Research Publications (Food Safety)

by Hilomi Iwai, Hideki Yamamoto Cattle-related injuries are a significant contributing factor in 84.3% of livestock-related incidents in Hokkaido Japan. The specific countermeasures to respond to its characteristics are needed because cattle move freely. This study examined the JA Kyosai mutual aid payment claim form data of the agricultural work-related incidents that occurred from 1st January 2013 to 31st December 2016.

Journal of Applied Toxicology, EarlyView. Our previous study showed that sodium arsenite (200 mg/L) affected the nervous system and induced motor neuron development via the Sonic hedgehog pathway in zebrafish larvae. To gain more insight into the effects of arsenite on other signaling pathways, including apoptosis, we have performed quantitative polymerase chain reaction array-based gene expression analyses.

With the rapid development of synthetic biology, various whole-cell biosensors have been designed as valuable biological devices for the selective and sensitive detection of toxic heavy metals in environmental water. However, most proposed biosensors are based on fluorescent and bioluminescent signals invisible to the naked eye. The development of visible pigment-based biosensors can address this issue. The pbr operon from Klebsiella pneumoniae is selectively induced by bioavailable Pb(II).

Assessment of heavy metal (HM) transfer across the food chain has attracted much interest. This study investigated the trophic transfer and toxicokinetics of lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) in the soil-barley-aphid-ladybird system. At the following rates of 0, 5, 10, 20, and 40% (w/w), sewage sludge from the wastewater treatment plant was applied to the soil.

Exposure to lead (Pb) and manganese (Mn) during early life influences neurodevelopment and increases the risk of neurodegenerative disorders. However, the level of developmental neurotoxicity due to combined exposure to the two metals remains unclear.

Wheat cultivars with low cadmium (Cd) accumulation (WCCA-Cd) are widely used on Cd-contaminated farmland and can effectively reduce the grains Cd content to achieve the clean production in agriculture. However, there is a lack of soil Cd content thresholds specifically for the WCCA-Cd.

Industrial and pharmaceutical activities are contributing to global environmental contamination. These pollutants having various physicochemical properties are harmful to aquatic organisms and ecosystems. Among daily discharged pollutants, heavy metals can be removed from wastewater by sorption process using natural clay minerals. Quick clays (QCs) are unique glaciomarine clays with unstable structures contributing to their high cation exchange affinity.

Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, EarlyView. Cadmium (Cd)-contaminated rice is a human food safety problem that lacks a clear solution. A large amount of rice having an excessive Cd content is processed yearly, but it cannot be discarded and placed in landfills because it will cause secondary pollution. How do we best cope with this toxic rice?

Fagopylum tatarium (L.) Gaertn (buckwheat) can be used both as medicine and food and is also an important food crop in barren areas and has great economic value. Exploring the molecular mechanisms of the response to cadmium (Cd) stress can provide the theoretical reference for improving the buckwheat yield and quality.

In wheat, TaMYC8 is a negative regulator of cadmium (Cd)-responsive ethylene signaling. In this study, we functionally characterized TabHLH094, a basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH) transcription factor (TF) that inhibits the transcriptional activity of TaMYC8. The TabHLH094 protein was found in the nucleus of tobacco epidermal cells and exhibited transcriptional activation activity.

Cadmium (Cd) exposure is a risk factor for endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular disease. Ferroptosis is a type of cell death that relies on lipid peroxidation. Whether ferroptosis acts in Cd-induced vascular endothelial damage and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Herein, we found that Cd resulted in ferroptosis of vascular endothelial cells (ECs) in vivo and in vitro.

Cadmium (Cd) is a carcinogenic environmental pollutant that harms male reproductive systems by lowering sperm quality, impairing spermatogenesis, and causing apoptosis. Although zinc (Zn) has been reported to alleviate Cd toxicity, the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. The aim of this work was to investigate the mitigating effects of Zn on Cd-induced male reproductive toxicity in the freshwater crab Sinopotamon henanense.

With emerging food safety concerns, our study aimed to assess the effect of different levels of soil As and Cd on the accumulation/translocation of toxic (As, Cd) and essential elements (Zn, Fe, Cu, and Mn) by ‘‘red raw samba’’, a hybrid rice variety (short grain; red pericarp; 3.5 months).

Highly hydrophobic compounds like petroleum and their byproducts, once released into the environment, can persist indefinitely by virtue of their ability to resist microbial degradation, ultimately paving the path to severe environmental pollution. Likewise, the accumulation of toxic heavy metals like lead, cadmium, chromium, etc., in the surroundings poses an alarming threat to various living organisms.

Journal of Food Science, EarlyView. Cadmium (Cd) accumulation in rice protein has long been considered a significant threat to human health. In the present study, a costless and effective method based on gluconic acid (GA) rinsing of rice protein was developed to reduce Cd contamination in rice protein. Moreover, the effect of GA on the structural and functional properties of rice protein was evaluated.

Microplastics (MPs) and the heavy metal cadmium (Cd) have attracted global attention for their toxicological interactions in aquatic organisms.

It is significant to establish an accurate model to predict cadmium (Cd) criteria for safe wheat production. More importantly, for better evaluation of the risk of Cd pollution in high natural background areas, the soil extractable Cd criteria are needed.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are important in the phytoremediation of cadmium (Cd). Improving photosynthesis under Cd stress helps to increase crop yields. However, the molecular regulatory mechanisms of AMF on photosynthetic processes in wheat (Triticum aestivum) under Cd stress remain unclear.

Cadmium (Cd) is an important environmental pollutant, that causes liver damage and induces non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD is a fat accumulation disease and has significant effects on the body. Melatonin (Mel) is an endogenous protective molecule with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, and anti-aging effects. However, whether Mel can alleviate Cd-induced NAFLD and its mechanism remains unclear.

by M. L. Dotaniya, M. C. Nagar, Amita Sharma, C. K. Dotaniya, Rajendiran S., V. B. Singh, R. K. Doutaniya, J. K. Saha Soil fertility management and crop productivity both are inter-related need extensive attention for sustainability. Industries are being built, which over time produces a lot of effluents containing heavy metal(s), which is then dumped on healthy soils and water bodies.

International Journal of Food Science &Technology, Accepted Article. Quantification of some important elements, including several heavy metals, and assessment of health risks associated with rice consumption was conducted. Twelve different rice varieties were analyzed for fourteen metals i.e. As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, Sr, U, and Zn using Inductively Coupled Plasma–Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS).

Arsenic (As) compounds can be classified as organic or inorganic, with inorganic arsenic (iAs) having significantly higher toxicity than organic As. As may accumulate in food materials that have been exposed to As-contaminated environments. Thus, the “Sanitation Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Foods” published by the Ministry of Health and Welfare set the standard limits for iAs content in rice, seaweed, seafood, and marine oils to safeguard public health.

Thionins are important antibacterial peptides in plants. However, the roles of plant thionins, especially the defensin-dissimilar thionins, in alleviating heavy-metal toxicity and accumulation remain unclear.

Global population is expected to increase by 2.5 billion people by 2072 according to UN projections made recently. Africa will lead growth by adding.8 billion people to its continent (147% increase), and 45 of 50 global countries with greatest percentage growth will be in Africa. Europe’s population will decline by an estimated 100 million people (13% decline), Asia’s population will increase by 12%, and North and South America will increase about 20%.

The growing number of Listeria monocytogenes strains displaying increased tolerance to sanitizers widely applied in the food industry is becoming a problem. The aims of this study were to evaluate the susceptibility of L.