Research Publications (Food Safety)

This study describes the simultaneous Bacillus cereus growth and cereulide formation, in culture medium and cereal-, dairy-, meat-, and vegetable-based food matrices. First, bacterial growth experiments were carried out under a wide range of temperatures (from 9 to 45°C), using the emetic reference strain F4810/72, in the above-mentioned matrices. Then, the generated data were put in a modeling framework where the response variable was a vector of two components: the concentration of B.

Bacteriophages, viruses that infect and replicate within prokaryotic cells are the most abundant life forms in the environment, yet the vast majority of them have not been properly reported or even discovered. Almost all reported bacteriophages infecting the Enterobacteriaceae family, with Escherichia coli being the major subject of studies, have been isolated from wastewater, sewage, and effluent resources.

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is an intestinal pathogen capable of infecting a wide range of animals. It initiates infection by invading intestinal epithelial cells using a type III secretion system encoded within Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1). The SPI-1 genes are regulated by multiple interacting transcription factors. The master regulator is HilD. HilE represses SPI-1 gene expression by binding HilD and preventing it from activating its target promoters.

Fusarium graminearum is the etiological agent of Fusarium head blight (FHB), a disease that produces a significant decrease in wheat crop yield and it is further aggravated by the presence of mycotoxins in the affected grains that may cause health problems to humans and animals. Plant defensins and defensin-like proteins are antimicrobial peptides (AMPs); they are small basic, cysteine-rich peptides (CRPs) ubiquitously expressed in the plant kingdom and mostly involved in host defence.

Under conditions of glucose excess, aerobically growing bacteria predominantly direct carbon flux towards acetate fermentation, a phenomenon known as overflow metabolism or the bacterial ‘Crabtree effect’. Numerous studies of the major acetate-generating pathway, the Pta-AckA, revealed its important role in bacterial fitness through the control of central metabolism to sustain balanced growth and cellular homeostasis.

Atypical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (aEPEC) are associated with diarrhea worldwide, yet genome-wide investigations to probe their virulome are lacking. In this issue of Infection and Immunity, V. E. Watson, T. H. Hazen, D. A. Rasko, M. E. Jacob, et al. (IAI 89:e00619-20, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1128/IAI.00619-20) sequenced aEPEC isolates from diarrheic and asymptomatic kittens.

Typical enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (tEPEC) is a leading cause of diarrhea and associated death in children worldwide. Atypical EPEC (aEPEC) lacks the plasmid encoding bundle-forming pili and is considered less virulent, but the molecular mechanism of virulence is poorly understood. We recently identified kittens as a host for aEPEC where intestinal epithelial colonization was associated with diarrheal disease and death.

The Enteritidis and Dublin serovars of Salmonella enterica are phylogenetically closely related yet differ significantly in host range and virulence. S. Enteritidis is a broad-host-range serovar that commonly causes self-limited gastroenteritis in humans, whereas S. Dublin is a cattle-adapted serovar that can infect humans, often resulting in invasive extraintestinal disease. The mechanism underlying the higher invasiveness of S. Dublin remains undetermined.

Pneumonic plague, caused by Yersinia pestis, is a rapidly progressing bronchopneumonia involving focal bacterial growth, neutrophilic congestion, and alveolar necrosis. Within a short time after inhalation of Y. pestis, inflammatory cytokines are expressed via the Toll/interleukin-1 (IL-1) adaptor myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (MyD88), which facilitates the primary lung infection. We previously showed that Y.

The PhoP-PhoQ two-component regulation system of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is involved in the response to various environmental stresses and is essential for bacterial virulence. Our previous studies showed that acetylation plays an important role in regulating the activity of PhoP, which consequently mediates the change in virulence of S. Typhimurium.

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a common cause of diarrheal illness in the military, travelers, and children living in low- to middle-income countries. Increased antibiotic resistance, the absence of a licensed vaccine, and the lack of broadly practical therapeutics perpetuate the significant health and financial burden resulting from ETEC infection.

by Brett D. Edwards, Jenny Edwards, Ryan Cooper, Dennis Kunimoto, Ranjani Somayaji, Dina Fisher

Author(s): Hongxia Tan, Hongyuan Zhou, Ting Guo, Yuhao Zhang, Liang Ma

Author(s): Hongyan Xu, Minggang Zheng, Ling Wang, Wucai Zhao, Yi Hua, Lidan Fang, Aifeng Liu, Zongshan Zhao

Author(s): Cristiane P. Larosa, Celso F. Balthazar, Jonas T. Guimarães, Larissa P. Margalho, Felipe S. Lemos, Felipe L. Oliveira, Yuri K.D. Abud, Celso Sant'Anna, Maria Carmela K.H. Duarte, Daniel Granato, Renata S.L. Raices, Monica Q. Freitas, Anderson S. Sant'Ana, Erick Almeida Esmerino, Tatiana C. Pimentel, Marcia Cristina Silva, Adriano G. Cruz

Author(s): Huihui Wu, Congbin Xu, Jinhang Wang, Ying Xiang, Meng Ren, Hantong Qie, Yinjie Zhang, Ruihua Yao, Lu Li, Aijun Lin

Author(s): Yuting Wang, Chunhong Xiong, Wenxiang Luo, Jianke Li, Yonggang Tu, Yan Zhao

Author(s): Conrad O. Perera, Mona Ahmed J. Alzahrani

Outbreaks of Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) infections have historically been associated with contaminated deli meats, but recent outbreaks have been linked to produce. To date, avocados have not been identified as the source of any outbreaks of L. monocytogenes infections in the United States, but avocado samples have yielded strains that were closely related genetically to clinical L. monocytogenes isolates.

Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper commonly known as blackgram is an important legume crop with good quality dietary proteins and vitamins. Low production of blackgram in the chromium rich soil of Odisha is a serious concern against its demand. Chromium (VI) was tested on V. mungo var. B3-8-8 at 100, 150, 200, 250 and 300 µM concentration on growth, anti-oxidative enzymes and chromium content at 15, 30 and 45 d of treatments.

Toxic effects among fumonisins B (FB), deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN) administered alone and combined were investigated in 84-day-old ducks during force-feeding. 75 male ducks, divided into five groups of 15 animals, received daily during the meal a capsule containing the desired among of toxin.

In dystonic and spastic movement disorders, however different in their pathophysiological mechanisms, a similar impairment of sensorimotor control with special emphasis on afferentation is assumed. Peripheral intervention on afferent inputs evokes plastic changes within the central sensorimotor system. Intramuscular application of botulinum toxin type A (BoNT-A) is a standard evidence-based treatment for both conditions.

Journal of Food Safety, EarlyView. Listeria monocytogenes are pathogenic microorganisms and of particular concern in the poultry industry. They are frequently isolated from raw chicken products due to their ability to attach to a wide variety of food and food‐contact surfaces. The application of synthetic antimicrobial agents is often limited by potential emergence of antimicrobial resistance and regulations associated to organic poultry products.

Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, Accepted Article. In this study, the influence of cold plasma treatment on quality parameters of tender coconut water (TCW) and its beverage and the kinetics of degradation were investigated. In TCW, the kinetics of ascorbic acid, antioxidant activity, and transmittance followed the zero‐order model while TA, total fatty acid content, and microbial load followed first‐order reaction. TCW stored well for 2 days at 6°C.

Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, EarlyView. Increasing awareness of inefficient meat production and its future impact on global food security has led the food industry to look for a sustainable approach. Meat products have superior sensorial perception, because of their molecular composition and fibrous structure.