Research Publications (Food Safety)

Effects of vitamin C supplementation on the oral bioaccessibility of lead (Pb) present in contaminated soils were examined using a number of in vitro assays (PBET, SBRC, UBM and IVG). In the presence of vitamin C, an increase in Pb bioaccessibility was observed in the gastric phase by 1.3-fold (30.5%−85.5%) and in the intestinal phase by 3.1-fold (0.9%−58.9%).

SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE (SPL) genes encode a large family of plant-specific transcription factors that play important roles in plant growth, development, and stress responses. However, there is little information available on SPL genes in Chenopodiaceae. Here, 23 SPL genes were identified and characterized in the highly nutritious crop Chenopodium quinoa. Chromosome localization analysis indicated that the 23 CqSPL genes were unevenly distributed on 12 of 18 chromosomes.

Journal of Food Safety, EarlyView. Food processing techniques reduce pesticide residue accumulation in food components. The present study investigated the effectiveness of simple processing techniques, such as roasting, soaking, autoclaving, and storage conditions on 27 selected pesticides belongs to the class of organophosphates (OPs), organochlorines (OCPs), and pyrethroids (PPs) in pesticide fortified cottonseed.

Increasing evidence supports the role of arsenic in dysregulated immune and inflammation responses, while, safe and effective treatments have not been fully examined. Rosa roxburghii Tratt (RRT), a traditional Chinese edible fruit with potential immunoregulatory activities, was considered as a dietary supplement to explore its protective effects and possible mechanism in arsenic-induced dysregulated inflammation responses.

A QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, Safe) method, for reliable semi-quantitative screening of 27 organic contaminants including phthalates (PAEs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in edible oil, was developed.

Soil contamination with cadmium (Cd) is a persistent threat to crop production worldwide. The present study examined the putative roles of nitric oxide (NO) in improving Cd-tolerance in cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L.). The present study was conducted using four different genotypes of B.

Earlier studies revealed that cadmium (Cd) concentrations in cacao nibs can decrease by a factor up to 1.3 during fermentation. Here, fermentation was mimicked by incubating beans at different temperatures, and acetic acid and ethanol concentrations in the incubation media. Nib Cd concentrations decreased during incubation by mobilisation in the nibs and subsequent outward migration to the testa and the incubation solution.

The detection method for flurtamone enantiomers in soil and five farm products (wheat, maize, sorghum, soybeans and pea) was established using modified QuEChERS method combined with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The Box-Behnken design (BBD) of response surface methodology was used to optimize the enantioseparation parameters of flurtamone on Chiralpak IG-3 column.

To assess the health risks from antibiotic residues in freshwater fish, this study analyzed residues of 65 antibiotics in 10 freshwater fish species sampled in southeast China. Eight antibiotics were detected by UPLC-MS/MS at an overall detection rate of 53.9%, with 3.48% of samples exceeding MRLs and 13.0% suggesting the misuse of human antibiotics. Quinolones, particularly enrofloxacin, were the most frequently detected residues.

Gastrointestinal nematodes are a diverse class of pathogens that colonise a quarter of the world’s human population and nearly all grazing livestock. These macroparasites establish, and some migrate, within host gastrointestinal niches during their life cycles and release molecules that condition the host mucosa to enable chronic infections.

Metal hyperaccumulators are plant species that can uptake and store high concentrations of heavy metals in their aboveground tissues, while maintaining high vigor. Hyperaccumulation of metals was suggested to provide defense against natural enemies such as herbivores. However, heavy-metal uptake can incur physiological and ecological costs, suggesting that, like other anti-herbivore defenses, it might be induced by herbivore attack.

Cadmium (Cd) pollution not only reduces crop yields, but also threatens human health and food safety. It is of great significance for agricultural production to improve plant Cd resistance and reduce Cd accumulation. In Arabidopsis, tryptophan (Trp) has been found to play a role in Cd resistance. However, studies on the role of exogenous Trp on Cd tolerance in crops are limited.

Germacrene A (GA) is a key intermediate for the synthesis of medicinal active compounds, especially for β-elemene, which is a broad-spectrum anticancer drug. The production of sufficient GA in the microbial platform is vital for the precursors supply of active compounds. In this study, Escherichia coli BL21 Star (DE3) was used as the host and cultivated in SBMSN medium, obtaining a highest yield of FPP. The GA synthase from Lactuca sativa (LTC2) exhibited the highest level of GA production.

We studied the succession of bacterial communities during the biodegradation of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8-TCDD). The communities originated from a mesocosm with soil from Bien Hoa airbase in Vietnam heavily contaminated with herbicides and dioxins. They were grown in defined media with different carbon and Gibbs energy sources and 2,3,7,8-TCDD.

Enterococcus faecium has become an important drug-resistant nosocomial pathogen because of widespread antibiotic abuse. We developed short and chemically simple antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) with a selective amino acid composition, fixed charge, and hydrophobicity ratio based on the core antimicrobial motif of bovine lactoferrin (LfcinB6). Among these peptides, 5L and 6L (both 12 residues long) demonstrated a narrow spectrum and high antibacterial activity against drug-resistant E.

The geothermal zone of Araró, México, is located within the trans-Mexican volcanic belt, an area with numerous arsenic (As)-rich hot springs. In this study, the draft genome sequence of two endemic Bacillus strains (ZAP17 and ZAP62) from Araró microbial mat hot springs was determined, which were able to grow on arsenate As(V) (up to 64 mM) and arsenite As(III) (up to 32 mM).

A portable device is conducive to the on-site detection of heavy metal ions at trace level in food and the prevention of related food safety issues. In this work, an electrochemical device stacked up with flat electrodes was developed for the detection of Pb2+ and Cd2+. The top layer of the device is a carbon paper as working electrode, which is modified with amino functionalized cobalt-based metal-organic framework and gold nanoparticles.

Cadmium (Cd) is a heavy metal that is harmful to human health. Early studies have shown that cadmium can damage testicular structure, affecting testosterone synthesis and spermatogenesis. However, the effect of paternal Cd exposure on the reproductive system of offspring remains unclear.

This study focused on Pb (II) elimination from aqueous solutions using fungal soil isolate which is identified as Aspergillus neoalliaceus. The sorption of lead with fungal mass studies was performed as a function of pH, biomass dose, contact time, and initial dye concentration. The solution pH value strongly affected the sorption of lead fungal mass.

India has achieved its food security through the green revolution and technological revolution, although food safety is still not realized. Subsequently, agricultural runoffs, industrial wastes and domestic sewages continuously contaminate the water and the associated livelihood through several contaminants. Pesticides and their residues, which function as endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), influence the food web through water resources, among other things.

by Tridib Ganguly, Alexandra M. Peterson, Marissa Burkholder, Jessica K. Kajfasz, Jacqueline Abranches, José A. Lemos Zinc is a trace metal that is essential to all forms of life, but that becomes toxic at high concentrations. Because it has both antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties and low toxicity to mammalian cells, zinc has been used as a therapeutic agent for centuries to treat a variety of infectious and non-infectious conditions.

Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP), a type of urease-based biomineralization, has been a well-researched technique in recent years for heavy metal immobilization; however, the efficiency of the process remains in question. Poly(amino acids) are known to enhance enzymatic activity.

The goal of the present study was to estimate the distribution and migration of eleven systemic and non-systemic pesticides between the skin and the pulp of apples. Additionally, the behaviour of acetamiprid, boscalid, bupirimate, cyprodinil, flonicamid, fluopyram, pirimicarb, pyrimethanil, thiacloprid, deltamethrin, and fludioxonil in two apple varieties during four thermal processes ranging between −40 °C and 150 °C was discussed.

Increasing groundwater pollution through toxic contamination is the primary concern for severe environmental and health hazards across the world. Groundwater resources are more vulnerable to toxic contamination compared to surface water because they require a long time to restore. Groundwater vulnerability and risk assessment is a challenging task among the researchers responsible for quality monitoring and management of groundwater.

Hazardous chemicals are commonly found in cereals and cereal-based products. However, most studies focus on the individual effects of these mycotoxins or metals, rather than their combined toxicity.