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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 46

  1. Prevalence, virulence characteristics, and antimicrobial resistance of Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates from raw seafood in a province in Northern Thailand

    • FEMS Microbiology Letters
    • Vibrio parahaemolyticus (V. parahaemolyticus) is commonly found in seawater and seafood products, but evidence is limited of its presence in seafood marketed in locations very distant from coastal sources. This study determined the prevalence and characterization of V. parahaemolyticus in seafood from markets in landlocked Phayao province, Northern Thailand. Among 120 samples, 26 (21.7%) were positive for V.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Vibrio
  2. Periplasmic methionine sulfoxide reductase (MsrP)—a secondary factor in stress survival and virulence of Salmonella Typhimurium

    • FEMS Microbiology Letters
    • Among others, methionine residues are highly susceptible to host-generated oxidants. Repair of oxidized methionine (Met-SO) residues to methionine (Met) by methionine sulfoxide reductases (Msrs) play a chief role in stress survival of bacterial pathogens, including Salmonella Typhimurium. Periplasmic proteins, involved in many important cellular functions, are highly susceptible to host-generated oxidants.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Salmonella
  3. Effect of Holder pasteurization and UV-C irradiation on bacteriophage titres in human milk

    • FEMS Microbiology Letters
    • Human milk is the optimal nutrition source for infants and contains a complex mix of bioactive compounds and microorganisms. When unavailable, pasteurized donor milk may be provided, particularly to preterm infants. Holder pasteurization (HP) is typically implemented in human milk banks to prevent pathogen transmission. Given the impact of heat on milk bioactives, ultraviolet-C irradiation (UV-C) is an alternative being explored and has demonstrated effective bactericidal activity.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Staphylococcus aureus
  4. Microbiological quality, antibiotic resistant bacteria and relevant resistance genes in ready-to-eat Pacific oysters (Magallana gigas)

    • FEMS Microbiology Letters
    • Oysters are a highly valued seafood but can endanger public health, if they are eaten raw or barely cooked. We evaluated the microbiological quality of Pacific oysters (Magallana gigas) by international standard methods in four groups (each with four to five animals) acquired from supermarkets and directly from a farm producer. Most of the groups presented satisfactory microbiological quality.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Salmonella
      • Shigella
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Vibrio
  5. Development of a visual detection method for Salmonella based on loop-mediated isothermal amplification using pyrophosphatase

    • FEMS Microbiology Letters
    • Salmonella is one of the most widely distributed and harmful food-borne pathogens; thus, the rapid detection of viable Salmonella is important for ensuring food safety. In this study, a rapid visual strategy based on loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) with the addition of thermal inorganic pyrophosphatase and linked with an ammonium molybdate chromogenic buffer was established to detect Salmonella. Specific primers were designed based on the phoP gene of Salmonella spp.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Salmonella
  6. Listeria monocytogenes from food and food industry environments with reduced susceptibility to benzalkonium chloride, sodium hypochlorite, and peracetic acid

    • FEMS Microbiology Letters
    • The growing number of Listeria monocytogenes strains displaying increased tolerance to sanitizers widely applied in the food industry is becoming a problem. The aims of this study were to evaluate the susceptibility of L.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Listeria monocytogenes
      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  7. Identification and analysis of Rap–Phr system in Bacillus cereus 0–9

    • FEMS Microbiology Letters
    • In this study, eight rap-related genes were found in the Bacillus cereus 0–9 genome; five rap genes were located on chromosomes and three on large plasmids. A total of five Rap proteins in B. cereus 0–9 were annotated as ‘tetratricopeptide repeat proteins’. SMART Server analysis showed that the eight Rap proteins had typical tetrapeptide repeat sequence (TPR) domains.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
  8. Elucidating the correlation between the number of TTTTGAT heptamer repeats and cholera toxin promoter activity in Vibrio cholerae O1 pandemic strains

    • FEMS Microbiology Letters
    • A complex virulence-regulatory cascade controls expression of the cholera toxin genes (ctxAB) in Vibrio cholerae, which eventually leads to the production and secretion of choleragen (CT), responsible for rice watery diarrhoea in infected individuals.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Vibrio
  9. Modulation effects of danshen-honghua herb pair on gut microbiota of acute myocardial ischemia model rat

    • FEMS Microbiology Letters
    • In the recent years, a growing number of studies have shown that the occurrence of myocardial ischemia (MI) is closely related to the gut microbiota (GM). The Danshen-Honghua herb pair (DHHP), a classic combination in traditional Chinese herbal formulas, has been widely applied throughout history to cure cardiovascular disease, exhibiting remarkable clinical efficacy to treat ischemic heart disease (IHD). However, the intrinsic regulation mechanism of DHHP in treating MI remains unclear.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Shigella
  10. Phylogenetic analysis and antibiotic resistance of Shigella sonnei isolates

    • FEMS Microbiology Letters
    • Shigellosis is one of the most important gastric infections caused by different species of Shigella, and has been regarded as a serious threat to public health. Lineage/sublineage profile of Shigella sonnei is strongly associated with the antibiotic resistance and population structure of this pathogen. In this study, we determined the phylogeny and antibiotic resistance profiles of S.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Shigella
  11. Bacteriophage Sf6 host range mutant that infects Shigella flexneri serotype 2a2 strains

    • FEMS Microbiology Letters
    • Shigella flexneri serotype 2a2 (II:9;10) is the most prevalent strain in causing bacillary dysentery in developing countries. Chemical modifications such as glucosylation, O-acetylation, and phosphoethanolamine modifications of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) O antigen (Oag) contribute to the emergence of various serotypes. Sf6 is a Shigella-specific bacteriophage that infects only a limited range of S. flexneri serotypes [X, Y].

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Shigella
  12. Characterisation of the E. coli and Salmonella qseC and qseE mutants reveals a metabolic rather than adrenergic receptor role

    • FEMS Microbiology Letters
    • Catecholamine stress hormones (norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine) are signals that have been shown to be used as environmental cues, which affect the growth and virulence of normal microbiota as well as pathogenic bacteria. It has been reported that Escherichia coli and Salmonella use the two-component system proteins QseC and QseE to recognise catecholamines and so act as bacterial adrenergic receptors. In this study, we mutated the E.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli
      • Salmonella
  13. Analysis of changes in the microbial community structure and physicochemical properties during the fermentation of sand crab juice

    • FEMS Microbiology Letters
    • ABSTRACT The structure of the microbial community during sand crab juice fermentation was analyzed using culture-based methods and high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Additionally, the changes in amino acid nitrogen (AAN) and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) were evaluated.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
      • Staphylococcus aureus
  14. Genetic resisters to antibiotics in Escherichia coli arise from the antibiotic-surviving population containing three reactive oxygen species

    • FEMS Microbiology Letters
    • ABSTRACT Antibiotic-exposed bacteria acquire genetic mutations and emerge as antibiotic-resistant clones that thwart treatment of bacterial diseases. Genome-wide mutations are inflicted by the reactive oxygen species (ROS), hydroxyl radical, formed in most of the antibiotic-exposed bacteria. Hydroxyl radical is generated through the Fenton reaction of Fe (II) with H2O2, which is formed by the dismutation of superoxide.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Staphylococcus aureus
  15. High Temperature Requirement A (HtrA) protease of Listeria monocytogenes and its interaction with extracellular matrix molecules

    • FEMS Microbiology Letters
    • ABSTRACT High Temperature Requirement A (HtrA) was identified as a secreted virulence factor in many pathogenic bacteria, including Listeria monocytogenes. Recently, it was discovered that Helicobacter pylori and Campylobacter jejuni HtrAs can directly cleave the human cell-adhesion molecule E-cadherin, which facilitates bacterial transmigration. HtrAs also interact with extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules.

      • Campylobacter
      • Listeria monocytogenes
      • Bacterial pathogens
  16. Certain Listeria monocytogenes plasmids contribute to increased UVC ultraviolet light stress

    • FEMS Microbiology Letters
    • Listeria monocytogenes is the causative agent of the highly fatal foodborne disease listeriosis and can persist in food production environments. Recent research highlights the involvement of L. monocytogenes plasmids in different stress response mechanisms, which contribute to its survival in food production facilities. Ultraviolet (UV) light in the UVC spectrum (200–280 nm) is used in food production to control microbial contamination.

      • Listeria monocytogenes
      • Bacterial pathogens
  17. An investigation into the anaerobic spoilage microbiota of beef carcass and rump steak cuts using high- throughput sequencing

    • FEMS Microbiology Letters
    • ABSTRACT The presence of anaerobic microflora on fresh beef carcass and rump steaks, which may contribute to meat spoilage, was explored in this study. A total of 120 carcass and 120 rump steak swabs were collected immediately after slaughtering and boning, respectively from five meat plants, anaerobically incubated and enriched at 4°C for 3 weeks.

      • Shigella
      • Bacterial pathogens
  18. Behavior of Salmonella Enteritidis and Shigella flexneri during induction and recovery of the viable but nonculturable state

    • FEMS Microbiology Letters
    • ABSTRACT Bacteria may enter into a viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state as a response to stresses, such as those found in food processing. Cells in the VBNC state lose the ability to grow in a conventional culture medium but man recover culturability. The viability, culturability and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) of Salmonella Enteritidis and Shigella flexneri were evaluated under stress conditions to induce a VBNC state.

      • Salmonella
      • Shigella
      • Bacterial pathogens
  19. Effect of seasonality on physico-chemical and microbiological properties of nicastrese milk and artisanal cheese

    • FEMS Microbiology Letters
    • ABSTRACT Nicastrese is an indigenous Italian goat breed reared in the Calabria region under semi-extensive practices. From January to June, the milk yield of 400 multiparous Nicastrese goats was evaluated. In addition, tank milk and ripened cheese samples were subjected to physico-chemical and microbiological analyses with the aim to assess the effect of the seasonality on quality parameters.

      • Bacterial pathogens
  20. Chemical composition, antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activity of the essential oil from the leaves of Stachys pilifera Benth

    • FEMS Microbiology Letters
    • ABSTRACT Stachys pilifera Benth is an endemic species of Stachys family found in Iran with a wide application as an herbal tea. The objective of this research was to evaluate the antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activity of the essential oil from the aerial parts of S. pilifera.

      • Salmonella
      • Shigella
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Bacillus cereus
  21. Mechanism of action of various terpenes and phenylpropanoids against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus

    • FEMS Microbiology Letters
    • ABSTRACT Foodborne, disease-causing microorganisms are increasingly resistant to commercial antibiotics. Thus, there is a need for the development of new agents capable of acting efficiently in the control of these pathogens. Terpenoids and phenylpropanoids stand out for having high biological activity and a broad spectrum of action.

      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Bacterial pathogens
  22. Screening of probiotic candidates in a simulated piglet small intestine in vitro model

    • FEMS Microbiology Letters
    • ABSTRACT The CoMiniGut in vitro model mimicking the small intestine of piglets was used to evaluate four probiotic strains for their potential as a preventive measure against development of diarrhea in weaned pigs. In the in vitro system, piglet digesta was inoculated with pathogenic enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli F4 (ETEC F4), and the short-chain fatty acid profile and the gut microbiota composition were assessed.

      • Bacterial pathogens
  23. Isolation, identification and some characteristics of two lytic bacteriophages against Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi B and S. enterica serovar Typhimurium from various food sources

    • FEMS Microbiology Letters
    • ABSTRACT Salmonellosis is an important worldwide food-borne disease. Increasing resistance to Salmonella spp. has been reported in recent years, and now the prevalence of multidrug-resistant Salmonella spp. is a worldwide problem. This necessitates alternative approaches like phage therapy. This study aimed to isolate bacteriophages specific for Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi B and S.

      • Salmonella
      • Bacterial pathogens
  24. Characterization of the binding motif for the T3SS master regulator LcrF in Yersinia pseudotuberculosis

    • FEMS Microbiology Letters
    • ABSTRACT LcrF is the master regulator that positively regulates the Ysc type III secretion system (T3SS) in Yersinia and shares a high similarity with the DNA-binding domain of the T3SS master regulator ExsA in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Based on these features, bioinformatics analysis has predicted a putative LcrF-binding site in its target promoters. Here, we experimentally characterized its binding motif.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Yersinia
  25. Growth and adhesion inhibition of pathogenic bacteria by live and heat-killed food-origin Lactobacillus strains or their supernatants

    • FEMS Microbiology Letters
    • The study aimed to evaluate qualitatively and quantitatively the antimicrobial capacity of 10 potential probiotic Lactobacillus strains against model enteropathogens and spoilage microorganisms. The probiotic strains (live and heat-killed forms) were also assessed for their ability to inhibit adhesion of selected pathogens to Caco-2 cells.

      • Listeria monocytogenes
      • Salmonella
      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Shigella
      • Staphylococcus aureus