Research Publications (Food Safety)

Metallothioneins (MTs) are cysteine-rich, metal-sequestering cytosolic proteins that play a key role in maintaining metal homeostasis and detoxification. We had previously characterized NmtA, a MT from the heterocystous, nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 and demonstrated its role in providing protection against cadmium toxicity.

Author(s): Zhiruo Miao, Zhiying Miao, Xu Shi, Hao Wu, Yujie Yao, Shiwen Xu

Author(s): Ruth Vanderschueren, Jasmien Doevenspeck, Florence Helsen, Sandra Mounicou, Jakob Santner, Jan A. Delcour, Eduardo Chavez, Erik Smolders

The effect of environmental pollutants on living organisms can be assessed by studying the changes in the indigenous microbial community. Therefore, in this study, cultivatable bacterial community in nonpolluted as well as household sewage and industrially polluted water of Lai Nullah flowing through Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan was analyzed.

The present study reports the effect of different seasons on polyphenol content and antioxidant potential of ethanolic, methanolic, ethyl acetate, and aqueous extracts of leaves, stems, and roots of Premna integrifolia. Ethyl acetate extract of leaves (EAEPI) collected in the rainy season showed potent antioxidant activity with highest total phenol (74.33 ± 2.26 µg/mg, gallic acid equivalent), and flavonoid (98.83 ± 0.26 µg/mg, rutin equivalent) content.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of drought stress on cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) accumulation in Chromolaena odorata grown in an artificially contaminated nutrient solution for 15 days. Polyethylene glycol (5% PEG) was used as a drought stressor. The presence of PEG did not affect the chlorophyll content and photochemical efficiency, while drought stress induced by PEG caused a decrease in water content in the plant tissues.

Background The emergence and spread of Plasmodium falciparum parasites that lack HRP2/3 proteins and the resulting decreased utility of HRP2-based malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) prompted the World Health Organization and other global health stakeholders to prioritize the discovery of novel diagnostic biomarkers for malaria.

Author(s): Ke Du, Xi Zheng, Junya Lv, Xin Zhong, Minjie Wei, Mingyan Liu

Author(s): Esther U. Kadiene, Baghdad Ouddane, Hong-Yi Gong, Jiang-Shiou Hwang, Sami Souissi

by Abdulaziz G. Alghamdi, Mohamed H. EL-Saeid, Abdulhakim J. Alzahrani, Hesham M. Ibrahim

Forest soils play an important role in the global ecosystem, providing many beneficial services. Protection of forests and their soils from anthropogenic impacts is therefore of utter importance to conservation efforts. Lead (Pb) is one of the most widespread anthropogenic pollutants and has been introduced into forests of the Czech Republic since medieval times, mostly from smelting, coal burning, and later also leaded gasoline.

Colistin is a last-resort antibiotic in fighting severe infections caused by multidrug resistant Gram negative pathogens in hospitals. Zoonotic bacteria acquire colistin resistance in animal reservoirs and mediate its spread along the food chain. This is the case of non-typhoid serovars of Salmonella enterica. Colistin-resistant S. enterica in foods represents a threat to human health. Here, we assessed the prevalence of colistin-resistance in food-borne isolates of S.

Acid rain (AR) and atmospheric particulate matter (APM) are important environmental issues that often occur simultaneously in agricultural regions, the combined pollution of AR and atmospheric fine particles (PM2.5) containing heavy metals has negatively affected the growth of seedlings and has become a hot research topic. In this paper, we established exposure scenarios to simulate the AR and the cadmium-containing PM2.5 (PM2.5-Cd) pollutions.

Abstract

Purpose

Diverse rare taxa are increasingly recognized as drivers of key functions in ecosystems. However, less attention has been given to their importance in the remediation of metal-contaminated soils by phytoextraction.

Cryptosporidium parvum is a highly prevalent protozoan parasite that causes a diarrheal disease in humans and animals worldwide. Thus far, the moderately effective nitazoxanide is the only drug approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for treating cryptosporidiosis in immunocompetent humans. However, no effective drug exists for the severe disease seen in young children, immunocompromised individuals and neonatal livestock. C.

Author(s): Shuangquan Wen, Li Wang, Tao Wang, Mingchang Xu, Wenhua Zhang, Ruilong Song, Hui Zou, Jianhong Gu, Jianchun Bian, Yan Yuan, Zongping Liu

Author(s): Muhammad Faheem Adil, Shafaque Sehar, Si Chen, Jonas Lwalaba Wa Lwalaba, Ghulam Jilani, Zhong-Hua Chen, Imran Haider Shamsi

by Anna Maisa, Abdulhakeem Mohammed Lawal, Tarikul Islam, Chijioke Nwankwo, Bukola Oluyide, Adolphe Fotso, Harriet Roggeveen, Saskia van der Kam, Cono Ariti, Karla Bil, Annick Lenglet

Introduction

Author(s): Yue Zhu, Wenmin Qiu, Xiaoyang He, Longhua Wu, De Bi, Zhiping Deng, Zhengquan He, Chao Wu, Renying Zhuo

Author(s): Yang Yang, Yanling Li, Tianqi Wang, Weiping Chen, Meie Wang, Yating Dai

In vitro experimental evolution of pathogens to antibiotics is commonly used for the identification of clinical biomarkers associated with antibiotic resistance. Microdroplet emulsions allow exquisite control of spatial structure, species complexity, and selection microenvironments for such studies. We investigated the use of monodisperse microdroplets in experimental evolution.

Author(s): Wanqiang Wang, Wenzheng Tang, Xiaoping Wang, Wen Liu, Fen Zhu

Fish gut microbiota, encompassing a colossal reserve of microbes represents a dynamic ecosystem, influenced by a myriad of environmental and host factors. The current study presents a comprehensive insight into Sardinella longiceps gut microbiome using whole metagenome shotgun sequencing. Taxonomic profiling identified the predominance of phylum Proteobacteria, comprising of Photobacterium, Vibrio and Shewanella sp.

Author(s): Caiying Zhang, Tianjin Lin, Gaohui Nie, Ruiming Hu, Shaoxing Pi, Zejing Wei, Chang Wang, Guyue Li, Guoliang Hu

We evaluated the variations of bacterial communities in six heavy metal contaminated soils sampled from Yanzi Bian (YZB) and Shanping Cun (SPC) tailings located in northwestern China. Statistical analysis showed that both the heavy metals and soil chemical properties could affect the structure and diversity of the bacterial communities in the tailing soils.