Research Publications (Food Safety)

Zearalenone (ZEA) is a harmful secondary fungal metabolite, produced primarily by plant pathogenic fungi mostly belonging to the genus Fusarium. It is involved in reproductive disorders in animals since its structure is similar to the estrogen hormone. This induces precocious pubertal changes, fertility problems, and hyper estrogenic disorders.

Antimicrobial resistance is recognized as one of the major global health challenges of the 21st century. Synergistic combinations for antimicrobial therapies can be a good strategy for the treatment of multidrug resistant infections. We examined the ability of a group of 29 plant essential oils as substances which enhance the antibiotic activity.

Avian influenza virus (AIV) outbreaks occur frequently worldwide, causing a potential public health risk and great economic losses to poultry industries. Considering the high mutation rate and frequent genetic reassortment between segments in the genome of AIVs, emerging new strains are a real threat that may infect and spread through the human population, causing a pandemic. Therefore, rapid AIV diagnostic tests are essential tools for surveillance and assessing virus spreading.

Author(s): Adrian M. Whatmore, Jeffrey T. Foster

The potential employment of 18 commercial Tunisian essential oils (EOs) as natural food preservatives was investigated. Their antimicrobial activity was evaluated against two food-borne bacteria (Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Klebsiella pneumoniae) by the agar-well diffusion method and, subsequently, by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC); while their antioxidant activity was assayed by the DPPH test.

Author(s): Woorim Yeom, Hoikyung Kim, Larry R. Beuchat, Jee-Hoon Ryu

Author(s): Marcela Suárez-Esquivel, Nazareth Ruiz-Villalobos, Warren Hidalgo-Jara, Carlos Chacón-Díaz, Ana Mariel Zúñiga-Pereira, Mario Masís-Mora, Ericka Fernández-Fernández, Gabriela Hernández-Mora, Elías Barquero-Calvo, Esteban Chaves-Olarte, Nicholas R. Thomson, Jeffrey T. Foster, Edgardo Moreno, Caterina Guzmán Verri

Author(s): Fojan Agahi, Cristina Juan, Guillermina Font, Ana Juan-García

Author(s): Frederick Adams Ekuban, Cai Zong, Madoka Takikawa, Kota Morikawa, Toshihiro Sakurai, Sahoko Ichihara, Ken Itoh, Masayuki Yamamoto, Seiichiroh Ohsako, Gaku Ichihara

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of beef patty formulations and pressure levels on the inactivation of spoilage microbiota and native Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O157:H7. Beef patties were made with different salt and fat content (A: 1% NaCl – 10% fat, B: 2% NaCl – 10% fat, C: 1% NaCl – 20% fat and D: 2% NaCl – 20% fat) and treated at 400 and 600 MPa. STEC reductions after 400 and 600 MPa were 2 and 4 log CFU/g, respectively.

Aflatoxins are poisonous carcinogens produced by fungi, mainly Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. Aflatoxins can contaminate a variety of livestock feeds and cause enormous economic losses, estimated at between US$52.1 and US$1.68 billion annually for the U.S. corn industry alone. In addition, aflatoxin can be transferred from the diet to the milk of cows as aflatoxin M1 (AFM1), posing a significant human health hazard.

Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, EarlyView. The global trade of tropical fruits is expected to increase significantly in the coming years. In 2018, the production was approximately 100 million tones, an increase of 3.3% compared to the previous year. Nevertheless, according to the Food and Agricultural Organization, every year one‐third of the food produced in the world for human consumption is lost or wasted.

The Staphylococcus aureus Tet38 membrane protein has distinct functions, including drug efflux and host cell attachment and internalization mediated by interaction with host cell CD36. Using structural modeling and site-directed mutagenesis, we identified key amino acids involved in different functions. Tet38, a member of the major facilitator superfamily, is predicted to have 14 transmembrane segments (TMS), 6 cytoplasmic loops, and 7 external loops.

Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive, intracellular pathogen that is highly adapted to invade and replicate in the cytosol of eukaryotic cells. Intermediate metabolites in the menaquinone biosynthesis pathway are essential for the cytosolic survival and virulence of L. monocytogenes, independent of the production of menaquinone (MK) and aerobic respiration.

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) contributes significantly to the substantial burden of infectious diarrhea among children living in low- and middle-income countries. In the absence of a vaccine for ETEC, children succumb to acute dehydration as well as nondiarrheal sequelae related to these infections, including malnutrition.

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) infections can result in a wide range of clinical presentations despite that EHEC strains belong to the O157:H7 serotype, one of the most pathogenic forms. Although pathogen virulence influences disease outcome, we emphasize the concept of host-pathogen interactions, which involve resistance or tolerance mechanisms in the host that determine total host fitness and bacterial virulence.

Trichinellosis is one of most neglected foodborne zoonoses worldwide. During Trichinella spiralis infection, the intestinal immune response is the first line of defense and plays a vital role in the host’s resistance. Previous studies indicate that purinergic P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) and pyrin domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome are involved in the intestinal immune response in T. spiralis infection.

Haemaphysalis longicornis is a blood-feeding hard tick known for transmitting a variety of pathogens, including Babesia. How the parasites in the imbibed blood become anchored in the midgut of ticks is still unknown. Leucine-rich repeat domain (LRR)-containing protein, which is associated with the innate immune reaction and conserved in many species, has been detected in H. longicornis and has previously been indicated in inhibiting the growth of Babesia gibsoni.

by Fenghua Zhu, Beibei Zhang, Lianqin Zhu

Author(s): Guijie Li, Xu Zhang, Tingting Liu, Hongxiu Fan, Hongcheng Liu, Shangyu Li, Dawei Wang, Lan Ding

Author(s): G.K. Sivaraman, K.H. Muneeb, S. Sudha, Bibek Shome, Jennifer Cole, Mark Holmes

Author(s): Lisa M. Frisch, Ludwig Niessen

Author(s): Liangshen Zhao, Chao Liang, Shasha Li, Kaifeng Du

Author(s): R. Kaavya, R. Pandiselvam, S. Abdullah, N.U. Sruthi, Yasendra Jayanath, C. Ashokkumar, Anandu Chandra Khanashyam, Anjineyulu Kothakota, S.V. Ramesh

Author(s): Weiwei Cheng, Xiaozhi Tang, Yan Zhang, Di Wu, Wenjian Yang