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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 126 - 150 of 2448

  1. Multi-locus genome-wide association studies reveal the genetic architecture of Fusarium head blight resistance in durum wheat

    • Frontiers in Plant Science
    • Durum wheat is more susceptible to Fusarium head blight (FHB) than other types or classes of wheat. The disease is one of the most devastating in wheat; it reduces yield and end-use quality and contaminates the grain with fungal mycotoxins such as deoxynivalenol (DON).

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  2. An immediate and antibody protected carboxyl quantum dot immunochromatographic analysis hierarchical signal amplification test strip based on biotin-streptavidin system for the detection of aflatoxin B1 in peanuts

    • Journal of Food Composition and Analysis
    • As a relatively mature detection method, the test strip can quickly and sensitively detect the target. We designed an immunochromatographic strip based on biotin-streptavidin system to protect antibody (Ab) activity and achieve signal amplification. The coupling condition of biotin (B) and antibody is relatively mild, which protects the activity of antibody.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  3. Regulated and Emerging Mycotoxins in Bulk Raw Milk: What Is the Human Risk?

    • Toxins
    • Mycotoxins are abiotic hazards whose contamination occurs at the pre- and post-harvest stages of the maize value chain, with animal exposure through contaminated feed leading to their excretion into milk. Currently, only aflatoxin M1 is regulated in milk products.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  4. Detection of aflatoxin contamination in single kernel almonds using multispectral imaging system

    • Journal of Food Composition and Analysis
    • The developed multispectral imaging system was tested in the current study for its detection accuracy of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in single kernel almonds.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  5. Aflatoxin M1 decreases the expression of genes encoding tight junction proteins and influences the intestinal epithelial integrity

    • Mycotoxin Research
    • Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is a mycotoxin that is commonly found as a milk contaminant, and its presence in milk has been linked to cytotoxicity. The present study aimed to evaluate the acute cytotoxic effects of AFM1 on intestinal Caco-2 cells.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  6. Effects of Climate Change on Areas Suitable for Maize Cultivation and Aflatoxin Contamination in Europe

    • Toxins
    • The climate is changing in Europe: average temperatures are increasing, and so is the frequency of extreme weather events. Climate change has a severe impact on areas suitable for growing certain crops and on food safety, for example, affecting the occurrence of the aflatoxin contamination of maize.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  7. Curcumin alleviates AFB1-induced nephrotoxicity in ducks: regulating mitochondrial oxidative stress, ferritinophagy, and ferroptosis

    • Mycotoxin Research
    • Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), an extremely toxic mycotoxin that extensively contaminates feed and food worldwide, poses a major hazard to poultry and human health. Curcumin, a polyphenol derived from turmeric, has attracted great attention due to its wonderful antioxidant properties. Nevertheless, effects of curcumin on the kidneys of ducks exposed to AFB1 remain unclear.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  8. Transcriptome Analysis of Deoxynivalenol (DON)-Induced Hepatic and Intestinal Toxicity in Zebrafish: Insights into Gene Expression and Potential Detoxification Pathways

    • Toxins
    • The effects of deoxynivalenol (DON, 50 µg/mL) on the zebrafish liver and intestine were studied. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) from mRNA and lncRNA were analyzed by RNA seq. Gene Ontology (GO) and signaling pathways were studied where the top 30 DEGs of each type of RNA were involved.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  9. The biodiversity of Aspergillus flavus in stored rice grain leads to a decrease in the overall aflatoxin B1 production in these species

    • International Journal of Food Microbiology
    • Aspergillus flavus is a significant fungus that poses a threat to food safety by producing mycotoxins in various crops. In this study, A.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  10. Determination of mycotoxins in nuts, cereals, legumes, and coffee beans and effectiveness of a selenium‐based decontamination treatment

    • Journal of Food Safety
    • A large proportion (69%) of the imported foods tested in this study were contaminated with one or several mycotoxins, including zearalenone, deoxynivalenol, and aflatoxins. Their high levels in rice, walnuts, pistachios, peanuts, and coffee beans underscore the need for robust surveillance and quality assurance systems across the food supply chains, from production to retail, to effectively protect the public from mycotoxin exposure.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  11. Occurrence of Mycotoxins in Dried Fruits Worldwide, with a Focus on Aflatoxins and Ochratoxin A: A Review

    • Toxins
    • Dried fruits are popular and nutritious snacks consumed worldwide due to their long shelf life and concentrated nutrient content. However, fruits can be contaminated with various toxigenic fungal species during different stages, including cultivation, harvesting, processing, drying, and storage. Consequently, these products may contain high levels of mycotoxins. This risk is particularly pronounced in developed countries due to the impact of climate change.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  12. Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium verticillioides and Their Main Mycotoxins: Global Distribution and Scenarios of Interactions in Maize

    • Toxins
    • Maize is frequently contaminated with multiple mycotoxins, especially those produced by Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium verticillioides. As mycotoxin contamination is a critical factor that destabilizes global food safety, the current review provides an updated overview of the (co-)occurrence of A. flavus and F. verticillioides and (co-)contamination of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and fumonisin B1 (FB1) in maize. Furthermore, it summarizes their interactions in maize.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  13. The Role of Mycotoxins in Interactions between Fusarium graminearum and F. verticillioides Growing in Saprophytic Cultures and Co-Infecting Maize Plants

    • Toxins
    • Fusarium graminearum (FG) and Fusarium verticillioides (FV) co-occur in infected plants and plant residues. In maize ears, the growth of FV is stimulated while FG is suppressed. To elucidate the role of mycotoxins in these effects, we used FG mutants with disrupted synthesis of nivalenol (NIV) and deoxynivalenol (DON) and a FV mutant with disrupted synthesis of fumonisins to monitor fungal growth in mixed cultures in vitro and in co-infected plants by real-time PCR.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  14. Effect of post-harvest management practices on the mycobiome and ochratoxin A contamination of differently processed Robusta coffees from Ivory Coast

    • Postharvest Biology and Technology
    • Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a secondary metabolite produced primarily by the genus Aspergillus sp. sections Circumdati and Nigri.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  15. Ochratoxin A biodegradation by Agaricus campestris and statistical optimization of cultural variables

    • Food Science and Biotechnology
    • The goal of this study is to identify the optimum conditions for ochratoxin A (OTA) biodegradation by the supernatant of Agaricus campestris strain. The Plackett–Burman and Box–Behnken methods were used to determine optimum OTA degradation conditions of Agaricus campestris under various incubation conditions. The Plackett–Burman method was planned through 16 varied experiments with 15 variants.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  16. Comparison of single- or multi-active ingredient fungicides for controlling Fusarium head blight and deoxynivalenol in Brazilian wheat

    • Crop Protection
    • In this study, we gathered data on Fusarium head blight (FHB) severity, deoxynivalenol (DON), and wheat yields from 19 cooperative fungicide trials conducted in Southern Brazil over five growing seasons (2017–2021).

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  17. Incidence of Aflatoxins and Ochratoxin A in Wheat and Corn from Albania

    • Toxins
    • In this study, aflatoxins (AFs) and ochratoxin A (OTA) were analyzed in grains, specifically wheat and corn, from Albania. To summarize, 71 wheat and 45 corn samples from different growing areas were collected. The multi-toxin analytical procedure involved sample extraction and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). The incidence of AF was 18% in the analyzed wheat and 71% in the corn samples.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  18. Vibrio gazogenes-dependent disruption of aflatoxin biosynthesis in Aspergillus flavus: the connection with endosomal uptake and hyphal morphogenesis

    • Frontiers in Microbiology
    • Aflatoxins, a family of fungal secondary metabolites, are toxic and carcinogenic compounds that pose an enormous threat to global food safety and agricultural sustainability. Specifically agricultural products in African, Southeast Asian and hot and humid regions of American countries suffer most damage from aflatoxin producing molds due to the ideal climate conditions promoting their growth.

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Staphylococcus aureus
      • Vibrio
      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  19. Ochratoxin A induces abnormal tryptophan metabolism in the intestine and liver to activate AMPK signaling pathway

    • Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology
    • Background Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin widely present in raw food and feed materials and is mainly produced by Aspergillus ochraceus and Penicillium verrucosum. Our previous study showed that OTA principally induces liver inflammation by causing intestinal flora disorder, especially Bacteroides plebeius (B. plebeius) overgrowth. However, whether OTA or B.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  20. Presence, Co-Occurrence, and Daily Intake Estimates of Aflatoxins and Fumonisins in Maize Consumed in Food-Insecure Regions of Western Honduras

    • Toxins
    • Foodborne mycotoxins are a significant food safety risk in developing countries. Our objective was to determine the occurrence of and exposure levels to aflatoxins (AFs) and fumonisins (FBs) in maize intended for human and animal consumption in food-insecure regions of western Honduras. Total AFs and FBs were quantified with a monoclonal antibody-based affinity spectrofluorimetric method.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  21. Multi-Mycotoxin Analysis in Italian Grains Using Ultra-High-Performance Chromatography Coupled to Quadrupole Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry

    • Toxins
    • Mycotoxins are a major source of contamination in cereals, posing risks to human health and causing significant economic losses to the industry. A comprehensive strategy for the analysis of 21 mycotoxins in Italian cereal grain samples (n = 200) was developed using a simple and quick sample preparation method combined with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC Q-Orbitrap HRMS).

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  22. Multiplex metabolic pathway engineering of Monascus pilosus enhances lovastatin production

    • Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
    • Monascus sp. is an important food microbial resource with the production of cholesterol-lowering agent lovastatin and other healthy metabolites. However, the mycotoxin citrinin naturally produced by Monascus sp. and the insufficient productivity of lovastatin limit its large-scale use in food industry.

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Heavy Metals
      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins
  23. Co-occurrence of mycotoxins and other fungal metabolites in total mixed rations of cows from dairy farms in Punjab, Pakistan

    • Mycotoxin Research
    • After India and the USA, Pakistan is the third country leading in global dairy production, a sector of very high socioeconomic relevance in Asia. Mycotoxins can affect animal health, reproduction and productivity. This study analysed a broad range of co-occurring mycotoxins and fungal secondary metabolites derived from Alternaria, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Penicillium and other fungal species.

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  24. Research Note: Effects of feeding corn naturally contaminated with aflatoxin B1, deoxynivalenol, and zearalenone on reproductive performance of broiler breeders and growth performance of their progeny chicks

    • Poultry Science
    • To evaluate the toxic effects of mycotoxin-contaminated corn (MC) on the breeders and their progeny chicks, a total of 480 fifty-wk-old Cobb broiler breeder hens were fed the following dies: 1) a corn-soybean meal diet (Control; containing 70.35% corn), 2) MC substituting for 5

      • Natural toxins
      • Aflatoxins
      • Mycotoxins
  25. Natural occurrence of ustiloxins in rice from five provinces in China and the removal efficiencies of different milling steps

    • Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
    • Abstract BACKGROUND The widespread incidence of “false smut” disease in rice has caused extensive ustiloxin contamination around the world. Until now there has been a lack of knowledge regarding the natural occurrence of ustiloxins in paddy. The development of efficient removal methods is also still a challenge that remains unexplored.

      • Natural toxins
      • Mycotoxins