Research Publications (Food Safety)

Thymoquinone (2-methyl-5-propan-2-ylcyclohexa-2,5-diene-1,4-dione; TQ), a principal bioactive phytoconstituent of Nigella sativa essential oil, has been reported to have high antimicrobial potential. Thus, the current study evaluated TQ’s antimicrobial potential against a range of selected human pathogens using in vitro assays, including time-kill kinetics and anti-biofilm activity.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a dynamic and tenacious pathogenic bacterium which is prevalent in livestock farming environments. This study investigated the possibility of MRSA spread via bioaerosol transmission from an indoor chicken farm environment to outdoors downwind (up to 50 m).

In today’s post-antibiotic era, the search for new antimicrobial compounds is of major importance and nature represents one of the primary sources of bioactive molecules. In this work, through a cheminformatics approach, we clustered an in-house library of natural products and their derivatives based on a combination of fingerprints and substructure search. We identified the prenylated emodine-type anthranoid ferruginin A as a novel antimicrobial compound.

Plesiomonas shigelloides are gram-negative, thermotolerant, motile, and pleomorphic microorganisms that are only distantly related to those of the Enterobacteriaceae and Vibrionaceae families. One of the most common sources of P. shigelloides contamination is human stool, but it may also be found in a wide range of other animals, plants, and aquatic habitats. Antimicrobial resistance in P.

Animal and food sources are seen as a potential transmission pathway of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) to humans. The aim of this study is to describe Campylobacter, Salmonella, and commensal Escherichia coli multi-drug resistance (MDR) in the food chain between 2014 and 2019 in Portugal. AMR surveillance data from food-producing animals and food were assessed. MDR relative frequencies were estimated by bacterial genus and year.

The widespread use of antibiotics has led to a considerable increase in the resistance of microorganisms to these agents. Consequently, it is imminent to establish new strategies to combat pathogens. An alternative involves the development of photoactive polymers that represent an interesting strategy to kill microbes and maintain aseptic surfaces.

A series of oleanolic acid derivatives holding oxo- or 3-N-polyamino-3-deoxy-substituents at C3 as well as carboxamide function at C17 with different long chain polyamines have been synthesized and evaluated for antimicrobial activities. Almost all series presented good to moderate activity against Gram-positive S. aureus, S. faecalis and B. cereus bacteria with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values from 3.125 to 200 µg/mL.

A collection of human-epidemiologically unrelated S. enterica strains collected over a 3-year period (2016 to 2018) in Italy by the national surveillance Enter-Net Italia was analysed. Methods: Antimicrobial susceptibility tests, including the determination of minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for colistin, were performed. Colistin resistant strains were analysed by PCR to detect mobile colistin resistance (mcr) genes. In mcr-negative S.

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) infections, particularly methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in humans and animals, have become a significant concern globally. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence and antibiogram of S. aureus isolated from animal handlers in Peninsular Malaysia. Furthermore, the genotypic characteristics of S. aureus isolates were also investigated. Nasal and oral swab samples were collected from 423 animal handlers in Peninsular Malaysia.

Intestinal epithelium provides the largest barrier protecting mammalian species from harmful external factors; however, it can be severely compromised by the presence of bacteria in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Antibiotics have been widely used for the prevention and treatment of GI bacterial infections, leading to antimicrobial resistance in human and veterinary medicine alike.

Comparative transcriptome analysis and de novo short-read assembly of S. aureus Newman strains revealed significant transcriptional changes in response to the exposure to triple-acting staphylolytic peptidoglycan hydrolase (PGH) 1801. Most altered transcriptions were associated with the membrane, cell wall, and related genes, including amidase, peptidase, holin, and phospholipase D/transphosphatidylase.

The assumed link between high levels of antimicrobial use on farms and selection for antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria on that farm remains difficult to prove. In the pilot study presented here, we analysed total antimicrobial use on 50 dairy farms in Austria and also collected environmental samples to ascertain whether specific AMR bacteria were present. Antimicrobial use (AMU) analysis was based on electronic veterinary treatment records over a one-year period.

A total of 114 Staphylococcus isolates from various infections of companion animals, including 43 feline Staphylococcus aureus, 19 canine S. aureus, 11 feline Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and 41 canine S. pseudintermedius were investigated for (i) their susceptibility to 24 antimicrobial agents and three combinations of antimicrobial agents by broth microdilution following CLSI recommendations and (ii) the corresponding resistance genes.

Antibiotics are widely used in intensive fish farming, which in turn increases the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacteria in the aquatic environment. The current study investigates the prevalence and determines the antimicrobial susceptibility of E. coli, Salmonella, and Vibrio in farmed fishes on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Over a period of 12 months, 32 aquaculture farms from the Malaysian states of Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, and Perak were sampled. Both E.

Zoonoses and Public Health, EarlyView. In December 2018, PulseNet, the national laboratory network for enteric disease surveillance, identified an increase in Salmonella Typhimurium isolates with an uncommon pulsed-field gel electrophoresis pattern which was previously isolated from hedgehogs.

Staphylococcus aureus-induced infective endocarditis (IE) is a life-threatening disease. Differences in virulence between distinct S. aureus strains, which are partly based on the molecular mechanisms during bacterial adhesion, are not fully understood. Yet, distinct molecular or elemental patterns, occurring during specific steps in the adhesion process, may help to identify novel targets for accelerated diagnosis or improved treatment.

by Xuan Cai, Rongrong Liao, Guo Chen, Yonghong Lu, Yiqun Zhao, Yi Chen Food processing methods may influence the health of dogs. However, previous studies have mostly been based on a comparison of several commercial dog foods with different ingredients. In this study, eighteen adult beagles of the same age and health status (assessed by routine blood tests) were used in the experiments.

In this study, an ultrasensitive dual-mode assay was successfully developed for the detection of Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni). Based on circular dichroism and surface-enhanced Raman scattering generated from DNA-driven double-layer core-satellite gold nanostructures, the concentration of C.

Pullorum disease caused by Salmonella Pullorum remains an important disease for the poultry industry due to high morbidity and mortality in many countries. Phage therapy is becoming an alternative strategy to control multidrug-resistant Salmonella infections in young chicks. However, how bacteriophages affect the growth performance of chicks infected with S. Pullorum remains poorly understood.

Salmonella type III secretion system (T3SS) effector SseK3 is a glycosyltransferase delivered directly into the host cells to modify host protein substrates, thus manipulating host cellular signal transduction. Here, we identify and characterize the Arg-GlcNAcylation activity of SseK3 inside bacterial cells.

The pathogenic microorganism Listeria monocytogenes is ubiquitous and responsible for listeriosis, a disease with a high mortality rate in susceptible people. It can persist in different habitats, including the farm environment, the food production environments, and in foods. This pathogen can grow under challenging conditions, such as low pH, low temperatures, and high salt concentrations. However, L.

Objectives Bacillus cereus is responsible for food poisoning and rare but severe clinical infections. The pathogenicity of B. cereus strains varies from harmless to lethal strains. The objective of this study was to characterize three B. cereus isolates isolated from the same patient and identify their virulence potentials. Methods Three isolates of B.

ABSTRACT Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic human pathogen, which is a leading cause of infections worldwide. The challenge in treating S. aureus infection is linked to the development of multidrug-resistant strains and the mechanisms employed by this pathogen to evade the human immune defenses. In addition, S. aureus can hide asymptomatically in particular ‘protective’ niches of the human body for prolonged periods of time.

Molecular Microbiology, Accepted Article. YscX was discovered as an essential part of the Yersinia type III secretion system about 20 years ago. It is required for substrate secretion and is exported itself. Despite this central role, its precise function and mode of action remains unknown. In order to address this knowledge gap, this present study refocused attention on YscX to build on the recent advances in the understanding of YscX function.

As part of the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) activities, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) collected cecal samples from food animal slaughter facilities throughout the country between 2014 and 2018. Of the 26,780 cecal samples from cattle, swine, chicken and turkey , 6,350 (23.71%) tested positive for Salmonella .