Research Publications (Food Safety)

Evaluation of the arsenic content in food has always been an important issue due to its high toxicity. This is especially relevant for Vietnam, a country with high arsenic contamination. The present study focuses on the development of a model function to predict As uptake in the vegetable Brassica perviridis as a function of the conditions of plant growth and soil parameters.

Abstract Romaine lettuce outer leaves, as opposed to the more commonly marketed heart, are typically discarded and present an opportunity for upcycling as dried powders. Duquesne Romaine lettuce was evaluated to quantify and compare quality attributes of fresh outer and heart leaves, dried powders following hot air drying, and dried powders following an infrared (IR) blanching pretreatment before drying.

This study assessed the concentrations of trace metals in tissues of Mytilus californianus from the west coast of Baja California, Mexico, during the cold and warm seasons. The concentrations of silver, cadmium, copper and zinc in mussel tissues were measured using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. Silver concentrations ranged from 0.03 to 0.48 µg/g dry weight (d.w.) with significantly higher values registered at sites close to densely populated areas.

Aims Cadmium (Cd) is absorbed by plants into the food chain as a trace pollutant harmful to humans. The rice (Oryza sativa. L) glycosyltransferases (OsGTs) family is a large protein family with over hundreds of members, however, prior studies have failed to identify which OsGTs has a role in plants' response to Cd toxicity.

Abstract Quillaia extract (E 999) was re‐evaluated in 2019 by the EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Flavourings (FAF). EFSA derived an acceptable daily intake (ADI) of 3 mg saponins/kg bw per day for E 999. Following a European Commission call for data to submit data to fill the data gaps, the present follow‐up opinion assesses data provided by interested business operators (IBOs) to support an amendment of the EU specifications for E 999.

In eukaryotic cells, purine metabolism is the way to the production of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) and plays key roles in various biological processes. Purine metabolism mainly consists of de novo, salvage, and catabolic pathways, and some components of these pathways have been characterized in some plant pathogenic fungi, such as the rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae and wheat head blight fungus Fusarium graminearum.

by Zahra Alinezhad, Mohammad Hashemi, Seyedeh Belin Tavakoly Sany

Objective

Although milk and dairy products are almost complete food, they can contain toxic heavy elements with potential hazards for consumers. This review aims to provide a comprehensive report on the occurrence, concentration, and health risks of selected heavy metals in pasteurized and sterilized milk recorded worldwide.

Methods

Extensive application of lead (Pb) brought about environmental pollution and toxic reactions of organisms. Selenium (Se) has the effect of antagonizing Pb poisoning in humans and animals. However, it is still unclear how Pb causes brainstem toxicity. In the present study, we wanted to investigate whether Se can alleviate Pb toxicity in chicken brainstems by reducing apoptosis.

This study used 300 1-day-old, sexless, developing chicks of Japanese quail to estimate the ability of vitamin C and/or garlic to antagonize the venomous influence of cadmium (Cd) on the hematological, immunological, and performance characteristics of developing Japanese quail. The quail was separated into 5 similar groups of 60 chicks apiece, and 6 duplicates (10 each) were given to each sub-group. The control group received a basal diet without any supplements.

Tin and lead are a global concern considering their species-dependent toxicity, bioavailability and transformation. Simultaneous speciation analysis of tin and lead is challenging for a large food capacity containing unstable species. Herein, we developed two sensitive methods for rapid quantification of tin and lead species in Antarctic seafood by high-performance liquid chromatography and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry based on strong cation-exchange and Amphion columns.

Abstract Nanotechnology is a rapidly developing discipline that has the potential to transform the way we approach problems in a variety of fields, including agriculture. The utilization of nanotechnology in sustainable agriculture has gained popularity in recent years.

Hepatotoxicity is frequently observed following acute cadmium (Cd) exposure in chicken. Oxidative stress and subsequent inflammation are regarded as the main reasons for cadmium-induced liver injury. NOD-like receptor (NLR) family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome-induced pyroptosis is involved in various inflammatory diseases, including liver injury.

The environmental toxicant cadmium (Cd) impairs the growth of rodents and humans in utero which in turn heightens susceptibility to diseases later in life. We previously demonstrated that the maternal-facing efflux transporter, breast cancer resistance protein (human BCRP/ABCG2, mouse Bcrp/Abcg2) confers resistance against Cd toxicity in human trophoblasts.

A rapid, sensitive, accurate and precise micro solid phase extraction method for the determination of Pb (II) in Fish sample by ionic imprinted polymer was developed on the surface of mesoporous silica and based on graphene oxide nanobeads. Extraction parameters were optimized using Box-Behnken design to achieve the twin objectives of quantitative determination and removal of Pb (II).

Despite the nutritional importance of seafood, these marine organisms can bioaccumulate environmentally persistent and potentially toxic chemicals, such as arsenic (As) and its species. In this work, the influence of culinary treatments commonly performed before seafood consumption on the bioavailability of As and As species was evaluated.

Abstract During the early months of life, infant formula plays a crucial role as a primary source of both food and essential nutrients for infants, serving as a replacement for or supplement to breast milk. However, nonessential metals in infant formulas are a concern because infants are highly vulnerable to chemical exposure. The aim of this study was to investigate infant exposure to nonessential metals in infant formula products in Taiwan and assess the associated health risks.

Abstract Arsenic occurs across the world in freshwater and marine environments, menacing the survival of aquatic organisms. Organic and inorganic forms of this substance can be found, in which the inorganic form is more hazardous than the organic form. Most aquatic bodies contain inorganic arsenic species, but organic species are believed to be the dominant form of arsenic in the majority of fish. Natural and anthropogenic both are the sources of water contamination with arsenic.

Heavy metal pollution is a global issue. Current study provides evidence on Pb toxicity ameliorative potential and safe nature of Levilactobacillus brevis MZ384011 (S1) and Levilactobacillus brevis MW362779 (S2), isolated from carnivore gut and human milk, respectively. In a 60-days experiment, the rats were distributed into six groups.

Heavy metals are naturally omnipresent in aquatic systems. Excess amounts of heavy metals can accumulate in organisms of pollution impacted systems and transfer across a food web. Analysing the food web structure and metal contents of the organisms can help unravel the pathways of biomagnification or biodilution and gain insight in trophic linkages.

WRKY transcription factors (TF) are identified as important regulating plant proteins involved in stress response signaling pathways. Overexpression of these transcription factors in plants improved plant biotic and abiotic stress responses. In this context, we have envisaged transferring a cDNA encoding the grapevine VvWRKY2TF in potato plants. Four transgenic lines were selected (BFW2A, BFW2C, BFW2D, and BFW2F).

Abstract The European Commission asked EFSA to update its 2009 risk assessment on arsenic in food carrying out a hazard assessment of inorganic arsenic (iAs) and using the revised exposure assessment issued by EFSA in 2021. Epidemiological studies show that the chronic intake of iAs via diet and/or drinking water is associated with increased risk of several adverse outcomes including cancers of the skin, bladder and lung.

Incorporating the centromere-specific histone H3 protein CENH3 into the centromeric nucleosomes is indispensable for accurate centromere function and balanced chromosome segregation in most eukaryotes, including higher plants. In the cell nuclei of interspecific hybrids, divergent centromeric DNAs cohabit and lead the corresponding parental chromosomes through the mitotic and meiotic cell divisions.

Natural aquatic environments have a heterogeneous composition; therefore, simultaneous exposure to multiple contaminants is relevant and more realistic when assessing exposure and toxicity.

Summary Wolfberry is a plant with medicinal and food values. However, its bioactive ingredients and the corresponding genetic bases have not been determined. Here, we de novo generated a chromosome‐level genome assembly for wolfberry, yielding a genome sequence of ~1.77 Gb with contig N50 of 50.55 Mb and 39 224 predicted gene models. A variation map, using 307 re‐sequenced accessions, was called based on this genome assembly.

Our research results have revealed the molecular mechanisms and processes of how the dominant bacterial community in paddy soils, represented by Sphingomonas sp. strain PAH02, responds to the co‐pollution of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons through self‐adaptive cell surface hydrophobicity. We identified key responsive genes and proteins and emphasized that strain PAH02 is a shared core of the microbial community and participates in biogeochemical cycles in paddy soils.