Research Publications (Food Safety)

Regulation of the environmental stress response and virulence of Shigella flexneri may involve multiple signaling pathways; however, these mechanisms are not well-defined. In bacteria, small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs) regulate bacterial growth, metabolism, virulence, and environmental stress response. Therefore, identifying novel functional sRNAs in S. flexneri could help elucidate pathogenic adaptations to host micro-environmental stresses and associated virulence.

Author(s): Nor Raihan Mohammad Shabani, Munirah Mokhtar, Chiuan Herng Leow, Qi Ying Lean, Candy Chuah, Kirnpal Kaur Banga Singh, Chiuan Yee Leow

We investigated the in vitro effects of Lactobacillus casei ZX633 on gut microorganism composition in infants with diarrhea. For this purpose, 103 feces samples from healthy infants (healthy group) and 300 diarrhea samples from infants (diarrhea group) were collected, and diarrhea feces were treated with L. casei ZX633, which was previously isolated from healthy infant feces (treatment group).

This study aims to investigate the gut microbiota and metabolites in breastfed infants with breast milk jaundice (BMJ) using gut microbiome‐metabolomics. Breastfed newborns diagnosed with BMJ and those without BMJ (control group) were enrolled. Fecal samples were collected from the participants and subjected to high‐throughput sequencing of the 16s rDNA V3 and V4 regions of the gut flora and metabolomics of short‐chain fatty acids (SCFAs).

Bacillary dysentery caused by Shigella flexneri is a major cause of under-five mortality in developing countries, where a novel S. flexneri serotype 1c has become very common since the 1980s. However, the origin and diversification of serotype 1c remain poorly understood.

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of type of milk, fermentation time, temperature, and stirring conditions on the antibacterial activity of fermented milk by kefir grains. All fermentation conditions had a significant effect on the antibacterial activity of kefir samples against four bacteria, except for the effect of temperature on the diameter of the inhibition zone of Shigella dysenteriae.

by Yuen-Yan Chang, Virginie Stévenin, Magalie Duchateau, Quentin Giai Gianetto, Veronique Hourdel, Cristina Dias Rodrigues, Mariette Matondo, Norbert Reiling, Jost Enninga

This study optimized storage conditions for fermented pork jerky via microbial fermentation. Lactobacillus bulogaricus was employed as starter culture, fermentation conditions and baking conditions were optimized in study. Microbial indices reflecting parameters of preserved fermented pork jerky involved the detection of total plate count, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus and Shigella.

The objective of this study was to compare the impact of ultrasound (US; 30 kHz; 2, 4, 6, and 8 min) and malic acid (MA; 0.5 and 1%), individually and in combination, on inactivation of food borne pathogens (Salmonella Typhi, Shigella dysenteriae, Listeria monocytogenes and Shigella flexneri) and the effect of US treatment on β‐carotene and total phenolics content in sweet lemon juice.

Author(s): Hiroshi Ashida, Toshihiko Suzuki, Chihiro Sasakawa

High-fat diet (HFD) leads to enhancement in various parameters of mice like weight, fasting glucose levels, adipose tissue, and also the liver weight in male C57 BL/6 J mice. Additionally, high-fat diet causes severe liver damage with significant increase in the level of aspartate amino transferase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT).

Biosurfactants are amphipathic molecules produced by many microorganisms, usually bacteria, fungi, and yeasts. They possess the property of reducing the tension of the membrane interfaces. No studies have been conducted on Shigella species showing the role of biosurfactant-like molecules (BLM) in pathogenicity. The aim of this study is to assess the ability of Shigella environmental and clinical strains to produce BLM and investigate the involvement of biosurfactants in pathogenicity.

The developed miniaturized test (s) rapidly detects Escherichia coli/coliforms colorimetrically utilizing specific enzyme substrates and selective agents incorporated in media. High sensitivity and selectivity for target bacteria. A total of 139 milk samples were tested for presence of E.coli/coliforms using developed test (s). Abstract Current investigation was aimed to develop colorimetric tests for rapid detection of Escherichia coli/coliforms. These test (s) for E.

We here report a study characterizing the potential for edible insects to act as a prebiotic by altering the bacterial composition of the human fecal microbiome, using batch cultures inoculated with fecal adult human donors. Black field cricket nymphs, grass grub larvae, and wax moth larvae were subjected to an in vitro digestion to simulate the oral, gastric, and small intestinal stages of digestion.

In developing countries, Shigella flexneri is the most common enteric pathogen causing bacillary dysentery. Biofilm formation by S. flexneri can cause the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains, which poses serious threats to food safety and human health. In this study, the effects of Lactobacillus plantarum 12 exopolysaccharides (L-EPSs) and S. flexneri exopolysaccharides (S-EPSs) on S. flexneri CMCC51574 biofilm formation were investigated.

ABSTRACT

Several intracellular bacterial pathogens, including Listeria monocytogenes, Shigella flexerni, and Rickettsia spp. use an actin-based motility process to spread in mammalian cell monolayers. Cell-to-cell spread is mediated by protrusive structures that contain bacteria encased in the host cell plasma membrane. These protrusions, which form in infected host cells, are internalized by neighboring cells.

Diet greatly influences gut microbiota. Dietary methionine restriction (MR) prevents and ameliorates age-related or high-fat-induced diseases and prolongs life span. This study aimed to reveal the impact of MR on gut microbiota in middle-aged mice with low-, medium-, high-fat diets. C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into six groups with different MR and fat-content diets. Multiple indicators of intestinal function, fat accumulation, energy consumption, and inflammation were measured.

Previous studies have identified oral administration of antibiotics and gut-impacting drugs as critical drivers for fecal antibiotic resistance (AR) and microbiome disruption in lab mice, but the practical implications of these findings have yet to be validated in hosts nurtured in conventional environment.

Objective

The aims of this study were to describe azithromycin (AZM) susceptibility patterns among Shigella isolates in Anhui, China and identify predictors of resistance with mobile element-mediated genes.

Methods

ABSTRACT

Antibiotic resistance and capacity for biofilm formation of Shigella flexneri render previous prevention and control strategies minimally effective. Ferulic acid (FA) has been demonstrated to be useful due to its application in foods as an alternative natural preservative. However, information regarding the S. flexneri phenotype and molecular responses to FA exposure is limited. The present study investigated the effects of FA on S. flexneri planktonic growth and biofilm formation.

This study reports the effects of early-life lactoferrin (LF) intervention on the colonic microbiota, intestinal function and mucosal immunity in suckling piglets. A total of 60 Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire suckling piglets from six sows were assigned to the control (CON) and LF groups in litters. The LF group piglets were fed 0.5 g/kg body weight of LF solution per day, and the CON group piglets were fed the same dose of physiological saline for a week.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the possible synergistic interactions on antibacterial and antioxidant efficacy of two plant essential oils (EOs) Eucalyptus caesia Benth and Dracocephalum multicaule Montbr & Auch in vitro and in pear slices.

The Florida Complaint and Outbreak Reporting System (FL-CORS) database is used by the Florida Department of Health’s Food and Waterborne Disease Program (FWDP) as one of the tools to detect foodborne disease outbreaks. We present a descriptive and spatial network analysis of the FL-CORS data collected during 2015-2018.