Research Publications (Food Safety)

Exopolysaccharides (EPS) produced by lactic acid bacteria are complicated polymers with industrial applications. LAB were isolated, screened for EPS production, and their probiotic properties determined. The anti-biofilm activity of EPS was investigated. Safety of EPS-producing isolate was investigated and it was molecularly identified through 16S rRNA sequencing.

Peptidoglycan (PG) was targeted as the marker for bacterial occurrence inside yeast. Detection of only few bacteria in old and new generations of yeast raised the question of how yeast controls the abundance of its intracellular bacteria. One gastric C. tropicalis that showed concurrence of H. pylori and Staphylococcus 16S rDNA was stained for assessing the viability of intracellular bacteria.

The modern and rapid avenue for detecting pathogens provided by molecular genetic techniques including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was explored in the present study to identify prevalent disease pathogens, from six aquaculture farms and in two commonly cultured fish in Ghana. The specific detection was carried out directly on clinical samples of naturally infected fish (O. niloticus and C. gariepinus) based on syber-mix reaction protocol in traditional PCR.

Staphylococcus aureus biofilms are the pathogenic factor in the spread of infection and are more pronounced in multidrug-resistant strains of S. aureus, where high expression of proteases is observed. Among various proteases, Serine protease (SspA) and cysteine protease Staphopain B (SspB) are known to play a key role in the biofilm formation and removal of biofilms.

Antimicrobial resistance is an alarming problem, especially due to emergence of methicillin-resistance Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). World Health Organization (WHO) has already listed MRSA as a top priority pathogen for the development of novel antibacterial agents. Presently, different therapeutic approaches against bacterial infections are in practice which includes targeting bacterial virulence factors, bacteriophage therapy, and manipulation of the microbiome.

To prevent foodborne diseases and extend shelf life, antimicrobial agents may be used in food to inhibit the growth of undesired microorganisms. The present study was aimed to determine the antimicrobial and antifungal activities of the fermented medicinal plants extract using Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356. The fermentation kinetic parameters, biochemical composition and the volatile compounds of the fermented plant extract were assessed.

Arsenic (As) is a toxic metalloid that is present in natural surroundings in many forms with severe consequences to sustainable agriculture and human health. Plant growth-promoting Rhizobia have been found involved in the induction of plant tolerance under various biotic and abiotic stresses.

Phage DNA analysis gives opportunity to understand living ecosystem of the environment where the samples are taken. In the present study, we analyzed phage DNA obtained from wastewater sample of university hospital sewage. After filtration, long high-speed centrifugation was done to collect phages. DNA was extracted from pellet by phenol chloroform extraction and used for NGS sequencing.

This is a culture-dependent study with the objective of pure culturing and characterizing pathogenic bacteria from the blowhole, lung, stomach and fecal samples of a neonatal crucially endangered Yangtze finless porpoise (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis asiaeorientalis) that died 27 days after birth. Bacteria were inoculated using a swab onto blood and MacConkey agar plates and representative isolates were identified through 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis.

A novel mesophilic and neutrophilic sulfate-reducing bacterium, strain SF6T, was isolated from sediment of a brackish lake in Japan. Cells of strain SF6T were motile and rod-shaped with length of 1.2–2.5 μm and width of 0.6–0.9 μm. Growth was observed at 10–37 °C with an optimum growth temperature of 28 °C. The pH range for growth was 5.8–8.2 with an optimum pH of 7.0. The most predominant fatty acid was anteiso-C15:0.

Our aim was to explore the microbial community composition (bacteria and fungi) of fermented fish (pla-ra) from Northeast Thailand. We also made functional predictions concerning these microbial communities. The association between the microbiota and odor intensity was also analyzed. Fourteen samples of 1-year fermented fish samples derived from seven local markets in Khon Kaen, Northeast Thailand were used.

Biocompatible and non-toxic properties of chitosan make it a candidate with excellent application prospects in developing wound dressing conjugate compounds. Six different chitosan-based nanohybrid membranes were evaluated against multidrug-resistant bacterial isolates.

The present study reports the production, extraction, partial characterization, biological activities and use in textile dyeing of an orange pigment from Metabacillus idriensis strain LipT27 (MN818522.2). Pigment production occurred with 400 µg carotenoid/g biomass yield. Characterization of the methanol extracts of pigment by UV–Visible spectrophotometry, TLC, NMR, and FTIR indicated that the pigment was a carotenoid group pigment.

Stryphnodendron adstringens is a medicinal plant that has a broad spectrum of action, including antibacterial activity. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of S. adstringens alone and in combination with potassium sorbate (PS) against foodborne bacteria.

The Staphylococcus aureus SdrG protein is glycosylated by SdgA and SdgB for protection against its degradation by the neutrophil cathepsin G. So far, there is no information about the role of Staphylococcus epidermidis SdgA or SdgB in biofilm-forming; therefore, the focus of this work was to determine the distribution and expression of the sdrG, sdgA and sdgB genes in S. epidermidis under in vitro and in vivo biofilm conditions.

Salmonella is one of the most common causes of foodborne outbreaks and infection worldwide. The gold-standard detection method of Salmonella is cultivation. There is a need to investigate rapid and accurate processes with time-consuming cultivation. The study evaluated different approaches to detect Salmonella in poultry feces samples. Poultry farm feces samples from 21 cities in Iran were collected from January 2016 to December 2019.

Vermicompost (VC) harbours diverse microbes, including plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPM) that are beneficial for sustainable crop production. Hence, this study aimed to analyse bacterial diversity of VC samples as a first high-throughput screening step towards subsequent targeted isolation of potential bacterial inoculum candidates.

The inappropriate disposal of toxic compounds generated by industrial activity has been impacting the environment considerably. Microbial communities inhabiting contaminated sites may represent interesting ecological alternatives for the decontamination of environments. The present work aimed to investigate the fungal diversity and its functionality contained in stream sediments with industrial waste contaminated with heavy metals by using metagenomic approach.

In recent years, 16S ribosomal DNA (16S rDNA) sequencing has been widely developed. In the present study, we investigated the changes of fecal flora analyzed by sequencing of 16S rDNA and the alteration of blood biochemical indexes in cats during diarrhea. Seven normal fecal samples and seven fecal samples of British Shorthair cats with bacterial diarrhea about 6 months old were collected. The 16S rDNA V3 region of the bacteria was amplified for high-throughput sequencing.

Poultry provides an important protein source consumed globally by human population, and simultaneously, acts as a substantial reservoir of antibiotic resistant bacterial species such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Clostridium perfringens. These bacterial species can include commensal strains with beneficial roles on poultry health and productivity, and pathogenic strains not only to poultry but zoonotically to man.

Staphylococcus aureus has been described as the most common cause of human and animal diseases and has emerged as a superbug due to multidrug resistance. Considering these, a total of 175 samples were collected from pyogenic cases of humans (75) and animals (100), to establish the drug resistance pattern and also for molecular characterization of human and animal isolates. Thermonuclease (nuc) gene amplification was used to confirm all presumptive S.

Biofilm formation is a major issue in healthcare settings as 75% of nosocomial infection arises due to biofilm residing bacteria. Exopolysaccharides (EPS), a key component of the biofilm matrix, contribute to the persistence of cells in a complex milieu and defends greatly from exogenous stress and demolition. It has been shown to be vital for biofilm scaffold and pathogenic features.

Chemical composition, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic properties of Actinidia arguta essential oil (AEO) were evaluated. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis identified 56 chemical compounds, with the most abundant being Squalene (23.08%), γ-sitrostorol (8.10%), and β-Tocopherol (7.01%).

Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains of the serogroup O157 are foodborne pathogens associated with severe clinical disease. As antibiotics are counter-indicated for treatment of these infections, they represent prime candidates for targeted application of bacteriophages to reduce infection burden. In this study, we characterised lytic bacteriophages representing three phage genera for activity against E. coli O157 strains.

Emergence of multidrug-resistant microorganisms and requirements for novel antimicrobial compounds necessitate exploring newer habitats to develop potential bioactive leads.