Research Publications (Food Safety)

Aims To identify the bacteria nodulating Sulla spinosissima growing profusely in a lead and zinc mine tailings in Eastern Morocco. Methods and Results Thirty two rhizobial cultures, isolated from root nodules of S. spinosissima growing in soils of the mining site, were tolerant to different heavy metals.

Some meat dry products, including dry cured ham and dry beef cecina, are cured in the air at cold temperature allowing the growth of a lawn of fungi on their surface. During the curing process, frequently these products became contaminated with fungivore mites of the Acaridae family that feed on fungal mycelium and spores. Aims The aim of this article is to study the possible biological control of mites by fungi that form part of the normal microbiota of these meat products.

Aims Providing a ready‐to‐use reverse transcriptase qPCR (RT‐qPCR) method fully validated to detect the SARS‐CoV‐2 with a higher exclusivity than this shown by early published RT‐qPCR designs. Methods and Results The specificity of the GPS™ CoVID‐19 dtec‐RT‐qPCR test by analysis of sequence alignments was approached and compared with other RT‐qPCR designs. The GPS™ CoVID‐19 dtec‐RT‐qPCR test was validated following criteria of UNE/EN ISO 17025:2005 and ISO/IEC 15189:2012.

Cold plasma technology is an efficient, environmental‐friendly, economic and non‐invasive technology; and in recent years these advantages placed this novel technology at the center of diverse studies for food industry applications. Dried food ingredients including spices, herbs, powders and seeds are an important part of the human diet; and the growing demands of consumers for higher quality and safe food products have led to increased research into alternative decontamination methods.

Aims To determine if antibiotics associated with conventional pig farming have a direct role in altering the populations of key soil micro‐organisms isolated from piggery environments with and without exposure to antibiotics. Methods and Results Fluorescent Pseudomonas spp.

Aims Characterization of quinolone‐resistant Salmonella Kentucky and Typhimurium isolates in Tunisia from various sources, detection of some PMQR genes, and the genetic relatedness. Methods A total of 1,404 isolates of S. Kentucky (n = 1,059) / S. Typhimurium (n = 345) from various sources from all over Tunisia were tested for quinolone resistance by disk diffusion method. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, and ofloxacin were determined.

Aims Describe the temporal trends in E. coli pathotypes and antimicrobial resistance detected in isolates from diseased‐pig cases submitted to the EcL from 2008 to 2016, in Quebec, Canada, and investigate the presence of spatio‐temporal and phylogenetic clusters. Methods and Results Detection of 12 genes coding for virulence factors in pathogenic E. coli in pigs by PCR and antimicrobial resistance standard disk diffusion assay were performed.

Aim The aim of the present study was to examine the vaccine immune response in ewes supplemented with Bacillus toyonensis BCT‐7112T during a period of 5‐day supplementation before vaccination against a recombinant Clostridium perfringens epsilon toxin (rETX). Methods and Results Ewes were vaccinated with 200 µg of rETX adjuvanted with 10% aluminum hydroxide. The treat group was orally supplemented with B.

Aim Bacteriocins with antimicrobial activity are considered as potential natural bio‐preservatives to control the growth of food spoilage bacteria. The aim of this work is to characterize a novel bacteriocin BM1029 discovered from Lactobacillus crustorum MN047 and evaluate its antibacterial mechanism. Methods and Results Bacteriocin BM1029 was purified by cation‐exchange chromatography and reversed‐phase chromatography.

Aims This study aims to investigate the presence and spatial‐seasonal variability of human and fish viruses in coastal marine systems using Ravenna’s harbor area (Adriatic Sea, Italy) as a model. Methods and Results Human viruses (noroviruses and hepatitis A virus) and one of the most threatening finfish pathogens, the nervous necrosis virus (NNV), were investigated in mussels living inside and offshore Ravenna’s harbor.

Aims Diagnosis of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is important in various diseases from hospital‐acquired infections to foodborne diseases. This work reports two new luminescent affiprobes for specific detection of S. aureus. Methods and Results To develop advanced luminescent affiprobes, enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) was flanked by single and double repeats of ZpA963 affibody using molecular biology studies.

Aims This study aimed synergistic effects of three herbs in Salmonella via increased membrane permeability and apoptosis. Methods and Results Using high‐performance liquid chromatography, four types of phenylethyl glycosides and a lignan were detected in the herb mixture (Brassica juncea, Forsythia suspensa, and Inula britannica).

ABSTRACT Aims This study evaluated the performance of a commercial molecular detection method (mericon Campylobacter triple kit real‐time/quantitative (q)PCR) and a selective plating medium (R&F Campylobacter jejuni/Campylobacter coli Chromogenic Plating Medium (CCPM)) against a culture‐based reference method (ISO 10272‐1:2017 detection procedure B) for the detection of Campylobacter from raw milk enrichment broths.

Aims To understand the genetics involved in surface attachment and biofilm formation of Listeria monocytogenes. Methods and Results An in vitro screen of a Himar1 transposon library of L. monocytogenes strain 15G01 identified three transposants that produced significantly different biofilm levels when compared to the wild‐type strain; two mutants exhibited enhanced biofilm formation and one produced less biofilm biomass than the wild‐type.

Aims Bacillus cereus sensu lato (B. cereus sl) is a complex group of closely related bacteria, which are commonly present in the natural environment and food products. These organisms may cause food poisoning and spoilage as well as opportunistic infections. Thus far, their resistance to selected antibiotics has been explored only in part, especially in the context of strain source. Therefore, our goal was to compare the resistance of B.

Aims To investigate the microbiological and nutritional quality of liquid finisher pig feed on commercial production units and the factors influencing this. Methods and results Microbiological and physio‐chemical analyses were performed on liquid feed sampled from the mixing tank and troughs of the finisher section of eight commercial pig units. Lactic acid bacteria, yeast and E.

Aims To evaluate four DNA extraction methods to elucidate the most effective method for bacterial DNA recovery from human milk. Methods and results Human milk DNA was extracted using the following methods: i) QIAGEN MagAttract Microbial DNA Isolation Kit (kit QM), ii) Norgen Milk Bacterial DNA Isolation Kit (kit NM), iii) QIAGEN MagAttract Microbiome DNA/RNA Isolation Kit (kit MM), and iv) TRIzol LS Reagent (method LS). The full‐length 16S rRNA gene was sequenced.

Aim This study aimed to evaluate the patterns and potential risk factors associated with the occurrence of Salmonella sp. and Escherichia coli in selected United States swine feed mills. Methods and Results A total of 405 samples were collected during fall 2018, spring and summer 2019 from selected sites including floors, equipment, shoes and feed in six feed mills in the US Midwest region. Each sample was analysed for the presence of Salmonella and E.

Aims This research was performed to investigate the influence of clay and humic acid on E. coli O157 survival in model soils. Additionally, the influence of pH and humic acid on E. coli O157 in liquid culture was investigated. Methods and Results Artificial soil microcosms were prepared with sand, kaolinite, bentonite, and humic acid. Artificial soil microcosms pH was adjusted (6.0 to 7.0) with aluminum sulphate before E. coli O157 inoculation.

Aims This article presents models of artificial neural networks employed to predict the biological activity of chemical compounds based of their structure. Regression and classification models were designed to determine antimicrobial properties of quaternary ammonium salts against Escherichia coli strain.

ABSTRACT Aims The aims of this study were to determine the occurrence of Fusarium graminearum species complex (FGSC) on soybean pods, seeds and roots, including rhizoplane, during the soybean crop in rotation with wheat and to evaluate the FGSC dynamics on wheat and soybean residues during two soybean growing season in rotation with wheat, particularly of F. graminearum sensu stricto (FGss). Methods and Results Soybean roots, pods and seeds were analyzed during 2012/13 and 2013/14 season.

Aim The purpose of this work was to identify and genetically characterize enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) and enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) O80:H2 from diarrheic and septicemic calves in Belgium and to comparing them with human EHEC after whole genome sequencing.

Aim Quinoline is a recalcitrant pollutant in coking wastewater which has been broadly investigated with many isolates possessing aerobic quinoline degrading ability. However, studies on anaerobic degradation and the corresponding bacteria are very scarce. This study attempted to investigate the role of diverse functional members and the redundancy of quinoline degradation in a lab‐scale quinoline denitrifying bioreactor.

Aims Biological techniques can manage plant diseases safely and in environmentally friendly ways, but their efficacy needs improvement. It is of the utmost importance to search for powerful microbes for the effective control of plant diseases.

Aims The goal was to explore the effects of subinhibitory concentration (SIC) (0.5 MIC=20 µg L‐1) of ciprofloxacin on the transcriptome of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O26:H11 (EHEC) isolate by 60 minutes of exposure. Materials and Results We used a combination of comparative genomic and transcriptomic (RNAseq) analyses. The whole genome of the E. coli O26:H11 #30934 strain of bovine origin was sequenced and assembled.