Research Publications (Food Safety)

Abstract Nanosensors have become an indispensable tool in the food sector due to their specificity and sensitivity. The biosensor consists of a transducer coupled with a biorecognition component to transform biological signal into digital signal. Nanobiosensors have been widely used for sensing toxic chemicals such as pesticide residues and pathogenic microbes owing to their accurate sensitivity in an affordable manner, which gives more hope to the food industry on their applications.

Cd (cadmium) is a highly toxic heavy metal pollutant often present in soil and detrimentally impacting the production and quality of horticultural crops. Cd affects various physiological and biochemical processes in plants, including chlorophyll synthesis, photosynthesis, mineral uptake and accumulation, and hormonal imbalance, leading to cell death. The MYB family of transcription factors plays a significant role in plant response to environmental influences.

Tetracyclines (TCs) residues in animal-based foods may cause consumer poisoning or allergic reactions, as well as resistance of pathogenic microorganisms. Therefore, a method to accurately monitor TCs is urgently needed. Here, a sensitive and greenificated molecularly imprinted fluorescent sensor (CDs@MIP) for detecting TCs residues using non-covalent imprinting binding method has been synthesized in a simple and safe manner.

Mancozeb is an extensively consumed fungicide, which often leaves high residue levels on agricultural products. The conventional method for detecting mancozeb involves a time‐consuming process using gas chromatography (GC) after a 2‐hour water‐bath acidolysis, resulting in low efficiency and recovery rates. This study developed a rapid method for detecting mancozeb in fruits and vegetables using microwave‐assisted acidolysis and extraction coupled with GC analysis.

Abstract

We investigated the therapeutic effects of EDTA application for 14 and 28 days on cadmium (Cd) induced pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis (Linnaeus, 1758). The sublethal concentration of cadmium (63.4 mg/l Cd) caused tissue damages to the snail after an exposure for 28 days.

As a legume crop widely cultured in the world, faba bean (Vicia faba L.) forms root nodules with diverse Rhizobium species in different regions. However, the symbionts associated with this plant in Mexico have not been studied. To investigate the diversity and species/symbiovar affiliations of rhizobia associated with faba bean in Mexico, rhizobia were isolated from this plant grown in two Mexican sites in the present study.

A simple method based on solid–liquid extraction with a low-temperature partition (SLE/LTP) and analysis by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was optimized and validated for determining residues of the pesticides triadimenol, flutriafol, λ-cyhalothrin, difenoconazole, and azoxystrobin in oat flour. A factorial design was employed to optimize the technique and establish the best conditions for the simultaneous extraction of the analytes.

Abstract

Arsenic (As) pollution in rice (Oryza sativa L.), a staple food for over 3.5 billion people, is a global problem. Mixed effects of Zn, Cu, and Si amendments on plant growth and yield, including in the presence of As pollution have been reported in previous studies.

The overuse of pesticides has resulted in the accumulation of harmful residues in vegetables, which requires monitoring to assess the risks to human health. This article presents the levels of 35 pesticide residues in 15 composite vegetable samples from irrigated farmlands adjacent to Lake Ziway, Ethiopia, using the QuEChERS extraction method (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) and then analyzes them using GC‐MS.

A method for the rapid screening and confirmation of 60 food‐borne stimulants in animal‐derived foods was developed using the ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography‐quadrupole/orbitrap high‐resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC‐Q/Orbitrap HRMS). After enzymatic hydrolysis at 37°C for 16 h, the samples were extracted with acetonitrile solution. The extraction solution was purified by PRiME HLB pass‐through solid‐phase extraction cartridge and redissolved by nitrogen blowing.

This study demonstrates that Cinnamomum camphora essential oil (CEO) effectively inhibits Fusarium oxysporum‐induced decay in postharvest blueberries by disrupting fungal cell membrane integrity and enhancing blueberry defence mechanisms. The findings suggest that CEO, as an eco‐friendly alternative to synthetic fungicides, can mitigate primary fungal invasion and improve blueberry preservation during postharvest storage.

The impact of soil fertilization with animal manure on the spread and persistence of antibiotic resistance in the environment is far from being fully understood. To add knowledge about persistence and correlations between antibiotic residues and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in fertilized soil, a longitudinal soil mesocosm study was conducted.

Grain filling is critical for determining yield and quality, raising the question of whether central coordinators exist to facilitate the uptake and storage of various substances from maternal to filial tissues. The duplicate NAC transcription factors ZmNAC128 and ZmNAC130 could potentially serve as central coordinators.

by Daniel Ciccarone, Nicole Holm, Jeff Ondocsin, Allison Schlosser, Jason Fessel, Amanda Cowan, Sarah G. Mars

Background

Illicitly manufactured fentanyls and stimulants are implicated in the escalating US mortality from drug overdose. San Francisco, California (SF) has seen declining fentanyl injection while smoking has increased. Beliefs and behaviors surrounding this development are not well understood.

Methods

Several limitations in genetic engineering interventions in saffron exist, hindering the development of genetically modified varieties and the widespread application of genetic engineering in this crop. Lack of genome sequence information, the complexity of genetic makeup, and lack of well-established genetic transformation protocols limit its in planta functional validation of genes that would eventually lead toward crop optimization.

This study established a CLIA for trace detection of MG, and this is the first time that automated detection of MG residues has been achieved by combining POCT with CLIA. Abstract Malachite green (MG), a triphenylmethane dye is often used as a fungicide and preservative in fisheries due to its effectiveness against water molds in fish and fish eggs. However, excessive inhalation can be hazardous to human health.

Abstract

Background and aims

Human health is seriously threatened by cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) poisoning in paddy soils. Due to different geochemical behavior, Cd and As are challenging to repair together. We aims to inquire into the influences of zero valent iron (ZVI) and its mixture on acidic Cd-As contaminated paddy soil and reveal the relevant mechanisms.

Abstract

Background

The widespread presence of arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) in agricultural soils coupled with a problem of Al phytotoxicity threatens sustainability of agricultural production system as well as natural ecosystems.

Abstract According to Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, EFSA has reviewed the maximum residue levels (MRLs) currently established at European level for the pesticide active substance gamma‐cyhalothrin.