Research Publications (Food Safety)

Fusarium graminearum, the causal agent of Fusarium head blight (FHB), produces various mycotoxins that contaminate wheat grains and cause profound health problems in humans and animals. Deoxynivalenol (DON) is the most common trichothecene found in contaminated grains. Our previous study showed that Arabidopsis-expressing F. graminearum trichothecene 3-O-acetyltransferase (FgTRI101) converted DON to 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-ADON) and excreted it outside of Arabidopsis cells.

Staphylococcus species are the primary cause of mastitis in dairy cows across the world. Staphylococcus aureus has recently become a pathogen that is zoonotic and multidrug resistant. This study aimed to sequence whole genomes of 38 S. aureus isolates from 55 subclinical mastitis dairy cows of 7 small-scale farmers in the Free State Province, South Africa and document and their antimicrobial and virulence genes.

The host-specific infection of Avian Astrovirus (AAstVs) has posed significant challenges to the poultry industry, resulting in substantial economic losses. However, few reports exist on the functional consequences of genome diversity, cross-species infectivity and mechanisms governing virus replication of AAstVs, making it difficult to develop measures to control astrovirus transmission.

Camel milk is highly nutritious but contamination with biofilm forming methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) may pose a serious threat to human health and food safety. Therefore, sinapic acid (SA) was assessed for its in vitro antibiofilm and antivirulence potential against MRSA isolated from raw camel milk samples.

The rumen microbiota is important for energy and nutrient acquisition in cattle, and therefore its composition may also affect carcass merit and meat quality attributes.

Fumonisin B1, T-2 toxin, and deoxynivalenol are frequently detected in feed materials. The mycotoxins induce free radical formation and, thereby, lipid peroxidation.

Abstract The importance of food quality and safety lies in ensuring the best product quality to meet consumer demands and public health. Advanced technologies play a crucial role in minimizing the risk of foodborne illnesses, contamination, drug residue, and other potential hazards in food. Significant materials and technological advancements have been made throughout the food supply chain.

Giardiasis is a common intestinal infection caused by Giardia duodenalis, which is a major economic and health burden for humans and livestock. Currently, a convenient and effective detection method is urgently needed. CRISPR/Cas12a-based diagnostic methods have been widely used for nucleic acid-based detection of pathogens due to their high efficiency and sensitivity. In this study, a technique combining CRISPR/Cas12a and RPA was established that allows the detection of G.

Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria (ARB) from the intestinal contents of wild fish may have a relevant ecological significance and could be used as indicators of antimicrobial-resistance dissemination in natural bacterial populations in water bodies impacted by urban contamination. Thus, the occurrence of ARB in the intestinal contents of pelagic and demersal wild fishes captured in anthropogenic-impacted Coquimbo Bay in Chile was studied.

Diarrhea poses a major threat to bovine calves leading to mortality and economic losses. Among the causes of calf diarrhea, bovine rotavirus is a major etiological agent and may result in dysbiosis of gut micr...

The development of a simple, rapid, sensitive, and accurate method for detecting Escherichia coli O157:H7 in complex matrices is critical for ensuring food safety. In this study, a fluorescent biosensor employing aptamer (Apt) -functionalized magnetic beads and cascade strand displacement amplification (SDA) was devised for the detection of E. coli O157:H7 in milk samples. E.

Campylobacter spp., such as Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli, are important zoonotic Gram-negative pathogens that cause acute intestinal diseases in humans. In this study, a retrospective analysis was conducted on previously collected Campylobacter isolates from antimicrobial resistance surveillance. A total of 29 optrA-positive C.

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) has caused massive foodborne disease and economic losses in the world and remains a public health problem. ISO 15216–2:2019 is currently the universal standard for the extraction and concentration of HAV detection in food. Nevertheless, the salted food substrate and low viral content often result in low recovery rates or detection sensitivities using the standard ISO method (ISM) and the modified method with PEG(MPM).

The present study aimed to assess the occurrence and counts of Staphylococcus aureus in Brazilian artisanal cheeses (BAC) produced in five regions of Brazil: Coalho and Manteiga (Northeast region); Colonial and Serrano (South); Caipira (Central-West); Marajó (North); and Minas Artisanal cheeses, from Araxá, Campos das Vertentes, Cerrado, Serro and Canastra microregions (Southeast).

The interaction between environmental factors and Vibrio in bivalves is not well understood, despite the widely held belief that pathogen infection and seawater temperature significantly impact summer mortality. In the present study, we conducted simulated experiments to explore the effects of high temperature and Vibrio infection on the clam Meretrix petechialis.

In this work, pristine CeO2 and Zn-doped CeO2 nanorods were prepared through facile hydrothermal process and characterized. The Zn-dopied CeO2 was first used for dispersive solid phase micro extraction (d-SPµE) of lead in water and food. The conditions affecting d-SPµE of lead were optimized. They were pH, adsorption/elution contact time, and eluent type/volume/concentration, interfering ion effects and sample volume.

For food safety, the concentrations and profiles of paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) and tetrodotoxin were examined in economically important scallops and bloody clams collected from the coast of the Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. PSTs were the major toxins in both species. The tetrodotoxin concentration in scallops increased in summer, although the highest value (18.7 μg/kg) was lower than the European Food Safety Authority guideline threshold (44 μg/kg).

Arsenic (As) accumulation in plants is a global concern. Although the application of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) has been suggested as a potential solution to decrease As concentration in plants, there is currently a gap in a comprehensive, quantitative assessment of the abiotic and biotic factors influencing As accumulation.

Patulin contamination has become a bottleneck problem in the safe production of fruit products, although biodegradation technology shows potential application value in patulin control. In the present study, the patulin biodegradation mechanism in a probiotic yeast, Pichia guilliermondii S15-8, was investigated. Firstly, the short-chain dehydrogenase PgSDR encoded by gene A5D9S1 was identified as a patulin degradation enzyme, through RNA sequencing and verification by qRT-PCR.

This study investigated the effects of defective pear fermentation (DPF) diets on growth performance and gastrointestinal microbial communities in 60 healthy male small-tailed Han sheep, aged 90 days. The sheep were randomly divided into four groups, each consisting of three replicates with five sheep per replicate. Initially, all groups received a basal diet for seven days during the adaptation stage.

This study investigated the determination of 207 pesticides in hot pepper powder and found patterns of pesticide use by production from five regions, detecting a total of 50 pesticides. The LOD, LOQ and recoveries of pesticides were 0.08–2.53, 0.25–7.60 μg kg−1, and 81.0–132.1%, respectively. The Horrat values ranged from 0.07 to 1.97. A total of 50 residual pesticides were detected in 963 hot pepper powder samples.

β-Lactam is one of the widely used veterinary drugs, but simultaneous analytical methods for β-lactam on various animal foods have not been established. In this study, we aimed to detect 34 β-lactam antibiotics simultaneously in livestock samples (beef, pork, chicken, egg, and milk) by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS).

Combined antibacterial effect of Origanum essential oils and antibiotics against multiresistant foodborne Salmonella in Morocco. Abstract The present study aims to assess the antibacterial activity of endemic Moroccan Origanum essential oils (Origanum elongatum and Origanum compactum) alone and in association with antibiotics against multidrug resistant foodborne Salmonella. The well diffusion and microdilution procedures were used to evaluate the antibacterial activity.

We demonstrated for the first time that Salmonella enterica Typhimurium can form dry surface biofilms (DSB) on surfaces. Mean reduction in viable cells recovered from Salmonella Typhimurium DSB following treatment with water (A and C) or the most efficacious disinfectant formulation (B and D) tested from a panel of candidates, with or without a subsequent wiping step. Contact times used were as per manufacturer's instructions.

Bacillus cereus is a foodborne pathogen that widely exists in various food products. In this study, a new B. cereus phage, named Z3, was isolated from the soil and characterized. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations revealed that Z3 had an icosahedral head and a retractable tail, belonging to myxovirus. The double-stranded linear DNA of Z3 was 159,116 bp in length with a CG% content of 39.96%.