Research Publications (Food Safety)

Mycotoxins are harmful secondary fungal metabolites detrimental to animal health even at low levels. The study was conducted to compare mycotoxin contamination of initial samples of the 2021 corn crop with previous year trends.

Recently, phytogenic feed additives containing flavonoids, essential oils and phenols are getting more attention as they have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and digestibility aiding abilities. Flavonoids have proved their abilities in reducing environmental stress along with activating immune responses.

Weaning stress and the negative health effects that occur with it cause serious concerns for pork producers. The abrupt environmental and dietary transitions that occur at weaning often take place before the gut microbiome is stabilized in the piglet. This leaves weanling piglets vulnerable to gut dysbiosis and increases susceptibility to enteric pathogens.

The objective was to evaluate the effects of dietary treatments designed to increase passage rate on the rumen microbiome. Factors such as particle size, feedstuff degradability, and rumen motility may drive ruminal passage rates and alter the composition of rumen microorganisms responsible for methane formation. Eight ruminal-cannulated steers were assigned to a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design.

Shigella flexneri serotype 2a2 (II:9;10) is the most prevalent strain in causing bacillary dysentery in developing countries. Chemical modifications such as glucosylation, O-acetylation, and phosphoethanolamine modifications of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) O antigen (Oag) contribute to the emergence of various serotypes. Sf6 is a Shigella-specific bacteriophage that infects only a limited range of S. flexneri serotypes [X, Y].

Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic heavy metal in our environment. The influence of Cd on the development of platelets, or megakaryocytopoiesis, remains to be defined. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of Cd on megakaryocytopoiesis. C57BL/6 (B6) mice aged 6–8 weeks were treated with 10 ppm Cd via drinking water or control for 3 months, and megakaryocytopoiesis was evaluated thereafter.

Norfloxacin is an antibiotic in the fluoroquinolone family licenced for use in animals. However, residues in animal products can have negative consequences for consumers. As a result, residue detection in various food matrices must be considered. Norfloxacin accumulates in animal-derived foods, causing deleterious consequences in humans such as foetal deformity, renal failure and drug resistance.

The electrochemical immunosensor is one of the most promising detection approaches for pathogenic microorganism. In this study, a label-free electrochemical immunosensor based on chitosan/gelatin was fabricated for the detection of Bacillus cereus. Anti-Bacillus cereus polyclonal antibodies were immobilized through a cross-linking method on a chitosan/gelatin-modified electrode.

Permeable pavements (PPs) are used to address water quality impacts from urban roads. However, the effectiveness of different structure combinations in removing runoff pollutants throughout the permeable system remains unclear. In this study, 26 PP structures were tested to investigate their pollutant removal efficiency by the self-developed laboratory apparatus to provide a quantitative understanding of these combinations.

The receptor-binding domain of botulinum neurotoxin (HC fragment), is a promising botulism vaccine candidate. In the current study, fermentation strategies were evaluated to upscale HC fragment expression. A simple translation of the growth conditions from shake flasks to a batch fermentation process resulted in limited culture growth and protein expression (OD of 11 and volumetric protein yields of 123 mg/L).

Salmonella spp. are among the most prevalent foodborne pathogens. Rapid identification of etiologic agents during foodborne outbreaks is of great importance. In this study, we report a traceback investigation of a Salmonella outbreak in China. Metagenomic sequencing of suspected food samples was performed on MinION and MiSeq platforms. Real-time nanopore sequencing analysis identified reads belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae family.

by Ambachew W. Hailu, Abraham Degarege, Beyene Petros, Damien Costa, Yonas Yimam Ayene, Ven-ceslas Villier, Abdelmounaim Mouhajir, Loic Favennec, Romy Razakandrainibe, Haileeysus Adamu Non-Human Primates (NHPs) harbor Cryptosporidium genotypes that can infect humans and vice versa.

by Saba Ahmed, Nadeem Iqbal, Xiaoyan Tang, Rafiq Ahmad, Muhammad Irshad, Usman Irshad Functioning of ecosystems depends on the nutrient dynamics across trophic levels, largely mediated by microbial interactions in the soil food web. The present study investigated the use of phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) and poultry manure (PM) for maintaining labile P in the soil for an extensive fertility enhancement and as a substitution of chemical fertilizers.

This research aims to analyze 57 pesticide residues in 35 ready-to-use barberry samples collected from hypermarkets in Iran by Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe (QuEChERS) approach using acetonitrile for the extraction, and surface adsorbents for clean-up procedure, followed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS).

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).

Alternative solutions are eminently needed to combat the escalating number of infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Bacteriocins produced by lactic acid bacteria are promising candidates for next-generation antibiotics. Studies have found that these stable and nontoxic ribosomally synthesized antimicrobial peptides exhibit significant potency against other bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant strains.

Sanitizing the water sources of local communities is important to control the spread of microbial resistance genes, especially those for water-borne illnesses. The activities of antibiotic resistance gene (ARG)-host pathogens pose a threat to public health, and it has been estimated that the infection will lead up to 10 million deaths globally by the year 2050.

Fowl adenovirus serotype 4 (FAdV-4) caused hepatitis–hydropericardium syndrome in poultry and caused huge economic losses to the poultry industry. At present, antiviral drugs have not been reported to be effective against this virus, and new treatment methods are urgently needed to treat FAdV-4. Camptothecin has been shown to have antiviral activity against various viruses; however, whether it can inhibit FAdV-4 infection remains unclear.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Volume 119, Issue 17, April 2022. The bacterial pathogen Yersinia pestis gave rise to devastating outbreaks throughout human history, and ancient DNA evidence has shown it afflicted human populations as far back as the Neolithic. Y.

A new meroterpenoid, taladrimanin A (1), was isolated from a marine-derived fungus Talaromyces sp. HM6-1–1, together with eleven biogenetically related compounds (2–12). A plausible biosynthetic pathway for the meroterpenoids (1–4) was proposed. The planar structure of 1 was assigned by HRESIMS and NMR.

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.

Humans are chronically exposed to the mycotoxins deoxynivalenol (DON) and fumonisin B1 (FB1), as indicated by their widespread presence in foods and occasional exposure in the workplace. This exposure is confirmed by human biomonitoring (HBM) studies on (metabolites of) these mycotoxins in human matrices. We evaluated the exposure–health relationship of the mycotoxins in humans by reviewing the available literature.

The high rates of bacterial infections affect the economy worldwide by contributing to the increase in morbidity and treatment costs. The present cross-sectional study was carried out to evaluate the prevalence of bacterial infection in urinary tract infection (UTI) patients and to evaluate the antimicrobial resistance rate (AMR) in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Lahore, Pakistan. The study was conducted for the period of one year from January 2020 to December 2020.