Research Publications (Food Safety)

Publication date: Available online 20 June 2017
Food Science and Human Wellness

Author(s): Lin Cheng, Hao Qu, Jun Teng, Li Yao, Feng Xue, Wei Chen

Publication date: October 2017
, Volume 67

Author(s): Laura Gálvez, Monika Urbaniak, Agnieszka Waśkiewicz, Łukasz Stępień, Daniel Palmero

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a natural contaminant of food including tea with multiple toxic effects, which poses a threat to human health. In terms of lifestyle, the Turkish population is a frequent visitor of tearooms, and the traditional Turkish tea preparation is one of the most popular ways of preparing tea infusion.

Publication date: August 2017
Food and Chemical Toxicology, Volume 106, Part A

Author(s): Ali Heshmati, Tahereh Zohrevand, Amin Mousavi Khaneghah, Amir Sasan Mozaffari Nejad, Anderson S. Sant’Ana

Publication date: August 2017
Food and Chemical Toxicology, Volume 106, Part A

Author(s): Stefanie C. Fleck, Mona I. Churchwell, Daniel R. Doerge

These studies concentrate on the possibility of using selenium ions and/or 24-epibrassinolide at non-toxic levels as protectors of wheat plants against zearalenone, which is a common and widespread mycotoxin. Analysis using the UHPLC-MS technique allowed for identification of grains having the stress-tolerant and stress-sensitive wheat genotype. When germinating in the presence of 30 µM of zearalenone, this mycotoxin can accumulate in both grains and hypocotyls germinating from these grains.

Abstract

Publication date: October 2017
, Volume 80

Author(s): Xiaoqian Tang, Peiwu Li, Zhaowei Zhang, Qi Zhang, Jingnan Guo, Wen Zhang

Patulin is a water-soluble mycotoxin produced by several species of fungi. Governmental bodies have placed it under scrutiny for its potential negative health effects, and maximum residue limits are fixed in specific food matrices to protect consumers’ health. Confirmatory analysis of patulin in complex food matrices can be a difficult task, and sample clean-up treatments are frequently necessary before instrumental analyses.

The analytical scenario for determining contaminants in the food and feed sector is constantly prompted by the progress and improvement of knowledge and expertise of researchers and by the technical innovation of the instrumentation available. Mycotoxins are agricultural contaminants of fungal origin occurring at all latitudes worldwide and being characterized by acute and chronic effects on human health and animal wellness, depending on the species sensitivity.

Publication date: 2 August 2017
, Volume 254

Author(s): Belén Guijarro, Inmaculada Larena, Paloma Melgarejo, Antonieta De Cal

Patulin is a mycotoxin of food safety concern. It is produced by numerous species of fungi growing on fruits and vegetables. Exposure to the toxin is connected to issues neurological, immunological, and gastrointestinal in nature. Regulatory agencies worldwide have established maximum allowable levels of 50 µg/kg in foods. Despite regulations, surveys continue to find patulin in commercial food and beverage products, in some cases, to exceed the maximum limits.

The morphology and secondary metabolism of Aspergillus spp. are associated with initial spore density (ISD). Fatty acids (FA) are involved in the biosynthesis of aflatoxins (AF) through Aspergillus quorum sensing (QS). Here, we studied how ochratoxin A (OTA) was regulated by spore density in Aspergillus ochraceus CGMCC 3.4412. The results contribute to understanding the role of spore density in morphogenesis, OTA biosynthesis, and host–pathogen interactions. When A.

Mycotoxins can contaminate various food commodities, including cereals. Moreover, mycotoxins of different classes can co-contaminate food, increasing human health risk. Several analytical methods have been published in the literature dealing with mycotoxins determination in cereals.

Publication date: September 2017
, Volume 79

Author(s): Fengchun Zhao, Qiang Shen, Huimin Wang, Xiao Han, Zhengyou Yang

Publication date: September 2017
, Volume 79

Author(s): Zheng Han, Keqiu Jiang, Zhichen Fan, José Diana Di Mavungu, Maofeng Dong, Wenbo Guo, Kai Fan, Katrina Campbell, Zhihui Zhao, Yongjiang Wu

Publication date: 19 June 2017
, Volume 251

Author(s): Oluwawapelumi A. Oyedele, Chibundu N. Ezekiel, Michael Sulyok, Modupeade C. Adetunji, Benedikt Warth, Olusegun O. Atanda, Rudolf Krska

Publication date: Available online 28 March 2017


Author(s): Fadia Ben Taheur, Kais Fedhila, Kamel Chaieb, Bochra Kouidhi, Amina Bakhrouf, Luís Abrunhosa

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a natural contaminant that has displayed nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity in mammals. It contaminates a great variety of foodstuffs and threatens people’s lives. The molecular mechanism of OTA-induced toxicity has been studied since 1965. Moreover, epigenetic mechanisms are also studied in OTA-induced toxicity. Additionally, the mode of OTA epigenetic research has been advanced in research hotspots. However, there is still no epigenetic study of OTA-induced toxicity.

An improved analytical method compared with conventional ones was developed for simultaneous determination of 13 mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol, nivalenol, 3-acetylnivalenol, aflatoxin B1, aflatoxin B2, aflatoxin G1, aflatoxin G2, fumonisin B1, fumonisin B2, T-2, HT-2, zearalenone, and ochratoxin A) in cereal grains by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) after a single immunoaffinity column clean-up.

The efficacy of cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP) with ambient air as working gas for the degradation of selected mycotoxins was studied. Deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, enniatins, fumonisin B1, and T2 toxin produced by Fusarium spp., sterigmatocystin produced by Aspergillus spp. and AAL toxin produced by Alternaria alternata were used. The kinetics of the decay of mycotoxins exposed to plasma discharge was monitored.

The enteric nervous system (ENS) can undergo adaptive and reparative changes in response to physiological and pathological stimuli. These manifest primarily as alterations in the levels of active substances expressed by the enteric neuron. While it is known that mycotoxins can affect the function of the central and peripheral nervous systems, knowledge about their influence on the ENS is limited.

In food/feed control, mycotoxin analysis is often still performed “one analyte at a time”. Here a method is presented which aims at making mycotoxin analysis environmentally friendlier through replacing acetonitrile by ethyl acetate and reducing chemical waste production by analyzing four mycotoxins together, forgoing sample extract clean-up, and minimizing solvent consumption. For this, 2 g of test material were suspended in 8 mL water and 16 mL ethyl acetate were added.