Research Publications (Food Safety)

Cadmium (Cd) pollution in soils is an increasing problem worldwide, and it affects crop production and safety. We identified Cd-tolerant and -sensitive cultivars by testing 258 accessions of Medicago truncatula at seedling stage, using the relative root growth (RRG) as an indicator of Cd tolerance.

Contamination of agricultural soil by arsenic (As) is a serious menace to environmental safety and global food security. Symbiotic plant–microbe interaction, such as arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM), is a promising approach to minimize hazards of As contamination in agricultural soil.

Animals are considered important sources of ESBL/AmpC-producing bacteria in humans. We analyzed indications of transfer of ESBL/AmpC genes between pigs and pig farmers in Vietnam by analyzing whole genome sequences of 114 ESBL/AmpC-producing E. coli isolated from the two hosts, and performed conjugation experiments and plasmid profiling to confirm that such transfer could have happened.

This study investigates susceptibility toward three fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin), multiple fluoroquinolone-resistance mechanisms, and epidemiological relationship of neonatal septicaemic Acinetobacter baumannii. Previous studies on fluoroquinolone resistance in A. baumannii focused primarily on ciprofloxacin susceptibility and assessed a particular mechanism of resistance; a more holistic approach was taken here.

In the bacterial flagellar motor, the cell-wall-anchored stator uses an electrochemical gradient across the cytoplasmic membrane to generate a turning force that is applied to the rotor connected to the flagellar filament. Existing theoretical concepts for the stator function are based on the assumption that it anchors around the rotor perimeter by binding to peptidoglycan (P).

The human whipworm Trichuris trichiura infects 289 million people worldwide, resulting in substantial morbidity. Whipworm infections are difficult to treat due to low cure rates and high reinfection rates. Interactions between whipworm and its host’s intestinal microbiome present a potential novel target for infection control or prevention but are very complicated and are identified using inconsistent methodology and sample types across the literature, limiting their potential usefulness.

Influenza vaccines have traditionally been tested in naive mice and ferrets. However, humans are first exposed to influenza viruses within the first few years of their lives. Therefore, there is a pressing need to test influenza virus vaccines in animal models that have been previously exposed to influenza viruses before being vaccinated.

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT

The complete genome sequence of Brucella abortus 68, isolated from an aborted sheep fetus in Luhansk, Ukraine, was assembled using Nanopore sequences. Two circular chromosomes totaling 3,281,317 bp (N50, 2,124,943 bp) comprised the complete genome sequence. The strain encodes the fosfomycin antibiotic resistance gene fosX, highlighting the risk of cross-species livestock and human infection.

The genome of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium LT7 comprises a chromosome and two plasmids. One plasmid is very close to pSLT of Salmonella Typhimurium LT2; the second harbors a shufflon region. Prophage content is distinct: LT7 lacks Fels-1, while Gifsy-1 and Fels-2 show island-like divergence and likely programmed inversion, respectively.

Staphylococcus aureus bacteria are ranked among the top five foodborne pathogens in the United States. Here, we report the draft genome sequences of 62 S. aureus isolates that originated from the manufacturing environment of an Illinois bakery and were associated with outbreaks between 2010 and 2011 in the United States.

Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serotype Choleraesuis is a foodborne pathogen with zoonotic potential. We report the draft genome sequence and a closed plasmid sequence from a plant-internalized S. Choleraesuis strain that was isolated from the pulp of a Spanish Galia melon purchased from a German supermarket in 2015.

L. Barclay et al. We report a norovirus GIV outbreak in the United States, 15 years after the last reported outbreak. During May 2016 in Wisconsin, 53 persons, including 4 food handlers, reported being ill. The outbreak was linked to individually prepared fruit consumed as a fruit salad. The virus was phylogenetically classified as a novel GIV genotype.

by Antón L. Martínez, José Brea, Mateo Barro, Xavier Monroy, Manuel Merlos, Javier Burgueño, María Isabel Loza

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of hygiene measures in automatic milking units on the transmission of 3 mastitis pathogens considered to be mainly or partly transmitted from cow to cow during milking events. Two studies were conducted as within-herd experimental trials in 2 Danish commercial dairy herds (A and B) with automatic milking systems. Interventions to enhance hygiene were implemented on the automatic milking units.

Author(s): Lu Lin, Min Chen, Jie Ou, Weiling Yan

Author(s): Xuecheng Zhu, Wei Jiang, Yuan Zhao, Huilin Liu, Baoguo Sun

Plant diseases result in 20–40% of agricultural loss every year worldwide. Timely detection of plant diseases can effectively prevent the development and spread of diseases and ensure the agricultural yield. High-throughput and rapid methods are in great demand. This review investigates the advanced application of Raman spectroscopy (RS) and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) in the detection of plant diseases.

Seeking a means of sanitizing berries, the effectiveness of steady state levels of gaseous chlorine dioxide (ClO2) against hepatitis A virus (HAV) on laboratory-contaminated berries was determined. The generated ClO2 was maintained with 1 or 2 mg/l air inside a 269-l glove box to treat 50 g batches of blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, and 100 g batches of strawberries that were immersion coated with HAV.

Despite the widespread use of parabens as antimicrobial preservatives in personal care products (PCP) and foodstuffs, recent studies have shown that exposure to parabens can play a role in the endocrine disruption process. In the present study, the urinary concentrations of methylparaben (MP), ethylparaben (EP), propylparaben (PP), and butylparaben (BP) were measured among 125 men, and their relationship with the use of 13 distinct PCPs was examined.

Food is intricate, and food quality and safety are indispensable elements. With the rising public demands for safe and nutritious food products, a range of innovative, interdisciplinary, and multidimensional concepts have emerged in the last few decades. Nanozymes, apart from their therapeutic efficacies, are gaining increasing interest in safety and quality monitoring in the agri-food sector.

This research analyzes the behavior of different diatomite from Peru, and their potential use for the removal of heavy metals from contaminated effluents. Seven different diatomites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy, specific surface area, and cation exchange capacity.

Zearalenone (ZEA) is a nonsteroidal estrogenic mycotoxin found in several food commodities worldwide. ZEA causes reproductive disorders, genotoxicity, and testicular toxicity in animals. However, little is known about the functions of apoptosis and autophagy after exposure to ZEA in granulosa cells. This study investigated the effects of ZEA on chicken granulosa cells.