Research Publications (Food Safety)

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a marine oriented pathogen; and biofilm formation enables its survival and persistence on seafood processing plant, complicating the hygienic practice. The objectives of this study are to assess the ability of V.

Sterigmatocystin (STE) is a common hepatotoxic and nephrotoxic contaminant in cereals, however, its phytotoxicity and mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, the phytotoxic mechanisms of STE were investigated via the metabolomics of Amaranthus retroflexus L. A total of 140 and 113 differential metabolites were detected in the leaves and stems, respectively, among which amino acids, lipids, and phenolic compounds were significantly perturbed.

Aflatoxin is a naturally occurring mycotoxin that has various toxic effects to humans and various other animals. In the current study, we have investigated the toxic effects of Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) on erythrocytes in the blood circulation of mice. Mice were administered orally with repeated doses of AFB1 (0.3 mg/kg of body weight three times a week for four weeks).

A 28-d battery cage study was conducted to test the efficacy of tannin-free grain sorghum varieties fed to Cobb 500 male broiler chickens (n = 512) and challenged with Eimeria maxima (EM) and Clostridium perfringens (CP). Birds were fed 1 of 8 treatments (corn, red/bronze, white/tan or U.S. No. 2 sorghum) and were grouped by challenge method (challenged with EM/CP or unchallenged).

Cronobacter sakazakii is a harmful foodborne pathogen, and its contaminated food will pose a huge threat to human health. Prevention of C. sakazakii contamination of food is valuable for food safety as well as for human health. In this study, silver nanoparticles (AgNP) were successfully immobilized on the surface of cellulose acetate (CA) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) composite to obtain AgNP/PMMA/CA film.

Rice is the world’s most important food crop and is of great importance to ensure world food security. In the rice cultivation process, weeds are a key factor that affects rice production. Weeds in the field compete with rice for sunlight, water, nutrients, and other resources, thus affecting the quality and yield of rice. The chemical treatment of weeds in rice fields using herbicides suffers from the problem of sloppy herbicide application methods.

Listeria monocytogenes is a ubiquitous foodborne pathogen causing both invasive and non-invasive listeriosis. Sequence type (ST) 9 strains is common in food and food processing environments. In this study, the whole-genome sequences (WGS) of 207 ST9 isolates from different sources, geographical locations (14 countries), and isolated years were analyzed.

In the last few years, Acinetobacter baumannii has ranked as a number one priority due to its Multi Drug Resistant phenotype. The different metabolic states, such as the one adopted when growing as biofilm, help the bacterium to resist a wide variety of compounds, placing the discovery of new molecules able to counteract this pathogen as a topic of utmost importance.

(1) This study aimed to use the simplex–centroid mixture design methodology coupled with a microdilution assay to predict optimal essential oil (EO) formulations against three potential foodborne pathogens simultaneously through the desirability (D) function.

mSphere, Ahead of Print. Shigella flexneri uses a type 3 secretion system (T3SS) apparatus to inject virulence effector proteins into the host cell cytosol. Upon host cell contact, MxiE, an S. flexneri AraC-like transcriptional regulator, is required for the expression of a subset of T3SS effector genes encoded on the large virulence plasmid. Here, we defined the MxiE regulon using RNA-seq.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Ahead of Print. Shigella flexneri uses a type 3 secretion system (T3SS) apparatus to inject virulence effector proteins into the host cell cytosol. Upon host cell contact, MxiE, an S. flexneri AraC-like transcriptional regulator, is required for the expression of a subset of T3SS effector genes encoded on the large virulence plasmid. Here, we defined the MxiE regulon using RNA-seq.

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, Ahead of Print. The stringent response (SR) is a universal stress response that acts as a global regulator of bacterial physiology and virulence, and is a contributor to antibiotic tolerance and resistance. In most bacteria, the SR is controlled by a bifunctional enzyme, Rel, which both synthesizes and hydrolyzes the alarmone (p)ppGpp via two distinct catalytic domains.

by Yan-Jun Li, Yun-Fan Yang, Yi-Jing Zhou, Rong-Hua Zhang, Cheng-Wei Liu, Hong Liu, Xiu-Gui Li, Wen Chen, Yan Chen, Yong-Ning Wu To estimate the incidence of foodborne gastroenteritis caused by nontyphoidal Salmonella enterica, Shigella, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus in China, population surveys and sentinel hospital surveillance were implemented in six provinces from July 2010 to July 2011, and a multiplier calculation model for the burden of disease was constru

The purpose of this study was to determine the heat resistance of isolated Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella sp., and Escherichia coli bacterial strains obtained from frequently consumed foods (chicken sandwiches, cheese, raw chicken, tahini, and raw meat) in Lebanon. The isolated bacterial strains were heat-treated at 55, 60, 65, 70, and 75°C. The colony-forming unit per gram (CFU.g−1) was recorded for each temperature every minute for 10 min.

Tailocins are ribosomally synthesized bacteriocins, encoded by bacterial genomes, but originally derived from bacteriophage tails. As with both bacteriocins and phage, tailocins are largely thought to be species-specific with killing activity often assumed to be directed against closely related strains.

Rapid detection of antibacterial and bacteriostatic properties is an important part of the quality and safety supervision of disinfectants. In this study, propidium monoazide (PMA) was used in combination with real-time PCR (PMA-qPCR) to detect the antibacterial and bacteriostatic activity of disinfectants against three commonly used indicator bacteria, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans, utilizing specifically designed primers.

This study aims to identify lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from honeybees (Apis mellifera workers and larvae) in detail and to determine their functional probiotic properties. A total of 11 strains were classified based on morphological and biochemical characteristics. Preliminary probiotic properties of strains, that were molecularly identified using 16 S rRNA, such as antimicrobial activity, tolerance to digestive conditions, aggregation ability, were investigated.

Due to increasing antibiotic resistance, targeting bacterial virulence factors is now gaining further interest as an alternative strategy to develop novel classes of anti-infective agents. The critical role of α-hemolysin (Hla), an indispensable virulence determinant, in the pathogenicity of Staphylococcus aureus renders this virulence factor an appealing target for effective therapeutic applications.

Cells in a clonal culture of the WC1/1 strain of Gambierdiscus that produced ciguatoxin and maitotoxin-3 were observed to spontaneously fuse during the light phase of culture growth. Cells in the process of fusion were indistinguishable from other cells under the light microscope, except that at least one (often both) of the fusing cells displayed an extendible, finger-like protrusion (presumed peduncle) arising from near the sulcul region.

Microbiology Resource Announcements, Ahead of Print. A subset of Vibrio spp. isolated from fresh Canadian mollusks (2014 to 2018) were selected for sequencing based on antimicrobial resistance profiles. The resulting de novo draft genomes include 38 Vibrio alginolyticus, 32 V. diabolicus, 10 V. parahaemolyticus, 1 V. cholerae, 1 V. ordalii, and 1 Vibrio sp. isolate.

Microbiology Resource Announcements, Ahead of Print. We report the complete genomic sequences of two agarolytic Vibrio species strains, STUT-A11 and STUT-A16, isolated from the red algae Gracilaria. Genomic annotations revealed that both strains harbor four β-agarases, α-neoagarooligosaccharide hydrolase, and agarolytic β-galactosidase, which support efficient agarose catabolism.

Microbiology Resource Announcements, Ahead of Print. Pandoraea sp. strain NE5, an arsenite-oxidizing bacterium, was isolated from the rhizosphere of an arsenic hyperaccumulator fern (Pteris vittate). Here, the genome sequence of Pandoraea sp. strain NE5 is announced.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Ahead of Print. Cells of Vibrio fischeri colonize the light organ of Euprymna scolopes, providing the squid bioluminescence in exchange for nutrients and protection. The bacteria encounter DNA-rich mucus throughout their transition to a symbiotic lifestyle, leading us to hypothesize a role for nuclease activity in the colonization process.

A multi-omics approach was applied to investigate the differences and correlations between characteristic volatile flavor substances and non-volatile metabolites in sausages fermented by Pediococcus pentosaceus (P. pentosaceus) and Staphylococcus carnosus (S. carnosus) alone and in a mixture. Twenty-seven volatile metabolites were identified by headspace solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography-mass.

Effective eradication therapy for Helicobacter pylori is a worldwide demand. Aspartate α-decarboxylase (ADC) was reported as a drug target in H. pylori, in an in silico study, with malonic acid (MA) as its inhibitor. We evaluated eradicating H. pylori infection through ADC inhibition and the possibility of resistance development. MA binding to ADC was modeled via molecular docking.