Research Publications (Food Safety)

This research aimed to investigate the levels of heavy metals (lead, cadmium, inorganic arsenic, and aluminium) and nitrate contaminants in pickle beverages sold in the Turkey market produced from various fruits and vegetables. In addition, carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risk assessments of exposure resulting from oral consumption of these beverages have also been made.

Background and aims Cereals can be made safer and more nutritious by reducing cadmium (Cd) and enhancing zinc (Zn) levels.

High Cd pollution can damage plant physiology and seriously threaten ecological security and human health. Therefore, we designed a cropping system, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) - soybean - Solanum nigrum L., to solve the high Cd pollution problem in an environmentally and economically friendly way.

A pot trial was conducted during the boro (dry) season to evaluate the impact of six traditional organic amendments (OAs) on the growth of SL-8 rice variety in both agricultural and cadmium (Cd) stressed soil at 2% and 4% application rates. Traditional OAs used in the study were cow dung, mustard oil cake (MOC), rice husk, saw dust, tea leaf and vermi compost (VC). Except for cow dung all other OAs were found to remove 99% of Cd from the aqueous solution, while cow dung removed 95%.

Cadmium (Cd) is a hazardous metal that can accumulate in aquatic organisms and endanger human health via the food chain. In this study, genetic engineering was used to display a peptide with Cd-binding potential on the surface of Escherichia coli cells. This whole-cell adsorbent exhibited high affinity for Cd ions (Cd2+) in the solution.

Heavy metals are defined by their high atomic mass. When essential to organisms, metal presence improves plant development; if nonessential, metal presence is toxic. This study aimed to evaluate the biological effects of heavy metals (copper, lead, nickel, aluminum, and cadmium) on Lactuca sativa germination, growth, cytogenotoxicity, and physiology. Seeds of L.

Introduction Arsenic (As) contamination in soil, sediments, and water poses a significant threat to the growth of bamboo plants.

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.

There are substantial public health consequences when hazardous heavy metal contaminants and antimicrobial drug residues are present in broiler edible tissues. This study aimed to assess the concentration of antimicrobial drugs and heavy metals residues in broiler meat, bones and edible composites (combinations of liver, kidney and gizzard). Samples were collected from different types of broiler farms, broiler wet meat markets and supermarkets, covering all five divisions of Bangladesh.

Cadmium (Cd) pollution seriously reduces the yield and quality of vegetables. Reducing Cd accumulation in vegetables is of great significance for improving food safety and sustainable agricultural development. Here, using tomato as the material, we analyzed the effect of foliar spraying with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) on Cd accumulation and tolerance in tomato seedlings.

Lead and cadmium were determined in non-mineralized raw milk samples employing dispersive solid-phase extraction with magnetic restricted access carbon nanotubes (M-RACNTs), followed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry analysis. M-RACNTs were obtained by modifying carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with magnetite nanoparticles and then covering with a chemically crosslinked bovine serum albumin (BSA) external layer.

Biochar has been widely applied to remediate heavy metal-contaminated soils, but the environmental risk of the endogenous pollutants in biochar remains unclear. Two biochars with different endogenous cadmium (Cd) concentrations were prepared from background soil (BCB) and contaminated soil (BCC), respectively. We studied the effects of simulated acid rain (SAR) on the activation mechanism of endogenous Cd in biochar and Cd uptake of Cd by lettuce from the biochar-amended soils.

Cadmium is one of the most toxic heavy metal elements that seriously threaten food safety and agricultural production worldwide. Because of its high solubility, cadmium can easily enter plants, inhibiting plant growth and reducing crop yield. Therefore, finding a way to alleviate the inhibitory effects of cadmium on plant growth is critical. Silicon, the second most abundant element in the Earth’s crust, has been widely reported to promote plant growth and alleviate cadmium toxicity.

Microbial bioremediation of heavy metal-polluted soil is a promising technique for reducing heavy metal accumulation in crops. In a previous study, we isolated Bacillus vietnamensis strain 151–6 with a high cadmium (Cd) accumulation ability and low Cd resistance. However, the key gene responsible for the Cd absorption and bioremediation potential of this strain remains unclear. In this study, genes related to Cd absorption in B.

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is one of the most common obstetric diseases, and affects approximately 10 % of all pregnancies worldwide. Maternal cadmium (Cd) exposure is one of the factors that may increase the risk of the development of FGR. However, its underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown.

Lead (Pb) contamination of planting soils is increasingly serious, leading to harmful effects on soil microflora and food safety. Exopolysaccharides (EPSs) are carbohydrate polymers produced and secreted by microorganisms, which are efficient biosorbent materials and has been widely used in wastewater treatment to remove heavy metals. However, the effects and underlying mechanism of EPS-producing marine bacteria on soil metal immobilization, plant growth and health remain unclear.

Rice is an important grain as a major source of carbohydrates in Asia but contains more arsenic (As) than other grains. A total of 239 rice-based processed foods (rice, n = 30; rice cake, n = 30; porridge, n = 39; noodles, n = 33; bread, n = 20; snack, n = 59; powder, n = 28) were purchased in 2019 from domestic markets to measure total As (tAs) and As species.

Cadmium (Cd) contamination of soils is an environmental concern, as cadmium harms food crops and can therefore impact human health. The use of combinations of biochar (seeded with Rhizobium leguminosarum) and Vigna radiata (as an intercrop) has the potential to reduce the mobilization of Cd from soil via mustard plants (Brassica juncea). Mustard plants are grown as a food and oil production crop that is consumed worldwide.

by Muhammad Waqas Mazhar, Muhammad Ishtiaq, Mehwish Maqbool, Muhammad Ajaib, Iqbal Hussain, Tanveer Hussain, Abida Parveen, Sumaira Thind, Tauqeer Sardar, Raheel Akram, Muhammad Azeem, Alia Gul Mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) grown under heavy metals such as cadmium stress shows poor growth patterns and yield attributes which can be extenuated by the application of calcium and organic manure to the contaminated soil.

Soil heavy metal pollution is one of the most challenging problems. Kenaf is an important natural fiber crop with strong heterosis and a higher tolerance to heavy metals. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of kenaf heavy metal tolerance, especially the mechanism of genomic DNA methylation regulating heterosis.

The soil contamination caused by the discharge of cadmium (Cd) from coal mining activities has aroused continuous attention due to the detrimental effects on the human health. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics on distribution of Cd in soils and its accumulation in wheat grains under wheat-cultivation system, and further assess the human health risks to adults and children.

Skeletal system toxicity due to lead exposure has attracted extensive attention in recent years, but few studies focus on the skeletal toxicity of lead in the early life stages of zebrafish. The endocrine system, especially the GH/IGF-1 axis, plays an important role in bone development and bone health of zebrafish in the early life. In the present study, we investigated whether lead acetate (PbAc) affected the GH/IGF-1 axis, thereby causing skeletal toxicity in zebrafish embryos.

Purpose To determine if the increase in Cd uptake by durum wheat in the presence of Cd-citrate is due to dissociation or to the transpiration-driven apoplastic uptake of the complex. Methods A mechanistic model of Cd uptake in hydroponics was developed, formalising the transport of Cd, citrate and their complex, including the dissociation of the latter and its uptake

To date, Cd remains a major contaminant in rice production. An in-depth exploration of the mechanism that causes genotypic differences in Cd enrichment in rice is necessary to develop strategies to regulate Cd enrichment in rice. Here, two rice cultivars (low grain Cd, ZZ143; and high grain Cd, YX409) displayed different transcriptomic profile patterns when subjected to 100μmol/L Cd stress.

Cadmium, one of the toxic heavy metals, robustly impact crop growth and development and food safety. In this study, the mechanisms of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) selenium-binding protein-A (TaSBP-A) involved in response to Cd stress was fully investigated by overexpression in Arabidopsis and wheat. As a cytoplasm protein, TaSBP-A showed a high expression in plant roots and its expression levels were highly induced by Cd treatment.