Research Publications (Food Safety)

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a widespread mycotoxin and induces liver inflammation to human and various species of animals. The intestinal microbiota has critical importance in liver inflammation; however, it remains...

Author(s): Dimitrios Drakopoulos, Andreas Kägi, Alejandro Gimeno, Johan Six, Eveline Jenny, Hans-Rudolf Forrer, Tomke Musa, Giuseppe Meca, Susanne Vogelgsang

Aspergillus ochraceus is reported to be the major contributor of ochratoxin A (OTA), classified as one of the possible human carcinogen (group 2B) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The heterotrimeric velvet complex proteins, LaeA/VeA/VelB, have been most studied in fungi to clarify the relation between light-dependent morphology and secondary metabolism. To explore possible genetic targets to control OTA contamination, we have identified laeA, veA, and velB in A. ochraceus.

Author(s): Salma Ouhibi, Arnau Vidal, Carla Martins, Ridha Gali, Abderrazzek Hedhili, Sarah De Saeger, Marthe De Boevre

Author(s): Manuela Zadravec, Nada Vahčić, Dragan Brnić, Ksenija Markov, Jadranka Frece, Relja Beck, Tina Lešić, Jelka Pleadin

Mycotoxins presence was evaluated in animal feed marketed in Tunisia for the first time ever.

Fusarium verticillioides is a fungal pathogen that is responsible for maize ear rot and stalk rot diseases worldwide. The fungus also produces carcinogenic mycotoxins, fumonisins, on infested maize. Unfortunately, we still lack clear understanding of how the pathogen responds to host and environmental stimuli to trigger fumonisin biosynthesis.

Author(s): Paschalitsa Tryfinopoulou, Antonia Chourdaki, George-John E. Nychas, Efstathios Z. Panagou

Apart from causing serious yield losses, various kinds of mycotoxins may be accumulated in plant tissues infected by Fusarium strains. Fusarium mycotoxin contamination is one of the most important concerns in the food safety field nowadays. However, limited information on the causal agents, etiology, and mycotoxin production of this disease is available on pepper in China.

Consumption of fruit juice is becoming trendy for consumers seeking freshness and high vitamin and low caloric intake. Mycotoxigenic moulds may infect fruits during crop growth, harvest, and storage leading to mycotoxin production. Many mycotoxins are resistant to food processing, which make their presence in the final juice product very likely expected.

Author(s): Andrea Tarazona, Eva M. Mateo, José V. Gómez, David Romera, Fernando Mateo

Author(s): Qun Cheng, Shuzhen Jiang, Libo Huang, Yuxi Wang, Weiren Yang, Zaibin Yang, Jinshan Ge

Fluorescent pseudomonads colonizing wheat ears have a high antagonistic potential against phytopathogenic fungi. To check this hypothesis, the bacterial antagonist Pseudomonas simiae 9 rif+/kan+ was spray-inoculated onto the ears of winter wheat in a locally demarcated experimental field plot. Fusarium and Alternaria fungi naturally occurring on the ears and the formation of their mycotoxins in the ripe grains were investigated.

The public assumes that some foods, such as milk and ground beef from cattle receiving steroidal implants, are associated with estrogenic hormones, while other foods are presumed “safe” or nonestrogenic.

Zearalenone (ZEN) is a non-steroidal estrogenic mycotoxin and constitutes a potential health threat to humans and livestock. This study aimed to explore the potential of albite modified by the cationic surfactant cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) as ZEN adsorbent. The organoalbite (OA) was characterized by SEM analysis, XRD analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and BET gas sorption measurement.

Author(s): Qinghua Wu, Wenda Wu, Kamil Kuca

The impact of zearalenone (ZEN) on female reproduction remains an issue, since its effects may differ among exposed cell types. Besides the use of decontaminants in animal diet, other approaches should be considered to minimise ZEN effects after exposure. Since the first organ in contact with ZEN is the gastrointestinal tract, we hypothesise that products of microbiota metabolism may play a role in ZEN detoxification.

Author(s): Magdalena Gajęcka, Michał Dąbrowski, Iwona Otrocka-Domagała, Paweł Brzuzan, Anna Rykaczewska, Katarzyna Cieplińska, Marzena Barasińska, Maciej T. Gajęcki, Łukasz Zielonka

A biochip chemiluminescent immunoassay was validated for multi-mycotoxins screening in maize. Screened mycotoxins were aflatoxins B1 (AFB1) and G1 (AFG1) ochratoxin A (OTA), zearalenone (ZEA), toxin T2 (T2), fumonisins (sum of FB1 and FB2) and deoxynivalenol (DON). The method included a single extraction step with acetonitrile:methanol:water (50:40:10, v/v/v).

Deoxynivalenol, T-2 toxin, and zearalenone, major Fusarium mycotoxins, contaminate human food on a global level. Exposure to these mycotoxins during pregnancy can lead to abnormalities in neonatal development. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Fusarium mycotoxins on human placental epithelial cells. As an in vitro model of placental barrier, BeWo cells were exposed to different concentrations of deoxynivalenol, zearalenone or T-2 toxin.

Author(s): Carla Cervini, Carol Verkeecke-Vaessen, Massimo Ferrara, Esther García-Cela, Donato Magistà, Angel Medina, Antonia Gallo, Naresh Magan, Giancarlo Perrone

Fusarium mycotoxins and their derivatives are frequently detected in freshly harvested forage maize. This study assessed the time course effects during ensiling of forage maize on the fate of Fusarium mycotoxins, using laboratory-scale silos and artificially contaminated raw material.

Moulds positively contribute to the development of typical characteristic flavour and aroma of dry-fermented sausages. However, some mould species, such as Penicillium nordicum and Penicillium verrucosum, may contaminate this product with ochratoxin A (OTA). For this reason, the control of toxigenic moulds is needed.

Contamination of animal feed with multiple mycotoxins is an ongoing and growing issue, as over 60% of cereal crops worldwide have been shown to be contaminated with mycotoxins. The present study was carried out to assess the efficacy of commercial feed additives sold with multi-mycotoxin binding claims. Ten feed additives were obtained and categorised into three groups based on their main composition.