Research Publications (Food Safety)

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been a leading issue for human health globally threatening the achievement of several of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Originated from Bacillus cereus, carbapenemases phenotype has been considered to be a major concern in AMR. In this study, the AMR identification rate of P. aeruginosa isolates and infections in FAHJU showed an obvious upward trend from 2012 to 2016. All 88 carbapenem-resistant P.

Environmental lead contamination can cause chronic renal disease with a common clinical manifestation of renal fibrosis and constitutes a major global public health threat. Aberrant proliferation and extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation in renal interstitial fibroblasts are key pathological causes of renal fibrosis. However, the mechanism underlying lead-induced kidney fibrosis remains unclear.

The prevalence of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), characterized by fatty liver, oxidative injury, and inflammation, has considerably increased in the recent years. Due to the complexity of NASH pathogenesis, compounds which can target different mechanisms and stages of NASH development are required. A robust screening model with translational capability is also required to develop therapies targeting NASH.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy in the world, with high mortality and poor prognosis. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the key factors implicated in the occurrence of HCC. Increasing evidence suggests that miRNAs play important roles in the development and metastasis of HBV-associated HCC (HBV-HCC).

This research was to explore antibiotic-induced drug resistance of Salmonella enteritidis and its biofilm formation mechanism. Kirby-Bauer (K-B) disk method recommended by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) was used to test drug sensitivity of Salmonella enteritidis to 16 kinds of antibiotics including ß-lactams, aminoglycosides, quinolones, sulfonamides, chloramphenicols, and tetracyclines.

Kidney damages caused by cadmium are considered to be one of the most dangerous consequences for the human body. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of fucoxanthin supplementation on mice models subjected to cadmium-induced kidney damage. The mice treated with cadmium chloride (CdCl2) were observed to have significantly reduced the cross-section area of glomeruli.

Increase in anthropogenic activities due to rapid industrialization had caused an elevation in heavy metal contamination of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. These pollutants have detrimental effects on human and environmental health. The majority of these pollutants are carcinogenic, neurotoxic, and are very poisonous even at very low concentrations.

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT

Cronobacter sakazakii is a food-borne, conditionally pathogenic bacterium that mainly infects neonates, especially premature infants. Previous studies have indicated that an important route of infection for C. sakazakii is through infant formula, suggesting a high stress resistance of the bacterium. RpoS is a σ-factor that is closely related to the bacterial resistance mechanisms. In this study, a C. sakazakii BAA894 model strain was used.

This study developed a novel method for the rapid detection of Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 on a microfluidic platform. First, the concentration of bacteria in a sample was determined with the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) method. Then, the specific detection of E. coli was achieved in a microfluidic chip by the immune-microsphere technique. The influences of the culture time, flow rate and capture time on the detection of the target bacteria were investigated systematically.

As a prebiotics, lactosucrose plays an important role in maintaining human gastrointestinal homeostasis. In this study, a thermostable enzyme from Arthrobacter sp. 10138 was screened from six β-fructofuranosidase-producing strains for the lactosucrose production and the coding gene was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli for efficient expression. Recombinant β-fructofuranosidase was purified and biochemically characterized by MALDI-TOFMS spectrometry.