Research Publications (Food Safety)

This cross-sectional study determined the occurrence, risk factors and characteristics of Salmonella isolated from imported broiler hatching fertile eggs, hatcheries, and broiler farms in Trinidad and Tobago. Standard methods were used to isolate and characterize Salmonella isolates from two broiler hatcheries and 27 broiler farms in the country.

Healthy cattle are considered the main reservoir of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains, so in some places in the world, products derived from beef are the most common source for disease outbreaks caused by these bacteria. Therefore, in order to guarantee that the beef produced by our slaughterhouses is safe, there is a need for continuous monitoring of these bacteria.

Advancements in next-generation sequencing technology have dramatically reduced the cost and increased the ease of microbial whole-genome sequencing. This is revolutionizing the identification and analysis of foodborne microbial pathogens, facilitating expedited detection and mitigation of foodborne outbreaks, improving public health outcomes, and limiting costly recalls.

Abstract

In the late autumn of 2018 and 2019, some samples taken by the official monitoring systems of Cantabria and the Basque Country were found to be paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP)-positive using a mouse bioassay. To confirm the presence of PSP toxins and to obtain their profile, these samples were analyzed using an optimized version of the Official Method AOAC 2005.06 and using LC–MS/MS (HILIC).

Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, EarlyView. Edible coatings (ECs) are thin layers applied on food to protect it and improve quality. They are made from bio-based materials such as polysaccharides, proteins, lipids, or their composites. The incorporation of functional agents, such as bioactive compounds, vitamins, or antimicrobials into the EC, has been investigated to control the shelf life of many food products from horticulture ones to processed food.

Soil Use and Management, Accepted Article. Management of heavy metal contaminated soil under drought and other harsh hydrological conditions is critical for protecting soil ecosystem services.

Molecular Microbiology, Accepted Article. Listeria monocytogenes is a food-borne bacterium that causes gastroenteritis, meningitis, or abortion. L. monocytogenes induces its internalization (entry) into human cells and either spreads laterally in tissues or transcytoses to traverse anatomical barriers. In this review, we discuss mechanisms by which five structurally related proteins of the ‘internalin’ family of L.

The ppk1 gene encodes polyphosphate kinase (PPK1), which is the major catalytic enzyme that Escherichia coli utilizes to synthesize inorganic polyphosphate (polyP). The aim of this study was to explore the role of PPK1 in the pathogenesis of Enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157:H7 (EHEC O157:H7).

Campylobacter jejuni is regarded as the leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis around the world. Even though it is generally considered to be a sensitive microaerobic pathogen, it is able to survive in the environment outside of the intestinal tract of the host. This study aimed to assess the impact of selected environmental parameters on the survival of 14 C. jejuni isolates of different origins, including 12 water isolates.

Giardiasis is one of the most common gastrointestinal infections worldwide, mainly in developing countries. The etiological agent is the Giardia lamblia parasite. Giardiasis mainly affects children and immunocompromised people, causing symptoms such as diarrhea, dehydration, abdominal cramps, nausea, and malnutrition.

Background: Herbivorous insects are one of the main biological threats to crops. One such group of insects, stink bugs, do not eat large amounts of tissue when feeding on soybean, but are damaging to the quality of the seed yield as they feed on green developing seeds leading to poorly marketable harvests. In addition to causing physical damage during sucking-feeding activities, the insects can also transmit microbial pathogens, leading to even greater yield loss.

Listeria monocytogenes remains a significant public health threat, causing invasive listeriosis manifested as septicemia, meningitis, and abortion, with up to 30% of cases having a fatal outcome. Tracking the spread of invasive listeriosis requires an updated knowledge for virulence factors (VFs) and antimicrobial resistance features, which is an essential step toward its clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Objective

The opportunistic pathogen Streptococcus gallolyticus is one of the few intestinal bacteria that has been consistently linked to colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aimed to identify novel S. gallolyticus-induced pathways in colon epithelial cells that could further explain how S. gallolyticus contributes to CRC development.

Design and Results

by Megan E. Hart, Anna Perez-Umphrey, Philip C. Stouffer, Christine Bergeon Burns, Andrea Bonisoli-Alquati, Sabrina S. Taylor, Stefan Woltmann

Author(s): Saroj Kumar, Sampurna Nand, Bhanu Pratap, Divya Dubey, Venkatesh Dutta

Author(s): Hao Jiang, Hao Lin, Jinjin Lin, Selorm Yao-Say Solomon Adade, Quansheng Chen, Zhaoli Xue, Chenming Chan

Author(s): Caili Qi, Feifei Sun, Qiling Wei, Jun Xu, Rui Li, Lin Zhang, Fang Lu, Xidi Jiang, Hengfeng Fu, Chunxiao Zhang, Lin Li The BaeSR two-component system and the AcrB efflux pump are closely associated with Salmonella resistance to antibiotics. However, the relationship between the two-component system, efflux pumps and protein phosphorylation of Salmonella is poorly understood. In this study, S.

Author(s): Yuan Gui, Qian Wang, Jianmin Zou, Xi Chen, Chao Song, Jiazhang Chen

Author(s): Qitong Huang, Xiaofeng Lin, Dejian Chen, Qing-Xiao Tong

Author(s): Qinghe Zhao, Shengyan Ding, Zhendong Hong, Xiaoyu Ji, Shuoqian Wang, Mengwen Lu, Yaru Jing

Author(s): Yanwen Shao, Hosahalli S. Ramaswamy, Jeff Bussey, Richard Harris, John W. Austin

Acrylamide (AA) is a heat-induced toxicant, which can cause severe damage to health. In the present study, SD rats were used to investigate the potential therapeutic effects of allicin dietary supplementation in the rats with AA-induced intestinal injury. The elevated expression of occludin, claudin-1, zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1), mucin 2, and mucin 3 indicated that oral allicin alleviated the intestinal epithelial barrier breakage induced by AA, compared with the AA-treated group.

Bacterial small RNAs (sRNAs) are important regulators of gene expression; however, the impact of natural mutations on sRNA functions has not been studied extensively.

Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) constitute one of the leading causes of antibiotic administration, hospitalization and death among children <5 years old. The upper respiratory tract microbiota has been suggested to explain differential susceptibility to ARIs and modulate ARI severity.