Research Publications (Food Safety)

Microbial volatilomics is a rapidly growing field of study and has shown great potential for applications in food, farming, and clinical sectors in the future. Due to the varying experimental methods and growth conditions employed in microbial volatilomic studies as well as strain-dependent volatilomic differences, there is limited knowledge regarding the stability of microbial volatilomes. Consequently, cross-study comparisons and validation of results and data can be challenging.

Xylanase has been demonstrated to improve growth performance of broilers fed wheat- or corn-based diets due to its ability to degrade arabinoxylans (AX). However, content and structure of AX in corn and wheat are different, comparing effects of xylanase on cecal microbiota of broilers fed corn- or wheat-based diets could further elaborate the mechanism of the specificity of xylanase for different cereal grains.

Alfalfa silage is one of the main roughages in the production of dairy cow, which can provide nutrition with high quality to improve milk quality and production. Sucrose additions have been widely used to improve the silage quality. In this study, the effects of sucrose on the fermentation quality and bacterial communities of alfalfa silage were investigated here using 0, 0.5, and 1% sucrose ensiling treatments for 15, 30, and 60 days.

The LAMMER kinase in eukaryotes is a well-conserved dual-specificity kinase. Aspergillus species cause a wide spectrum of diseases called aspergillosis in humans, depending on the underlying immune status of the host, such as allergy, aspergilloma, and invasive aspergillosis. Aspergillus fumigatus is the most common opportunistic fungal pathogen that causes invasive aspergillosis.

by Laura C. Palacio, Diana C. Pachajoa, Geraldine Durango-Giraldo, Camilo Zapata-Hernandez, Juan P. Ugarte, Javier Saiz, Robison Buitrago-Sierra, Catalina Tobón

by Jaryd R. Sullivan, Andréanne Lupien, Elias Kalthoff, Claire Hamela, Lorne Taylor, Kim A. Munro, T. Martin Schmeing, Laurent Kremer, Marcel A. Behr

by Ryohei Tanaka-Kanegae, Koichiro Hamada

Background

by Karl Forest-Bérard, Marion Ripoche, Alejandra Irace-Cima, Karine Thivierge, Ariane Adam-Poupart

Author(s): Mengxue Peng, Zitong Zhao, Zhihong Liang

Author(s): Sarah Panera-Martínez, Cristina Rodríguez-Melcón, Víctor Serrano-Galán, Carlos Alonso-Calleja, Rosa Capita

Author(s): Kateřina Dorotíková, Josef Kameník, Kateřina Bogdanovičová, Simona Křepelová, Jan Strejček, Danka Haruštiaková

Author(s): Bernardo Duarte, Irina A. Duarte, Isabel Caçador, Patrick Reis-Santos, Rita P. Vasconcelos, Carla Gameiro, Susanne E. Tanner, Vanessa F. Fonseca

Author(s): Wen-kui Li, Yuan-ji Xue, Xiang-yun Fu, Zhi-qing Ma, Jun-tao Feng

Author(s): Temoor Ahmed, Muhammad Noman, Munazza Ijaz, Shafaqat Ali, Muhammad Rizwan, Usman Ijaz, Amir Hameed, Usama Ahmad, Yanli Wang, Guochang Sun, Bin Li

Author(s): Bhawana Sohal, Sartaj Ahmad Bhat, Adarsh Pal Vig

Acute hepatitis A is a self-limited liver inflammation caused by hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection. The infection is transmitted by direct contact from person to person via fecal–oral routes, or through consuming contaminated food and water. This study aims to estimate the frequency of HAV infection from medical records of Tobruk Medical Center, eastern Libya and its distribution during 6 years.

The Greater Khingan Mountains (GKM) regions have the second-largest areas of permafrost in China and serve as sinks of heavy metals like mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As). However, to date, we lack detailed information on Hg and As reserves, sources, and pollution assessment in the region, and this may bring increasing uncertainty when studying Hg and As cycle.

Aflatoxin biosynthesis has established a connection with oxidative stress, suggesting a prevention strategy for aflatoxin contamination via reactive oxygen species (ROS) removal. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is one of the most active and the richest molecules in green tea with well-known antioxidant effects.

Currently, digital technologies influence information dissemination in all business sectors, with great emphasis put on exploitation strategies. Public administrations often use information systems and establish open data repositories, primarily supporting their operation but also serving as data providers, facilitating decision-making. As such, risk analysis in the public health sector, including food safety authorities, often relies on digital technologies and open data sources.

The thermotolerant representative of the Bacillus cereus group, Bacillus cytotoxicus, reliably harbors the coding gene of cytotoxin K-1 (CytK-1). This protein is a highly cytotoxic variant of CytK toxin, initially recovered from a diarrheal foodborne outbreak that caused the death of three people. In recent years, the cytotoxicity of B. cytotoxicus has become controversial, with some strains displaying a high cytotoxicity while others show no cytotoxicity towards cell lines.

Dolphins are well-regarded sentinels for toxin exposure and can bioaccumulate a cyanotoxin called β-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA) that has been linked to human neurodegenerative disease. The same dolphins also possessed hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), suggesting a possible association between toxin exposure and neuropathology. However, the mechanisms of neurodegeneration in dolphins and the impact cyanotoxins have on these processes are unknown.

Various types of botulinum toxin (BoNT) have been studied to treat cervical dystonia (CD). Although high-dose BoNT has proven efficacy, it increases the risk of adverse events. For this reason, this study was planned to identify the non-inferiority efficacy, tolerability, and safety of low-dose neubotulinum toxin A (Neu-BoNT-A) versus low-dose abobotulinum toxin A (Abo-BoNT-A) in CD treatment.

The toxicokinetics of the food and feed contaminant Fumonisin B (FB) are characterized by low oral absorption and rapid plasma elimination. For these reasons, FB is not considered to accumulate in animals. However, recent studies in chicken and turkey showed that, in these species, the hepatic half-elimination time of fumonisin B1 (FB1) was several days, suggesting that FB1 may accumulate in the body.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on fermentation quality, mycotoxin concentrations, and microbial communities of whole-crop corn silages infested with mycotoxigenic fungi. Cultured spores (106 cfu/mL) of mycotoxigenic Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium graminearum were sprayed (5 mL) on corn forage on 27 July and 10 August 2018.

Aspergillus flavus is a phytopathogenic fungus able to produce aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), a carcinogenic mycotoxin that can contaminate several crops and food commodities. In A. flavus, two different kinds of strains can co-exist: toxigenic and non-toxigenic strains. Microbial-derived volatile organic compounds (mVOCs) emitted by toxigenic and non-toxigenic strains of A.