Research Publications (Food Safety)

Journal of Food Safety, EarlyView. Commiphora wightii based bioactive edible film was developed for the preservation of meat products. Maltodextrin and alginate-based edible films were developed using different levels of C.

Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, Accepted Article. The efficiency of a hand sorting process on aflatoxins (AFs) and sterigmatocystin (STC) occurrence in hazelnuts was investigated by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence and ultraviolet detection (HPLC-FLD-UV) after post-column derivatization. Raw hazelnut kernel samples were obtained from five different hazelnut processing plants in Turkey.

Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, Accepted Article. Iran is the most important exporter of pistachios in the world. One of pistachio export challenges is the damage of pistachio by warehouse pests. Many efforts have been made to discover alternative methods of non-toxic pest control. To study the effect of the cold plasma jet on P. interpunctella of pistachio nut, three treatment variables were used by argon/air ratio, the plasma exposure time, and the power supply voltage.

Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, Accepted Article. The physicochemical characteristics and chemical safety of two categories of grilled meat from Niger were assessed, using sun drying and optionally wood fire grilling processes. Contamination factors associated with the critical unit operations were identified and the technological parameters were monitored through these processes. Sixty samples were analysed for dry matter, pH and water activity.

Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, Accepted Article. BACKGROUND

The current work aimed to study the effect of adding gum Arabic and varying fat (butter) contents on the physicochemical characteristics of gluten-free quinoa cakes and compared it to cakes made from 100% wheat flour and control quinoa flour. Gum Arabic (GA) was supplemented in three levels (0.1, 0.5, and 1%, w/w) while fat was simultaneously reduced at 25, 50, and 75% (w/v) during the preparation of 100% gluten-free quinoa cakes (GFQCs).

Background Azithromycin is frequently used to treat shigellosis; however, clinical outcomes are uncertain. Methods We performed an observational cohort study in Bangladesh of patients with invasive diarrhea treated empirically with azithromycin. Susceptibility testing was performed by broth microdilution and disk diffusion post hoc on all Shigella isolates and clinical response was correlated with in vitro susceptibility.

Background Our goal was to identify genetic risk factors for cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by Leishmania braziliensis. Methods Genotyping 2066 CL cases and 2046 controls using Illumina HumanCoreExomeBeadChips provided data for 4 498 586 imputed single-nucleotide variants (SNVs). A genome-wide association study (GWAS) using linear mixed models took account of genetic diversity/ethnicity/admixture.

Background The role of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) as a cause of diarrhea in cancer and immunocompromised patients is controversial. Quantitation of fecal bacterial loads has been proposed as a method to differentiate colonized from truly infected patients. Methods We studied 77 adult cancer and immunosuppressed patients with diarrhea and EPEC identified in stools by FilmArray, 25 patients with pathogen-negative diarrhea, and 21 healthy adults without diarrhea.

Background Control of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) relies on chemotherapy, yet gaps in our understanding of the determinants of therapeutic outcome impede optimization of antileishmanial drug regimens. Pharmacodynamic (PD) parameters of antimicrobials are based on the relationship between drug concentrations/exposure and microbial kill.

Background Dengue is the most significant mosquito-borne viral disease; there are no specific therapeutics. The antiparasitic drug ivermectin efficiently inhibits the replication of all 4 dengue virus serotypes in vitro. Methods We conducted 2 consecutive randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in adult dengue patients to evaluate safety and virological and clinical efficacies of ivermectin.

H9N2 avian influenza virus has been continuously circulating among poultry and can infect mammals, indicating that this virus is a potential pandemic strain. During influenza pandemics, secondary bacterial (particularly pneumococcal) pneumonia usually contributes to excessive mortality. In the present study, we observed the dynamic effect of H9N2 virus infection on host defense against secondary pneumococcal infection in mice.

A previously identified transcriptional regulator in C. jejuni, termed HeuR, was found to positively regulate heme utilization. Additionally, transcriptomic work demonstrated the putative operons, CJJ81176_1390-1394 and CJJ81176_1214-1217, were upregulated in a HeuR mutant, suggesting HeuR negatively regulates expression of these genes. Because genes within these clusters include a cystathionine β-lyase (metC) and a methionine synthase (metE), it appeared HeuR negatively regulates C.

Brucella ovis is an ovine intracellular pathogen with tropism for the male genital tract. To establish and maintain infection, B. ovis must survive stressful conditions inside host cells, including low pH, nutrient limitation, and reactive oxygen species. The same conditions are often encountered in axenic cultures during stationary phase.

During enteric salmonellosis, neutrophil-generated reactive oxygen species alter the gut microenvironment, favoring survival of Salmonella Typhimurium. While type 3 secretion system 1 (T3SS-1) and flagellar motility are potent Salmonella Typhimurium agonists of the neutrophil respiratory burst in vitro, neither of these pathways alone is responsible for stimulation of a maximal respiratory burst.

Shigella is a leading cause of moderate-to-severe diarrhea globally and the causative agent of shigellosis and bacillary dysentery. Associated with 80 to 165 million cases of diarrhea and >13% of diarrheal deaths, in many regions, Shigella exposure is ubiquitous while infection is heterogenous.

The ethics statement on page 4788 should read as follows (corrected text shown in bold): “This study was carried out in strict accordance with the recommendations of The Animal Welfare Act of 1985 (P.L. 99–198). The research protocol was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Cornell University (protocol number 2015–0085).”

Author(s): Yu-Ting Wang, Chang-Wei Lei, Si-Yi Liu, Xuan Chen, Yu-Feng Gao, Yu Zhang, Yizhi Tang, Anyun Zhang, Xin Yang, Hong-Ning Wang

Author(s): Letícia.A. Apolinário, Leandra.N.Z. Ramalho, Motahareh Hashemi Moosavi, Alessandra.V. Jager, Marlei.J. Augusto, Maurício.R. Trotta, Tânia Petta, Amin Mousavi Khaneghah, Carlos.A.F. Oliveira, Fernando.S. Ramalho

The objective of this work was to evaluate the aflatoxins residues on tissues of Pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) fish chronically exposed to dietary aflatoxins, also evaluating the effects on fish performance. Aflatoxins were incorporated into the extruded fish feed and the concentrations were confirmed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

A protective effect of two herbs, Glycyrrhiza glabra and Tinospora cordifolia, given as feed additives was observed against the growth inhibitory effect of ochratoxin A (OTA) and associated immunosuppression and biochemical or pathomorphological changes. The feed levels of 3 mg/kg OTA and fine powder of one of both herbs were given during a period of 32 days to female broiler chicks divided into 3 experimental and 1 control groups (14 chicks per group).

Grain contamination by mycotoxins can cause significantly negative health and economic impact in areas where poor agricultural practices and food insecurity is prevalent. This study was conducted to investigate the current postharvest practices and aflatoxin contamination awareness level amongst maize producers in Jimma Zone, Ethiopia.

Mycotoxins are important food contaminants posing a significant threat to food and feed safety and public health. Among the mycotoxins, aflatoxins are deemed to be a more significant contaminant due to their potent carcinogenic, and hepatotoxic effects, and their levels are highly regulated in the international food trade. Phytochemicals are considered a major source of natural antifungal agents.

The present study was conducted to investigate the aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) liver toxicity and gut histomorphometry after gut borne-Saccharomyces cerevisiae supplementation to AFB1-contaminated piglet diets. Thirty-two male mixed-breed piglets (weaned at 21 days old) were housed in individual pens and allowed to acclimate for 7 days. Animals were randomly assigned to four treatments of 22 days: T1 – low AFB1 levels diet (L, 31.6 μg/kg); T2 – L + S.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the addition of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to feed contaminated with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) on the performance and health of tambaqui fingerlings.