Research Publications (Food Safety)

Toxin-contaminated foods and beverages are a major source of illness, may cause death, and have a significant negative economic impact worldwide. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a potent toxin that may induce cancer after chronic low-level exposure. This study developed a quantitative recombinant AflR gene antiserum ELISA technique for aflatoxin B1 detection in contaminated food products. Aflatoxin B1 residuals from 36 food samples were analyzed with HPLC and VICAM.

This study investigates the endothelial protective activity of flavokawain A (FKA) against oxidative stress induced by ochratoxin A (OTA), which acts as a mycotoxin, and its primary mechanisms in in vitro models. Reactive oxygen species, in general, regulate oxidative stress that significantly contributes to the pathophysiology of endothelial dysfunctions. OTA exerts toxicity through inflammation and the accumulation of ROS.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) remains one of the greatest public health-perturbing crises of the 21st century, where species have evolved a myriad of defence strategies to resist conventional therapy.

Despite decades of intensive research on bacteriophage lambda, a relatively uncharacterized region remains between the exo and xis genes. Collectively, exo-xis region genes are expressed during the earliest stages of the lytic developmental cycle and are capable of affecting the molecular events associated with the lysogenic-lytic developmental decision. In Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) and enterohemorragic E.

Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, EarlyView. Rice quality deterioration will cause grievous waste of stored grain and various food safety problems. Gas detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by deterioration is a nondestructive detection method to judge rice quality and alleviate rice spoilage.

The cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), which is rich in edible oil and protein, is widely planted around the world as an oil and cash crop. However, aflatoxin contamination seriously affects the quality safety of peanuts, hindering the development of the peanut industry and threatening the health of consumers.

Calf diarrhea is one of the most concerning challenges facing both the dairy and beef cattle industry. Maintaining healthy gut microbiota is essential for preventing gastrointestinal disorders. Here, we observed significantly less bacterial richness in the abnormal feces with watery or hemorrhagic morphology compared to the normal solid feces.

Cronobacter species, in particular C. sakazakii, is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen implicated in the development of potentially debilitating illnesses in infants (<12months old). The combination of a poorly developed immune system and gut microbiota put infants at a higher risk of infection compared to other age groups.

Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive bacterium causing listeriosis in animals and humans. To initiate a foodborne infection, L. monocytogenes has to pass through the host gastrointestinal tract (GIT). In this study, we evaluated survival abilities of L. monocytogenes 10403S wild type (WT) and its isogenic mutants in alternative sigma (σ) factor genes (i.e., sigB, sigC, sigH, and sigL) under simulated gastric, duodenal, and bile fluids.

Despite an increasing appreciation in the importance of host–microbe interactions in ecological and evolutionary processes, information on the gut microbial communities of some marine mammals is still lacking. Moreover, whether diet, environment, or host phylogeny has the greatest impact on microbial community structure is still unknown.

Toxoplasma gondii is a worldwide zoonotic protozoan. Donkeys are often susceptible to many pathological agents, acting as carriers of pathogens for other animal species and humans. However, data on the prevalence of T. gondii in donkeys during lactation and on the status of antibodies against T. gondii in donkey milk are lacking. A cross-sectional study evaluated the variation of the anti-T. gondii antibodies in the blood and milk of domestic donkeys during lactation.

ABSTRACT Legume root nodules harbor rhizobia and other non-nodulating endophytes known as nodule-associated bacteria (NAB) whose role in the legume symbiosis is still unknown. We analysed the genetic diversity of 34 NAB isolates obtained from the root nodules of faba bean grown under various soil conditions in Egypt using 16S rRNA and concatenated sequences of three housekeeping genes.

ABSTRACT The spread of antibiotic resistance in the water environment has been widely described. However, still many knowledge gaps exist regarding the selection pressure from antibiotics, heavy metals and other substances present in surface waters as a result of anthropogenic activities, as well as the extent and impact of this phenomenon on aquatic organisms and humans.

Background The etiology and optimal clinical management of acute febrile illness (AFI) is poorly understood. Methods Blood samples taken from study participants with acute fever (≥37.5°C) or a history of fever and recruited into the previous Typhoid Fever Surveillance in Africa (TSAP) study were evaluated using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based TaqMan-Array Card designed to detect a panel of bacterial, viral, and parasitic pathogens.

Background As children with isolated vomiting are rarely able to provide a specimen suitable for routine pathogen testing, we have limited knowledge about their infecting pathogens. Methods Between December 2014 and August 2018, children <18 years old with presumed acute gastroenteritis who presented to 2 emergency departments (EDs) in Alberta, Canada, were recruited.

Background QuantiFERON enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA; Qiagen) with Borrelia burgdorferi peptide antigens was previously shown to reliably detect interferon-γ (IFN-γ) in blood samples from adult patients with early Lyme disease and the response disappeared rapidly after treatment. We evaluated the response before and after appropriate antibiotic therapy in adolescent and adult subjects with more diverse stages of the illness.

Background Chronic Q fever usually develops within 2 years after primary infection with Coxiella burnetii. We determined the interval between acute Q fever and diagnosis of chronic infection, assessed what factors contribute to a longer interval, and evaluated the long-term follow-up. Methods From 2007 to 2018, patients with chronic Q fever were included from 45 participating hospitals.

Open-source DNA sequence databases have long been touted as beneficial to public health, including the facilitation of earlier detection and response to infectious disease outbreaks. Of critical importance to harnessing these benefits is the metadata that describe general and other domain-specific attributes (eg, collection location, isolate type) of a sample. Unlike the sequence data, metadata are often incomplete and lack adherence to an international standard.

by Basel H. Abuaita, Anna-Lisa E. Lawrence, Ryan P. Berger, David R. Hill, Sha Huang, Veda K. Yadagiri, Brooke Bons, Courtney Fields, Christiane E. Wobus, Jason R. Spence, Vincent B. Young, Mary X. O’Riordan Salmonella enterica represents over 2500 serovars associated with a wide-ranging spectrum of disease; from self-limiting gastroenteritis to invasive infections caused by non-typhoidal serovars (NTS) and typhoidal serovars, respectively.

by Marjo V. Mendoza, Windell L. Rivera

In Latin America, nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) is one of the most important etiological agents of foodborne infections; it can survive in soil, water, and food even after processing. Here, we aimed to perform a systematic review by collecting data on the prevalence, serotypes, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of NTS isolated from different food products in Latin America, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

Author(s): Rongrong He, Weijun Chen, Ming Zhang, Qiuping Zhong, Hailing Zhang, Haiming Chen, Wenxue Chen

Author(s): Tianqi Zhang, Wan-Ning Lee, Yaguang Luo, Ching-Hua Huang

Author(s): Gizem Cufaoglu, Naim Deniz Ayaz

Author(s): Tatsuya Nakayama, Tran Thi Tuyet Hoa, Hong Mong Huyen, Takahiro Yamaguchi, Michio Jinnai, Doan Tran Nguyen Minh, Oanh Nguyen Hoang, Hien Le Thi, Phong Ngo Thanh, Hoai Phuong Hoang, Do Phuc Nguyen, Chinh Dang Van, Yuko Kumeda, Atsushi Hase