Research Publications (Food Safety)

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic metal element and the mechanism(s) underlying Cd tolerance in plants are still unclear. Increasingly more studies have been conducted on Cd binding to plant cell walls (CW) but most of them have focused on Cd fixation by CW pectin, and few studies have examined Cd binding to cellulose and hemicellulose. Here we found that Cd binding to CW pectin, cellulose, and hemicellulose was significantly higher in Tor-1, a Cd tolerant A.

Soil radio-cesium (Cs) contamination caused by nuclear accidents is a major public concern. In this review, we presented the behavior of radio-Cs in soils, the relationship between Cs+ and potassium (K) ion uptake from soils, and the Cs+ uptake model proposed previously. Finally, we introduced the newly elucidated mechanism of Cs+ uptake in rice plants and compared it with the previously proposed Cs+ uptake model. Cs is a trace element in soil.

Perhaps the main factor determining success of space travel will be the ability to control effects of ionizing radiation for humans, but also for other living organisms. Manned space travel will require the cultivation of food plants under conditions of prolonged exposure to ionizing radiation.

Heavy metal accumulation in soil has been rapidly increased due to various natural processes and anthropogenic (industrial) activities. As heavy metals are non-biodegradable, they persist in the environment, have potential to enter the food chain through crop plants, and eventually may accumulate in the human body through biomagnification. Owing to their toxic nature, heavy metal contamination has posed a serious threat to human health and the ecosystem.

The potential of double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) for use as topical biopesticides in agriculture was recently discussed during an OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Conference on RNA interference (RNAi)-based pesticides. Several topics were presented and these covered different aspects of RNAi technology, its application, and its potential effects on target and non-target organisms (including both mammals and non-mammals).

Genetically modified plants (GMPs) intended for market release can be designed to induce “gene silencing” through RNA interference (RNAi). The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and other international risk assessment bodies/regulatory agencies have taken several actions to determine whether the existing risk assessment approaches for GMPs are appropriate for the risk assessment of RNAi-based GMPs or require complementary or alternative approaches.

An increasing global population demands a continuous supply of nutritious and safe food. Edible products can be contaminated with biological (e.g., bacteria, virus, protozoa), chemical (e.g., heavy metals, mycotoxins), and physical hazards during production, storage, transport, processing, and/or meal preparation.

Heavy metals-based changes in the plants and their alleviation through eco-friendly agents including reduced glutathione (GSH) have been widely studied. In the present experiment, we tested the alleviatory role of reduced glutathione (GSH) in seedlings of upland cotton cultivar, TM-1 under lead (Pb) toxicity. Plants were grown in the Hoagland solution containing Pb (0 μM), Pb (500 μM), GSH (50 μM), and GSH + Pb (50 μM + 500 μM).

The recent Regulation (EU) 2019/1381, published on the 6th September 2019, aims to improve the transparency and sustainability of the EU risk assessment in the food chain by amending the General Food Law Regulation (EC 178/2002) and a number of other regulations related to the food sector.

Cadmium (Cd) exposure causes an oxidative challenge and inhibits cell cycle progression, ultimately impacting plant growth. Stress-induced effects on the cell cycle are often a consequence of activation of the DNA damage response (DDR).

Endophytic fungi are great resources for the identification of useful natural products such as antimicrobial agents. In this study, we performed the antifungal screening of various plant endophytic fungi against the dollar spot pathogen Sclerotinia homoeocarpa and finally selected Humicola sp. JS-0112 as a potential biocontrol agent. The bioactive compound produced by the strain JS-0112 was identified as monorden known as an inhibitor of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90).

Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus L.) is a Mediterranean crop, member of the Asteraceae family, characterized by high production of biomass and secondary metabolites and by a good adaptation to climate change, usable in green chemistry, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical sectors.

The ability to grow safe, fresh food to supplement packaged foods of astronauts in space has been an important goal for NASA. Food crops grown in space experience different environmental conditions than plants grown on Earth (e.g., reduced gravity, elevated radiation levels).

Advances in plant synthetic biology promise to introduce novel agricultural products in the near future. ‘Molecular farms’ will include crops engineered to produce medications, vaccines, biofuels, industrial enzymes, and other high value compounds. These crops have the potential to reduce costs while dramatically increasing scales of synthesis and provide new economic opportunities to farmers.

Apple replant disease (ARD) is a soil-borne disease, which is of particular importance for fruit tree nurseries and fruit growers. The disease manifests by a poor vegetative development, stunted growth, and reduced yield in terms of quantity and quality, if apple plants (usually rootstocks) are replanted several times at the same site.

The heat shock transcription factor (Hsf) family, an important member in plant stress response, affects cadmium (Cd) tolerance in plants. In this study, we identified and functionally characterized a transcript of the Hsf A4 subgroup from Sedum alfredii. Designated as SaHsfA4c, the open reading frame was 1,302 bp long and encoded a putative protein of 433 amino acids containing a complete DNA-binding domain (DBD).

Accumulation and detoxification of cadmium in rice shoots are of great importance for adaptation to grow in cadmium contaminated soils and for limiting the transport of Cd to grains. However, the molecular mechanisms behind the processes involved in this regulation remain largely unknown. Defensin proteins play important roles in heavy metal tolerance and accumulation in plants. In rice, the cell wall-localized defensin protein (CAL1) is involved in Cd efflux and partitioning to the shoots.

Groundnut is an important global food and oil crop that underpins agriculture-dependent livelihood strategies meeting food, nutrition, and income security. Aflatoxins, pose a major challenge to increased competitiveness of groundnut limiting access to lucrative markets and affecting populations that consume it. Other drivers of low competitiveness include allergens and limited shelf life occasioned by low oleic acid profile in the oil.

Disease stresses caused by pathogenic microorganisms are increasing, probably because of global warming. Conventional technologies for plant disease control have often revealed their limitations in efficiency, environmental safety, and economic costs. There is high demand for improvements in efficiency and safety.

The terms genome engineering, genome editing, and gene editing, refer to modifications (insertions, deletions, substitutions) in the genome of a living organism. The most widely used approach to genome editing nowadays is based on Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats and associated protein 9 (CRISPR-Cas9). In prokaryotes, CRISPR-Cas9 is an adaptive immune system that naturally protects cells from DNA virus infections.

Fresh produce contaminated with human pathogens may result in foodborne disease outbreaks that cause a significant number of illnesses, hospitalizations, and death episodes affecting both public health and the agribusiness every year. The ability of these pathogens to survive throughout the food production chain is remarkable. Using a genetic approach, we observed that leaf colonization by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium 14028s (S.

Gliotoxin (GT) is a fungal secondary metabolite that has attracted great interest due to its high biological activity since it was discovered by the 1930s. It exhibits a unique structure that contains a N-C = O group as the characteristics of the classical PSII inhibitor. However, GT’s phytotoxicity, herbicidal activity and primary action targets in plants remain hidden.

Oolong tea is a popular and semi-fermented beverage. During the processing of tea leaves, withering is the first indispensable process for improving flavor. However, the roles of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and the characteristic secondary metabolites during the withering of oolong tea leaves remain unknown.

Nowadays, fertilization and pest control are carried out using chemical compounds that contaminate soil and deteriorate human health. Plant growth promoting bacteria endophytes (PGPBEs), are a well-studied group of bacteria that offers benefits to the host plant, such as phytostimulation, biofertilization, and protection against other microorganisms.