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Research Publications (Food Safety)

This page tracks research articles published in national and international peer-reviewed journals. Recent articles are available ahead of print and searchable by Journal, Article Title, and Category. Research publications are tracked across six categories: Bacterial Pathogens, Chemical Contaminants, Natural Toxins, Parasites, Produce Safety, and Viruses. Articles produced by USDA Grant Funding Agencies (requires login) and FDA Grant Funding Agencies (requires login) are also tracked in Scopus.

Displaying 1 - 25 of 73

  1. Biopreservative and Anti-Mycotoxigenic Potentials of Lactobacillus paracasei MG847589 and Its Bacteriocin in Soft White Cheese

    • Toxins
    • Probiotics and their bacteriocins have increasingly attracted interest for their use as safe food preservatives. This study aimed to produce soft white cheese fortified with Lacticaseibacillus MG847589 (Lb.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  2. Modulation of Broiler Intestinal Changes Induced by Clostridium perfringens and Deoxynivalenol through Probiotic, Paraprobiotic, and Postbiotic Supplementation

    • Toxins
    • Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a predisposing factor for necrotic enteritis. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a DON and Clostridium perfringens (CP) challenge on the intestinal morphology, morphometry, oxidative stress, and immune response of broilers. Additionally, we evaluated the potential of a Lactobacillus spp. mixture as an approach to mitigate the damage induced by the challenge.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Clostridium perfringens
      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  3. Vibrio gazogenes-dependent disruption of aflatoxin biosynthesis in Aspergillus flavus: the connection with endosomal uptake and hyphal morphogenesis

    • Frontiers in Microbiology
    • Aflatoxins, a family of fungal secondary metabolites, are toxic and carcinogenic compounds that pose an enormous threat to global food safety and agricultural sustainability. Specifically agricultural products in African, Southeast Asian and hot and humid regions of American countries suffer most damage from aflatoxin producing molds due to the ideal climate conditions promoting their growth.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Vibrio
      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  4. Subclinical doses of dietary fumonisins and deoxynivalenol cause cecal microbiota dysbiosis in broiler chickens challenged with Clostridium perfringens

    • Frontiers in Microbiology
    • Fusarium toxins are one of the most common contaminants in poultry diets. The co-occurrence of fumonisins (FUM) and deoxynivalenol (DON), even at a subclinical dose, negatively affects the growth performance, intestinal integrity and induce subclinical necrotic enteritis in broiler chickens. Loss of gut integrity can be expected to alter the intestinal microbiota’s composition.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Clostridium perfringens
      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  5. Short-term exposure to fumonisins and deoxynivalenol, on broiler growth performance and cecal Salmonella load during experimental Salmonella Enteritidis infection

    • Poultry Science
    • Fumonisins (FUM) and deoxynivalenol (DON) and are two common mycotoxins in poultry feed. Salmonella enterica ser. Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) is a primary foodborne bacterium in broilers. This trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of naturally occurring FUM and DON and their combination at subclinical doses on broiler performance during a S. Enteritidis challenge.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Salmonella
      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  6. Occurrence of mycotoxins and microbial communities in artisanal infant flours marketed in Côte d’Ivoire

    • World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
    • The aim of this study was to determine the microbial diversity and mycotoxin profile of artisanal infant flours commonly vended in public healthcare centres and retail markets in Côte d’Ivoire. Thus, maize, millet, sorghum, soya and multigrain (mix of different cereals) flour samples collected from different localities were first, analysed for nutritional composition, then for microbial communities using high-throughput sequencing and for mycotoxins through UHPLC-MS/MS method.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  7. Biodegradation of Aflatoxin B1 in the Baijiu Brewing Process by Bacillus cereus

    • Toxins
    • Aflatoxin is a potent mycotoxin and a common source of grain contamination that leads to great economic losses and health problems. Although distilled baijiu cannot be contaminated by aflatoxin, its presence in the brewing process affects the physiological activities of micro-organisms and reduces product quality. Bacillus cereus XSWW9 capable of degrading aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) was isolated from daqu using coumarin as the sole carbon source.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  8. Dietary Catalase Supplementation Alleviates Deoxynivalenol-Induced Oxidative Stress and Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis in Broiler Chickens

    • Toxins
    • Catalase (CAT) can eliminate oxygen radicals, but it is unclear whether exogenous CAT can protect chickens against deoxynivalenol (DON)-induced oxidative stress. This study aimed to investigate the effects of supplemental CAT on antioxidant property and gut microbiota in DON-exposed broilers. A total of 144 one-day-old Lingnan yellow-feathered male broilers were randomly divided into three groups (six replicates/group): control, DON group, and DON + CAT (DONC) group.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Shigella
      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  9. Co-Occurrence of Staphylococcus aureus and Ochratoxin A in Pasteurized Milk

    • Toxins
    • Pathogens and mycotoxins are serious public health risks for humans and food safety in milk. This study concentrated on detecting Staphylococcus aureus and Ochratoxin A (OTA) in 210 pasteurized milk from ten urban Beijing districts to suggest the co-occurrence of S. aureus with toxin-producing genes and OTA in milk and the possible risk. S. aureus was identified by physiological and biochemical experiments and molecular biology experiments, and enterotoxin genes were identified by PCR.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  10. LC–MS/MS and GC–MS based phytochemical perspectives and antimicrobial effects of endophytic fungus Chaetomium ovatoascomatis isolated from Euphorbia milii

    • Archives of Microbiology
    • The antimicrobial activity of endophytic fungi isolated from Euphorbia milii was evaluated against Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria, unicellular yeast, and filamentous fungi. Chaetomium ovatoascomatis NRC was identified morphologically and genetically as the most active strain. The total ethyl acetate extract of C.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
      • Salmonella
      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  11. Effects of Lactobacillus salivarius supplementation on the growth performance, liver function, meat quality, immune responses and Salmonella Pullorum infection resistance of broilers challenged with Aflatoxin B1

    • Poultry Science
    • Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is one of the most toxic mycotoxins. It has been reported that dietary exposure to AFB1 is related to the low growth performance, immunosuppression, and high susceptibility to infectious diseases of chickens. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the protective effects of Lactobacillus salivarius on broiler chickens challenged with AFB1.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Salmonella
      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  12. Effects of Lactobacillus salivarius supplementation on the growth performance, liver function, meat quality, immune responses and Salmonella Pullorum infection resistance of broilers challenged with Aflatoxin B1

    • Poultry Science
    • Author(s): Xueping Chen, Muhammad Ishfaq, Jian Wang Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is one of the most toxic mycotoxins. It has been reported that dietary exposure to AFB1 is related to the low growth performance, immunosuppression and high susceptibility to infectious diseases of chickens. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the protective effects of Lactobacillus salivarius on broiler chickens challenged with AFB1.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Salmonella
      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
  13. A highly versatile fungal glucosyltransferase for specific production of quercetin-7-O-β-d-glucoside and quercetin-3-O-β-d-glucoside in different hosts

    • Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology

      • Mycotoxins
      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Natural toxins
  14. Efficient Degradation of Aflatoxin B1 and Zearalenone by Laccase-like Multicopper Oxidase from Streptomyces thermocarboxydus in the Presence of Mediators

    • Toxins
    • Multicopper oxidases (MCOs) are a diverse group of enzymes that could catalyze the oxidation of different xenobiotic compounds, with simultaneous reduction in oxygen to water. Aside from laccase, one member of the MCO superfamily has shown great potential in the biodegradation of mycotoxins; however, the mycotoxin degradation ability of other MCOs is uncertain.

      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Natural toxins
  15. Validation of New ELISA Technique for Detection of Aflatoxin B1 Contamination in Food Products versus HPLC and VICAM

    • Toxins
    • Toxin-contaminated foods and beverages are a major source of illness, may cause death, and have a significant negative economic impact worldwide. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a potent toxin that may induce cancer after chronic low-level exposure. This study developed a quantitative recombinant AflR gene antiserum ELISA technique for aflatoxin B1 detection in contaminated food products. Aflatoxin B1 residuals from 36 food samples were analyzed with HPLC and VICAM.

      • Aflatoxins
      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Natural toxins
  16. Zearalenone induces immuno-compromised status via TOR/NF/κB pathway and aggravates the spread of Aeromonas hydrophila to grass carp gut (Ctenopharyngodon idella)

    • Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
    • Author(s): Hong-Yun Zhang, Ya-Li Wang, Xiao-Qiu Zhou, Wei-Dan Jiang, Pei Wu, Yang Liu, Lu Zhang, Hai-Feng Mi, Jun Jiang, Sheng-Yao Kuang, Ling Tang, Lin Feng

      • Mycotoxins
      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Natural toxins
  17. Efficient Degradation of Zearalenone by Dye-Decolorizing Peroxidase from Streptomyces thermocarboxydus Combining Catalytic Properties of Manganese Peroxidase and Laccase

    • Toxins
    • Ligninolytic enzymes, including laccase, manganese peroxidase, and dye-decolorizing peroxidase (DyP), have attracted much attention in the degradation of mycotoxins. Among these enzymes, the possible degradation pathway of mycotoxins catalyzed by DyP is not yet clear. Herein, a DyP-encoding gene, StDyP, from Streptomyces thermocarboxydus 41291 was identified, cloned, and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21/pG-Tf2.

      • Mycotoxins
      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Natural toxins
  18. Enzymatic Degradation of Multiple Major Mycotoxins by Dye-Decolorizing Peroxidase from Bacillus subtilis

    • Toxins
    • The co-occurrence of multiple mycotoxins, including aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), zearalenone (ZEN) and deoxynivalenol (DON), widely exists in cereal-based animal feed and food. At present, most reported mycotoxins degrading enzymes target only a certain type of mycotoxins. Therefore, it is of great significance for mining enzymes involved in the simultaneous degradation of different types of mycotoxins.

      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Natural toxins
  19. Investigation of a Novel Multicomponent Mycotoxin Detoxifying Agent in Amelioration of Mycotoxicosis Induced by Aflatoxin-B1 and Ochratoxin A in Broiler Chicks

    • Toxins
    • The present study was designed to determine the efficacy of a novel multicomponent mycotoxin detoxifying agent (MMDA) containing modified zeolite (Clinoptilolite), Bacillus subtilis, B. licheniformis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell walls and silymarin against the deleterious effects of Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and Ochratoxin A (OTA) in broiler chicks.

      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Natural toxins
  20. Oral Sub-chronic Ochratoxin A Exposure Induces Gut Microbiota Alterations in Mice

    • Toxins
    • Gut microbiota plays crucial roles in maintaining host health. External factors, such as diet, medicines, and environmental toxins, influence the composition of gut microbiota. Ochratoxin A (OTA) is one of the most prevalent and relevant mycotoxins and is a highly abundant food and animal feed contaminant.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  21. Identification and Characterization of an Aspergillus niger Amine Oxidase that Detoxifies Intact Fumonisins

    • Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
    • Fumonisin contamination of maize damaged by Fusarium verticillioides and related species is a major problem when it is grown under warm and dry conditions. Consumption of fumonisin contaminated food and feed is harmful to both humans and livestock. Novel tools for reducing or eliminating fumonisin toxicity may be useful to the agri-feed sector to deal with this worldwide problem.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
      • Bacterial pathogens
  22. Identification of a Bacillus amyloliquefaciens H6 Thioesterase Involved in Zearalenone Detoxification by Transcriptomic Analysis

    • Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
    • Zearalenone (ZEA), a nonsteroidal estrogenic mycotoxin produced by Fusarium graminearum, induces hyperestrogenic responses in mammals and can cause reproductive disorders in farm animals.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  23. Foodborne Botulism: Clinical Diagnosis and Medical Treatment

    • Toxins
    • Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) produced by Clostridia species are the most potent identified natural toxins. Classically, the toxic neurological syndrome is characterized by an (afebrile) acute symmetric descending flaccid paralysis. The most know typical clinical syndrome of botulism refers to the foodborne form. All different forms are characterized by the same symptoms, caused by toxin-induced neuromuscular paralysis.

      • Clostridium botulinum
      • Natural toxins
      • Bacterial pathogens
  24. Seasonal and Spatial Variations in Bacterial Communities From Tetrodotoxin-Bearing and Non-tetrodotoxin-Bearing Clams

    • Frontiers in Microbiology
    • Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is one of the most potent naturally occurring compounds and is responsible for many human intoxications worldwide. Paphies australis are endemic clams to New Zealand which contain varying concentrations of TTX. Research suggests that P. australis accumulate the toxin exogenously, but the source remains uncertain. The aim of this study was to identify potential bacterial TTX-producers by exploring differences in bacterial communities in two organs of P.

      • Natural toxins
      • Vibrio
      • Bacterial pathogens
  25. Comparative Toxigenicity and Associated Mutagenicity of Aspergillus Fumigatus and Aspergillus Flavus Group Isolates Collected from the Agricultural Environment

    • Toxins
    • The mutagenic patterns of A. flavus, A. parasiticus and A. fumigatus extracts were evaluated. These strains of toxigenic Aspergillus were collected from the agricultural environment. The Ames test was performed on Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98, TA100 and TA102, without and with S9mix (exogenous metabolic activation system).

      • Salmonella
      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Bacterial pathogens