Research Publications (Food Safety)

The present study evaluated the repercussions of magnetopriming on the root system architecture of soybean plants subjected to arsenic toxicity using synchrotron radiation source based micro-computed tomography (SR-µCT). This will be used evey where as abbreviation for the technique for three-dimensional imaging. Seeds of soybean were exposed to the static magnetic field (SMF) of strength (200 mT) for 1h prior to sowing.

Environmental stressors in aquatic organisms can be assessed using a bioenergetic approach based on the evaluation of changes in their physiological parameters.

Cadmium (Cd) contamination of soils is a major agricultural and environmental concern. Biochar (BC) is well known for enhancing crop production, while incorporating lignin (LN) with BC for decreasing Cd uptake and availability has not been studied. Herein, we investigated the effects of LN+BC under different irrigation regimes on Cd uptake, soil properties, and maize growth in Cd-contaminated soil.

Antibiotic residue in food products and the resulting antibiotic-resistant bacteria represent a significant global public health threat. The misuse of antibiotics is a primary contributor to this issue. This study investigated the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding antibiotic use among cage fish farmers on Ghana’s Volta Lake. Method: We conducted a cross-sectional survey with 91 cage fish farmers across three scales: small, medium, and large.

Abstract BACKGROUND Nanotechnology has been widely applied in agricultural science. During the process of reducing metal toxicity and accumulation in rice, nanomaterials exhibit size effects. However, there is limited knowledge regarding these size effects. We aim to explore the impact of fertilizer with various sizes of ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO‐NPs) on rice growth and cadmium (Cd) accumulation and to elucidate the potential mechanism of Cd reduction in rice.

Background and aims It is unclear if cadmium (Cd) is loaded into cacao beans directly from the roots and stem or rather via reallocation from leaves and stem via the phloem.

Summary Ensuring rice yield and grain safety quality are vital for human health. In this study, we developed two‐line hybrid rice (TLHR) with ultra‐low grain cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) accumulation by pyramiding novel alleles of OsNramp5 and OsLsi2. We first generated low Cd accumulation restorer (R) lines by editing OsNramp5, OsLCD, and OsLCT in japonica and indica.

This study investigated proximate composition and heavy metal concentration in wheat flour samples gathered from five districts of Haryana and Madhya Pradesh. The sample of Panchkula, Rohtak, Palwal, Dadri, Sirsa, Bhind, Neemuch, Bhopal, Khargone, and Anuppur are referred to as HR1, HR2, HR3, HR4, HR5, MP1, MP2, MP3, MP4, and MP5 respectively.

Background and aims

Measurement of Nutrient use efficiency (NUE) can be useful for evaluating crops under stressful conditions. The study aimed to elucidate the NUE regulation post-NP (Nitrogen and Phosphorus) supplementation under the combined effect of drought (D) and arsenic (As) stress in wheat seedlings.

Food products have the potential to contain herbicide residues that may pose a threat to human health and the environment, and the determination of these residues at trace levels is extremely important. In this study, a rapid, simple, accurate and environmentally friendly DLLME-QuEChERS method was developed for the sensitive determination of metobromuron at trace levels in coconut-strawberry samples. Mass spectrometry coupled to gas chromatography was used to perform the analysis.

Abstract Cultured meat, which involves growing meat in a laboratory rather than breeding animals, offers potential benefits in terms of sustainability, health, and animal welfare compared to conventional meat production. However, the cultured meat production process involves several stages, each with potential hazards requiring careful monitoring and control. Microbial contamination risks exist in the initial cell collection from source animals and the surrounding environment.

Abstract Nanosensors have become an indispensable tool in the food sector due to their specificity and sensitivity. The biosensor consists of a transducer coupled with a biorecognition component to transform biological signal into digital signal. Nanobiosensors have been widely used for sensing toxic chemicals such as pesticide residues and pathogenic microbes owing to their accurate sensitivity in an affordable manner, which gives more hope to the food industry on their applications.

Cd (cadmium) is a highly toxic heavy metal pollutant often present in soil and detrimentally impacting the production and quality of horticultural crops. Cd affects various physiological and biochemical processes in plants, including chlorophyll synthesis, photosynthesis, mineral uptake and accumulation, and hormonal imbalance, leading to cell death. The MYB family of transcription factors plays a significant role in plant response to environmental influences.

Tetracyclines (TCs) residues in animal-based foods may cause consumer poisoning or allergic reactions, as well as resistance of pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore, a method to accurately monitor TCs is urgently needed. Here, a sensitive and greenificated molecularly imprinted fluorescent sensor (CDs@MIP) for detecting TCs residues using non-covalent imprinting binding method has been synthesized in a simple and safe manner.

Mancozeb is an extensively consumed fungicide, which often leaves high residue levels on agricultural products. The conventional method for detecting mancozeb involves a time‐consuming process using gas chromatography (GC) after a 2‐hour water‐bath acidolysis, resulting in low efficiency and recovery rates. This study developed a rapid method for detecting mancozeb in fruits and vegetables using microwave‐assisted acidolysis and extraction coupled with GC analysis.

We investigated the therapeutic effects of EDTA application for 14 and 28 days on cadmium (Cd) induced pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis (Linnaeus, 1758). The sublethal concentration of cadmium (63.4 mg/l Cd) caused tissue damages to the snail after an exposure for 28 days.

Ivermectin (IVM) is one of the most widely used antiparasitic drugs worldwide and has become the drug of choice for anthelmintic and tick treatment in beef cattle production. Drugs used in production animals requires a withdrawal period after treatment to avoid residual concentrations above the defined maximun residue level (MRL).

As a legume crop widely cultured in the world, faba bean (Vicia faba L.) forms root nodules with diverse Rhizobium species in different regions. However, the symbionts associated with this plant in Mexico have not been studied. To investigate the diversity and species/symbiovar affiliations of rhizobia associated with faba bean in Mexico, rhizobia were isolated from this plant grown in two Mexican sites in the present study.

A simple method based on solid–liquid extraction with a low-temperature partition (SLE/LTP) and analysis by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was optimized and validated for determining residues of the pesticides triadimenol, flutriafol, λ-cyhalothrin, difenoconazole, and azoxystrobin in oat flour. A factorial design was employed to optimize the technique and establish the best conditions for the simultaneous extraction of the analytes.

Abstract

Arsenic (As) pollution in rice (Oryza sativa L.), a staple food for over 3.5 billion people, is a global problem. Mixed effects of Zn, Cu, and Si amendments on plant growth and yield, including in the presence of As pollution have been reported in previous studies.

The overuse of pesticides has resulted in the accumulation of harmful residues in vegetables, which requires monitoring to assess the risks to human health. This article presents the levels of 35 pesticide residues in 15 composite vegetable samples from irrigated farmlands adjacent to Lake Ziway, Ethiopia, using the QuEChERS extraction method (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) and then analyzes them using GC‐MS.

A method for the rapid screening and confirmation of 60 food‐borne stimulants in animal‐derived foods was developed using the ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography‐quadrupole/orbitrap high‐resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC‐Q/Orbitrap HRMS). After enzymatic hydrolysis at 37°C for 16 h, the samples were extracted with acetonitrile solution. The extraction solution was purified by PRiME HLB pass‐through solid‐phase extraction cartridge and redissolved by nitrogen blowing.

This study demonstrates that Cinnamomum camphora essential oil (CEO) effectively inhibits Fusarium oxysporum‐induced decay in postharvest blueberries by disrupting fungal cell membrane integrity and enhancing blueberry defence mechanisms. The findings suggest that CEO, as an eco‐friendly alternative to synthetic fungicides, can mitigate primary fungal invasion and improve blueberry preservation during postharvest storage.

The impact of soil fertilization with animal manure on the spread and persistence of antibiotic resistance in the environment is far from being fully understood. To add knowledge about persistence and correlations between antibiotic residues and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in fertilized soil, a longitudinal soil mesocosm study was conducted.