Research Publications (Food Safety)

We aimed to develop a sustainable adsorbent for bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine disruptor that seriously threatens human health. First, microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) was reacted with 2-bromoisobutyrylbromide to obtain a surface initiator (SI) for the grafting of polystyrene (PS), poly(lauryl methacrylate) (PLMA), and poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDM) through ARGET-ATRP. These polymers may have favorably interacted with BPA, which led to its removal.

The heavy metal concentration in plant tissues of Ranunculus ficaria, Plantago major, Taraxacum officinale, and Achillea millefolium, frequently consumed or used in traditional medicine, collected from one of radioactive area of Romania, not been previously reported by any research group. The content of Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb were determined by ICP-MS.

Botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) serotype E is one of three serotypes that cause the preponderance of human botulism cases and is a Tier 1 Select Agent. BoNT/E is unusual among BoNT serotypes for its rapid onset and short duration of intoxication. Here we report two large panels of unique, unrelated camelid single-domain antibodies (VHHs) that were selected for their ability to bind to BoNT/E holotoxin and/or to the BoNT/E light chain protease domain (LC/E).

Seafood represents a significant part of the human staple diet. In the recent years, the identification of emerging lipophilic marine toxins has increased, leading to the potential for consumers to be intoxicated by these toxins.

Multidrug efflux pumps play an essential role in antibiotic resistance. The conventional methods, including minimum inhibitory concentration and fluorescent assays, to monitor transporter efflux activity might have some drawbacks, such as indirect evidence or interference from color molecules. In this study, MALDI-TOF MS use was explored for monitoring drug efflux by a multidrug transporter, and the results were compared for validation with the data from conventional methods.

Maize is a staple for billions across the globe. However, in tropical and sub-tropical regions, maize is frequently contaminated with aflatoxins by Aspergillus section Flavi fungi. There is an ongoing search for sources of aflatoxin resistance in maize to reduce continuous exposures of human populations to those dangerous mycotoxins. Large variability in susceptibility to aflatoxin contamination exists within maize germplasm.

Globally, foodborne diseases (FBDs) result in millions of sicknesses and deaths annually. Cumulative evidence suggests that the use of probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains could be a viable alternative in inhibiting the activities of foodborne pathogens. This study aims to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial, cytotoxic, and tolerance levels of Lactobacillus bulgaricus KLDS 1.0207 against two notable foodborne pathogens – Escherichia coli ATCC25922 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC25923.

Bacteriophages use a large number of different bacterial cell envelope structures as receptors for surface attachment. As a consequence, bacterial surfaces represent a major control point for the defense against phage attack. One strategy for phage population control is the production of outer membrane vesicles (OMVs).

Vibrio parahaemolyticus non-toxigenic strains are responsible for about 10% of acute gastroenteritis associated with this species, suggesting they harbor unique virulence factors. Zonula occludens toxin (Zot), firstly described in Vibrio cholerae, is a secreted toxin that increases intestinal permeability. Recently, we identified Zot-encoding genes in the genomes of highly cytotoxic Chilean V. parahaemolyticus strains, including the non-toxigenic clinical strain PMC53.7.

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT

In 2018, Brucella ceti was isolated from a bottlenose dolphin from the western Pacific Ocean. Here, we report a draft genome sequence of the isolate BD1442 of sequence type 27, which is the only sequence type known to have been isolated from human clinical cases.

Type VI secretion systems (T6SSs) are complex macromolecular injection machines which are widespread in Gram-negative bacteria. They are involved in host-cell interactions and pathogenesis, required to eliminate competing bacteria, or are important for the adaptation to environmental stress conditions. Here we identified regulatory elements controlling the T6SS4 of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis and found a novel type of hexameric transcription factor, RovC.

by Linlin Zhao, Sarah Richards, Franziska Turck, Markus Kollmann

by Charles-André Timmerman, Paul Marchal, Margaux Denamiel, Clémence Couvreur, Pierre Cresson

by Pavel Horky, Eva Venusova, Tereza Aulichova, Andrea Ridoskova, Jiri Skladanka, Sylvie Skalickova

by Yuji Ishida, Chihiro Yamasaki, Hiroko Iwanari, Hisahiko Yamashita, Yuko Ogawa, Ami Yanagi, Suzue Furukawa, Yuha Kojima, Kazuaki Chayama, Junichi Kamiie, Chise Tateno

by Sabira Tahseen, Faisal Masood Khanzada, Alamdar Hussain Rizvi, Mahmood Qadir, Aisha Ghazal, Aurangzaib Quadir Baloch, Tehmina Mustafa

Background

Pakistan is among top five high burden countries for tuberculosis and drug resistant TB. Among rifampicin sensitive new pulmonary TB (PTB), prevalence of isoniazid resistance is 8.3% (95%CI: 7.0–10.7) and resistance to fluoroquinolone is higher (11·1%, 95%CI: 7·8–14·3) than isoniazid resistance.

Method

The use of antibiotics anywhere could select antibiotic-resistant bacteria everywhere. Reducing the use of antibiotics in farm animals is consequently fundamental to preserve the current and future benefits of antibiotics for people.

Author(s): Fozia Ahmed, Assel Sarsenbayeva, Petros Katsogiannos, Céline Aguer, Maria J Pereira

The environmental endocrine disruptors, bisphenol A (BPA) and bisphenol S (BPS) are associated with the development of type 2 diabetes. We aim to study the effects of BPA or BPS exposure on adipokine expression in human adipose tissue and on adipocyte glucose uptake.

Author(s): Yong Wang, Hongwei Chen, Weihua Chang, Rong Chen, Shiwen Xu, Dayong Tao

Author(s): Qirui An, Xiaolan He, Na Zheng, Shengnan Hou, Siyu Sun, Sujing Wang, Penyang Li, Xiaoqian Li, Xue Song

Author(s): Gökhan Kürşad İncili, Müzeyyen Akgöl, Mehmet Emin Aydemir, Selçuk Alan, Muhsin Mutlu, Osman İrfan İlhak, Gülsüm Öksüztepe

In recent years, the biosynthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have been projected as an alternative to traditional antibiotics for their superior antimicrobial properties and significant inhibition of the biofilm formation. Particularly, it is found that the effectiveness of AgNPs varies greatly with the biomaterial used in their synthesis. Mushrooms are natural resources for excellent antioxidants and bioactive compounds.

Hydroxyapatite-silica fibers were prepared by sol-gel process and electrospinning, and their capacity for adsorption of cadmium and lead ions in aqueous solution was studied. The samples were characterized by SEM, FTIR, TGA, DSC, BET, and XRD. The composite consists on a network of continuous rough fibers with mean diameter of 150 ± 40 nm after thermal treatment. The fibers present a mesoporous structure with pore size of 15.75 nm.