Research Publications (Food Safety)

Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium that mainly colonizes the nasal cavity and skin. To colonize the host, it is necessary for S. aureus to resist many antibacterial factors derived from human and commensal bacteria. Among them are the bacteria-derived antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) called bacteriocins. It was reported that some two-component systems (TCSs), which are signal transduction systems specific to bacteria, are involved in the resistance to several bacteriocins in S. aureus.

Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) is responsible for 80% of human campylobacteriosis and is the leading cause of gastroenteritis globally. The relevant public health risks of C. jejuni are caused by particular virulence genes encompassing its virulome. We analyzed 40,371 publicly available genomes of C.

Journal of Food Safety, EarlyView. Staphylococcus aureus is an important food pathogen that has the ability to form biofilms. This pathogen has been implicated in foodborne outbreaks associated with the consumption of meat and meat products. Since the role of meat products as reservoirs of antimicrobial resistant S. aureus and biofilm formers has not been studied, this research was conducted to assess the incidence, antimicrobial resistance, and presence of biofilm-forming genes in S.

Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, EarlyView. Stickinessis an inherent textural property in many sugar-rich foods, which can be problematic to the processing of confectionery products. The adhesion between foods and contact surfaces during processing and consumption has not been well understood in academia or industry. The theories of adhesion were discovered by scientists in the adhesive field of study, some of which can explain the stickiness phenomenon of confections.

Incineration is the most used healthcare waste (HCW) disposal method. Disease outbreaks due to Ebola virus and SARS-CoV2 require attention to HCW management to avoid pathogens spread and spillover. This study describes HCW management prior to incineration and hospital incinerators performance by analysing bottom ashes from hospitals in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Gastrointestinal dysfunction plays an important role in the occurrence and development of Parkinson’s disease (PD). This study investigates the composition of the gut microbiome using shotgun metagenomic sequencing in PD patients in central China. Fecal samples from 39 PD patients (PD group) and the corresponding 39 healthy spouses of the patients (SP) were collected for shotgun metagenomics sequencing. Results showed a significantly altered microbial composition in the PD patients.

Since 2005, campylobacteriosis has been the most common zoonotic disease in Europe. The main reservoir of pathogenic Campylobacter strains is broilers, which makes raw and undercooked poultry meat two major sources of disease. Infection in chicken flocks is most often asymptomatic, despite a high level of colonization reaching 106–109cfu/g in animal ceca.

Species of the genus Streptomyces are known for their ability to produce multiple secondary metabolites; their genomes have been extensively explored to discover new bioactive compounds. The richness of genomic data currently available allows filtering for high quality genomes, which in turn permits reliable comparative genomics studies and an improved prediction of biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) through genome mining approaches.

Infections caused by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative organisms have become a global threat. Such infections can be very difficult to treat, especially when they are caused by carbapenemase-producing organisms (CPO). Since infections caused by CPO tend to have worse outcomes than non-CPO infections, it is important to identify the type of carbapenemase present in the isolate or at least the Ambler Class (i.e., A, B, or D), to optimize therapy.

Kidney damages caused by cadmium are considered to be one of the most dangerous consequences for the human body. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of fucoxanthin supplementation on mice models subjected to cadmium-induced kidney damage. The mice treated with cadmium chloride (CdCl2) were observed to have significantly reduced the cross-section area of glomeruli.

Increase in anthropogenic activities due to rapid industrialization had caused an elevation in heavy metal contamination of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. These pollutants have detrimental effects on human and environmental health. The majority of these pollutants are carcinogenic, neurotoxic, and are very poisonous even at very low concentrations.

by Farzin Sohraby, Hassan Aryapour

S. Schoch et al. The United States is currently affected by widespread hepatitis A virus (HAV) outbreaks. We investigated HAV incidence rates among source plasma donors in the United States since 2016. Serial donations from HAV-positive frequent donors were analyzed for common biologic markers to obtain a detailed picture of the course of infection. We found a considerable increase in incidence rates with shifting outbreak hotspots over time.

Physical-chemical characteristics of Minas Frescal cheese (MFC) favor the growth of Staphylococcus spp. and allow the production of enterotoxins by specific strains. Here, we aimed to characterize the physical-chemical aspects (pH, storage temperature, and salt content) and the presence of Staphylococcus spp. in MFC samples (n = 50) to support a modeling study for the growth by this microorganism.

Author(s): Eric B. Sobotik, Shelby Ramirez, Nataliya Roth, Antonoa Tacconi, Chasity Pender, Raj Murugesan, Gregory S. Archer Several feed additives such as synbiotics and organic acids may be viable options for controlling Salmonella in poultry. This experiment was conducted to study the effects of synbiotic product or synbiotic plus enhanced organic acid program on broiler performance, intestinal histomorphology, and cecal and carcass Salmonella load.

Author(s): Xinxin Gao, Jingnan Xu, Liqiang Jiang, Wei Liu, Hongrong Hong, Yuxiao Qian, Shurou Li, Wenlong Huang, Haiguang Zhao, Zhengtao Yang, Quan Liu, Zhengkai Wei

Maize is one of the leading export products in the Republic of Serbia. As a country where economic development depends on agriculture, maize production plays a critical role as a crop of strategic importance. Potential aflatoxin contamination of maize poses a risk to food and feed safety and tremendous economic losses.

Recycling of organic wastes in agricultural ecosystems to partially substitute chemical fertilizer is recommended to improve soil productivity and alleviate environmental degradation. However, livestock manure- and sewage sludge-derived amendments are widely known to potentially carry antibiotic residues.

The emergence and prevalence of the tet(X) gene and its variants in the environment and in clinical settings constitute a growing concern for public health worldwide. Accordingly, the tigecycline resistance gene variant tet(X6) is widely detected in Proteus spp. and Acinetobacter spp. rather than Enterobacteriaceae, while the underpinning behind this phenomenon is still unclear.

The rising concern of antimicrobial resistance highlights a need for effective alternatives to antibiotics for livestock production. Butyrate, forskolin, and lactose are three natural products known to induce the synthesis of host defense peptides (HDP), which are a critical component of innate immunity. In this study, the synergy among butyrate, forskolin, and lactose in enhancing innate host defense, barrier function, and resistance to necrotic enteritis and coccidiosis was investigated.

Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, EarlyView. Over the recent decades,protein oxidation in muscle foods has gained increasing research interests as it is known that protein oxidation can affect eating quality and nutritional value of meat and aquatic products. Protein oxidation occurs during freezing/thawing and frozen storage of muscle foods, leading to irreversible physicochemical changes and impaired quality traits.

Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, EarlyView. Carbamates and dithiocarbamates are two classes of pesticides widely employed in the agriculture practice to control and avoid pests and weeds, hence, the monitoring of the residue of those pesticides in different foodstuff samples is important. Thus, this review presents the classification, chemical structure, use, and toxicology of them.

Letters in Applied Microbiology, Accepted Article. Heavy metals are continuously released into aquatic environments in which they accumulate. This phenomenon endangers public health because heavy metals accumulate along the food chain. However, conventional remediation methods are inefficient, expensive, and yield toxic intermediate products, which adversely affect the environment.