Research Publications (Food Safety)

Bacterial resistance is a growing global concern necessitating the discovery and development of antibiotics effective against the drug-resistant bacterial strain. Previously, we reported a cyclic antimicrobial peptide [R4W4] containing arginine (R) and tryptophan (W) with a MIC of 2.67 µg/mL (1.95 µM) against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

With the increase of human activities, cadmium (Cd) pollution has become a global environmental problem affecting biological metabolism in ecosystem. Cd has a very long half-life in humans and is excreted slowly in organs, which poses a serious threat to human health.

Cadmium (Cd) contamination in soil poses a serious safety risk for the development of medicine and food with ginseng as the raw material. Microorganisms are key players in the functioning and service of soil ecosystems, but the effects of Cd-contaminated ginseng growth on these microorganisms is still poorly understood.

Human and animal feces are one of the main pollutants in drinking water systems (DWS). Both sources of fecal pollution are related to environmental conditions, such as poor land use management and little micro-basin protection. Cryptosporidium sp. and Giardia sp. are zoonotic protozoan water and foodborne transmitted parasitic pathogens and a frequent cause of diarrhea in children in low- and middle-income countries.

by Ming Da Qu, Humera Kausar, Stephen Smith, Peter G. Lazar, Aimee R. Kroll-Desrosiers, Carl Hollins III, Bruce A. Barton, Doyle V. Ward, Richard T. Ellison III Background Panton-Valentine Leukocidin (PVL) toxin in Staphylococcus aureus has been associated with both severe pneumonia and skin and soft tissue infections. However, there are only limited data on how this virulence factor may influence the clinical course or complications of bacteremic S.

by Neyna de Santos Morais, Thaís Souza Passos, Gabriela Rocha Ramos, Victoria Azevedo Freire Ferreira, Susana Margarida Gomes Moreira, Gildácio Pereira Chaves Filho, Ana Paula Gomes Barreto, Pedro Ivo Palacio Leite, Ray Silva de Almeida, Cícera Laura Roque Paulo, Rafael Fernandes, Sebastião Ânderson Dantas da Silva, Sara Sayonara da Cruz Nascimento, Francisco Canindé de Sousa Júnior, Cristiane Fernandes de Assis

Foodborne pathogen-mediated biofilms in food processing environments are severe threats to human lives. In the interest of human and environmental safety, natural substances with antimicrobial properties and generally regarded as safe (GRAS) status are the futuristic disinfectants of the food industry. In this study, the efficacy of bioactive, soluble products (metabolic by-products) from lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and plant-derived essential oils (EO) were investigated as biocidal agents.

Domoic acid (DA) is a marine neurotoxin produced as a defence compound by diatom Pseudo-nitzschia. Although its toxicity is well known in marine mammals and fish, data on DA cyto/genotoxicity in human non-target cells is still limited. Hence, we aimed to study the effect of DA (0.001 to 10 µg/mL) on cell viability and proliferation kinetics of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells as well as DNA damage induction after 4, 24 and 72 h of exposure.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a mycotoxin frequently occurring in human and animal food worldwide, which raises increasing public health concerns. Growing evidence suggests that mitochondria is a pivotal molecular target for DON.

The aim of the current study was to assess the influence of embryonic exposure to cadmium on basic and derived erythrocyte indices, the morphology and morphometric properties of erythrocytes, as well as erythrocyte spectrin distribution in newly hatched Gallus gallus domesticus chicks. The eggs were injected with cadmium (Cd) at a dose of 2 µg, 4 µg, 6 µg or 8 µg per egg on the 6th day of incubation.

Plant extracts contain bioactive substances which can provide some functional attributes that sub-therapeutic antibiotics provide to animals. However, their antibiotic-replacement potential depends on their polyphenolic profile. As we advance in the search for antibiotic alternatives, harnessing plant materials with excellent phenolic profile and total phenolic concentration (TPC) and identifying the best treatment combinations would be a quintessential approach.

The increase in bacterial resistance to antimicrobials has led to high morbidity and mortality rates, posing a major public health problem, requiring the discovery of novel antimicrobial substances.

This study evaluated the relationship between arsenic uptake via drinking water ingestion and arsenic concentration in fingernails as a biomarker for human exposure. For this purpose, we collected fingernail samples from 40 healthy participants of arsenic-affected rural regions of Kaboudrahang County, the west of Iran. A total of 49 fingernail samples were also collected from individuals who lived in areas where contamination of drinking water sources with arsenic had not been reported.

The metalloid arsenic (As) is a leading pollutant of soil and water. It easily finds its way into the food chain through plants, more precisely crops, a common diet source for humans resulting in serious health risks. Prolonged As exposure causes detrimental effects in plants and is diaphanously observed through numerous physiological, biochemical, and molecular attributes.

Zearalenone (ZEN) is widely found in food and feed. Its cytotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, genetic toxicity, immunotoxicity and hepatorenal toxicity have serious impacts on human and animal health. In order to help animals avoid ZEN poisoning in feed, ZEN-degrading bacterial strains were screened from fecal samples through a zearalenone challenge pig model, and their degradation characteristics were researched.

Vibrio cholerae uses cholera toxin (CT) to cause cholera, a severe diarrheal disease in humans that can lead to death within hours of the onset of symptoms.

Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, Accepted Article. Campylobacter infection is an important cause of genital failure in ruminants in developed countries. Although historically Campylobacter fetus subspecies fetus has been the main cause of abortion in sheep, C. jejuni is also increasingly associated with sheep abortions.

Zoonoses and Public Health, EarlyView. This cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of Salmonella at different stages of the broiler production chain and layer flocks in addition to their antibiotic resistance profile and molecular patterns. Over a period of 3 years, different sample matrices were collected from Lebanese farms, slaughterhouses and retail markets.

Drug-resistant bacterial pathogens still cause high levels of mortality annually despite the availability of many antibiotics. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is especially problematic, and the rise in resistance to front-line treatments like vancomycin and linezolid calls for new chemical modalities to treat chronic and relapsing MRSA infections.

Giardia duodenalis is one of the most common intestinal parasites of humans, with a worldwide distribution. Giardia duodenalis has been reported in both wild and captive populations of non-human primates, namely chimpanzees. In this study we investigated an entire troop of clinically healthy chimpanzees (n = 21) for the presence of G. duodenalis and its association with faecal microbiota profile.

Epidemiological studies show that improper food handling practices at home account for a significant portion of foodborne illness cases.

A multi-residue method was developed for 45 pesticides from different groups, encompassing the most widely used pesticides. 30 samples of honey were randomly collected from different regions of Iran and extraction was performed using validated QuEChERS method. Next, pesticide residues were identified and measured using optimized UHPLC-MS/MS and GC-MS analysis.

Primary and secondary models were developed for quantitatively characterizing the survival of Listeria monocytogenes in soy-sauce based acidified Asian style products that do not undergo a thermal treatment. The objective of this study was to quantify the effect of food matrix properties on L. monocytogenes' survival in soy sauce-based products.

In response to changes in their environments, grapevines regulate transpiration using various physiological mechanisms that alter conductance of water through the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. Expressed as bulk stomatal conductance at the canopy scale, it varies diurnally in response to changes in vapor pressure deficit and net radiation, and over the season to changes in soil water deficits and hydraulic conductivity of both the soil and plant.

Salmonella is one of the leading causes of bacterial gastroenteritis. High prevalence of Salmonella in environment is partially due to its ability to enter the “viable but non-culturable” (VBNC) state when they encounter unfavorable conditions. Dried teas are traditionally believed to have a low risk of causing salmonellosis. This study investigated the survival of Salmonella in four types of dried teas under different storage conditions and brewing methods.