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Research Publications (Food Safety)

This page tracks research articles published in national and international peer-reviewed journals. Recent articles are available ahead of print and searchable by Journal, Article Title, and Category. Research publications are tracked across six categories: Bacterial Pathogens, Chemical Contaminants, Natural Toxins, Parasites, Produce Safety, and Viruses. Articles produced by USDA Grant Funding Agencies (requires login) and FDA Grant Funding Agencies (requires login) are also tracked in Scopus.

Displaying 201 - 225 of 2480

  1. Identification of genes showing altered DNA methylation and gene expression in the renal proximal tubular cells of rats treated with ochratoxin A for 13 weeks

    • Journal of Applied Toxicology
    • Abstract Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin that causes renal carcinogenicity following the induction of karyomegaly in proximal tubular cells after repeated administration to rats. Here, we performed gene profiling regarding altered DNA methylation and gene expression in the renal tubules focusing on the mechanism of OTA‐induced carcinogenesis.

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  2. Detoxifying mycotoxins and antifungal properties of two rumen‐derived Enterococcus species in artificially contaminated corn silages

    • Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
    • Abstract BACKGROUND Mycotoxins contamination in food and feed has emerged as an issue of serious concern because they pose serious health risks to both humans and livestock. The study aimed to evaluate the effects of two rumen‐derived Enterococcus spp. on fermentation and hygienic quality of artificially contaminated corn silages.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  3. Preparation of size-tunable Fe3O4 magnetic nanoporous carbon composites by MOF pyrolysis regulation for magnetic resonance sensing of aflatoxin B1 with excellent anti-matrix effect

    • Food Chemistry
    • Magnetic nanoporous materials represent a new emerging category of magnetic materials for construction of magnetic resonance sensors. In this study, we adopted the metal–organic framework materials, MIL-101(Fe), as the precursor to prepare series nanoporous-carbon-Fe3O4 (NPC-Fe3O4) composites.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  4. Determination of fumonisins exposure in children and youth consuming corn-based products in Giresun, Turkey

    • Journal of Food Composition and Analysis
    • Presence of Fumonisin B1 (FB1) and fumonisin B2 (FB2) in a total of 54 corn-based products were analyzed by HPLC with fluorescence detector. The presence of fumonisin in corn-based products frequently consumed by children and university students was investigated and the evaluation of the probable daily intakes (PDIs) were estimated. Fumonisins (FB1+FB2) were found in 30 of 54 samples (55.6 %) at concentrations from 18 to 5055 ng/g.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  5. Alternaria Mycotoxins Analysis and Exposure Investigation in Ruminant Feeds

    • Toxins
    • Alternaria mycotoxins are a class of important, agriculture-related hazardous materials, and their contamination in ruminant feeds and products might bring severe toxic effects to animals and even human beings.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  6. In Vivo Genotoxicity and Toxicity Assessment of Sterigmatocystin Individually and in Mixture with Aflatoxin B1

    • Toxins
    • Mycotoxins are natural food and feed contaminants produced by several molds. The primary mode of exposure in humans and animals is through mixtures. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and sterigmatocystin (STER) are structurally related mycotoxins that share the same biosynthetic route. Few in vivo genotoxicity assays have been performed with STER.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  7. Isolation and Characterization of the Zearalenone-Degrading Strain, Bacillus spizizenii B73, Inspired by Esterase Activity

    • Toxins
    • Zearalenone (ZEN) is a widespread mycotoxin found in grain and feed, presenting a serious threat to animal and human health. This study investigated the ability of the novel strain B73, isolated from petroleum-contaminated soil, to detoxify ZEN. B73 was identified as Bacillus spizizenii through physiological and biochemical tests, and further confirmed based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence and the complete genome sequence. B.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  8. Fusarium Species and Mycotoxins Associated with Sorghum Grains in Uruguay

    • Toxins
    • Grain mold and stalk rot are among the fungal diseases that cause significant losses in sorghum worldwide and are caused by different Fusarium spp. The presence of Fusarium species in sorghum grains causes yield losses and mycotoxin contamination, which represents a risk to consumers. In this study, Fusarium graminearum species complex (FGSC) had a high incidence, followed by Fusarium fujikuroi species complex (FFSC) and F. incarnatum-equiseti species complex. Within FFSC, F.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  9. Effects of Lipopolysaccharide and Deoxynivalenol on the Survival, Antioxidant and Immune Response, and Histopathology of Crayfish (Procambarus clarkii)

    • Toxins
    • Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the aquatic environment has been reported to cause diseases in red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). In addition, deoxynivalenol (DON) is one of the primary mycotoxins found in aquaculture. However, the potential synergistic toxic effects of LPS and DON on crayfish are yet to be fully elucidated.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  10. Ameliorative Effects of Luteolin and Activated Charcoal on Growth Performance, Immunity Function, and Antioxidant Capacity in Broiler Chickens Exposed to Deoxynivalenol

    • Toxins
    • Deoxynivalenol (DON, Vomitoxin) is a threatening mycotoxin that mainly produces oxidative stress and leads to hepatotoxicity in poultry. Antioxidant dietary supplements dramatically boost immunity, safeguarding animals from DON poisoning. Luteolin (LUT) is an active plant-derived compound that poses influential antioxidants. This study explored the effectiveness of LUT in combination with activated charcoal (AC) in detoxifying DON in broilers.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  11. MiR-155-5p Elevated by Ochratoxin A Induces Intestinal Fibrosis and Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition through TGF-β Regulated Signaling Pathway In Vitro and In Vivo

    • Toxins
    • Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin that induces fibrosis and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitions (EMT) in kidneys and livers. It enters our bodies through food consumption, where it is absorbed in the intestines. However, the impact of OTA on the intestines is yet to be studied. MicroRNA (miRNAs) are small non-coding single-stranded RNAs that block the transcription of specific mRNAs and are, therefore, involved in many biochemical processes.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  12. Survey and toxigenic abilities of Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Alternaria fungi from wheat and paddy grains in Shanghai, China

    • Frontiers in Plant Science
    • A systematic study was carried out on 638 wheat and paddy grains (including fresh and stored samples) collected in 2021 from Shanghai, China, to identify the major mycobiota and their toxigenic abilities. A total of 349 fungi, namely, 252 Fusarium, 53 Aspergillus, and 44 Alternaria, were characterized by morphological and molecular identification.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  13. Research Progress Related to Aflatoxin Contamination and Prevention and Control of Soils

    • Toxins
    • Aflatoxins are potent carcinogenic compounds, mainly produced by fungi species of the genus Aspergillus in the soil. Because of their stability, they are difficult to remove completely, even under extreme conditions. Aflatoxin contamination is one of the main causes of safety in peanuts, maize, wheat and other agricultural products. Aflatoxin contamination originates from the soil.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  14. Assessment of early harvest in the prevention of aflatoxins in peanuts during drought stress conditions

    • International Journal of Food Microbiology
    • The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of early harvest in preventing aflatoxins in peanuts under drought-stress conditions. A field experiment was conducted on the 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 growing seasons in a greenhouse with an irrigation system to induce three drought stress conditions: no stress, mild, and severe stress. In addition, three harvest dates were proposed: two weeks earlier, one week earlier, and ideal harvest time.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  15. Combination of Zearalenone and Deoxynivalenol Induces Apoptosis by Mitochondrial Pathway in Piglet Sertoli Cells: Role of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress

    • Toxins
    • Zearalenone (ZEA) and deoxynivalenol (DON) are widely found in various feeds, which harms livestock’s reproductive health. Both mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) can regulate cell apoptosis. This study aimed to explore the regulatory mechanism of endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) on ZEA- combined with DON-induced mitochondrial pathway apoptosis in piglet Sertoli cells (SCs).

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  16. Rapid Detection of Single- and Co-contaminant Aflatoxins and Fumonisins in Ground Maize using Hyperspectral Imaging Techniques

    • Toxins
    • Aflatoxins and fumonisins, commonly found in maize and maize-derived products, frequently co-occur and can cause dangerous illness in humans and animals if ingested in large amounts. Efforts are being made to develop suitable analytical methods for screening that can rapidly detect mycotoxins in order to prevent illness through early detection.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  17. Individual and combined effects of deoxynivalenol (DON) with other Fusarium mycotoxins on rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) growth performance and health

    • Mycotoxin Research
    • This study assessed whether the toxicological effects of deoxynivalenol (DON) produced by Fusarium graminearum in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are altered by the co-exposure to a mixture of toxins produced by Fusarium verticillioides (FUmix). This FUmix contained fusaric acid and fumonisin B1, B2 and B3. Four diets were formulated according to a 2 × 2 factorial design: CON-CON; CON-FUmix; DON-CON; and DON-FUmix.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  18. Occurrence of Types A and B Trichothecenes in Cereal Products Sold in Romanian Markets

    • Toxins
    • In view of the frequent occurrences of mycotoxins in cereals, this study assessed the presence of trichothecenes in 121 samples from Romanian markets. These samples were divided into five groups based on product type: (1) bread and bakery products containing white flour, (2) half-brown bread with whole wheat flour, (3) brown bread containing rye flour, (4) pasta, and (5) raw wheat.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  19. Effect of selected agents for ochratoxin A biocontrol on the colour, texture, and volatile profile of dry‐cured fermented sausages

    • Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
    • Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, Accepted Article. Background Traditional dry-cured fermented sausages favour the growth of an autochthonous microbial population, which plays an important role in their sensory aspects. However, some moulds can produce mycotoxins like the ochratoxin A (OTA).

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  20. The release of zearalenone-induced heterophil extracellular traps in chickens is associated with autophagy, glycolysis, PAD enzyme, and P2X1 receptor

    • Poultry Science
    • Zearalenone (ZEA) is produced mainly by fungi belonging to the genus Fusarium in foods and feeds. Heterophil extracellular traps (HETs) are a novel defense of chicken innate immunity involving activated heterophils. However, the conditions and requirements for ZEA-triggered HET release remain unknown.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  21. Sampling locations and processing methods shape fungi microbiome on the surface of edible and medicinal Arecae semen

    • Frontiers in Microbiology
    • Introduction Arecae semen, which is derived from the dried ripe seed of Areca catechu L., has been commonly used as one of the major traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). Three types of crude herbal preparations, namely, raw Arecae semen (AS), Arecae semen tostum (SAS), and Arecae semen carbonisata (FAS), are available for different clinical applications in TCMs.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  22. Risk Assessment Considering the Bioavailability of 3-β-d-Glucosides of Deoxynivalenol and Nivalenol through Food Intake in Korea

    • Toxins
    • Deoxynivalenol and nivalenol are major type B trichothecenes and the most frequently occurring mycotoxins worldwide. Their 3-β-d-glucoside forms have recently become a safety management issue. These glucoside conjugates are converted back to the parent toxins during human digestion, but studies to confirm their bioavailability are lacking. In this study, a risk assessment was performed considering the bioavailability of glucoside conjugates.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  23. Comprehensive meta-analysis of QTL and gene expression studies identify candidate genes associated with Aspergillus flavus resistance in maize

    • Frontiers in Plant Science
    • Aflatoxin (AF) contamination, caused by Aspergillus flavus, compromises the food safety and marketability of commodities, such as maize, cotton, peanuts, and tree nuts. Multigenic inheritance of AF resistance impedes conventional introgression of resistance traits into high-yielding commercial maize varieties. Several AF resistance-associated quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and markers have been reported from multiple biparental mapping and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in maize.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  24. Major Fusarium species and mycotoxins associated with freshly harvested maize grain in Uruguay

    • Mycotoxin Research
    • Fusarium species are common fungal pathogens of maize. Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium verticillioides, among others, can cause maize ear rot, and they are also mycotoxin producers.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  25. Inner filter effect-based fluorescence immunoassay using nanobody-alkaline phosphatase fusion and gold nanoclusters for detecting ochratoxin A in pepper

    • Food Control
    • As one of the main mycotoxins in foodochratoxin A (OTA) poses a serious threat to food safety and human health.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins