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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 85

  1. Rapid Screening and Comparison of Chimeric Lysins for Antibacterial Activity against Staphylococcus aureus Strains

    • Antibiotics
    • Chimeric lysins composed of various combinations of cell wall-lysing (enzymatic) and cell-wall-binding (CWB) domains of endolysins, autolysins, and bacteriocins have been developed as alternatives to or adjuvants of conventional antibiotics. The screening of multiple chimeric lysin candidates for activity via E. coli expression is not cost effective, and we previously reported on a simple cell-free expression system as an alternative.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  2. Ultra-Small Silver Nanoparticles: A Sustainable Green Synthesis Approach for Antibacterial Activity

    • Antibiotics
    • The present study centers on the synthesis of ultra-small silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with antibacterial properties using citrus peel residues (orange, lemon, and grapefruit) as reducing and stabilizing agents, and on assessing their antibacterial activity against multidrug-resistant clinical Staphylococcus aureus. The synthesized AgNPs were analyzed by various techniques, including UV-Vis spectroscopy, SAED, TEM, XRD, FTIR, and Raman.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Chemical contaminants
      • Antibiotic residues
  3. Limosilactobacillus fermentum 3872 That Produces Class III Bacteriocin Forms Co-Aggregates with the Antibiotic-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strains and Induces Their Lethal Damage

    • Antibiotics
    • LF3872 was isolated from the milk of a healthy lactating and breastfeeding woman. Earlier, the genome of LF3872 was sequenced, and a gene encoding unique bacteriocin was discovered. We have shown here that the LF3872 strain produces a novel thermolabile class III bacteriolysin (BLF3872), exhibiting antimicrobial activity against antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Chemical contaminants
      • Antibiotic residues
  4. Geraniol-a potential alternative to antibiotics for bovine mastitis treatment without disturbing the host microbial community or causing drug residues and resistance

    • Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
    • Mastitis is one of the most prevalent diseases of dairy cows. Currently, mastitis treatment in dairy cows is mainly based on antibiotics. However, the use of antibiotics causes adverse effects, including drug resistance, drug residues, host-microbiome destruction, and environmental pollution. The present study sought to investigate the potentiality of geraniol as an alternative to antibiotics for bovine mastitis treatment in dairy cows.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Chemical contaminants
      • Antibiotic residues
  5. Prevalence and Antibiotic Resistance of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli Isolated from Bovine Raw Milk in Lebanon: A study on Antibiotic Usage, Antibiotic Residues, and Assessment of Human Health Risk Using the One Health Approach

    • Antibiotics
    • The emergence, persistence, and spread of antibiotic-resistant microbes is a tremendous public health threat that is considered nowadays a critical One Health issue. In Lebanon, the consumption of raw bovine milk has been recently reported as a result of the financial crisis.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Chemical contaminants
      • Antibiotic residues
  6. Antibacterial Activity of Squaric Amide Derivative SA2 against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus

    • Antibiotics
    • Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-caused infection is difficult to treat because of its resistance to commonly used antibiotic, and poses a significant threat to public health. To develop new anti-bacterial agents to combat MRSA-induced infections, we synthesized novel squaric amide derivatives and evaluated their anti-bacterial activity by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC).

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  7. Cytotoxicity and anti-biofilm activities of biogenic cadmium nanoparticles and cadmium nitrate: a preliminary study

    • World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
    • Wild-type microorganisms have become tolerant to higher antibiotic and antimicrobial agent concentrations due to the global increase in antibiotic consumption. Green-synthesized nanoparticles (NPs) have been proposed as potential antimicrobial agents to overcome the problem. This research prepared cadmium nanoparticles (Cd NPs) using Artemisia persica extract.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  8. Improvement in Metal Immobilization with Biomineralization During Carbonate Precipitation by Poly-Lysine

    • Water, Air, & Soil Pollution
    • Microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP), a type of urease-based biomineralization, has been a well-researched technique in recent years for heavy metal immobilization; however, the efficiency of the process remains in question. Poly(amino acids) are known to enhance enzymatic activity.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  9. Development of 4-[4-(Anilinomethyl)-3-phenyl-pyrazol-1-yl] Benzoic Acid Derivatives as Potent Anti-Staphylococci and Anti-Enterococci Agents

    • Antibiotics
    • From a library of compounds, 11 hit antibacterial agents have been identified as potent anti-Gram-positive bacterial agents. These pyrazole derivatives are active against two groups of pathogens, staphylococci and enterococci, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values as low as 0.78 μg/mL. These potent compounds showed bactericidal action, and some were effective at inhibiting and eradicating Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis biofilms.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  10. Self-cleaved expression of recombinant lysostaphin from its cellulose binding domain fusion

    • Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
    • Mature lysostaphin (mLst) is a glycineglycine endopeptidase, capable of specifically cleaving penta-glycine crosslinker in the peptidoglycan of Staphylococcus aureus cell wall. It is a very effective therapeutic enzyme to kill the multidrug-resistant S. aureus often encountered in hospital acquired infections. Fusing cellulose binding domain (CBD) to mLst significantly reduced the insoluble expression of mLst in E.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Chemical contaminants
      • Antibiotic residues
  11. The thematic role of extracellular loop of VraG in activation of the membrane sensor GraS in a cystic fibrosis MRSA strain differs in nuance from the CA-MRSA strain JE2

    • PLOS ONE
    • by Junho Cho, William F. C. Rigby, Ambrose L. Cheung Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) often suffer recurrent bronchial bacterial infections that lead to deterioration of lung function over time. The infections in CF patients are often due to S. aureus and P. aeruginosa that colonize the airways. Significantly, methicillin-resistant S.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Chemical contaminants
      • Antibiotic residues
  12. Two New Sulfate-Modified Dibenzopyrones With Anti-foodborne Bacteria Activity From Sponge-Derived Fungus Alternaria sp. SCSIOS02F49

    • Frontiers in Microbiology
    • At present, foodborne diseases (FBDs) caused by bacteria are gradually increasing every year, and the development of new antibiotics is an urgent necessity for human beings. To find novel antibacterial compounds, three sponge-derived fungal strains (SCSIOS02F40, F46, and F49) were investigated. As a result, Alternaria sp.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  13. Investigation of chetomin as a lead compound and its biosynthetic pathway

    • Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
    • Chaetomium fungi produce a diversity of bioactive compounds. Chaetomium cochliodes SD-280 possesses 91 secondary metabolite gene clusters and exhibits strong antibacterial activity. One of the active compounds responsible for that activity, chetomin, has a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) of 0.05 μg/mL (vancomycin: 0.625 μg/mL).

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  14. In vitro Sequestration of Molecular and Mass Spectra Characterized Metallophilic Cadmium Tolerant Bacteria for Sustainable Agriculture

    • Frontiers in Microbiology
    • Due to industrialization, the contamination of toxic metals in soils is currently one of the major concerns to scientists worldwide. The presence of high concentrations of heavy metals including cadmium in the environment is mainly attributed to human activities. Being a highly toxic metal, cadmium can enter plant cell transporters usually used for the uptake of essential cations, such as iron, calcium, and zinc.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  15. Discovery of Highly Active Derivatives of Daptomycin by Assessing the Effect of Amino Acid Substitutions at Positions 8 and 11 on a Daptomycin Analogue

    • ACS Infectious Diseases
    • Daptomycin is an important antibiotic used for treating serious infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Establishing structure–activity relationships of daptomycin is important for developing new daptomycin-based antibiotics with expanded clinical applications and for tackling the ever-increasing problem of antimicrobial resistance.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Chemical contaminants
      • Antibiotic residues
  16. Elucidating Therapeutic and Biological Potential of Berberis baluchistanica Ahrendt Bark, Leaf, and Root Extracts

    • Frontiers in Microbiology
    • Berberis baluchistanica Ahrendt is a medicinal plant known to have potential for the treatment of various diseases. In the present study, the ethanolic extracts of the bark, leaves, and roots of B. baluchistanica plant were evaluated for in vitro antimicrobial, anti-leishmanial, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory activities. The antibacterial and antifungal activities were determined by agar mix and agar well diffusion method.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Salmonella
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  17. Antimicrobial Activity of Snake β-Defensins and Derived Peptides

    • Toxins
    • β-defensins are antimicrobial peptides presenting in vertebrate animals. They participate in innate immunity, but little is known about them in reptiles, including snakes. Although several β-defensin genes were described in Brazilian snakes, their function is still unknown.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Chemical contaminants
      • Antibiotic residues
  18. Development of New Antimicrobial Oleanonic Acid Polyamine Conjugates

    • Antibiotics
    • A series of oleanolic acid derivatives holding oxo- or 3-N-polyamino-3-deoxy-substituents at C3 as well as carboxamide function at C17 with different long chain polyamines have been synthesized and evaluated for antimicrobial activities. Almost all series presented good to moderate activity against Gram-positive S. aureus, S. faecalis and B. cereus bacteria with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values from 3.125 to 200 µg/mL.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
  19. Antimicrobial Activity of Snake β-Defensins and Derived Peptides

    • Toxins
    • β-defensins are antimicrobial peptides presenting in vertebrate animals. They participate in innate immunity, but little is known about them in reptiles, including snakes. Although several β-defensin genes were described in Brazilian snakes, their function is still unknown.

      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Antibiotic residues
      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Chemical contaminants
  20. Identification of Antimicrobial Peptides Isolated From the Skin Mucus of African Catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822)

    • Frontiers in Microbiology
    • Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) constitute a broad range of bioactive compounds in diverse organisms, including fish. They are effector molecules for the innate immune response, against pathogens, tissue damage and infections. Still, AMPs from African Catfish, Clarias gariepinus, skin mucus are largely unexplored despite their possible therapeutic role in combating antimicrobial resistance.

      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Antibiotic residues
      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Chemical contaminants
  21. Inhibition of Bacterial Adhesion and Antibiofilm Activities of a Glycolipid Biosurfactant from Lactobacillus rhamnosus with Its Physicochemical and Functional Properties

    • Antibiotics
    • Biosurfactants derived from different microbes are an alternative to chemical surfactants, which have broad applications in food, oil, biodegradation, cosmetic, agriculture, pesticide and medicine/pharmaceutical industries. This is due to their environmentally friendly, biocompatible, biodegradable, effectiveness to work under various environmental conditions and non-toxic nature.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Chemical contaminants
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Pesticide residues
  22. Stapled Anoplin as an Antibacterial Agent

    • Frontiers in Microbiology
    • Anoplin is a linear 10-amino acid amphipathic peptide (Gly-Leu-Leu-Lys-Arg-Ile-Lys-Thr-Leu-Leu-NH2) derived from the venom sac of the solitary wasp. It has broad antimicrobial activity, including an antibacterial one. However, the inhibition of bacterial growth requires several dozen micromolar concentrations of this peptide. Anoplin is positively charged and directly interacts with anionic biological membranes forming an α-helix that disrupts the lipid bilayer.

      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Antibiotic residues
      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Chemical contaminants
  23. Broad-Spectrum Antibacterial Peptide Kills Extracellular and Intracellular Bacteria Without Affecting Epithelialization

    • Frontiers in Microbiology
    • New antibacterial drugs with novel modes of action are urgently needed as antibiotic resistance in bacteria is increasing and spreading throughout the world. In this study, we aimed to explore the possibility of using APIM-peptides targeting the bacterial β-clamp for treatment of skin infections. We selected a lead peptide, named betatide, from five APIM-peptide candidates based on their antibacterial and antimutagenic activities in both G+ and G– bacteria.

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Heavy Metals
      • Bacterial pathogens
  24. Development of a Dihydropteroate Synthase-Based Fluorescence Polarization Assay for Detection of Sulfonamides and Studying Its Recognition Mechanism

    • Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
    • In this study, the dihydropteroate synthase of Staphylococcus aureus was obtained, and its recognition mechanisms for 31 sulfonamide drugs were studied. Results showed that their core structure matched well with the binding pocket of para-aminobenzoic acid, and all the sulfonamide side chains were out of the binding pocket. Hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions were the main intermolecular forces, and the key amino acids were Gly171 and Lys203.

      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Antibiotic residues
      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Chemical contaminants
  25. Development of Amphiphilic Coumarin Derivatives as Membrane-Active Antimicrobial Agents with Potent In Vivo Efficacy against Gram-Positive Pathogenic Bacteria

    • ACS Infectious Diseases
    • Increases in drug-resistant pathogens are becoming a serious detriment to human health. To combat pathogen infections, a new series of amphiphilic coumarin derivatives were designed and synthesized as antimicrobial agents with membrane-targeting action. We herein report a lead compound, 25, that displayed potent antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria, including MRSA.

      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Heavy Metals
      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Chemical contaminants