Research Publications (Food Safety)

The common ice plant, Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L., has recently been found as a good candidate for phytoremediation of heavy-metal polluted soils. This semi-halophyte is a C3/CAM (Crassulacean acid metabolism) intermediate plant capable of tolerating extreme levels of cadmium in the soil. The aim of the work was to obtain and characterize novel, Cd-tolerant microbial strains that populate the root zone of M.

Journal of Food Biochemistry, EarlyView. This study reports the protective role of the aqueous extract of Syzygium aromaticum (ESA) against lead (Pb)-induced neurotoxicity in mice. Thirty male mice weighing between 18 g and 25 g were randomly divided into five groups.

Arsenic (As) contaminated mining spoils pose health threats to environmental resources and humans, and thus, mitigating this potential risk is worth investigating.

This study investigated the effects of silicon and iron on arsenic absorption, as well as the changes in the physiological indices of rice under arsenic stress and how these indices respond to silicon and iron. We found that application of silicon and iron reduces arsenic absorption in rice; co-application of silicon and iron reduced arsenic content by 25.6%–27.4%.

by M. T. Amin, A. A. Alazba, M. Shafiq The application of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) of MgFe and its composites with biochar of Eucalyptus camdulensis (Eb) and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) was explored in a batch study to mitigate toxic lead ions (Pb2+) from synthetic wastewater solutions.

Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is a pro-atherosclerotic product of dietary choline metabolism generated by a microbiome–host axis. The first step in this pathway is the enzymatic metabolism of choline to trimethylamine (TMA) by the gut microbiota. This reaction could be targeted to reduce atherosclerosis risk.

Process impairing foam formation occurs regularly in batch distillation devices of the spirit industry. It negatively influences process and product quality. Up to now, such foam-related problems have not been in the focus of scientific investigations. This study aimed at preventing impairing foam formations by adapting the thermal energy input in fruit and grain mash distillations in larger scale batch distillations.

In order to assess the health risks associated with the consumption of Sardina pilchardus (Walbaum, 1792) and to study the spatiotemporal dynamics of three potentially toxic metals, lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg) concentrations were measured in the muscle and the liver of 872 specimens of sardine sampled between October 2017 and September 2018 along the Algerian coast at 3 sites (Algiers, Dellys and Bejaia) subject to high pollution pressure.

Workers involved in crushing, milling, screening, and bagging of mica scrap are at increased risk to develop pneumoconiosis, a progressive material overloading of the lung that can lead to fibrosis and, in the later stages, to dyspnea. Pneumoconiosis is only seen after 10–20 years of respiratory mica exposure, and it can have a latency period of up to 40 years—today’s cases date back to exposures during the second half of the 20th century.

Blood lead level (BLL) is the primary biomarker for lead-exposure monitoring in occupationally exposed workers. We evaluated occupational lead-exposure (OE) impact on cardiopulmonary functions in lead-acid battery recycling unit workers. Seventy-six OE cases and 30 control subjects were enrolled for questionnaire-based socio-demographic, dietary, tobacco usage, and medical history data.

The utilization of nanoparticles to potentially reduce toxicity from metals/metalloids in plants has increased in recent years, which can help them to achieve tolerance under the stressful conditions.

Arsenic (As) has been observed to co-exist with atrazine (ATR) in soils worldwide. ATR, as an organic chemical, may affect the availability of As and further influence its uptake by organisms.

Soil Use and Management, Accepted Article. Ecological restoration refers to the gradual recovery of damaged ecosystems by utilizing their self-recovery capacity and artificial measures. It is considered as an effective technique to alleviate heavy metal pollution in open-pit mining soils. However, little is known about the stability of heavy metals and soil bacterial responses in artificially restored soil-plant systems.

Soil Use and Management, Accepted Article. The accumulation of heavy metals like cadmium (Cd) and metalloids like arsenic (As) in plants can do harm to human health through the food chain, especially through the rice (Oryza sativa L.).

Environmental Microbiology, Volume 24, Issue 2, Page 762-771, February 2022. Organoarsenicals enter the environment from biogenic and anthropogenic sources. Trivalent inorganic arsenite (As(III)) is microbially methylated to more toxic methylarsenite (MAs(III)) and dimethylarsenite (DMAs(III)) that oxidize in air to MAs(V) and DMAs(V).

Environmental Microbiology, Volume 24, Issue 2, Page 752-761, February 2022. Arsenic can be biomethylated to form a variety of organic arsenicals differing in toxicity and environmental mobility. Trivalent methylarsenite (MAs(III)) produced in the methylation process is more toxic than inorganic arsenite (As(III)). MAs(III) also serves as a primitive antibiotic and, consequently, some environmental microorganisms have evolved mechanisms to detoxify MAs(III).

Cadmium (Cd) is a highly toxic metal pollutant that can endanger the life and health of animals. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) can result in testicular cell damage by positively regulating mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) signaling pathway. Meanwhile, Testosterone (T) synthesis disorder can affect sexual behavior.

Arsenic and antimony are common toxic metalloids found in associated minerals.

Previous research has shown that the brown seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum (ASCO) has antimicrobial and antioxidant properties and also increases milk I concentration.

Iron (Fe) deficiency in plants is a common problem affecting agricultural production. Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic metal that can be taken up and transported within plants by transporters for divalent metals including Fe(II).

Vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides L.) has been used to remediate cadmium (Cd)-contaminated soil, while there have been few studies on the influence of Cd exposure on the rhizospheric microbial community and transcriptional expression of C. zizanioides. In this study, we investigated the response of the rhizospheric microbial community and transcriptional expression of C. zizanioides in 20 mg/kg Cd-contaminated soil. The results showed that Cd levels in the roots and shoots of C.

by Yana Irawati, Haryoto Kusnoputranto, Umar Fahmi Achmadi, Ahmad Safrudin, Alfred Sitorus, Rifqi Risandi, Suradi Wangsamuda, Puji Budi Setia Asih, Din Syafruddin Lead is one of ten hazardous chemicals of public health concern and is used in more than 900 occupations, including the battery, smelting, and mining industries. Lead toxicity accounts for 1.5% (900,000) of deaths annually in the world.

Arsenic trioxide (ATO) has been found to be effective in acute promyelocytic leukemia. However, ATO-induced severe cardiotoxicity limits its clinical application. To date, the mechanisms of ATO-induced cardiotoxicity remain unclear. It is hypothesized that ferroptosis may trigger ATO-induced cardiotoxicity; however, this has not yet been investigated. To clarify this hypothesis, rat cardiomyocyte H9c2 cells were treated with ATO with or without ferrostain-1 (Fer-1).

The study of arsenic (As)-resistant microorganisms with high As removal capacity is fundamental for the development of economically sustainable technologies used for the treatment of water contaminated with metalloid. In the current study, four bacterial strains were isolated from As-contaminated water samples of the Xichu region, Mexico.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency in Taiwan, the common carp (Cyprinus carpio) is one species of fish for acute toxic test. It has been found to be extremely sensitive to the toxicity of Cd2+; Furthermore, the goldfish (Carassius auratus) has a higher resistance than common carp upon Cd2+ exposure, but both fish are the same family.