Research Publications (Food Safety)

In this study, a systematic review and a meta-analysis were conducted to analyse recent worldwide information about the prevalence of Salmonella spp. in vegetables and fruits to estimate the effect of the different processes such as washing, cutting or disinfection, and place of sampling. A systematic search was conducted for articles from 2014 to 2020 published to date regarding prevalence of Salmonella spp.

In this study, we investigated effects of lead on growth response and antioxidant defense protection in a new identified strain isolated from a soil, in the rhizosphere of Sainfoin Hedysarum coronarium L. Different concentrations of lead (0, 0.2, 1.5 and 3 g L−1) added to Bacillus simplex strain 115 cultures surprisingly did not inhibit its growth.

The antimicrobial applications of copper (Cu) are exploited in several industries, such as agriculture and healthcare settings. While Cu is capable of efficiently killing microorganisms, sub-lethal doses can induce a viable-but-non-culturable (VBNC) state in bacteria of many distinct clades. VBNC cells cannot be detected by standard culture-based detection methods, and can become a threat to plants and animals as they often retain virulent traits upon resuscitation.

Among the various pharmaceutical pollutants, diclofenac sodium (DFS), a widely prescribed non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug is detected in the aquatic environment at concentrations which can be harmful to living organisms. Present study illustrates the isolation and characterization of strain Klebsiella pneumoniae WAH1 from activated sludge and its ability to degrade DFS as sole source of carbon and energy. The growth and degradation capacity of K.

Spheroids of intestinal cells (Caco-2) were used to evaluate the adhesion/invasion ability of Listeria monocytogenes (pathogen) and Lactobacillus sakei 1 (potential probiotic). Besides, transcriptomic analyses of Caco-2 cells in three dimensional cultures were done, with the aim of revealing possible host-foodborne bacteria interactions. Result of adhesion assay for L.

Aquaculture is one of the fastest-growing economic activities worldwide; shrimp production by aquaculture is around 70% or more of the total consumed. The development of this activity is inducing great benefits in the production of food and jobs; however, shrimp aquaculture is also generating; (1) ecological imbalance by pelagic species overexploitation to produce fish ingredients, (2) bays contamination by inappropriate waste management and (3) pathogens proliferation by antibiotics abuse.

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] has great economic and nutritional importance mainly due to its high protein content. All plant's N needs can be met by the symbiosis with elite Bradyrhizobium strains applied as inoculants to the seeds at sowing time; however, the increasing use of pesticides in seed treatments can impair the contribution of the biological nitrogen fixation. In this study, we report decreases in cell survival of two strains, B.

Salmonella is a well-known food-borne pathogen causing disease in humans and animals worldwide. Peptidyl-prolyl isomerases (PPIases) catalyse the cis–trans isomerisation of prolyl bound, which is a slow and rate-limiting step of protein folding. Here, we present the biochemical and molecular characterisation of a novel multi-domain parvulin-type, PPIases-C from the pathogenic bacteria Salmonella Typhimurium, annotated as rPpiC.

Methicillin-resistant staphylococci (MRS) are important antimicrobial-resistant pathogens in sepsis. Conventional blood cultures take 24–72 h. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods give faster results (2–3 h) but need expensive thermal cyclers. We therefore developed an isothermal recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) combined with lateral flow dipstick (LFD) assay for rapid detection of MRS in spiked blood culture samples.

Bacterial biosynthesis of quantum dots (QDs) offers a green alternative for the production of nanomaterials with superior properties, such as tunable size dependent emission spectra and a long fluorescence lifetime. In this study, we have achieved intracellular production of PbS QDs using Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are typical lasting organic pollutants. Persistence and recalcitrance to biodegradation of PCBs have hampered the transformation of PCB congeners from the environment. Biological transformation of polychlorinated biphenyls could take place through anaerobic dechlorination, aerobic microbial degradation, and a combination of transformation of anaerobic dechlorination and aerobic degradation.

Several Acinetobacter spp. act as opportunistic pathogens causing healthcare-associated infections worldwide, and in this respect their ability to resist antimicrobial compounds has certainly boosted up their global propagation. Acinetobacter clinical strains have demonstrated a remarkable ability to evolve and become resistant to almost all available drugs in the antimicrobial arsenal, including the last-resort carbapenem β-lactams.

Food poisoning from consumption of food contaminated with non-typhoidal Salmonella spp. is a global problem. A modified high resolution DNA melting curve analysis (m-HRMa) was introduced to provide effective discrimination among closely related HRM curves of amplicons generated from selected Salmonella genome sequences enabled Salmonella spp. to be classified into discrete clusters.

Colistin is the last resort for the treatment of infections with carbapenem-resistant (CR) Gram-negative bacteria particularly Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB). Currently, both colistin-resistant and -heteroresistant A. baumannii isolates have been reported globally. We therefore investigated the colistin heteroresistance rate in 75 non-duplicate colistin-susceptible CRAB clinical isolates from a Thai university collected in 2016.

The resistance of microorganisms to heavy metals in polluted environments is mediated by genetically determined mechanisms. One such mechanism includes the intracellular sequestration of heavy metals in polyphosphate (polyP) inclusions. In Cr(III) contaminated mediums, Ochrobactrum anthropi DE2010 is able to bind and sequester Cr(III) in polyP inclusions. In order to further study the relationship between Cr(III) tolerance and polyP production in O.

In spite of the fact that pesticides enhanced the quality and yield of the agricultural production however do have certain serious effects on the environment. This study was carried out for isolation and molecular identification of microorganisms from water for malathion biodegradation in aquatic system. PCR analysis was used for identification of the isolated fungus. The growth kinetics of A.

Bacteriophage-derived endolysin enzymes play a critical role in disintegration of the host bacterial cell wall and hence have gained considerable attention as possible therapeutics for the treatment of drug-resistant infections. Endolysins can target both dividing and non-dividing cells and given the vital role peptidoglycan plays in bacterial survival, bacteria are less likely to modify it even if continuously exposed to lysins.

The detection and monitoring of Vibrio parahaemolyticus pathogen in aquatic foods have become essential for preventing outbreaks. In this study, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay with the azo dye, hydroxynaphthol blue (HNB) was developed targeting species-specific tlh gene.

The bacteriocinogenic lactic acid bacterium Pediococcus pentosaceus LJR1 isolated from rumen liquor of goat had strong anti-bacterial activity toward Listeria monocytogenes in vitro. This antibacterial activity was lost on treatment with protease indicating that the bacteriocin is proteinaceous in nature. The bacteriocin LJR1 produced by P.

Quorum sensing (QS) in Aeromonas hydrophila is mainly based on the modulation of ahyI/R genes that regulates bacterial virulence determinant phenotypes. The use of QS inhibitors would be of particular interest in inhibiting bacterial pathogenicity and infections.

The haloalkaliphilics are an important subset of extremophiles that grow in salt [upto 33% (wt/vol) NaCl] and alkaline pH (> 9). They are found in hypersaline environments especially in the brines in arid, coastal and deep sea locations, and in alkaline environments, such as soda soils, lakes and deserts.

Estuaries being the connecting link between terrestrial and marine environment, experience spatial variations in the hydrographic variables as well as concentrations of pollutants.