Research Publications (Food Safety)

Background Zearalenone (ZEA) is a resorcylic acid lactone derivative derived from various Fusarium species that are widely found in food and feeds. The molecular structure of ZEA resembles that of the mammalian hormone 17β-oestradiol, thus zearalenone and its metabolites are known to compete with endogenous hormones for estrogen receptors binding sites and to activate transcription of oestrogen-responsive genes.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a mycotoxin made by various fungal strains, which could be contaminated cereal-based products, such as bread and sweets widely consumed worldwide. The objective of this research was to survey the fate of AFB1 from wheat flour samples to various kinds of Iranian traditional breads and bakery products.

Zearalenone (ZEN), one of the most contaminated Fusarium toxins worldwide, is very common in contaminating wheat, corn oil and other foods. People are more vulnerable to ZEN exposure with more daily caloric intake, yet little is known about the combined effect of different dietary patterns with mycotoxins.

Paraguay is a non-traditional wheat-producing country in one of the warmest regions in South America. Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) is a critical disease affecting this crop, caused by the Fusarium graminearum species complex (FGSC). A variety of these species produce trichothecenes, including deoxynivalenol (DON) and its acetylated forms (3-ADON and 15-ADON) or nivalenol (NIV).

A neoteric measure for quantitative assay of Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in maize based on an optimized feature model of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was proposed in the work. A portable near-infrared spectroscopy system constructed by the group was employed to collect maize samples with varying degrees of mildew.

Journal of Applied Microbiology, Accepted Article. Aims Mathematical models were employed to predict the growth kinetic parameters of F. graminearum and the accumulation of deoxynivalenol (DON) during wheat storage as a function of different moisture contents (MCs) and temperatures. Methods and results The colony counting method was used to quantify F.

Patulin is a mycotoxin produced by a variety of molds that is found in various food products. The adverse health effects associated with exposure to patulin has led to many investigations into the biological basis driving the toxicity of patulin. Nevertheless, the mechanisms through which mammalian cells resists patulin-mediated toxicity is poorly understood. Here, we show that loss of the Nrf1 transcription factor renders cells sensitive to the acute cytotoxic effects of patulin.

Mycotoxin contamination is a leading cause of food spoilage and waste on a global scale. Patulin, a mycotoxin produced by Penicillium spp. during postharvest pome fruit decay, causes acute and chronic effects in humans, withstands pasteurization, and is not eliminated by fermentation. While much is known about the impact of patulin on human health, there are significant knowledge gaps concerning the effect of patulin during postharvest fruit–pathogen interactions.

Karyopherins are involved in transport through nuclear pore complexes. Karyopherins are necessary for nuclear import and export pathways and bind to their cargos. Polyadenylation of messenger RNA (mRNA) is necessary for various biological processes, regulating gene expression in eukaryotes. Until now, the association of karyopherin with mRNA polyadenylation has been less understood in plant pathogenic fungi.

Aflatoxins, widely found in feed and foodstuffs, are potentially harmful to human and animal health because of their high toxicity. In this study, a strain of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens B10 with a strong ability to degrade aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was screened; it could degrade 2.5 μg/mL of AFB1 within 96 h. The active substances of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens B10 for the degradation of AFB1 mainly existed in the culture supernatant.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a potent mycotoxin and natural carcinogen. The primary producers of AFB1 are Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus. Sterigmatocystin (STC), another mycotoxin, shares its biosynthetic pathway with aflatoxins. While there are abundant data on the biological effects of AFB1, STC is not well characterised. According to published data, AFB1 is more harmful to biological systems than STC.

Aspergillus westerdijkiae, the producer of ochratoxin A (OTA), which is of worldwide concern, is an import fungal species in agriculture, food, and industry. Here, we got the uridine auxotrophic mutant of A. westerdijkiae by deleting AwpyrG. The ΔAwpyrG could be used for bio-transformation with exogenous AfpyrG expression cassette as a selection marker. In order to enhance the efficiency of gene targeting, Awku70 and Awlig4 were homologously deleted from ΔAwpyrG.

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of molds and mainly produced by species of the genera Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium. They can be synthesized on the field, during harvest as well as during storage. They are fairly stable compounds and difficult to remove. Among several hundreds of mycotoxins, according to the WHO, ochratoxin A, aflatoxins, zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, patulin, fumonisins as well as T-2 and HT-2 toxins deserve special attention.

Journal of Separation Science, Accepted Article. A temperature–induced counter current homogenous liquid–liquid extraction procedure performed in a burette has been proposed for the isolation of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, and G2 from various fruit chip samples. In this method, a homogenous solution of deionized water and cyclohexyl amine is added onto the solid sample and the resulted mixture is vortexed.

Various studies have identified the kidney as a target organ for patulin (PAT)-induced toxicity. However, detailed mechanistic insights into PAT-induced nephrotoxicity had not yet been done.

Fungi and mycotoxins in silage can have detrimental consequences for both cattle and human health. This pilot study identified, via the routinary direct plating method, the dominant cultivable fungi in mouldy grass silages (GS) (n = 19) and maize silages (MS) (n = 28) from Austria. The profiles of regulated, modified, and emerging mycotoxins together with other fungal metabolites were analysed via LC-(ESI)MS/MS.

A programmed, autonomous, and self-powered DNA motor was developed for one-step amplification detection of ochratoxin A (OTA). The OTA can bind with the aptamer of hairpin and induce the opening of hairpin. Then, the Mg2+-specific DNAzyme can circularly cleave the fluorophore-labeled DNA on the gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), causing autonomous and processive movement of DNA motor.

Maize is the main dietary cereal in Mexico and Central America, with annual per capita consumption between 25.5 and 116.34 kg. Unfortunately, maize is highly susceptible to fungal infestation in the field, either through systemic infections or wounds caused by farm equipment, birds or insects. Field infestations can be exacerbated by bad postharvest handling practices.

This study assessed the adsorption capacity and stability of Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), Ochratoxin A (OTA), and Zearalenon (ZEA) via Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus ATCC 7469 individually and in combination with each other. Detoxifying efficiency depends on lactic acid bacteria species (hydrophobicity of cell wall), pH, temperature, time and mycotoxin type.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is an inevitable contaminant in cereals for infants. Indeed, children's growth retardation caused by widespread DON pollution has become a global problem that cannot be ignored. Accumulating evidence has shown that DON stunts growth in children through pro-inflammatory cytokines.

International Journal of Food Science & Technology, Accepted Article. In this study, an Enzyme Linked Immuno Assay (ELISA) was used to detect the presence of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and total aflatoxins (AFT) in 200 samples of nuts for human consumption.

The occurrence of deoxynivalenol, nivalenol and deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside in 104 corn and wheat flour samples available on the Egyptian market was investigated using ultra-performance liquid chromatography with a photodiode array detector (UPLC-PDA). Of all samples, 70.2% were contaminated with deoxynivalenol at levels varying between < LOQ and 853 μg/kg.

Animal feed (including forage and silage) can be contaminated with mycotoxins. Here, 200 maize silage samples from around China were collected in 2019 and analyzed for regulated mycotoxins, masked mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol, 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol, 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol, and deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside), and emerging mycotoxins (beauvericin, enniatins, moniliformin, and alternariol). Deoxynivalenol and zearalenone were detected in 99.5% and 79.5% of the samples, respectively.

Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, Accepted Article. Milk quality and safety maintenance is an important issue, as many reports showed several biological and chemical contaminants in the milk. Among all contaminants, AFM1 is detected frequently in milk samples. Therefore, our main aim was to understand the digestive fate of AFM1 in an in-vitro digestion (IVD) model system by using AFM1 spiked milk samples (2ug/L).

Journal of Food Biochemistry, EarlyView. Copper II-Albumin complex (Cu-II-Albumin complex) is a novel therapeutic target that has been used as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-gastrointestinal toxicity.