Research Publications (Food Safety)

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is an economically important plant disease. Some Fusarium species produce mycotoxins that cause food safety concerns for both humans and animals. One especially important mycotoxin-producing fungus causing FHB is Fusarium graminearum. However, Fusarium species form a disease complex where different Fusarium species co-occur in the infected cereals. Effective management strategies for FHB are needed.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a secondary metabolite produced by several Fusarium species that is hazardous to humans and animals after entering food chains. In this study, by adding cofactors, the Devosia strain A6-243 is identified as the DON-transforming bacteria from a bacterial consortium with the ability to biotransform DON of Pseudomonas sp. B6-24 and Devosia strain A6-243, and its effect on the biotransformation process of DON is studied.

Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is one of the most common mycotoxins contaminating feed and food. Although regulatory limits about fumonisins have been established in some countries, it is still very important to conduct research on lower doses of FB1 to determine the tolerance limits.

Mycotoxins are toxic metabolites produced by fungi, which are ubiquitous in cereals and feed worldwide and threaten human and animal health. Deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the most prevalent mycotoxins and causes a series of toxicities, especially enterotoxicity and immunotoxicity. Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is a destructive enteropathogenic animal coronavirus, is often accompanied with DON contamination in the swine herd.

In the present study, a rapid and sensitive determination method of seven mycotoxins was developed using immunomagnetic solid-phase extraction (IMPSE) coupled with UHPLC-MS/MS. Monoclonal antibodies were conjugated with CNBr superparamagnetic beads, and the major parameters affecting the IMPSE efficiency were systematically investigated. Under the optimized conditions, the mycotoxins were purified with the IMSPE procedure within 15 min and simultaneously quantified by UHPLC-MS/MS.

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of fungi that cause severe damage to agricultural products and food in the food supply chain. These detrimental pollutants have been directly linked with poor socioeconomic patterns and human health issues. Among the natural micropollutants, ochratoxin A (OTA) and deoxynivalenol (DON) are widely distributed in food materials. The primary occurrence of these mycotoxins is reported in almost all cereal grains and fresh agro-products.

Recreational cannabis is being legalized in more and more countries, and methods for the determination of contaminants, thereunder mycotoxins, start to emerge in scientific literature. On the other hand, cannabis continues being available on the illegal market without any quality control at all. Today, no information about mycotoxin contamination of illegal cannabis is available in literature.

New information is needed regarding the types and concentrations of mycotoxins in swine feed. We hypothesized that (1) the mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-AcDON), 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-AcDON), nivalenol (NIV), and zearalenone (ZEN) vary among swine ingredient and feed types, and (2) the inclusion of specific ingredients is associated with mycotoxin contamination in complete feed.

The heat shock protein (Hsp70) level was assessed after 14 days of oral gavage-exposure to fumonisin B1 (FB1: 150 µg/animal/day), deoxynivalenol (DON: 30 µg/animal/day) and zearalenone (ZEN: 150 µg/animal/day), alone or in combinations (in additive manner: FD = FB1 + DON, FZ = FB1 + ZEN, DZ = DON + ZEN and FDZ = FB1 + DON + ZEN) in the liver, kidneys and lung of 24 adult male Wistar rats (n = 3/group).

Mycotoxins are frequently found in fruits and fruit juices. However, data about occurrence and fate of mycotoxins along the fruit juice processing chain are currently insufficient.

Novel protein sources for animal feed are needed, and the use of insects as feed ingredient is explored. The insect production sector offers opportunities for a circular and sustainable approach to feed production by upgrading waste or side streams into high-quality proteins. However, potential food or feed safety issues should be studied in advance.

The occurrence of mycotoxins and mycotoxigenic fungi in palm dates has not been thoroughly documented. The aims of the present study were to identify the mycobiota present in commercial date samples (n = 19), to determine the ability of the isolated fungi to produce mycotoxins, and to determine and quantify the presence of OTA in date fruits. The majority of products originated from Tunisia (n = 14) and Algeria (n = 3).

Food safety being a vast global public health threat has attracted growing concern. Efficient detection techniques for food hazards are essential to ensure food safety. Various methods have been established to sense food hazards for solving food safety-related problems. However, due to trace levels of food contaminants, pathogens, and toxins, the development of efficient and reliable detection techniques has been challenging work.

A microcosm study was conducted at two different temperatures under laboratory conditions to investigate the regulatory capacity and the interactive performance of two soil fauna species (Aporrectodea caliginosa, earthworms, and Proisotoma minuta, collembolans) on the reduction of Fusarium toxins in contaminated maize stubbles.

The use of biological agents able to metabolize mycotoxins to non-toxic compounds is a strategy that has received growing interest. However, the high costs of laborious methods for identifying potential candidates are obstacles for new products development.

Phomopsins are mycotoxins mainly infesting lupines, with phomopsin A (PHOA) being the main mycotoxin. PHOA is produced by Diaporthe toxica, formerly assigned as toxigenic Phomopsis leptostromiformis, causing infections in lupine plants and harvested seeds. However, Diaporthe species may also grow on other grain legumes, similar to Aspergillus westerdijkiae as an especially potent ochratoxin A (OTA) producer.

Olive oil can be contaminated by fungal toxins; therefore, it is necessary to monitor the incidence of mycotoxins in this oil. In the present study, the pooled prevalence of detectable aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in olive oil was evaluated using systematic review and meta-analysis approach from 1 January 1991 to 31 December 2020 (30 years study). The search was conducted via electronic databases involving Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Agris and Agricola.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is one of the most toxic mycotoxins. It has been reported that dietary exposure to AFB1 is related to the low growth performance, immunosuppression, and high susceptibility to infectious diseases of chickens. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the protective effects of Lactobacillus salivarius on broiler chickens challenged with AFB1.

Patulin (PAT) is a kind of mycotoxins that is universally found at rotten fruits, especially apples and apple products. Previous studies have shown that PAT has hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. However, cardiotoxicity of PAT is rarely reported. Present study aimed at investigate the cardiotoxicity and relevant mechanisms of PAT on H9c2 cells. Cytotoxicity of PAT were evaluated by MTT assay and LDH.

An LC-MS/MS method has been developed for the sensitive and selective determination of 35 mycotoxins (biomarkers of exposure) in pig urine samples. Sample preparation includes creatinine adjustment (with the developed LC-UV method) with enzymatic hydrolysis of pig urine samples followed by liquid-liquid (LLE) extraction. The LLE protocol, as well as enzymatic hydrolysis for indirect mycotoxin glucuronides determination, was optimized in this study.

A simple and effective approach for HPLC-MS/MS based multi-mycotoxin analysis in human urine samples was developed by application of dried urine spots (DUS) as alternative on-site sampling strategy.

Breast milk is the best, most complete form of nutrition for newborns and infants. However, human milk can contain aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) upon ingestion of dietary mycotoxin contaminants, namely, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), by lactating mothers. AFB1 and its hydroxylated metabolite AFM1 are potent carcinogens and thus an important issue in food safety and public health.

Food security goes beyond food being available; the food needs to be free of contaminants. Trichothecenes mycotoxins, produced by Fusarium fungus, are. among the most frequently found contaminants of wheat. In this study, we evaluated the production of trichothecenes Deoxynivalenol (DON), 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-AcDON), 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-AcDON), and nivalenol (NIV) by Fusarium meridionale, F. austroamericanum, and F.

Concerns regarding food safety and ‘One Health’ are increasing globally. Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), a human carcinogenic toxin, is excreted by lactating animals in their milk after consumption of feed contaminated with aflatoxin B1. The present cross-sectional study aimed to determine the occurrence of AFM1 in cattle and buffalo milk produced in rural and peri-urban areas under different agro-climatic conditions of Chhattisgarh, India, and assesses human health risks.

Olive oil can be contaminated by fungal toxins; therefore, it is necessary to monitor the incidence of mycotoxins in this oil. In the present study, the pooled prevalence of detectable aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in olive oil was evaluated using systematic review and meta-analysis approach from 1 January 1991 to 31 December 2020 (30 years study). The search was conducted via electronic databases involving Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Agris and Agricola.