Research Publications (Food Safety)

Members of the small multidrug resistant (SMR) efflux pump family known as SugE (more recently renamed to Gdx) are known for their narrow substrate selectivity to small guanidinium (Gdm+) compounds and disinfectant quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs). Gdx members have been identified on multidrug resistant plasmids in Gram-negative bacilli, but their functional role remains unclear as few have been characterized.

by Hyunhee Park, Eunsong Hwang, Miyeon Jang, Chungsik Yoon

by Rory F. Little, Markiyan Samborskyy, Peter F. Leadlay

Abstract

Aims

This research aimed to establish how Hordeum vulgare responds to abiotic and biotic stress affecting in tandem.

We investigated ochratoxin A (OTA) contamination in raisin samples purchased from Slovak markets and determined the diversity of black-spored aspergilli as potential OTA and fumonisin (FB1 and FB2) producers. The taxonomic identification was performed using sequences of the nuclear ITS1-5.8s-ITS2 region, the calmodulin and beta-tubulin genes. We obtained 239 isolates from eight fungal genera, of which 197 belonged to Aspergillus (82%) and 42 strains (18%) to other fungal genera.

Bitis arietans is a snake of medical importance, as it is responsible for more accidents in humans and domestic animals than all other African snakes put together. The accidents are characterized by local and systemic alterations, such as inflammation, cardiovascular and hemostatic disturbances, which can lead victims to death or permanent disability.

The emergence of B. cereus as an opportunistic food-borne pathogen has intensified the need to distinguish strains of public health concern. The heterogeneity of the diseases associated with B. cereus infections emphasizes the versatility of these bacteria strains to colonize their host. Nevertheless, the molecular basis of these differences remains unclear.

Clostridium difficile (C.difficile) can cause antibiotic‐associated diarrhea or pseudo‐membranous colitis in humans and animals. Currently, the various methods such as microbiological culture,cytotoxic assay, ELISA and PCR have been used to detect Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). These conventional methods, however, require long detection time and professional staff.

Author(s): Miao Li, Haiming Wang, Jiadi Sun, Jian Ji, Yongli Ye, Xin Lu, Yinzhi Zhang, Xiulan Sun

Author(s): L.C. Eastwood, T.M. Taylor, J.W. Savell, K.B. Gehring, A.N. Arnold

Toxoplasmosis represents an important public health issue, with the consumption of raw or undercooked meat being a major way of human infection. The role of beef in the transmission of the parasite to humans is questioned due to lower quantity of tissue cysts compared with other meat-producing species. However, the habit of consuming raw beef is regionally diffused, and the risk posed by Toxoplasma gondii infection in cattle should not be overlooked.

Author(s): Federica Giacometti, Annalisa Pezzi, Giorgio Galletti, Marco Tamba, Giuseppe Merialdi, Silvia Piva, Andrea Serraino, Silva Rubini

Author(s): Congcong Wang, Jiaying He, Tongfei Xu, Hongyu Han, Zhimin Zhu, Lingxue Meng, Qihua Pang, Ruifang Fan

Author(s): Haiying Cui, Hong Li, Changzhu Li, Mohamed A. Abdel-Samie, Lin Lin

Author(s): Agata Los, Dana Ziuzina, Daniela Boehm, Paula Bourke

The study reports protective role of potential probiotic cultures against infection by biofilm forming Cronobacter sakazakii in Caenorhabditis elegans model system. Among the fifteen indigenous potential probiotics, the cell free supernatant of Lactobacillus gastricus BTM7 possessed highest antimicrobial action and biofilm inhibition against C. sakazakii.

The use of antimicrobial agents in livestock breeding is inevitable for prophylactic and treatment purposes, in order to maintain health and improve production of food products. However, this practice resulted in development of community resistance to antimicrobials due to residues found in livestock products. Milk is a key nutritional product that’s widely consumed for its high nutritional value.

Snack samples like potato crisp, fried potato, popcorn, and Cheetos have been known as carbohydrate- and protein-rich food. These tasty foods have high potential to contain acrylamide. Genotoxic and carcinogenic effect of acrylamide on human health cause to specific focus for measuring of acrylamide in food samples (Esposito et al. Food Chem Toxicol 108:249–256, 2017).

Fish consumption from contaminated water-bodies is a serious health issue. This study conducted to reveal the presence of heavy metals and bisphenols in Vembanad lake, an exploiting tourist spot in Kerala, receiving untreated agricultural, domestic, municipal, and industrial effluents. We evaluated aquatic contaminant impact on hepatic stress markers in Etroplus suratensis from fragile Vembanad lake.

There are limited data on exposure to mycotoxins in Pakistan. Here, we measured exposure to deoxynivalenol (DON), a common contaminant of wheat, and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), a known contaminant of rice, using biomarkers of exposure.

Ultrasound (US) and ozone processing allow achieving food technological aims such as the improvement of food safety and preservation. The combination of these technologies has been reported to be beneficial in inactivating microorganisms from fruits and vegetables. However, treatment conditions and mechanisms of action of these technologies can affect vegetables or fruits structure as well as their phytochemical components.

Significance and Impact of the Study: Surfactants with emulsifying bioactivity are known to be produced by Bacillus subtilis. Here, a colorimetric assay for methylene blue active substances is adapted for use in bacterial plaque to describe surfactant bioactivity, and supplemental salts of calcium during culture are shown to enrich cultured plaque for said bioactivity. Where B.

The emergence of novel resistant markers hampers the efficacy of beta‐lactam antibiotics to treat infections caused by microrganisms carrying such resistances. This study investigated the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern, the carpapenem associated determinants and the molecular epidemiology of Klebsiella pneumoniae showing a New Delhi (NDM) metallo‐β‐lactamase phenotype, isolated from a patient admitted to intensive care unit of the main hospital for acute care of Molise region, cent

Significance and Impact of the Study: Due to the resistance of the Plasmodium parasite to antimalarial drugs, only a few attempts have been made to use nanocarriers with the specific targeting approach in malaria treatment. In this article, we verified the antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory activity of silver nanoparticles prepared from Indigofera oblongifolia extract (AgNPs) against the Plasmodium chabaudi‐induced infection in mice spleen.

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are a global health concern. Antibiotic resistance occurs naturally, but misuse of antibiotics in humans and animals is accelerating the process of antibiotic resistance emergency, which has been aggravated by exposure to molecules of antibiotics present in clinical and agricultural settings and the engagement of many countries in water reuseespecially in Middle East and North Africa region.