Research Publications (Food Safety)

Author(s): Lili Yang, Fen Jin, Guorui Liu, Yang Xu, Minghui Zheng, Cui Li, Yuanping Yang

Context-specific GEnome-scale metabolic Network REconstructions (GENREs) provide a means to understand cellular metabolism at a deeper level of physiological detail. Here, we use transcriptomics data from chemically-exposed rat hepatocytes to constrain a GENRE of rat hepatocyte metabolism and predict biomarkers of liver toxicity using the Transcriptionally Inferred Metabolic Biomarker Response algorithm.

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activation has been shown to alter proliferation, apoptosis, or differentiation of adult rat liver progenitors. Here, we investigated the impact of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-mediated AhR activation on a human model of bipotent liver progenitors, undifferentiated HepaRG cells.

Author(s): Yuting Chen, Yifan Wu, Weiwei Xiao, Hansi Jia, Hansruedi Glatt, Ming Shi, Yungang Liu

Author(s): Chenyang Xu, Jicheng Hu, Jing Wu, Baokai Wei, Zhenlei Zhu, Liwen Yang, Tingting Zhou, Jun Jin Seventeen soil samples collected in an industrial park located in Ningxia Province, Northwestern China were analyzed for polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs), polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The PCN, PCDD/F, and PCB concentration ranges were 183–3340, 7.00–215, and 45.1–355 pg/g, respectively.

Author(s): Jelena Maric, Teresa Berdugo Vilches, Sébastien Pissot, Isabele Cañete Vela, Marianne Gyllenhammar, Martin Seemann Emissions of dioxins and furans during the gasification of Automotive Shredder Residue (ASR) were investigated. The experimental work was carried out in a Dual Fluidized Bed (DFB) system, which consists of a 2–4-MWth gasifier that is fluidized with steam, and an interconnected fluidized bed combustor that is fluidized with air.

by Khushbu Salian, Vladimir Strezov, Tim J. Evans, Mark Taylor, Peter F. Nelson Industrial sources, including iron ore sintering, municipal waste incineration and non-ferrous metal processing have been prominent emitters of dioxins to the environment. With the expanding industrial sectors, many international conventions were established in order to reduce the emission of dioxins in the past two decades.

Author(s): Kailun Yu, Zengli Yu

Author(s): Annette Petersen, Bodil Hamborg Jensen, Nathalie Michelle Löbl, Elsa Nielsen, Lea Bredsdorff, Sisse Fagt, Tue Christensen, Julie Boberg This study shows that dietary habits have an impact on contaminant exposures. A tool was developed to calculate chemical exposures for different Danish population groups. First, the tool divided the individuals into quartiles using a previously developed scoring system for how well their diet complies with the Danish dietary guidelines.

The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) is a transcription factor that, when activated by ligand-binding, has been shown to regulate the immune response. Pertussis Toxin (PTX) is a virulence factor found in Bordetella pertussis, a human respiratory pathogen that causes whooping cough. PTX promotes colonization and disease promotion by triggering a heightened inflammatory response. The role of AhR in the regulation of PTX-mediated inflammation has not previously been studied.

Aflatoxins (AFs) as potent food contaminants are highly detrimental to human and animal health. The production of such biological toxins is influenced by environmental factors including pollutants, such as dioxins. Here, we report the biological feedback of an active AF-producer strain of A. flavus upon in vitro exposure to the most toxic congener of dioxins, the 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). The phenotype of TCDD-exposed A.

by Karina Orlowska, Sylwia Swigonska, Agnieszka Sadowska, Monika Ruszkowska, Anna Nynca, Tomasz Molcan, Agata Zmijewska, Renata E. Ciereszko

Author(s): Fang Du, Ting Zhao, Hong-Chen Ji, Ying-Biao Luo, Fen Wang, Guang-Hua Mao, Wei-Wei Feng, Yao Chen, Xiang-Yang Wu, Liu-Qing Yang

Author(s): A.M. Api, D. Belsito, D. Botelho, M. Bruze, G.A. Burton, J. Buschmann, M.L. Dagli, M. Date, W. Dekant, C. Deodhar, M. Francis, A.D. Fryer, L. Jones, K. Joshi, S. La Cava, A. Lapczynski, D.C. Liebler, D. O'Brien, A. Patel, T.M. Penning

Author(s): Grazia Barone, Arianna Storelli, Nicoletta C. Quaglia, Angela Dambrosio, Rita Garofalo, Roberta Chiumarulo, Maria M. Storelli In order to investigate PCB and PCDD/F concentrations and potential human health risk a study has been conducted in meat samples (beef, pork, chicken and turkey) purchased from Italian supermarkets. PCBs were dominant (41.8–77.7 ng g−1 l.w.) with respect to PCDD/Fs (20.1–91.1 pg g−1 l.w.).

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) mediates 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-induced toxicity that can lead to chloracne in humans. A characteristic of chloracne, in contrast to acne vulgaris, is shrinkage or loss of sebaceous glands. Acne vulgaris, on the other hand, is often accompanied by excessive sebum production. Here, we examined the role of AHR in lipid synthesis in human sebocytes using distinct classes of AHR ligands.

Author(s): Shuang Song, Xin Zhou, Chenqi Guo, Haiyan Zhang, Tao Zeng, Yidong Xie, Jinsong Liu, Chaofei Zhu, Xingrong Sun

Author(s): Congcong Zhang, Xiaoxiu Li, Zhiguang Zhou

Author(s): Nassim Zeinali, Ibukun Oluwoye, Mohammednoor Altarawneh, Bogdan Z. Dlugogorski Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) remain of particular concern owing to their extensive toxicity towards health and accumulation in the environment. Atmospheric oxidation (by ambient oxygen molecules) of this class of persistent environmental pollutants has little to no kinetic feasibility due to very sizable activation energies in the entrance channel.

Author(s): Wilma Taverne-Veldhuizen, Ron Hoogenboom, Guillaume ten Dam, Rik Herbes, Pieternel Luning The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (period 1999–2014) reported exceeding levels of dioxins (polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxinsand dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs)) in palm oil by-products, such as palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD) and hydrogenated palm fatty acid distillate (HPFAD), but not in crude and refined palm oil.

Increasing interest in characterizing risk assessment uncertainty is highlighted by recent recommendations from the National Academy of Sciences. In this paper we demonstrate the utility of applying qualitative and quantitative methods for assessing uncertainty to enhance risk‐based decision‐making for 2,3,7,8‐tetrachlorodibenzo‐p‐dioxin.

2,3,7,8‐tetrachlorodibenzo‐p‐dioxin (TCDD) is a well‐known environmental contaminant that produces a wide variety of adverse effects in humans. Catalpol, a major bioactive compound enriched in the dried root of Rehmannia glutinosa, is a major iridoid glycoside that alleviates bone loss. However, the detailed mechanisms underlying the effects of catalpol remain unclear. The present study evaluated the effects of catalpol on TCDD‐induced cytotoxicity in osteoblastic MC3T3‐E1 cells.

One of the direct causes of biodiversity loss is environmental pollution resulting from the use of chemicals. Different kinds of chemicals, such as persistent organic pollutants and some heavy metals, can be endocrine disruptors, which act at low doses over a long period of time and have a negative effect on the reproductive and thyroid system in vertebrates worldwide.

Aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activation is associated with carcinogenicity of non-genotoxic AhR-activating carcinogens such as 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin (TCDD), and is often observed with drug candidate molecules in development and raises safety concerns. As downstream effectors of AhR signaling, the expression and activity of Cyp1a1 and Cyp1a2 genes are commonly monitored as evidence of AhR activation to inform carcinogenic risk of compounds in question.

Publication date: Available online 6 August 2019

Environmental Research

Author(s): Alix F. Leblanc, Eléonore A. Attignon, Emilie Distel, Spyros P. Karakitsios, Dimosthenis A. Sarigiannis, Sylvie Bortoli, Robert Barouki, Xavier Coumoul, Martine Aggerbeck, Etienne B. Blanc