFG1), G2 (AFG2) and their major metabolites aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) and M2 (AFM2)) can be transferred to edible tissues and products, such as eggs, liver and muscle tissue and milk, which ultimately can reach the human food chain.

The high incidence of aflatoxins (AFs) in chocolates suggests the necessity to create a practical and cost-effective processing strategy for eliminating mycotoxins. The present study aimed to assess the adsorption abilities of activated charcoal (A.

Enniatin B (ENNB) is a mycotoxin produced by moulds from the Fusarium genera and its toxic effects are still not fully elucidated, hence a safe reference exposure value has not been established yet. ENNB is the most prevalent emerging mycotoxin and is widely found in cereal-based products, nevertheless, there are no comprehensive exposure assessment studies.

The aim of the present study was to develop meat-based media with compositions similar to those of dry-fermented meat products and to evaluate their use in studying the growth of Aspergillus parasiticus and the kinetics of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) production. In our previous experiments, we found that the strain A. parasiticus ŽMJ7 produced a high amount of AFB1.

Ochratoxin A (OTA), a secondary fungal metabolite with nephrotoxicity, is widespread in numerous kinds of feeds and foodstuffs. Ursolic acid (UA), a water-insoluble pentacyclic triterpene acid, exists in a wide range of food materials and medicinal plants.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of compound mycotoxin detoxifier (CMD) on alleviating the toxic effect of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) for broiler growth performance. One-kilogram CMD consists of 667 g aflatoxin B1-degrading enzyme (ADE, 1,467 U/g), 200 g montmorillonite and 133 g compound probiotics (CP). The feeding experiment was divided into 2 stages (1–21 d and 22–42 d).