Research Publications (Food Safety)

Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus) is one pathogenic fungus that severely endangers human health and food safety. In our previous work, paeonol, a natural active compound from Paeonia. spp can inhibit the growth of A. flavus, and the mode of action is involved with targeting cell walls and cell membranes.

Livestock-associated -Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (LA-MRSA) contamination on pork has emerged as one of the major concerns worldwide. Combinations of natural plant extracts (NPEs) and food preservatives were tested for their anti-MRSA activities.

Lactic-acid bacteria isolated throughout the ripening process from traditional RTE soft cheeses and dry-cured fermented sausages were characterized and selected for their anti-L. monocytogenes activity.

Zearalenone (ZEN) is an estrogen-like mycotoxin posing a great threat to human and animal health. The present study showed that the induction of spore CotA laccase production of Bacillus licheniformis by ions Mn2+ and Cu2+ promoted the ZEN-degrading ability of the strain.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a toxin that is widely present in food and feed and poses a serious threat to the health of humans and livestock. In this work, we proposed the quantitative detection method of AFB1 contamination using a simple, sensitive, and specific colorimetric immunoassay based on gold nanoparticles labeled with glucose oxidase (GOx)/rabbit anti-mouse immunoglobulin G.

Boneless hams were prepared with four different brines and inoculated on the surface and at a depth of 1 cm with multiple strains of Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica. Hams were processed with a standard, low relative humidity or interrupted process cycle to an end point temperature of 70 °C. Microbiological populations were determined at the beginning, mid-point and end of the cycles.

Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most important food-borne pathogens and shows strong tolerance to environmental stress. The functions of alternative sigma factor B (SigB) have been studied in S. aureus Newman and SH1000 (a derivative strain of S. aureus NCTC8325) isolated from human samples.

The impact of the protease from Staphylococcus carnosus on the structural characteristics, hydrolysis and flavour development of pork myofibrillar protein (MP) and sarcoplasmic protein (SP) were assessed. Hydrolysis altered the surface hydrophobicity and secondary structure of MP and SP, as measured by surface hydrophobicity, intrinsic fluorescence and Fourier transform infrared spectra.

The incidence of foodborne diseases ranks at the forefront of the total incidence of various diseases. High-specificity and high-sensitivity detection and reporting of foodborne pathogens have become the core of preventing and solving food safety problems.

Salmonella is an important foodborne pathogen that is widely distributed in foods of animal origin. Salmonella strains (n = 246) were identified from 1178 pork samples collected in Jiangsu, China. The most predominant Salmonella serovars in pork and slaughterhouse environment were S. London (49.13%, 85/173) and S. Rissen (53.42%, 39/73), respectively.

Fresh juices are often exposed to microbial contamination due to their minimal processing, which can lead to foodborne disease.

This study aimed to explore the antibiofilm activity and possible mechanism of lactobionic acid (LBA) against Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium (S. Typhimurium). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of LBA against S. Typhimurium was 8 mg/mL.

Emetic Bacillus cereus (B. cereus) is a foodborne microorganism associated with vomiting disease. Herein, we have established a blocker-tailed polymerase chain reaction (bt-PCR) coupled with rolling circle amplification (RCA) assay for the sensitive and specific detection of emetic B. cereus.

This study evaluated the capacity of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella Typhimurium to form pure and mixed biofilms on polypropylene surface and analyzed the expression of genes related to biofilm formation within 24 h and 120 h. The planktonic and sessile growth of L. monocytogenes and S.

The biofilm of Salmonella is a major source of meat contamination and disease transmission. This study aimed to investigate biofilm inhibitory effects and mechanisms of clove essential oil (CEO) and oregano essential oil (OEO) at different concentrations on Salmonella Derby (S. Derby).

Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) have been considered as one of the most common causes of human and veterinary gastrointestinal diseases. Reuterin is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent produced by certain Lactobacillus reuteri (L. reuteri) strains.

Lauric arginate (LAE), an amino acid-based cationic surfactant, has recently attracted great attentions for applications in food preservation due to its antimicrobial properties. This work aimed to unravel the possible antibacterial mechanisms of LAE against Escherichia coli O157:H7. After exposure to LAE at 50 μg/mL for 10 min, the microbial load decreased by 6.25-log units.

The effect of the application of different disinfectants on the microbial load and sensory quality of fresh-cut lettuce was evaluated during washing, and after subsequent storage at 4 °C under modified atmosphere packaging (MAP).

Salmonella species are common foodborne pathogenic bacteria. At present, most detection methods for Salmonella are unsuitable for on-site applications because they require large instruments or complicated procedures. This study developed a novel method of the on-site detection for Salmonella in food by combining the CRISPR/Cas12a system with recombinant polymerase amplification (RPA).

Adventitious root (AR) cultures of Eurycoma longifolia are the alternative plant materials. However, the biological effects of the ARs are rarely investigated, leading to a delay in their practical application. In this study, antibacterial activities of sub-fractions of E. longifolia ARs extracted by different organic solvents were examined.

Bacillus cereus is a major food poisoning pathogen that generates spores and biofilms, allowing it to survive in varied food systems. This study revealed the incidence, virulence toxin gene profiling, multi-drug resistance of B.

This study investigated the content of deoxynivalenol (DON), sugars, proteins, phenolics, amino acids, the antioxidant capacity and antioxidant enzymes activities of Fusarium naturally contaminated wheat (FCW) during soaking and germination.

As one of the conventional probiotics, our previous findings have shown that Bacillus coagulans CGMCC 9951 had good antibacterial activity against various pathogenic bacteria. However, the action of the bacteriocins on antibacterial mode remained unclear. Based on the genomic DNA analysis of CGMCC 9951, two bacteriocins including Circularin A with 7736.14 Da and Amylocyclicin with 6371.57 Da were predicted and analyzed to simply simulate their structure.

The aim of this study was to evaluate prevalence and characteristics of mcr-9-positive Salmonella isolated from retail food in China. For this purpose, 2486 Salmonella isolated from retail foods from 2007 to 2016 in China were investigated. Based on PCR methods, 5.6% (140/2486) of the isolates were confirmed carrying mcr-9.

Bacillus cereus phospholipase C (PLCBC) was obtained by treating Bacillus cereus with ultraviolet light and diethyl sulfate. The active centers of PLCBC were determined, and its inactive center groups were combined with the carboxyl modified carrier to obtain immobilized PLCBC. The enzyme activity was 289 U/mg. The active group of the enzyme was –COOH, while the binding site was –NH2. The –COOH and –NH2 of PLCBC were chemically modified.