Research Publications (Food Safety)

Drosophila melanogaster is one of the most extensively used genetic model organisms for studying LTR retrotransposons that are represented by various groups in its genome. However, the phenomenon of molecular domestication of LTR retrotransposons has been insufficiently studied in Drosophila, as well as in other invertebrates. The present work is devoted to studying the role of the domesticated gag gene, Gagr, in the Drosophila genome.

Lantibiotic salivaricins are polycyclic peptides containing lanthionine and/or β-methyllanthionine residues produced by certain strains of Streptococcus salivarius, which almost exclusively reside in the human oral cavity. The importance of these molecules stems from their antimicrobial activity towards relevant oral pathogens which has so far been applied through the development of salivaricin-producing probiotic strains.

In this paper, RE-CHAR® biochar, produced by a wood biomass pyrolysis process, which is usually applied as a soil fertilizer, was investigated for a novel use, that was as adsorbent for remediating a lead-contaminated solution. Firstly, a deep physical and chemical characterization of RE-CHAR® biochar was carried out. Then, the adsorption capacity of lead from 50 to 100 mg/L solutions was determined under batch and continuous flow conditions.

Ryanodine receptors (RyRs) are homotetrameric intracellular calcium (Ca2+) release channels responsible for excitation–contraction coupling of muscle cells. Diamide insecticides specifically act on RyRs of Lepidoptera and Coleoptera pests and are safe for nontargeted organisms, generating big worldwide sales.

by Christian Kirchnawy, Fiona Hager, Veronica Osorio Piniella, Mathias Jeschko, Michael Washüttl, Johannes Mertl, Aurelie Mathieu-Huart, Christophe Rousselle

Author(s): Gözde Özzeybek, İpek Şahin, Sezin Erarpat, Sezgin Bakirdere

Anthracnose and grapevine leaf spot are the most important fungal diseases of fox grape in Brazil caused by Sphaceloma ampelinum and Pseudocercospora vitis, respectively. Severe attacks of either diseases can affect the yield in the current and subsequent years. Synthetic fungicides are recommended to control these pathogens in the field but may be harmful to the environment and human health over time and select for fungicide‐resistant pathogen populations.

To determine the leaching behavior and mechanism of cadmium (Cd) from contaminated soil by nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), batch leaching experiments and chemical extraction in combination with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses were conducted to investigate the changes of Cd species, the organic matter content, the functional groups of soil particles in the course of leaching.

Author(s): Letícia Harumi Oshiquiri, Suely Lopes Gomes, Raphaela Castro Georg

Author(s): Han Guo, Jiwei Jiang, Jingqing Gao, Jingshen Zhang, Leiyuan Zeng, Ming Cai, Jingliang Zhang

Author(s): Klára Kobetičová, Jan Fořt, Robert Černý

Author(s): Maycon A. Araujo, Marilaine C.M. Leite, Liliane S. Camargos, Aline R. Martins

Author(s): Shengwei Zhang, Minghong Cai, Xiangzhou Meng, Yuan Gao

Author(s): Jiang Li, Huizhen Fan, Kunpeng Liu, Xiaoya Li, Danping Fan, Xiangchen Lu, Ya Xia, Yongtong Cao, Cheng Xiao

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposure has been shown to be a risk factor for many diseases. However, studies on the association between PAHs exposure and kidney disease are limited. The aim of this study was to explore the association between urinary PAHs and albuminuria based on a national representative sample from the general U.S. population.

Author(s): Jing Ya, Xuan Li, Ling Wang, Honghong Kou, Hongyuan Wang, Hongfeng Zhao

Author(s): Xie Mengdi, Dai Haibo, Liu Jiaxin, Xue Zhe, Chen Yi, Liang Xuan, Mou Haiyan, Sun Hui, Ao Tianqi, Li Yunzhen, Chen Wenqing

Author(s): Ishwar Chandra Yadav, Ningombam Linthoingambi Devi, Jun Li, Gan Zhang

Author(s): Cengiz Kaya, Muhammad Ashraf, Mohammed Nasser Alyemeni, Parvaiz Ahmad

Author(s): Jin Wang, Yanjun Jiang, Jing Sun, Jingye She, Meiling Yin, Fa Fang, Tangfu Xiao, Gang Song, Juan Liu

In this study, we produced a monoclonal antibody (mAb) 2F7 against cadmium (Cd) with IC50 of 0.20 ng/mL. The cross-reactivity of mAb 2F7 with other eight metals was < 1%. A fluorescent immunoassay strip was developed for the determination of Cd in rice. The cut-off value by visual inspection of the test strip was 50 μg/kg, and the quantitative detection range determined by the strip reader was 3.86–48.92 μg/kg.

A solid phase microextraction with carbon nanospheres coated fiber coupled with gas chromatographic detection was established for the determination of eight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (naphthalene, biphenyl, acenaphthene, fluorine, phenanthrene, anthracene, fluoranthene and pyrene) in water and soil samples.

Cadmium (Cd) exposure causes an oxidative challenge and inhibits cell cycle progression, ultimately impacting plant growth. Stress-induced effects on the cell cycle are often a consequence of activation of the DNA damage response (DDR).

Endophytic fungi are great resources for the identification of useful natural products such as antimicrobial agents. In this study, we performed the antifungal screening of various plant endophytic fungi against the dollar spot pathogen Sclerotinia homoeocarpa and finally selected Humicola sp. JS-0112 as a potential biocontrol agent. The bioactive compound produced by the strain JS-0112 was identified as monorden known as an inhibitor of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90).

The global spread of antibiotic resistance is forcing the scientific community to find new molecular strategies to counteract it. Deep functional profiling of microbiomes provides an alternative source for the discovery of novel antibiotic producers and probiotics. Recently, we implemented this ultrahigh-throughput screening approach for the isolation of Bacillus pumilus strains efficiently producing the ribosome-targeting antibiotic amicoumacin A (Ami).

Algae products are attracting growing interest due to their pleasant taste and their high contents in protein, essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. Specifically, spirulina products are widely promoted for their high vitamin B12 content. So far, knowledge regarding the contamination with cyanotoxins, heavy metals, pesticides, or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is scarce, although some studies reported high contaminant levels in spirulina products.