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Sample records for concentrate food-borne bacteria

  1. Immobilization with Metal Hydroxides as a Means To Concentrate Food-Borne Bacteria for Detection by Cultural and Molecular Methods†

    OpenAIRE

    Lucore, Lisa A.; Cullison, Mark A.; Jaykus, Lee-Ann

    2000-01-01

    The application of nucleic acid amplification methods to the detection of food-borne pathogens could be facilitated by concentrating the organisms from the food matrix before detection. This study evaluated the utility of metal hydroxide immobilization for the concentration of bacterial cells from dairy foods prior to detection by cultural and molecular methods. Using reconstituted nonfat dry milk (NFDM) as a model, two food-borne pathogens (Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica sero...

  2. Antimicrobial activities of commercial essential oils and their components against food-borne pathogens and food spoilage bacteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mith, Hasika; Duré, Rémi; Delcenserie, Véronique; Zhiri, Abdesselam; Daube, Georges; Clinquart, Antoine

    2014-01-01

    This study was undertaken to determine the in vitro antimicrobial activities of 15 commercial essential oils and their main components in order to pre-select candidates for potential application in highly perishable food preservation. The antibacterial effects against food-borne pathogenic bacteria (Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Typhimurium, and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7) and food spoilage bacteria (Brochothrix thermosphacta and Pseudomonas fluorescens) were tested using paper disk diffusion method, followed by determination of minimum inhibitory (MIC) and bactericidal (MBC) concentrations. Most of the tested essential oils exhibited antimicrobial activity against all tested bacteria, except galangal oil. The essential oils of cinnamon, oregano, and thyme showed strong antimicrobial activities with MIC ≥ 0.125 μL/mL and MBC ≥ 0.25 μL/mL. Among tested bacteria, P. fluorescens was the most resistant to selected essential oils with MICs and MBCs of 1 μL/mL. The results suggest that the activity of the essential oils of cinnamon, oregano, thyme, and clove can be attributed to the existence mostly of cinnamaldehyde, carvacrol, thymol, and eugenol, which appear to possess similar activities against all the tested bacteria. These materials could be served as an important natural alternative to prevent bacterial growth in food products. PMID:25473498

  3. A quantum-dot-based fluoroassay for detection of food-borne pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohamadi, Elaheh; Moghaddasi, Mohammadali; Farahbakhsh, Afshin; Kazemi, Abbass

    2017-09-01

    Evaluation of the distribution capability of food-borne pathogens existing in food products by taking the advantage of quantum dots (QDs) for their photoluminescence properties was carried out. Bacteria namely Escherichia coli (E. coli) labelled with CdSe-QDs were examined both on an Agar nutrient and ground fish substrates in order to observe their growth rate in different environments in the Lab. A sample with an appropriate concentration ratio 10 7 CFU/mL of bacteria/CdSe-QDs was empirically selected from the samples which were grown on the Agar containing plates. The selected sample was also tested on a ground fish substrate as a real food sample. The bacterial growth was observed under the irradiation of UV light and the growth patterns were investigated for 3 successive days. The growth patterns indicated that E. coli can stay alive and can be distributed on food products so that the growth can be easily monitored. This approach makes bacterial growth on food products detectable so that it can be used as a bacteria-QD assay for an easy detection of food borne pathogens grown on a food sample. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Bacterial food-borne zoonoses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thorns, C J

    2000-04-01

    In many countries of the world, bacterial food-borne zoonotic infections are the most common cause of human intestinal disease. Salmonella and Campylobacter account for over 90% of all reported cases of bacteria-related food poisoning world-wide. Poultry and poultry products have been incriminated in the majority of traceable food-borne illnesses caused by these bacteria, although all domestic livestock are reservoirs of infection. In contrast to the enzootic nature of most Salmonella and Campylobacter infections, Salmonella Enteritidis caused a pandemic in both poultry and humans during the latter half of the 20th Century. Salmonella Typhimurium and Campylobacter appear to be more ubiquitous in the environment, colonising a greater variety of hosts and environmental niches. Verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli O157 (VTEC O157) also emerged as a major food-borne zoonotic pathogen in the 1980s and 1990s. Although infection is relatively rare in humans, clinical disease is often severe, with a significant mortality rate among the young and elderly. The epidemiology of VTEC O157 is poorly understood, although ruminants, especially cattle and sheep, appear to be the major source of infection. The dissemination of S. Enteritidis along the food chain is fairly well understood, and control programmes have been developed to target key areas of poultry meat and egg production. Recent evidence indicates that these control programmes have been associated with an overall reduction of S. Enteritidis along the food chain. Unfortunately, existing controls do not appear to reduce the levels of Campylobacter and VTEC O157 infections. Future control strategies need to consider variations in the epidemiologies of food-borne zoonotic infections, and apply a quantitative risk analysis approach to ensure that the most cost-effective programmes are developed.

  5. DNA microarray technique for detecting food-borne pathogens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xing GAO

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Objective To study the application of DNA microarray technique for screening and identifying multiple food-borne pathogens. Methods The oligonucleotide probes were designed by Clustal X and Oligo 6.0 at the conserved regions of specific genes of multiple food-borne pathogens, and then were validated by bioinformatic analyses. The 5' end of each probe was modified by amino-group and 10 Poly-T, and the optimized probes were synthesized and spotted on aldehyde-coated slides. The bacteria DNA template incubated with Klenow enzyme was amplified by arbitrarily primed PCR, and PCR products incorporated into Aminoallyl-dUTP were coupled with fluorescent dye. After hybridization of the purified PCR products with DNA microarray, the hybridization image and fluorescence intensity analysis was acquired by ScanArray and GenePix Pro 5.1 software. A series of detection conditions such as arbitrarily primed PCR and microarray hybridization were optimized. The specificity of this approach was evaluated by 16 different bacteria DNA, and the sensitivity and reproducibility were verified by 4 food-borne pathogens DNA. The samples of multiple bacteria DNA and simulated water samples of Shigella dysenteriae were detected. Results Nine different food-borne bacteria were successfully discriminated under the same condition. The sensitivity of genomic DNA was 102 -103pg/ μl, and the coefficient of variation (CV of the reproducibility of assay was less than 15%. The corresponding specific hybridization maps of the multiple bacteria DNA samples were obtained, and the detection limit of simulated water sample of Shigella dysenteriae was 3.54×105cfu/ml. Conclusions The DNA microarray detection system based on arbitrarily primed PCR can be employed for effective detection of multiple food-borne pathogens, and this assay may offer a new method for high-throughput platform for detecting bacteria.

  6. [Development of molecular detection of food-borne pathogenic bacteria using miniaturized microfluidic devices].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iván, Kristóf; Maráz, Anna

    2015-12-20

    Detection and identification of food-borne pathogenic bacteria are key points for the assurance of microbiological food safety. Traditional culture-based methods are more and more replaced by or supplemented with nucleic acid based molecular techniques, targeting specific (preferably virulence) genes in the genomes. Internationally validated DNA amplification - most frequently real-time polymerase chain reaction - methods are applied by the food microbiological testing laboratories for routine analysis, which will result not only in shortening the time for results but they also improve the performance characteristics (e.g. sensitivity, specificity) of the methods. Beside numerous advantages of the polymerase chain reaction based techniques for routine microbiological analysis certain drawbacks have to be mentioned, such as the high cost of the equipment and reagents, as well as the risk of contamination of the laboratory environment by the polymerase chain reaction amplicons, which require construction of an isolated laboratory system. Lab-on-a-chip systems can integrate most of these laboratory processes within a miniaturized device that delivers the same specificity and reliability as the standard protocols. The benefits of miniaturized devices are: simple - often automated - use, small overall size, portability, sterility due to single use possibility. These miniaturized rapid diagnostic tests are being researched and developed at the best research centers around the globe implementing various sample preparation and molecular DNA amplification methods on-chip. In parallel, the aim of the authors' research is to develop microfluidic Lab-on-a-chip devices for the detection and identification of food-borne pathogenic bacteria.

  7. Toxicity of Food-Grade TiO2 to Commensal Intestinal and Transient Food-Borne Bacteria: New Insights Using Nano-SIMS and Synchrotron UV Fluorescence Imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radziwill-Bienkowska, Joanna M.; Talbot, Pauline; Kamphuis, Jasper B. J.; Robert, Véronique; Cartier, Christel; Fourquaux, Isabelle; Lentzen, Esther; Audinot, Jean-Nicolas; Jamme, Frédéric; Réfrégiers, Matthieu; Bardowski, Jacek K.; Langella, Philippe; Kowalczyk, Magdalena; Houdeau, Eric; Thomas, Muriel; Mercier-Bonin, Muriel

    2018-01-01

    Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is commonly used as a food additive (E171 in the EU) for its whitening and opacifying properties. However, a risk of intestinal barrier disruption, including dysbiosis of the gut microbiota, is increasingly suspected because of the presence of a nano-sized fraction in this additive. We hypothesized that food-grade E171 and Aeroxyde P25 (identical to the NM-105 OECD reference nanomaterial in the European Union Joint Research Centre) interact with both commensal intestinal bacteria and transient food-borne bacteria under non-UV-irradiated conditions. Based on differences in their physicochemical properties, we expect a difference in their respective effects. To test these hypotheses, we chose a panel of eight Gram-positive/Gram-negative bacterial strains, isolated from different biotopes and belonging to the species Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactococcus lactis (subsp. lactis and cremoris), Streptococcus thermophilus, and Lactobacillus sakei. Bacterial cells were exposed to food-grade E171 vs. P25 in vitro and the interactions were explored with innovative (nano)imaging methods. The ability of bacteria to trap TiO2 was demonstrated using synchrotron UV fluorescence imaging with single cell resolution. Subsequent alterations in the growth profiles were shown, notably for the transient food-borne L. lactis and the commensal intestinal E. coli in contact with food-grade TiO2. However, for both species, the reduction in cell cultivability remained moderate, and the morphological and ultrastructural damages, observed with electron microscopy, were restricted to a small number of cells. E. coli exposed to food-grade TiO2 showed some internalization of TiO2 (7% of cells), observed with high-resolution nano-secondary ion mass spectrometry (Nano-SIMS) chemical imaging. Taken together, these data show that E171 may be trapped by commensal and transient food-borne bacteria within the gut. In return, it may induce some physiological

  8. Toxicity of Food-Grade TiO2 to Commensal Intestinal and Transient Food-Borne Bacteria: New Insights Using Nano-SIMS and Synchrotron UV Fluorescence Imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radziwill-Bienkowska, Joanna M; Talbot, Pauline; Kamphuis, Jasper B J; Robert, Véronique; Cartier, Christel; Fourquaux, Isabelle; Lentzen, Esther; Audinot, Jean-Nicolas; Jamme, Frédéric; Réfrégiers, Matthieu; Bardowski, Jacek K; Langella, Philippe; Kowalczyk, Magdalena; Houdeau, Eric; Thomas, Muriel; Mercier-Bonin, Muriel

    2018-01-01

    Titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) is commonly used as a food additive (E171 in the EU) for its whitening and opacifying properties. However, a risk of intestinal barrier disruption, including dysbiosis of the gut microbiota, is increasingly suspected because of the presence of a nano-sized fraction in this additive. We hypothesized that food-grade E171 and Aeroxyde P25 (identical to the NM-105 OECD reference nanomaterial in the European Union Joint Research Centre) interact with both commensal intestinal bacteria and transient food-borne bacteria under non-UV-irradiated conditions. Based on differences in their physicochemical properties, we expect a difference in their respective effects. To test these hypotheses, we chose a panel of eight Gram-positive/Gram-negative bacterial strains, isolated from different biotopes and belonging to the species Escherichia coli , Lactobacillus rhamnosus , Lactococcus lactis (subsp. lactis and cremoris ), Streptococcus thermophilus , and Lactobacillus sakei . Bacterial cells were exposed to food-grade E171 vs. P25 in vitro and the interactions were explored with innovative (nano)imaging methods. The ability of bacteria to trap TiO 2 was demonstrated using synchrotron UV fluorescence imaging with single cell resolution. Subsequent alterations in the growth profiles were shown, notably for the transient food-borne L. lactis and the commensal intestinal E. coli in contact with food-grade TiO 2 . However, for both species, the reduction in cell cultivability remained moderate, and the morphological and ultrastructural damages, observed with electron microscopy, were restricted to a small number of cells. E. coli exposed to food-grade TiO 2 showed some internalization of TiO 2 (7% of cells), observed with high-resolution nano-secondary ion mass spectrometry (Nano-SIMS) chemical imaging. Taken together, these data show that E171 may be trapped by commensal and transient food-borne bacteria within the gut. In return, it may induce some

  9. Toxicity of Food-Grade TiO2 to Commensal Intestinal and Transient Food-Borne Bacteria: New Insights Using Nano-SIMS and Synchrotron UV Fluorescence Imaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joanna M. Radziwill-Bienkowska

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Titanium dioxide (TiO2 is commonly used as a food additive (E171 in the EU for its whitening and opacifying properties. However, a risk of intestinal barrier disruption, including dysbiosis of the gut microbiota, is increasingly suspected because of the presence of a nano-sized fraction in this additive. We hypothesized that food-grade E171 and Aeroxyde P25 (identical to the NM-105 OECD reference nanomaterial in the European Union Joint Research Centre interact with both commensal intestinal bacteria and transient food-borne bacteria under non-UV-irradiated conditions. Based on differences in their physicochemical properties, we expect a difference in their respective effects. To test these hypotheses, we chose a panel of eight Gram-positive/Gram-negative bacterial strains, isolated from different biotopes and belonging to the species Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactococcus lactis (subsp. lactis and cremoris, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Lactobacillus sakei. Bacterial cells were exposed to food-grade E171 vs. P25 in vitro and the interactions were explored with innovative (nanoimaging methods. The ability of bacteria to trap TiO2 was demonstrated using synchrotron UV fluorescence imaging with single cell resolution. Subsequent alterations in the growth profiles were shown, notably for the transient food-borne L. lactis and the commensal intestinal E. coli in contact with food-grade TiO2. However, for both species, the reduction in cell cultivability remained moderate, and the morphological and ultrastructural damages, observed with electron microscopy, were restricted to a small number of cells. E. coli exposed to food-grade TiO2 showed some internalization of TiO2 (7% of cells, observed with high-resolution nano-secondary ion mass spectrometry (Nano-SIMS chemical imaging. Taken together, these data show that E171 may be trapped by commensal and transient food-borne bacteria within the gut. In return, it may induce some

  10. Minimum bactericidal concentration of phenols extracted from oil vegetation water on spoilers, starters and food-borne bacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luca Fasolato

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the study was to assess the in vitro effect of phenols extracted from oil vegetation water (PEOW on several food-borne strains. Antibacterial activity of PEOW was based on the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC on microtitre assay. The taxa tested were: Staphylococcus (n. 5, Listeria (n. 4, Escherichia (n. 2, Salmonella (n. 1, Pseudomonas (n. 3, Lactobacillus (n. 2 and Pediococcus (n. 1. S. aureus and L. monocytogens showed the lowest level of resistance to PEOW (MBC=1.5-3 mg/mL. In contrast, the Gram negative strains (e.g. S. Typhimurium and Pseudomonas spp. were in some cases unaffected by the tested doses and the MBCs ranged between 6 to 12 mg/mL. Starter cultures were dramatically reduced on growth (e.g. Staphylococcus xylosus; 0.75 mg/mL MBC. The thresholds for pathogenic strains could be considered for further applications of PEOW in food models (e.g. shelf life or challenge test studies.

  11. Assessment of survival of food-borne microorganisms in the food chain by fluorescence ratio imaging microscopy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Siegumfeldt, Henrik; Arneborg, Nils

    2011-01-01

    Traditionally, many data on food–borne microorganisms are obtained as an average of a whole population, under the assumption that the individual cells are clonal and therefore identical. However, it is now acknowledged that there may be a large heterogeneity within an isogenic population......, and consequently new methods focus on the individual cells. This mini-review will give an overview of the response of food-borne microorganisms; i.e. pathogenic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, and yeasts, at a single-cell level to various food-related stress conditions, comprising acid-, disinfection-, salt...

  12. Multidrug-resistant pattern of food borne illness associated bacteria ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study aimed at determining anti-microbial resistance pattern of food borne illness ... bial drugs in the pharmaceutical pipeline.2 The effective- ness of ... Materials and methods ... selected based on local availability, clinical efficiency, liter-.

  13. THE EFFECTS OF 1‰ STABILIZED LIQUID SOLUTION OF CHLORINE DIOXIDE (ClO2 ON SOME FOOD-BORN BACTERIA

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    Sead Hadziabdić

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available The conducted research gives an overview of the results obtained after the application of 1‰ solution of stabilized liquid chlorine dioxide on some food-born related bacteria - E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, S. Enteritidis and C. jejuni.  For this purpose,  reference strains of the aforementioned pathogens in decimal dilutions were exposed to 1 ml of 1‰ solution of stabilized liquid chlorine dioxide for one hour. Reduction of bacteria counts per mililitre (CFU/ml has been noticed for all bacteria, with total reduction of C. jejuni and Staphylococcus aureus in the fourth (1:104, and for S. Enteritidis and E. coli in the sixth (1:106 decimal dilution. Key words: chlorine dioxide, E. coli, S. aureus, S. Enteritidis, C. jejuni

  14. Antibacterial activity of Rosmarinus officinalis L. and Thymus vulgaris L. essential oils and their combination against food-borne pathogens and spoilage bacteria in ready-to-eat vegetables.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iseppi, Ramona; Sabia, Carla; de Niederhäusern, Simona; Pellati, Federica; Benvenuti, Stefania; Tardugno, Roberta; Bondi, Moreno; Messi, Patrizia

    2018-06-06

    The antibacterial activity of Rosmarinus officinalis L. and Thymus vulgaris L. essential oils (EOs), and their combination against food-borne and spoilage bacteria (Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enteritidis, Yersinia enterocolitica, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas spp.) was determined. The EOs inhibitory effect was evaluated both in vitro by using the disk diffusion assay and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) determination, and on food by using an artificially contaminated ready-to-eat (RTE) vegetables. The results showed that the lowest MIC values were obtained with R. officinalis and T. vulgaris EOs against E. coli (4 and 8 μL/mL, respectively). The incorporation of the EOs alone or their combination in RTE vegetables reduced the viable counts of all the tested strains. Lastly, in the on food study we simulated the worst hygienic conditions, obtaining results that can be considered a warranty of safety.

  15. Bacterial food-borne pathogens in Indian food

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bandekar, J.R.

    2015-01-01

    Food technology and food processing techniques have made tremendous advances in preservation of food and ensuring safety of food by killing food-borne pathogens. In addition to old techniques such as pasteurization, canning, dehydration, fermentation and salting, a number of new techniques such as radiation processing, high pressure technology and pulsed electric field technology are being applied for preservation of food and to ensure food safety. Total Quality Management (TQM) concepts have been developed to take care of food safety from farm to table. Hazard Analysis at Critical Control Points (HACCP) is being applied for mass scale production of food to make food free from pathogens. Despite these advances, food-borne diseases have become one of the most widespread public health problems in the world. About two thirds of all the outbreaks are traced to microbial contaminated food. According to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, food-borne and waterborne diarrhoeal diseases kill an estimated 2 million people annually, including many children. Food safety is a major concern not only for developing countries but also for the developed countries. A number of factors such as emergence of new food-borne pathogens, development of drug resistance in pathogens, changing life style, globalization of the food supply etc. are responsible for the continuous persistence of food-borne diseases. The food-borne disease outbreaks due to E. coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella and Campylobacter, are responsible for recall of many foods resulting in heavy losses to food industry. Due to consumer demand, a number of Ready-To-Eat (RTE) minimally processed foods are increasingly marketed; however, there is increased risk of foodborne diseases with these products. Food Technology Division of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, has been working on food-borne bacterial pathogens particularly Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio and Aeromonasf

  16. SERS based point-of-care detection of food-borne pathogens

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mungroo, Nawfal Adam; Oliveira, Gustavo; Neethirajan, Suresh

    2016-01-01

    The authors have developed a microfluidic platform for improved detection of pathogenic bacteria by using silver nanoparticles and new platforms for chemometric data analysis, viz. a combination of principle component analysis and linear discriminant analysis. The method can distinguish eight key food borne pathogens (E. coli, S. typhimirium, S. enteritis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, L. monocytogenes, L. innocua, MRSA 35 and MRSA 86) and, hence, holds good promise for use in the food industry. (author)

  17. Phytochemical profiles and antimicrobial activity of aromatic Malaysian herb extracts against food-borne pathogenic and food spoilage microorganisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aziman, Nurain; Abdullah, Noriham; Noor, Zainon Mohd; Kamarudin, Wan Saidatul Syida Wan; Zulkifli, Khairusy Syakirah

    2014-04-01

    Preliminary phytochemical and flavonoid compounds of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of 6 aromatic Malaysian herbs were screened and quantified using Reverse-Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP-HPLC). The herbal extracts were tested for their antimicrobial activity against 10 food-borne pathogenic and food spoilage microorganisms using disk diffusion assay. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC)/minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of herbal extracts were determined. In the phytochemical screening process, both aqueous and ethanolic extracts of P. hydropiper exhibited presence of all 7 tested phytochemical compounds. Among all herbal extracts, the aqueous P. hydropiper and E. elatior extracts demonstrated the highest antibacterial activity against 7 tested Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria with diameter ranging from 7.0 to 18.5 mm and 6.5 to 19 mm, respectively. The MIC values for aqueous and ethanolic extracts ranged from 18.75 to 175 mg/mL and 0.391 to 200 mg/mL, respectively while the MBC/MFC values for aqueous and ethanolic extracts ranged from 25 to 200 mg/mL and 3.125 to 50 mg/mL, respectively. Major types of bioactive compounds in aqueous P. hydropiper and E. elatior extracts were identified using RP-HPLC instrument. Flavonoids found in these plants were epi-catechin, quercetin, and kaempferol. The ability of aqueous Persicaria hydropiper (L.) H. Gross and Etlingera elatior (Jack) R.M. Sm. extracts to inhibit the growth of bacteria is an indication of its broad spectrum antimicrobial potential. Hence these herbal extracts may be used as natural preservative to improve the safety and shelf-life of food and pharmaceutical products. © 2014 Institute of Food Technologists®

  18. ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF GINGER OIL AGAINST FOOD BORN PATHOGENS

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    TAHA, S.M.A.

    2008-01-01

    This study was carried out to investigate the antibacterial activity of ginger oil against Food Born pathogens and the effect of heating, microwave heating and gamma irradiation on microbiological quality and antibacterial activity of ginger oil. Growth and survival of A. hydrophila and L. monocytogenes in broth media and carrot juice with different concentrations of ginger oil was also studied. Gram-negative bacteria were more resistant than gram-positive bacteria. Heating at 80 0 C for 10 min did not change the antibacterial activity of ginger oil, whereas heating at 100 0 C for 5 min and autoclaving at 121 0 C for 15 min caused slight reduction in antibacterial activity in most microorganisms tested. Heating by microwave of ginger oil destroyed its antibacterial activity against B. cereus although it still works against other microorganisms tested. The dose 6 kGy caused slight reduction in antibacterial activity of ginger oil, whereas the dose 10 kGy caused markedly reduction in antibacterial activity of ginger oil against most microorganisms tested. Ginger oil was more effective on L. monocytogenes as compared with its effect on A. hydrophila in tryptone soya broth at 4 0 C or 25 0 C. Supplementation of ginger oil with carrot juice was more effective on A. hydrophila and L. monocytogenes than in tryptone soya broth and this effect was increased with increasing the time of incubation and the concentration of ginger oil. These results support the notion that plant essential oils may have an important role as pharmaceuticals and food preservatives

  19. Effect of Extracts and Bacteria from Korean Fermented Foods on the Control of Sesame Seed-Borne Fungal Diseases

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    Yong-Ki Kim

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available In order to control seed-borne diseases, we obtained extracts from commercial fermented food products of Kimchi, Gochujang, Doenjang, Ganjang and Makgeolli and their suppressive effects against seed-borne diseases were studied. In addition, the suppressive effects of bacterial strains isolated from the fermented foods were screened in vitro and in vivo. Among fifty food extracts, twenty food-extracts suppressed more than 92% incidence of seedling rots in vitro and seven food extracts increased 58.3-66.8% of healthy seedling in the greenhouse. Among 218 isolates from the fermented foods, 29 isolates showing high antifungal activity against seven seed-borne fungal pathogens were selected. Among 29 isolates, 13 isolates significantly reduced seedling rot and increased healthy seedlings. Sixteen isolates with high antifungal activity and suppressive effect against sesame seedling rots were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing. Fourteen of sixteen isolates were identified as Bacillus spp. and the other two isolates from Makgeolli were identified as Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It was confirmed that B. amyloliquifaciens was majority in the effective bacterial population of Korean fermented foods. In addition, when the bioformulations of the two selected effective microorganisms, B. amyloliquifacien Gcj2-1 and B. amyloliquifacien Gcj3-1, were prepared in powder forms using bentonite, kaolin, talc and zeolite, talc- and kaolin-bioformulation showed high control efficacy against sesame seed-borne disease, followed by zeolite-bioformulation. Meanwhile control efficacy of each bentonite-bioformulation of B. amyloliquifacien Gcj2-1 and B. amyloliquifacien Gcj3-1 was lower than that of bacterial suspension of them. It was found that the selected effective microorganisms from Korean fermented foods were effective for controlling seed-borne diseases of sesame in vitro and in the greenhouse. We think that Korean fermented food extracts and useful microorganisms

  20. Antibacterial Activity of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Gastrointestinal Tract of “Ayam Kampung” Chicken Against Food Pathogens

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nur Jannah, Siti; Rini Saraswati, Tyas; Handayani, Dwi; Pujiyanto, Sri

    2018-05-01

    Food borne disease results from ingestion of water and wide variety of food contaminated with pathogenic organisms. The main causes of food borne diseases are bacteria, such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The objective of this study was to determine antimicrobial activity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from local chicken gastrointestinal tract with an emphasis on their probiotic properties. The colonies of bacteria that producing clear zone on MRSA plus 0.5% CaCO3, Gram-positive and catalase-negative were isolated as lactic acid bacteria. Some of the strains (10 isolates) were tested for their ability to inhibit growth of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and for acid pH and bile salt tolerance. The results showed that the all selected isolates producing antimicrobial compounds inhibits the growth of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, both in the supernatant and supernatant plus 2M NaOH, and still growing in medium condition with pH 2.0 and 0.1% bile salt. It revealing the potential use of the lactic acid bacteria from chicken gastrointestinal tract for probiotics in food.

  1. Detection of food-borne bacteria in ready to eat betel leaf sold at local markets in Mymensingh.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haque, Md Mazedul; Sarker, Md Atiqur Rahman; Rifa, Rafia Afroze; Islam, Md Ariful; Khatun, Mst Minara

    2017-09-01

    The present study was undertaken to determine bacterial load as well as characterize bacterial flora of ready to eat (RTE) betel leaf sold at local markets in Mymensingh city. A total of 25 RTE betel leaf samples were collected from five local markets such as Kamal-Ranjit (KR) market, Shesh more, Kewatkhali, Jobber more, and Ganginar par. Total viable count of bacteria in betel leaf (log 10 mean colony forming unit±standard deviation/ml) was 7.58±0.04 for KR market, 7.72±0.06 for Shesh more, 7.62±0.04 for Kewatkhali, 7.40±0.03 for Jobber more, and 7.60±0.06 for Ganginar par. A total of 98 bacterial isolates belong to five genera ( Escherichia coli , Salmonella spp., Vibrio spp., Bacillus spp., and Staphylococcus spp.) were identified. The prevalence of E. coli was 17.34%, Salmonella spp. was 25.51%, Vibrio spp. was 19.39%, Bacillus spp. was 18.37%, and Staphylococcus spp. was 19.39%. Antibiotic sensitivity test showed that all isolates were sensitive to two antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin and gentamicin. Four isolates ( E. coli , Salmonella spp., Vibrio spp., and Staphylococcus spp.) were resistant to two antibiotics (ampicillin and cephalexin). Antibiogram profile of bacterial isolates of betel leaf suggests that they were multidrug resistance. Data of this study indicate that betel leaf sold at local market harbors multidrug resistance food-borne bacteria which might cause public health hazards if these antibiotic resistant transfer to human through food chain.

  2. Detection of food-borne bacteria in ready to eat betel leaf sold at local markets in Mymensingh

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Md. Mazedul Haque

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The present study was undertaken to determine bacterial load as well as characterize bacterial flora of ready to eat (RTE betel leaf sold at local markets in Mymensingh city. Materials and Methods: A total of 25 RTE betel leaf samples were collected from five local markets such as Kamal-Ranjit (KR market, Shesh more, Kewatkhali, Jobber more, and Ganginar par. Results: Total viable count of bacteria in betel leaf (log10 mean colony forming unit±standard deviation/ml was 7.58±0.04 for KR market, 7.72±0.06 for Shesh more, 7.62±0.04 for Kewatkhali, 7.40±0.03 for Jobber more, and 7.60±0.06 for Ganginar par. A total of 98 bacterial isolates belong to five genera (Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Vibrio spp., Bacillus spp., and Staphylococcus spp. were identified. The prevalence of E. coli was 17.34%, Salmonella spp. was 25.51%, Vibrio spp. was 19.39%, Bacillus spp. was 18.37%, and Staphylococcus spp. was 19.39%. Antibiotic sensitivity test showed that all isolates were sensitive to two antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin and gentamicin. Four isolates (E. coli, Salmonella spp., Vibrio spp., and Staphylococcus spp. were resistant to two antibiotics (ampicillin and cephalexin. Antibiogram profile of bacterial isolates of betel leaf suggests that they were multidrug resistance. Conclusion: Data of this study indicate that betel leaf sold at local market harbors multidrug resistance food-borne bacteria which might cause public health hazards if these antibiotic resistant transfer to human through food chain.

  3. Potential Role of Diploscapter sp. Strain LKC25, a Bacterivorous Nematode from Soil, as a Vector of Food-Borne Pathogenic Bacteria to Preharvest Fruits and Vegetables

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gibbs, Daunte S.; Anderson, Gary L.; Beuchat, Larry R.; Carta, Lynn K.; Williams, Phillip L.

    2005-01-01

    Diploscapter, a thermotolerant, free-living soil bacterial-feeding nematode commonly found in compost, sewage, and agricultural soil in the United States, was studied to determine its potential role as a vehicle of Salmonella enterica serotype Poona, enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes in contaminating preharvest fruits and vegetables. The ability of Diploscapter sp. strain LKC25 to survive on agar media, in cow manure, and in composted turkey manure and to be attracted to, ingest, and disperse food-borne pathogens inoculated into soil or a mixture of soil and composted turkey manure was investigated. Diploscapter sp. strain LKC25 survived and reproduced in lawns of S. enterica serotype Poona, E. coli O157:H7, and L. monocytogenes on agar media and in cow manure and composted turkey manure. Attraction of Diploscapter sp. strain LKC25 to colonies of pathogenic bacteria on tryptic soy agar within 10, 20, 30, and 60 min and 24 h was determined. At least 85% of the worms initially placed 0.5 to 1 cm away from bacterial colonies migrated to the colonies within 1 h. Within 24 h, ≥90% of the worms were embedded in colonies. The potential of Diploscapter sp. strain LKC25 to shed pathogenic bacteria after exposure to bacteria inoculated into soil or a mixture of soil and composted turkey manure was investigated. Results indicate that Diploscapter sp. strain LKC25 can shed pathogenic bacteria after exposure to pathogens in these milieus. They also demonstrate its potential to serve as a vector of food-borne pathogenic bacteria in soil, with or without amendment with compost, to the surface of preharvest fruits and vegetables in contact with soil. PMID:15870330

  4. Antibacterial and efflux pump inhibitors of thymol and carvacrol against food-borne pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miladi, Hanene; Zmantar, Tarek; Chaabouni, Yassine; Fedhila, Kais; Bakhrouf, Amina; Mahdouani, Kacem; Chaieb, Kamel

    2016-10-01

    In this study thymol (THY) and carvacrol (CAR), two monoterpenic phenol produced by various aromatic plants, was tested for their antibacterial and efflux pump inhibitors potencies against a panel of clinical and foodborne pathogenes. Our results demonstrated a substantial susceptibility of the tested bacteria toward THY and CAR. Especially, THY displayed a strong inhibitory activity (MIC's values ranged from 32 to 64 μg/mL) against the majority of the tested strains compared to CAR. Moreover, a significant reduction in MIC's of TET and benzalkonium chloride (QAC) were noticed when tested in combinations with THY and CAR. Their synergic effect was more significant in the case of THY which resulted a reduction of MIC's values of TET (2-8 fold) and QAC (2-8 fold). We noted also that THY and CAR inhibited the ethidium bromide (EtBr) cell efflux in a concentration-dependent manner. The rate of EtBr accumulation in food-borne pathogen was enhanced with THY and CAR (0, 250 and 500 μg/mL). The lowest concentration causing 50% of EtBr efflux inhibition (IC 50) was noticed in Salmonella enteritidis (1129) at 150 μg/mL of THY and 190 μg/mL of CAR respectively. These findings indicate that THY and CAR may serve as potential sources of efflux pump inhibitor in food-borne pathogens. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Interaction between Food-borne Pathogens (Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella Typhimurium and Listeria monocytogenes) and a Common Soil Flagellate (Cercomonas sp.)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bui, Thanh Xuan; Wolff, Anders; Madsen, Mogens

    2012-01-01

    Free-living protozoa may harbor, protect, and disperse bacteria, including those ingested and passed in viable form in feces. The flagellates are very important predators on bacteria in soil, but their role in the survival of food-borne pathogens associated with fruits and vegetables is not well...

  6. Application of bacteriophages in post-harvest control of human pathogenic and food spoiling bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pérez Pulido, Rubén; Grande Burgos, Maria José; Gálvez, Antonio; Lucas López, Rosario

    2016-10-01

    Bacteriophages have attracted great attention for application in food biopreservation. Lytic bacteriophages specific for human pathogenic bacteria can be isolated from natural sources such as animal feces or industrial wastes where the target bacteria inhabit. Lytic bacteriophages have been tested in different food systems for inactivation of main food-borne pathogens including Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica, Shigella spp., Campylobacter jejuni and Cronobacter sakazkii, and also for control of spoilage bacteria. Application of lytic bacteriophages could selectively control host populations of concern without interfering with the remaining food microbiota. Bacteriophages could also be applied for inactivation of bacteria attached to food contact surfaces or grown as biofilms. Bacteriophages may receive a generally recognized as safe status based on their lack of toxicity and other detrimental effects to human health. Phage preparations specific for L. monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7 and S. enterica serotypes have been commercialized and approved for application in foods or as part of surface decontamination protocols. Phage endolysins have a broader host specificity compared to lytic bacteriophages. Cloned endolysins could be used as natural preservatives, singly or in combination with other antimicrobials such as bacteriocins.

  7. PREVALENCE AND ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE OF FOOD BORNE BACTERIAL CONTAMINATION IN SOME EGYPTIAN FOOD food

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samy Selim

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available This study was undertaken to investigate the prevalence and antibiotic resistance of food borne bacterial contamination in some Egyptian food. Total viable bacteria and total coliform bacteriawere isolated from different sources of food; carbohydrates (bread, flour and basbousa, vegetables (outer and inner tissues of potato and outer and inner tissues of cucumber and proteins (mincedmeat, cheese and milk. The study resulted in maximum value of total viable bacteria found in outer tissue of potato 68X104±1.0, while the minimum value found in inner tissues of potato andcucumber. The study resulted in total coliform was maximum value in minced meat 6.4X103±0.3. Basbousa and inner tissue of potato and cucumber were free from coliforms. The ability of isolatesto producing proteolytic enzymes was tested, we found that 326 isolate (63.92% from all isolates had this ability, thus we selected most 2 potent proteolytic isolates. The two isolates were identifiedas Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli. The identification confirmed by microlog 34.20 system and 16SrRNA for two isolates and the same result was founded. Sensitivity tested for the most potentproteolytic species to 12 of the most commonly used antibiotics in the Egyptian pharmacy. The results showed that all species were sensitive to most of antibiotics, except B. cereus which was strongly susceptible to azteronam and ceftazidim. The data showed that raw meat, cooked food products, and raw milk were most commonly contaminated with foodborne pathogens and many pathogens were resistant to different antibiotics. The study provided useful information for assessment of the possible risk posed to consumers, which has significant public health impact.

  8. The impact of food manufacturing practices on food borne diseases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cristina Paiva de Sousa

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available Food-borne illness is a major international problem and an important cause of reduced economic growth. The contamination of the food supply with the pathogens and its persistence, growth, multiplication and/or toxin production has emerged as an important public health concern. Most of these problems could be controlled with the efforts on the part of the food handlers, whether in a processing plant, a restaurant, and others. In contrast with most chemical hazardous compounds, the concentration of food pathogens changes during the processing, storage, and meal preparation, making it difficult to estimate the number of the microorganisms or the concentration of their toxins at the time of ingestion by the consumer. This review shows main microorganisms related to the manipulation practices such as Staphylococcus spp., Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. and describes the factors regarding the food-borne illness highlighting the impact of good manipulation practices on the food safety and food quality.Doenças veiculadas por alimentos são um dos maiores problemas de Saúde Pública no mundo, sendo responsáveis por reduções no crescimento econômico global. A contaminação de alimentos com patógenos e sua persistência, crescimento, multiplicação e/ou produção de toxinas é de interesse da Saúde Pública. Estes problemas podem ser controlados com esforços e treinamento constante de manipuladores de alimentos. Em contraste com perigos químicos e físicos, a concentração de patógenos em alimentos é modificada durante etapas de processamento, acondicionamento e preparação, tornando difícil estimar e quantificar o número de microrganismos ou a concentração de suas toxinas no momento da ingestão do alimento. Esta revisão comenta sobre os principais microrganismos bacterianos relacionados à práticas de manipulação como Staphylococcus spp., Escherichia coli e Salmonella spp. ressaltando o consumo de alimentos em ruas, o

  9. Detection of airborne psychrotrophic bacteria and fungi in food storage refrigerators

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sema Sandikci Altunatmaz

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to determine the microbiological air quality (psychrotrophic bacteria and airborne fungi and distribution of fungi in different types of ready-to-eat (RTE food-storage refrigerators (n=48 at selected retail stores in the city of Edirne, Turkey. Refrigerators were categorized according to the type of RTE food-storage: meat products, vegetables, desserts, or a mix of food types. Microbiological quality of air samples was evaluated by using a Mas-100 Eco Air Sampler. Four refrigerators (all containing meat products, 8.3% produced air samples with undetectable microorganisms. The highest detected mean value of airborne psychrotrophic bacteria and fungi was 82.3 CFU/m³ and 54.6 CFU/m³, respectively and were found in mixed-food refrigerators. The dominant airborne fungal genera found were Penicillium (29.0%, Aspergillus (12.0%, Mucor (9%, Cladosporium (8%, Botyrtis (7%, and Acremonium (6%. By definition, RTE food does not undergo a final treatment to ensure its safety prior to consumption. Therefore, ensuring a clean storage environment for these foods is important to prevent food-borne disease and other health risks.

  10. Typing and virulence factors of food-borne Candida spp. isolates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajkowska, Katarzyna; Kunicka-Styczyńska, Alina

    2018-08-20

    Food-borne yeasts, excluding yeasts used as starter cultures, are commonly considered as food spoilage microorganisms. However, the incidence of non-C. albicans Candida (NCAC) infections has increased considerably over the past two decades. Although 15 Candida species are frequently identified as pathogens, a threat to human from food-borne Candida is poorly recognized. In the present study food-borne NCAC were characterized for the virulence factors, known to be associated with yeast pathogenicity. All food-borne strains in planktonic forms and 89% in biofilm structures represented biotypes established for C. albicans, and 61% demonstrated hemolytic activity. 56-94% of food-borne isolates formed biofilms on glass and biomaterials at a level comparable to clinical C. albicans. Nine out of eighteen tested food-borne NCAC strains (C. krusei, C. lusitaniae, C. famata, C. colliculosa, C. parapsilosis, C. tropicalis) showed similarity to clinical C. albicans in terms of their biotypes and the tested virulence factors, allocating them in a group of risk of potential pathogens. However, their capacity to grow at 37 °C seems to be the preliminary criterion in the study of potential virulence of food-borne yeasts. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Radiation Sensitivity of some Food Borne Bacterial Pathogens in Animal Foods and Minced Meat

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mohammed, W.S.; Ali, A.R.; Alexan, A.F.

    2010-01-01

    Bacteriological examination of 100 samples of animal food stuffs (fish meal and bone and meat meal; as models of dry food materials) and 50 samples of minced meat (as a model of moist food materials) revealed the isolation of different bacterial pathogens; Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus spp., Staph. aureus and Salmonella species, in a decreasing order of occurrence. In the experiment; the dry food stuffs were sterilized in autoclave and the minced meat was sterilized by gamma irradiation at 10 kGy. The efficacy of gamma irradiation against the inoculated bacterial isolates (E coli 0157: H7, Salmonella enteritidis and Staph. aureus) in animal food stuffs and minced meat was investigated. Irradiated samples were stored at room temperature (25 degree C) for 2 weeks. The food borne pathogens used in this study showed a difference in radiation sensitivity. E. coli 0157: H7, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella enteritidis were eradicated at 1, 2 and 3 kGy, respectively. Also, inoculated pathogens in minced meat were more sensitive to ionizing radiation than dry animal food stuffs. It could be concluded that low doses of gamma irradiation are effective means of inactivating pathogenic bacteria. This radiation sensitivity is related to the bacterial isolates and the evaluated growth

  12. Current strategies for improving food bacteria

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kuipers, O P; Buist, Girbe; Kok, Jan

    2000-01-01

    Novel concepts and methodologies are emerging that hold great promise for the directed improvement of food-related bacteria, specifically lactic acid bacteria. Also, the battle against food spoilage and pathogenic bacteria can now be fought more effectively. Here we describe recent advances in

  13. Antibacterial activity of sphagnum acid and other phenolic compounds found in Sphagnum papillosum against food-borne bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mellegård, H; Stalheim, T; Hormazabal, V; Granum, P E; Hardy, S P

    2009-07-01

    To identify the phenolic compounds in the leaves of Sphagnum papillosum and examine their antibacterial activity at pH appropriate for the undissociated forms. Bacterial counts of overnight cultures showed that whilst growth of Staphylococcus aureus 50084 was impaired in the presence of milled leaves, the phenol-free fraction of holocellulose of S. papillosum had no bacteriostatic effect. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of an acetone-methanol extract of the leaves detected eight phenolic compounds. Antibacterial activity of the four dominating phenols specific to Sphagnum leaves, when assessed in vitro as minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs), were generally >2.5 mg ml(-1). MIC values of the Sphagnum-specific compound 'sphagnum acid' [p-hydroxy-beta-(carboxymethyl)-cinnamic acid] were >5 mg ml(-1). No synergistic or antagonistic effects of the four dominating phenols were detected in plate assays. Sphagnum-derived phenolics exhibit antibacterial activity in vitro only at concentrations far in excess of those found in the leaves. We have both identified the phenolic compounds in S. papillosum and assessed their antibacterial activity. Our data indicate that phenolic compounds in isolation are not potent antibacterial agents and we question their potency against food-borne pathogens.

  14. Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized Using Wild Mushroom Show Potential Antimicrobial Activities against Food Borne Pathogens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yugal Kishore Mohanta

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The present study demonstrates an economical and eco-friendly method for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs using the wild mushroom Ganoderma sessiliforme. The synthesis of AgNPs was confirmed and the products characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. Furthermore, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR analysis was performed to identify the viable biomolecules involved in the capping and active stabilization of AgNPs. Moreover, the average sizes and morphologies of AgNPs were analyzed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM. The potential impacts of AgNPs on food safety and control were evaluated by the antimicrobial activity of the synthesized AgNPs against common food-borne bacteria, namely, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus faecalis, Listeria innocua and Micrococcus luteus. The results of this study revealed that the synthesized AgNPs can be used to control the growth of food-borne pathogens and have potential application in the food packaging industry. Moreover, the AgNPs were evaluated for antioxidant activity (DPPH, for biocompatibility (L-929, normal fibroblast cells, and for cytotoxic effects on human breast adenosarcoma cells (MCF-7 & MDA-MB231 to highlight their potential for use in a variety of bio-applications.

  15. [Antibacterial actin of vinegar against food-borne pathogenic bacteria including Escherichia coli O157:H7 (Part 2). Effect of sodium chloride and temperature on bactericidal activity].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Entani, E; Asai, M; Tsujihata, S; Tsukamoto, Y; Ohta, M

    1997-05-01

    Bactericidal effects of various kinds of AWASEZU (processed vinegar, 2.5% acidity) on food-borne pathogenic bacteria including Escherichia coli O157:H7 and other bacteria were examined. the order of bactericidal activities was NIHAIZU (3.5% NaCl was added) > SANBA-IZU (3.5% NaCl and 10% sucrose were added) > plain vinegar (spirit vinegar) > AMAZU (10% sucrose was added). This indicates that their activities were enhanced by the addition of sodium chloride and suppressed by the addition of sugar. On the other hand, when soy sauce was used instead of sodium chloride, the order of bactericidal activities was plain vinegar > AMAZU > NIHAIZU > SANBAIZU. This is mainly because their activities were suppressed by the increase in the pH value. The effect of sodium chloride (0.01-15%) and temperature (10-50 degrees C) on bactericidal activities against E. coli O157:H7 in spirit vinegar (0.5-2.5% acidity) was further examined. When vinegar was used in combination with sodium chloride, predominant synergism on the bactericidal activity was observed. Their activities were markedly enhanced by the addition of sodium chloride in proportion to the concentration. In addition to this, at higher temperatures spirit vinegar killed bacteria much more rapidly. It should be noted that the bactericidal activity of spirit vinegar was extremely enhanced by the combined use of the addition of sodium chloride and the rise of temperature. For example, in 2.5% acidity vinegar, the time required for 3 log decrease in viable cell numbers at 20 degrees C was shortened to 1/140-fold by the addition of 5% sodium chloride, shortened to 1/51-fold by the rise of the reaction temperature at 40 degrees C, and shortened to 1/830-fold; 0.89 minutes by both the addition of 5% sodium chloride and the rise of temperature at 40 degrees C. In order to propose the methods to prevent food poisoning by bacterial infection, bactericidal activities of vinegar solution containing sodium chloride on cooking tools and

  16. Food-borne pathogens, health and role of dietary phytochemicals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shetty, K; Labbe, R G

    1998-12-01

    Infectious diseases transmitted by food have become a major public health concern in recent years. In the USA alone, there are an estimated 6-33 million cases each year. The list of responsible agents continues to grow. In the past 20 years some dozen new pathogens that are primarily food-borne have been identified. Fruits and vegetables, often from the global food market, have been added to the traditional vehicles of food-borne illness; that is, undercooked meat, poultry, seafood, or unpasteurized milk. Such products are minimally processed and have fewer barriers to microbial growth such as salt, sugar or preservatives. The evolution of the epidemiology of food-borne illness requires a rethinking of traditional, though still valid, solutions for their prevention. Among various strategies to prevent food-borne pathogens, use of dietary phytochemicals is promising. The major obstacle in the use of dietary phytochemical is the consistency of phytochemicals in different foods due to their natural genetic variation. We have developed a novel tissue-culture-based selection strategy to isolate elite phenolic phytochemical-producing clonal lines of species belonging to the family Lamiaceae. Among several species we have targeted elite clonal lines of thyme (Thymus vulgaris) and oregano (Origanum vulgare) against Escherichia coli and Clostridium perfrigens in fresh and processed meats. We are also evaluating high phenolic profile-containing clonal lines of basil (Ocimum basilicum) to inhibit gastric ulcer-causing Helicobacter pylori. Other elite lines of the members of the family Lamiaceae, rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and salvia (Salvia officinalis) also hold promise against a wide range of food pathogens such as Salmonella species in poultry products and Vibrio species in seafood.

  17. Determination of histamine in milkfish stick implicated in food-borne poisoning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi-Chen Lee

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available An incident of food-borne poisoning causing illness in 37 victims due to ingestion of fried fish sticks occurred in September 2014, in Tainan city, southern Taiwan. Leftovers of the victims' fried fish sticks and 16 other raw fish stick samples from retail stores were collected and tested to determine the occurrence of histamine and histamine-forming bacteria. Two suspected fried fish samples contained 86.6 mg/100 g and 235.0 mg/100 g histamine; levels that are greater than the potential hazard action level (50 mg/100 g in most illness cases. Given the allergy-like symptoms of the victims and the high histamine content in the suspected fried fish samples, this food-borne poisoning was strongly suspected to be caused by histamine intoxication. Moreover, the fish species of suspected samples was identified as milkfish (Chanos chanos, using polymerase chain reaction direct sequence analysis. In addition, four of the 16 commercial raw milkfish stick samples (25% had histamine levels greater than the US Food & Drug Administration guideline of 5.0 mg/100 g for scombroid fish and/or products. Ten histamine-producing bacterial strains, capable of producing 373–1261 ppm of histamine in trypticase soy broth supplemented with 1.0% L-histidine, were identified as Enterobacter aerogenes (4 strains, Enterobacter cloacae (1 strain, Morganella morganii (2 strains, Serratia marcescens (1 strain, Hafnia alvei (1 strain, and Raoultella orithinolytica (1 strain, by 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing with polymerase chain reaction amplification.

  18. Biocontrol and Rapid Detection of Food-borne Pathogens Using Bacteriophages and Endolysins

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaewoo eBai

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Bacteriophages have been suggested as natural food preservatives as well as rapid detection materials for food-borne pathogens in various foods. Since Listeria monocytogenes-targeting phage cocktail (ListShield was approved for applications in foods, numerous phages have been screened and experimentally characterized for phage applications in foods. A single phage and phage cocktail treatments to various foods contaminated with food-borne pathogens including E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica, Campylobacter jejuni, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Cronobacter sakazakii, and Vibrio spp. revealed that they have great potential to control various food-borne pathogens and may be alternative for conventional food preservatives. In addition, phage-derived endolysins with high host specificity and host lysis activities may be preferred to food applications rather than phages. For rapid detection of food-borne pathogens, cell-wall binding domains (CBDs from endolysins have been suggested due to their high host-specific binding. Fluorescence-tagged CBDs have been successfully evaluated and suggested to be alternative materials of expensive antibodies for various detection applications. Most recently, reporter phage systems have been developed and tested to confirm their usability and accuracy for specific detection. These systems revealed some advantages like rapid detection of only viable pathogenic cells without interference by food components in a very short reaction time, suggesting that these systems may be suitable for monitoring of pathogens in foods. Consequently, phage is the next-generation biocontrol agent as well as rapid detection tool to confirm and even identify the food-borne pathogens present in various foods.

  19. The bacteriological safety and antimicrobial susceptibility of bacteria ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In developing countries the major sources of food-borne illnesses are street vended foods. The aim of this study was thus to assess the prevalence and antibiogram of bacteria from white lupin in Bahir Dar Town. METHODS: A total of 40 samples were processed for detection of indicator bacteria and pathogens from ...

  20. From ontology selection and semantic web to the integrated information system of food-borne diseases and food safety

    Science.gov (United States)

    Over the last three decades, the rapid explosion of information and resources on human food-borne diseases and food safety has provided the ability to rapidly determine and interpret the mechanisms of survival and pathogenesis of food-borne pathogens. However, several factors have hindered effective...

  1. It is safe from O-157 and salmonellae. Food hygiene and food irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ito, Hitoshi

    1998-01-01

    Despite the improvement of the systems of food hygiene and food distribution on the markets compared with old times, food-borne diseases are increasing and spreading in the world. Food-borne diseases by pathogenic Escherichia coli O-157:H7 are also increasing seriously. Japan has been importing the large amount of foodstuffs which sometimes contaminating with pathogens or parasites. Many types of food-borne diseases have been caused by non-spore forming bacteria such as salmonellae, V. parahaemolyticus, pathogenic E. coli, Campylobacter and Staphylococcus aureus, and these bacteria can inactivate at dose in the range of 1 - 3 kGy in chilled meat. These pathogenic bacteria can also inactivate in the range of 2 - 5 kGy in frozen condition of meat. For the inactivation of Bacillus cereus or Clostridium botulinum, necessary doses should be more than 10 kGy, however, a dose of 3 kGy is also effective to control the growth at storage below 10degC. Food-borne diseases have been caused also by mycotoxins of fungi in Japan. Aflatoxins and sterigmatocystin are carcinogens and are stable to radiation. However, many fungi for responsible to produce mycotoxins are radiation sensitive and should be easily inactivated in the range of 3 - 5 kGy. If moisture content is controlled below 15%, low dose irradiation is also effective in the range of 0.2 - 0.5 kGy to control the growth of fungi and pests in grain or other dried foods. (author)

  2. Combined effect of enterocin and lipase from Enterococcus faecium NCIM5363 against food borne pathogens: mode of action studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramakrishnan, Vrinda; Narayan, Bhaskar; Halami, Prakash M

    2012-08-01

    Food borne diseases have a major impact on public health whose epidemiology is rapidly changing. The whole cells of pathogens involved or their toxins/metabolites affect the human health apart from spoiling sensory properties of the food products finally affecting the food industry as well as consumer health. With pathogens developing mechanisms of antibiotic resistance, there has been an increased need to replace antibiotics as well as chemical additives with naturally occurring bacteriocins. Bacteriocins are known to act mainly against Gram-positive pathogens and with little or no effect towards Gram-negative enteric bacteria. In the present study, combination effect of lipase and bacteriocin produced by Enterococcus faecium NCIM5363, a highly lipolytic lactic acid bacterium against various food pathogens was assessed. The lipase in combination with enterocin exhibited a lethal effect against Gram-negative pathogens. Scanning electron microscopy studies carried out to ascertain the constitutive mode of action of lipase and enterocin revealed that the lipase degrades the cell wall of Gram-negative bacteria and creates a pore through which enterocin enters thereby resulting in cell death. The novelty of this work is the fact that this is the first report revealing the synergistic effect of lipase with enterocin against Gram-negative bacteria.

  3. Food-borne bacteremic illnesses in febrile neutropenic children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anselm Chi-wai Lee

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Bacteremia following febrile neutropenia is a serious complication in children with malignancies. Preventive measures are currently targeted at antimicrobial prophylaxis, amelioration of drug-induced neutropenia, and nosocomial spread of pathogens, with little attention to community-acquired infections. A retrospective study was conducted at a pediatric oncology center during a 3-year period to identify probable cases of food-borne infections with bacteremia. Twenty-one bacteremic illnesses affecting 15 children receiving chemotherapy or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation were reviewed. Three (14% episodes were highly suspected of a food-borne origin: a 17-year-old boy with osteosarcoma contracted Sphingomonas paucimobilis septicemia after consuming nasi lemak bought from a street hawker; a 2-year-old boy with acute lymphoblastic leukemia developed Chryseobacterium meningosepticum septicemia after a sushi dinner; a 2-year-old girl was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and Lactobacillus bacteremia suspected to be of probiotic origin. All of them were neutropenic at the time of the infections and the bacteremias were cleared with antibiotic treatment. Food-borne sepsis may be an important, but readily preventable, cause of bloodstream infections in pediatric oncology patients, especially in tropical countries with an abundance of culinary outlets.

  4. Use of irradiation to control infectivity of food-borne parasites

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-01-01

    Food-borne parasitic diseases are common throughout the world, pose significant health problems and cause economic losses in terms of agricultural commodities and human productivity. The diseases usually occur through consumption of raw or partially cooked foods with are infected by various parasites (e.g. tapeworms, roundworms, flukes, parasitic protozoa, etc.). The problem is significant in developing countries where the population has the habit of consuming raw food of animal origin. Available data, with the exception of data on Trichinella spiralis, a parasitic nematode, were insufficient for the use of irradiation technology to control food-borne parasites. Therefore, a Co-ordinated Research Programme (CRP) on the Use of Irradiation to Control Infectivity of Food-Borne Parasites was implemented by the FAO/IAEA in 1986. The results of the work carried out over five years (1986-1991) by twelve researchers participating in the programme, have established conclusively the potential for application of food irradiation in the control of liver flukes, tapeworms, roundworms, trichinosis, toxoplasmosis, etc. This report includes the conclusions and recommendations of the participants concerning the results obtained and need for further research. Refs, figs and tabs

  5. Study on the overview on food borne bacteria in food with animal origin in Iran; Part three: seafood

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S.S Shekarforoush

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available The current retrospective study was focused on the contamination of seafood in Iran during the years 1999 to 2012. The isolates were Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium perferingense, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Shigella, Staphylococcus aureus and Vibrio parahemolyticus. C. botulinum type E was the most prevalent type of bacteria in the fisheries products, responsible for the most cases of botulinal food poisoning. The presence of coliforms and E. coli in the seafood was due to environmental pollution. Additionally, in the processed food, the contamination of potable water and poor handling of the products are the main sources. L. monocytogenes was isolated from fresh, frozen and processed food. The microorganism is able to grow in the refrigeration condition and multiply in the processed food. The temperature of cold smoking (20-30 ºC cannot stop growing of Listeria. High prevalence of Salmonella in water and fisheries product was mainly because of the low environmental sanitation and various geographical conditions. However, Compost fertilizer and flowing of the swages through the farms were considered as the major source of contamination. S. aureus is not a typical microorganism of the fisheries farms but may contaminate them during the processing or in-appropriate handling of the products. V. Parahemolyticus is a normal habitant organism of the pelagic area. The organism usually find in the warm water and presents in the tropical conditions. Different species of Vibrio may contaminate the salty water in the warm seasons and so contaminate the aquatics farms in these areas. In general, the prevalence of vibriosis was associated with the consumption of semi-cooked food stuff and/or the secondary contamination of the processed ones.

  6. Food-borne zoonoses, the EU zoonosis legislation and the prospects for food safety and consumer protection during primary animal production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smulders, Frans J M; Vågsholm, Ivar; Korkeala, Hannu

    2008-01-01

    Zoonoses are diseases that are transmitted naturally between animals and humans. The control of food-borne zoonoses within the European Union is a prerequisite for assuring a functional internal market and consequently represents an important item on the political agenda. Unfortunately, until recently, gaining a clear view of the current incidence of food-borne zoonoses and the prevalence of its causative agents has been frustrated by the absence of reliable monitoring and reporting systems. Similarly, it has become clear that, Europe wide, one has witnessed only limited success with regard to the control of important food-borne agents such as Salmonella spp. The European Union has adopted legislation to remedy this situation and to control food-borne zoonoses in primary production. This contribution discusses the incentives for introducing EU Directive 2003/99/EC and EU Regulation No. 2160/2003, summarises their essentials and discusses major ramifications of both pieces of legislation for the prevention of food-borne zoonoses. It is concluded that there is reason for cautious optimism concerning human salmonellosis, while for other food-borne zoonoses there should be a call for action.

  7. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a controversial food-borne pathogen.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sergelidis, D; Angelidis, A S

    2017-06-01

    Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major cause of severe healthcare-associated (HA) infections. Although during the last decade the incidence of HA invasive infections has dropped, the incidence of community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) infections has risen among the general population. Moreover, CA-MRSA, livestock-associated MRSA (LA-MRSA) and HA-MRSA (HA-MRSA) can be found in foods intended for human consumption. Several studies from different geographical areas have reported the presence of enterotoxin genes in several MRSA food isolates. Molecular typing studies have revealed genetic relatedness of these enterotoxigenic isolates with isolates incriminated in human infections. The contamination sources for foods, especially animal-origin foods, may be livestock as well as humans involved in animal husbandry and food-processing. Under favourable environmental conditions for growth and enterotoxin production, enterotoxigenic S. aureus isolates present in foods can cause staphylococcal food poisoning (SFP), irrespective of the contamination origin. Owing to the typically moderate clinical manifestations of SFP, the S. aureus strains responsible for SFP (cases or outbreaks) are frequently either not identified or not further characterized. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing is rarely performed, because administration of antimicrobial therapy is not required in the vast majority of cases. Staphylococcal food poisoning is the result of consumption of foods with preformed enterotoxins. Hence, similar to methicillin-sensitive enterotoxigenic S. aureus, enterotoxigenic MRSA can also act as food-borne pathogens upon favourable conditions for growth and enterotoxin production. The severity of the intoxication is not related to the antimicrobial resistance profile of the causative S. aureus strain and therefore MRSA food-borne outbreaks are not expected to be more severe. This review evaluates the potential of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus

  8. Interannual variability and sensitivity analysis of manure-borne bacteria transport from irrigated fields.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez, Gonzalo; Pachepsky, Yakov; Shelton, Daniel; Guber, Andrey; Yakirevich, Alexander; Dughtry, Craig; Goodrich, David

    2014-05-01

    Manure application has been implicated in deterioration of microbial quality of surface water utilized in recreation, irrigation, aquaculture, and various household- and agriculture-related processes. The model KINEROS2/STWIR has been recently developed for rainfall- or irrigation event-based simulations of manure-borne overland bacteria transport. Information on uncertainty in the model parameter values is essential for running sensitivity analysis, creating synthetic datasets, developing risk assessment projects, etc. The objective of this work was to analyze data obtained in multiple years when the status of soil surface, soil structure, and weed cover created palpably different conditions for overland microorganism transport. Experiments were carried out at the Beltsville USDA OPE3 site, which is a part of the Lower Chesapeake Long-term Agricultural Research Network Site. Manure was applied at typical Maryland rates and the two-hour irrigation was applied immediately after manure application and one week later. Escherichia coli and thermotolerant coliform concentrations in runoff and the bacteria contents in manure and soil before and after application were measured across the application area of about 100 m x 50 m on the 40-point grid. Bacteria contents in manure varied up to six orders of magnitude. No spatial structure in these contents was found at the support and spacing of this work. Parameters sets were substantially different for thermotolerant coliforms and E. coli. Bacteria adsorption and straining parameters varied by one order of magnitude over three year trials. Variability of Manning roughness coefficient, saturated hydraulic conductivity, net capillary drive, relative saturation, and solute dispersivity was substantially smaller. The hypothesis of applicability of uniform distributions to simulate the empirical distributions of above parameters could not be rejected at the 0.05 significance level. The Bradford-Schijven model was used to simulate

  9. Bacteria associated with street vended foods: implications to food ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Street vended foods were analysed for the bacterial load and the presence of pathogenic and/or potentially pathogenic bacteria. The foods were collected randomly from ambulatory and stationary vendors and analysed individually and then categorized as meats, salads and carbohydrates. The microbial analysis indicated ...

  10. Microbial Flora and Food Borne Pathogens on Minced Meat and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    BACKGROUND: Food-borne pathogens are the leading cause of illness and death in developing countries. Changes in eating habits, mass catering, unsafe food storage conditions and poor hygiene practices are major contributing factors to food associated illnesses. In Ethiopia, the widespread habit of raw beef ...

  11. Separation and concentration of water-borne contaminants utilizing insulator-based dielectrophoresis.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lapizco-Encinas, Blanca Hazalia; Fiechtner, Gregory J.; Cummings, Eric B.; Davalos, Rafael V.; Kanouff, Michael P.; Simmons, Blake Alexander; McGraw, Gregory J.; Salmi, Allen J.; Ceremuga, Joseph T.; Fintschenko, Yolanda

    2006-01-01

    This report focuses on and presents the capabilities of insulator-based dielectrophoresis (iDEP) microdevices for the concentration and removal of water-borne bacteria, spores and inert particles. The dielectrophoretic behavior exhibited by the different particles of interest (both biological and inert) in each of these systems was observed to be a function of both the applied electric field and the characteristics of the particle, such as size, shape, and conductivity. The results obtained illustrate the potential of glass and polymer-based iDEP devices to act as a concentrator for a front-end device with significant homeland security and industrial applications for the threat analysis of bacteria, spores, and viruses. We observed that the polymeric devices exhibit the same iDEP behavior and efficacy in the field of use as their glass counterparts, but with the added benefit of being easily mass fabricated and developed in a variety of multi-scale formats that will allow for the realization of a truly high-throughput device. These results also demonstrate that the operating characteristics of the device can be tailored through the device fabrication technique utilized and the magnitude of the electric field gradient created within the insulating structures. We have developed systems capable of handling numerous flow rates and sample volume requirements, and have produced a deployable system suitable for use in any laboratory, industrial, or clinical setting.

  12. Two size-selective mechanisms specifically trap bacteria-sized food particles in Caenorhabditis elegans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang-Yen, Christopher; Avery, Leon; Samuel, Aravinthan D T

    2009-11-24

    Caenorhabditis elegans is a filter feeder: it draws bacteria suspended in liquid into its pharynx, traps the bacteria, and ejects the liquid. How pharyngeal pumping simultaneously transports and filters food particles has been poorly understood. Here, we use high-speed video microscopy to define the detailed workings of pharyngeal mechanics. The buccal cavity and metastomal flaps regulate the flow of dense bacterial suspensions and exclude excessively large particles from entering the pharynx. A complex sequence of contractions and relaxations transports food particles in two successive trap stages before passage into the terminal bulb and intestine. Filtering occurs at each trap as bacteria are concentrated in the central lumen while fluids are expelled radially through three apical channels. Experiments with microspheres show that the C. elegans pharynx, in combination with the buccal cavity, is tuned to specifically catch and transport particles of a size range corresponding to most soil bacteria.

  13. Food-borne illness an unwelcome guest at any tailgate party

    OpenAIRE

    Sutphin, Michael D.

    2007-01-01

    With the start of the new school year comes football season and tailgating. Make sure that food-borne illness doesn't spoil the fun by following sound food-safety advice from Virginia Cooperative Extension.

  14. CRISPR-Cas Technologies and Applications in Food Bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stout, Emily; Klaenhammer, Todd; Barrangou, Rodolphe

    2017-02-28

    Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) and CRISPR-associated (Cas) proteins form adaptive immune systems that occur in many bacteria and most archaea. In addition to protecting bacteria from phages and other invasive mobile genetic elements, CRISPR-Cas molecular machines can be repurposed as tool kits for applications relevant to the food industry. A primary concern of the food industry has long been the proper management of food-related bacteria, with a focus on both enhancing the outcomes of beneficial microorganisms such as starter cultures and probiotics and limiting the presence of detrimental organisms such as pathogens and spoilage microorganisms. This review introduces CRISPR-Cas as a novel set of technologies to manage food bacteria and offers insights into CRISPR-Cas biology. It primarily focuses on the applications of CRISPR-Cas systems and tools in starter cultures and probiotics, encompassing strain-typing, phage resistance, plasmid vaccination, genome editing, and antimicrobial activity.

  15. Chemical composition and in vitro antibacterial activity of essential oil and methanol extract of Echinophora platyloba D.C against some of food-borne pathogenic bacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Hashemi

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Echinophora Platyloba D.C as a medicinal plant is used for preservation of foods and treatment of many diseases in different regions of Iran. The present study was undertaken to determine the chemical composition and investigation of the antibacterial effects of essential oil as well as methanol extract from aerial part of Echinophora Platyloba D.C against S. aureus, L. monocytogenes, S. Thyphimurium and E. coli. Chemical analysis using gas chromatography and mass spectrophotometry (GC/MS showed that ocimene (26.51%, 2,3-Dimethyl-cyclohexa- 1,3-diene (9.87%, alpha-pinene (7.69% and gamma-dodecanolactone (5.66% were dominant components of essential oil and the main constituents of methanol extract were o- Cymene (28.66%, methanol (8.50%, alpha-pinene (7.42% and gamma-decalactone (5.20%. The essential oil showed strong antimicrobial activity against tested bacteria, whereas the methanol extract almost remained inactive against gram-negative bacteria. The most sensitive bacteria to essential oil and extract of Echinophora Platyloba D.C were L. mono- cytogenes and S. aureus. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC values of essential oil against L. monocytogenes and S. aureus were 6250 and 12500 ppm, respectively. MIC of methanol extract against S. aureus and L. monocytogenes was 25000 ppm. Therefore, purifying and evaluation of antibacterial effects of the active substances of the essential oil and methanol extract of this plant for future application as antibacterial agents and food preservatives to combat pathogenic and toxigenic microorganisms is recommended.

  16. Antibacterial Activity of Fructus forsythia Essential Oil and the Application of EO-Loaded Nanoparticles to Food-Borne Pathogens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Na Guo

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Fructus forsythia essential oil (FEO with excellent antibacterial activity was rarely reported. The objective of the present study was to investigate the antibacterial activity and the antibacterial mechanism of FEO against two food-borne pathogenic bacteria, Escherichia coli (E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus in vitro. When treated FEO, the zones of inhibition (ZOI of E. coli (20.5 ± 0.25 mm and S. aureus (24.3 ± 0.21 mm were much larger than control (p < 0.05. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs of FEO were 3.13 mg/mL and 1.56 mg/mL for E. coli and S. aureus, respectively. The antibacterial mechanism of FEO against E. coil was due to the changes in permeability and integrity of cell membrane leading to the leakage of nucleic acids and proteins. With the superior antibacterial activity of FEO, the nano-encapsulation method has been applied in FEO. When compared to FEO and blank chitosan nanoparticles, FEO-loaded nanoparticles (chitosan to FEO of 1:1 can effectively inhibit the growth of E. coil above 90% at room temperature. It is necessary to consider that FEO and FEO-loaded nanoparticles will become promising antibacterial additives for food preservative, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical applications.

  17. Review of the trends and causes of food borne outbreaks in Malaysia from 1988 to 1997.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meftahuddin, T

    2002-03-01

    This paper examines the trend and possible contributing factors for the occurrence of the food borne diseases outbreaks in Malaysia. These diseases mainly are cholera, typhoid fever, hepatitis A, dysentery and food poisoning. The outbreaks still occur sporadically in certain high risk areas throughout the country. The incidence rate of all the other three major food borne diseases steadily declined from the year 1988 to 1997 except for food poisoning and cholera. Statistic of food poisoning from the year 1996 to 1997 showed that 66.5% of the outbreak occurred in schools whereas only 0.4% originated from the contaminated food sold at various public food outlets. The school age group is always more affected than the general population. Amongst the contributing factors identified are related to unhygienic food handling practices followed by inadequate safe water supply and poor environmental sanitation. A multisectoral approach between Ministry of Health and other government agencies or private agents needs to be undertaken in the management of the food borne diseases in order to curb the incidences of food borne diseases in Malaysia.

  18. A European network for food-borne parasites (Euro-FBP: meeting report on ‘Analytical methods for food-borne parasites in human and veterinary diagnostics and in food matrices’

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christian Klotz

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Food-borne parasites (FBPs are a neglected topic in food safety, partly due to a lack of awareness of their importance for public health, especially as symptoms tend not to develop immediately after exposure. In addition, methodological difficulties with both diagnosis in infected patients and detection in food matrices result in under-detection and therefore the potential for underestimation of their burden on our societies. This, in consequence, leads to lower prioritization for basic research, e.g. for development new and more advanced detection methods for different food matrices and diagnostic samples, and thus a vicious circle of neglect and lack of progress is propagated. The COST Action FA1408, A European Network for Foodborne Parasites (Euro-FBP aims to combat the impact of FBP on public health by facilitating the multidisciplinary cooperation and partnership between groups of researchers and between researchers and stakeholders. The COST Action TD1302, the European Network for cysticercosis/taeniosis, CYSTINET, has a specific focus on Taenia solium and T. saginata, two neglected FBPs, and aims to advance knowledge and understanding of these zoonotic disease complexes via collaborations in a multidisciplinary scientific network. This report summarizes the results of a meeting within the Euro-FBP consortium entitled ‘Analytical methods for food-borne parasites in human and veterinary diagnostics and in food matrices’ and of the joined Euro-FBP and CYSTINET meeting.

  19. Probiotic bacteria: selective enumeration and survival in dairy foods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, N P

    2000-04-01

    A number of health benefits have been claimed for probiotic bacteria such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium spp., and Lactobacillus casei. Because of the potential health benefits, these organisms are increasingly incorporated into dairy foods. However, studies have shown low viability of probiotics in market preparations. In order to assess viability of probiotic bacteria, it is important to have a working method for selective enumeration of these probiotic bacteria. Viability of probiotic bacteria is important in order to provide health benefits. Viability of probiotic bacteria can be improved by appropriate selection of acid and bile resistant strains, use of oxygen impermeable containers, two-step fermentation, micro-encapsulation, stress adaptation, incorporation of micronutrients such as peptides and amino acids and by sonication of yogurt bacteria. This review will cover selective enumeration and survival of probiotic bacteria in dairy foods.

  20. Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activities of Essential Oils from Nepeta cataria L. against Common Causes of Food-Borne Infections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zomorodian, Kamiar; Saharkhiz, Mohammad Jamal; Shariati, Samaneh; Pakshir, Keyvan; Rahimi, Mohammad Javad; Khashei, Reza

    2012-01-01

    Nepeta cataria L. is traditionally consumed as a food additive. The effects of three different harvest stages of N. cataria essential oils (EOs) against most common causes of food-borne infections were evaluated by broth microdilution method as recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). The chemical composition of the EOs from N. cataria has been analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The analysis of the EOs indicated that 4a-α,7-α,7a-β-nepetalactone (55–58%) and 4a-α,7-β,7a-α-nepetalactone (30–31.2%) were the major compounds of the EOs at all developmental stages. The results showed that the tested EOs exhibited antimicrobial activities against the food-borne pathogens at concentrations of 0.125–2 μL/mL. Based on these results, the EO of N. cataria can possibly be used in food products as a natural preservative agent. PMID:22779012

  1. Modeling number of bacteria per food unit in comparison to bacterial concentration in quantitative risk assessment: impact on risk estimates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pouillot, Régis; Chen, Yuhuan; Hoelzer, Karin

    2015-02-01

    When developing quantitative risk assessment models, a fundamental consideration for risk assessors is to decide whether to evaluate changes in bacterial levels in terms of concentrations or in terms of bacterial numbers. Although modeling bacteria in terms of integer numbers may be regarded as a more intuitive and rigorous choice, modeling bacterial concentrations is more popular as it is generally less mathematically complex. We tested three different modeling approaches in a simulation study. The first approach considered bacterial concentrations; the second considered the number of bacteria in contaminated units, and the third considered the expected number of bacteria in contaminated units. Simulation results indicate that modeling concentrations tends to overestimate risk compared to modeling the number of bacteria. A sensitivity analysis using a regression tree suggests that processes which include drastic scenarios consisting of combinations of large bacterial inactivation followed by large bacterial growth frequently lead to a >10-fold overestimation of the average risk when modeling concentrations as opposed to bacterial numbers. Alternatively, the approach of modeling the expected number of bacteria in positive units generates results similar to the second method and is easier to use, thus potentially representing a promising compromise. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  2. Food and soil-borne Penicillia in Arctic environments: Chemical diversity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Frisvad, Jens Christian

    Penicillia are very common inhabitants of cold environments, including arctic soil, plants, animals, and foods. We have investigated the mycobiota of Greenland inland ice and soil, and found a very unique and pronounced diversity among the Penicillia. Nearly all species were new to science....... The species found in inland ice were both of the soil-borne type, and Penicillia that grow and sporulate well at 25°C. The latter group of Penicillia have been found earlier in refrigerated foods, including P. nordicum, and in glacier ice and melting water from Svalbard (se Sonjak et al., this conference......). This “food-borne group” of arctic fungi also contained some new species, but not as many as in arctic soil. The chemical diversity of the Penicillium species was remarkably high and in most cases even larger than the chemical diversity of Penicillia in the tropics. Several new secondary metabolites were...

  3. Measurement of fructose-asparagine concentrations in human and animal foods.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, Jikang; Sabag-Daigle, Anice; Metz, Thomas O.; Kaiser, Brooke LD; Gopalan, Venkat; Behrman, Edward J.; Wysocki, Vicki H.; Ahmer, Brian

    2018-01-10

    The food-borne bacterial pathogen, Salmonella enterica, can utilize fructose-asparagine (F-Asn) as the sole carbon and nitrogen source. F-Asn is the product of an Amadori rearrangement following the non-enzymatic condensation of glucose and asparagine. Heating converts F-Asn via complex Maillard reactions to a variety of molecules which contribute to the color, taste, and aroma of heated foods. Among these is acrylamide, which is present in some foods, especially in fried potato products. The F-Asn utilization pathway in Salmonella, specifically FraB, is a potential drug target because inhibition of this enzyme would lead to intoxication of Salmonella in the presence of F-Asn. However, F-Asn would need to be packaged with the FraB inhibitor, or available in human foods. To determine if there are foods that have sufficient F-Asn, we measured F-Asn concentrations in a variety of human and animal foods. The 399 pmol/mg F-Asn found in mouse chow is sufficient to intoxicate a Salmonella fraB mutant in mouse models of salmonellosis, and several human foods were found to have this concentration or higher (fresh apricots, lettuce, asparagus, and in canned peaches). Much higher concentrations (11,000 to 35,000 pmol/mg dry weight) were found in heat-dried apricots, apples, and asparagus. This report clarifies the origins of F-Asn as a nutrient source for Salmonella, and identifies foods that could be used in concert with a FraB inhibitor as a therapeutic agent for Salmonella.

  4. Real-time PCR Detection of Food-borne Pathogenic Salmonella spp

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Malorny, B.; Mäde, D.; Löfström, Charlotta

    2013-01-01

    Infections by Salmonella enterica are a significant public health concern worldwide. Salmonellae form a complex group of bacteria consisting of two species, six subspecies and more than 2500 serovars (serotypes). Mainly through ingestion of contaminated food or feed, they cause self-limiting gast......Infections by Salmonella enterica are a significant public health concern worldwide. Salmonellae form a complex group of bacteria consisting of two species, six subspecies and more than 2500 serovars (serotypes). Mainly through ingestion of contaminated food or feed, they cause self...

  5. A review on food safety and food hygiene studies in Ghana

    OpenAIRE

    Ababio, P. F.; Lovatt, P.

    2015-01-01

    Food safety and hygiene in Ghana was studied using desk top literature review. Food research was highly concentrated in the capital city of the country and most research focus were on commercial food operations specifically street foods and microbiological safety with limited information from institutional catering and other forms of food hazards. The media currently serves as the main source for reporting of food borne diseases. Food establishments and other sources contributing to food born...

  6. Adhesion of food-borne bacteria to stainless steel is reduced by food conditioning films

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bernbom, Nete; Ng, Yin; Jorgensen, R.L.

    2009-01-01

    of proteins with similar molecular weight based in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, in several extracts that reduced adhesion but also extracts not containing this protein reduced bacterial adhesion, indicating that several molecular species may be involved in the phenomenon....... It is a common perception that food materials facilitate bacterial adhesion to surfaces; however, this study demonstrates that aqueous coatings of food origin may actually reduce bacterial adhesion. Compounds from food extracts may potentially be used as nontoxic coatings to reduce bacterial attachment to inert...

  7. Study on the overview on foodborne bacteria in food with animal origin in Iran; Part four: Poultry and egg

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S.S Shekarforoush

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available In this study, the contamination of poultry meat and eggs to pathogenic bacteria was investigated in Iran, for over three decades. Health assessment of these two products is highly important due to their high level of consumption and consequent health risks of food borne diseases such as salmonellosis. Many reports indicate the presence of majority of pathogenic bacteria such as campylobacter, staphylococci, salmonellas, etc. in the poultry abattoirs across the country. It seems that most of these contaminations had been occurred through cross contamination during slaughtering or other stages of processing. Although many bacterial contaminations have been reported in eggs (e.g., streptococci, staphylococci, or Escherichia coli, most of studies have focused on salmonella as eggs are among the major transmission routes of this bacterium. In several suveys, salmonella has been isolated from the shell of the eggs of native breeds. According to the studies, campylobacter contamination has not been reported. Moreober, occurrence rate with other bacteria species was very low. It seems that due to the high proportions of chicken meat and eggs in the food basket of community, even low levels of contamination could be of great concern. It was concluded that maintaining of hygienic conditions and improving the knowledge of producers in the food production chain could be effective in reducing the overall contamination of pathogenic bacterial.

  8. Disinfection effect of non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma for foodborne bacteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pervez, Mohammad Rasel; Inomata, Takanori; Ishijima, Tatsuo; Kakikawa, Makiko; Uesugi, Yoshihiko; Tanaka, Yasunori; Yano, Toshihiro; Miwa, Shoji; Noguchi, Akinori

    2015-09-01

    Non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma (NAPP) exposure can be a suitable alternative for bacteria inactivation in food processing industry. Specimen placed in the enclosure are exposed to various reactive radicals produced within the discharge chamber. It is also exposed to the periodic variation of the electric field strength in the chamber. Dielectric barrier discharge is produced by high voltage pulse (Vpp = 18 kV, pulse width 20 μs, repetition frequency 10 kHz) in a polypropylene box (volume = 350 cm3) using helium as main feed gas. Inactivation efficiency of NAPP depends on the duration of NAPP exposure, applied voltage pulse strength and type, pulse duration, electrode separation and feed gas composition. In this study we have investigated inactivation of Bacillus lichenformis spore as an example of food borne bacteria. Keeping applied voltage, electrode configuration and total gas flow rate constant, spores are exposed to direct NAPP for different time duration while O2 concentration in the feed gas composition is varied. 10 minutes NAPP exposure resulted in ~ 3 log reduction of Bacillus lichenformis spores for 1% O2concentration (initial concentration ~ 106 / specimen). This work is supported by research and development promotion grant provided by the Hokuriku Industrial Advancement Center.

  9. Antimicrobial activity of Piper nigrum L. and Cassia didymobotyra L. leaf extract on selected food borne pathogens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohd. Sayeed Akthar

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To investigate the antimicrobial activity of leaf extract of Piper nigrum (P. nigrum and Cassia didymobotyra (C. didymobotyra (aqueous, methanol, ethanol and petroleum ether against the food borne pathogenic bacteria [Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus, Escherichia coli (E. coli, Salmonella typhimurium and Pseudomonas aeruginosa] and fungi [Aspergillus spp. and Candida albicans (C. albicans] and also to investigate the presence of various phytochemicals in the leaf extracts of tested plants. Methods: The antimicrobial activity was determined by disc diffusion method. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC, minimum bactericidal and fungicidal concentration were determined by serial dilution method. Results: Methanol leaf extract of test plants exhibited greater antimicrobial activity against the selected bacterial and fungal strains. The MIC results showed that ethanol, methanol and petroleum ether leaf extract of P. nigrum inhibited the growth of S. aureus and E. coli at concentration of 12.5 mg/mL. While, ethanol and methanol leaf extracts of C. didymobotyra inhibited the growth of S. aureus at concentration of 6.25 mg/mL. The MIC values for ethanol, methanol and petroleum ether leaf extract of P. nigrum inhibited the growth of C. albicans at concentration of 25.0 mg/mL. While, it was reported that at concentration of 12.5 mg/mL methanol leaf extract of P. nigrum was against the Aspergillus spp. The MIC values of methanol leaf extract of C. didymobotyra inhibited the growth of C. albicans and Aspergillus spp. at concentration of 12.5 mg/mL and 6.25 mg/mL, respectively. The minimum bactericidal concentration of ethanol, methanol leaf extract of P. nigrum for E. coli and ethanol, methanol leaf extract of C. didymobotyra for S. aureus was recorded at concentration 12.5 mg/mL. The minimum fungicidal concentration of ethanol and methanol leaf extract of P. nigrum and C. didymobotyra on C. albicans was recorded at concentration of 25.0 mg

  10. A hospital cafeteria-related food-borne outbreak due to Bacillus cereus: unique features.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baddour, L M; Gaia, S M; Griffin, R; Hudson, R

    1986-09-01

    Although Bacillus cereus is a well-known cause of food-borne illness, hospital-related outbreaks of food-borne disease due to B. cereus have rarely been documented. We report a hospital employee cafeteria outbreak due to foods contaminated with B. cereus in which an outside caterer was employed to prepare the suspect meals. Data were collected from 249 of 291 employees who had eaten either of the two meals. With a mean incubation period of 12.5 hours, 64% (160 of 249) of employees manifested illness. Symptoms, which averaged 24.3 hours in duration, included diarrhea (96.3%), abdominal cramps (90%), nausea (50.6%), weakness (24.7%), and vomiting (13.8%). Eighty-seven employees sought medical attention, 84 of whom were seen in an emergency room. Although a significant difference was not demonstrated in food-specific attack rates, B. cereus was cultured from both rice and chicken items that were served at both meals. Sixty-three employees submitted stools for culture that grew no enteric pathogens, but none were examined for B. cereus. This food-borne outbreak demonstrates: the need for hospital kitchen supervisors to ensure proper handling of food when outside caterers are employed; that significant differences in food-specific attack rates may not be demonstrated in outbreaks, which may be related to several factors; and the importance of notifying microbiology laboratory personnel when B. cereus is a suspect enteric pathogen, since many laboratories do not routinely attempt to identify this organism in stool specimens.

  11. Consumer Exposure to Antimicrobial Resistant Bacteria From Food at Swiss Retail Level

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christoph Jans

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR in bacteria is an increasing health concern. The spread of AMR bacteria (AMRB between animals and humans via the food chain and the exchange of AMR genes requires holistic approaches for risk mitigation. The AMRB exposure of humans via food is currently only poorly understood leaving an important gap for intervention design.Method: This study aimed to assess AMRB prevalence in retail food and subsequent exposure of Swiss consumers in a systematic literature review of data published between 1996 and 2016 covering the Swiss agriculture sector and relevant imported food.Results: Data from 313 out of 9,473 collected studies were extracted yielding 122,438 food samples and 38,362 bacteria isolates of which 30,092 samples and 8,799 isolates were AMR positive. A median AMRB prevalence of >50% was observed for meat and seafood harboring Campylobacter, Enterococcus, Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Listeria, and Vibrio spp. and to a lesser prevalence for milk products harboring starter culture bacteria. Gram-negative AMRB featured predominantly AMR against aminoglycosides, cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, penicillins, sulfonamides, and tetracyclines observed at AMR exposures scores of levels 1 (medium and 2 (high for Campylobacter, Salmonella, E. coli in meat as well as Vibrio and E. coli in seafood. Gram-positive AMRB featured AMR against glycoproteins, lincosamides, macrolides and nitrofurans for Staphylococcus and Enterococcus in meat sources, Staphylococcus in seafood as well as Enterococcus and technologically important bacteria (incl. starters in fermented or processed dairy products. Knowledge gaps were identified for AMR prevalence in dairy, plant, fermented meat and novel food products and for the role of specific indicator bacteria (Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, starter culture bacteria and their mobile genetic elements in AMR gene transfer.Conclusion: Raw meat, milk, seafood, and certain fermented dairy

  12. Consumer Exposure to Antimicrobial Resistant Bacteria From Food at Swiss Retail Level

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jans, Christoph; Sarno, Eleonora; Collineau, Lucie; Meile, Leo; Stärk, Katharina D. C.; Stephan, Roger

    2018-01-01

    Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria is an increasing health concern. The spread of AMR bacteria (AMRB) between animals and humans via the food chain and the exchange of AMR genes requires holistic approaches for risk mitigation. The AMRB exposure of humans via food is currently only poorly understood leaving an important gap for intervention design. Method: This study aimed to assess AMRB prevalence in retail food and subsequent exposure of Swiss consumers in a systematic literature review of data published between 1996 and 2016 covering the Swiss agriculture sector and relevant imported food. Results: Data from 313 out of 9,473 collected studies were extracted yielding 122,438 food samples and 38,362 bacteria isolates of which 30,092 samples and 8,799 isolates were AMR positive. A median AMRB prevalence of >50% was observed for meat and seafood harboring Campylobacter, Enterococcus, Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Listeria, and Vibrio spp. and to a lesser prevalence for milk products harboring starter culture bacteria. Gram-negative AMRB featured predominantly AMR against aminoglycosides, cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, penicillins, sulfonamides, and tetracyclines observed at AMR exposures scores of levels 1 (medium) and 2 (high) for Campylobacter, Salmonella, E. coli in meat as well as Vibrio and E. coli in seafood. Gram-positive AMRB featured AMR against glycoproteins, lincosamides, macrolides and nitrofurans for Staphylococcus and Enterococcus in meat sources, Staphylococcus in seafood as well as Enterococcus and technologically important bacteria (incl. starters) in fermented or processed dairy products. Knowledge gaps were identified for AMR prevalence in dairy, plant, fermented meat and novel food products and for the role of specific indicator bacteria (Staphylococcus, Enterococcus), starter culture bacteria and their mobile genetic elements in AMR gene transfer. Conclusion: Raw meat, milk, seafood, and certain fermented dairy products

  13. Efficacy of low-pressure foam cleaning compared to conventional cleaning methods in the removal of bacteria from surfaces associated with convenience food.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lambrechts, A A; Human, I S; Doughari, J H; Lues, J F R

    2014-09-01

    Food borne illnesses and food poisoning are cause for concern globally. The diseases are often caused by food contamination with pathogenic bacteria due largely to poor sanitary habits or storage conditions. Prevalence of some bacteria on cleaned and sanitised food contact surfaces from eight convenience food plants in Gauteng (South Africa) was investigated with the view to evaluate the efficacy of the cleaning methods used with such food contact surfaces. The microbial load of eight convenience food manufacturing plants was determined by sampling stainless steel food contact surfaces after they had been cleaned and sanitised at the end of a day's shift. Samples were analysed for Total Plate Count (TPC), Escherichia coli, Salmonella species, Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria species. Results showed that 59 % of the total areas sampled for TPC failed to comply with the legal requirements for surfaces, according to the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act ( 0.05) in terms of Listeria species isolates obtained from both cleaning methods. The LPF method proved to be the superior cleaning option for lowering TPC counts. Regardless of cleaning method used, pathogens continued to flourish on various surfaces, including dry stainless steel, posing a contamination hazard for a considerable period depending on the contamination level and type of pathogen. Intensive training for proper chemical usage and strict procedural compliance among workers for efficient cleaning procedures is recommended.

  14. Food-borne diseases - the challenges of 20 years ago still persist while new ones continue to emerge.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Newell, D.G.; Koopmans, M.; Verhoef, L.; Duizer, E.; Aidara-Kane, A.; Sprong, H.; Opsteegh, M.; Langelaar, M.; Threfall, J.; Scheutz, F.; van der Giessen, J.; Kruse, H.

    2010-01-01

    The burden of diseases caused by food-borne pathogens remains largely unknown. Importantly data indicating trends in food-borne infectious intestinal disease is limited to a few industrialised countries, and even fewer pathogens. It has been predicted that the importance of diarrhoeal disease,

  15. Gram-positive bacteria persisting in the food production environment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Knøchel, Susanne; Harmsen, Morten; Knudsen, Bettina

    2008-01-01

    Many gram-positive bacteria are able to form aggregates or biofilms and resist external stress factors and some gram-positive pathogenic bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes and Bacillus cereus may persist in the food production environment for extended periods. Most research has focussed...

  16. [Socioeconomic costs of food-borne disease using the cost-of-illness model: applying the QALY method].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shin, Hosung; Lee, Suehyung; Kim, Jong Soo; Kim, Jinsuk; Han, Kyu Hong

    2010-07-01

    This study estimated the annual socioeconomic costs of food-borne disease in 2008 from a societal perspective and using a cost-of-illness method. Our model employed a comprehensive set of diagnostic disease codes to define food-borne diseases with using the Korea National Health Insurance (KNHI) reimbursement data. This study classified the food borne illness as three types of symptoms according to the severity of the illness: mild, moderate, severe. In addition to the traditional method of assessing the cost-of-illness, the study included measures to account for the lost quality of life. We estimated the cost of the lost quality of life using quality-adjusted life years and a visual analog scale. The direct cost included medical and medication costs, and the non-medical costs included transportation costs, caregiver's cost and administration costs. The lost productivity costs included lost workdays due to illness and lost earnings due to premature death. The study found the estimated annual socioeconomic costs of food-borne disease in 2008 were 954.9 billion won (735.3 billion won-996.9 billion won). The medical cost was 73.4 - 76.8% of the cost, the lost productivity cost was 22.6% and the cost of the lost quality of life was 26.0%. Most of the cost-of-illness studies are known to have underestimated the actual socioeconomic costs of the subjects, and these studies excluded many important social costs, such as the value of pain, suffering and functional disability. The study addressed the uncertainty related to estimating the socioeconomic costs of food-borne disease as well as the updated cost estimates. Our estimates could contribute to develop and evaluate policies for food-borne disease.

  17. Invitro Evaluation Of Antibacterial Activity Of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated From Ergo And Qotchqotcha Ethiopian Traditional Fermented Foods Against Some Selected Food Borne Pathogens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lamenew Fenta

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available The prevention of pathogenic bacteria by lactic acid bacteria LAB isolated directly from foods is an innovative approach. With the aim of determining the anti-bacterial activity of Lactic acid bacteria isolated from ergo and qotchqotcha Ethiopian fermented food 12 samples of each were taken from the 4 different kebeles of Assosa town. Isolation of LAB from the selected samples were carried out using MRS media. The different set of isolates were characterized using primary biochemical tests. Isolates which were gram positive catalase negative and KOH negative were considered to be presumptive LAB and further characterized by using different biochemical tests for further identification. 16 isolates from ergo samples were isolated. Based on Bergeys manual of determinative bacteriology the 16 isolates belonged to four 4 LAB species namely Lactobacillus acidophilus 18.75 Lactobacillus casei 31.25 Streptococcus thermophiles 25 and Lactobacillus bulgaricus 25. Likewise 5 isolates were isolated from Qotchqotcha and the five isolates were found to be Lactobacillus acidophilus 80 and Pediococcus acidilactici 20. Cell free solution from MRS broth culture of theses LAB was prepared and tested against Escherichia coli O157H7 and Staphylococcus aureus using agar-well diffusion method. Of the 16 isolates isolated from ergo 9 of them show antimicrobial activity against E. coli O157H7 with a largest inhibition zone measured about 7.331.20mm by EK0101 and 12 of them show antimicrobial activity against S. aureus with a largest inhibition zone measured about 11.66 0.88mm by EK0201. On the basis of morphological and biochemical test done EK0101 was found to be presumptive Lactobacillus acidophilus and EK0201 to be Streptococcus thermophiles. All of the isolates isolated from Qotchqotcha showed antimicrobial activity against the tested organisms though there was a significant difference in their activity P0.05. The isolate QK0201 showed an inhibition zone of about 6

  18. Measurement of Fructose-Asparagine Concentrations in Human and Animal Foods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Jikang; Sabag-Daigle, Anice; Metz, Thomas O; Deatherage Kaiser, Brooke L; Gopalan, Venkat; Behrman, Edward J; Wysocki, Vicki H; Ahmer, Brian M M

    2018-01-10

    The food-borne bacterial pathogen, Salmonella enterica, can utilize fructose-asparagine (F-Asn) as its sole carbon and nitrogen source. F-Asn is the product of an Amadori rearrangement following the nonenzymatic condensation of glucose and asparagine. Heating converts F-Asn via complex Maillard reactions to a variety of molecules that contribute to the color, taste, and aroma of heated foods. Among these end derivatives is acrylamide, which is present in some foods, especially in fried potatoes. The F-Asn utilization pathway in Salmonella, specifically FraB, is a potential drug target because inhibition of this enzyme would lead to intoxication of Salmonella in the presence of F-Asn. However, F-Asn would need to be packaged with the FraB inhibitor or available in human foods. To determine if there are foods that have sufficient F-Asn, we measured F-Asn concentrations in a variety of human and animal foods. The 400 pmol/mg F-Asn found in mouse chow is sufficient to intoxicate a Salmonella fraB mutant in mouse models of salmonellosis, and several human foods were found to have F-Asn at this level or higher (fresh apricots, lettuce, asparagus, and canned peaches). Much higher concentrations (11 000-35 000 pmol/mg dry weight) were found in heat-dried apricots, apples, and asparagus. This report reveals possible origins of F-Asn as a nutrient source for Salmonella and identifies foods that could be used together with a FraB inhibitor as a therapeutic agent for Salmonella.

  19. Food-borne disease and climate change in the United Kingdom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lake, Iain R

    2017-12-05

    This review examined the likely impact of climate change upon food-borne disease in the UK using Campylobacter and Salmonella as example organisms. Campylobacter is an important food-borne disease and an increasing public health threat. There is a reasonable evidence base that the environment and weather play a role in its transmission to humans. However, uncertainty as to the precise mechanisms through which weather affects disease, make it difficult to assess the likely impact of climate change. There are strong positive associations between Salmonella cases and ambient temperature, and a clear understanding of the mechanisms behind this. However, because the incidence of Salmonella disease is declining in the UK, any climate change increases are likely to be small. For both Salmonella and Campylobacter the disease incidence is greatest in older adults and young children. There are many pathways through which climate change may affect food but only a few of these have been rigorously examined. This provides a high degree of uncertainty as to what the impacts of climate change will be. Food is highly controlled at the National and EU level. This provides the UK with resilience to climate change as well as potential to adapt to its consequences but it is unknown whether these are sufficient in the context of a changing climate.

  20. Antimicrobial Activity of Kefir against Various Food Pathogens and Spoilage Bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Dong-Hyeon; Jeong, Dana; Kim, Hyunsook; Kang, Il-Byeong; Chon, Jung-Whan; Song, Kwang-Young; Seo, Kun-Ho

    2016-01-01

    Kefir is a unique fermented dairy product produced by a mixture of lactic acid bacteria, acetic acid bacteria, and yeast. Here, we compared the antimicrobial spectra of four types of kefirs (A, L, M, and S) fermented for 24, 36, 48, or 72 h against eight food-borne pathogens. Bacillus cereus , Staphylococcus aureus , Listeria monocytogenes , Enterococcus faecalis , Escherichia coli , Salmonella Enteritidis , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and Cronobacter sakazakii were used as test strains, and antibacterial activity was investigated by the spot on lawn method. The spectra, potencies, and onsets of activity varied according to the type of kefir and the fermentation time. The broadest and strongest antimicrobial spectrum was obtained after at least 36-48 h of fermentation for all kefirs, although the traditional fermentation method of kefir is for 18-24 h at 25℃. For kefir A, B. cereus , E. coli , S . Enteritidis, P. aeruginosa , and C. sakazakii were inhibited, while B. cereus , S. aureus , E. coli , S . Enteritidis, P. aeruginosa , and C. sakazakii were inhibited to different extents by kefirs L, M, and S. Remarkably, S. aureus , S . Enteritidis, and C. sakazakii were only inhibited by kefirs L, M, and S, and L. monocytogenes by kefir M after fermentation for specific times, suggesting that the antimicrobial activity is attributable not only to a low pH but also to antimicrobial substances secreted during the fermentation.

  1. Evaluation of Petrifilm Lactic Acid Bacteria Plates for Counting Lactic Acid Bacteria in Food.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanagawa, Satomi; Ohshima, Chihiro; Takahashi, Hajime; Burenqiqige; Kikuchi, Misato; Sato, Fumina; Nakamura, Ayaka; Mohamed, Shimaa M; Kuda, Takashi; Kimura, Bon

    2018-06-01

    Although lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are used widely as starter cultures in the production of fermented foods, they are also responsible for food decay and deterioration. The undesirable growth of LAB in food causes spoilage, discoloration, and slime formation. Because of these adverse effects, food companies test for the presence of LAB in production areas and processed foods and consistently monitor the behavior of these bacteria. The 3M Petrifilm LAB Count Plates have recently been launched as a time-saving and simple-to-use plate designed for detecting and quantifying LAB. This study compares the abilities of Petrifilm LAB Count Plates and the de Man Rogosa Sharpe (MRS) agar medium to determine the LAB count in a variety of foods and swab samples collected from a food production area. Bacterial strains isolated from Petrifilm LAB Count Plates were identified by 16S rDNA sequence analysis to confirm the specificity of these plates for LAB. The results showed no significant difference in bacterial counts measured by using Petrifilm LAB Count Plates and MRS medium. Furthermore, all colonies growing on Petrifilm LAB Count Plates were confirmed to be LAB, while yeast colonies also formed in MRS medium. Petrifilm LAB Count Plates eliminated the plate preparation and plate inoculation steps, and the cultures could be started as soon as a diluted food sample was available. Food companies are required to establish quality controls and perform tests to check the quality of food products; the use of Petrifilm LAB Count Plates can simplify this testing process for food companies.

  2. What Bacteria Are Living in My Food?: An Open-Ended Practical Series Involving Identification of Unknown Foodborne Bacteria Using Molecular Techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prasad, Prascilla; Turner, Mark S.

    2011-01-01

    This open-ended practical series titled "Molecular Identification of Unknown Food Bacteria" which extended over a 6-week period was designed with the aims of giving students an opportunity to gain an understanding of naturally occurring food bacteria and skills in contemporary molecular methods using real food samples. The students first isolated…

  3. Big bacteria

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schulz, HN; Jørgensen, BB

    2001-01-01

    A small number of prokaryotic species have a unique physiology or ecology related to their development of unusually large size. The biomass of bacteria varies over more than 10 orders of magnitude, from the 0.2 mum wide nanobacteria to the largest cells of the colorless sulfur bacteria......, Thiomargarita namibiensis, with a diameter of 750 mum. All bacteria, including those that swim around in the environment, obtain their food molecules by molecular diffusion. Only the fastest and largest swimmers known, Thiovulum majus, are able to significantly increase their food supply by motility...... and by actively creating an advective flow through the entire population. Diffusion limitation generally restricts the maximal size of prokaryotic cells and provides a selective advantage for mum-sized cells at the normally low substrate concentrations in the environment. The largest heterotrophic bacteria...

  4. A Glutamic Acid-Producing Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Malaysian Fermented Foods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zareian, Mohsen; Ebrahimpour, Afshin; Bakar, Fatimah Abu; Mohamed, Abdul Karim Sabo; Forghani, Bita; Ab-Kadir, Mohd Safuan B.; Saari, Nazamid

    2012-01-01

    l-glutamaic acid is the principal excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain and an important intermediate in metabolism. In the present study, lactic acid bacteria (218) were isolated from six different fermented foods as potent sources of glutamic acid producers. The presumptive bacteria were tested for their ability to synthesize glutamic acid. Out of the 35 strains showing this capability, strain MNZ was determined as the highest glutamic-acid producer. Identification tests including 16S rRNA gene sequencing and sugar assimilation ability identified the strain MNZ as Lactobacillus plantarum. The characteristics of this microorganism related to its glutamic acid-producing ability, growth rate, glucose consumption and pH profile were studied. Results revealed that glutamic acid was formed inside the cell and excreted into the extracellular medium. Glutamic acid production was found to be growth-associated and glucose significantly enhanced glutamic acid production (1.032 mmol/L) compared to other carbon sources. A concentration of 0.7% ammonium nitrate as a nitrogen source effectively enhanced glutamic acid production. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of glutamic acid production by lactic acid bacteria. The results of this study can be further applied for developing functional foods enriched in glutamic acid and subsequently γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) as a bioactive compound. PMID:22754309

  5. Dietary Sodium Intakes and Food Sources of Sodium in Canadian-Born and Asian-Born Individuals of Chinese Ethnicity at a Canadian University Campus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Yan Han; Farmer, Anna; Mager, Diana; Willows, Noreen

    2014-01-01

    Objective: To document the sodium intake and food sources of sodium of Canadian-born Chinese (CBC) and Asian-born Chinese (ABC) individuals at a Canadian university campus. Participants: Healthy adults aged 18-58 years originating from Canada, China, Hong Kong, or Taiwan were recruited from the University of Alberta (n = 40 CBC, n = 41 ABC)…

  6. Antimicrobial resistant bacteria in the food chain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wegener, Henrik Caspar

    2003-01-01

    Antimicrobials are used for treatment and prevention of disease in food animals and as feed additives for growth promotion. All uses lead to the development of resistant bacteria, some of which are pathogenic to humans. Current main concerns are with resistance in Salmonella and Campylobacter...

  7. Reviews on Food Safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilkins, E.

    2004-01-01

    Food safety is an increasing concern. The desire for rapid, specific methods for the detection of viable potential pathogens has grown into a necessity. Microbial contamination of meat, fresh fruits, and vegetables has become a mounting concern during the last decade due to emphasis on their importance in a healthy diet and the recognition of new food borne pathogens such as Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli 0157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes. This paper presents an overview of different commercial techniques for identification of bacteria such as: III-nitride on Silicon Chips for detection of live bacteria, Optical Biosensors, Piezoelectric-based acoustic wave devices, Electrochemical Biosensors, Immunogenic Techniques, Polymerase chain reaction

  8. Reviews on Food Safety

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wilkins, E [Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering. University orNew Mexico. 209 Farris Engineering Center. Albuquerque. NM 117131 (Ukraine)

    2004-07-01

    Food safety is an increasing concern. The desire for rapid, specific methods for the detection of viable potential pathogens has grown into a necessity. Microbial contamination of meat, fresh fruits, and vegetables has become a mounting concern during the last decade due to emphasis on their importance in a healthy diet and the recognition of new food borne pathogens such as Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli 0157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes. This paper presents an overview of different commercial techniques for identification of bacteria such as: III-nitride on Silicon Chips for detection of live bacteria, Optical Biosensors, Piezoelectric-based acoustic wave devices, Electrochemical Biosensors, Immunogenic Techniques, Polymerase chain reaction.

  9. PCR detection of thermophilic spore-forming bacteria involved in canned food spoilage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prevost, S; Andre, S; Remize, F

    2010-12-01

    Thermophilic bacteria that form highly heat-resistant spores constitute an important group of spoilage bacteria of low-acid canned food. A PCR assay was developed in order to rapidly trace these bacteria. Three PCR primer pairs were designed from rRNA gene sequences. These primers were evaluated for the specificity and the sensitivity of detection. Two primer pairs allowed detection at the species level of Geobacillus stearothermophilus and Moorella thermoacetica/thermoautrophica. The other pair allowed group-specific detection of anaerobic thermophilic bacteria of the genera Thermoanaerobacterium, Thermoanaerobacter, Caldanerobium and Caldanaerobacter. After a single enrichment step, these PCR assays allowed the detection of 28 thermophiles from 34 cans of spoiled low-acid food. In addition, 13 ingredients were screened for the presence of these bacteria. This PCR assay serves as a detection method for strains able to spoil low-acid canned food treated at 55°C. It will lead to better reactivity in the canning industry. Raw materials and ingredients might be qualified not only for quantitative spore contamination, but also for qualitative contamination by highly heat-resistant spores.

  10. Resistance in bacteria of the food chain: epidemiology and control strategies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aarestrup, Frank Møller; Wegener, Henrik Caspar; Collignon, P.

    2008-01-01

    quantification of the transmission difficult. The exposure of humans to antimicrobial resistance from food animals can be controlled by either limiting the selective pressure from antimicrobial usage or by limiting the spread of the bacteria/genes. A number of control options are reviewed, including drug...... licensing, removing financial incentives, banning or restricting the use of certain drugs, altering prescribers behavior, improving animal health, improving hygiene and implementing microbial criteria for certain types of resistant pathogens for use in the control of trade of both food animals and food.......Bacteria have evolved multiple mechanisms for the efficient evolution and spread of antimicrobial resistance. Modern food production facilitates the emergence and spread of resistance through the intensive use of antimicrobial agents and international trade of both animals and food products...

  11. Acetic acid bacteria in fermented foods and beverages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Roos, Jonas; De Vuyst, Luc

    2018-02-01

    Although acetic acid bacteria (AAB) are commonly found in spontaneous or backslopped fermented foods and beverages, rather limited knowledge about their occurrence and functional role in natural food fermentation ecosystems is available. Not only is their cultivation, isolation, and identification difficult, their cells are often present in a viable but not culturable state. Yet, they are promising starter cultures either to better control known food fermentation processes or to produce novel fermented foods and beverages. This review summarizes the most recent findings on the occurrence and functional role of AAB in natural food fermentation processes such as lambic beer, water kefir, kombucha, and cocoa. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Fungi outcompete bacteria under increased uranium concentration in culture media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mumtaz, Saqib; Streten-Joyce, Claire; Parry, David L.; McGuinness, Keith A.; Lu, Ping; Gibb, Karen S.

    2013-01-01

    As a key part of water management at the Ranger Uranium Mine (Northern Territory, Australia), stockpile (ore and waste) runoff water was applied to natural woodland on the mine lease in accordance with regulatory requirements. Consequently, the soil in these Land Application Areas (LAAs) presents a range of uranium concentrations. Soil samples were collected from LAAs with different concentrations of uranium and extracts were plated onto LB media containing no (0 ppm), low (3 ppm), medium (250 ppm), high (600 ppm) and very high (1500 ppm) uranium concentrations. These concentrations were similar to the range of measured uranium concentrations in the LAAs soils. Bacteria grew on all plates except for the very high uranium concentrations, where only fungi were recovered. Identifications based on bacterial 16S rRNA sequence analysis showed that the dominant cultivable bacteria belonged to the genus Bacillus. Members of the genera Paenibacillus, Lysinibacillus, Klebsiella, Microbacterium and Chryseobacterium were also isolated from the LAAs soil samples. Fungi were identified by sequence analysis of the intergenic spacer region, and members of the genera Aspergillus, Cryptococcus, Penicillium and Curvularia were dominant on plates with very high uranium concentrations. Members of the Paecilomyces and Alternaria were also present but in lower numbers. These findings indicate that fungi can tolerate very high concentrations of uranium and are more resistant than bacteria. Bacteria and fungi isolated at the Ranger LAAs from soils with high concentrations of uranium may have uranium binding capability and hence the potential for uranium bioremediation. -- Highlights: ► Fungi outcompete bacteria under increased uranium concentration in culture media. ► Soil microorganisms isolated from the Ranger Land Application Areas (LAAs) were resistant to uranium. ► Bacillus was the most abundant cultivable genus retrieved from the Ranger LAAs soils. ► Uranium in LAAs soils is

  13. Runoff delay exerts a strong control on the field-scale removal of manure-borne fecal bacteria with runoff

    Science.gov (United States)

    The microbial safety of surface waters is an ongoing issue which is threatened by the transport of manure-borne bacteria to water sources used for irrigation or recreation. Predictive modeling has become an effective tool to forecast the microbial quality of water duringprecipitation events, however...

  14. Rapid Detection of Salmonella enterica in Food Using a Compact Disc-Shaped Device

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shunsuke Furutani

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Rapid detection of food-borne pathogens is essential to public health and the food industry. Although the conventional culture method is highly sensitive, it takes at least a few days to detect food-borne pathogens. Even though polymerase chain reaction (PCR can detect food-borne pathogens in a few hours, it is more expensive and unsatisfactorily sensitive relative to the culture method. We have developed a method to rapidly detect Salmonella enterica by using a compact disc (CD-shaped device that can reduce reagent consumption in conventional PCR. The detection method, which combines culture and PCR, is more rapid than the conventional culture method and is more sensitive and cheaper than PCR. In this study, we also examined a sample preparation method that involved collecting bacterial cells from food. The bacteria collected from chicken meat spiked with S. enterica were mixed with PCR reagents, and PCR was performed on the device. At a low concentration of S. enterica, the collected S. enterica was cultured before PCR for sensitive detection. After cultivation for 4 h, S. enterica at 1.7 × 104 colony-forming units (CFUs·g−1 was detected within 8 h, which included the time needed for sample preparation and detection. Furthermore, the detection of 30 CFUs·g−1 of S. enterica was possible within 12 h including 8 h for cultivation.

  15. Ionizing radiations in food industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adamo, M.; Tata, A.

    1999-01-01

    Foodstuffs treatment by ionization is able to produce both a shelf-life extension and/or a food borne diseases control through the pathogenic population reduction/elimination. The main process goal is to ensure the hygienic quality and the wholesomeness of products to be marketed, in order to limit food borne diseases originated mainly through the cross contamination process. In fact several products may contain pathogenic agents or bacteria (e.g. Salmonella and Campylbacter in poultry meat), whose associated pathologies are world-wide increasing. At present, over 40 countries provide clearances for the treatment of about 45 different types of foodstuffs and in over 20 of them the ionizing process is already industrially utilized for spices, poultry, shrimps and vegetables. As it refers to process economic aspects, market researches have shown cost figures ranging from few tens to some hundreds Lit/kg, depending on the dose to products. The costs are competitive with alternative treatments, beyond the recovery of economic productivity reduction caused by food borne diseases

  16. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria: prevalence in food and inactivation by food-compatible compounds and plant extracts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedman, Mendel

    2015-04-22

    Foodborne antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria such as Campylobacter jejuni, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio cholerae, and Vibrio parahemolyticus can adversely affect animal and human health, but a better understanding of the factors involved in their pathogenesis is needed. To help meet this need, this overview surveys and interprets much of our current knowledge of antibiotic (multidrug)-resistant bacteria in the food chain and the implications for microbial food safety and animal and human health. Topics covered include the origin and prevalence of resistant bacteria in the food chain (dairy, meat, poultry, seafood, and herbal products, produce, and eggs), their inactivation by different classes of compounds and plant extracts and by the use of chlorine and physicochemical methods (heat, UV light, pulsed electric fields, and high pressure), the synergistic antimicrobial effects of combinations of natural antimicrobials with medicinal antibiotics, and mechanisms of antimicrobial activities and resistant effects. Possible areas for future research are suggested. Plant-derived and other safe natural antimicrobial compounds have the potential to control the prevalence of both susceptible and resistant pathogens in various environments. The collated information and suggested research will hopefully contribute to a better understanding of approaches that could be used to minimize the presence of resistant pathogens in animal feed and human food, thus reducing adverse effects, improving microbial food safety, and helping to prevent or treat animal and human infections.

  17. Multiplex detection of nine food-borne pathogens by mPCR and capillary electrophoresis after using a universal pre-enrichment medium.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villamizar-Rodríguez, Germán; Fernández, Javier; Marín, Laura; Muñiz, Juan; González, Isabel; Lombó, Felipe

    2015-01-01

    Routine microbiological quality analyses in food samples require, in some cases, an initial incubation in pre-enrichment medium. This is necessary in order to ensure that small amounts of pathogenic strains are going to be detected. In this work, a universal pre-enrichment medium has been developed for the simultaneous growth of Bacillus cereus, Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium perfringens, Cronobacter sakazakii, Escherichia coli, Enterobacteriaceae family (38 species, 27 genera), Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp. (two species, 13 strains). Growth confirmation for all these species was achieved in all cases, with excellent enrichments. This was confirmed by plating on the corresponding selective agar media for each bacterium. This GVUM universal pre-enrichment medium could be useful in food microbiological analyses, where different pathogenic bacteria must be detected after a pre-enrichment step. Following, a mPCR reaction for detection of all these pathogens was developed, after designing a set of nine oligonucleotide pairs from specific genetic targets on gDNA from each of these bacteria, covering all available strains already sequenced in GenBank for each pathogen type. The detection limits have been 1 Genome Equivalent (GE), with the exception of the Fam. Enterobacteriaceae (5 GEs). We obtained amplification for all targets (from 70 to 251 bp, depending on the bacteria type), showing the capability of this method to detect the most important industrial and sanitary food-borne pathogens from a universal pre-enrichment medium. This method includes an initial pre-enrichment step (18 h), followed by a mPCR (2 h) and a capillary electrophoresis (30 min); avoiding the tedious and long lasting growing on solid media required in traditional analysis (1-4 days, depending on the specific pathogen and verification procedure). An external testing of this method was conducted in order to compare classical and mPCR methods. This evaluation was

  18. Multiplex detection of nine food-borne pathogens by mPCR and capillary electrophoresis after using a universal pre-enrichment medium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villamizar-Rodríguez, Germán; Fernández, Javier; Marín, Laura; Muñiz, Juan; González, Isabel; Lombó, Felipe

    2015-01-01

    Routine microbiological quality analyses in food samples require, in some cases, an initial incubation in pre-enrichment medium. This is necessary in order to ensure that small amounts of pathogenic strains are going to be detected. In this work, a universal pre-enrichment medium has been developed for the simultaneous growth of Bacillus cereus, Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium perfringens, Cronobacter sakazakii, Escherichia coli, Enterobacteriaceae family (38 species, 27 genera), Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp. (two species, 13 strains). Growth confirmation for all these species was achieved in all cases, with excellent enrichments. This was confirmed by plating on the corresponding selective agar media for each bacterium. This GVUM universal pre-enrichment medium could be useful in food microbiological analyses, where different pathogenic bacteria must be detected after a pre-enrichment step. Following, a mPCR reaction for detection of all these pathogens was developed, after designing a set of nine oligonucleotide pairs from specific genetic targets on gDNA from each of these bacteria, covering all available strains already sequenced in GenBank for each pathogen type. The detection limits have been 1 Genome Equivalent (GE), with the exception of the Fam. Enterobacteriaceae (5 GEs). We obtained amplification for all targets (from 70 to 251 bp, depending on the bacteria type), showing the capability of this method to detect the most important industrial and sanitary food-borne pathogens from a universal pre-enrichment medium. This method includes an initial pre-enrichment step (18 h), followed by a mPCR (2 h) and a capillary electrophoresis (30 min); avoiding the tedious and long lasting growing on solid media required in traditional analysis (1–4 days, depending on the specific pathogen and verification procedure). An external testing of this method was conducted in order to compare classical and mPCR methods. This evaluation was

  19. Multiplex detection of nine food-borne pathogens by mPCR and capillary electrophoresis after using a universal pre-enrichment medium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Germán eVillamizar-Rodríguez

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Routine microbiological quality analyses in food samples require, in some cases, an initial incubation in pre-enrichment medium. This is necessary in order to assure that small amounts of pathogenic strains are going to be detected. In this work, a universal pre-enrichment medium has been developed for simultaneous growth of Bacillus cereus, Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium perfringens, Cronobacter sakazakii, Escherichia coli, Enterobacteriaceae family (thirty eight species, twenty seven genera, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp. (two species, thirteen strains. Growth confirmation for all these species was achieved in all cases, with excellent enrichments. This was confirmed by plating on the corresponding selective agar media for each bacterium. This GVUM universal pre-enrichment medium could be useful in food microbiological analyses, where different pathogenic bacteria must be detected after a pre-enrichment step. Following, a mPCR reaction for detection of all these pathogens was developed, after designing a set of nine oligonucleotide pairs from specific genetic targets on gDNA from each of these bacteria, covering all available strains already sequenced in GenBank for them. The detection limits have been 1 Genome Equivalent, with the exception of Fam. Enterobacteriaceae (5 GEs. We obtained amplification for all targets (from 70 to 251 bp, depending on the bacteria type, showing the capability of this method to detect the most important industrial and sanitary food-borne pathogens from a universal pre-enrichment medium. This method includes an initial pre-enrichment step (18 h, followed by a mPCR (2 h and a capillary electrophoresis (30 min; avoiding the tedious and long lasting growing on solid media required in traditional analysis (1 to 4 days, depending on the specific pathogen and verification procedure. An external testing of this method was conducted in order to compare classical and mPCR methods. This

  20. Epidemiology and morbidity of food-borne trematodiasis in Lao People's Democratic Republic with particular consideration to opisthorchiasis

    OpenAIRE

    Sayasone, Somphou

    2009-01-01

    Food-borne trematodes, parasitizing the liver, lung and intestinal tract of humans, are an emerging public health problem in countries of tropical regions. Today, an estimated 40 million people are infected worldwide. More than half of those occur in Asia, particularly in Southeast Asian countries. Infection with food-borne trematode is associated with divers and severe morbidity, i.e. a long-lasting infection with Opisthorchis viverrini gives rise to liver fibrosis, cholecysti...

  1. Antimicrobial compounds targeting Gram-negative bacteria in food: Their mode of action and combinational effects

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hyldgaard, Morten

    2015-01-01

    compromising food shelf-life or safety. Natural antimicrobial compounds have therefore gained increased interest as a label-friendly alternative that can be added directly to food products. Although natural antimicrobials constitute an interesting source of compounds, it is often not understood how...... they interact with bacterial cells to exert their mechanism of inhibition or killing. Furthermore, natural antimicrobials are often not potent enough as single compounds, and may cause unwanted sensory side-effects, which limit the quantities that can be applied to food. These problems might be circumvented...... by combining antimicrobials to decrease the concentrations needed without compromising their antimicrobial activity. The work described in this dissertation presents two projects concerning the mechanism of action of selected natural antimicrobial compounds primarily against Gram-negative bacteria, and two...

  2. Testing nano-silver food packaging to evaluate silver migration and food spoilage bacteria on chicken meat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gallocchio, Federica; Cibin, Veronica; Biancotto, Giancarlo; Roccato, Anna; Muzzolon, Orietta; Carmen, Losasso; Simone, Belluco; Manodori, Laura; Fabrizi, Alberto; Patuzzi, Ilaria; Ricci, Antonia

    2016-06-01

    Migration of nanomaterials from food containers into food is a matter of concern because of the potential risk for exposed consumers. The aims of this study were to evaluate silver migration from a commercially available food packaging containing silver nanoparticles into a real food matrix (chicken meat) under plausible domestic storage conditions and to test the contribution of such packaging to limit food spoilage bacteria proliferation. Chemical analysis revealed the absence of silver in chicken meatballs under the experimental conditions in compliance with current European Union legislation, which establishes a maximum level of 0.010 mg kg(-1) for the migration of non-authorised substances through a functional barrier (Commission Regulation (EU) No. 10/2011). On the other hand, microbiological tests (total microbial count, Pseudomonas spp. and Enterobacteriaceae) showed no relevant difference in the tested bacteria levels between meatballs stored in silver-nanoparticle plastic bags or control bags. This study shows the importance of testing food packaging not only to verify potential silver migration as an indicator of potential nanoparticle migration, but also to evaluate the benefits in terms of food preservation so as to avoid unjustified usage of silver nanoparticles and possible negative impacts on the environment.

  3. Polydiacetylene-Based Liposomes: An "Optical Tongue" for Bacteria Detection and Identification

    Science.gov (United States)

    West, Matthew R.; Hanks, Timothy W.; Watson, Rhett T.

    2009-01-01

    Food- and water-borne bacteria are a major health concern worldwide. Current detection methods are time-consuming and require sophisticated equipment that is not always readily available. However, new techniques based on nanotechnology are under development that will result in a new generation of sensors. In this experiment, liposomes are…

  4. Piecewise linear approximations to model the dynamics of adaptation to osmotic stress by food-borne pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Métris, Aline; George, Susie M; Ropers, Delphine

    2017-01-02

    Addition of salt to food is one of the most ancient and most common methods of food preservation. However, little is known of how bacterial cells adapt to such conditions. We propose to use piecewise linear approximations to model the regulatory adaptation of Escherichiacoli to osmotic stress. We apply the method to eight selected genes representing the functions known to be at play during osmotic adaptation. The network is centred on the general stress response factor, sigma S, and also includes a module representing the catabolic repressor CRP-cAMP. Glutamate, potassium and supercoiling are combined to represent the intracellular regulatory signal during osmotic stress induced by salt. The output is a module where growth is represented by the concentration of stable RNAs and the transcription of the osmotic gene osmY. The time course of gene expression of transport of osmoprotectant represented by the symporter proP and of the osmY is successfully reproduced by the network. The behaviour of the rpoS mutant predicted by the model is in agreement with experimental data. We discuss the application of the model to food-borne pathogens such as Salmonella; although the genes considered have orthologs, it seems that supercoiling is not regulated in the same way. The model is limited to a few selected genes, but the regulatory interactions are numerous and span different time scales. In addition, they seem to be condition specific: the links that are important during the transition from exponential to stationary phase are not all needed during osmotic stress. This model is one of the first steps towards modelling adaptation to stress in food safety and has scope to be extended to other genes and pathways, other stresses relevant to the food industry, and food-borne pathogens. The method offers a good compromise between systems of ordinary differential equations, which would be unmanageable because of the size of the system and for which insufficient data are available

  5. Prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing bacteria in food

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tham J

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Johan Tham,1 Mats Walder,2 Eva Melander,2,3 Inga Odenholt11Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences, 2Medical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden; 3Department of Infection Control, Laboratory Medicine, Skåne County, SwedenAbstract: Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae with Cefotaximase–München (CTX-M enzymes are rapidly increasing worldwide and pose a threat to health care. ESBLs with CTX-M enzymes have been isolated from animals and different food products, but it is unknown if food imported from the Mediterranean area may be a possible reservoir of these bacteria. During 2007–2008, swab samples from food across different retail outlets (mostly food from the Mediterranean countries and Swedish chicken were collected. Escherichia coli strains from Swedish meat and E. coli isolates from unspecified food from a Swedish food testing laboratory were also examined. In 349 of the 419 swab samples, growth of Enterobacteriaceae was found. In most of the samples, there was also growth of Gram-negative environmental bacteria. Air dry-cured products contained significantly less Enterobacteriaceae isolates compared to lettuces; however, none of the examined Enterobacteriaceae harbored ESBLs. This study did not support the theory that imported food from the Mediterranean area or Swedish domestic food might constitute an important vehicle for the dissemination of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae; however, a spread from food to humans may have occurred after 2008.Keywords: ESBL, antibiotic resistance, zoonosis, food, Enterobacteriaceae

  6. Molecular survey on zoonotic tick-borne bacteria and chlamydiae in feral pigeons (Columba livia domestica).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ebani, Valentina Virginia; Bertelloni, Fabrizio; Mani, Paolo

    2016-04-01

    To determine the presence of zoonotic tick-borne bacteria in feral pigeons (Columba livia domestica) from urban areas. Spleen samples from 84 feral pigeons, found dead with traumatic injuries in urban areas, were examined by PCR to detect DNA of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Bartonella spp., Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Coxiella burnetii, Rickettsia spp., and Chlamydophila spp. Twenty (23.8%) pigeons were infected by tick-borne agents, in particular 2 (2.38%) animals resulted positive for Bartonella spp., 5 (5.95%) for C. burnetii, 5 (5.95%) for Rickettsia spp., 13 (15.47%) for B. burgdorferi sensu lato. All birds scored negative for A. phagocytophilum. Moreover, 17 (20.23%) pigeons were positive for Chlamydophila spp. and among them 10 (11.9%) for Chlamydophila psittaci. Mixed infections by two or three agents were detected in 8 (9.52%) animals. Feral pigeons living in urban and periurban areas are a hazard for the human health as source of several pathogens. The obtained results confirm pigeons as reservoirs of chlamydial agents and suggest that they may be involved in the epidemiology of zoonotic tick-borne infections too. Copyright © 2016 Hainan Medical College. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Cytotoxic and genotoxic potential of food-borne nitriles in a liver in vitro model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kupke, Franziska; Herz, Corinna; Hanschen, Franziska S.; Platz, Stefanie; Odongo, Grace A.; Helmig, Simone; Bartolomé Rodríguez, María M.; Schreiner, Monika; Rohn, Sascha; Lamy, Evelyn

    2016-01-01

    Isothiocyanates are the most intensively studied breakdown products of glucosinolates from Brassica plants and well recognized for their pleiotropic effects against cancer but also for their genotoxic potential. However, knowledge about the bioactivity of glucosinolate-borne nitriles in foods is very poor. As determined by GC-MS, broccoli glucosinolates mainly degrade to nitriles as breakdown products. The cytotoxicity of nitriles in human HepG2 cells and primary murine hepatocytes was marginal as compared to isothiocyanates. Toxicity of nitriles was not enhanced in CYP2E1-overexpressing HepG2 cells. In contrast, the genotoxic potential of nitriles was found to be comparable to isothiocyanates. DNA damage was persistent over a certain time period and CYP2E1-overexpression further increased the genotoxic potential of the nitriles. Based on actual in vitro data, no indications are given that food-borne nitriles could be relevant for cancer prevention, but could pose a certain genotoxic risk under conditions relevant for food consumption. PMID:27883018

  8. Design and Elementary Evaluation of a Highly-Automated Fluorescence-Based Instrument System for On-Site Detection of Food-Borne Pathogens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhan Lu

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available A simple, highly-automated instrument system used for on-site detection of foodborne pathogens based on fluorescence was designed, fabricated, and preliminarily tested in this paper. A corresponding method has been proved effective in our previous studies. This system utilizes a light-emitting diode (LED to excite fluorescent labels and a spectrometer to record the fluorescence signal from samples. A rotation stage for positioning and switching samples was innovatively designed for high-throughput detection, ten at most in one single run. We also developed software based on LabVIEW for data receiving, processing, and the control of the whole system. In the test of using a pure quantum dot (QD solution as a standard sample, detection results from this home-made system were highly-relevant with that from a well-commercialized product and even slightly better reproducibility was found. And in the test of three typical kinds of food-borne pathogens, fluorescence signals recorded by this system are highly proportional to the variation of the sample concentration, with a satisfied limit of detection (LOD (nearly 102–103 CFU·mL−1 in food samples. Additionally, this instrument system is low-cost and easy-to-use, showing a promising potential for on-site rapid detection of food-borne pathogens.

  9. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria: a challenge for the food industry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Capita, Rosa; Alonso-Calleja, Carlos

    2013-01-01

    Antibiotic-resistant bacteria were first described in the 1940s, but whereas new antibiotics were being discovered at a steady rate, the consequences of this phenomenon were slow to be appreciated. At present, the paucity of new antimicrobials coming into the market has led to the problem of antibiotic resistance fast escalating into a global health crisis. Although the selective pressure exerted by the use of antibiotics (particularly overuse or misuse) has been deemed the major factor in the emergence of bacterial resistance to these antimicrobials, concerns about the role of the food industry have been growing in recent years and have been raised at both national and international levels. The selective pressure exerted by the use of antibiotics (primary production) and biocides (e.g., disinfectants, food and feed preservatives, or decontaminants) is the main driving force behind the selection and spread of antimicrobial resistance throughout the food chain. Genetically modified (GM) crops with antibiotic resistance marker genes, microorganisms added intentionally to the food chain (probiotic or technological) with potentially transferable antimicrobial resistance genes, and food processing technologies used at sub-lethal doses (e.g., alternative non-thermal treatments) are also issues for concern. This paper presents the main trends in antibiotic resistance and antibiotic development in recent decades, as well as their economic and health consequences, current knowledge concerning the generation, dissemination, and mechanisms of antibacterial resistance, progress to date on the possible routes for emergence of resistance throughout the food chain and the role of foods as a vehicle for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The main approaches to prevention and control of the development, selection, and spread of antibacterial resistance in the food industry are also addressed.

  10. High-antibacterial activity of Urtica spp. seed extracts on food and plant pathogenic bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Körpe, Didem Aksoy; İşerı, Özlem Darcansoy; Sahin, Feride Iffet; Cabi, Evren; Haberal, Mehmet

    2013-05-01

    The aim of this study was to comparatively evaluate antibacterial activities of methanol (MetOH) and aqueous (dw) leaf (L), root (R) and seed (S) extracts of Urtica dioica L. (Ud; stinging nettle) and Urtica pilulifera L. (Up; Roman nettle) on both food- and plant-borne pathogens, with total phenolic contents and DPPH radical scavenging activities (DRSA). MetOH extracts of leaves and roots of U. dioica had the highest DRSA. Extracts with high antibacterial activity were in the order Up-LMetOH (13/16) > Ud-SMetOH (11/16) > Up-SMetOH (9/16). Results obtained with Up-SMetOH against food spoiling Bacillus pumilus, Shigella spp. and Enterococcus gallinarum with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) in 128-1024 μg/ml range seem to be promising. Up-SMetOH also exerted strong inhibition against Clavibacter michiganensis with a considerably low MIC (32 μg/ml). Ud-SMetOH and Up-LMetOH were also effective against C. michiganensis (MIC = 256 and 1024 μg/ml, respectively). Ud-SMetOH and Ud-RMetOH had also antimicrobial activity against Xanthomonas vesicatoria (MIC = 512 and 1024 μg/ml, respectively). Results presented here demonstrate high-antibacterial activity of U. pilulifera extracts and U. dioica seed extract against phytopathogens for the first time, and provide the most comprehensive data on the antibacterial activity screening of U. pilulifera against food-borne pathogens. Considering limitations in plant disease control, antibacterial activities of these extracts would be of agricultural importance.

  11. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy introduced into the International Standard Organization (ISO) regulations as an alternative method for detection and identification of pathogens in the food industry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Witkowska, Evelin; Korsak, Dorota; Kowalska, Aneta; Księżopolska-Gocalska, Monika; Niedziółka-Jönsson, Joanna; Roźniecka, Ewa; Michałowicz, Weronika; Albrycht, Paweł; Podrażka, Marta; Hołyst, Robert; Waluk, Jacek; Kamińska, Agnieszka

    2017-02-01

    We show that surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) coupled with principal component analysis (PCA) can serve as a fast, reliable, and easy method for detection and identification of food-borne bacteria, namely Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, and Cronobacter spp., in different types of food matrices (salmon, eggs, powdered infant formula milk, mixed herbs, respectively). The main aim of this work was to introduce the SERS technique into three ISO (6579:2002; 11290-1:1996/A1:2004; 22964:2006) standard procedures required for detection of these bacteria in food. Our study demonstrates that the SERS technique is effective in distinguishing very closely related bacteria within a genus grown on solid and liquid media. The advantages of the proposed ISO-SERS method for bacteria identification include simplicity and reduced time of analysis, from almost 144 h required by standard methods to 48 h for the SERS-based approach. Additionally, PCA allows one to perform statistical classification of studied bacteria and to identify the spectrum of an unknown sample. Calculated first and second principal components (PC-1, PC-2) account for 96, 98, and 90% of total variance in the spectra and enable one to identify the Salmonella spp., L. monocytogenes, and Cronobacter spp., respectively. Moreover, the presented study demonstrates the excellent possibility for simultaneous detection of analyzed food-borne bacteria in one sample test (98% of PC-1 and PC-2) with a goal of splitting the data set into three separated clusters corresponding to the three studied bacteria species. The studies described in this paper suggest that SERS represents an alternative to standard microorganism diagnostic procedures. Graphical Abstract New approach of the SERS strategy for detection and identification of food-borne bacteria, namely S. enterica, L. monocytogenes, and C. sakazakii in selected food matrices.

  12. Analysis of a food-borne fungal pathogen outbreak: virulence and genome of a Mucor circinelloides isolate from yogurt.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Soo Chan; Billmyre, R Blake; Li, Alicia; Carson, Sandra; Sykes, Sean M; Huh, Eun Young; Mieczkowski, Piotr; Ko, Dennis C; Cuomo, Christina A; Heitman, Joseph

    2014-07-08

    . circinelloides, a mucoralean fungal pathogen, and >200 consumers complained of symptoms, including vomiting, nausea, and diarrhea. The manufacturer voluntarily withdrew the affected yogurt products from the market. Compared to other food-borne pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and parasites, less focus has been placed on the risk of fungal pathogens. This study evaluates the potential risk from the food-borne fungal pathogen M. circinelloides that was isolated from the contaminated commercial yogurt. We successfully cultured an M. circinelloides isolate and found that the isolate belongs to the species M. circinelloides f. circinelloides, which is often associated with human infections. In murine and insect host models, the isolate was virulent. While information disseminated in the popular press would suggest this fungal contaminant poses little or no risk to consumers, our results show instead that it is capable of causing significant infections in animals. Copyright © 2014 Lee et al.

  13. Screening food-borne and zoonotic pathogens associated with livestock practices in the Sumapaz region, Cundinamarca, Colombia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arenas, Nelson E; Abril, Diego A; Valencia, Paola; Khandige, Surabhi; Soto, Carlos Yesid; Moreno-Melo, Vilma

    2017-04-01

    Hazardous practices regarding antibiotics misuse, unsanitary milking procedures, and the commercial sales of raw milk and unpasteurized dairy products are currently being practiced by livestock farmers in the Sumapaz region (Colombia). The purpose of this study was to screen for food-borne and zoonotic pathogens associated with local livestock practices. We evaluated 1098 cows from 46 livestock farms in the Sumapaz region that were selected by random. Of the total population of cattle, 962 animals (88%) were tested for bovine TB using a caudal-fold tuberculin test and 546 (50%) for brucellosis by a competitive ELISA. In the population tested, 23 cows were positive for Brucella sp. representing a 4.2% seroprevalence and no cases of bovine tuberculosis were found. In addition, food-borne contamination with Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was assessed together with antibiotic susceptibility for ten different antibiotics in milk samples from 16 livestock farms. We found that 12 of the farms (75%) were contaminated with these food-borne pathogens. Noteworthy, all of the isolated pathogenic strains were resistant to multiple antibiotics, primarily to oxytetracycline and erythromycin. Our findings suggest that livestock products could be a source of exposure to Brucella and multidrug-resistant E. coli and S. aureus strains as a result of unhygienic livestock practices in the Sumapaz region. Training in good farming practices is the key to improving safety in food production.

  14. Selection of Surrogate Bacteria for Use in Food Safety Challenge Studies: A Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Mengyi; Gurtler, Joshua B

    2017-09-01

    Nonpathogenic surrogate bacteria are prevalently used in a variety of food challenge studies in place of foodborne pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Clostridium botulinum because of safety and sanitary concerns. Surrogate bacteria should have growth characteristics and/or inactivation kinetics similar to those of target pathogens under given conditions in challenge studies. It is of great importance to carefully select and validate potential surrogate bacteria when verifying microbial inactivation processes. A validated surrogate responds similar to the targeted pathogen when tested for inactivation kinetics, growth parameters, or survivability under given conditions in agreement with appropriate statistical analyses. However, a considerable number of food studies involving putative surrogate bacteria lack convincing validation sources or adequate validation processes. Most of the validation information for surrogates in these studies is anecdotal and has been collected from previous publications but may not be sufficient for given conditions in the study at hand. This review is limited to an overview of select studies and discussion of the general criteria and approaches for selecting potential surrogate bacteria under given conditions. The review also includes a list of documented bacterial pathogen surrogates and their corresponding food products and treatments to provide guidance for future studies.

  15. Biotechnological and in situ food production of polyols by lactic acid bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ortiz, Maria Eugenia; Bleckwedel, Juliana; Raya, Raúl R; Mozzi, Fernanda

    2013-06-01

    Polyols such as mannitol, erythritol, sorbitol, and xylitol are naturally found in fruits and vegetables and are produced by certain bacteria, fungi, yeasts, and algae. These sugar alcohols are widely used in food and pharmaceutical industries and in medicine because of their interesting physicochemical properties. In the food industry, polyols are employed as natural sweeteners applicable in light and diabetic food products. In the last decade, biotechnological production of polyols by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) has been investigated as an alternative to their current industrial production. While heterofermentative LAB may naturally produce mannitol and erythritol under certain culture conditions, sorbitol and xylitol have been only synthesized through metabolic engineering processes. This review deals with the spontaneous formation of mannitol and erythritol in fermented foods and their biotechnological production by heterofermentative LAB and briefly presented the metabolic engineering processes applied for polyol formation.

  16. Escherichia coli and other Enterobacteriaceae: Food poisoning and health effects

    Science.gov (United States)

    The family Enterobactericeae consists of rod-shaped, Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, non-spore forming bacteria and also includes the food-borne pathogens, Cronobacter spp., Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Shigella spp., and Yersinia spp. Illness caused by these pathogens is acquired...

  17. Study in vitro of origin radioprotective food the radioprotective effect in vitro of food borne; Estudio in vitro de radioprotectores de origen alimentario

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Soraino, J. M.; Sebastia, N.; Almonacid, M.; Alonso, O.; Cervera, J.; Such, E.; Silla, M. A.; Villaescusa, J. I.; Montoro, A.

    2012-07-01

    Study in vitro of origin radioprotective food the radioprotective effect in vitro of food borne substances studied is a first step in developing effective radioprotectors that can prevent radiation damage to healthy tissue., cannot forget that these studies must be accompanied by in vitro studies of toxicity and bioavailability to profile designing radioprotective substance.

  18. Exploration and conservation of bacterial genetic resources as bacteriocin producing inhibitory microorganisms to pathogen bacteria in livestock

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chotiah S

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Exploration and conservation of microorganisms producing bacteriocin was done as the primary study towards the collection of potential bacteria and its application in improving livestock health condition and inhibit food borne pathogens. Diferent kinds of samples such as beef cattle rectal swab, rumen fluids, cow’s milk, chicken gut content, goat’s milk were collected at Bogor cattle slaughter houses, poultry slaughter houses, dairy cattle and goat farms. A total of 452 bacterial isolates consisted of 73 Gram negative bacteria and 379 Gram positive bacteria were isolated from samples collected and screened for bacteriocin activity. Determination of bacteriocin activity with bioassay using agar spot tests were carried out on liquid and semisolid medium assessing 8 kins of indicators of pathogenic bacteria and food borne pathogens. A total of 51 bacteriocin producing strains were collected and some of the strains had high inhibitory zone such as Lactobacillus casei SS14C (26 mm, Enterobacter cloacae SRUT (24mm, Enterococcus faecalis SK39 (21mm and Bifidobacterium dentium SS14T (20mm respectively, to Salmonella typhimurium BCC B0046/ATCC 13311, E. coli O157 hemolytic BCC B2717, Listeria monocytogenes BCC B2767/ATCC 7764 and Escherichia coli VTEC O157 BCC B2687. Evaluation after conservation ex situ to all bacterocin producing strain at 5oC for 1 year in freeze drying ampoules in vacuum and dry condition revealed the decreasing viability starting from log 0.8 CFU/ml for Lactococcus and Leuconostoc to log 2.2. CFU/ml for Streptococcus. Result of the study showed that the bacteriocin producing strains obtained were offered a potential resource for preventing disease of livestock and food borne diseases.

  19. Resistance in bacteria of the food chain: epidemiology and control strategies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cavaco, Lina; Aarestrup, Frank Møller

    2013-01-01

    Antimicrobial agents are widely used for treatment of animals and humans as well as for production purposes in livestock production in several countries. This is exerting a major selective pressure on bacterial populations, and is selecting for populations resistant to the antimicrobials used....... The emergence and spread of resistant bacteria in the food chain is a major concern as food-producing animals may constitute a huge reservoir for antimicrobial resistance. Furthermore, food animals and food of animal origin is traded worldwide, which means that the occurrences of antimicrobial resistance...

  20. YOGYAKARTA AIR BORNE QUALITY BASED ON THE LEAD PARTICULATE CONCENTRATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zaenal Abidin

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Analysis of Yogyakarta air quality based on concentration of lead particulate using Fast Neutron Activation Analysis (FNAA method has been done. The sample was taken 3 times in 16 strategic locations of Yogyakarta city using Hi-Vol air sampler that equipped with cellulose filter TFA 2133. The sample irradiated for 30 min with 14 MeV fast neutron and then counted using gamma spectroscopy (AccuSpec. The result indicated that concentration of Pb-208 along Diponegoro street up to Janti street respectively are minimally (0.689 - 0.775 mg/m3, and maximally:  (1.598 - 1.785 mg/m3. According to DIY governor decree No. 153/2002 about the limited toxicity ambient on Yogyakarta area it is concentration that Pb. The concentration of Pb-208 are still below the permitted value of 2 mg/m3, but in certain areas, the Pb concentration is almost equal to upper limit of permitted concentration of Pb.   Keywords: air borne, neutron generator, FNAA

  1. Selection of bacteriocin producer strains of lactic acid bacteria from a dairy environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lasagno, M; Beoleito, V; Sesma, F; Raya, R; Font de Valdez, G; Eraso, A

    2002-01-01

    Two strains showing bacteriocin production were selected from a total of 206 lactic acid bacteria isolated from samples of milk, milk serum, whey and homemade cheeses in Southern Cordoba, Argentina. This property was detected by means of well diffusion assays. The strains were identified as Enterococcus hirae and Enterococcus durans. The protein nature of those substances was proved by showing their sensitivity to type IV and XXV proteases, papaine, trypsin, pepsin and K proteinase. The bacteriocins inhibited the growth of Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringes and two strains of Staphylococcus aureus, an A-enterotoxin and a B-enterotoxin producers. All of these bacteria are common pathogens usually associated with food borne diseases (ETA). These lactic acid bacteria or their bacteriocins could be suitable candidates for food preservation and specially useful in the our regional dairy industry.

  2. Human sparganosis, a neglected food borne zoonosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Quan; Li, Ming-Wei; Wang, Ze-Dong; Zhao, Guang-Hui; Zhu, Xing-Quan

    2015-10-01

    Human sparganosis is a food borne zoonosis caused by the plerocercoid larvae (spargana) of various diphyllobothroid tapeworms of the genus Spirometra. Human infections are acquired by ingesting the raw or undercooked meat of snakes or frogs, drinking untreated water, or using raw flesh in traditional poultices. More than 1600 cases of sparganosis have been documented worldwide, mostly in east and southeast Asia. Sporadic cases have been reported in South America, Europe, and Africa, and several cases have been described in travellers returning from endemic regions. Epidemiological data suggest that the increased effect of sparganosis on human health is because of greater consumption of raw meat of freshwater frogs and snakes. This Review provides information about the Spirometra parasites and their lifecycles, summarises clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of human sparganosis, and describes geographical distribution and infection characteristics of Spirometra parasites in host animals. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Antibacterial activity and optimisation of bacteriocin producing lactic acid bacteria isolated from beef (red meat) samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ali, N.M.; Mazhar, B.; Khadija, I.; Kalim, B.

    2016-01-01

    Bacteriocin producing bacteria are commonly found in meat products to enhance their shelf-life. In the present study, bacterial species were isolated from meat samples (beef) from different localities of Lahore, Pakistan. MRS agar medium was used to isolate lactic acid bacteria (LAB) through spread and streak methods (incubated for 72 h at 37 degree C). Identification of bacteriocinogenic LAB strains was done by using staining techniques, morphology based characteristics and biochemical tests. These strains were BSH 1b, BSH 3a, BIP 4a, BIP 3a, BIP 1b and BRR 3a. Antibacterial activity of LAB was performed against food borne pathogens viz., Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus through paper disc diffusion method. Three bacterial strains showed maximum inhibition and characterised by ribotyping viz., BIP 4a was identified as Lactobacillus curvatures, BIP 3a was Staphylococcus warneri and BIP 1b was Lactobacillus graminis . Optimum pH 5-6.5 and 30-37 degree C temperature for isolated bacterial strains was recorded. Protein concentration measured was 0.07 mg/mL for BSH 1b, 0.065 mg/mL for BSH 3a, 0.057 mg/mL for BIP 4a, 0.062 mg/mL for BIP 1b, 0.065 mg/mL for BIP 3a and for BRR 3a 0.078 mg/mL, respectively. Bacteriocin of all isolates except BIP 3a was found to be sensitive towards pepsin and resistant towards Rnase. Bacteriocin production was stable at between pH 5.0 and 6.0 and resistant temperature was 40 degree C. It was concluded that lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from meat can be helpful as antibacterial agents against food-borne bacterial pathogens because of thermostable producing bacteriocin. (author)

  4. Manufacture of Probiotic Bacteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muller, J. A.; Ross, R. P.; Fitzgerald, G. F.; Stanton, C.

    Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have been used for many years as natural biopreservatives in fermented foods. A small group of LAB are also believed to have beneficial health effects on the host, so called probiotic bacteria. Probiotics have emerged from the niche industry from Asia into European and American markets. Functional foods are one of the fastest growing markets today, with estimated growth to 20 billion dollars worldwide by 2010 (GIA, 2008). The increasing demand for probiotics and the new food markets where probiotics are introduced, challenges the industry to produce high quantities of probiotic cultures in a viable and stable form. Dried concentrated probiotic cultures are the most convenient form for incorporation into functional foods, given the ease of storage, handling and transport, especially for shelf-stable functional products. This chapter will discuss various aspects of the challenges associated with the manufacturing of probiotic cultures.

  5. Current status and emerging role of glutathione in food grade lactic acid bacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pophaly Sarang

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Lactic acid bacteria (LAB have taken centre stage in perspectives of modern fermented food industry and probiotic based therapeutics. These bacteria encounter various stress conditions during industrial processing or in the gastrointestinal environment. Such conditions are overcome by complex molecular assemblies capable of synthesizing and/or metabolizing molecules that play a specific role in stress adaptation. Thiols are important class of molecules which contribute towards stress management in cell. Glutathione, a low molecular weight thiol antioxidant distributed widely in eukaryotes and Gram negative organisms, is present sporadically in Gram positive bacteria. However, new insights on its occurrence and role in the latter group are coming to light. Some LAB and closely related Gram positive organisms are proposed to possess glutathione synthesis and/or utilization machinery. Also, supplementation of glutathione in food grade LAB is gaining attention for its role in stress protection and as a nutrient and sulfur source. Owing to the immense benefits of glutathione, its release by probiotic bacteria could also find important applications in health improvement. This review presents our current understanding about the status of glutathione and its role as an exogenously added molecule in food grade LAB and closely related organisms.

  6. Control of food-borne molds by combination of heat and radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Padwal-Desai, S.R.; Bongirwar, D.R.

    1979-01-01

    After enumerating the fungi responsible for food spoilage, work done on the factors influencing growth of fungi in stored foods is reviewed and the methods using heat, radiation or chemicals for control of food-borne molds are briefly surveyed. Work on combination process employing heat treatment and radiation treatment is reviewed in detail. The review covers the following aspects: (1) theory and engineering aspects of combination process of heat and radiation including modes of heat transfer, radiation physics, radiation sources, heat radiation effect and calculation of energy balance of the process, (2) biological effects of heat, radiation and heat-radiation combination treatments on mold growth with special reference to DNA and (3) application of the process for mold control in cereal products, nuts and raisins and fruits. Heat treatment and radiation treatment have been found to complement each other and when given in proper sequence show synergism. Design requirements of radiation sources and heat transfer equipment are also surveyed. (M.G.B.)

  7. Isolation of Crude Oil from Polluted Waters Using Biosurfactants Pseudomonas Bacteria: Assessment of Bacteria Concentration Effects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Khalifeh

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Biological decomposition techniques and isolation of environmental pollutions using biosurfactants bacteria are effective methods of environmental protection. Surfactants are amphiphilic compounds that are produced by local microorganisms and are able to reduce the surface and the stresses between surfaces. As a result, they will increase solubility, biological activity, and environmental decomposition of organic compounds. This study analyzes the effects of biosurfactants on crude oil recovery and its isolation using pseudomonas sea bacteria species. Preparation of biosurfactants was done in glass flasks and laboratory conditions. Experiments were carried out to obtain the best concentration of biosurfactants for isolating oil from water and destroying oil-in-water or water-in-oil emulsions in two pH ranges and four saline solutions of different concentrations. The most effective results were gained when a concentration of 0.1% biosurfactants was applied.

  8. Use of Lactobacillus plantarum Strains as a Bio-Control Strategy against Food-Borne Pathogenic Microorganisms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arena, Mattia Pia; Silvain, Amandine; Normanno, Giovanni; Grieco, Francesco; Drider, Djamel; Spano, Giuseppe; Fiocco, Daniela

    2016-01-01

    Lactobacillus plantarum is one of the most versatile species extensively used in the food industry both as microbial starters and probiotic microorganisms. Several L. plantarum strains have been shown to produce different antimicrobial compounds such as organic acids, hydrogen peroxide, diacetyl, and also bacteriocins and antimicrobial peptides, both denoted by a variable spectrum of action. In recent decades, the selection of microbial molecules and/or bacterial strains able to produce antagonistic molecules to be used as antimicrobials and preservatives has been attracting scientific interest, in order to eliminate or reduce chemical additives, because of the growing attention of consumers for healthy and natural food products. The aim of this work was to investigate the antimicrobial activity of several food-isolated L. plantarum strains, analyzed against the pathogenic bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Enteritidis, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Staphylococcus aureus. Antagonistic activity was assayed by agar spot test and revealed that strain L. plantarum 105 had the strongest ability to contrast the growth of L. monocytogenes, while strains L. plantarum 106 and 107 were the most active microorganisms against E. coli O157:H7. The antimicrobial ability was also screened by well diffusion assay and broth micro-dilution method using cell-free supernatants (CFS) from each Lactobacillus strain. Moreover, the chemical nature of the molecules released in the CFS, and possibly underlying the antagonistic activity, was preliminary characterized by exposure to different constraints such as pH neutralization, heating, catalase, and proteinase treatments. Our data suggest that the ability of L. plantarum cultures to contrast pathogens growth in vitro depends, at least in part, on a pH-lowering effect of supernatants and/or on the presence of organic acids. Cluster analysis was performed in order to group L. plantarum strains according to their antimicrobial effect

  9. Multiple sample flow through immunomagnetic separator for concentrating pathogenic bacteria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rotariu, Ovidiu; Ogden, Iain D; MacRae, Marion; Udrea, Laura Elena; Strachan, Norval J C

    2005-01-01

    The standard method of immunomagnetic separation for isolating pathogenic bacteria from food and environmental matrices processes 1 ml volumes. Pathogens present at low levels ( 97% recovery of polydisperse magnetic particles (diameter range 1 to 8 μm) containing 29-33% w/w Fe 3 O 4 content. Between 70 and 130 times more of the pathogenic bacteria Escherichia coli O157 is recovered from PBS compared with the standard 1 ml method. Also, the recovery of E. coli O157 from beef mince homogenates, after a 4 h incubation at 42 deg. C, is between 80 and 180 times higher than the standard 1 ml method

  10. EFFECT OF SODIUM PHOSPHATES ON SELECTED FOOD GRADE BACTERIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stanislav Kráčmar

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to examine the inhibitory effect in vitro of selected sodium phosphates (under the corporate names Hexa 68, Hexa 70, Trikrystal, FST, Pyro 52, KPS, Didi on selected gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Seven different concentrations of each phosphate were used. Sensitivity of the bacterial strains to phosphates was observed in broth supplemented with salts. In vitro was showed a negative effect of various phosphates on growth of selected gram-positive bacteria. Orthophosphates and diphosphates (pyrophosphates did not have significant inhibitory effect on tested bacteria at neutral pH. With the exception of phosphate Trikrystal has not been found in vitro significant inhibitory effects on gram-negative bacteria.doi:10.5219/141

  11. Characterization of the efficiency and uncertainty of skimmed milk flocculation for the simultaneous concentration and quantification of water-borne viruses, bacteria and protozoa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonzales-Gustavson, Eloy; Cárdenas-Youngs, Yexenia; Calvo, Miquel; da Silva, Marcelle Figueira Marques; Hundesa, Ayalkibet; Amorós, Inmaculada; Moreno, Yolanda; Moreno-Mesonero, Laura; Rosell, Rosa; Ganges, Llilianne; Araujo, Rosa; Girones, Rosina

    2017-03-01

    In this study, the use of skimmed milk flocculation (SMF) to simultaneously concentrate viruses, bacteria and protozoa was evaluated. We selected strains of faecal indicator bacteria and pathogens, such as Escherichia coli and Helicobacter pylori. The viruses selected were adenovirus (HAdV 35), rotavirus (RoV SA-11), the bacteriophage MS2 and bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV). The protozoa tested were Acanthamoeba, Giardia and Cryptosporidium. The mean recoveries with q(RT)PCR were 66% (HAdV 35), 24% (MS2), 28% (RoV SA-11), 15% (BVDV), 60% (E. coli), 30% (H. pylori) and 21% (Acanthamoeba castellanii). When testing the infectivity, the mean recoveries were 59% (HAdV 35), 12% (MS2), 26% (RoV SA-11) and 0.7% (BVDV). The protozoa Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium parvum were studied by immunofluorescence with recoveries of 18% and 13%, respectively. Although q(RT)PCR consistently showed higher quantification values (as expected), q(RT)PCR and the infectivity assays showed similar recoveries for HAdV 35 and RoV SA-11. Additionally, we investigated modelling the variability and uncertainty of the recovery with this method to extrapolate the quantification obtained by q(RT)PCR and estimate the real concentration. The 95% prediction intervals of the real concentration of the microorganisms inoculated were calculated using a general non-parametric bootstrap procedure adapted in our context to estimate the technical error of the measurements. SMF shows recoveries with a low variability that permits the use of a mathematical approximation to predict the concentration of the pathogen and indicator with acceptable low intervals. The values of uncertainty may be used for a quantitative microbial risk analysis or diagnostic purposes. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Commensal bacteria and essential amino acids control food choice behavior and reproduction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leitão-Gonçalves, Ricardo; Carvalho-Santos, Zita; Francisco, Ana Patrícia; Fioreze, Gabriela Tondolo; Anjos, Margarida; Baltazar, Célia; Elias, Ana Paula; Itskov, Pavel M; Piper, Matthew D W; Ribeiro, Carlos

    2017-04-01

    Choosing the right nutrients to consume is essential to health and wellbeing across species. However, the factors that influence these decisions are poorly understood. This is particularly true for dietary proteins, which are important determinants of lifespan and reproduction. We show that in Drosophila melanogaster, essential amino acids (eAAs) and the concerted action of the commensal bacteria Acetobacter pomorum and Lactobacilli are critical modulators of food choice. Using a chemically defined diet, we show that the absence of any single eAA from the diet is sufficient to elicit specific appetites for amino acid (AA)-rich food. Furthermore, commensal bacteria buffer the animal from the lack of dietary eAAs: both increased yeast appetite and decreased reproduction induced by eAA deprivation are rescued by the presence of commensals. Surprisingly, these effects do not seem to be due to changes in AA titers, suggesting that gut bacteria act through a different mechanism to change behavior and reproduction. Thus, eAAs and commensal bacteria are potent modulators of feeding decisions and reproductive output. This demonstrates how the interaction of specific nutrients with the microbiome can shape behavioral decisions and life history traits.

  13. Microbial source tracking: a tool for identifying sources of microbial contamination in the food chain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Ling-Lin; Li, Jian-Rong

    2014-01-01

    The ability to trace fecal indicators and food-borne pathogens to the point of origin has major ramifications for food industry, food regulatory agencies, and public health. Such information would enable food producers and processors to better understand sources of contamination and thereby take corrective actions to prevent transmission. Microbial source tracking (MST), which currently is largely focused on determining sources of fecal contamination in waterways, is also providing the scientific community tools for tracking both fecal bacteria and food-borne pathogens contamination in the food chain. Approaches to MST are commonly classified as library-dependent methods (LDMs) or library-independent methods (LIMs). These tools will have widespread applications, including the use for regulatory compliance, pollution remediation, and risk assessment. These tools will reduce the incidence of illness associated with food and water. Our aim in this review is to highlight the use of molecular MST methods in application to understanding the source and transmission of food-borne pathogens. Moreover, the future directions of MST research are also discussed.

  14. Prevalence of bacteria and intestinal parasites among food-handlers in Gondar town, northwest Ethiopia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andargie, Gashaw; Kassu, Afework; Moges, Feleke; Tiruneh, Moges; Huruy, Kahsay

    2008-12-01

    Food-handlers with poor personal hygiene working in food-service establishments could be potential sources of infection due to pathogenic organisms. The study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of bacteria and intestinal parasites among 127 food-handlers working in the cafeterias of the University of Gondar and the Gondar Teachers Training College, Gondar, Ethiopia. Fingernail contents of both the hands and stool specimens were collected from all the 127 food-handlers. The samples were examined for bacteria and intestinal parasites following standard procedures. Coagulase-negative staphylococci were the predominant bacteria species (41.7%) isolated from fingernail contents, followed by Staphylococcus aureus (16.5%), Klebsiella species (5.5%), Escherichia coli (3.1%), Serratia species (1.58%), Citrobacter species (0.8%), and Enterobacter species (0.8%). Shigella species were isolated from stool samples of four food-handlers (3.1%). None of the food-handlers was positive for Salmonella species and Shigella species in respect of their fingernail contents. No intestinal parasites were detected from fingernail contents. Intestinal parasites detected in the stools of the food-handlers included Ascaris lumbricoides (18.11%), Strongyloides stercoralis (5.5%), Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (1.6%), Trichuris trichiura (1.6%), hookworm species (0.8%), Gardia lamblia (0.8%), and Schistosoma mansoni (0.8%); 1.6% of the study subjects were positive for each of A. lumbricoides, T. trichiura, hookworm, and G. lamblia. The findings emphasize the importance of food-handlers as potential sources of infections and suggest health institutions for appropriate hygienic and sanitary control measures.

  15. Lactic acid bacteria in dairy food: surface characterization and interactions with food matrix components.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burgain, J; Scher, J; Francius, G; Borges, F; Corgneau, M; Revol-Junelles, A M; Cailliez-Grimal, C; Gaiani, C

    2014-11-01

    This review gives an overview of the importance of interactions occurring in dairy matrices between Lactic Acid Bacteria and milk components. Dairy products are important sources of biological active compounds of particular relevance to human health. These compounds include immunoglobulins, whey proteins and peptides, polar lipids, and lactic acid bacteria including probiotics. A better understanding of interactions between bioactive components and their delivery matrix may successfully improve their transport to their target site of action. Pioneering research on probiotic lactic acid bacteria has mainly focused on their host effects. However, very little is known about their interaction with dairy ingredients. Such knowledge could contribute to designing new and more efficient dairy food, and to better understand relationships between milk constituents. The purpose of this review is first to provide an overview of the current knowledge about the biomolecules produced on bacterial surface and the composition of the dairy matter. In order to understand how bacteria interact with dairy molecules, adhesion mechanisms are subsequently reviewed with a special focus on the environmental conditions affecting bacterial adhesion. Methods dedicated to investigate the bacterial surface and to decipher interactions between bacteria and abiotic dairy components are also detailed. Finally, relevant industrial implications of these interactions are presented and discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Effects of food preservatives on growth and metabolism of plaque bacteria in vitro and in vivo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leikanger, S.; Bjertness, E.; Aamdal Scheie, A.

    1992-01-01

    The aims of the present study were to assess the consumption of food preservatives during the last decades, and to study the effect of the preservatives, sorbic and benzoic acid, on growth and glycolysis of oral bacteria in vitro, and on acid formation by dental plaque in vivo. Five consumption reports from the Central Bureau of Statistics of Norway were used to estimate alterations in consumption of staple food containing the two preservatives. A modified broth dilution method was used to determine the MIC values of the preservatives against Streptococcus sobrinus and Streptococcus sanguis. Extracellular 14 C-glycolytic metabolites were studied by HPLC analyses. Plaque-pH measurements were used to assess possible effects on acid production. The consumption reports were used to assess possible effects on acid production. The consumption reports indicated increased consumption of preservatives. The in vitro testing suggested that legal concentrations of preservatives may inhibit the growth of oral streptococci. However, the preservatives did not inhibit in vitro glycolysis at tested concentrations. In vivo testing with similar concentrations (0.4% w/v) showed a significant effect. A higher concentration (2% w/v potassium sorbate) had a tendency to inhibit acid-formation by dental plaque even more. (au)

  17. Influence of different sanitizers on food contaminant bacteria: effect of exposure temperature, contact time, and product concentration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cezar Augusto Beltrame

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available The efficiency of four Sanitizers - peracetic acid, chlorhexidine, quaternary ammonium, and organic acids - was tested in this work using different bacteria recognized as a problem to meat industry, Salmonella sp., S. aureus, E. coli and L. monocytogenes. The effects of sanitizer concentration (0.2, 0.5, 0.6, 1.0, 1.1 and 1.4%, at different temperatures (10 and 45 °C and contact time (2, 10, 15, 18 and 25 minutes were evaluated. Tests in an industrial plant were also carried out considering previously obtained results. In a general way, peracetic acid presented higher efficiencies using low concentration (0.2% and contact time (2 minutes at 10 °C. The tests performed in industrial scale showed that peracetic acid presented a good performance in concentration and contact time lower than that suggested by the suppliers. The use of chlorhexidine and quaternary ammonium led to reasonable results at the indicated conditions, and organic acids were ineffective under concentration and contact time higher than those indicated by the suppliers in relation to Staphylococcus aureus. The results, in general, show that the choice for the most adequate sanitizer depends on the microorganism contaminant, the time available for sanitizer application, and also on the process cost.

  18. Molecular detection of tick-borne bacteria and protozoa in cervids and wild boars from Portugal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pereira, André; Parreira, Ricardo; Nunes, Mónica; Casadinho, Afonso; Vieira, Maria Luísa; Campino, Lenea; Maia, Carla

    2016-05-10

    Wildlife can act as reservoir of different tick-borne pathogens, such as bacteria, parasites and viruses. The aim of the present study was to assess the presence of tick-borne bacteria and protozoa with veterinary and zoonotic importance in cervids and wild boars from the Centre and South of Portugal. One hundred and forty one blood samples from free-ranging ungulates including 73 red deer (Cervus elaphus), 65 wild boars (Sus scrofa) and three fallow deer (Dama dama) were tested for the presence of Anaplasma marginale/A. ovis, A. phagocytophilum, Anaplasma/Ehrlichia spp., Babesia/Theileria spp., Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato) (s.l.), and Rickettsia spp. DNA by PCR. Anaplasma spp. DNA was detected in 33 (43.4 %) cervids (31 red deer and two fallow deer) and in two (3.1 %) wild boars while Theileria spp. were found in 34 (44.7 %) cervids (32 red deer and two fallow deer) and in three (4.6 %) wild boar blood samples. Sequence analysis of msp4 sequences identified A. marginale, A. ovis, while the analysis of rDNA sequence data disclosed the presence of A. platys and A. phagocytophilum and T. capreoli and Theileria sp. OT3. Anaplasma spp./Theileria spp. mixed infections were found in 17 cervids (22.4 %) and in two wild boars (3.1 %). All samples were negative for Babesia sp., B. burgdorferi (s.l.), Ehrlichia sp. or Rickettsia sp. This is the first detection of Anaplasma marginale, A. ovis, A. phagocytophilum, A. platys, Theileria capreoli and Theileria sp. OT3 in cervids and wild boars from Portugal. Further studies concerning the potential pathogenicity of the different species of  Anaplasma and Theileria infecting wild ungulates, the identification of their vector range, and their putative infectivity to domestic livestock and humans should be undertaken.

  19. Plasmids from Food Lactic Acid Bacteria: Diversity, Similarity, and New Developments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cui, Yanhua; Hu, Tong; Qu, Xiaojun; Zhang, Lanwei; Ding, Zhongqing; Dong, Aijun

    2015-01-01

    Plasmids are widely distributed in different sources of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as self-replicating extrachromosomal genetic materials, and have received considerable attention due to their close relationship with many important functions as well as some industrially relevant characteristics of the LAB species. They are interesting with regard to the development of food-grade cloning vectors. This review summarizes new developments in the area of lactic acid bacteria plasmids and aims to provide up to date information that can be used in related future research. PMID:26068451

  20. Association of plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin d concentrations and pathogenic oral bacteria in postmenopausal females.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sahli, Michelle W; Wactawski-Wende, Jean; Ram, Pavani K; LaMonte, Michael J; Hovey, Kathleen M; Genco, Robert J; Andrews, Christopher A; Millen, Amy E

    2014-07-01

    Previous findings of an association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations and periodontal disease may be partially explained by the antimicrobial properties of vitamin D. To the best of the authors' knowledge, no study has investigated the association between 25(OH)D and pathogenic oral bacteria, a putative cause of periodontal disease. The association between plasma 25(OH)D concentrations and pathogenic oral bacteria was examined among postmenopausal females in the Buffalo Osteoporosis and Periodontal Disease Study (1997 to 2000), an ancillary study of the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study. Subgingival plaque samples were assessed using immunofluorescence for the presence of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerella forsythia, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Prevotella intermedia, and Campylobacter rectus. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for prevalent bacteria by quintile (Q) of 25(OH)D concentrations, adjusting for age and body mass index. Of the 855 participants, 288 (34%) had deficient/inadequate (bacteria. No significant association was found between 25(OH)D and presence of any of these bacteria (adjusted OR for high [Q5] compared to low [Q1] 25(OH)D = 0.96; 95% CI: 0.61 to 1.50; P for trend = 0.50). Inverse, although not statistically significant, associations were found between 25(OH)D and more than one species of pathogenic bacteria (adjusted OR for adequate compared to deficient/inadequate 25(OH)D = 0.85; 95% CI: 0.60 to 1.19). No association was observed between pathogenic oral bacteria and 25(OH)D concentrations in postmenopausal females. This may be attributable to the species of bacteria assessed, small effect size, or a true absence of an association.

  1. [Bacteria of Lactobacillus casei group: characterization, viability as probiotic in food products and their importance for human health].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buriti, Flávia Carolina Alonso; Saad, Susana Marta Isay

    2007-12-01

    Lactobacillus casei is a group of phenotypically and genetically heterogeneous lactic acid bacteria, able to colonize various natural and man-made environments. Strains of the Lactobacillus casei group have been widely studied with respect to their health-promoting properties. Several beneficial functions for the human organism have been attributed to regular consumption of food products containing these strains. Bacteria of the Lactobacillus casei group are of great interest for the food industry to improve food quality. A number of studies have been conducted in order to evaluate the viability of strains of Lactobacillus casei group as probiotic in dairy products, desserts, among others food products. Despite its importance for the food industry, the taxonomy of the Lactobacillus casei group is still unclear. This review discusses important studies related to characterization of strains of Lactobacillus casei group, the application of these bacteria as probiotic in different food products and the main beneficial effects attributed to regular consumption of products containing such microorganisms.

  2. Influence of environmental factors on phage-bacteria interaction and on the efficacy and infectivity of phage P100

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susanne Fister

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available When using bacteriophages to control food-borne bacteria in food production plants and processed food, it is crucial to consider that environmental conditions influence their stability. These conditions can also affect the physiological state of bacteria and consequently host-virus interaction and the effectiveness of the phage ability to reduce bacteria numbers. In this study we investigated the stability, binding and replication capability of phage P100 and its efficacy to control L. monocytogenes under conditions typically encountered in dairy plants. The influences of SDS, Lutensol AO 7, salt, smear water and different temperatures were investigated. Results indicate that phage P100 is stable and able to bind to the host under most conditions tested. Replication was dependent upon the growth of L. monocytogenes and efficacy was higher when bacterial growth was reduced by certain environmental conditions. In long-term experiments at different temperatures phages were initially able to reduce bacteria up to seven log10 units after two weeks at 4 °C. However, thereafter re-growth and development of phage-resistant L. monocytogenes isolates were encountered.

  3. Plasmids from Food Lactic Acid Bacteria: Diversity, Similarity, and New Developments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yanhua Cui

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Plasmids are widely distributed in different sources of lactic acid bacteria (LAB as self-replicating extrachromosomal genetic materials, and have received considerable attention due to their close relationship with many important functions as well as some industrially relevant characteristics of the LAB species. They are interesting with regard to the development of food-grade cloning vectors. This review summarizes new developments in the area of lactic acid bacteria plasmids and aims to provide up to date information that can be used in related future research.

  4. Trends and advances in food analysis by real-time polymerase chain reaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salihah, Nur Thaqifah; Hossain, Mohammad Mosharraf; Lubis, Hamadah; Ahmed, Minhaz Uddin

    2016-05-01

    Analyses to ensure food safety and quality are more relevant now because of rapid changes in the quantity, diversity and mobility of food. Food-contamination must be determined to maintain health and up-hold laws, as well as for ethical and cultural concerns. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), a rapid and inexpensive quantitative method to detect the presence of targeted DNA-segments in samples, helps in determining both accidental and intentional adulterations of foods by biological contaminants. This review presents recent developments in theory, techniques, and applications of RT-PCR in food analyses, RT-PCR addresses the limitations of traditional food analyses in terms of sensitivity, range of analytes, multiplexing ability, cost, time, and point-of-care applications. A range of targets, including species of plants or animals which are used as food ingredients, food-borne bacteria or viruses, genetically modified organisms, and allergens, even in highly processed foods can be identified by RT-PCR, even at very low concentrations. Microfluidic RT-PCR eliminates the separate sample-processing step to create opportunities for point-of-care analyses. We also cover the challenges related to using RT-PCR for food analyses, such as the need to further improve sample handling.

  5. Porous Silicon-Based Biosensors: Towards Real-Time Optical Detection of Target Bacteria in the Food Industry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Massad-Ivanir, Naama; Shtenberg, Giorgi; Raz, Nitzan; Gazenbeek, Christel; Budding, Dries; Bos, Martine P; Segal, Ester

    2016-11-30

    Rapid detection of target bacteria is crucial to provide a safe food supply and to prevent foodborne diseases. Herein, we present an optical biosensor for identification and quantification of Escherichia coli (E. coli, used as a model indicator bacteria species) in complex food industry process water. The biosensor is based on a nanostructured, oxidized porous silicon (PSi) thin film which is functionalized with specific antibodies against E. coli. The biosensors were exposed to water samples collected directly from process lines of fresh-cut produce and their reflectivity spectra were collected in real time. Process water were characterized by complex natural micro-flora (microbial load of >10 7  cell/mL), in addition to soil particles and plant cell debris. We show that process water spiked with culture-grown E. coli, induces robust and predictable changes in the thin-film optical interference spectrum of the biosensor. The latter is ascribed to highly specific capture of the target cells onto the biosensor surface, as confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The biosensors were capable of selectively identifying and quantifying the target cells, while the target cell concentration is orders of magnitude lower than that of other bacterial species, without any pre-enrichment or prior processing steps.

  6. Research regarding the antimicrobial activity of essential oils against food borne bacteria and toxigenic fungi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    ALINA A. DOBRE

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this research was to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of seven essential oils against four different bacterial and five fungal strains that are involved in food poisoning and/or food decay: Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis, Fusarium graminearum, Fusarium culmorum, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus brasiliensis, using two methods: agar disc diffusion method and disc volatilization method. The majority of the selected essential oils presented inhibitory activity against all the microorganisms tested but essential oils of oregano, thyme and clove proved to develop the best antibacterial and antifungal activity both in direct contact and volatilization method and could be used for further investigation in active packaging of food.

  7. Analysis of thiamine concentrations in commercial canned foods formulated for cats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markovich, Jessica E; Freeman, Lisa M; Heinze, Cailin R

    2014-01-15

    To measure thiamine concentrations in commercial canned foods formulated for cats as an initial assessment of the variation among canned foods and to determine the effects of flavor (fish vs nonfish) of the food, texture (paté vs nonpaté) of the food, country of manufacture, and size of the company on thiamine concentration. Prospective cross-sectional study. 90 canned, nontherapeutic diets formulated for cats (1 fish and 1 nonfish flavor for each of 45 brands). Each canned food was homogenized, and thiamine concentration was analyzed with a fluorometric method. Thiamine concentration was below the minimums of the Association of American Feed Control Officials in 12 of 90 (13.3%) foods and below the recommended allowance of the National Research Council in 14 of 90 (15.6%) foods. Paté foods had significantly lower thiamine concentrations than did nonpaté foods, and foods from smaller companies had significantly lower thiamine concentrations, compared with concentrations in foods from larger companies. Flavor of food and country of manufacture were not significantly associated with thiamine concentration. A wide range of thiamine concentrations was found in the foods evaluated. Thiamine concentration in a substantial percentage of commercially available canned foods was below the amount recommended for adult cats. Additional research on interlot and intralot variation in thiamine concentrations of foods formulated for cats is warranted. Companies should implement strict quality control and analysis practices regarding food products. Clinicians should consider thiamine deficiency as a differential diagnosis in a cat with acute neurologic dysfunction.

  8. Current status and emerging role of glutathione in food grade lactic acid bacteria

    OpenAIRE

    Pophaly Sarang; Singh Rameshwar; Pophaly Saurabh; Kaushik Jai K; Tomar Sudhir

    2012-01-01

    Abstract Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have taken centre stage in perspectives of modern fermented food industry and probiotic based therapeutics. These bacteria encounter various stress conditions during industrial processing or in the gastrointestinal environment. Such conditions are overcome by complex molecular assemblies capable of synthesizing and/or metabolizing molecules that play a specific role in stress adaptation. Thiols are important class of molecules which contribute towards stres...

  9. Sentinel Wraps: Real-Time Monitoring of Food Contamination by Printing DNAzyme Probes on Food Packaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yousefi, Hanie; Ali, M Monsur; Su, Hsuan-Ming; Filipe, Carlos D M; Didar, Tohid F

    2018-04-24

    Here, we report the development of a transparent, durable, and flexible sensing surface that generates a fluorescence signal in the presence of a specific target bacterium. This material can be used in packaging, and it is capable of monitoring microbial contamination in various types of food products in real time without having to remove the sample or the sensor from the package. The sensor was fabricated by covalently attaching picoliter-sized microarrays of an E. coli-specific RNA-cleaving fluorogenic DNAzyme probe (RFD-EC1) to a thin, flexible, and transparent cyclo-olefin polymer (COP) film. Our experimental results demonstrate that the developed (RFD-EC1)-COP surface is specific, stable for at least 14 days under various pH conditions (pH 3-9), and can detect E. coli in meat and apple juice at concentrations as low as 10 3 CFU/mL. Furthermore, we demonstrate that our sensor is capable of detecting bacteria while still attached to the food package, which eliminates the need to manipulate the sample. The developed biosensors are stable for at least the shelf life of perishable packaged food products and provide a packaging solution for real-time monitoring of pathogens. These sensors hold the potential to make a significant contribution to the ongoing efforts to mitigate the negative public-health-related impacts of food-borne illnesses.

  10. Food Safety and Sustainable Nutrition Workshops: Educational Experiences for Primary School Children in Turin, Italy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Traversa, Amaranta; Adriano, Daniela; Bellio, Alberto; Bianchi, Daniela Manila; Gallina, Silvia; Ippolito, Clara; Romano, Angelo; Durelli, Paola; Pezzana, Andrea; Decastelli, Lucia

    2017-01-24

    European control and prevention policies are focused to guarantee a high level of protection of consumers' health. Food-borne diseases as obesity, diabetes, food allergy, and food-borne outbreaks are increasing. To prevent food-borne diseases, it is fundamental to involve consumers, in particular children, in educational experiences aimed to learn the proper behaviours to be applied. In this context, we designed and performed 5 educational workshops about food safety, hidden allergens in food and nutrition aimed to involve children attending primary and summer school. These experiences let us collect observations about children knowledge and behaviours. From May to October 2015, a total of 1708 children aged 6 to 11 years joined our workshops. Children were involved in listening activities, laboratory experiments, handling games and sensory experiences. All participants were familiar with food allergy and were interested to know how to behave with allergic people. Children showed great curiosity in discovering that many foods normally contain live bacteria. Less than 25% of children reported to skip breakfast, to have it watching TV or to spend few minutes for it. Many of them (>75%) thought that fruits and vegetables are all year-round available and are not related to a specific period. Very few participants (food safety and nutrition educational experiences have the opportunity to increase their awareness about the correct behaviours to prevent food-borne diseases and to improve their own critical thinking about food consumption.

  11. Food-borne pathogens

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Niemand, J.G.

    1985-01-01

    The Salmonella scare reinforced the importance of never taking chances when it comes to controlling pathogens. The issue has been resolved by radurisation. The article deals with the various pathogens that can effect food and argues the case for radurisation in dealing with them. It also looks at some of the other food products that can be treated using this process

  12. Studies on ultraviolet inactivation of air-borne microorganisms, 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adachi, Shin-ichi; Doi, Hitoshi; Yamayoshi, Takao; Nunoura, Masako; Tatsumi, Noriyuki.

    1989-01-01

    UV(254nm) inactivation of air-borne bacteria in an air-controlling apparatus was studied. The appratus was composed of a chamber for vaporizing a bacterial suspension and an irradiation duct equipped with an UV lamp(GL-30). The bacterial which passed through the irradiation duct impinged on a petri dish by an air slit sampler. Selected bacteria for the experiment were Serratia marcescens, Escherichia coli, Sarcina lutea and Bacillus subtilis(spores). The apparatus was useful for the study of the susceptibility of air-borne bacteria to UV radiation. UV dose necessary to inhibit colony formation in 90% of individual bacteria in the controlled air was as low as 27 to 35% of the dose required for the agar plate method. (author)

  13. Food irradiation technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cetinkaya, N.

    1999-01-01

    Trade in food and agricultural products is important to all countries, the economies of many developing countries would be significantly improved if they were able to export more food and agricultural products. Unfortunately, many products can not be traded because they are infested with, or hosts to, harmful pests, contaminated with microorganisms, or spoil quickly. Foods contaminated with microorganisms cause economic losses, widespread illness and death. Several technologies and products have been developed to resolve problems in trading food and to improve food safety, but none can provide all the solutions. Irradiation is an effective technology to resolve technical problems in trade of many food and agricultural products, either as a stand- alone technology or in combination with others. As a disinfestation treatment it allows different levels of quarantine security to be targeted and it is one of few methods to control internal pests. The ability of irradiation virtually to eliminate key pathogenic organisms from meat, poultry, and spices is an important public health advantage. In addition to controlling pests and eliminating harmful bacteria, irradiation also extends the storage life of many foods. In the laboratories of Turkish Atomic Energy Authority, many research projects were completed on the effects of gamma irradiation to the storage life of chicken meat, anchovy, Turkish fermented sausage, dried and fresh fruits and vegetables and also research projects were conducted on the effects of gamma irradiation on microorganisms (Salmonella, Campylo-bacteria, E.coli and S.aureus in white and red meat) and parasites (food-borne, trichostrongylus spp. and Nematodes spp.)

  14. [Tick borne diseases].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holzer, B R

    2005-11-01

    It is known for many years that tick-borne diseases have worldwide a high economical impact on farming industry and veterinary medicine. But only in the last twenty years the importance of such diseases were notified in human medicine by the medical community and the public with emerging of the tick borne encephalitis virus and the description of Borrelia burgdorferi. It is often forgotten that many other infectious agents as bacteria, virus, Rickettsia or protozoa can be transmitted by ticks. Such diseases are rarely diagnosed in Europe either they are overlooked and misdiagnosed or they are connected with special professional activities. The development of new regions for tourism with different out door activities (adventure trips, trekking, hunting) leads to an exposure to different tick borne diseases, which are often misdiagnosed.

  15. Evaluation of antibacterial effect of Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oil on three food-borne pathogens in vegetables by propidium monoazide quantitative PCR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M Azizkhani

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Essential oils (EOs have long been applied as flavoring agents in foods. Nowadays, due to the antimicrobial properties of EOs, they have been used as natural food preservatives. In this study, initial experiments were performed in order to elucidate the minimum bactericidal concentration of Rosmarinus officinalis L.EO on Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes. Thereafter, PMA-qPCR was applied in order to selectively quantify living cells within a bacterial population treated with rosemary EO. Inactivation was obtained at EO concentrations of 1%, 0.45%, 0.9% for L. monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7 and S. enterica, respectively. L. monocytogenes were totally killed within 45 min while it took 90 min for E. coli O157:H7and S. enterica. It was concluded that rosemary EO has the potential to be used as a natural food additive or bio-preservative since it was able to irreversibly inactivate the three tested pathogens at lower concentrations and short exposition times in comparison with the other EOs. In addition, PMA-qPCR approach proved quantitatively precise and specific to selectively detect live pathogenic bacteria in vegetables following inactivation with rosemary EO.

  16. In Vitro Evaluation of the Antibiogramic Activities of the Seeds of Myristica fragrans on Food Borne Pathogens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emefo, O. T.

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Aims: Foodborne diseases have been shown to have direct impact on the health and welfare of a large number of the world population. The in vitro antibiogramic properties of natural spices (Myristica fragrans on common food borne pathogen became necessary both in improving food safety and development of new drugs. Methodology and Results: Test isolates (Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were collected from the culture collection unit of the department of Microbiology, Benson Idahosa University, Nigeria. Seeds of M. fragrans were extracted by soxhlet extractor using ethanol and water, while the oil was obtained by steam distillation. The extracts and oil were tested against the bacterial isolates using agar well diffusion method at varying concentration (12.5, 25, 50 and 100 mg/mL. The oil of M. fragrans was found to have the highest antibiogramic activity on the selected isolates, followed by its ethanolic extract with zones of inhibition ranging from 0-24 mm and 0-16 mm respectively. The aqueous extract of M. fragrans was found to be effective against E. coli, P. aeruginosa and S. epidermidis only at 100 mg/mL. The MIC was also higher in oil extract of M. fragrans compared to its ethanolic and aqueous extracts. Conclusion, Significance and Impact of study: The oil and aqueous extract of M. fragrans showed antibiogramic properties against the bacterial isolates used at different concentrations. Thus, its oil can be used as an alternative to synthetic food preservative found to harbor toxic effects and could also serve as sources for development of new antibiotics.

  17. Lactic Acid Bacteria Exopolysaccharides in Foods and Beverages: Isolation, Properties, Characterization, and Health Benefits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lynch, Kieran M; Zannini, Emanuele; Coffey, Aidan; Arendt, Elke K

    2018-03-25

    Exopolysaccharides produced by lactic acid bacteria are a diverse group of polysaccharides produced by many species. They vary widely in their molecular, compositional, and structural characteristics, including mechanisms of synthesis. The physiochemical properties of these polymers mean that they can be exploited for the sensorial and textural enhancement of a variety of food and beverage products. Traditionally, lactic acid bacteria exopolysaccharides have an important role in fermented dairy products and more recently are being applied for the improvement of bakery products. The health benefits that are continually being associated with these polysaccharides enable the development of dual function, added-value, and clean-label products. To fully exploit and understand the functionality of these exopolysaccharides, their isolation, purification, and thorough characterization are of great importance. This review considers each of the above factors and presents the current knowledge on the importance of lactic acid bacteria exopolysaccharides in the food and beverage industry.

  18. The β-defensin gallinacin-6 is expressed in the chicken digestive tract and has antimicrobial activity against food-borne pathogens

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Dijk, A.; Veldhuizen, E.J.A.; Kalkhove, S.I.C.; Tjeerdsma-van Bokhoven, J.L.M.; Romijn, R.A.; Haagsman, H.P.

    2007-01-01

    Food-borne pathogens are responsible for most cases of food poisoning in developed countries and are often associated with poultry products, including chicken. Little is known about the role of ß-defensins in the chicken digestive tract and their efficacy. In this study, the expression of chicken

  19. Current state of purification, isolation and analysis of bacteriocins produced by lactic acid bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaškonienė, Vilma; Stankevičius, Mantas; Bimbiraitė-Survilienė, Kristina; Naujokaitytė, Gintarė; Šernienė, Loreta; Mulkytė, Kristina; Malakauskas, Mindaugas; Maruška, Audrius

    2017-02-01

    The scientific interest for the search of natural means of microbial inhibitors has not faded for several years. A search of natural antibiotics, so-called bacteriocins which are produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB), gains a huge attention of the scientists in the last century, in order to reduce the usage of synthetic food additives. Pure bacteriocins with wide spectra of antibacterial activity are promising among the natural biopreservatives. The usage of bacteriocin(s) producing LAB as starter culture for the fermentation of some food products, in order to increase their shelf-life, when synthetic preservatives are not allowable, is also possible. There are a lot of studies focusing on the isolation of new bacteriocins from traditional fermented food, dairy products and other foods or sometimes even from unusual non-food matrices. Bacteriocins producing bacteria have been isolated from different sources with the different antibacterial activity against food-borne microorganisms. This review covers the classification of bacteriocins, diversity of sources of bacteriocin(s) producing LAB, antibacterial spectra of isolated bacteriocins and analytical methods for the bacteriocin purification and analysis within the last 15 years.

  20. [Hazardous food-borne fungi and present and future approaches to the mycotoxin regulations in Japan].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takatori, Kosuke; Aihara, Maki; Sugita-Konishi, Yoshiko

    2006-01-01

    In recent years, various food-related accidents and health scares have dissipated trust in the food industry. Health hazards resulting from food contaminated with fungi is increasing. Food contamination by fungi causes many problems, especially in Japan, which relies on foreign countries for about 60% of its food: the contamination of imported food by fungi and mycotoxins constitutes a serious problem. As the quantity of imported food increases and changes in food distribution have occurred, so too has the number and type of fungi causing food-related damages; osmophilic and thermotolerant fungi, in addition to the mainstream fungi of genera Cladosporium, Pecinillium, and Aspergillus, have become a problem. Although European countries and the U.S. have recently conducted risk assessments for mycotoxins, Japan has not attained an international level in the determination of baseline values. However, in addition to risk management for Aflatoxin M1, Ochratoxin, T-2 toxin/HT-2 toxin, and Fumonisin, determination of baseline values for mycotoxins is beginning in Japan. In this review, we summarize hazardous food-borne fungi, and present and future approaches to the mycotoxin regulations in Japan.

  1. The variation of particle gas-borne concentration with time in a gas cooled reactor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reed, J.; Hall, D.; Reeks, M.W.

    1985-01-01

    If volatile fission products are released from fuel during a reactor fault, a significant fraction could become attached to small particles also present in the coolant. In such circumstances the retention of those particles by the reactor circuit will limit the level of gas-borne particle concentration and hence be important in reducing the potential release of fission product activity to the atmosphere. Clearly the retention of particles will be influenced by both the deposition and resuspension of particles from surfaces exposed to the coolant flow. In this paper we consider deposition and resuspension but pay particular attention to the role of resuspension, which in the past has been given little consideration. A recently developed model for the resuspension of small particles by a turbulent flow is outlined. Traditionally, resuspension has been interpreted as a force balance between the aerodynamic removal forces and the surface adhesive forces. In contrast, this new approach embodies an energy balance criterion for particle resuspension. Furthermore, the stochastic nature of this new model has shown that resuspension can be sub-divided into two regimes: (i) initial resuspension (resuspension occurring in times less than a second) which reduces the net deposition of particles to a surface; and (ii) longer term resuspension (resuspension after 1 second) which determines the asymptotic decay of particle gas-borne concentration. It is seen that the asymptotic decay varies almost inversely as the decay time. Force balance models are unsuccessful in accounting for the experimentally observed longer term resuspension. We show that a Volterra integro-differential equation best describes the variation of particle gas-borne concentration with time in a recirculating gas flow such as a gas cooled reactor. It is seen that the longer term resuspension has a major influence in the final decay of particle concentration. (author)

  2. The variation of particle gas-borne concentration with time in a gas cooled reactor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reed, J; Hall, D; Reeks, M W [Central Electricity Generating Board, Berkeley Nuclear Laboratories (United Kingdom)

    1985-07-01

    If volatile fission products are released from fuel during a reactor fault, a significant fraction could become attached to small particles also present in the coolant. In such circumstances the retention of those particles by the reactor circuit will limit the level of gas-borne particle concentration and hence be important in reducing the potential release of fission product activity to the atmosphere. Clearly the retention of particles will be influenced by both the deposition and resuspension of particles from surfaces exposed to the coolant flow. In this paper we consider deposition and resuspension but pay particular attention to the role of resuspension, which in the past has been given little consideration. A recently developed model for the resuspension of small particles by a turbulent flow is outlined. Traditionally, resuspension has been interpreted as a force balance between the aerodynamic removal forces and the surface adhesive forces. In contrast, this new approach embodies an energy balance criterion for particle resuspension. Furthermore, the stochastic nature of this new model has shown that resuspension can be sub-divided into two regimes: (i) initial resuspension (resuspension occurring in times less than a second) which reduces the net deposition of particles to a surface; and (ii) longer term resuspension (resuspension after 1 second) which determines the asymptotic decay of particle gas-borne concentration. It is seen that the asymptotic decay varies almost inversely as the decay time. Force balance models are unsuccessful in accounting for the experimentally observed longer term resuspension. We show that a Volterra integro-differential equation best describes the variation of particle gas-borne concentration with time in a recirculating gas flow such as a gas cooled reactor. It is seen that the longer term resuspension has a major influence in the final decay of particle concentration. (author)

  3. Inhibition of in vitro growth of soil-borne pathogens by compost-inhabiting indigenous bacteria and fungi

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ramzan, N.; Noreen, N.; Shahzad, S.

    2014-01-01

    During the present studies, compost-inhabiting microorganisms including 44 fungi and 15 bacteria isolated from different compost samples were evaluated for their in vitro efficacy against soil-borne pathogens viz., Fusarium solani, Macrophomina phaseolina, Pythium aphanidermatum, Rhizoctonia solani, and Sclerotium rolfsii. Compost inhabiting microbes like Trichoderma harzianum, T. virens, Bacillus cereus, B. pumilus, B. subtilis, Micrococcus varians and Pseudomonas fluorescens were found to inhibit all the test pathogens. Acrophialophora fusispora and Penicillium citrinum reduced the mycelial growth of all the test pathogens except Sclerotium rolfsii. Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus megaterium showed biocontrol activity against all the pathogens except Rhizoctonia solani. Trichoderma harzianum parasitized mycelia of all the tested pathogens and produced coiling around the mycelium. (author)

  4. Rationalizing and advancing the 3-MPBA SERS sandwich assay for rapid detection of bacteria in environmental and food matrices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pearson, Brooke; Mills, Alexander; Tucker, Madeline; Gao, Siyue; McLandsborough, Lynne; He, Lili

    2018-06-01

    Bacterial foodborne illness continues to be a pressing issue in our food supply. Rapid detection methods are needed for perishable foods due to their short shelf lives and significant contribution to foodborne illness. Previously, a sensitive and reliable surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) sandwich assay based on 3-mercaptophenylboronic acid (3-MBPA) as a capturer and indicator molecule was developed for rapid bacteria detection. In this study, we explored the advantages and constraints of this assay over the conventional aerobic plate count (APC) method and further developed methods for detection in real environmental and food matrices. The SERS sandwich assay was able to detect environmental bacteria in pond water and on spinach leaves at higher levels than the APC method. In addition, the SERS assay appeared to have higher sensitivity to quantify bacteria in the stationary phase. On the other hand, the APC method was more sensitive to cell viability. Finally, a method to detect bacteria in a challenging high-sugar juice matrix was developed to enhance bacteria capture. This study advanced the SERS technique for real applications in environment and food matrices. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Agriculture and food animals as a source of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Economou V

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Vangelis Economou,1 Panagiota Gousia2 1Department of Hygiene and Technology of Food of Animal Origin, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece; 2Food-Water Microbiology Unit, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece Abstract: One of the major breakthroughs in the history of medicine is undoubtedly the discovery of antibiotics. Their use in animal husbandry and veterinary medicine has resulted in healthier and more productive farm animals, ensuring the welfare and health of both animals and humans. Unfortunately, from the first use of penicillin, the resistance countdown started to tick. Nowadays, the infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria are increasing, and resistance to antibiotics is probably the major public health problem. Antibiotic use in farm animals has been criticized for contributing to the emergence of resistance. The use and misuse of antibiotics in farm animal settings as growth promoters or as nonspecific means of infection prevention and treatment has boosted antibiotic consumption and resistance among bacteria in the animal habitat. This reservoir of resistance can be transmitted directly or indirectly to humans through food consumption and direct or indirect contact. Resistant bacteria can cause serious health effects directly or via the transmission of the antibiotic resistance traits to pathogens, causing illnesses that are difficult to treat and that therefore have higher morbidity and mortality rates. In addition, the selection and proliferation of antibiotic-resistant strains can be disseminated to the environment via animal waste, enhancing the resistance reservoir that exists in the environmental microbiome. In this review, an effort is made to highlight the various factors that contribute to the emergence of antibiotic resistance in farm animals and to

  6. Research and identification of pathogenic bacteria 'Salmonella and Listeria' in food

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harizi Khalil

    2009-01-01

    The sums propose to evaluate the bacterial contamination of certain food taken randomly by two pathogenic bacteria (Salmonella and Listeria) considering the evolution of the diseases of food oignon. For that 78 food samples of different origins were analysed. 2 stocks of the Listeria kind and 3 stocks of the salmonella kind were insulated and identified by biochemical and molecular tests. The pathogenic isolates were identified by coloration gram, test catalase, insulation on specific culture media and Api (20 E for Salmonella and Api listeria. At the end, the PCR were realized to amplify the gene iap which codes for the protein p60 at listeria as well as a sequence clonee randomly specific of Salmonella.

  7. Two Size-Selective Mechanisms Specifically Trap Bacteria-Sized Food Particles in Caenorhabditis elegans

    OpenAIRE

    Fang-Yen, Christopher M.; Avery, Leon; Samuel, Aravinthan DT

    2009-01-01

    Caenorhabditis elegans is a filter feeder: it draws bacteria suspended in liquid into its pharynx, traps the bacteria, and ejects the liquid. How pharyngeal pumping simultaneously transports and filters food particles has been poorly understood. Here, we use high-speed video microscopy to define the detailed workings of pharyngeal mechanics. The buccal cavity and metastomal flaps regulate the flow of dense bacterial suspensions and exclude excessively large particles from entering the pharyn...

  8. UJI SIFAT PROBIOTIK BAKTERI ASAM LAKTAT SEBAGAI KANDIDAT BAHAN PANGAN FUNGSIONAL [Probiotic Characteristics of laactic acid Bacteria as Candidate for Functional Food

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ida Susanti

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Lactic acid bacteria have been reported to be useful as a healt adjunct and are commonly added to food as delivery mechanism. As a probiotic, lactic acid bacteria should have the ability to survive in the digestion process such as resistance towards acidic pH, varieties of bile salt concentrations and enteric pathogan. In this study, lactic acid bacteria were isolated from various sources. Twenty isolated of lactic acid bacteria selected for their resistancy toeards acidic pH (pH 2.5, 0.3% bile salt and their antagonistic activity against enteric pathogan (Esherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus. The result showed that most of all strauns had good resistance to acidic pH and there were no significant difference among theme (p>0.05. More over, all strains showed tolerance to 0,3% bile salt concentration (varietis among isolates were significant p>0.05. All strains showed inhibition activity against enteric pathogan bacteria, this was estimated from the size of the diameter of the inhibition zones. (The inhibition were significantly different among them (p>0,05. The best five stains that fulfilled these properties L casei FNCC262, L. acidophilus FNCC116, KL-3 isolate, Da-1 isolate, and Db-2 isolate. These strains could be used as probiotics in further and applications.

  9. Lactic acid bacteria: promising supplements for enhancing the biological activities of kombucha.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Nguyen Khoi; Dong, Ngan Thi Ngoc; Nguyen, Huong Thuy; Le, Phu Hong

    2015-01-01

    Kombucha is sweetened black tea that is fermented by a symbiosis of bacteria and yeast embedded within a cellulose membrane. It is considered a health drink in many countries because it is a rich source of vitamins and may have other health benefits. It has previously been reported that adding lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus) strains to kombucha can enhance its biological functions, but in that study only lactic acid bacteria isolated from kefir grains were tested. There are many other natural sources of lactic acid bacteria. In this study, we examined the effects of lactic acid bacteria from various fermented Vietnamese food sources (pickled cabbage, kefir and kombucha) on kombucha's three main biological functions: glucuronic acid production, antibacterial activity and antioxidant ability. Glucuronic acid production was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, antibacterial activity was assessed by the agar-well diffusion method and antioxidant ability was evaluated by determining the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging capacity. Four strains of food-borne pathogenic bacteria were used in our antibacterial experiments: Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19111, Escherichia coli ATCC 8739, Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 14028 and Bacillus cereus ATCC 11778. Our findings showed that lactic acid bacteria strains isolated from kefir are superior to those from other sources for improving glucuronic acid production and enhancing the antibacterial and antioxidant activities of kombucha. This study illustrates the potential of Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus plantarum isolated from kefir as biosupplements for enhancing the bioactivities of kombucha.

  10. Multi-antibiotic resistant bacteria in frozen food (ready to cook food) of animal origin sold in Dhaka, Bangladesh

    OpenAIRE

    Sultana, Fouzia; Kamrunnahar,; Afroz, Hafsa; Jahan, Afroz; Fakruddin, Md.; Datta, Suvamoy

    2014-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the bacterial load and antibiotic resistance pattern of bacterial isolates obtained from (ready to cook) frozen food samples of animal origin in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Methods: A total of 20 samples of frozen ready to cook food of animal origin were purchased from different separate grocery stores in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Bacteria were isolated and identified based on the basis of biochemical properties. Results: A total of 57 isolates has been isolated from 20 sample...

  11. Some physiological and morphological aspects of radiation-resistant bacteria and a new method for their isolation from food

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanders, S.W.

    1978-01-01

    A study was undertaken to help clarify the taxonomic positions and mechanisms of radiation resistance of radiation-resistant asporogenous bacteria found in foods. Determinations of DNA base compositions of highly resistant Moroxella-Acinetobacter (M-A) strains indicated that they were atypical, having percent guanine plus cytosine contents exceeding the values for true Moraxella or Acinetobacter spp. By direct observation of dividing cells, the resistant M-A were found to undergo multiple-plane division. Electron micrographs revealed unusually thick cell walls in the M-A as compared with gram-negative bacteria, indicating a possible role of the cell wall in radiation resistance. Resistance to desiccation was utilized in the selection of highly radiation-resistant bacteria from non-irradiated sources. Bacteria from a food or other source were suspended in dilute phosphate buffer and dried in a thin film at 25 C and 33% relative humidity. Storage under these conditions for 15 days or more reduced the numbers of radiation-sensitive bacteria. Further selection of the most radiation-resistant bacteria was obtained by irradiation of bacteria on velveteen in the replication process, thereby allowing the isolation of highly resistant bacteria that had not been irradiated. The similarity of radiation-resistance and identifying characteristics between irradiated and non-irradiated isolates indicated that highly radiation-resistant bacteria are not altered by radiation selection. Irradiated Plate Count Agar and Tryptic Soy Agar were found to be very toxic to radiation-resistant bacteria. This phenomenon may be important in food irradiation, where the ability to survive and grow in a product may depend partly on the sensitivity to bacteriocidal products formed during irradiation

  12. Anti-bacteria effect of active ingredients of siraitia grosvenorii on the spoilage bacteria isolated from sauced pork head meat

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, X.; Xu, L. Y.; Cui, Y. Q.; Pang, M. X.; Wang, F.; Qi, J. H.

    2018-01-01

    Extraction and anti-bacteria effect of active ingredients of Siraitia grosvenorii were studied in this paper. Extraction combined with ultrasonic was adopted. The optimum extraction condition was determined by single factor test; the anti-bacteria effect of active ingredients and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) were valued by Oxford-cup method. The results indicated that optimum extraction condition of active ingredients extracted from Siraitia grosvenorii were described as follows: ethanol concentrations of sixty-five percent and twenty minutes with ultrasonic assisted extraction; the active ingredients of Siraitia grosvenorii had anti-bacteria effect on Staphylococcus epidermidis, Proteus vulgaris, Bacillus sp, Serratia sp and MIC was 0.125g/mL, 0.0625g/mL, 0.125g/mL and 0.125g/mL. The active constituent of Siraitia grosvenorii has obvious anti-bacteria effect on the spoilage bacteria isolated from Sauced pork head meat and can be used as a new natural food preservation to prolong the shelf-life of Low-temperature meat products.

  13. Identification of the sigmaB regulon of Bacillus cereus and conservation of sigmaB-regulated genes in low-GC-content gram-positive bacteria

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schaik, van W.; Voort, van der M.; Molenaar, D.; Moezelaar, R.; Vos, de W.M.; Abee, T.

    2007-01-01

    The alternative sigma factor B has an important role in the acquisition of stress resistance in many gram-positive bacteria, including the food-borne pathogen Bacillus cereus. Here, we describe the identification of the set of B-regulated genes in B. cereus by DNA microarray analysis of the

  14. Study on the determination of permissible concentration in sea food

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, C.M.; Lee, K.J.; Lee, W.K.

    2002-01-01

    Radioactive permissible concentration limit using the data which is suitable for Koreans is not established. In this paper, concentration limit is determined by using Korean food intake. Ministry of science of technology will adopt the new recommendation soon, so at this paper, dose limit of new value in ICRP 60 is used. Experts who have studied on this area worry about over-exposure by estimation of the case that intake contaminated a food by one radionuclide, therefore, complex intake limit is determined about all kinds of fishery products to solve this problem. Derived Food Concentration in single food divided by S(number of samples) and N(number of radionuclides) gives Complex intake limit (Derived Food Concentration in plural food). The value of N and S in this study is 3 and 12 respectively

  15. 90Sr in the skeleton of new-born children and infants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Borisov, B.K.

    1980-01-01

    The correlation between 90 Sr content in the skeleton of new-born children and infants and 90 Sr content in the vertebrae spongy tissue of mother, is studied in different countries from 1965 to 1973. The highest indexes of 90 Sr concentration in the bone tissue of new-born children are found to be characteristic of Canada and Norway. The minimum 90 Sr content is observed in Japan. The dynamics of indexes which characterize 90 Sr content in the bone tissue of infants is presented. The peculiarities are conditioned by particular nutrition of an infant nursing and cow milk used as additional food

  16. Isolation, characterization and comparative analysis of plant-associated bacteria for suppression of soil-borne diseases of field-grown groundnut in Vietnam

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Le, C.N.; Hoang, T.K.; Thai, T.H.; Tran, T.L.; Phan, T.P.N.; Raaijmakers, J.M.

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important oil seed crop worldwide and used extensively for feed and food. In Vietnam, groundnut cultivation is hampered by several soil-borne fungal pathogens, in particular Sclerotium rolfsii. To develop sustainable measures to control stem rot disease

  17. Inhibitory effect of bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacteria against histamine-forming bacteria isolated from Myeolchi-jeot

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eun-Seo Lim

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The objectives of this study were to identify the histamine-forming bacteria and bacteriocin- producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB isolated from Myeolchi-jeot according to sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene, to evaluate the inhibitory effects of the bacteriocin on the growth and histamine accumulation of histamine-forming bacteria, and to assess the physico-chemical properties of the bacteriocin. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequences, histamine-forming bacteria were identified as Bacillus licheniformis MCH01, Serratia marcescens MCH02, Staphylococcus xylosus MCH03, Aeromonas hydrophila MCH04, and Morganella morganii MCH05. The five LAB strains identified as Pediococcus acidilactici MCL11, Leuconostoc mesenteroides MCL12, Enterococcus faecium MCL13, Lactobacillus sakei MCL14, and Lactobacillus acidophilus MCL15 were found to produce an antibacterial compound with inhibitory activity against the tested histamine-producing bacteria. The inhibitory activity of these bacteriocins obtained from the five LAB remained stable after incubation at pH 4.0–8.0 and heating for 10 min at 80 °C; however, the bacteriocin activity was destroyed after treatment with papain, pepsin, proteinase K, α-chymotrypsin, or trypsin. Meanwhile, these bacteriocins produced by the tested LAB strains also exhibited histamine-degradation ability. Therefore, these antimicrobial substances may play a role in inhibiting histamine formation in the fermented fish products and preventing seafood-related food-borne disease caused by bacterially generated histamine.

  18. A survey on Bacterial Contamination of Food Supply in the West of Tehran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tehereh Faramarzi

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Background & Objective: Transfer of food born diseases is a common problem in hygiene and public health. The bacteria are the most important factors of food contamination and intoxications. The aim of this study is to determine the bacterial contamination of food supply in the west of Tehran supermarkets. Materials & Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 642 samples of foods were taken randomly from west of Tehran supermarkets. The levels of bacterial contamination of the foods were assessed in the department of food and drug microbiology of lab, affiliated to Iran University of medical science. Results: Salads were the most (50% and protein products (6.36% the least rate in terms of mesophilic bacteria contamination. Also, sweets (13.46% and protein products (1.73% in terms of Coliforms. Salads (58.33% and dairy products (9.84% with respect to Escherichia coli, sweets (4.81% and salads (0% in terms of Staphylococcus aureus, sweets (4.81% and dairy products (0.39% with respect to Bacillus cereus, were the most and least contaminated foods, respectively. Conclusion: In overall, salads had the most contamination percentage with respect to mesophilic bacteria, Escherichia coli and Enterococcus (P . According to our study, we conclude that training of dealers and food suppliers are necessary and healthy principals should be followed. Also supervision on food packing and storage should be considered to prevent food microbial contamination.

  19. Zoonotic aspects of vector-borne infections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Failloux, A-B; Moutailler, S

    2015-04-01

    Vector-borne diseases are principally zoonotic diseases transmitted to humans by animals. Pathogens such as bacteria, parasites and viruses are primarily maintained within an enzootic cycle between populations of non-human primates or other mammals and largely non-anthropophilic vectors. This 'wild' cycle sometimes spills over in the form of occasional infections of humans and domestic animals. Lifestyle changes, incursions by humans into natural habitats and changes in agropastoral practices create opportunities that make the borders between wildlife and humans more permeable. Some vector-borne diseases have dispensed with the need for amplification in wild or domestic animals and they can now be directly transmitted to humans. This applies to some viruses (dengue and chikungunya) that have caused major epidemics. Bacteria of the genus Bartonella have reduced their transmission cycle to the minimum, with humans acting as reservoir, amplifier and disseminator. The design of control strategies for vector-borne diseases should be guided by research into emergence mechanisms in order to understand how a wild cycle can produce a pathogen that goes on to cause devastating urban epidemics.

  20. Prevalence of Listeria Species in Ready-to-Eat Food in Shahrekord Restaurants

    OpenAIRE

    Rahimi, E; Shakerian, A. (PhD

    2014-01-01

    Background and Objective: Listeria bacteria with worldwide widespread are commonly found in soil, sewage, dust and water. Among which,Listeria monocytogenes can cause a serious food-borne disease. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Listeria species in ready-to-eat foods. Material and Methods: The samples (n=235) including oloveyh salad (n = 64), Yogurt stew (n= 35), vegetable salad (n=52), macaroni salad (n= 48) and meat salad (n =36) were collected from the rest...

  1. TECHNOLOGICAL AND FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES OF LACTIC ACID BACTERIA: THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE MICROORGANISMS FOR FOOD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amanda de Souza Motta

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Eacters of coccus or rods Gram-positive, catalase negative, non-sporulating, which produce lactic acid as the major end product during the fermentation of carbohydrates. When applied on food, provides beneficial effects to consumers through its functional and technological properties. With this the present review article, explore the potential application of lactic acid bacteria in food. The following genera are considered the principal lactic acid bacteria: Aerococcus, Carnobacterium, Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Oenococcus, Pediococcus, Streptococcus, Tetragenococcus, Vagococcus and Weissella. These cultures have been used as starter or adjunct cultures for the fermentation of foods and beverages due to their contributions to the sensorial characteristics of these products and by microbiological stability. Their probiotic properties have also been investigated. More recent studies by indigenous cultures have received increased attention in light of the search for isolated cultures of a given raw material and a certain region. These microorganisms are being investigated for its functional and technological potential that may be applied in product development with its own characteristics and designation of origin. Those properties will be discussed in the present review in order to highlight the performance of these bacteria and the high degree of control over the fermentation process and standardization of the final product. The use of autochthonous cultures will be considered due the increase of studies of new cultures of lactic acid bacteria isolated of milk and meat of distinct products.

  2. FoodChain-Lab: A Trace-Back and Trace-Forward Tool Developed and Applied during Food-Borne Disease Outbreak Investigations in Germany and Europe.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Armin A Weiser

    Full Text Available FoodChain-Lab is modular open-source software for trace-back and trace-forward analysis in food-borne disease outbreak investigations. Development of FoodChain-Lab has been driven by a need for appropriate software in several food-related outbreaks in Germany since 2011. The software allows integrated data management, data linkage, enrichment and visualization as well as interactive supply chain analyses. Identification of possible outbreak sources or vehicles is facilitated by calculation of tracing scores for food-handling stations (companies or persons and food products under investigation. The software also supports consideration of station-specific cross-contamination, analysis of geographical relationships, and topological clustering of the tracing network structure. FoodChain-Lab has been applied successfully in previous outbreak investigations, for example during the 2011 EHEC outbreak and the 2013/14 European hepatitis A outbreak. The software is most useful in complex, multi-area outbreak investigations where epidemiological evidence may be insufficient to discriminate between multiple implicated food products. The automated analysis and visualization components would be of greater value if trading information on food ingredients and compound products was more easily available.

  3. FoodChain-Lab: A Trace-Back and Trace-Forward Tool Developed and Applied during Food-Borne Disease Outbreak Investigations in Germany and Europe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiser, Armin A; Thöns, Christian; Filter, Matthias; Falenski, Alexander; Appel, Bernd; Käsbohrer, Annemarie

    2016-01-01

    FoodChain-Lab is modular open-source software for trace-back and trace-forward analysis in food-borne disease outbreak investigations. Development of FoodChain-Lab has been driven by a need for appropriate software in several food-related outbreaks in Germany since 2011. The software allows integrated data management, data linkage, enrichment and visualization as well as interactive supply chain analyses. Identification of possible outbreak sources or vehicles is facilitated by calculation of tracing scores for food-handling stations (companies or persons) and food products under investigation. The software also supports consideration of station-specific cross-contamination, analysis of geographical relationships, and topological clustering of the tracing network structure. FoodChain-Lab has been applied successfully in previous outbreak investigations, for example during the 2011 EHEC outbreak and the 2013/14 European hepatitis A outbreak. The software is most useful in complex, multi-area outbreak investigations where epidemiological evidence may be insufficient to discriminate between multiple implicated food products. The automated analysis and visualization components would be of greater value if trading information on food ingredients and compound products was more easily available.

  4. [Mutant prevention concentrations of antibacterial agents to ocular pathogenic bacteria].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Qing-Feng; Wang, Zhi-Qun; Li, Ran; Luo, Shi-Yun; Deng, Shi-Jing; Sun, Xu-Guang

    2009-01-01

    To establish a method to measure mutant prevention concentration (MPC) in vitro, and to measure MPC of antibacterial agents for ocular bacteria caused keratitis. It was an experimental study. Forty strains of ocular bacteria were separated from cornea in Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, which included 8 strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae respectively. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the levofloxacin (LVF), ofloxacin (OFL), ciprofloxacin (CIP), norfloxacin (NFL), tobramycin (TOB) and chloromycetin (CHL) were determined by agar dilution method from National Committee of Clinical Laboratory Standard (NCCLS). The MPC were measured by accumulate-bacterial methods with bacterial population inoculated more than 1.2 x 10(10) colony forming units per milliliter with Mueller-Hinton broth and tryptic soy agar plate. With the software of SPSS 11.0, the datum such as the range of MIC, MPC, MIC90 and MPC90 were calculated, and the selection index (MPC90/ MI90) and mutant selection window (MSW) were obtained. The MI90 of LVF and TOB (4 mg/L) to Staphylococcus aureus strains were the lowest. CIP showed the lowest MIC90 (0.25 mg/L) to Pseudomonas aeruginosa among six kinds of antibacterial agents. The MIC90 of LVF to Staphylococcus epidermidis (256 mg/L), Streptococcus pneumoniae (1 mg/L) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (0.25 mg/L) were lower than other antibacterial agents. The MPC90, MSW and the MPC90/MIC90 of levofloxacin showed lower values compared with other antibacterial medicines. From all the datum, the MIC90 of CHL was the highest and the activity was the weakest. Although the activity of LVF was higher to every kind of bacteria, CIP had the highest activity antibacterial to Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The capacity of CHL and TOB was weaker than Quinolones for restricting resistant mutants on ocular bacteria. LVF had the strongest capacity for restricting resistant

  5. Concentration of stable elements in food products

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Montford, M.A.; Shank, K.E.; Hendricks, C.; Oakes, T.W.

    1980-01-01

    Food samples were taken from commercial markets and analyzed for stable element content. The concentrations of most stable elements (Ag, Al, As, Au, Ba, Br, Ca, Ce, Cl, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Hf, I, K, La, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Rb, Sb, Sc, Se, Sr, Ta, Th, Ti, V, Zn, Zr) were determined using multiple-element neutron activation analysis, while the concentrations of other elements (Cd, Hg, Ni, Pb) were determined using atomic absorption. The relevance of the concentrations found are noted in relation to other literature values. An earlier study was extended to include the determination of the concentration of stable elements in home-grown products in the vicinity of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Comparisons between the commercial and local food-stuff values are discussed

  6. Genotoxic activities of the food contaminant 5-hydroxymethylfurfural using different in vitro bioassays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Severin, Isabelle; Dumont, Coralie; Jondeau-Cabaton, Adeline; Graillot, Vanessa; Chagnon, Marie-Christine

    2010-02-01

    5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) is known as an indicator of quality deterioration in a wide range of foods. 5-HMF is formed as an intermediate in the Maillard reaction and has been identified in a wide variety of heat-processed foods. In recent years, the presence of 5-HMF in foods has raised toxicological concerns: data have shown cytotoxic, genotoxic and tumoral effects but further studies suggest that 5-HMF does not pose a serious health risk. However the subject is still a matter of debate. We investigated the genotoxicity of the food-borne contaminant 5-HMF using the Ames test, the micronucleus (MN) and the single-cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) assays in the human metabolically active HepG2 cell line. Cytotoxic effect of 5-HMF was first assessed using Alamar Blue as a sensitive sub-lethal assay. 5-HMF did not induce any genic mutation in bacteria whatever the concentration in the Ames test. Furthermore, it does not induce clastogenic or aneugenic effects in the HepG2 cells. In contrast, 5-HMF induced HepG2 DNA damage at concentrations from 7.87 to 25 mM in the comet assay suggesting a weak genotoxic effect of 5-HMF in the HepG2 cells probably repaired. 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Quick Estimation Model for the Concentration of Indoor Airborne Culturable Bacteria: An Application of Machine Learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhijian Liu

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Indoor airborne culturable bacteria are sometimes harmful to human health. Therefore, a quick estimation of their concentration is particularly necessary. However, measuring the indoor microorganism concentration (e.g., bacteria usually requires a large amount of time, economic cost, and manpower. In this paper, we aim to provide a quick solution: using knowledge-based machine learning to provide quick estimation of the concentration of indoor airborne culturable bacteria only with the inputs of several measurable indoor environmental indicators, including: indoor particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10, temperature, relative humidity, and CO2 concentration. Our results show that a general regression neural network (GRNN model can sufficiently provide a quick and decent estimation based on the model training and testing using an experimental database with 249 data groups.

  8. PulseNet International: Vision for the implementation of whole genome sequencing (WGS) for global food-borne disease surveillance.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Nadon, Celine; Van Walle, Ivo; Gerner-Smidt, Peter; Campos, Josefina; Chinen, Isabel; Concepcion-Acevedo, Jeniffer; Gilpin, Brent; Smith, Anthony M; Man Kam, Kai; Perez, Enrique; Trees, Eija; Kubota, Kristy; Takkinen, Johanna; Nielsen, Eva Møller; Carleton, Heather

    2017-01-01

    PulseNet International is a global network dedicated to laboratory-based surveillance for food-borne diseases. The network comprises the national and regional laboratory networks of Africa, Asia Pacific, Canada, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, and the United States. The

  9. Systems biology and metabolic engineering of lactic acid bacteria for improved fermented foods

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Flahaut, N.A.L.; Vos, de W.M.

    2014-01-01

    Lactic acid bacteria have long been used in industrial dairy and other food fermentations that make use of their metabolic activities leading to products with specific organoleptic properties. Metabolic engineering is a rational approach to steer fermentations toward the production of desired

  10. Evaluation of Antibacterial Activities of Citrus limon, Citrus reticulata, and Citrus grandis Against Pathogenic Bacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sholeh Saeb

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Background: Microorganisms resistant to most antibiotics are rapidly spreading, and there is an urgent and continuous need for novel antimicrobial compounds. The genus Citrus belongs to the family Rutaceae has many biologically active secondary metabolites. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate antimicrobial activity of essential oil and extract of Lemon (Citrus limon, Mandarin (Citrus reticulata and Pummelo (Citrus grandis against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and Salmonella typhi. Materials and Methods: The fresh Citrus leaves were shade-dried and powdered. Antimicrobial metabolites were extracted from them by 80% methanol for extract and using a Clevenger-type apparatus for essential oil. Eight different concentrations of the each leaf extract and essential oil were prepared. The antimicrobial susceptibility assay of Citrus leaves metabolites were subjected against four bacterial strains by agar disc diffusion and E-test method. Results: In this study, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC of different Citrus leaf extracts were determined against all four food-borne pathogens. The C. grandis leaf essential oil had potent antimicrobial activity against all four pathogens, and the C. limon leaf essential oil was effective on Gram-positive bacteria. S. typhi was resistant against two leaves essential oils. Conclusions: The results showed that there was no antimicrobial activity effect in all extracts on tested bacteria. In this study, the antibacterial effect of essential oil of Citrus leaves on four strains of pathogenic microorganisms was confirmed. The C. grandis leaf essential oil had the most powerful antimicrobial properties, suggesting its potential application as natural preservative in foods or an effective medicine against different pathogenic microbes. Key words: Antibacterial activity, E-test, Citr

  11. Soil bacteria for remediation of polluted soils

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Springael, D; Bastiaens, L; Carpels, M; Mergaey, M; Diels, L

    1996-09-18

    Soil bacteria, specifically adapted to contaminated soils, may be used for the remediation of polluted soils. The Flemish research institute VITO has established a collection of bacteria, which were isolated from contaminated areas. This collection includes microbacteria degrading mineral oils (Pseudomonas sp., Acinetobacter sp. and others), microbacteria degrading polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (genera Sphingomonas and Mycobacterium), microbacteria degrading polychlorobiphenyls (genus Ralstonia and strains related to beta-Proteobacteria), and metal resistant bacteria with plasmid borne resistances to Cd, Zn, Ni, Co, Cu, Hg, and Cr. Bench-scale reactors were developed to investigate the industrial feasibility of bioremediation. Batch Stirred Tank Reactors were used to evaluate the efficiency of oil degraders. Soils, contaminated with non-ferrous metals, were treated using a Bacterial Metal Slurry Reactor. It was found that the reduction of the Cd concentration may vary strongly from sample to sample: reduction factors vary from 95 to 50%. Is was shown that Cd contained in metallic sinter and biologically unavailable Cd could not be removed.

  12. The β-Defensin Gallinacin-6 Is Expressed in the Chicken Digestive Tract and Has Antimicrobial Activity against Food-Borne Pathogens▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Dijk, Albert; Veldhuizen, Edwin J. A.; Kalkhove, Stefanie I. C.; Tjeerdsma-van Bokhoven, Johanna L. M.; Romijn, Roland A.; Haagsman, Henk P.

    2007-01-01

    Food-borne pathogens are responsible for most cases of food poisoning in developed countries and are often associated with poultry products, including chicken. Little is known about the role of β-defensins in the chicken digestive tract and their efficacy. In this study, the expression of chicken β-defensin gallinacin-6 (Gal-6) and its antimicrobial activity against food-borne pathogens were investigated. Reverse transcription-PCR analysis showed high expression of Gal-6 mRNA in the esophagus and crop, moderate expression in the glandular stomach, and low expression throughout the intestinal tract. Putative transcription factor binding sites for nuclear factor kappa beta, activator protein 1, and nuclear factor interleukin-6 were found in the Gal-6 gene upstream region, which suggests a possible inducible nature of the Gal-6 gene. In colony-counting assays, strong bactericidal and fungicidal activity was observed, including bactericidal activity against food-borne pathogens Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Clostridium perfringens, and Escherichia coli. Treatment with 16 μg/ml synthetic Gal-6 resulted in a 3 log unit reduction in Clostridium perfringens survival within 60 min, indicating fast killing kinetics. Transmission electron microscopy examination of synthetic-Gal-6-treated Clostridium perfringens cells showed dose-dependent changes in morphology after 30 min, including intracellular granulation, cytoplasm retraction, irregular septum formation in dividing cells, and cell lysis. The high expression in the proximal digestive tract and broad antimicrobial activity suggest that chicken β-defensin gallinacin-6 plays an important role in chicken innate host defense. PMID:17194828

  13. Determination of acrylamide concentration in processed food ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Currently, acrylamide concentration in processed food products have become a very serious health issue. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Scientific Committee for Food (SCF) of the European Union also confirmed this concern. In laboratory scale, it was found that acrylamide causes tumors in animals.

  14. FOOD II: an interactive code for calculating concentrations of radionuclides in food products

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zach, R.

    1978-11-01

    An interactive code, FOOD II, has been written in FORTRAN IV for the PDP 10 to allow calculation of concentrations of radionuclides in food products and internal doses to man under chronic release conditions. FOOD II uses models unchanged from a previous code, FOOD, developed at Battelle, Pacific Northwest Laboratories. The new code has different input and output features than FOOD and a number of options have been added to increase flexibility. Data files have also been updated. FOOD II takes into account contamination of vegetation by air and irrigation water containing radionuclides. Contamination can occur simultaneously by air and water. Both direct deposition of radionuclides on leaves, and their uptake from soil are possible. Also, animals may be contaminated by ingestion of vegetation and drinking water containing radionuclides. At present, FOOD II provides selection of 14 food types, 13 diets and numerous radionuclides. Provisions have been made to expand all of these categories. Six additional contaminated food products can also be entered directly into the dose model. Doses may be calculated for the total body and six internal organs. Summaries of concentrations in food products and internal doses to man can be displayed at a local terminal or at an auxiliary high-speed printer. (author)

  15. Novel Biocontrol Methods for Listeria monocytogenes Biofilms in Food Production Facilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gray, Jessica A; Chandry, P Scott; Kaur, Mandeep; Kocharunchitt, Chawalit; Bowman, John P; Fox, Edward M

    2018-01-01

    High mortality and hospitalization rates have seen Listeria monocytogenes as a foodborne pathogen of public health importance for many years and of particular concern for high-risk population groups. Food manufactures face an ongoing challenge in preventing the entry of L. monocytogenes into food production environments (FPEs) due to its ubiquitous nature. In addition to this, the capacity of L. monocytogenes strains to colonize FPEs can lead to repeated identification of L. monocytogenes in FPE surveillance. The contamination of food products requiring product recall presents large economic burden to industry and is further exacerbated by damage to the brand. Poor equipment design, facility layout, and worn or damaged equipment can result in Listeria hotspots and biofilms where traditional cleaning and disinfecting procedures may be inadequate. Novel biocontrol methods may offer FPEs effective means to help improve control of L. monocytogenes and decrease cross contamination of food. Bacteriophages have been used as a medical treatment for many years for their ability to infect and lyse specific bacteria. Endolysins, the hydrolytic enzymes of bacteriophages responsible for breaking the cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria, are being explored as a biocontrol method for food preservation and in nanotechnology and medical applications. Antibacterial proteins known as bacteriocins have been used as alternatives to antibiotics for biopreservation and food product shelf life extension. Essential oils are natural antimicrobials formed by plants and have been used as food additives and preservatives for many years and more recently as a method to prevent food spoilage by microorganisms. Competitive exclusion occurs naturally among bacteria in the environment. However, intentionally selecting and applying bacteria to effect competitive exclusion of food borne pathogens has potential as a biocontrol application. This review discusses these novel biocontrol methods and their

  16. High pressure inertial focusing for separating and concentrating bacteria at high throughput

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cruz, J.; Hooshmand Zadeh, S.; Graells, T.; Andersson, M.; Malmström, J.; Wu, Z. G.; Hjort, K.

    2017-08-01

    Inertial focusing is a promising microfluidic technology for concentration and separation of particles by size. However, there is a strong correlation of increased pressure with decreased particle size. Theory and experimental results for larger particles were used to scale down the phenomenon and find the conditions that focus 1 µm particles. High pressure experiments in robust glass chips were used to demonstrate the alignment. We show how the technique works for 1 µm spherical polystyrene particles and for Escherichia coli, not being harmful for the bacteria at 50 µl min-1. The potential to focus bacteria, simplicity of use and high throughput make this technology interesting for healthcare applications, where concentration and purification of a sample may be required as an initial step.

  17. REVIEW. BACTERIAS ACIDO LÁCTICAS: PAPEL FUNCIONAL EN LOS ALIMENTOS BACTÉRIAS ÁCIDO LÁCTICAS: PAPEL FUNCIONAL NOS ALIMENTOS REVIEW LACTIC ACID BACTERIA: FUNCTIONAL ROLE IN THE FOODS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    RICARDO ADOLFO PARRA HUERTAS

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Las bacterias ácido lácticas han sido importantes en los alimentos por siglos por su considerable contribución al valor de los productos. Debido a varias de sus propiedades metabólicas, las bacterias ácido lácticas desempeñan un papel importante en la industria alimentaria, por su contribución significante al sabor, olor, textura, características sensoriales, propiedades terapéuticas y valor nutricional de los productos alimentarios. Este grupo está compuesto de un número de géneros incluyendo Lactococcus, Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, Streptococcus, Leuconostoc y Pediococcus. Algunos de los metabolitos producidos por las este tipo de bacterias son ácidos orgánicos, sustancias preservantes, polisacáridos, vitaminas, endulzantes, olores y sabores entre otros. Esta revisión se enfoca en estudiar la importancia de las bacterias acido lácticas en los alimentos.As bacterias ácido lácticas têm sido importantes nos alimentos por séculos pela sua considerável contribuição ao valor dos produtos. Devido a varias das suas propriedades metabóllcas, as bacterias ácido lácticas desempenham um papel importante na industria alimentar, pela sua contribulção significante ao sabor, cheiro, textura, características sensoriais, propriedades terapêuticas e valor nutrlcional dos produtos alimentar. Este grupo está constituido de um número de gêneros incluindo Lactococcus, Lactobaclllus, Enterococcus, Etreptococcus, Leuconostoc e Pediococcus. Alguns dos metabolltos produzidos por este tipo de bacterias são ácidos orgãnicos, sustãncias preservadoras, poli-sacáridos, vitaminas, adoçantes, cheiros e sabores entre outros. Esta revisão se enfoca em estudar a importãncia das bacterias ácido lácticas nos alimentos.Lactic acid bacteria have been important in food for centuries for their significant contribution to product value. Because several of its metabolic properties, lactic acid bacteria play an important role in the food

  18. FISHing for bacteria in food--a promising tool for the reliable detection of pathogenic bacteria?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rohde, Alexander; Hammerl, Jens Andre; Appel, Bernd; Dieckmann, Ralf; Al Dahouk, Sascha

    2015-04-01

    Foodborne pathogens cause millions of infections every year and are responsible for considerable economic losses worldwide. The current gold standard for the detection of bacterial pathogens in food is still the conventional cultivation following standardized and generally accepted protocols. However, these methods are time-consuming and do not provide fast information about food contaminations and thus are limited in their ability to protect consumers in time from potential microbial hazards. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) represents a rapid and highly specific technique for whole-cell detection. This review aims to summarize the current data on FISH-testing for the detection of pathogenic bacteria in different food matrices and to evaluate its suitability for the implementation in routine testing. In this context, the use of FISH in different matrices and their pretreatment will be presented, the sensitivity and specificity of FISH tests will be considered and the need for automation shall be discussed as well as the use of technological improvements to overcome current hurdles for a broad application in monitoring food safety. In addition, the overall economical feasibility will be assessed in a rough calculation of costs, and strengths and weaknesses of FISH are considered in comparison with traditional and well-established detection methods. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  19. Mirasol PRT system inactivation efficacy evaluated in platelet concentrates by bacteria-contamination model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jocić Miodrag

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aim. Bacterial contamination of blood components, primarily platelet concentrates (PCs, has been identified as one of the most frequent infectious complications in transfusion practice. PC units have a high risk for bacterial growth/multiplication due to their storage at ambient temperature (20 ± 2°C. Consequences of blood contamination could be effectively prevented or reduced by pathogen inactivation systems. The aim of this study was to determine the Mirasol pathogen reduction technology (PRT system efficacy in PCs using an artificial bacteria-contamination model. Methods. According to the ABO blood groups, PC units (n = 216 were pooled into 54 pools (PC-Ps. PC-Ps were divided into three equal groups, with 18 units in each, designed for an artificial bacteria-contamination. Briefly, PC-Ps were contaminated by Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus or Escherichia coli in concentrations 102 to 107 colony forming units (CFU per unit. Afterward, PC-Ps were underwent to inactivation by Mirasol PRT system, using UV (l = 265-370 nm activated riboflavin (RB. All PC-Ps were assayed by BacT/Alert Microbial Detection System for CFU quantification before and after the Mirasol treatment. Samples from non-inactivated PC-P units were tested after preparation and immediately following bacterial contamination. Samples from Mirasol treated units were quantified for CFUs one hour, 3 days and 5 days after inactivation. Results. A complete inactivation of all bacteria species was obtained at CFU concentrations of 102 and 103 per PC-P unit through storage/ investigation period. The most effective inactivation (105 CFU per PC-P unit was obtained in Escherichia coli setting. Contrary, inactivation of all the three tested bacteria species was unworkable in concentrations of ≥ 106 CFU per PC-P unit. Conclusion. Efficient inactivation of investigated bacteria types with a significant CFU depletion in PC-P units was obtained - 3 Log for all

  20. Continuous culture enrichments of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria at low ammonium concentrations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bollmann, A.; Laanbroek, H.J.

    2001-01-01

    Until now enrichments of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria from natural ammonium-limited environments have been performed mainly in the presence of much higher ammonia concentrations than those present in the natural environment and many have resulted in the enrichment and isolation of environmentally less

  1. Continuous culture enrichments of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria at low ammonium concentrations

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bollmann, A.; Laanbroek, H.J.

    2001-01-01

    Until now enrichments of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria from natural ammonium-limited environments have been performed mainly in the presence of much higher ammonia concentrations than those present in the natural environment and many have resulted in the enrichment and isolation of environmentally

  2. Soil food web structure after wood ash application

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mortensen, L. H.; Qin, J.; Krogh, Paul Henning

    with varying intervals and subsequently analyzed. The food web analysis includes several trophic levels; bacteria/fungi, protozoa, nematodes, enchytraeids, microarthropods and arthropods. The initial results indicate that bacteria and protozoa are stimulated in the uppermost soil layer (0-3 cm) two months...... can facilitate an increase in the bacteria to fungi ratio with possible cascading effects for the soil food web structure. This is tested by applying ash of different concentrations to experimental plots in a coniferous forest. During the course of the project soil samples will be collected...

  3. Characterization of acetate-utilizing methanogenic bacteria, depending on varying acetate concentrations, in a biogas plant. Phase 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahring, B.K.

    1994-12-01

    The present report contains the results of a project concerning behaviour of acetate-utilizing methanogenic bacteria in mesophilic and thermophilic biogas plants, collected in 1992 - 1994 period. Labelled acetates (2-C 14 -CH 3 COOH) have been used to characterize the types of methane bacteria populations in the Danish biogas plants, the optimum acetate concentration for these bacteria and acetate metabolism in mesophilic and thermophilic biogas reactors with low acetate concentrations. 2 publications are included. (EG)

  4. Wildlife reservoirs for vector-borne canine, feline and zoonotic infections in Austria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duscher, Georg G.; Leschnik, Michael; Fuehrer, Hans-Peter; Joachim, Anja

    2014-01-01

    Austria's mammalian wildlife comprises a large variety of species, acting and interacting in different ways as reservoir and intermediate and definitive hosts for different pathogens that can be transmitted to pets and/or humans. Foxes and other wild canids are responsible for maintaining zoonotic agents, e.g. Echinococcus multilocularis, as well as pet-relevant pathogens, e.g. Hepatozoon canis. Together with the canids, and less commonly felids, rodents play a major role as intermediate and paratenic hosts. They carry viruses such as tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), bacteria including Borrelia spp., protozoa such as Toxoplasma gondii, and helminths such as Toxocara canis. The role of wild ungulates, especially ruminants, as reservoirs for zoonotic disease on the other hand seems to be negligible, although the deer filaroid Onchocerca jakutensis has been described to infect humans. Deer may also harbour certain Anaplasma phagocytophilum strains with so far unclear potential to infect humans. The major role of deer as reservoirs is for ticks, mainly adults, thus maintaining the life cycle of these vectors and their distribution. Wild boar seem to be an exception among the ungulates as, in their interaction with the fox, they can introduce food-borne zoonotic agents such as Trichinella britovi and Alaria alata into the human food chain. PMID:25830102

  5. Effect of Food Residues in Biofilm Formation on Stainless Steel and Polystyrene Surfaces by Salmonella enterica Strains Isolated from Poultry Houses

    OpenAIRE

    Paz-Méndez, Alba María; Lamas, Alexandre; Vázquez, Beatriz; Miranda, José Manuel; Cepeda, Alberto; Franco, Carlos Manuel

    2017-01-01

    Salmonella spp. is a major food-borne pathogen around the world. The ability of Salmonella to produce biofilm is one of the main obstacles in reducing the prevalence of these bacteria in the food chain. Most of Salmonella biofilm studies found in the literature used laboratory growth media. However, in the food chain, food residues are the principal source of nutrients of Salmonella. In this study, the biofilm formation, morphotype, and motility of 13 Salmonella strains belonging to three dif...

  6. Radiation processing of food products with 5 MV Bremsstrahlung x-rays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petwal, V.C.; Soni, H.C.

    2004-01-01

    Foods and agricultural products are treated with ionizing radiation to accomplish many different goals. The desired goals may be the reduction of pathogenic bacteria, other microorganisms and parasites that cause food borne diseases; or inactivation of food spoilage organisms, including bacteria, molds, and yeasts; or lengthening the shelf-life of fresh fruits and vegetables by decreasing the normal biological changes associated with growth and maturation processes, such as ripening or sprouting. It has become more important due to mounting concern over food born diseases, and growing international trade in food products that must meet stiff import standards of quality and quarantine. A 10 MeV 10 kW LINAC based multi-product EB radiation processing facility is being established at CAT to meet the processing requirement of various food, agricultural and medical products. The facility will be operated in two modes: (a) Electron: 10 MeV, 10 kW (b) Photon: 5 MeV, 10 kW Treatment with electron beam provides the highest processing rate and lowest unit cost. But the electrons have relatively short range in the solid product, hence the maximum product areal density (density times depth) that can be processed using direct 10 MeV electron beam is limited to about 8.5 gm/cm 2 (double sided irradiation). On the other hand x-rays are more penetrating, hence can be used to process the products having larger areal densities e.g. onions and potatoes packed in gunny bags. In order to address various issues related to food irradiation using 5 MV X-ray beam, a mathematical model is developed on the basis of the analytical calculations and experimental data presented by R.B.Miller, 2003, and J. Meissner et.al, 2000. (author)

  7. Estimation of Microbial Contamination of Food from Prevalence and Concentration Data: Application to Listeria monocytogenes in Fresh Vegetables▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crépet, Amélie; Albert, Isabelle; Dervin, Catherine; Carlin, Frédéric

    2007-01-01

    A normal distribution and a mixture model of two normal distributions in a Bayesian approach using prevalence and concentration data were used to establish the distribution of contamination of the food-borne pathogenic bacteria Listeria monocytogenes in unprocessed and minimally processed fresh vegetables. A total of 165 prevalence studies, including 15 studies with concentration data, were taken from the scientific literature and from technical reports and used for statistical analysis. The predicted mean of the normal distribution of the logarithms of viable L. monocytogenes per gram of fresh vegetables was −2.63 log viable L. monocytogenes organisms/g, and its standard deviation was 1.48 log viable L. monocytogenes organisms/g. These values were determined by considering one contaminated sample in prevalence studies in which samples are in fact negative. This deliberate overestimation is necessary to complete calculations. With the mixture model, the predicted mean of the distribution of the logarithm of viable L. monocytogenes per gram of fresh vegetables was −3.38 log viable L. monocytogenes organisms/g and its standard deviation was 1.46 log viable L. monocytogenes organisms/g. The probabilities of fresh unprocessed and minimally processed vegetables being contaminated with concentrations higher than 1, 2, and 3 log viable L. monocytogenes organisms/g were 1.44, 0.63, and 0.17%, respectively. Introducing a sensitivity rate of 80 or 95% in the mixture model had a small effect on the estimation of the contamination. In contrast, introducing a low sensitivity rate (40%) resulted in marked differences, especially for high percentiles. There was a significantly lower estimation of contamination in the papers and reports of 2000 to 2005 than in those of 1988 to 1999 and a lower estimation of contamination of leafy salads than that of sprouts and other vegetables. The interest of the mixture model for the estimation of microbial contamination is discussed. PMID

  8. Vector borne diseases

    OpenAIRE

    Melillo Fenech, Tanya

    2010-01-01

    A vector-borne disease is one in which the pathogenic microorganism is transmitted from an infected individual to another individual by an arthropod or other agent. The transmission depends upon the attributes and requirements of at least three different Iiving organisms : the pathologic agent which is either a virus, protozoa, bacteria or helminth (worm); the vector, which is commonly an arthropod such as ticks or mosquitoes; and the human host.

  9. Microbial safety of foods

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bandekar, J.R.

    2013-01-01

    Despite advances in hygiene, consumer knowledge and food treatment and processing, food-borne diseases have become one of the most widespread public health problems in the world to-day. About two thirds of all outbreaks are traced to microbial contaminated food - one of the most hazardous being Clostridium botulinum, E. coli 0157: H7 and Salmonella. The pathogens can be introduced in the food products anywhere in the food chain and hence it is of prime important to have microbial vigilance in the entire food chain. WHO estimates that food-borne and water-borne diarrhoeal diseases taken together kill about 2.2 million people annually. The infants, children, elderly and immune-compromised people are particularly susceptible to food-borne diseases. Unsafe food causes many acute and life-long diseases, ranging from diarrhoeal diseases to various forms of cancer. A number of factors such as emergence of new food-borne pathogens, development of drug resistance in the pathogens, changing life style, global trade of food etc. are responsible for the continued persistence of food-borne diseases. Due to consumer demand, a number of Ready-To-Eat (RTE) minimally processed foods are increasingly marketed. However, there is increased risk of food-borne diseases with these products. The food-borne disease outbreaks due to E. coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella and Campylobacter are responsible for recall of many foods resulting in heavy losses to food industry. The development of multi drug resistant pathogens due to indiscriminate use of antibiotics is also a major problem. Food Technology Division of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre has been working on food-borne bacterial pathogens particularly Salmonella, Campylobacter, Vibrio and Aeromonas species, their prevalence in export quality seafood as well in foods sold in retail market such as poultry, fish, sprouts and salads. These pathogens from Indian foods have been characterized for the presence of virulence genes

  10. In vitro screening of probiotic properties of Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii and food-borne Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van der Aa Kühle, Alis; Skovgaard, Kerstin; Jespersen, Lene

    2005-05-01

    The probiotic potential of 18 Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains used for production of foods or beverages or isolated from such, and eight strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii, was investigated. All strains included were able to withstand pH 2.5 and 0.3% Oxgall. Adhesion to the nontumorigenic porcine jejunal epithelial cell line (IPEC-J2) was investigated by incorporation of 3H-methionine into the yeast cells and use of liquid scintillation counting. Only few of the food-borne S. cerevisiae strains exhibited noteworthy adhesiveness with the strongest levels of adhesion (13.6-16.8%) recorded for two isolates from blue veined cheeses. Merely 25% of the S. cerevisiae var. boulardii strains displayed good adhesive properties (16.2-28.0%). The expression of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1alpha decreased strikingly in IPEC-J2 cells exposed to a Shiga-like toxin 2e producing Escherichia coli strain when the cells were pre- and coincubated with S. cerevisiae var. boulardii even though this yeast strain was low adhesive (5.4%), suggesting that adhesion is not a mandatory prerequisite for such a probiotic effect. A strain of S. cerevisiae isolated from West African sorghum beer exerted similar effects hence indicating that food-borne strains of S. cerevisiae may possess probiotic properties in spite of low adhesiveness.

  11. Assessing bat droppings and predatory bird pellets for vector-borne bacteria: molecular evidence of bat-associated Neorickettsia sp. in Europe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hornok, Sándor; Szőke, Krisztina; Estók, Péter; Krawczyk, Aleksandra; Haarsma, Anne-Jifke; Kováts, Dávid; Boldogh, Sándor A; Morandini, Pál; Szekeres, Sándor; Takács, Nóra; Kontschán, Jenő; Meli, Marina L; Fernández de Mera, Isabel G; de la Fuente, José; Gyuranecz, Miklós; Sulyok, Kinga M; Weibel, Beatrice; Gönczi, Enikő; de Bruin, Arnout; Sprong, Hein; Hofmann-Lehmann, Regina

    2018-02-28

    In Europe, several species of bats, owls and kestrels exemplify highly urbanised, flying vertebrates, which may get close to humans or domestic animals. Bat droppings and bird pellets may have epidemiological, as well as diagnostic significance from the point of view of pathogens. In this work 221 bat faecal and 118 bird pellet samples were screened for a broad range of vector-borne bacteria using PCR-based methods. Rickettsia DNA was detected in 13 bat faecal DNA extracts, including the sequence of a rickettsial insect endosymbiont, a novel Rickettsia genotype and Rickettsia helvetica. Faecal samples of the pond bat (Myotis dasycneme) were positive for a Neorickettsia sp. and for haemoplasmas of the haemofelis group. In addition, two bird pellets (collected from a Long-eared Owl, Asio otus, and from a Common Kestrel, Falco tinnunculus) contained the DNA of a Rickettsia sp. and Anaplasma phagocytophilum, respectively. In both of these bird pellets the bones of Microtus arvalis were identified. All samples were negative for Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., Francisella tularensis, Coxiella burnetii and Chlamydiales. In conclusion, bats were shown to pass rickettsia and haemoplasma DNA in their faeces. Molecular evidence is provided for the presence of Neorickettsia sp. in bat faeces in Europe. In the evaluated regions bat faeces and owl/kestrel pellets do not appear to pose epidemiological risk from the point of view of F. tularensis, C. burnetii and Chlamydiales. Testing of bird pellets may provide an alternative approach to trapping for assessing the local occurrence of vector-borne bacteria in small mammals.

  12. Establishment and Application of a Visual DNA Microarray for the Detection of Food-borne Pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yongjin

    2016-01-01

    The accurate detection and identification of food-borne pathogenic microorganisms is critical for food safety nowadays. In the present work, a visual DNA microarray was established and applied to detect pathogens commonly found in food, including Salmonella enterica, Shigella flexneri, E. coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes in food samples. Multiplex PCR (mPCR) was employed to simultaneously amplify specific gene fragments, fimY for Salmonella, ipaH for Shigella, iap for L. monocytogenes and ECs2841 for E. coli O157:H7, respectively. Biotinylated PCR amplicons annealed to the microarray probes were then reacted with a streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase conjugate and nitro blue tetrazolium/5-bromo-4-chloro-3'-indolylphosphate, p-toluidine salt (NBT/BCIP); the positive results were easily visualized as blue dots formatted on the microarray surface. The performance of a DNA microarray was tested against 14 representative collection strains and mock-contamination food samples. The combination of mPCR and a visual micro-plate chip specifically and sensitively detected Salmonella enterica, Shigella flexneri, E. coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes in standard strains and food matrices with a sensitivity of ∼10(2) CFU/mL of bacterial culture. Thus, the developed method is advantageous because of its high throughput, cost-effectiveness and ease of use.

  13. Bacteriocins from lactic acid bacteria: production, purification, and food applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Vuyst, Luc; Leroy, Frédéric

    2007-01-01

    In fermented foods, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) display numerous antimicrobial activities. This is mainly due to the production of organic acids, but also of other compounds, such as bacteriocins and antifungal peptides. Several bacteriocins with industrial potential have been purified and characterized. The kinetics of bacteriocin production by LAB in relation to process factors have been studied in detail through mathematical modeling and positive predictive microbiology. Application of bacteriocin-producing starter cultures in sourdough (to increase competitiveness), in fermented sausage (anti-listerial effect), and in cheese (anti-listerial and anti-clostridial effects), have been studied during in vitro laboratory fermentations as well as on pilot-scale level. The highly promising results of these studies underline the important role that functional, bacteriocinogenic LAB strains may play in the food industry as starter cultures, co-cultures, or bioprotective cultures, to improve food quality and safety. In addition, antimicrobial production by probiotic LAB might play a role during in vivo interactions occurring in the human gastrointestinal tract, hence contributing to gut health.

  14. Variation in the iodine concentrations of foods: considerations for dietary assessment1234

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carriquiry, Alicia L; Spungen, Judith H; Murphy, Suzanne P; Pehrsson, Pamela R; Dwyer, Johanna T; Juan, WenYen; Wirtz, Mark S

    2016-01-01

    Background: Food-composition tables typically give measured nutrient concentrations in foods as a single summary value, often the mean, without providing information as to the shape of the distribution. Objective: Our objective was to explore how the statistical approach chosen to describe the iodine concentrations of foods affects the proportion of the population identified as having either insufficient or excessive iodine intakes. Design: We used food intake data reported by the 2009−2010 NHANES and measured iodine concentrations of Total Diet Study (TDS) foods from 4 US regions sampled in 2004–2011. We created 4 data sets, each by using a different summary statistic (median, mean, and 10th and 90th percentiles), to represent the iodine concentration distribution of each TDS food. We estimated the iodine concentration distribution of each food consumed by NHANES participants as the 4 iodine concentration summary statistics of a similar TDS food and used these, along with NHANES food intake data, to develop 4 estimates of each participant’s iodine intake on each survey day. Using the 4 estimates in turn, we calculated 4 usual iodine intakes for each sex- and age-specific subgroup. We then compared these to guideline values and developed 4 estimates of the proportions of each subgroup with deficient and excessive usual iodine intakes. Results: In general, the distribution of iodine intakes was poorly characterized when food iodine concentrations were expressed as mean values. In addition, mean values predicted lower prevalences of iodine deficiency than did median values. For example, in women aged 19–50 y, the estimated prevalence of iodine deficiency was 25% when based on median food iodine concentrations but only 5.8% when based on mean values. Conclusion: For nutrients such as iodine with highly variable concentrations in important food sources, we recommend that food-composition tables provide useful variability information, including the mean, SD, and

  15. The Global Food System as a Transport Pathway for Hazardous Chemicals: The Missing Link between Emissions and Exposure

    OpenAIRE

    Ng, Carla A.; von Goetz, Natalie

    2016-01-01

    Background: Food is a major pathway for human exposure to hazardous chemicals. The modern food system is becoming increasingly complex and globalized, but models for food-borne exposure typically assume locally derived diets or use concentrations directly measured in foods without accounting for food origin. Such approaches may not reflect actual chemical intakes because concentrations depend on food origin, and representative analysis is seldom available. Processing, packaging, storage, and ...

  16. The Case for Visual Analytics of Arsenic Concentrations in Foods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Omotayo R. Awofolu

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Arsenic is a naturally occurring toxic metal and its presence in food could be a potential risk to the health of both humans and animals. Prolonged ingestion of arsenic contaminated water may result in manifestations of toxicity in all systems of the body. Visual Analytics is a multidisciplinary field that is defined as the science of analytical reasoning facilitated by interactive visual interfaces. The concentrations of arsenic vary in foods making it impractical and impossible to provide regulatory limit for each food. This review article presents a case for the use of visual analytics approaches to provide comparative assessment of arsenic in various foods. The topics covered include (i metabolism of arsenic in the human body; (ii arsenic concentrations in various foods; (ii factors affecting arsenic uptake in plants; (ii introduction to visual analytics; and (iv benefits of visual analytics for comparative assessment of arsenic concentration in foods. Visual analytics can provide an information superstructure of arsenic in various foods to permit insightful comparative risk assessment of the diverse and continually expanding data on arsenic in food groups in the context of country of study or origin, year of study, method of analysis and arsenic species.

  17. Interspecies interactions result in enhanced biofilm formation by co-cultures of bacteria isolated from a food processing environment

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Røder, Henriette Lyng; Raghupathi, Prem Krishnan; Herschend, Jakob

    2015-01-01

    Bacterial attachment and biofilm formation can lead to poor hygienic conditions in food processing environments. Furthermore, interactions between different bacteria may induce or promote biofilm formation. In this study, we isolated and identified a total of 687 bacterial strains from seven......-culture biofilm production with high relevance for food safety and food production facilities....

  18. Susceptibilities to carbapenems and presence of cphA gene on food-borne Aeromonas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bibiana María Martín Talavera

    2006-07-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to determine the susceptibilities of food-borne Aeromonas to carbapenems, as well as to investigate the presence of a metallo carbapenemase-encoding gene, named cphA. Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC was determined following NCCLS standards. All the tested microorganisms were susceptible to imipenem, meropenem and biapenem. However, a strong inoculum size effect on carbapenem MICs was observed for most of the strains. Six strains, out of seven, showed the presence of metallo--beta-lactamases but cphA gene was detected in only two strains of A. veronii bv. sobria.O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar a suscetibilidade de aeromonas de origem alimentar a carbapenems bem como investigar a presença de um gene codificante de metalocarbapenemase, denominado "cph A". A suscetibilidade in vitro foi determinada pelo metodo de diluição em agar. Todas as cepas foram suscetíveis a Imipenem, Meropenem e Biapenem. Porém foi observado um forte efeito de tamanho do inóculo sobre as CIM das carbapenems na maioria das cepas. A detecção de metalo-beta-lactamase foi realizada pelo metodo lodometrico. Seis cepas das sete testadas demostraron a presença da enzima. A presença do gene cphA foi determinada por PCR e foi detectada em duas cepas de A veronii bv. sobria.

  19. Contribution of modern biotechnology of lactic acid bacteria to development of health-promoting foods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Airi Palva

    1998-01-01

    Full Text Available Lactic acid bacteria (LAB are extensively used in the manufacture of a wide variety of fermented dairy, meat, vegetable, bakery and wine products in the food and wine industry as well as in making silage for animal feed. Some LAB strains also have an increasingly important role as health-promoting probiotics. Molecular genetic research of LAB, focused mainly on the basic characterisation of traits essential for the industrial utilisation of these bacteria, forms a solid scientific basis for stabilisation, modification and improvement of these characteristics. The emphasis of this review is on the molecular genetic work done at the research laboratory of the author. Our research team is engaged on, two main projects: molecular genetic and biochemical characterisation of the proteolytic systems of industrial thermophilic lactobacilli and surface layer protein studies to develop protein production systems for food, feed, vaccine and diagnostic purposes.

  20. Ecophysiological characterization of common food-borne fungi in relation to pH and water activity under various atmospheric compositions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Haasum, Iben; Nielsen, Per Væggemose

    1998-01-01

    The combined effect of pH, water activity (aw), oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) levels on growth and sporulation of 10 common food-borne fungi were studied. The use of a multivariate statistical method (PLS) for the analysis of data showed, that the fungi could be grouped according to their ......The combined effect of pH, water activity (aw), oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) levels on growth and sporulation of 10 common food-borne fungi were studied. The use of a multivariate statistical method (PLS) for the analysis of data showed, that the fungi could be grouped according......% and from 52 to 100% respectively. Sporulation of the fungi was sensitive to all tested factors. Furthermore, interaction of CO2 and aw displayed a significant effect on sporulation. It was shown that different fungal species associated with the same ecosystem responded similarly to changes in the tested...

  1. Assessment of the concentrations of various advanced glycation end-products in beverages and foods that are commonly consumed in Japan.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masayoshi Takeuchi

    Full Text Available Dietary consumption has recently been identified as a major environmental source of pro-inflammatory advanced glycation end-products (AGEs in humans. It is disputed whether dietary AGEs represent a risk to human health. Nε-(carboxymethyllysine (CML, a representative AGE compound found in food, has been suggested to make a significant contribution to circulating CML levels. However, recent studies have found that the dietary intake of AGEs is not associated with plasma CML concentrations. We have shown that the serum levels of glyceraldehyde-derived AGEs (Glycer-AGEs, but not hemoglobin A1c, glucose-derived AGEs (Glu-AGEs, or CML, could be used as biomarkers for predicting the progression of atherosclerosis and future cardiovascular events. We also detected the production/accumulation of Glycer-AGEs in normal rats administered Glu-AGE-rich beverages. Therefore, we assessed the concentrations of various AGEs in a total of 1,650 beverages and foods that are commonly consumed in Japan. The concentrations of four kinds of AGEs (Glu-AGEs, fructose-derived AGEs (Fru-AGEs, CML, and Glycer-AGEs were measured with competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays involving immunoaffinity-purified specific antibodies. The results of the latter assays indicated that Glu-AGEs and Fru-AGEs (especially Glu-AGEs, but not CML or Glycer-AGEs, are present at appreciable levels in beverages and foods that are commonly consumed by Japanese. Glu-AGEs, Fru-AGEs, CML, and Glycer-AGEs exhibited concentrations of ≥85%, 2-12%, <3%, and trace amounts in the examined beverages and ≥82%, 5-15%, <3%, and trace amounts in the tested foods, respectively. The results of the present study indicate that some lactic acid bacteria beverages, carbonated drinks, sugar-sweetened fruit drinks, sports drinks, mixed fruit juices, confectionery (snacks, dried fruits, cakes, cereals, and prepared foods contain markedly higher Glu-AGE levels than other classes of beverages and foods. We

  2. Bacterial contamination of the hands of food handlers as indicator of hand washing efficacy in some convenient food industries in South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aa, Lambrechts; Is, Human; Jh, Doughari; Jfr, Lues

    2014-07-01

    Hands of ready-to-eat food service employees have been shown to be vectors in the spread of foodborne disease, mainly because of poor personal hygiene and accounting for approximately 97% of food borne illnesses in food service establishments and homes. Our objective was to evaluate the efficacy of hand washing practices and sanitation before commencing work among food handlers in the convenient food industry in Gauteng, South Africa. A total of 230 samples were collected, involving 100% of the food handlers, in 8 selected convenient food outlets with their main focus on preparing ready-to-eat foods. The workers' cleaned and disinfected dominant hands were sampled for Total Plate Count (TPC), Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Bacteria were isolated and counted using standard methods. The highest bacterial count from the hand samples was 7.4 x 10(3) cfu.cm(-2) and the lowest showed no detectable growth. Although hands with a count of 0 cfu.cm(-2) were found in all of the plants, the results indicated that all the plants exceeded the legal limit for food surfaces or hands of food handlers had no bacteria detectable on their hands. One sample tested positive for E. coli and S. aureus could not be detected on the hands of any of the food handlers. The study revealed that hand hygiene is unsatisfactory and may have serious implications for public health due to contamination of food from food handlers' hands. This therefore underlined the importance of further training to improve food handlers' knowledge of good hand washing practices.

  3. Halophytes, Algae, and Bacteria Food and Fuel Feedstocks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hendricks, R. C.; Bushnell, D. M.

    2009-01-01

    The constant, increasing demand for energy, freshwater, and food stresses our ability to meet these demands within reasonable cost and impact on climate while sustaining quality of life. This environmental Triangle of Conflicts between energy, food, and water--while provoked by anthropogenic monetary and power struggles--can be resolved through an anthropogenic paradigm shift in how we produce and use energy, water, and food. With world population (6.6 billion) projected to increase 40 percent in 40 to 60 yr, proper development of saline agriculture and aquaculture is required, as 43 percent of the Earth's landmass is arid or semi-arid and 97 percent of the Earth's water is seawater. In light of this, we seek fuel alternatives in plants that thrive in brackish and saltwater with the ability to survive in arid lands. The development and application of these plants (halophytes) become the primary focus. Herein we introduce some not-so-familiar halophytes and present a few of their benefits, cite a few research projects (including some on the alternatives algae and bacteria), and then set theoretical limits on biomass production followed by projections in terms of world energy demands. Based on diverse arid lands with a total size equivalent to the Sahara Desert (8.6(exp 8) ha, or 2.1(exp 9) acres), these projections show that halophyte agriculture and algae systems can provide for the projected world energy demand.

  4. Lactic Acid Bacteria and Bifidobacteria with Potential to Design Natural Biofunctional Health-Promoting Dairy Foods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linares, Daniel M; Gómez, Carolina; Renes, Erica; Fresno, José M; Tornadijo, María E; Ross, R P; Stanton, Catherine

    2017-01-01

    Consumer interest in healthy lifestyle and health-promoting natural products is a major driving force for the increasing global demand of biofunctional dairy foods. A number of commercial sources sell synthetic formulations of bioactive substances for use as dietary supplements. However, the bioactive-enrichment of health-oriented foods by naturally occurring microorganisms during dairy fermentation is in increased demand. While participating in milk fermentation, lactic acid bacteria can be exploited in situ as microbial sources for naturally enriching dairy products with a broad range of bioactive components that may cover different health aspects. Several of these bioactive metabolites are industrially and economically important, as they are claimed to exert diverse health-promoting activities on the consumer, such as anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic, anti-oxidative, immune-modulatory, anti-cholesterolemic, or microbiome modulation. This review aims at discussing the potential of these health-supporting bacteria as starter or adjunct cultures for the elaboration of dairy foods with a broad spectrum of new functional properties and added value.

  5. Lactic Acid Bacteria and Bifidobacteria with Potential to Design Natural Biofunctional Health-Promoting Dairy Foods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel M. Linares

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Consumer interest in healthy lifestyle and health-promoting natural products is a major driving force for the increasing global demand of biofunctional dairy foods. A number of commercial sources sell synthetic formulations of bioactive substances for use as dietary supplements. However, the bioactive-enrichment of health-oriented foods by naturally occurring microorganisms during dairy fermentation is in increased demand. While participating in milk fermentation, lactic acid bacteria can be exploited in situ as microbial sources for naturally enriching dairy products with a broad range of bioactive components that may cover different health aspects. Several of these bioactive metabolites are industrially and economically important, as they are claimed to exert diverse health-promoting activities on the consumer, such as anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic, anti-oxidative, immune-modulatory, anti-cholesterolemic, or microbiome modulation. This review aims at discussing the potential of these health-supporting bacteria as starter or adjunct cultures for the elaboration of dairy foods with a broad spectrum of new functional properties and added value.

  6. Food concentrations and dietary intakes of elements for Chinese man

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu Hongda; Wang Jixian; Chen Rusong

    2000-01-01

    Objective: To obtain concentrations of elements in Chinese current foods and their dietary intakes by adult man in order to provide a basis on intake parameters of Chinese Reference Man and make related hygienic evaluation. Methods: With mixed food sample method of total diet study, determination of element concentrations in constituent foods of diets for 4 areas with different diet types was carried out by using NAA, ICP-MS, ICP-AES, AAS and necessary QA measures, and estimation of their daily intakes and hygienic evaluation were also made. Results: The concentrations of 42 elements in 12 categories of foods, their intakes and hygienic evaluation for adult man were obtained. Conclusion: The data on element concentrations in Chinese foods and their dietary intakes were updated and widened. These data provided a new basis for developing the parameters of Chinese Reference Man and revealed some current hygienic problems. For example, from viewpoint of nutrition hygiene the Ca, Zn, and Cu intakes for Chinese Reference Man are insufficient, and from consideration of food hygiene the intakes of Pb,Cd and Na are excessive.. Especially, and Cd average daily intakes of Pb, Cd and Hg have been increased during recent years, those of Pb exceed their ADIs, which should be paid attention to

  7. Detection of bacterial endotoxin in food: New planar interdigital sensors based approach

    KAUST Repository

    Abdul Rahman, Mohd Syaifudin

    2013-02-01

    Food poisoning caused by endotoxins or Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) are associated with Gram-negative bacteria. Two major food-borne pathogens, Escherichia coli and Salmonella are examples of Gram-negative bacteria which cause a large number of outbreaks of food poisoning. New types of planar interdigital sensors have been fabricated with different coating materials to assess their response to endotoxins. A carboxyl-functional polymer, APTES (3-Aminopropyltriethoxysilane) and Thionine were chosen to be coated onto FR4 interdigital sensors. The chosen coating materials have carboxylic or amine functional groups, which were optimized to be stable in water. All coated sensors were immobilized with PmB (Polymyxin B) which has specific binding properties to LPS. The sensors were tested with different concentrations of LPS O111:B4, ranging from 0.1 to 1000 μg/ml. Analyses of sensors\\' performance were based on the impedance spectroscopy method. The impedance spectra were modeled using a constant phase-element (CPE) equivalent circuit, and a principal component analysis (PCA) was used for data classification. Sensor coated with APTES has shown better selectivity for LPS detection. The experiments were repeated by coating APTES and immobilizing PmB to a new improve designed of novel interdigital sensors (thin film silicon based sensors). These sensors were observed to have better sensitivity and selectivity to the target biomolecules of LPS. Further experiments were conducted to study the effect of different coating thickness on sensor sensitivity, selectivity and stability. Different food samples contaminated with endotoxin were also tested to verify that the interdigital sensing approach is able to be used for endotoxin detection. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. The potential for Probiotic Bacteria from milkfish intestine in reducing mercury metals in skimmed milk media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dwyana, Zaraswati; Priosambodo, D.; Haedar, N.; Erviani, A. E.; Djabura, A. K.; Sukma, R.

    2018-03-01

    Mercury (Hg) is one of the heavy metals that is harmful to humans. The accumulation of mercury in the body is generally derived from food. Several types of bacteria from intestine of milkfish are known to reduce mercury concentration. People can take advantage of this bacterial ability by eating it through probiotic foods. This research conducted to figure out the potential for probiotic bacteria from milkfish intestine in reducing mercury. Isolation from probiotic bacteria from milkfish intestine conducted with grown the isolates in MRSA medium with addition of 1% CaCO3. Twelve isolate were obtained from milkfish intestine. Mercury resistance tested was performed by measuring cell density using a spectrophotometer at concentrations of 10, 15 and 20 ppm respectively in skim milk media. Probiotic tests (gastric acid, bile salts and antimicrobial activity) for MRSB media was also conducted. Results showed that seven isolate were resistant to mercury in all concentrations and potential as probiotics. All resistant isolate then tested for skim milk media with addition of 5, 10, 20 ppm mercury acetate respectively. Result showed that only one isolated was able to reduce the concentration of mercury (Hg) in all variations on concentration and potential as mercury reducer probiotic bacteria.

  9. Food safety and sustainable nutrition workshops: educational experiences for primary school children in Turin, Italy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amaranta Traversa

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available European control and prevention policies are focused to guarantee a high level of protection of consumers’ health. Foodborne diseases as obesity, diabetes, food allergy, and food-borne outbreaks are increasing. To prevent food-borne diseases, it is fundamental to involve consumers, in particular children, in educational experiences aimed to learn the proper behaviours to be applied. In this context, we designed and performed 5 educational workshops about food safety, hidden allergens in food and nutrition aimed to involve children attending primary and summer school. These experiences let us collect observations about children knowledge and behaviours. From May to October 2015, a total of 1708 children aged 6 to 11 years joined our workshops. Children were involved in listening activities, laboratory experiments, handling games and sensory experiences. All participants were familiar with food allergy and were interested to know how to behave with allergic people. Children showed great curiosity in discovering that many foods normally contain live bacteria. Less than 25% of children reported to skip breakfast, to have it watching TV or to spend few minutes for it. Many of them (>75% thought that fruits and vegetables are all year-round available and are not related to a specific period. Very few participants (<25% knew that freezing is the treatment to be applied to make fresh fish safe from parasites. Children involved in food safety and nutrition educational experiences have the opportunity to increase their awareness about the correct behaviours to prevent food-borne diseases and to improve their own critical thinking about food consumption.

  10. Comparison of three Listeria monocytogenes strains in a guinea-pig model simulating food-borne exposure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Roldgaard, Bent; Andersen, Jens Bo; Hansen, Tina Beck

    2009-01-01

    Three different Listeria monocytogenes strains, LO28 (a laboratory strain with truncated InlA), 4446 (a clinical isolate) and 7291 (a food isolate), were compared in a guinea-pig model designed to mimic food-borne exposure. The objectives were (1) to verify the applicability of the animal model...... for distinguishing between Listeria with different virulence properties and (2) to explore whether it was possible to reduce the required number of animals by dosing with mixed cultures instead of monocultures. Consistent with in vitro observations of infectivity in Caco-2 cells, faecal densities and presence...... of Listeria strains gave similar results as dosage with a mixture of the three strains; thus, the mixed infection approach was a feasible way to reduce the number of animals needed for determination of listerial virulence....

  11. Using Fluorescent Viruses for Detecting Bacteria in Water

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tabacco, Mary Beth; Qian, Xiaohua; Russo, Jaimie A.

    2009-01-01

    A method of detecting water-borne pathogenic bacteria is based partly on established molecular-recognition and fluorescent-labeling concepts, according to which bacteria of a species of interest are labeled with fluorescent reporter molecules and the bacteria can then be detected by fluorescence spectroscopy. The novelty of the present method lies in the use of bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria) to deliver the fluorescent reporter molecules to the bacteria of the species of interest.

  12. Supporting data for identification of biosurfactant-producing bacteria isolated from agro-food industrial effluent

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fulazzaky, Mohamad Ali; Abdullah, Shakila; Salim, Mohd Razman

    2016-01-01

    The goal of this study was to identify the biosurfactant-producing bacteria isolated from agro-food industrial effluet. The identification of the potential bacterial strain using a polymerase chain reaction of the 16S rRNA gene analysis was closely related to Serratia marcescens with its recorded strain of SA30 “Fundamentals of mass transfer and kinetics for biosorption of oil and grease from agro-food industrial effluent by Serratia marcescens SA30” (Fulazzaky et al., 2015) [1]; however, many biochemical tests have not been published yet. The biochemical tests of biosurfactant production, haemolytic assay and cell surface hydrophobicity were performed to investigate the beneficial strain of biosurfactant-producing bacteria. Here we do share data collected from the biochemical tests to get a better understanding of the use of Serratia marcescens SA30 to degrade oil, which contributes the technical features of strengthening the biological treatment of oil-contaminated wastewater in tropical environments. PMID:27077083

  13. Supporting data for identification of biosurfactant-producing bacteria isolated from agro-food industrial effluent

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamad Ali Fulazzaky

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The goal of this study was to identify the biosurfactant-producing bacteria isolated from agro-food industrial effluet. The identification of the potential bacterial strain using a polymerase chain reaction of the 16S rRNA gene analysis was closely related to Serratia marcescens with its recorded strain of SA30 “Fundamentals of mass transfer and kinetics for biosorption of oil and grease from agro-food industrial effluent by Serratia marcescens SA30” (Fulazzaky et al., 2015 [1]; however, many biochemical tests have not been published yet. The biochemical tests of biosurfactant production, haemolytic assay and cell surface hydrophobicity were performed to investigate the beneficial strain of biosurfactant-producing bacteria. Here we do share data collected from the biochemical tests to get a better understanding of the use of Serratia marcescens SA30 to degrade oil, which contributes the technical features of strengthening the biological treatment of oil-contaminated wastewater in tropical environments.

  14. Engineering Bacteria to Search for Specific Concentrations of Molecules by a Systematic Synthetic Biology Design Method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tien, Shin-Ming; Hsu, Chih-Yuan; Chen, Bor-Sen

    2016-01-01

    Bacteria navigate environments full of various chemicals to seek favorable places for survival by controlling the flagella's rotation using a complicated signal transduction pathway. By influencing the pathway, bacteria can be engineered to search for specific molecules, which has great potential for application to biomedicine and bioremediation. In this study, genetic circuits were constructed to make bacteria search for a specific molecule at particular concentrations in their environment through a synthetic biology method. In addition, by replacing the "brake component" in the synthetic circuit with some specific sensitivities, the bacteria can be engineered to locate areas containing specific concentrations of the molecule. Measured by the swarm assay qualitatively and microfluidic techniques quantitatively, the characteristics of each "brake component" were identified and represented by a mathematical model. Furthermore, we established another mathematical model to anticipate the characteristics of the "brake component". Based on this model, an abundant component library can be established to provide adequate component selection for different searching conditions without identifying all components individually. Finally, a systematic design procedure was proposed. Following this systematic procedure, one can design a genetic circuit for bacteria to rapidly search for and locate different concentrations of particular molecules by selecting the most adequate "brake component" in the library. Moreover, following simple procedures, one can also establish an exclusive component library suitable for other cultivated environments, promoter systems, or bacterial strains.

  15. Engineering Bacteria to Search for Specific Concentrations of Molecules by a Systematic Synthetic Biology Design Method.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shin-Ming Tien

    Full Text Available Bacteria navigate environments full of various chemicals to seek favorable places for survival by controlling the flagella's rotation using a complicated signal transduction pathway. By influencing the pathway, bacteria can be engineered to search for specific molecules, which has great potential for application to biomedicine and bioremediation. In this study, genetic circuits were constructed to make bacteria search for a specific molecule at particular concentrations in their environment through a synthetic biology method. In addition, by replacing the "brake component" in the synthetic circuit with some specific sensitivities, the bacteria can be engineered to locate areas containing specific concentrations of the molecule. Measured by the swarm assay qualitatively and microfluidic techniques quantitatively, the characteristics of each "brake component" were identified and represented by a mathematical model. Furthermore, we established another mathematical model to anticipate the characteristics of the "brake component". Based on this model, an abundant component library can be established to provide adequate component selection for different searching conditions without identifying all components individually. Finally, a systematic design procedure was proposed. Following this systematic procedure, one can design a genetic circuit for bacteria to rapidly search for and locate different concentrations of particular molecules by selecting the most adequate "brake component" in the library. Moreover, following simple procedures, one can also establish an exclusive component library suitable for other cultivated environments, promoter systems, or bacterial strains.

  16. Sensitivity of spoiling and pathogen food-related bacteria to Origanum vulgare L. (Lamiaceae) essential oil

    OpenAIRE

    Souza,Evandro Leite de; Stamford,Tânia Lúcia Montenegro; Lima,Edeltrudes de Oliveira

    2006-01-01

    Origanum vulgare L. (oregano), Lamiaceae, has been known as plant specie with prominent biological properties for a long time. This study aimed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of Origanum vulgare essential oil on various Gram-positive and Gram-negative spoiling and/or pathogen food-related bacteria, as well as to observe its antimicrobial effectiveness in a food conservation micromodel. The results showed a strong antibacterial activity of the assayed essential oil noted by large growt...

  17. Novel Biocontrol Methods for Listeria monocytogenes Biofilms in Food Production Facilities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jessica A. Gray

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available High mortality and hospitalization rates have seen Listeria monocytogenes as a foodborne pathogen of public health importance for many years and of particular concern for high-risk population groups. Food manufactures face an ongoing challenge in preventing the entry of L. monocytogenes into food production environments (FPEs due to its ubiquitous nature. In addition to this, the capacity of L. monocytogenes strains to colonize FPEs can lead to repeated identification of L. monocytogenes in FPE surveillance. The contamination of food products requiring product recall presents large economic burden to industry and is further exacerbated by damage to the brand. Poor equipment design, facility layout, and worn or damaged equipment can result in Listeria hotspots and biofilms where traditional cleaning and disinfecting procedures may be inadequate. Novel biocontrol methods may offer FPEs effective means to help improve control of L. monocytogenes and decrease cross contamination of food. Bacteriophages have been used as a medical treatment for many years for their ability to infect and lyse specific bacteria. Endolysins, the hydrolytic enzymes of bacteriophages responsible for breaking the cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria, are being explored as a biocontrol method for food preservation and in nanotechnology and medical applications. Antibacterial proteins known as bacteriocins have been used as alternatives to antibiotics for biopreservation and food product shelf life extension. Essential oils are natural antimicrobials formed by plants and have been used as food additives and preservatives for many years and more recently as a method to prevent food spoilage by microorganisms. Competitive exclusion occurs naturally among bacteria in the environment. However, intentionally selecting and applying bacteria to effect competitive exclusion of food borne pathogens has potential as a biocontrol application. This review discusses these novel biocontrol

  18. Novel Biocontrol Methods for Listeria monocytogenes Biofilms in Food Production Facilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gray, Jessica A.; Chandry, P. Scott; Kaur, Mandeep; Kocharunchitt, Chawalit; Bowman, John P.; Fox, Edward M.

    2018-01-01

    High mortality and hospitalization rates have seen Listeria monocytogenes as a foodborne pathogen of public health importance for many years and of particular concern for high-risk population groups. Food manufactures face an ongoing challenge in preventing the entry of L. monocytogenes into food production environments (FPEs) due to its ubiquitous nature. In addition to this, the capacity of L. monocytogenes strains to colonize FPEs can lead to repeated identification of L. monocytogenes in FPE surveillance. The contamination of food products requiring product recall presents large economic burden to industry and is further exacerbated by damage to the brand. Poor equipment design, facility layout, and worn or damaged equipment can result in Listeria hotspots and biofilms where traditional cleaning and disinfecting procedures may be inadequate. Novel biocontrol methods may offer FPEs effective means to help improve control of L. monocytogenes and decrease cross contamination of food. Bacteriophages have been used as a medical treatment for many years for their ability to infect and lyse specific bacteria. Endolysins, the hydrolytic enzymes of bacteriophages responsible for breaking the cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria, are being explored as a biocontrol method for food preservation and in nanotechnology and medical applications. Antibacterial proteins known as bacteriocins have been used as alternatives to antibiotics for biopreservation and food product shelf life extension. Essential oils are natural antimicrobials formed by plants and have been used as food additives and preservatives for many years and more recently as a method to prevent food spoilage by microorganisms. Competitive exclusion occurs naturally among bacteria in the environment. However, intentionally selecting and applying bacteria to effect competitive exclusion of food borne pathogens has potential as a biocontrol application. This review discusses these novel biocontrol methods and their

  19. Simultaneous aptasensor for multiplex pathogenic bacteria detection based on multicolor upconversion nanoparticles labels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Shijia; Duan, Nuo; Shi, Zhao; Fang, Congcong; Wang, Zhouping

    2014-03-18

    A highly sensitive and specific multiplex method for the simultaneous detection of three pathogenic bacteria was fabricated using multicolor upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) as luminescence labels coupled with aptamers as the molecular recognition elements. Multicolor UCNPs were synthesized via doping with various rare-earth ions to obtain well-separated emission peaks. The aptamer sequences were selected using the systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) strategy for Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio parahemolyticus, and Salmonella typhimurium. When applied in this method, aptamers can be used for the specific recognition of the bacteria from complex mixtures, including those found in real food matrixes. Aptamers and multicolor UCNPs were employed to selectively capture and simultaneously quantify the three target bacteria on the basis of the independent peaks. Under optimal conditions, the correlation between the concentration of three bacteria and the luminescence signal was found to be linear from 50-10(6) cfu mL(-1). Improved by the magnetic separation and concentration effect of Fe3O4 magnetic nanoparticles, the limits of detection of the developed method were found to be 25, 10, and 15 cfu mL(-1) for S. aureus, V. parahemolyticus, and S. typhimurium, respectively. The capability of the bioassay in real food samples was also investigated, and the results were consistent with experimental results obtained from plate-counting methods. This proposed method for the detection of various pathogenic bacteria based on multicolor UCNPs has great potential in the application of food safety and multiplex nanosensors.

  20. Association of Levels of Antibodies from Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease with Extracellular Proteins of Food and Probiotic Bacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arancha Hevia

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD is an autoimmune disease characterized by a chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract mucosa and is related to an abnormal immune response to commensal bacteria. Our aim of the present work has been to explore the levels of antibodies (IgG and IgA raised against extracellular proteins produced by LAB and its association with IBD. We analyzed, by Western-blot and ELISA, the presence of serum antibodies (IgA and IgG developed against extracellular protein fractions produced by different food bacteria from the genera Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. We used a sera collection consisting of healthy individuals (HC, n=50, Crohn's disease patients (CD, n=37, and ulcerative colitis patients (UC, n=15. Levels of IgA antibodies developed against a cell-wall hydrolase from Lactobacillus casei subsp. rhamnosus GG (CWH were significantly higher in the IBD group (P<0.002; n=52. The specificity of our measurements was confirmed by measuring IgA antibodies developed against the CWH peptide 365-VNTSNQTAAVSAS-377. IBD patients appeared to have different immune response to food bacteria. This paper sets the basis for developing systems for early detection of IBD, based on the association of high levels of antibodies developed against extracellular proteins from food and probiotic bacteria.

  1. Comparison of Three Different DNA Extraction Methods for Linguatula serrata as a Food Born Pathogen

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gilda ESLAMI

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: One of the most important items in molecular characterization of food-borne pathogens is high quality genomic DNA. In this study, we investigated three protocols and compared their simplicity, duration and costs for extracting genomic DNA from Linguatula serrata.Methods: The larvae were collected from the sheep’s visceral organs from the Yazd Slaughterhouse during May 2013. DNA extraction was done in three different methods, including commercial DNA extraction kit, Phenol Chloroform Isoamylalcohol (PCI, and salting out. Extracted DNA in each method was assessed for quantity and quality using spectrophotometery and agarose gel electrophoresis, respectively.Results: The less duration was regarding to commercial DNA extraction kit and then salting out protocol. The cost benefit one was salting out and then PCI method. The best quantity was regarding to PCI with 72.20±29.20 ng/μl, and purity of OD260/OD280 in 1.76±0.947. Agarose gel electrophoresis for assessing the quality found all the same.Conclusion: Salting out is introduced as the best method for DNA extraction from L. seratta as a food-borne pathogen with the least costand appropriate purity. Although, the best purity was regarding to PCI but PCI is not safe as salting out. In addition, the duration of salting out was less than PCI. The least duration was seen in commercial DNA extraction kit, but it is expensive and therefore is not recommended for developing countries where consumption of offal is common.

  2. Extreme Heat Resistance of Food Borne Pathogens Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella typhimurium on Chicken Breast Fillet during Cooking

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    de Jong, Aarieke E I; van Asselt, Esther D; Zwietering, Marcel H

    2012-01-01

    cooking enlarged the heat resistance of the food borne pathogens. Additionally, a high challenge temperature or fast heating rate contributed to the level of heat resistance. The data were used to assess the probability of illness (campylobacteriosis) due to consumption of chicken fillet as a function...

  3. Validation of a PCR-based method for detection of food-borne thermotolerant Campylobacters in a multicenter collaborative trial

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Josefsen, Mathilde Hartmann; Cook, N.; D'Agostino, M.

    2004-01-01

    A PCR-based method for rapid detection of food-borne thermotolerant campylobacters was evaluated through a collaborative trial with 12 laboratories testing spiked carcass rinse samples. The method showed an interlaboratory diagnostic sensitivity of 96.7% and a diagnostic specificity of 100% for c......% for chicken samples, while these values were 94.2 and 83.3%, respectively, for pig samples....

  4. Concentration of bisphenol A in highly consumed canned foods on the U.S. market.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noonan, Gregory O; Ackerman, Luke K; Begley, Timothy H

    2011-07-13

    Metal food and drink cans are commonly coated with epoxy films made from phenolic polymers produced from bisphenol A (BPA). It is well established that residual BPA monomer migrates into can contents during processing and storage. While a number of studies have reported BPA concentrations in foods from foreign markets and specialty foods on the U.S. market, very few peer-reviewed data for the BPA concentrations in canned food from the U.S. market were available. This study quantified BPA concentrations in 78 canned and two frozen food products from the U.S. market using an adaptation of a previously reported liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method. The tested products represented 16 different food types that are from the can food classifications that constitute approximately 65% of U.S. canned food sales and canned food consumption. BPA was detected in 71 of the 78 canned food samples but was not detected in either of the two frozen food samples. Detectable BPA concentrations across all foods ranged from 2.6 to 730 ng/g. Large variations in BPA concentrations were found between different products of the same food type and between different lots of the same product. Given the large concentration ranges, the only distinguishable trend was that fruits and tuna showed the lowest BPA concentrations. Experiments with fortified frozen vegetables and brine solutions, as well as higher BPA concentrations in canned food solids over liquid portions, clearly indicated that BPA partitions into the solid portion of foods.

  5. Antibacterial Potential of Jatropha curcas Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles against Food Borne Pathogens

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chauhan, Nitin; Tyagi, Amit K.; Kumar, Pushpendar; Malik, Anushree

    2016-01-01

    The aqueous leaf extract of Jatropha curcas was used for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Jc-AgNps) which were further evaluated for its antibacterial potential against food borne pathogens. J. curcas leaf extract could synthesize stable silver nanoparticles (Zeta potential: -23.4 mV) with absorption band at 430 nm. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicated various biological compounds responsible for capping and stabilizing Jc-AgNps in suspension, while the presence of silver was authenticated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray. Jc-AgNps were confirmed to be uniform in shape, size and behavior through dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction, SEM, and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis. To investigate the antibacterial activity, disk diffusion and microplate dilution assays were performed and zone of inhibition (ZOI) as well as minimum inhibitory/bactericidal concentrations (MIC/MBCs) were evaluated against selected bacterial strains. Overall results showed that Escherichia coli (ZOI: 23 mm, MBC: 0.010 mg/ml) was the most sensitive organism, whereas Staphylococcus aureus (ZOI: 14.66 mm, MBC: 0.041 mg/ml) and Salmonella enterica (ZOI: 16.66 mm, MBC: 0.041 mg/ml) were the least sensitive against Jc-AgNps. The detailed microscopic investigations using SEM, TEM, and AFM were performed to understand the antibacterial impacts of Jc-AgNps against Listeria monocytogenes. SEM and TEM analysis showed the clear deformation and disintegration of treated L. monocytogenes cells, whereas AFM established a decrease in the height and cell surface roughness (root mean square value) in the treated L. monocytogenes. PMID:27877160

  6. Bioleaching of a complex nickel–iron concentrate by mesophile bacteria.

    OpenAIRE

    Santos, Luciano Rodrigo Gomes; Barbosa, Alexandre Ferraz; Souza, Adelson Dias de; Leão, Versiane Albis

    2006-01-01

    This work investigates the bioleaching of a complex nickel–iron concentrate (pentlandite, pyrrhotite, and minor amounts of chalcopyrite) using acidophile iron-oxidizing bacteria. It aims to improve the understanding of the mechanism of bacterial action on nickel sulphide bioleaching. The effects of the external addition of Fe(II) and the mineralogical assembly on the extraction of nickel are evaluated. A high nickel extraction (around 70%) can be achieved in batch experiments. Moreover, the e...

  7. Food-borne norovirus-outbreak at a military base, Germany, 2009.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wadl, Maria; Scherer, Kathrin; Nielsen, Stine; Diedrich, Sabine; Ellerbroek, Lüppo; Frank, Christina; Gatzer, Renate; Hoehne, Marina; Johne, Reimar; Klein, Günter; Koch, Judith; Schulenburg, Jörg; Thielbein, Uta; Stark, Klaus; Bernard, Helen

    2010-02-17

    Norovirus is often transmitted from person-to-person. Transmission may also be food-borne, but only few norovirus outbreak investigations have identified food items as likely vehicles of norovirus transmission through an analytical epidemiological study.During 7-9 January, 2009, 36 persons at a military base in Germany fell ill with acute gastroenteritis. Food from the military base's canteen was suspected as vehicle of infection, norovirus as the pathogen causing the illnesses. An investigation was initiated to describe the outbreak's extent, to verify the pathogen, and to identify modes of transmission and source of infection to prevent further cases. For descriptive analysis, ill persons were defined as members of the military base with acute onset of diarrhoea or vomiting between 24 December 2008, and 3 February 2009, without detection of a pathogen other than norovirus in stools. We conducted a retrospective cohort study within the headquarters company. Cases were military base members with onset of diarrhoea or vomiting during 5-9 January. We collected information on demographics, food items eaten at the canteen and contact to ill persons or vomit, using a self-administered questionnaire. We compared attack rates (AR) in exposed and unexposed persons, using bivariable and multivariable logistic regression modelling. Stool specimens of ill persons and canteen employees, canteen food served during 5-7 January and environmental swabs were investigated by laboratory analysis. Overall, 101/815 (AR 12.4%) persons fell ill between 24 December 2008 and 3 February 2009. None were canteen employees. Most persons (n = 49) had disease onset during 7-9 January. Ill persons were a median of 22 years old, 92.9% were male. The response for the cohort study was 178/274 (72.1%). Of 27 cases (AR 15.2%), 25 had eaten at the canteen and 21 had consumed salad. Salad consumption on 6 January (aOR: 8.1; 95%CI: 1.5-45.4) and 7 January (aOR: 15.7; 95%CI: 2.2-74.1) were independently

  8. A centrifugal direct recombinase polymerase amplification (direct-RPA) microdevice for multiplex and real-time identification of food poisoning bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Goro; Jung, Jae Hwan; Park, Byung Hyun; Oh, Seung Jun; Seo, Ji Hyun; Choi, Jong Seob; Kim, Do Hyun; Seo, Tae Seok

    2016-06-21

    In this study, we developed a centrifugal direct recombinase polymerase amplification (direct-RPA) microdevice for multiplex and real-time identification of food poisoning bacteria contaminated milk samples. The microdevice was designed to contain identical triplicate functional units and each unit has four reaction chambers, thereby making it possible to perform twelve direct-RPA reactions simultaneously. The integrated microdevice consisted of two layers: RPA reagents were injected in the top layer, while spiked milk samples with food poisoning bacteria were loaded into sample reservoirs in the bottom layer. For multiplex bacterial detection, the target gene-specific primers and probes were dried in each reaction chamber. The introduced samples and reagents could be equally aliquoted and dispensed into each reaction chamber by centrifugal force, and then the multiplex direct-RPA reaction was executed. The target genes of bacteria spiked in milk could be amplified at 39 °C without a DNA extraction step by using the direct-RPA cocktails, which were a combination of a direct PCR buffer and RPA enzymes. As the target gene amplification proceeded, the increased fluorescence signals coming from the reaction chambers were recorded in real-time at an interval of 2 min. The entire process, including the sample distribution, the direct-RPA reaction, and the real-time analysis, was accomplished with a custom-made portable genetic analyzer and a miniaturized optical detector. Monoplex, duplex, and triplex food poisoning bacteria (Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Vibrio parahaemolyticus) detection was successfully performed with a detection sensitivity of 4 cells per 3.2 μL of milk samples within 30 min. By implementing the direct-PRA on the miniaturized centrifugal microsystem, the on-site food poisoning bacteria analysis would be feasible with high speed, sensitivity, and multiplicity.

  9. Prevalence and Antibiotic Resistance of Gram-Negative Pathogenic Bacteria Species Isolated from Periplaneta americana and Blattella germanica in Varanasi, India.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D Leshan Wannigama

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Cockroaches are among the medically important pests found within the human habitations that cause serious public health problems. They may harbor a number of pathogenic bacteria on the external surface with antibiotic resistance. Hence, they are regarded as major microbial vectors. This study investigates the prevalence and antibiotic resistance of Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria species isolated from Periplaneta americana and Blattella germanica in Varanasi, India.Totally, 203 adult cockroaches were collected form 44 households and 52 food-handling establishments by trapping. Bacteriological examination of external surfaces of Pe. americana and Bl. germanica were carried out using standard method and antibiotics susceptibility profiles of the isolates were determined using Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion methods.Among the places, we found that 54% had cockroache infestation in households and 77% in food- handling establishments. There was no significant different between the overall bacteria load of the external surface in Pe. americana (64.04% and Bl. germanica (35.96%. However the predominant bacteria on cockroaches were Klebsiella pneumonia, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. However, Kl. pneumoniae and Ps. aeruginosa were the most prevalent, drug-resistant strains were isolated from the cockroaches with 100% resistance to sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim and ampicillin. For individual strains of bacteria, Escherichia coli was found to have multi-resistance to four antibiotic tested, Citrobacter freundii four, Enterobacter aerogenes and Proteus mirabilis to three.Cockroaches are uniformly distributed in domestic environment, which can be a possible vector for transmission of drug-resistant bacteria and food-borne diseases.

  10. Pilot study of using UAV to reveal spatial patterns of indicator bacteria concentrations in ponds and reservoirs used for irrigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Determination of indicator bacteria concentrations in irrigation water recently became mandatory for farmers. These concentrations are known to have large spatial variability in ponds and reservoirs. This variability is partially attributed to affinity of indicator bacteria to algae accumulations. W...

  11. SOME STATISTICAL ISSUES RELATED TO MULTIPLE LINEAR REGRESSION MODELING OF BEACH BACTERIA CONCENTRATIONS

    Science.gov (United States)

    As a fast and effective technique, the multiple linear regression (MLR) method has been widely used in modeling and prediction of beach bacteria concentrations. Among previous works on this subject, however, several issues were insufficiently or inconsistently addressed. Those is...

  12. Control of Listeria species food safety at a poultry food production facility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fox, Edward M; Wall, Patrick G; Fanning, Séamus

    2015-10-01

    Surveillance and control of food-borne human pathogens, such as Listeria monocytogenes, is a critical aspect of modern food safety programs at food production facilities. This study evaluated contamination patterns of Listeria species at a poultry food production facility, and evaluated the efficacy of procedures to control the contamination and transfer of the bacteria throughout the plant. The presence of Listeria species was studied along the production chain, including raw ingredients, food-contact, non-food-contact surfaces, and finished product. All isolates were sub-typed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) to identify possible entry points for Listeria species into the production chain, as well as identifying possible transfer routes through the facility. The efficacy of selected in-house sanitizers against a sub-set of the isolates was evaluated. Of the 77 different PFGE-types identified, 10 were found among two or more of the five categories/areas (ingredients, food preparation, cooking and packing, bulk packing, and product), indicating potential transfer routes at the facility. One of the six sanitizers used was identified as unsuitable for control of Listeria species. Combining PFGE data, together with information on isolate location and timeframe, facilitated identification of a persistent Listeria species contamination that had colonized the facility, along with others that were transient. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Use of the alr gene as a food-grade selection marker in lactic acid bacteria

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bron, P.A.; Benchimol, M.G.; Lambert, J.; Palumbo, E.; Deghorain, M.; Delcour, J.; Vos, de W.M.; Kleerebezem, M.; Hols, P.

    2002-01-01

    Both Lactococcus lactis and Lactobacillus plantarum contain a single alr gene, encoding an alanine racemase (EC 5.1.1.1), which catalyzes the interconversion of D-alanine and L-alanine. The alr genes of these lactic acid bacteria were investigated for their application as food-grade selection

  14. Antibiotic resistance in bacteria associated with food animals: a United States perspective of livestock production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mathew, Alan G; Cissell, Robin; Liamthong, S

    2007-01-01

    The use of antimicrobial compounds in food animal production provides demonstrated benefits, including improved animal health, higher production and, in some cases, reduction in foodborne pathogens. However, use of antibiotics for agricultural purposes, particularly for growth enhancement, has come under much scrutiny, as it has been shown to contribute to the increased prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria of human significance. The transfer of antibiotic resistance genes and selection for resistant bacteria can occur through a variety of mechanisms, which may not always be linked to specific antibiotic use. Prevalence data may provide some perspective on occurrence and changes in resistance over time; however, the reasons are diverse and complex. Much consideration has been given this issue on both domestic and international fronts, and various countries have enacted or are considering tighter restrictions or bans on some types of antibiotic use in food animal production. In some cases, banning the use of growth-promoting antibiotics appears to have resulted in decreases in prevalence of some drug resistant bacteria; however, subsequent increases in animal morbidity and mortality, particularly in young animals, have sometimes resulted in higher use of therapeutic antibiotics, which often come from drug families of greater relevance to human medicine. While it is clear that use of antibiotics can over time result in significant pools of resistance genes among bacteria, including human pathogens, the risk posed to humans by resistant organisms from farms and livestock has not been clearly defined. As livestock producers, animal health experts, the medical community, and government agencies consider effective strategies for control, it is critical that science-based information provide the basis for such considerations, and that the risks, benefits, and feasibility of such strategies are fully considered, so that human and animal health can be maintained while

  15. Outdoor ultrafine particle concentrations in front of fast food restaurants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vert, Cristina; Meliefste, Kees; Hoek, Gerard

    2016-01-01

    Ultrafine particles (UFPs) have been associated with negative effects on human health. Emissions from motor vehicles are the principal source of UFPs in urban air. A study in Vancouver suggested that UFP concentrations were related to density of fast food restaurants near the monitoring sites. A previous monitoring campaign could not separate the contribution of restaurants from road traffic. The main goal of this study has been the quantification of fast food restaurants' contribution to outdoor UFP concentrations. A portable particle number counter (DiscMini) has been used to carry out mobile monitoring in a largely pedestrianized area in the city center of Utrecht. A fixed route passing 17 fast food restaurants was followed on 8 days. UFP concentrations in front of the restaurants were 1.61 times higher than in a nearby square without any local sources used as control area and 1.22 times higher compared with all measurements conducted in between the restaurants. Adjustment for other sources such as passing mopeds, smokers or candles did not explain the increase. In conclusion, fast food restaurants result in significant increases in outdoor UFP concentrations in front of the restaurant.

  16. Association between the consumption of antimicrobial agents in animal husbandry and the occurrence of resistant bacteria among food animals

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aarestrup, Frank Møller

    1999-01-01

    Antimicrobial agents are used in food animals for therapy and prophylaxis of bacterial infections and in feed to promote growth. The use of antimicrobial agents for food animals may cause problems in the therapy of infections by selecting for resistance among bacteria pathogenic for animals...... animals, the quantitative impact of the use of different antimicrobial agents on selection for resistance and the most appropriate treatment regimens to limit the development of resistance is incomplete. Surveillance programmes monitoring the occurrence and development of resistance and consumption...... or humans. The emergence of resistant bacteria and resistance genes following the use of antimicrobial agents is relatively well documented and it seems evident that all antimicrobial agents will select for resistance. However, current knowledge regarding the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance in food...

  17. Concentrations of radiocesium in foods imported from Russia (1996-1998)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugiyama, Hideo; Terada, Hiroshi; Izumo, Yoshiro; Miyata, Masahiro; Watanabe, Yoshinori; Tsuchiya, Tetsu; Endo, Taigo; Yoshida, Akio; Maeda, Kenji

    2000-01-01

    The concentrations of radiocesium, 137 Cs and 134 Cs, were determined in foods imported from Russia between 1996 and 1998. A total of 143 samples, including cod roe (47 samples), crab (44), fish, including flatfish and halibut (18), ground fish meat (11), and shrimp (8), were collected in quarantine stations throughout Japan and measured with a high-purity Ge semiconductor detector and spectrometer. The concentrations of both 137 Cs and 134 Cs were determined in 115 of the samples, but only 137 Cs was measured in the other 28 samples. 137 Cs was detected in 24 samples, and the mean concentration was 0.06 Bq/kg in the raw samples and 36.7 Bq/kg in the dry samples. Japanese tsubugai shellfish had the highest concentration (0.50 Bq/kg) among the non-dried foods. Radiocesium was most frequently detected in cod roe (15 raw samples, 0.06 - 0.14 Bq/kg), followed by fish and shellfish, including ground fish meat (7 samples), dried bracken (1 sample), and dried kabanoanatake (a species of mushrooms) (1 sample). The radiocesium concentration in kabanoanatake was the highest in this survey. The concentrations of 134 Cs in all samples was below the limit of detection. The concentrations of radiocesium in foods imported from Russia did not change between 1996 and 1998, and they appeared to be low, the same as in food distributed in Japanese markets. The annual effective dose equivalents in adults were estimated based on the assumption that all of the imported food from Russia was consumed by Japanese people. It was assumed that the amount of intake of each food was 0.5% and that the 137 Cs dose conversion factor was 1.4 x 10 - 5 mSv/Bq. The intake of 134 Cs was assumed to be zero. The results of the estimations were an annual effective dose equivalent of 0.28 x 10-3 μSv for fish/shellfish, of 2.8 x 10-3 μSv for dried bracken, and of 11.9 x 10-3 μSv for dried kabanoanatake. These results overestimated actual intake, and these annual effective dose equivalents appeared to be

  18. Increased risk of peanut allergy in infants of Asian-born parents compared to those of Australian-born parents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koplin, J J; Peters, R L; Ponsonby, A-L; Gurrin, L C; Hill, D; Tang, M L K; Dharmage, S C; Allen, K J

    2014-12-01

    Asian infants appear to be over-represented among patients with clinical food allergy in Australia, but this has not been formally examined at the population level. Any difference in prevalence according to parental country of birth may be secondary to modifiable lifestyle factors. We aimed to quantify (i) differences in the prevalence of peanut allergy by parental country of birth and (ii) contribution of measured environmental exposures to these differences. The population-based HealthNuts study in Melbourne, Australia, screened 5276 infants (74% participation) with skin prick tests and sensitized infants underwent food challenge. Of these, 535 had a parent born in East Asia and 574 in UK/Europe. Associations between parents' country of birth and offspring peanut allergy were examined using multiple logistic regression. Compared to infants with two Australian-born parents, peanut allergy was more common among infants with parent/s born in East Asia (OR 3.4, 95% CI 2.2-5.1) but not those with parent/s born in the UK/Europe (OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.4-1.5). Paradoxically rates of allergic disease were lower among Asian parents. A higher prevalence of eczema among infants of Asian parents explained around 30% of the increase in peanut allergy, while differences in dog ownership explained around 18%. The high peanut allergy prevalence among infants of Asian-born parents appears to have occurred in a single generation and was not present among infants with parents migrating from other countries, suggesting gene-environment interactions are important. The role of eczema and microbial exposure in food allergy prevention warrants exploration. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Food-Borne Outbreak Investigation and Molecular Typing: High Diversity of Staphylococcus aureus Strains and Importance of Toxin Detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Denayer, Sarah; Nia, Yacine; Botteldoorn, Nadine

    2017-01-01

    Staphylococcus aureus is an important aetiological agent of food intoxications in the European Union as it can cause gastro-enteritis through the production of various staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) in foods. Reported enterotoxin dose levels causing food-borne illness are scarce and varying. Three food poisoning outbreaks due to enterotoxin-producing S. aureus strains which occurred in 2013 in Belgium are described. The outbreaks occurred in an elderly home, at a barbecue event and in a kindergarten and involved 28, 18, and six cases, respectively. Various food leftovers contained coagulase positive staphylococci (CPS). Low levels of staphylococcal enterotoxins ranging between 0.015 ng/g and 0.019 ng/g for enterotoxin A (SEA), and corresponding to 0.132 ng/g for SEC were quantified in the food leftovers for two of the reported outbreaks. Molecular typing of human and food isolates using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and enterotoxin gene typing, confirmed the link between patients and the suspected foodstuffs. This also demonstrated the high diversity of CPS isolates both in the cases and in healthy persons carrying enterotoxin genes encoding emetic SEs for which no detection methods currently exist. For one outbreak, the investigation pointed out to the food handler who transmitted the outbreak strain to the food. Tools to improve staphylococcal food poisoning (SFP) investigations are presented. PMID:29261162

  20. Food-Borne Outbreak Investigation and Molecular Typing: High Diversity of Staphylococcus aureus Strains and Importance of Toxin Detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Denayer, Sarah; Delbrassinne, Laurence; Nia, Yacine; Botteldoorn, Nadine

    2017-12-20

    Staphylococcus aureus is an important aetiological agent of food intoxications in the European Union as it can cause gastro-enteritis through the production of various staphylococcal enterotoxins (SEs) in foods. Reported enterotoxin dose levels causing food-borne illness are scarce and varying. Three food poisoning outbreaks due to enterotoxin-producing S. aureus strains which occurred in 2013 in Belgium are described. The outbreaks occurred in an elderly home, at a barbecue event and in a kindergarten and involved 28, 18, and six cases, respectively. Various food leftovers contained coagulase positive staphylococci (CPS). Low levels of staphylococcal enterotoxins ranging between 0.015 ng/g and 0.019 ng/g for enterotoxin A (SEA), and corresponding to 0.132 ng/g for SEC were quantified in the food leftovers for two of the reported outbreaks. Molecular typing of human and food isolates using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and enterotoxin gene typing, confirmed the link between patients and the suspected foodstuffs. This also demonstrated the high diversity of CPS isolates both in the cases and in healthy persons carrying enterotoxin genes encoding emetic SEs for which no detection methods currently exist. For one outbreak, the investigation pointed out to the food handler who transmitted the outbreak strain to the food. Tools to improve staphylococcal food poisoning (SFP) investigations are presented.

  1. Food-borne norovirus-outbreak at a military base, Germany, 2009

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hoehne Marina

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Norovirus is often transmitted from person-to-person. Transmission may also be food-borne, but only few norovirus outbreak investigations have identified food items as likely vehicles of norovirus transmission through an analytical epidemiological study. During 7-9 January, 2009, 36 persons at a military base in Germany fell ill with acute gastroenteritis. Food from the military base's canteen was suspected as vehicle of infection, norovirus as the pathogen causing the illnesses. An investigation was initiated to describe the outbreak's extent, to verify the pathogen, and to identify modes of transmission and source of infection to prevent further cases. Methods For descriptive analysis, ill persons were defined as members of the military base with acute onset of diarrhoea or vomiting between 24 December 2008, and 3 February 2009, without detection of a pathogen other than norovirus in stools. We conducted a retrospective cohort study within the headquarters company. Cases were military base members with onset of diarrhoea or vomiting during 5-9 January. We collected information on demographics, food items eaten at the canteen and contact to ill persons or vomit, using a self-administered questionnaire. We compared attack rates (AR in exposed and unexposed persons, using bivariable and multivariable logistic regression modelling. Stool specimens of ill persons and canteen employees, canteen food served during 5-7 January and environmental swabs were investigated by laboratory analysis. Results Overall, 101/815 (AR 12.4% persons fell ill between 24 December 2008 and 3 February 2009. None were canteen employees. Most persons (n = 49 had disease onset during 7-9 January. Ill persons were a median of 22 years old, 92.9% were male. The response for the cohort study was 178/274 (72.1%. Of 27 cases (AR 15.2%, 25 had eaten at the canteen and 21 had consumed salad. Salad consumption on 6 January (aOR: 8.1; 95%CI: 1.5-45.4 and 7

  2. Concentration of actinides in the food chain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bulman, R.A.

    1976-06-01

    Considerable concern is now being expressed over the discharge of actinides into the environment. This report presents a brief review of the chemistry of the actinides and examines the evidence for interaction of the actinides with some naturally-occurring chelating agents and other factors which might stimulate actinide concentration in the food chain of man. This report also reviews the evidence for concentration of actinides in plants and for uptake through the gastrointestinal tract. (author)

  3. Bacteria-eating virus approved as food additive.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bren, Linda

    2007-01-01

    Not all viruses harm people. The Food and Drug Administration has approved a mixture of viruses as a food additive to protect people. The additive can be used in processing plants for spraying onto ready-to-eat meat and poultry products to protect consumers from the potentially life-threatening bacterium Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes).

  4. Impact of Neighborhood Environments on Health Consciousness, Information Seeking, and Attitudes among US-Born and Non-US-Born Free Clinic Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamimura, Akiko; Ashby, Jeanie; Jess, Allison; Trinh, Ha Ngoc; Nourian, Maziar M; Finlayson, Sarah Yukie; Prudencio, Liana; Reel, Justine J

    2015-12-01

    This study examined the impact of neighborhood environments on health consciousness, information seeking, and attitudes among uninsured free clinic patients to better understand the specific needs of the population for health promotion and prevention efforts. US-born English-speaking, non-US-born English-speaking, and Spanish-speaking free clinic patients completed a self-administered survey using reliable measures in autumn 2014 (N = 769). The results of this study suggest that social cohesion is positively associated with health consciousness, information seeking, and attitudes. Lower levels of available healthy food in the community were associated with higher levels of health consciousness. Although Spanish speakers reported lower levels of the availability of healthy food, social cohesion, and access to the Internet or text messaging compared with US-born or non-US-born English speakers, they were more likely to be health conscious and have higher levels of health information seeking. Spanish speakers as well as non-US-born English speakers, were more likely to attend health education classes compared with US-born English speakers. Health education programs for free clinic patients should include strategies to increase social cohesion. Health education programs should consider the diverse needs of these individual populations to maximize the effectiveness of the programs for free clinic patients.

  5. Tracking spore-forming bacteria in food: from natural biodiversity to selection by processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Postollec, Florence; Mathot, Anne-Gabrielle; Bernard, Muriel; Divanac'h, Marie-Laure; Pavan, Sonia; Sohier, Danièle

    2012-08-01

    Sporeforming bacteria are ubiquitous in the environment and exhibit a wide range of diversity leading to their natural prevalence in foodstuff. The state of the art of sporeformer prevalence in ingredients and food was investigated using a multiparametric PCR-based tool that enables simultaneous detection and identification of various genera and species mostly encountered in food, i.e., Alicyclobacillus, Anoxybacillus flavithermus, Bacillus, B. cereus group, B. licheniformis, B. pumilus, B. sporothermodurans, B. subtilis, Brevibacillus laterosporus, Clostridium, Geobacillus stearothermophilus, Moorella and Paenibacillus species. In addition, 16S rDNA sequencing was used to extend identification to other possibly present contaminants. A total of 90 food products, with or without visible trace of spoilage were analysed, i.e., 30 egg-based products, 30 milk and dairy products and 30 canned food and ingredients. Results indicated that most samples contained one or several of the targeted genera and species. For all three tested food categories, 30 to 40% of products were contaminated with both Bacillus and Clostridium. The percentage of contaminations associated with Clostridium or Bacillus represented 100% in raw materials, 72% in dehydrated ingredients and 80% in processed foods. In the last two product types, additional thermophilic contaminants were identified (A. flavithermus, Geobacillus spp., Thermoanaerobacterium spp. and Moorella spp.). These results suggest that selection, and therefore the observed (re)-emergence of unexpected sporeforming contaminants in food might be favoured by the use of given food ingredients and food processing technologies. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Screening food-borne and zoonotic pathogens associated with livestock practices in the Sumapaz region, Cundinamarca, Colombia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Arenas, Nelson E.; Abril, Diego A.; Valencia, Paola

    2017-01-01

    -borne and zoonotic pathogens associated with local livestock practices. We evaluated 1098 cows from 46 livestock farms in the Sumapaz region that were selected by random. Of the total population of cattle, 962 animals (88%) were tested for bovine TB using a caudal-fold tuberculin test and 546 (50%) for brucellosis...... findings suggest that livestock products could be a source of exposure to Brucella and multidrug-resistant E. coli and S. aureus strains as a result of unhygienic livestock practices in the Sumapaz region. Training in good farming practices is the key to improving safety in food production.......Hazardous practices regarding antibiotics misuse, unsanitary milking procedures, and the commercial sales of raw milk and unpasteurized dairy products are currently being practiced by livestock farmers in the Sumapaz region (Colombia). The purpose of this study was to screen for food...

  7. Ecological significance of hazardous concentrations in a planktonic food web

    OpenAIRE

    De Laender, F.; Soetaert, K.; De Schamphelaere, K.A.C.; Middelburg, J.J.; Janssen, C.R.

    2010-01-01

    Species sensitivity distributions (SSDs) are statistical distributions that are used to estimate the potentially affected fraction (PAF) of species at a given toxicant concentration, the hazardous concentration for that fraction of species (HCPAF). Here, we use an aquatic food web model that includes 14 phytoplankton and 6 zooplankton species to estimate the number of species experiencing a biomass reduction when the food web is exposed to the HCPAF and this for 1000 hypothetical toxicants an...

  8. Isolation and Characterization of Seed-Borne Pathogenic Bacteria

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    76 L.K. Ashura et aI. Table 4: Selected morphological and biochemical characteristics of bacteria isolates from rice seed as de- tected by the Liquid Assay on mXOS. Ace. No.1. Fluorescentl. Kovac's. OIF. NR. GL. SH. LS. HR. Pstho. Diolog Identification lsolale(s). Colour of·. Oxidase. TIP g on. (Similarity). I. Pigment. Rice.

  9. Control of the development and prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria of food animal origin in Japan: a new approach for risk management of antimicrobial veterinary medicinal products in Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asai, Tetsuo; Hiki, Mototaka; Ozawa, Manao; Koike, Ryoji; Eguchi, Kaoru; Kawanishi, Michiko; Kojima, Akemi; Endoh, Yuuko S; Hamamoto, Shuichi; Sakai, Masato; Sekiya, Tatsuro

    2014-03-01

    Antimicrobial agents are essential for controlling bacterial disease in food-producing animals and contribute to the stable production of safe animal products. The use of antimicrobial agents in these animals affects the emergence and prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria isolated from animals and animal products. As disease-causing bacteria are often transferred from food-producing animals to humans, the food chain is considered a route of transmission for the resistant bacteria and/or resistance genes. The Food Safety Commission of Japan (FSC) has been assessing the risk posed to human health by the transmission of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria from livestock products via the food chain. In addition to the FSC's risk assessments, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries has developed risk-management guidelines to determine feasible risk-management options for the use of antimicrobial veterinary medicinal products during farming practices. This report includes information on risk assessment and novel approaches for risk management of antimicrobial veterinary medicinal products for mitigating the risk of development and prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in bacteria originating from food-producing animals in Japan.

  10. The effects of antibiotic usage in food animals on the development of antimicrobial resistance of importance for humans in Campylobacter and Escherichia coli

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Aarestrup, Frank Møller; Wegener, Henrik Caspar

    1999-01-01

    Modern food animal production depends on use of large amounts of antibiotics for disease control. This provides favourable conditions for the spread and persistence of antimicrobial-resistant zoonotic bacteria such as Campylobacter and E. coli O157. The occurrence of antimicrobial resistance...... to antimicrobials used in human therapy is increasing in human pathogenic Campylobacter and E. coli from animals. There is an urgent need to implement strategies for prudent use of antibiotics in food animal production to prevent further increases in the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance in food-borne human...

  11. Radiation resistances and decontamination of common pathogenic bacteria contaminated in white scar oyster (Crassostrea belcheri) in Thailand

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thupila, Nunticha [Department of Fishery Products, Faculty of Fisheries, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan Rd. Ladyao, Chatuchak, Bangkok (Thailand); Ratana-arporn, Pattama, E-mail: ffispmr@ku.ac.t [Department of Fishery Products, Faculty of Fisheries, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan Rd. Ladyao, Chatuchak, Bangkok (Thailand); Wilaipun, Pongtep [Department of Fishery Products, Faculty of Fisheries, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan Rd. Ladyao, Chatuchak, Bangkok (Thailand)

    2011-07-15

    In Thailand, white scar oyster (Crassostrea belcheri) was ranked for premium quality, being most expensive and of high demand. This oyster is often eaten raw, hence it may pose health hazards to consumers when contaminated with food-borne pathogens. As limited alternative methods are available to sterilize the oyster while preserving the raw characteristic, irradiation may be considered as an effective method for decontamination. In this study, the radiation resistance of pathogenic bacteria commonly contaminating the oyster and the optimum irradiation doses for sterilization of the most radiation resistant bacteria were investigated. The radiation decimal reduction doses (D{sub 10}) of Salmonella Weltevreden DMST 33380, Vibrio parahaemolyticus ATCC 17802 and Vibrio vulnificus DMST 5852 were determined in broth culture and inoculated oyster homogenate. The D{sub 10} values of S. Weltevreden, V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus in broth culture were 0.154, 0.132 and 0.059 kGy, while those of inoculated oyster homogenate were 0.330, 0.159 and 0.140 kGy, respectively. It was found that among the pathogens tested, S. Weltevreden was proved to be the most resistant species. An irradiation dose of 1.5 kGy reduced the counts of 10{sup 5} CFU/g S. Weltevreden inoculated in oyster meat to an undetectable level. The present study indicated that a low-dose irradiation can improve the microbial quality of oyster and further reduce the risks from the food-borne pathogens without adversely affecting the sensory attributes.

  12. Radiation resistances and decontamination of common pathogenic bacteria contaminated in white scar oyster (Crassostrea belcheri) in Thailand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thupila, Nunticha; Ratana-arporn, Pattama; Wilaipun, Pongtep

    2011-01-01

    In Thailand, white scar oyster (Crassostrea belcheri) was ranked for premium quality, being most expensive and of high demand. This oyster is often eaten raw, hence it may pose health hazards to consumers when contaminated with food-borne pathogens. As limited alternative methods are available to sterilize the oyster while preserving the raw characteristic, irradiation may be considered as an effective method for decontamination. In this study, the radiation resistance of pathogenic bacteria commonly contaminating the oyster and the optimum irradiation doses for sterilization of the most radiation resistant bacteria were investigated. The radiation decimal reduction doses (D 10 ) of Salmonella Weltevreden DMST 33380, Vibrio parahaemolyticus ATCC 17802 and Vibrio vulnificus DMST 5852 were determined in broth culture and inoculated oyster homogenate. The D 10 values of S. Weltevreden, V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus in broth culture were 0.154, 0.132 and 0.059 kGy, while those of inoculated oyster homogenate were 0.330, 0.159 and 0.140 kGy, respectively. It was found that among the pathogens tested, S. Weltevreden was proved to be the most resistant species. An irradiation dose of 1.5 kGy reduced the counts of 10 5 CFU/g S. Weltevreden inoculated in oyster meat to an undetectable level. The present study indicated that a low-dose irradiation can improve the microbial quality of oyster and further reduce the risks from the food-borne pathogens without adversely affecting the sensory attributes.

  13. Radiation resistances and decontamination of common pathogenic bacteria contaminated in white scar oyster ( Crassostrea belcheri) in Thailand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thupila, Nunticha; Ratana-arporn, Pattama; Wilaipun, Pongtep

    2011-07-01

    In Thailand, white scar oyster ( Crassostrea belcheri) was ranked for premium quality, being most expensive and of high demand. This oyster is often eaten raw, hence it may pose health hazards to consumers when contaminated with food-borne pathogens. As limited alternative methods are available to sterilize the oyster while preserving the raw characteristic, irradiation may be considered as an effective method for decontamination. In this study, the radiation resistance of pathogenic bacteria commonly contaminating the oyster and the optimum irradiation doses for sterilization of the most radiation resistant bacteria were investigated. The radiation decimal reduction doses ( D10) of Salmonella Weltevreden DMST 33380, Vibrio parahaemolyticus ATCC 17802 and Vibrio vulnificus DMST 5852 were determined in broth culture and inoculated oyster homogenate. The D10 values of S. Weltevreden, V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus in broth culture were 0.154, 0.132 and 0.059 kGy, while those of inoculated oyster homogenate were 0.330, 0.159 and 0.140 kGy, respectively. It was found that among the pathogens tested, S. Weltevreden was proved to be the most resistant species. An irradiation dose of 1.5 kGy reduced the counts of 10 5 CFU/g S. Weltevreden inoculated in oyster meat to an undetectable level. The present study indicated that a low-dose irradiation can improve the microbial quality of oyster and further reduce the risks from the food-borne pathogens without adversely affecting the sensory attributes.

  14. Radiation microbiology relevant to the food industry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holzapfel, W.H.

    1985-01-01

    Destruction or inactivation of most microbial cells takes place at relatively low doses of gamma irradiation, making 'pasteurising' treatment of several food commodities in the dose range of 1 to 10 kGy a feasible decontamination method. Several factors may influence the effectiveness of an irradiation process, and should be taken into account when radurisation of foods is practised. Damage to microbes is enhanced in the presence of oxygen and at low pH levels, whereas substances such as sulfhydryl compounds tend to act as protectors. Living organisms may be arranged in the order of increasing resistance to ionising radiation, as follows: higher animals, insects, vegetative bacteria, yeasts and fungi, bacterial endospores and viruses. Most food spoilage organisms as well as food-borne pathogens (D 10 -values for the majority ranging between 0,08 and 0,5 kGy) are sensitive to relatively small irradiation doses. Although several bacterial endospores may survive in radurised foods (D 10 -values ranging between 1,5 and 5,0 kGy), additional safety factors (e.g. low pH, refrigeration, reduced Eh, reduced a w , preservatives) may contribute to the shelf stability of a given food

  15. Diversity and Antimicrobial Properties of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Rhizosphere of Olive Trees and Desert Truffles of Tunisia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Imene Fhoula

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available A total of 119 lactic acid bacteria (LAB were isolated, by culture-dependant method, from rhizosphere samples of olive trees and desert truffles and evaluated for different biotechnological properties. Using the variability of the intergenic spacer 16S-23S and 16S rRNA gene sequences, the isolates were identified as the genera Lactococcus, Pediococcus, Lactobacillus, Weissella, and Enterococcus. All the strains showed proteolytic activity with variable rates 42% were EPS producers, while only 10% showed the ability to grow in 9% NaCl. In addition, a low rate of antibiotic resistance was detected among rhizospheric enterococci. Furthermore, a strong antibacterial activity against plant and/or pathogenic bacteria of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, Pantoea agglomerans, Pseudomonas savastanoi, the food-borne Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes was recorded. Antifungal activity evaluation showed that Botrytis cinerea was the most inhibited fungus followed by Penicillium expansum, Verticillium dahliae, and Aspergillus niger. Most of the active strains belonged to the genera Enterococcus and Weissella. This study led to suggest that environmental-derived LAB strains could be selected for technological application to control pathogenic bacteria and to protect food safety from postharvest deleterious microbiota.

  16. Bacteriophages to combat foodborne infections caused by food contamination by bacteria of the Campylobacter genus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magdalena Myga-Nowak

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available It is estimated that each year more than 2 million people suffer from diarrheal diseases, resulting from the consumption of contaminated meat. Foodborne infections are most frequently caused by small Gram-negative rods Campylobacter. The hosts of these bacteria are mainly birds wherein they are part of the normal intestinal flora. During the commercial slaughter, there is a likelihood of contamination of carcasses by the bacteria found in the intestinal content. In Europe, up to 90% of poultry flocks can be a reservoir of the pathogen. According to the European Food Safety Authority report from 2015, the number of reported and confirmed cases of human campylobacteriosis exceeds 200 thousands per year, and such trend remains at constant level for several years. The occurrence of growing antibiotic resistance in bacteria forces the limitation of antibiotic use in the animal production. Therefore, the European Union allows only using stringent preventive and hygienic treatment on farms. Achieving Campylobacter free chickens using these methods is possible, but difficult to implement and expensive. Utilization of bacterial viruses – bacteriophages, can be a path to provide the hygienic conditions of poultry production and food processing. Formulations applied in the food protection should contain strictly lytic bacteriophages, be non-pyrogenic and retain long lasting biological activity. Currently, on the market there are available commercial bacteriophage preparations for agricultural use, but neither includes phages against Campylobacter. However, papers on the application of bacteriophages against Campylobacter in chickens and poultry products were published in the last few years. In accordance with the estimates, 2-logarithm reduction of Campylobacter in poultry carcases will contribute to the 30-fold reduction in the incidence of campylobacteriosis in humans. Research on bacteriophages against Campylobacter have cognitive and economic

  17. Food irradiation: Its role in food safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qureshi, R.U.

    1985-01-01

    This document provides a brief overview of the process of food irradiation and describes the potential for food irradiation in the Asia-Pacific region. The advantages in controlling food-borne diseases and in promoting trade are discussed. 4 tabs

  18. Antibacterial Activity of Clove ( Syzigium aromaticum L .) Essential Oil and Gamma Irradiation against Some Food-Borne Pathogens in Minced Chicken Meat

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gibriel, A.Y.; ALI, H.G.M.; Abdeldaiem, M.H.

    2017-01-01

    Antibacterial activity of clove essential oil ( Syzigium aromaticum L.) against five strains of pathogenic bacteria namely, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereus was investigated in vitro. The essential oil of clove exhibited antibacterial activity against tested microorganisms. Comparatively, 25, 50 and 100 ml/l concentrations of clove essential oil were of less inhibitory effect than 200, 300 and 500 ml/l concentrations. However, S. aureus showed less sensitivity towards clove essential oil inhibition; however Salmonella typhimurium was strongly inhibited by clove essential oil. Then, the effect of clove essential oil at two concentrations (3 and 5% v/w) and combined treatments between gamma irradiation at doses of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 kGy and clove essential oil at concentrations as formerly on inactivation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium , Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereus inoculated into chicken minced meat was investigated. Addition of clove essential oil to samples of chicken minced meat inoculated with three pathogens reduced the counts of these pathogens, proportionally with increasing concentration. The irradiated samples at doses of 3, 4, 5 and 6 kGy and that irradiated at doses 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 kGy of chicken minced and containing 3 and 5% completely inactivation of inoculated pathogens and not detected during cold storage at 4±1°C for 7 days. Accordingly, clove essential oil can be used as natural antimicrobial additive or in combination treatments with gamma irradiation for incorporation in various food products. Also, there is a possibility of using low doses gamma irradiation and low concentrations clove essential oil for treatment of meat products in order to this to reduce the economic cost of products and improving hygienic quality and extend its shelf-life. Therefore clove essential oil could be used as preservative ingredients in

  19. Ammonium removal using algae-bacteria consortia: the effect of ammonium concentration, algae biomass, and light.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jia, Huijun; Yuan, Qiuyan

    2018-04-01

    In this study, the effects of ammonium nitrogen concentration, algae biomass concentration, and light conditions (wavelength and intensity) on the ammonium removal efficiency of algae-bacteria consortia from wastewater were investigated. The results indicated that ammonium concentration and light intensity had a significant impact on nitrification. It was found that the highest ammonia concentration (430 mg N/L) in the influent resulted in the highest ammonia removal rate of 108 ± 3.6 mg N/L/days, which was two times higher than the influent with low ammonia concentration (40 mg N/L). At the lowest light intensity of 1000 Lux, algae biomass concentration, light wavelength, and light cycle did not show a significant effect on the performance of algal-bacterial consortium. Furthermore, the ammonia removal rate was approximately 83 ± 1.0 mg N/L/days, which was up to 40% faster than at the light intensity of 2500 Lux. It was concluded that the algae-bacteria consortia can effectively remove nitrogen from wastewater and the removal performance can be stabilized and enhanced using the low light intensity of 1000 Lux that is also a cost-effective strategy.

  20. Food spoilage - interactions between food spoilage bacteria

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gram, Lone; Flodgaard, Lars; Rasch, Maria

    2002-01-01

    Food spoilage is a complex process and excessive amounts of foods are lost due to microbial spoilage even with modem day preservation techniques. Despite the heterogeneity in raw materials and processing conditions, the microflora that develops during storage and in spoiling foods can be predicted...... based on knowledge of the origin of the food, the substrate base and a few central preservation parameters such as temperature, atmosphere, a(w) and pH. Based on such knowledge, more detailed sensory, chemical and microbiological analysis can be carried out on the individual products to determine...... the actual specific spoilage organism. Whilst the chemical and physical parameters are the main determining factors for selection of spoilage microorganisms, a level of refinement may be found in some products in which the interactive behavior of microorganisms may contribute to their growth and/or spoilage...

  1. On-chip concentration of bacteria using a 3D dielectrophoretic chip and subsequent laser-based DNA extraction in the same chip

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cho, Yoon-Kyoung; Kim, Tae-hyeong; Lee, Jeong-Gun

    2010-01-01

    We report the on-chip concentration of bacteria using a dielectrophoretic (DEP) chip with 3D electrodes and subsequent laser-based DNA extraction in the same chip. The DEP chip has a set of interdigitated Au post electrodes with 50 µm height to generate a network of non-uniform electric fields for the efficient trapping by DEP. The metal post array was fabricated by photolithography and subsequent Ni and Au electroplating. Three model bacteria samples (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus mutans) were tested and over 80-fold concentrations were achieved within 2 min. Subsequently, on-chip DNA extraction from the concentrated bacteria in the 3D DEP chip was performed by laser irradiation using the laser-irradiated magnetic bead system (LIMBS) in the same chip. The extracted DNA was analyzed with silicon chip-based real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The total process of on-chip bacteria concentration and the subsequent DNA extraction can be completed within 10 min including the manual operation time.

  2. The fecal bacteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadowsky, Michael J.; Whitman, Richard L.

    2011-01-01

    The Fecal Bacteria offers a balanced, integrated discussion of fecal bacteria and their presence and ecology in the intestinal tract of mammals, in the environment, and in the food supply. This volume covers their use in examining and assessing water quality in order to offer protection from illnesses related to swimming in or ingesting contaminated water, in addition to discussing their use in engineering considerations of water quality, modeling, monitoring, and regulations. Fecal bacteria are additionally used as indicators of contamination of ready-to-eat foods and fresh produce. The intestinal environment, the microbial community structure of the gut microbiota, and the physiology and genomics of this broad group of microorganisms are explored in the book. With contributions from an internationally recognized group of experts, the book integrates medicine, public health, environmental, and microbiological topics in order to provide a unique, holistic understanding of fecal bacteria. Moreover, it shows how the latest basic science and applied research findings are helping to solve problems and develop effective management strategies. For example, readers will discover how the latest tools and molecular approaches have led to our current understanding of fecal bacteria and enabled us to improve human health and water quality. The Fecal Bacteria is recommended for microbiologists, clinicians, animal scientists, engineers, environmental scientists, food safety experts, water quality managers, and students. It will help them better understand fecal bacteria and use their knowledge to protect human and environmental health. They can also apply many of the techniques and molecular tools discussed in this book to the study of a broad range of microorganisms in a variety of habitats.

  3. Genetic manipulation of endosymbionts to control vector and vector borne diseases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jay Prakash Gupta

    Full Text Available Vector borne diseases (VBD are on the rise because of failure of the existing methods of control of vector and vector borne diseases and the climate change. A steep rise of VBDs are due to several factors like selection of insecticide resistant vector population, drug resistant parasite population and lack of effective vaccines against the VBDs. Environmental pollution, public health hazard and insecticide resistant vector population indicate that the insecticides are no longer a sustainable control method of vector and vector-borne diseases. Amongst the various alternative control strategies, symbiont based approach utilizing endosymbionts of arthropod vectors could be explored to control the vector and vector borne diseases. The endosymbiont population of arthropod vectors could be exploited in different ways viz., as a chemotherapeutic target, vaccine target for the control of vectors. Expression of molecules with antiparasitic activity by genetically transformed symbiotic bacteria of disease-transmitting arthropods may serve as a powerful approach to control certain arthropod-borne diseases. Genetic transformation of symbiotic bacteria of the arthropod vector to alter the vector’s ability to transmit pathogen is an alternative means of blocking the transmission of VBDs. In Indian scenario, where dengue, chikungunya, malaria and filariosis are prevalent, paratransgenic based approach can be used effectively. [Vet World 2012; 5(9.000: 571-576

  4. Description of Clean and Healthy Behavior of Food Borne Disease Among by School Children Age in Babat Jerawat I Elementary School, District Pakal Surabaya

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hidayat Heny Sholikhah

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Background: Incidence of food borne disease, such as diarrhea, typhoid and hookworm infection in school childrenwere still sufficient susceptible. Lack of clean and healthy behavior became primary cause, so that the agent can easilyenter to the body through the food consumed. The purpose of this study was to descript the clean and healthy behaviors by school children age at Babat Jerawat I Elementary School, District Pakal Surabaya. Methods: This study was a crosssectional study. The sample of this study were 112 of fifth grade students at Babat Jerawat I Elementary school, District Pakal Surabaya, selected by purposive sampling of 121 students who met the inclusion criteria. Data of clean and healthy behavior were collected by observation and interviews focused on a group of school children using questionnaires, checklists and interview guides. Data analysis was done by using descriptive analysis. Results: The results showed that the clean and healthy behaviors about food borne disease, the majority of school children in Elementary school Babat Jerawat I District Pakal Surabaya included in good criteria (51.8% and small portion of these included less category (48.2%. Conclusion:Clean and Healthy Behavior of food borne disease in school children age had good criteria, but still need attention formany factors that influence it, such as the availability of facilities, affordability snacks outside of school and examples ofunhealthy behaviors in family environment. Recommendation: Improve the cooperation between the school and localhealth officials to tighten rules on the management of snack vending around schools, and do continuous education both within the school and the child’s school community.

  5. Epidemiological investigation of a food-borne gastroenteritis outbreak caused by Norwalk-like virus in 30 day-care centres.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Götz, Hannelore; de Jong, Birgitta; Lindbäck, Johan; Parment, Per Arne; Hedlund, Kjell Olof; Torvén, Maria; Ekdahl, Karl

    2002-01-01

    In March 1999, an outbreak of gastroenteritis occurred affecting 30 day-care centres served by the same caterer. A retrospective cohort study was performed in 13 randomly selected day-care centres to determine the source and mode of transmission. Electron microscopy and PCR were used to verify the diagnosis. The overall attack rate (AR) was 37% (195/524): 30% in children and 62% in adults. Modified by the age of the patient, eating pumpkin salad served on 1 March was associated with becoming an early case (odds ratio = 3.9; 95% confidence interval 1.8-8.8). No significant association was found between food consumption and becoming a late case. The primary food-borne AR was 27% and the secondary AR was 14%. The same genotype of Norwalk-like virus was found in 5 cases and in 1 ill and 1 asymptomatic food-handler. Contamination by 1 of the food-handlers seems the most likely route of spread of the virus and underlines the importance of strict hygienic routines.

  6. Synergistic effects of sodium hypochlorite and ultraviolet radiation in reducing the levels of selected foodborne pathogenic bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ha, Ji-Hyoung; Ha, Sang-Do

    2011-05-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine whether combined treatment would produce synergistic effects to facilitate the sterilization of food products during production relative to single treatment. To assess this hypothesis, we investigated the bactericidal effects of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and a commercial chemical disinfectant, sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), on Bacillus cereus F4810/72, Cronobacter sakazakii KCTC 2949, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 35556, Escherichia coli ATCC 10536, and Salmonella Typhimurium novobiocin/nalidixic acid in vitro. Various concentrations of NaClO (20, 60, 100, and 200 ppm NaClO) were tested along with exposure to UV radiation at various doses (6, 96, 216, 360, and 504 mW s/cm(2)). The combined NaClO/UV treatments resulted in greater reductions in bacterial counts than either treatment alone. The synergy values against B. cereus, C. sakazakii, S. aureus, Salmonella Typhimurium, and E. coli were 0.25-1.17, 0.33-1.97, 0.42-1.72, 0.02-1.44, and 0.01-0.85 log(10) CFU/mL, respectively. The results of this study suggest that a significant synergistic benefit results from combined NaClO/UV processing against food-borne pathogenic bacteria in vitro.

  7. Desiccation: An environmental and food industry stress that bacteria commonly face.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Esbelin, Julia; Santos, Tiago; Hébraud, Michel

    2018-02-01

    Water is essential for all living organisms, for animals as well as for plants and micro-organisms. For these latter, the presence of water or a humid environment with a high air relative humidity (RH) is necessary for their survival and growth. Thus, variations in the availability of water or in the air relative humidity constitute widespread environmental stresses which challenge microorganisms, and especially bacteria. Indeed, in their direct environment, bacteria are often faced with conditions that remove cell-bound water through air-drying of the atmosphere. Bacterial cells are subject to daily or seasonal environmental variations, sometimes going through periods of severe desiccation. This is also the case in the food industry, where air dehumidification treatments are applied after the daily cleaning-disinfection procedures. In plants producing low-water activity products, it is also usual to significantly reduce or eliminate water usage. Periodic desiccation exposure affects bacteria viability and so they require strategies to persist. Negative effects of desiccation are wide ranging and include direct cellular damage but also changes in the biochemical and biophysical properties of cells for which planktonic cells are more exposed than cells in biofilm. Understanding the mechanisms of desiccation adaptation and tolerance has a biological and biotechnological interest. This review gives an overview of the factors influencing desiccation tolerance and the biological mechanisms involved in this stress response. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Effect of peppermint essential oil on growth and survival of some foodborne pathogenic bacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M Boniadian

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available This study was conducted to determine the effects of peppermint essential oils on Bacillus cereus, Salmonella typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes and Yersinia enterocolitica. In the first step, Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC and Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC of peppermint essential were determined by the tube dilution method in tryptic soy broth (TSB. Then, the growth behavior of each of the aforementioned bacteria was assessed in presence of peppermint essential oil in concentration of less than MIC. The result of first step showed that Y. enterocolitica is more sensitive to peppermint essential oil than other tested bacteria (MIC = 0.1% & MBC = 0.22%, followed by L. monocytogenes (MIC = 0.12% & MBC = 0.15%, S. typhimurium (MIC = 0.22% & MBC = 0.25% and B. cereus (MIC = 0.3% & MBC = 5%, respectively. The results revealed that, the peppermint essential oils in low concentration inhibited the growth rate of bacteria thus may use as a natural preservative and flavoring in foods.

  9. Social and Economic Aspects of the Transmission of Pathogenic Bacteria between Wildlife and Food Animals: A Thematic Analysis of Published Research Knowledge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fournier, A; Young, I; Rajić, A; Greig, J; LeJeune, J

    2015-09-01

    Wildlife is a known reservoir of pathogenic bacteria, including Mycobacterium bovis and Brucella spp. Transmission of these pathogens between wildlife and food animals can lead to damaging impacts on the agri-food industry and public health. Several international case studies have highlighted the complex and cross-sectoral challenges involved in preventing and managing these potential transmission risks. The objective of our study was to develop a better understanding of the socio-economic aspects of the transmission of pathogenic bacteria between wildlife and food animals to support more effective and sustainable risk mitigation strategies. We conducted qualitative thematic analysis on a purposive sample of 30/141 articles identified in a complementary scoping review of the literature in this area and identified two key themes. The first related to the framing of this issue as a 'wicked problem' that depends on a complex interaction of social factors and risk perceptions, governance and public policy, and economic implications. The second theme consisted of promising approaches and strategies to prevent and mitigate the potential risks from transmission of pathogenic bacteria between wildlife and food animals. These included participatory, collaborative and multidisciplinary decision-making approaches and the proactive incorporation of credible scientific evidence and local contextual factors into solutions. The integration of these approaches to address 'wicked problems' in this field may assist stakeholders and decision-makers in improving the acceptability and sustainability of future strategies to reduce the transmission of pathogenic bacteria between wildlife and food animals. © 2015 Zoonoses and Public Health © 2015 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of the Public Health Agency of Canada.

  10. use of gamma irradiation for enhancing antibacterial activity of chitosan against pathogenic bacteria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taha, S.M.A.; Swailam, H.M.H.

    2009-01-01

    the effect of chitosan on growth of food poisoning bacteria including gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella typhimurium) and gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus) was investigated at ph 6.0 and 7.0 also, the effect of irradiation on the antibacterial activity of chitosan was studied . it was found that chitosan was more effective on the growth of gram-negative bacteria at ph 6 than ph 7 . addition of chitosan affected the growth of the tested pathogens in varying degrees compared to the control. as the concentration of chitosan increased, its effectiveness against these pathogens also increased. the growth for gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial isolates was completely inhibited at 0.6% chitosan after 72 hours of incubation. inactivation of these pathogens needs only 24 hour with 1.0% of chitosan. irradiation of chitosan at 50 kGy slightly increased the antimicrobial activity whereas at 100 kGy increased the antimicrobial activity and at 150 kGy the growth of these pathogens was completely inhibited . irradiation of chitosan at 50 kGy increased the flow index, whereas consistency index markedly decreased by increasing dose. the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of unirradiated chitosan ranged from 0.35% to 0.50%, whereas the MIC of irradiated chitosan ranged from 0.1% to 0.45% depending on the bacteria and the irradiation dose used. these results demonstrate that irradiated chitosan was more effective to decontaminate pathogenic bacteria and can be easily used in different foods for enhancing health quality and ensuring safety

  11. Antimicrobial Effect of Filipendula ulmaria Plant Extract Against Selected Foodborne Pathogenic and Spoilage Bacteria in Laboratory Media, Fish Flesh and Fish Roe Product

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Charalampos Proestos

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Water-methanol extract from Filipendula ulmaria contains a variety of phenolic compounds, such as caffeic, p-coumaric and vanillic acid, myricetin, etc, which demonstrate antibacterial activity. Monitoring this activity in the broth using absorbance measurements showed that species of the Enterobacteriaceae family were more resistant than other Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria tested. Acidic environment enhanced the antibacterial activity of Filipendula ulmaria extract when it was tested against Salmonella Enteritidis PT4 and Listeria monocytogenes Scott A. The efficacy of Filipendula ulmaria extract against selected foodborne psychrotrophic bacteria was also tested using solid laboratory media and low incubation temperatures for better simulation of food preservation conditions. Higher concentrations of the extract, compared to minimum inhibitory concentration determined in the broth, were needed for satisfactory inhibition of spoilage bacteria. Potential use of Filipendula ulmaria extract as natural food preservative was also examined against natural spoilage flora and inoculated pathogenic bacteria on fish flesh and fish roe product (tarama salad. No significant differences of viable populations of spoilage or pathogenic bacteria were found between the treated samples and controls. Further trials of Filipendula ulmaria extract should be carried out in acidic foods with low fat and protein content, supplemented with additional adjuncts, in order to explore its potential as effective natural food antimicrobial agent.

  12. Exploring Post-Treatment Reversion of Antimicrobial Resistance in Enteric Bacteria of Food Animals as a Resistance Mitigation Strategy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Volkova, Victoriya V; KuKanich, Butch; Riviere, Jim E

    2016-11-01

    Antimicrobial drug use in food animals is associated with an elevation in relative abundance of bacteria resistant to the drug among the animal enteric bacteria. Some of these bacteria are potential foodborne pathogens. Evidence suggests that at least in the enteric nontype-specific Escherichia coli, after treatment the resistance abundance reverts to the background pre-treatment levels, without further interventions. We hypothesize that it is possible to define the distribution of the time period after treatment within which resistance to the administered drug, and possibly other drugs in case of coselection, in fecal bacteria of the treated animals returns to the background pre-treatment levels. Furthermore, it is possible that a novel resistance mitigation strategy for microbiological food safety could be developed based on this resistance reversion phenomenon. The strategy would be conceptually similar to existing antimicrobial drug withdrawal periods, which is a well-established and accepted mitigation strategy for avoiding violative drug residues in the edible products from the treated animals. For developing resistance-relevant withdrawals, a mathematical framework can be used to join the necessary pharmacological, microbiological, and animal production components to project the distributions of the post-treatment resistance reversion periods in the production animal populations for major antimicrobial drug classes in use. The framework can also help guide design of empirical studies into the resistance-relevant withdrawal periods and development of mitigation approaches to reduce the treatment-associated elevation of resistance in animal enteric bacteria. We outline this framework, schematically and through exemplar equations, and how its components could be formulated.

  13. Differential freshwater flagellate community response to bacterial food quality with a focus on Limnohabitans bacteria

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Šimek, Karel; Kasalický, Vojtěch; Jezbera, Jan; Horňák, Karel; Nedoma, Jiří; Hahn, M.W.; Bass, D.; Jost, S.; Boenigk, J.

    2013-01-01

    Roč. 7, č. 8 (2013), s. 1519-1530 ISSN 1751-7362 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA13-00243S; GA MŠk(CZ) EE2.3.30.0032 Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : flagellate community composition * food quality of bacteria * Limnohabitans * 454 pyrosequencing * freshwater * flagellate growth Subject RIV: DA - Hydrology ; Limnology Impact factor: 9.267, year: 2013

  14. Concentration of radioactive cobalt by seaweeds in the food chain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakahara, Motokazu; Koyanagi, Taku; Saiki, Masamichi

    1976-01-01

    On the pathway of radioactive substances in marine environments, seaweeds play an important role because of their higher concentration factors for many radionuclides and because they constitute a link of food chain in the sea. In the present work, uptake, distribution and excretion of radioactive cobalt were studied on several kinds of seaweeds by radioisotope tracer experiments under laboratory conditions and concentration factors were calculated. The concentration factors were also estimated from the results of stable cobalt determination by activation analysis or atomic absorption spectrometry on seaweeds and seawater, and compared with the results of tracer expts. The seaweeds showed the species specificity for the concentration of stable and radioactive cobalt with diverse values of concentration factors and biological half-lives. The transfer of radioactive cobalt in the food chain from contaminated seaweeds to mollusca was examined by feeding abalones, Haliotis discus, with four kinds of seaweed labelled with 60 Co and observing retention. Absorption rate for radioactive cobalt by abalones calculated at two days after feeding showed diverse values depending upon the species of seaweed, as follows: 47% through Laminaria japonica and Ulva pertusa, 31% through Undaria pinnatifida and 26 through Eisenia bicyclis, respectively. From the results, it was assumed that the accumulation of radioactive cobalt by mollusca is affected by the species of seaweeds as food. A very high concentration of ingested radioactive cobalt in the midgut gland was seen on the autoradiograph of abalone samples. (auth.)

  15. Concentration of radioactive cobalt by seaweeds in the food chain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakahara, M.; Koyanagi, T.; Saiki, M.

    1975-01-01

    On the pathway of radioactive substances in marine environments, seaweeds play an important role because of their higher concentration factors for many radionuclides and because they constitute a link in the food chain. In the present work, uptake, distribution and excretion of radioactive cobalt were studied on several kinds of seaweeds by radioisotope tracer experiments under laboratory conditions and concentration factors were calculated. The concentration factors were also estimated from the results of stable cobalt determination by activation analysis or atomic absorption spectrometry on seaweeds and seawater, and compared with the results of tracer experiments. The seaweeds showed the species specificity for the concentration of stable and radioactive cobalt with diverse values of concentration factors and biological half-lives. The transfer of radioactive cobalt in the food chain from contaminated seaweeds to mollusca was examined by feeding abalones, Haliotis discus, with four kinds of seaweed labelled with 60 Co and observing retention. Absorption rate for radioactive cobalt by abalones calculated at two days after feeding showed diverse values depending upon the species of seaweed, as follows: 47% through Laminaria japonica and Ulva pertusa, 31% through Undaria pinnatifida and 26% through Eisenia bicyclis, respectively. From the results, it was assumed that the accumulation of radioactive cobalt by mollusca is affected by the species of seaweeds as food. A very high concentration of ingested radioactive cobalt in the midgut gland was seen on the autoradiograph of abalone samples. (author)

  16. Food safety in Vietnam: where we are at and what we can learn from international experiences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen-Viet, Hung; Tuyet-Hanh, Tran Thi; Unger, Fred; Dang-Xuan, Sinh; Grace, Delia

    2017-02-16

    Food-borne diseases are attracting a lot of attention in Vietnam as a result of repeated episodes of adulterated and unsafe food. In this paper, we provide some perspectives on food safety in Vietnam from the point of view of an international research institution working on food safety with partners in the country. We argue that one of the key issues of food safety in Vietnam is that certain food value chain stakeholders lack ethics, which leads to the production and trading of unsafe foods in order to make profits irrespective of adverse health effects on consumers. In turn, the shortfall in ethical behaviours around food can be attributed to a lack of incentives or motivating factors.Although food safety causes panic in the population, it is unclear how much contaminated food contributes to the burden of food-borne diseases and food poisonings in Vietnam. However, globally, the biggest health problem associated with food are infections from consuming food contaminated with viruses, bacteria or parasites. A major food safety challenge is the inappropriate way of communicating food risks to the public. Another key constraint is the inherent difficulty in managing food in wet markets and from smallholder production. On the other hand, local foods, and local food production and processing are an important cultural asset as well as being essential to food safety, and these aspects can be put at risk if food safety concerns motivate consumers to purchase more imported foods.In this paper, we also discuss good experiences in food safety management from other countries and draw lessons learnt for Vietnam on how to better deal with the current food safety situation.

  17. An Outbreak of Food-Borne Typhoid Fever Due to Salmonella enterica Serotype Typhi in Japan Reported for the First Time in 16 Years

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kobayashi, Tetsuro; Kutsuna, Satoshi; Hayakawa, Kayoko; Kato, Yasuyuki; Ohmagari, Norio; Uryu, Hideko; Yamada, Ritsuko; Kashiwa, Naoyuki; Nei, Takahito; Ehara, Akihito; Takei, Reiko; Mori, Nobuaki; Yamada, Yasuhiro; Hayasaka, Tomomi; Kagawa, Narito; Sugawara, Momoko; Suzaki, Ai; Takahashi, Yuno; Nishiyama, Hiroyuki; Morita, Masatomo; Izumiya, Hidemasa; Ohnishi, Makoto

    2016-01-01

    For the first time in 16 years, a food-borne outbreak of typhoid fever due to Salmonella enterica serotype Typhi was reported in Japan. Seven patients consumed food in an Indian buffet at a restaurant in the center of Tokyo, while one was a Nepali chef in the restaurant, an asymptomatic carrier and the implicated source of this outbreak. The multiple-locus variable-number tandem repeat analysis showed 100% consistency in the genomic sequence for five of the eight cases. PMID:26621565

  18. Concentration-dependent behaviors of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells and infectious bacteria toward magnesium oxide nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wetteland, Cheyann Lee; Nguyen, Nhu-Y Thi; Liu, Huinan

    2016-04-15

    This article reports the quantitative relationship between the concentration of magnesium oxide (MgO) nanoparticles and its distinct biological activities towards mammalian cells and infectious bacteria for the first time. The effects of MgO nanoparticles on the viability of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and infectious bacteria (both gram-negative Escherichia coli and gram-positive Staphylococcus epidermidis) showed a concentration-dependent behavior in vitro. The critical concentrations of MgO nanoparticles identified in this study provided valuable guidelines for biomaterial design toward potential clinical translation. BMSCs density increased significantly when cultured in 200μg/mL of MgO in comparison to the Cells Only control without MgO. The density of BMSCs decreased significantly after culture in the media with 500μg/mL or more of MgO. Concentrations at or above 1000μg/mL of MgO resulted in complete BMSCs death. Quantification of colony forming units (CFU) revealed that the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of MgO for E. coli and S. epidermidis was 1200μg/mL. The addition of MgO nanoparticles into the cultures increased the pH and Mg(2+) ion concentration in the respective culture media, which might have played a role in the observed cell responses but not the main factors. E. coli and S. epidermidis still proliferated significantly at alkaline pH up to 10 or with supplemental Mg(2+) dosages up to 50mM, indicating bactericidal properties of MgO are beyond the effects of increased media pH and Mg(2+) ion concentrations. MgO nanoparticles at a concentration of 200μg/mL provided dual benefits of promoting BMSC proliferation while reducing bacterial adhesion, which should be further studied for potential medical implant applications. The use of free MgO nanoparticles yielded detrimental effects to BMSCs in concentrations above 300μg/mL. We recommend further study into MgO nanoparticle as a coating material or as a part of a

  19. Barley β-Glucans-Containing Food Enhances Probiotic Performances of Beneficial Bacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mattia P. Arena

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Currently, the majority of prebiotics in the market are derived from non-digestible oligosaccharides. Very few studies have focused on non-digestible long chain complex polysaccharides in relation to their potential as novel prebiotics. Cereals β-glucans have been investigated for immune-modulating properties and beneficial effects on obesity, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cholesterol levels. Moreover, β-glucans have been reported to be highly fermentable by the intestinal microbiota in the caecum and colon, and can enhance both growth rate and lactic acid production of microbes isolated from the human intestine. In this work, we report the effects of food matrices containing barley β-glucans on growth and probiotic features of four Lactobacillus strains. Such matrices were able to improve the growth rate of the tested bacteria both in unstressed conditions and, importantly, after exposure to in vitro simulation of the digestive tract. Moreover, the effect of β-glucans-containing food on bacterial adhesion to enterocyte-like cells was analyzed and a positive influence on probiotic-enterocyte interaction was observed.

  20. Is Lactate an undervalued functional component of lactic acid bacteria-fermented food products?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Graciela eGarrote

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Although it has been traditionally regarded as an intermediate of carbon metabolism and major component of fermented dairy products contributing to organoleptic and antimicrobial properties of food, there is evidence gathered in recent years that lactate has bioactive properties that may be responsible of broader properties of functional foods. Lactate can regulate critical functions of several key players of the immune system such as macrophages and dendritic cells, being able to modulate inflammatory activation of epithelial cells as well. Intraluminal levels of lactate derived from fermentative metabolism of lactobacilli have been shown to modulate inflammatory environment in intestinal mucosa. The molecular mechanisms responsible to these functions, including histone deacetylase dependent-modulation of gene expression and signalling through G-protein coupled receptors have started to be described. Since lactate is a major fermentation product of several bacterial families with probiotic properties, we here propose that it may contribute to some of the properties attributed to these microorganisms and in a larger view, to the properties of food products fermented by lactic acid bacteria.

  1. Menaquinones, bacteria, and the food supply: the relevance of dairy and fermented food products to vitamin K requirements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walther, Barbara; Karl, J Philip; Booth, Sarah L; Boyaval, Patrick

    2013-07-01

    Vitamin K exists in the food supply as phylloquinone, a plant-based form and as menaquinones (MKs), a collection of isoprenologues mostly originating from bacterial synthesis. Although multiple bacterial species used as starter cultures for food fermentations synthesize MK, relatively little is known about the presence and distribution of MK in the food supply and the relative contribution of MK to total dietary vitamin K intake. Dairy products may be a predominant source of dietary MK in many regions of the world, and there is recent interest in enhancing the MK content of dairy products through identification and selection of MK-producing bacteria in dairy fermentations. This interest is increased by emerging evidence that current dietary recommendations based on the classic role of vitamin K as an enzyme cofactor for coagulation proteins may not be optimal for supporting vitamin K requirements in extrahepatic tissues and that MK may have unique bioactivity beyond that as an enzyme cofactor. Observational studies have reported favorable associations between MK intake and bone and cardiovascular health. Although randomized trials have provided some evidence to support the beneficial effects of MK on bone, the evidence to date is not definitive, and randomized trials have not yet examined MK intake in relation to cardiovascular outcomes. Food production practices provide a means to enhance dietary MK availability and intake. However, parallel research is needed to optimize these production practices, develop comprehensive food MK content databases, and test hypotheses of unique beneficial physiological roles of MK beyond that achieved by phylloquinone.

  2. Effect of High Intensity Ultrasound Treatment on the Growth of Food Spoilage Bacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ksenija Markov

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study is to determine the effect of high intensity ultrasound (amplitude, temperature and treatment time on the inactivation of food spoilage bacteria Escherichia coli 3014, Staphylococcus aureus 3048, Salmonella sp. 3064, Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 23074 and Bacillus cereus 30. The model suspensions of bacteria were treated with 12.7-mm ultrasonic probe operated at 600 W nominal power (ultrasonic treatment implemented at 20 kHz and at amplitudes of 60, 90 and 120 µm. Also, treatment time of 3, 6 and 9 min and temperature of 20, 40 and 60 °C were used. The results were statistically processed with STATGRAPHICS Centurion computer program and response surface methodology. All three parameters studied seem to substantially affect the inactivation of bacteria in pure culture. The results also indicate increased inactivation of microorganisms under longer period of treatments, particularly in combination with higher temperature and/or amplitude. After ultrasonic treatment at 60 °C, 9 min and 120 μm, the viability of cells was not confirmed for Escherichia coli 3014, Staphylococcus aureus 3048, Salmonella sp. 3064 and Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 23074. Under the mentioned conditions the highest inactivation (3.48 log CFU/mL of Bacillus cereus 30 was obtained.

  3. Soil food web structure after wood ash application

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mortensen, Louise Hindborg; Qin, Jiayi; Cruz-Paredes, Carla

    the consequences of returning wood ash to biofuel producing coniferous forest. We that the change in pH and increased availability of nutrients after ash application to forest floor can facilitate an increase in the bacteria to fungi ratio with possible effects for the soil food by applying ash of different...... concentrations to experimental plots in a coniferous forest the soil will be collected with varying intervals and subsequently analyzed. The food web included several trophic levels; bacteria/fungi, protozoa, nematodes, enchytraeids and microarthropods and arthropods. Results from 2014 indicated that bacteria...... and protozoa were stimulated in the uppermost soil layer (0-3 cm) two months ash application, whereas the enchytraeids seemed to be slightly negatively affected. Generally, nematodes also appeared to be negatively affected, although it differed between feeding groups. On the higher trophic levels, no effect...

  4. Effects of substrate concentrations on the growth of heterotrophic bacteria and algae in secondary facultative ponds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kayombo, S; Mbwette, T S A; Katima, J H Y; Jorgensen, S E

    2003-07-01

    This paper presents the effect of substrate concentration on the growth of a mixed culture of algae and heterotrophic bacteria in secondary facultative ponds (SFPs) utilizing settled domestic sewage as a sole source of organic carbon. The growth of the mixed culture was studied at the concentrations ranging between 200 and 800 mg COD/l in a series of batch chemostat reactors. From the laboratory data, the specific growth rate (micro) was determined using the modified Gompertz model. The maximum specific growth rate ( micro(max)) and half saturation coefficients (K(s)) were calculated using the Monod kinetic equation. The maximum observed growth rate ( micro(max)) for heterotrophic bacteria was 3.8 day(-1) with K(s) of 200 mg COD/l. The micro(max) for algal biomass based on suspended volatile solids was 2.7 day(-1) with K(s) of 110 mg COD/l. The micro(max) of algae based on the chlorophyll-a was 3.5 day(-1) at K(s) of 50mg COD/l. The observed specific substrate removal by heterotrophic bacteria varied between the concentrations of substrate used and the average value was 0.82 (mg COD/mg biomass). The specific substrate utilization rate in the bioreactors was direct proportional to the specific growth rate. Hence, the determined Monod kinetic parameters are useful for the definition of the operation of SFPs.

  5. Visual food cues decrease postprandial glucose concentrations in lean and obese men without affecting food intake and related endocrine parameters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brede, Swantje; Sputh, Annika; Hartmann, Ann-Christin; Hallschmid, Manfred; Lehnert, Hendrik; Klement, Johanna

    2017-10-01

    The abundance of highly palatable food items in our environment represents a possible cause of overconsumption. Neuroimaging studies in humans have demonstrated that watching pictures of food increases activation in brain areas involved in homeostatic and hedonic food cue processing. Nevertheless, the impact of food cues on actual food intake and metabolic parameters has not been systematically investigated. We tested the hypothesis that watching high-calorie food cues increases food intake and modifies anticipatory blood parameters in lean and especially in obese men. In 20 normal-weight and 20 obese healthy fasted men, we assessed the effects of watching pictures of high-calorie food items versus neutral contents on food intake measured during a standardized test buffet and subsequent snacking as well as on glucose homeostasis and endocrine parameters. Compared to neutral pictures, viewing food pictures reduced postprandial blood glucose concentrations in lean (p = 0.016) and obese (p = 0.044) subjects, without any differences in insulin or C-peptide concentrations (all p > 0.4). Viewing food pictures did not affect total calorie intake during the buffet (all p > 0.5) and snack consumption (all p > 0.4). Concentrations of ghrelin, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, and glucagon also remained unaffected (all p > 0.08). These data indicate that preprandial processing of food cues curbs postprandial blood glucose excursions, without immediately affecting eating behavior in normal-weight and obese men. Findings indicate that exposure to food cues does not acutely trigger calorie overconsumption but rather improves the glucoregulatory response to food intake. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Design of a surface-scanning coil detector for direct bacteria detection on food surfaces using a magnetoelastic biosensor

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chai, Yating; Wikle, Howard C.; Wang, Zhenyu; Horikawa, Shin; Best, Steve; Cheng, Zhongyang; Dyer, Dave F.; Chin, Bryan A.

    2013-09-01

    The real-time, in-situ bacteria detection on food surfaces was achieved by using a magnetoelastic biosensor combined with a surface-scanning coil detector. This paper focuses on the coil design for signal optimization. The coil was used to excite the sensor's vibration and detect its resonant frequency signal. The vibrating sensor creates a magnetic flux change around the coil, which then produces a mutual inductance. In order to enhance the signal amplitude, a theory of the sensor's mutual inductance with the measurement coil is proposed. Both theoretical calculations and experimental data showed that the working length of the coil has a significant effect on the signal amplitude. For a 1 mm-long sensor, a coil with a working length of 1.3 mm showed the best signal amplitude. The real-time detection of Salmonella bacteria on a fresh food surface was demonstrated using this new technology.

  7. A single method for recovery and concentration of enteric viruses and bacteria from fresh-cut vegetables.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez, G; Elizaquível, P; Aznar, R

    2012-01-03

    Fresh-cut vegetables are prone to be contaminated with foodborne pathogens during growth, harvest, transport and further processing and handling. As most of these products are generally eaten raw or mildly treated, there is an increase in the number of outbreaks caused by viruses and bacteria associated with fresh vegetables. Foodborne pathogens are usually present at very low levels and have to be concentrated (i.e. viruses) or enriched (i.e. bacteria) to enhance their detection. With this aim, a rapid concentration method has been developed for the simultaneous recovery of hepatitis A virus (HAV), norovirus (NV), murine norovirus (MNV) as a surrogate for NV, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica. Initial experiments focused on evaluating the elution conditions suitable for virus release from vegetables. Finally, elution with buffered peptone water (BPW), using a Pulsifier, and concentration by polyethylene glycol (PEG) precipitation were the methods selected for the elution and concentration of both, enteric viruses and bacteria, from three different types of fresh-cut vegetables by quantitative PCR (qPCR) using specific primers. The average recoveries from inoculated parsley, spinach and salad, were ca. 9.2%, 43.5%, and 20.7% for NV, MNV, and HAV, respectively. Detection limits were 132 RT-PCR units (PCRU), 1.5 50% tissue culture infectious dose (TCID₅₀), and 6.6 TCID₅₀ for NV, MNV, and HAV, respectively. This protocol resulted in average recoveries of 57.4%, 64.5% and 64.6% in three vegetables for E. coli O157:H7, L. monocytogenes and Salmonella with corresponding detection limits of 10³, 10² and 10³ CFU/g, respectively. Based on these results, it can be concluded that the procedure herein is suitable to recover, detect and quantify enteric viruses and foodborne pathogenic bacteria within 5 h and can be applied for the simultaneous detection of both types of foodborne pathogens in fresh-cut vegetables. Copyright

  8. Concentration and Viability of Airborne Bacteria Over the Kuroshio Extension Region in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean: Data From Three Cruises

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Wei; Murata, Kotaro; Fukuyama, Shinichiro; Kawai, Yoshimi; Oka, Eitarou; Uematsu, Mitsuo; Zhang, Daizhou

    2017-12-01

    Airborne bacteria have been shown to act as condensation and ice nuclei in mixed-phase clouds and are consequently hypothesized to have significant effects on atmospheric processes and even the global climate. However, few data are available regarding their concentration and variation in the air over the open ocean. Aerosol samples were collected during three cruises in the early summers of 2013, 2014, and 2016 over the Kuroshio Extension region of the northwest Pacific Ocean. The concentrations of viable and nonviable bacterial cells in the marine surface air were quantified using epifluorescence enumeration with the LIVE/DEAD BacLight stain. The concentrations of total bacteria varied between 1.0 × 104 and 2.5 × 105 cells m-3 and averaged 5.2 × 104, 1.0 × 105, and 7.5 × 104 cells m-3 in the three respective cruises. The viabilities, i.e., the ratios of the concentration of viable bacterial cells to that of total bacterial cells, ranged from 80% to 100% (average 93%), and the respective means were 93%, 89%, and 96% in the cruises. The total bacterial concentration had a close correlation with the wind speed near the sea surface, and the bacterial viability correlated negatively with the air temperature, sea surface temperature, and concentration of coarse particles (size > 1 μm). The deposition and sea spray fluxes of bacteria were roughly estimated as hundreds of cells m-2 s-1 on average. The limited data on bacterial concentration and viability from the three cruises indicate the rapid air-sea exchange of bacteria over the Kuroshio Extension region of the northwest Pacific Ocean.

  9. Effects of combined sewer overflow and stormwater on indicator bacteria concentrations in the Tama River due to the high population density of Tokyo Metropolitan area.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ham, Young-Sik; Kobori, Hiromi; Takasago, Masahisa

    2009-05-01

    The indicator bacteria (standard plate count, total coliform, and fecal coliform bacteria) concentrations have been investigated using six ambient habitats (population density, percent sewer penetration, stream flow rate (m(3)/sec), percent residential area, percent forest area and percent agricultural area) in the Tama River basin in Tokyo, Japan during June 2003 to January 2005. The downstream and tributary Tama River showed higher concentrations of TC and FC bacteria than the upstream waters, which exceeded an environmental quality standard for rivers and a bathing water quality criterion. It was estimated that combined sewer overflow (CSO) and stormwater effluents contributed -4-23% to the indicator bacteria concentrations of the Tama River. The results of multiple regression analyses show that the indicator bacteria concentrations of Tama River basin are significantly affected by population density. It is concluded that the Tama River received a significant bacterial contamination load originating from the anthropogenic source.

  10. Beneficial Effect of Bidens pilosa on Body Weight Gain, Food Conversion Ratio, Gut Bacteria and Coccidiosis in Chickens.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cicero L T Chang

    Full Text Available In the interests of food safety and public health, plants and their compounds are now re-emerging as an alternative approach to treat gastrointestinal diseases in chickens. Here, we studied the impact of the edible medicinal plant, B. pilosa, on growth performance, gut bacteria and coccidiosis in chickens. First, we found that B. pilosa significantly elevated body weight gain and lowered feed conversion ratio in chickens. Next, we showed that B. pilosa reduced cecal damage as evidenced by increased hemorrhage, villus destruction and decreased villus-to-crypt ratio in chicken ceca. We also performed pyrosequencing of the PCR ampilcons based on the 16S rRNA genes of gut bacteria in chickens. Metagenomic analysis indicated that the chicken gut bacteria belonged to 6 phyla, 6 classes, 6 orders, 9 families, and 8 genera. More importantly, we found that B. pilosa affected the composition of bacteria. This change in bacteria composition was correlated with body weight gain, feed conversion ratio and gut pathology in chickens. Collectively, this work suggests that B. pilosa has beneficial effects on growth performance and protozoan infection in chickens probably via modulation of gut bacteria.

  11. Development of Radiation Fusion Technology with Food Technology by the Application of High Dose Irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Ju Won; Kim, Jae Hun; Choi, Jong Il

    2010-04-01

    This study was studied to achieve stable food supply and food safety with radiation fusion technology as a preparation for food weaponization. Results at current stage are following: First, for the development of radiation and food engineering fusion technology using high dose irradiation, the effects of high dose irradiation on food components were evaluated. The combination treatment of irradiation with food engineering were developed. Irradiation condition to destroy radiation resistant food borne bacteria were determined. Second, for the development of E-beam irradiation technology, the effects of radiation sources on food compounds, processing conditions, and food quality of final products were compared. Food processing conditions for agricultural/aquatic products with different radiation sources were developed and the domination of E-beam irradiation foods were determined. The physical marker for E-beam irradiated foods or not were developed. Third, for the fundamental researches to develop purposed foods to extreme environmental, ready-to-eat foods were developed using high dose irradiation. Food processing for export strategy foods such as process ginseng were developed. Food processing with irradiation to destroy mycotoxin and to inhibit production of mycotoxin were developed. Mathematical models to predict necessary irradiation doses and radiation sources were developed and validated. Through the fundamental researches, the legislation for irradiation approval on meat products, sea foods and dried sea foods, and use of E-beam were introduced. Results from this research project, the followings are expected. (1) Improvement of customer acceptance and activation of irradiation technology by the use of various irradiation rays. (2) Increase of indirect food productivity, and decrease of SOC and improvement of public health by prevention of food borne outbreaks. (3) Build of SPS/TBT system against imported products and acceleration of domestic product export

  12. Development of Radiation Fusion Technology with Food Technology by the Application of High Dose Irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Ju Won; Kim, Jae Hun; Choi, Jong Il

    2010-04-15

    This study was studied to achieve stable food supply and food safety with radiation fusion technology as a preparation for food weaponization. Results at current stage are following: First, for the development of radiation and food engineering fusion technology using high dose irradiation, the effects of high dose irradiation on food components were evaluated. The combination treatment of irradiation with food engineering were developed. Irradiation condition to destroy radiation resistant food borne bacteria were determined. Second, for the development of E-beam irradiation technology, the effects of radiation sources on food compounds, processing conditions, and food quality of final products were compared. Food processing conditions for agricultural/aquatic products with different radiation sources were developed and the domination of E-beam irradiation foods were determined. The physical marker for E-beam irradiated foods or not were developed. Third, for the fundamental researches to develop purposed foods to extreme environmental, ready-to-eat foods were developed using high dose irradiation. Food processing for export strategy foods such as process ginseng were developed. Food processing with irradiation to destroy mycotoxin and to inhibit production of mycotoxin were developed. Mathematical models to predict necessary irradiation doses and radiation sources were developed and validated. Through the fundamental researches, the legislation for irradiation approval on meat products, sea foods and dried sea foods, and use of E-beam were introduced. Results from this research project, the followings are expected. (1) Improvement of customer acceptance and activation of irradiation technology by the use of various irradiation rays. (2) Increase of indirect food productivity, and decrease of SOC and improvement of public health by prevention of food borne outbreaks. (3) Build of SPS/TBT system against imported products and acceleration of domestic product export

  13. Increasing tetracycline concentrations on the performance and communities of mixed microalgae-bacteria photo-bioreactors

    KAUST Repository

    Xiong, Yanghui

    2017-12-11

    This study investigated the impact of varying concentrations of tetracycline on the performance of mixed microalgae-bacteria photo-bioreactors. Photo-bioreactors were assessed for their ability to remove carbon dioxide (CO2) from the biogas of anaerobic membrane bioreactor (anMBR), and nutrients from the anaerobic effluent. The varying concentrations of tetracycline had no impact on the removal of CO2 from biogas. 29% v/v of CO2 was completely removed to generate >20% v/v of oxygen (O2) in all reactors. Removal of nutrients and biomass was not affected at low concentrations of tetracycline (≤150μg/L), but 20mg/L of tetracycline lowered the biomass generation and removal efficiencies of phosphate. Conversely, high chlorophyll a and b content was observed at 20mg/L of tetracycline. High tetracycline level had no impact on the diversity of 18S rRNA gene-based microalgal communities but adversely affected the 16S rRNA gene-based microbial communities. Specifically, both Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes phyla decreased in relative abundance but not phylum Chloroplast. Additionally, both nitrogen-fixing (e.g. Flavobacterium, unclassified Burkholderiales and unclassified Rhizobiaceae) and denitrifying groups (e.g. Hydrogenophaga spp.) were significantly reduced in relative abundance at high tetracycline concentration. Phosphate-accumulating microorganisms, Acinetobacter spp. and Pseudomonas spp. were similarly reduced upon exposure to high tetracycline concentration. Unclassified Comamonadaceae, however, increased in relative abundance, which correlated with an increase in the abundance of tetracycline resistance genes associated with efflux pump mechanism. Overall, the findings demonstrate that antibiotic concentrations in municipal wastewaters will not significantly affect the removal of nutrients by the mixed microalgae-bacteria photo-bioreactors. However, utilizing such photo-bioreactors as a polishing step for anMBRs that treat wastewaters with high tetracycline

  14. A review of food-grade vectors in lactic acid bacteria: from the laboratory to their application.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Landete, José Maria

    2017-05-01

    Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have a long history of use in fermented foods and as probiotics. Genetic manipulation of these microorganisms has great potential for new applications in food safety, as well as in the development of improved food products and in health. While genetic engineering of LAB could have a major positive impact on the food and pharmaceutical industries, progress could be prevented by legal issues related to the controversy surrounding this technology. The safe use of genetically modified LAB requires the development of food-grade cloning systems containing only the DNA from homologous hosts or generally considered as safe organisms, and not dependent antibiotic markers. The rationale for the development of cloning vectors derived from cryptic LAB plasmids is the need for new genetic engineering tools, therefore a vision from cryptic plasmids to applications in food-grade vectors for LAB plasmids is shown in this review. Replicative and integrative vectors for the construction of food-grade vectors, and the relationship between resistance mechanism and expression systems, will be treated in depth in this paper. Finally, we will discuss the limited use of these vectors, and the problems arising from their use.

  15. Peptidoglycan Hydrolases of Local Lactic Acid Bacteria from Kazakh Traditional Food

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Serik Shaikhin

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Peptidoglycan (PG is a major component of the cell wall of Gram-positive bacteria and is essential for maintaining the integrity of the bacterial cell and its shape. The bacteria synthesize PG hydrolases, which are capable of cleaving the covalent bonds of PG. They also play an important role in modeling PG, which is required for bacterial growth and division. In an era of increasing antibiotic-resistant pathogens, PG hydrolases that destroy these important structures of the cell wall act as a potential source of new antimicrobials. The aim of this study is to identify the main PG hydrolases of local lactic acid bacteria isolated from traditional foods that enhance probiotic activity of a biological preparation. Methods. Lactococcus lactis 17А and Lactococcus garvieae 19А were isolated from the traditional sausage-like meat product called kazy. They were isolated according to standards methods of microbiology. Genetic identification of the isolates were tested by determining the nucleotide sequences of 16S rDNA. The Republican collection of microorganisms took strains of Lactobacillus casei subsp. Rhamnosus 13-P, L. delbrueckii subsp. lactis CG-1 B-RKM 0044 from cheese, Lactobacillus casei subsp. casei B-RKM 0202 from homemade butter. They used the standard technique of renaturating polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to detect PG hydrolases activity. Results. According to the profiles of PG hydrolase activity on zymograms, the enzymes of Lactococci 17A and 19A in kazy are similar in electrophoretic mobility to major autolysin AcmA, while the lactobacilli of industrial and home-made dairy products have enzymes similar to extracellular proteins p40 and p75, which have probiotic activity. Conclusions. Use of peptidoglycan hydrolases seems to be an interesting approach in the fight against multi-drug resistant strains of bacteria and could be a valuable tool for the treatment of diseases caused by these microorganisms in Kazakhstan.

  16. Food irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hetherington, M.

    1989-01-01

    This popular-level article emphasizes that the ultimate health effects of irradiated food products are unknown. They may include vitamin loss, contamination of food by botulism bacteria, mutations in bacteria, increased production of aflatoxins, changes in food, carcinogenesis from unknown causes, presence of miscellaneous harmful chemicals, and the lack of a way of for a consumer to detect irradiated food. It is claimed that the nuclear industry is applying pressure on the Canadian government to relax labeling requirements on packages of irradiated food in order to find a market for its otherwise unnecessary products

  17. Criteria for Radionuclide Activity Concentrations for Food and Drinking Water

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2016-04-01

    Requirements for the protection of people from the harmful consequences of exposure to ionizing radiation, for the safety of radiation sources and for the protection of the environment are established in IAEA Safety Standards Series No. GSR Part 3, Radiation Protection and Safety of Radiation Sources: International Basic Safety Standards. GSR Part 3 requires that the regulatory body or other relevant authority establish specific reference levels for exposure due to radionuclides in commodities, including food and drinking water. The reference level is based on an annual effective dose to the representative person that generally does not exceed a value of about 1 mSv. International standards have been developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) Codex Alimentarius Commission for levels of radionuclides contained in food traded internationally that contains, or could potentially contain, radioactive substances as a consequence of a nuclear or radiological emergency. International standards have also been developed by the WHO for radionuclides contained in drinking water, other than in a nuclear or radiological emergency. These international standards provide guidance and criteria in terms of levels of individual radiation dose, levels of activity concentration of specific radionuclides, or both. The criteria derived in terms of levels of activity concentration in the various international standards differ owing to a number of factors and assumptions underlying the common objective of protecting public health in different circumstances. This publication considers the various international standards to be applied at the national level for the assessment of levels of radionuclides in food and in drinking water in different circumstances for the purposes of control, other than in a nuclear or radiological emergency. It collates and provides an overview of the different criteria used in assessing and

  18. Low concentrations of selenium in stream food webs of eastern Canada

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jardine, Timothy D.; Kidd, Karen A.

    2011-01-01

    Herbivorous and predatory invertebrates and two species of fish (brook trout and blacknose dace) were collected from 49 streams in New Brunswick, Canada to determine whether concentrations of selenium (Se) in the biota were affected by a point source (a coal-fired power plant), and stream water chemistry (pH, sulphate, conductivity, and total organic carbon), and to determine the trophic transfer of Se through these food webs. Total Se concentrations in the biota were generally low (0.2 to 4.8 μg g -1 dry weight) across sites and there was no relationship between distance from the coal-fired power plant and Se concentrations in invertebrates or fishes. Water chemistry was an equally poor predictor of Se concentrations in invertebrates and fish. Trophic position (determined using δ 15 N) was a significant predictor of Se concentrations in only five of the stream food webs, and two of these had negative slopes, indicating little or no trophic magnification across most systems; many fishes had lower concentrations than their invertebrate prey and trophic transfer was higher at sites with low invertebrate Se concentrations. Variability in Se concentrations in fishes was explained more by site of capture than microhabitat use within the site (as measured with δ 13 C), suggesting among-site differences in geological sources of Se. Because concentrations were below known toxicity thresholds for fish and other consumers, these results suggest that Se is not an environmental issue in New Brunswick streams that do not receive direct inputs from mining activities. - Research Highlights: → Se concentrations in stream invertebrates and fishes in eastern Canada are low. → Concentrations were not related to water chemistry or distance from a point source. → Se did not biomagnify in the food web, yet was almost always in excess of Hg.

  19. Genotypic characterization and safety assessment of lactic acid bacteria from indigenous African fermented food products

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adimpong David B

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Indigenous fermented food products play an essential role in the diet of millions of Africans. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB are among the predominant microbial species in African indigenous fermented food products and are used for different applications in the food and biotechnology industries. Numerous studies have described antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of LAB from different parts of the world. However, there is limited information on antimicrobial resistance profiles of LAB from Africa. The aim of this study was to characterize 33 LAB previously isolated from three different African indigenous fermented food products using (GTG5-based rep-PCR, sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene and species-specific PCR techniques for differentiation of closely related species and further evaluate their antibiotic resistance profiles by the broth microdilution method and their haemolytic activity on sheep blood agar plates as indicators of safety traits among these bacteria. Results Using molecular biology based methods and selected phenotypic tests such as catalase reaction, CO2 production from glucose, colonies and cells morphology, the isolates were identified as Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus ghanensis, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus salivarius, Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides, Pediococcus acidilactici, Pediococcus pentosaceus and Weissella confusa. The bacteria were susceptible to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, clindamycin and erythromycin but resistant to vancomycin, kanamycin and streptomycin. Variable sensitivity profiles to tetracycline and gentamicin was observed among the isolates with Lb. plantarum, Lb. salivarius, W. confusa (except strain SK9-5 and Lb. fermentum strains being susceptible to tetracycline whereas Pediococcus strains and Lb. ghanensis strains were resistant. For gentamicin, Leuc. pseudomesenteroides, Lb. ghanensis and Ped. acidilactici strains were resistant to 64

  20. Listeria monocytogenes strains show large variations in competitive growth in mixed culture biofilms and suspensions with bacteria from food processing environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heir, Even; Møretrø, Trond; Simensen, Andreas; Langsrud, Solveig

    2018-06-20

    Interactions and competition between resident bacteria in food processing environments could affect their ability to survive, grow and persist in microhabitats and niches in the food industry. In this study, the competitive ability of L. monocytogenes strains grown together in separate culture mixes with other L. monocytogenes (L. mono mix), L. innocua (Listeria mix), Gram-negative bacteria (Gram- mix) and with a multigenera mix (Listeria + Gram- mix) was investigated in biofilms on stainless steel and in suspensions at 12 °C. The mixed cultures included resident bacteria from processing surfaces in meat and salmon industry represented by L. monocytogenes (n = 6), L. innocua (n = 5) and Gram-negative bacteria (n = 6; Acinetobacter sp., Pseudomonas fragi, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Serratia liquefaciens, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia). Despite hampered in growth in mixed cultures, L. monocytogenes established in biofilms with counts at day nine between 7.3 and 9.0 log per coupon with the lowest counts in the Listeria + G- mix that was dominated by Pseudomonas. Specific L. innocua inhibited growth of L. monocytogenes strains differently; inhibition that was further enhanced by the background Gram-negative microbiota. In these multispecies and multibacteria cultures, the growth competitive effects lead to the dominance of a strong competitor L. monocytogenes strain that was only slightly inhibited by L. innocua and showed strong competitive abilities in mixed cultures with resident Gram-negative bacteria. The results indicates complex patterns of bacterial interactions and L. monocytogenes inhibition in the multibacteria cultures that only partially depend on cell contact and likely involve various antagonistic and bacterial tolerance mechanisms. The study indicates large variations among L. monocytogenes in their competitiveness under multibacterial culture conditions that should be considered in further studies towards understanding of L

  1. Assessment of Climate Change and Vector-borne Diseases in the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monaghan, A. J.; Beard, C. B.; Eisen, R. J.; Barker, C. M.; Garofalo, J.; Hahn, M.; Hayden, M.; Ogden, N.; Schramm, P.

    2016-12-01

    Vector-borne diseases are illnesses that are transmitted by vectors, which include mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas. The seasonality, distribution, and prevalence of vector-borne diseases are influenced significantly by climate factors, primarily high and low temperature extremes and precipitation patterns. In this presentation we summarize key findings from Chapter 5 ("Vector-borne Diseases") of the recently published USGCRP Scientific Assessment of the Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States. Climate change is expected to alter geographic and seasonal distributions of vectors and vector-borne diseases, leading to earlier activity and northward range expansion of ticks capable of carrying the bacteria that cause Lyme disease and other pathogens, and influencing the distribution, abundance and prevalence of infection in mosquitoes that transmit West Nile virus and other pathogens. The emergence or reemergence of vector-borne pathogens is also likely.

  2. Antimicrobial effect of lactobacillus and bacillus derived ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This study focused on the screening, production, extraction of biosurfactants from Lactobacillus and Bacillus bacteria and their antimicrobial properties against causal microorganisms of food borne infections (food borne pathogens). The biosurfactants were investigated for potential antimicrobial activity using disk diffusion.

  3. Food insecurity and socio-demographic characteristics in two UK ethnic groups: an analysis of women in the Born in Bradford cohort.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Power, Madeleine; Uphoff, Eleonora P; Stewart-Knox, Barbara; Small, Neil; Doherty, Bob; Pickett, Kate E

    2018-03-01

    The use of foodbanks has risen sharply in the UK; however, the epidemiology of UK food insecurity is undeveloped. This study contributes to the field by analysing socio-demographic risk factors for food insecurity in a female, ethnically diverse population. Data from the Born in Bradford (BiB) cohort were matched with data on food insecurity from the nested BiB1000 study (N = 1280). Logistic regression was used to model food insecurity in relation to ethnicity and socio-demographic factors. Food insecurity, reported by 13.98% of the sample, was more likely among White British than Pakistani women (crude Odds Ratio (OR) 1.94, 95% CI: 1.37; 2.74, adjusted OR 2.37, 95% CI: 1.57; 3.59). In fully adjusted analyses, food insecurity was associated with a range of socio-economic measures, particularly the receipt of mean-tested benefits (adjusted OR 2.11, 95% CI: 1.41; 3.15) and perception of financial insecurity (adjusted OR 8.91, 95% CI: 4.14; 19.16 for finding it difficult/very difficult compared to living comfortably). The finding that food insecurity prevalence may be higher than previously thought and that food insecurity is highly associated with socio-economic status, notably benefit receipt, is a cause for concern necessitating an urgent policy response.

  4. Toxicity of graphene oxide on intestinal bacteria and Caco-2 cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Trang H D; Lin, Mengshi; Mustapha, Azlin

    2015-05-01

    In recent years, novel nanomaterials have received much attention due to their great potential for applications in agriculture, food safety, and food packaging. Among them, graphene and graphene oxide (GO) are emerging as promising nanomaterials that may have a profound impact on food packaging. However, there are some concerns from consumers and the scientific community about the potential toxicity and biocompatibility of nanomaterials. In this study, we investigated the antibacterial properties of GO against human intestinal bacteria. The cytotoxicity of GO was also studied in vitro using the Caco-2 cell line derived from a colon carcinoma. Electron microscopy was used to investigate the morphology of GO and the interaction between GO flakes and Caco-2 cells. GO at different concentrations (10 to 500 μg/ml) exhibited no toxicity against the selected bacteria and a mild cytotoxic action on Caco-2 cells after 24 h of exposure. The results show that weak adsorption of medium nutrients may contribute to GO's low toxicity. This study suggests that GO is biocompatible and has a potential to be used in agriculture and food science, indicating that more studies are needed to exploit its potential applications.

  5. Experimental apparatus and analysis technique for studying the low Reynolds number hydrodynamic behavior of water-borne particulates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chase, R.R.P.; Tisue, G.T.

    1975-01-01

    A unique laboratory apparatus has been designed, constructed, and tested for analyzing the low Reynolds number hydrodynamic behavior of water-borne particulates. The system consists of an isothermal sedimentation chamber, collimated light sources, photographic optics, and monitoring devices. This apparatus is capable of providing dynamic information on water-borne particulates in the size range 2 μm to 700 μm, while simulating a realistic environment. Because of its flexibility, the equipment is being used to determine the kinematic behavior of gravitationally unstable organic mineral aggregates. The importance of organic mineral aggregates has been well established during the past decade. This material is believed to be a potential food source for marine biota at the lowest levels of the food chain. Organic mineral aggregates are also known to concentrate trace elements and other toxic substances and may be part of the control mechanism by which elemental concentrations are maintained in the water column. The benthic fluid mud layer and deep pelagic nepholoid layer consist, in part, of these sediments. Subsea petroleum reserves are thought to be the result of biogeochemical cycling of the organic-mineral complex. Undoubtedly, a fundamental study of these aggregates would be of value to many research interests

  6. Diversity of Endophytic Bacteria in a Fern Species Dryopteris uniformis (Makino) Makino and Evaluation of Their Antibacterial Potential Against Five Foodborne Pathogenic Bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Das, Gitishree; Park, Seonjoo; Baek, Kwang-Hyun

    2017-05-01

    The fern plant Dryopteris uniformis has traditionally been used in herbal medicine and possesses many biological activities. This study was conducted to explore the endophytic bacterial diversity associated with D. uniformis and evaluate their antibacterial potential against foodborne pathogenic bacteria (FPB). Among 51 isolated endophytic bacteria (EB), 26 EB were selected based on their morphological characteristics and identified by 16S rRNA gene analysis. The distribution of EB was diverse in the leaf and the stem/root tissues. When the EB were screened for antibacterial activity against five FPB, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella Typhimurium, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli O157:H7, four EB Bacillus sp. cryopeg, Paenibacillus sp. rif200865, Staphylococcus warneri, and Bacillus psychrodurans had a broad spectrum of antibacterial activity (9.58 ± 0.66 to 21.47 ± 0.27 mm inhibition zone). The butanol solvent extract of B. sp. cryopeg and P. sp. rif200865 displayed effective antibacterial activity against the five FPB, which was evident from the scanning electron microscopy with irregular or burst cell morphology in the EB-treated bacteria compared to smooth and regular cells in case of the control bacteria. The minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration values ranged between 250-500 μg/mL and 500-100 μg/mL, respectively. The above outcomes signify the huge prospective of the selected EB in the food industry. Overall, the above results suggested that D. uniformis contains several culturable EB that possess effective antibacterial compounds, and that EB can be utilized as a source of natural antibacterial agents for their practical application in food industry to control the spread of FPB as a natural antibacterial agent.

  7. Food Irradiation | RadTown USA | US EPA

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-08-07

    Using radiation to kill bacteria and other pathogens in food is called food irradiation. Irradiating food kills bacteria and molds that can make people sick. Irradiation does not remove toxins that are already in food. The high energy of the radiation breaks chemical bonds to stop bacteria and other pathogens from multiplying. Irradiation does not make food radioactive.

  8. Food chain model to predict westslope cutthroat trout ovary selenium concentrations from water concentrations in the Elk Valley, BC

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Orr, P.; Wiramanaden, C.; Franklin, W.; Fraser, C.

    2010-01-01

    The 5 coal mines operated by Teck Coal Ltd. in British Columbia's Elk River watershed release selenium during weathering of mine waste rock. Since 1966, several field studies have been conducted in which selenium concentrations in biota were measured. They revealed that tissue concentrations are higher in aquatic biota sampled in lentic compared to lotic habitats of the watershed with similar water selenium concentrations. Two food chain models were developed based on the available data. The models described dietary selenium accumulation in the ovaries of lotic versus lentic westslope cutthroat trout (WCT), a valued aquatic resource in the Elk River system. The following 3 trophic transfer relationships were characterized for each model: (1) water to base of the food web, (2) base of the food web to benthic invertebrates, and (3) benthic invertebrates to WCT ovaries. The lotic and lentic models combined the resulting equations for each trophic transfer relationships to predict WCT ovary concentrations from water concentrations. The models were in very good agreement with the available data, despite fish movement and the fact that composite benthic invertebrate sample data were only an approximation of the feeding preferences of individual fish. Based on the observed rates of increase in water selenium concentrations throughout the watershed, the models predicted very small/slow increases in WCT ovary concentrations with time.

  9. Non-dairy probiotic food products: An emerging group of functional foods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Min, Min; Bunt, Craig R; Mason, Susan L; Hussain, Malik A

    2018-04-09

    The functional food sector has shown tremendous growth in recent years with the application of probiotic bacteria as "food additives". The utilization of probiotic bacteria in food presents many challenges related to their growth, survival, viability, stability and functionality in food processing, storage and consumption as well as changes of sensory characteristics of probiotic foods. Although dairy foods are currently the most common food carrier to deliver probiotics, an increasing number of non-dairy food matrices exhibit potential for delivery of probiotics. This review provides more recent insight into the emergence of non-dairy probiotics products, the interactions between probiotics and different food matrices and the challenges in developing such products. Some of the technical issues are also reviewed and discussed. These issues include the efficacy of probiotic bacteria in non-chilled, low pH or high water activity foods; the potential loss of bacterial viability, additionally unwanted fermentation and changes of the sensory characteristics of food products which may result in poor microbiological quality and low acceptability to consumers.

  10. Study on the Chemical Constituents and Antibacterial Activity of Kelussia odoratissima and Teucrium polium Essential Oils against Some Food Borne Pathogens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    mansour Mashreghi

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available In this research the essential oils (EOs of Kelussia odoratissima and Teucrium polium were extracted by hydrodistillation. Extracted essential oils constituents were analyzed by gas chromatograph (GC and GC/mass spectrometry and the essential oils constituents identified according to retention time and mass spectrum. Then minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC of the essential oils against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes، Escherichia coli O157H7, Salmonella enterica, and Pseudomonas aureogenosa were determined by microdilution technique using ELISA reader. The results showed that there are differences between the essential oils constituents as the main constituents in Kelussia odoratissima were (Z-ligustilide, (Z-3-butylidene-phthalide, limonene+-phellandren B. The main constituents of Teucrium polium essential oils were β-caryophylene, Germacrene D, γ-cadinene, (Z- nerolidol, camphor, β-pinene, α- camphene, linalool, α-humulene. The MIC of Kelussia odoratissima EO was between 0.31 mg/ml (for S. aureus to 2.5 mg/ml (for Salmonella enterica but MIC of the Teucrium polium EO was between 0.16 mg/ml (for S. aureus and 1.25 mg/ml (for Salmonella enterica. In conclusion, indigenous medicinal plants could be used for effective control of food borne pathogens as a complementary method that has less unfavorable effect on organoleptic attitudes of each products

  11. Wild-type minimal inhibitory concentration distributions in bacteria of animal origin in Argentina

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Florencia L Pantozzi

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial resistance profiles of indicator bacteria isolated from domestic animal feces. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC was determined by agar dilution. Interpretative criteria on the basis of wild-type MIC distributions and epidemiological cutoff values (ECOFF or ECV were used according to the 'European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing' (EUCAST data. Results from 237 isolates of Escherichia coli showed reduced susceptibility for ampicillin, streptomycin and tetracycline, the antimicrobials commonly used in intensive breeding of pigs and hens. Regarding all the species of the genus Enterococcus spp., there are only ECOFF or ECV for vancomycin. Of the 173 Enterococcus spp. isolated, only one showed reduced susceptibility to vancomycin and was classified as 'non-wild-type' (NWT population. This is the first report in Argentina showing data of epidemiological cutoff values in animal bacteria.

  12. Les bactériocines des bactéries lactiques : caractéristiques et intérêts pour la bioconservation des produits alimentaires

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dortu C.

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Bacteriocins from lactic acid bacteria: interest for food products biopreservation. Bacteriocins from lactic acid bacteria are low molecular weight antimicrobial peptides. They have inhibitory activity against the bacteria that are closed related to the producer strains and a narrow inhibitory spectrum. Nevertheless, most of them have activity against some food-born pathogenic bacteria as Listeria monocytogenes. The application of bacteriocins or bacteriocin producing lactic acid bacteria in food products to inhibit pathogenic or food-spoilage bacteria has then been suggested. This review focuses on the classification, structure, function, mode of action, biosynthesis and current food applications of bacteriocins from lactic acid bacteria.

  13. Modelling of 137Cs concentration change in organisms of the Japanese coastal food chains

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tateda, Y.; Nakahara, M.; Nakamura, R.

    1999-01-01

    In order to predict 137 CS concentrations in marine organisms of Japanese coastal food chains, a basic compartment model being composed of nuclide transfer both from seawater and food chain was investigated. Food chain structure of typical Japanese coastal water is established to include detritus, food chain, benthic food chain and planktonic food chain

  14. Antimicrobial Activity of Kedawung Extract (Parkia Roxburghii G. Don on Food Borne Pathogens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ervizal A. M Zuhud, Winiati Pudji Rahayu, C. Hanny Wijaya, Pipi Puspita Sari

    2001-04-01

    Full Text Available Kedawung is a Leguminosae/Fabaceae which. It is commonly used as traditional medicine for infection and stomach disoders, caused by bacteria.The aim of this study is to examine the potential antimicrobial activity of seed, bark, root and kedawung leaf. It is expected that the result will give information on characteristics and concentration of kedawung part which have the highest antimicrobial activity.The result showed that the bark has the highest antimicrobial activity on Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus. Extract made from kedawung plant and water (ratio 1:2,b/v was better than those made with ratios of 1 : 1 or 1 : 3 (b/v. Heat did not decrease its antimicrobial activity. Extract concentration of 10% (21.40 mg/ml with contact time of 24 hour decreased bacterial growth but did not inactivate them.

  15. Hydrogen from food processing wastes via photofermentation using Purple Non-sulfur Bacteria (PNSB) – A review

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghosh, Shiladitya; Dairkee, Umme Kulsoom; Chowdhury, Ranjana; Bhattacharya, Pinaki

    2017-01-01

    Highlights: • Food processing wastes/wastewaters are potential feedstocks for PNSB-bioH_2 systems. • Several bottlenecks exist in efficient usage of food processing wastes/wastewaters by PNSBs. • Pretreatment of feedstocks is a challenging issue. • Genetic modification significantly enhances the H_2 outcome of PNSBs. • Food waste/wastewater - PNSB is a sustainable combination for production of H_2. - Abstract: Purple non-sulfur bacteria (PNSB) mediated production of biohydrogen utilizing solid food waste and food processing wastewater possess enormous potential to be implemented as an ideal “green energy technology”. This paper reviews the current state-of-the-art utilization of solid wastes and wastewaters of several food and beverage processing industries in photofermentative H_2 production systems. Detailed accounts of the complex composition of various solid food wastes and food processing wastewaters along with the pretreatments used for enhancement of H_2 production by PNSBs have been presented. Factors like compositional complexity, presence of inhibitory compounds and resistance to light penetration are identified as the prime bottlenecks hindering the efficient utilization of food waste and wastewaters in photofermentative H_2 production. Genetic manipulation of the PNSBs to overcome the inherent metabolic complications has been discussed as a probable amelioration strategy for enhancement of H_2 yield. Based on profound discussions the scopes for upgradation of the photofermentative biohydrogen systems using food waste/wastewater have been highlighted and recommended for the overall enhancement of the sustainability of the processes.

  16. Effect of different concentrations of nisin on starter culture of model Cheeses manufactured from ultrafiltrated milk

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kh Mohammadi

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Nisin is a natural preservative produced by strains of Lactococcuslactis subsp. Lactis, has been approved for use in food by the Joint Food and Agricultural Organization/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO Committee on Food Additives and has been awarded generally recognized as safe (GRAS. It remains the only bacteriocin allowed in food as an addedpreservative. Nisin has a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity againstgram-positive bacteria, thus one of the problems associated with nisin application is inhibition of starter culture and prevention of ripening, which is required for development of cheese characteristics during ripening. In the current study, the effects of different concentrations of nisin and temperature on growth and activity of lactic acid bacteria in model cheeses manufactured from ultrafiltrated milk was evaluated. Cheese samples were supplemented with nisin at concentrations of 0, 2, 4 and 6 µg/g and stored at 8 and 25 °C up to 60 days. Microbiological and physico-chemical properties of the cheese samples were analyzedat 0, 1, 8, 15, 30, 45 and 60 days. Results showed that addition of nisin at concentrations of 4 and 6 µg/g affects (p

  17. Prevalence of Salmonella typhi and intestinal parasites among food ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Food borne diseases are a global public health problem. Food handlers play a major role for the transmission of food borne diseases. Objectives: This study was aimed at exploring the prevalence of intestinal parasites, S. typhi carrier rate and risk factors among food handlers at Bahir Dar town. Methods: A ...

  18. Food preservation by irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kooij, J. van

    1981-01-01

    Twenty-five years of development work on the preservation of food by irradiation have shown that this technology has the potential to reduce post-harvest losses and to produce safe foods. The technological feasibility has been established but general acceptance of food irradiation by national regulatory bodies and consumers requires attention. The positive aspects of food preservation by irradiation include: the food keeps its freshness and its physical state, agents which cause spoilage (bacteria, etc.) are eliminated, recontamination does not take place, provided packaging materials are impermeable to bacteria and insects. It inhibits sprouting of root crops, kills insects and parasites, inactivates bacteria, spores and moulds, delays ripening of fruit, improves the technological properties of food. It makes foods biologically safe, allows the production of shelf-stable foods and is excellent for quarantine treatment, and generally improves food hygiene. The dose ranges needed for effective treatment are given

  19. Exposure to Anacardiaceae volatile oils and their constituents induces lipid peroxidation within food-borne bacteria cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montanari, Ricardo M; Barbosa, Luiz C A; Demuner, Antonio J; Silva, Cleber J; Andrade, Nelio J; Ismail, Fyaz M D; Barbosa, Maria C A

    2012-08-14

    The chemical composition of the volatile oils from five Anacardiaceae species and their activities against Gram positive and negative bacteria were assessed. The peroxidative damage within bacterial cell membranes was determined through the breakdown product malondialdehyde (MDA). The major constituents in Anacardium humile leaves oil were (E)-caryophyllene (31.0%) and α-pinene (22.0%), and in Anacardium occidentale oil they were (E)-caryophyllene (15.4%) and germacrene-D (11.5%). Volatile oil from Astronium fraxinifolium leaves were dominated by (E)-β-ocimene (44.1%) and α-terpinolene (15.2%), whilst the oil from Myracrodruon urundeuva contained an abundance of δ-3-carene (78.8%). However, Schinus terebinthifolius leaves oil collected in March and July presented different chemical compositions. The oils from all species, except the one from A. occidentale, exhibited varying levels of antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli. Oil extracted in July from S. terebinthifolius was more active against all bacterial strains than the corresponding oil extracted in March. The high antibacterial activity of the M. urundeuva oil could be ascribed to its high δ-3-carene content. The amounts of MDA generated within bacterial cells indicate that the volatile oils induce lipid peroxidation. The results suggest that one putative mechanism of antibacterial action of these volatile oils is pro-oxidant damage within bacterial cell membrane explaining in part their preservative properties.

  20. Biofilm-forming capacity in biogenic amine-producing bacteria isolated from dairy products.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria eDiaz

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Biofilms on the surface of food industry equipment are reservoirs of potentially food-contaminating bacteria - both spoilage and pathogenic. However, the capacity of biogenic amine (BA-producers to form biofilms has remained largely unexamined. BAs are low molecular weight, biologically active compounds that in food can reach concentrations high enough to be a toxicological hazard. Fermented foods, especially some types of cheese, accumulate the highest BA concentrations of all. The present work examines the biofilm-forming capacity of 56 BA-producing strains belonging to three genera and 10 species (12 Enterococcus faecalis, 6 Enterococcus faecium, 6 Enterococcus durans, 1 Enterococcus hirae, 12 Lactococcus lactis, 7 Lactobacillus vaginalis, 2 Lactobacillus curvatus, 2 Lactobacillus brevis, 1 Lactobacillus reuteri and 7 Lactobacillus parabuchneri, all isolated from dairy products. Strains of all the tested species - except for L. vaginalis - were able to produce biofilms on polystyrene and adhered to stainless steel. However, the biomass produced in biofilms was strain-dependent. These results suggest that biofilms may provide a route via which fermented foods can become contaminated by BA-producing microorganisms.

  1. Expression of Staphylococcal Enterotoxins under Stress Encountered during Food Production and Preservation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schelin, Jenny; Susilo, Yusak Budi; Johler, Sophia

    2017-12-15

    Staphylococcal food poisoning (SFP) is the most prevalent cause of food-borne intoxications worldwide. Consumption of enterotoxins preformed in food causes violent vomiting and can be fatal in children and the elderly. While being repressed by competing bacteria in most matrices, Staphylococcus aureus benefits from crucial competitive advantages in foods with high osmolarity or low pH. During recent years, the long-standing belief in the feasibility of assessing SFP risk based on colony-forming units of S. aureus present in food products has been disproven. Instead, researchers and food business operators are acutely aware of the imminent threat arising from unforeseeable enterotoxin production under stress conditions. This paradigm shift led to a variety of new publications enabling an improved understanding of enterotoxin expression under stress conditions encountered in food. The wealth of data provided by these studies is extremely diverse, as it is based on different methodological approaches, staphylococcal strains, stressors, and enterotoxins. Therefore, in this review, we aggregated and critically evaluated the complex findings of these studies, to provide readers with a current overview of the state of research in the field.

  2. The concentrations of sup(239.240)Pu in foods of the Japanese

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Okabayashi, Hiroyuki; Watanabe, Mineo; Takizawa, Yukio.

    1981-01-01

    Measurements of the amounts of sup(239.240)Pu in total daily diet and in marine foods were conducted to estimate the dietary intake of sup(239.240)Pu in the Japanese. The average concentrations of sup(239.240)Pu in total diet of various places in Japan were 96 fCi/day/person in 1968 and 50 fCi/day/person in 1969. It was found that the concentration of sup(239.240)Pu in total diet decreased with the decrease of radioactive fallout. The concentrations of sup(239.240)Pu in viscera and bone of marinefishes and in seaweeds were high. The average amount of dietary intake of sup(239.240)Pu from marine foods by the Japanese at present was about 9 fCi/day/person. It was estimated that the greater part of sup(239.240)Pu in total diet of the Japanese was due to the marine foods. (author)

  3. The consumption of canned food and beverages and urinary Bisphenol A concentrations in NHANES 2003-2008.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartle, Jennifer C; Navas-Acien, Ana; Lawrence, Robert S

    2016-10-01

    Exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA) is ubiquitous and includes dietary and environmental pathways. BPA is rapidly glucuronidated in the body, and both BPA and its conjugates can be readily measured in urine. To investigate the contribution of canned food and beverages, known sources of BPA contamination, to BPA biomarkers of exposure using dietary and urinary BPA concentration information in a representative sample of the U.S. We evaluated 7669 NHANES 2003-2008 participants 6 years and older with 24-h dietary recall information and urinary BPA concentrations available. Using linear regression models, we evaluated the associations between recent canned food and beverage consumption and urinary BPA concentrations, adjusting for potential confounders. We found 9% of our participants consumed one canned food in the past 24h and 2% consumed two or more canned foods. The consumption of one canned food vs. none was associated with 24% (95% CI 1.11, 1.38) higher urinary BPA concentrations. The consumption of two or more canned foods vs. none was associated with 54% (95% CI 1.27, 1.88) higher urinary BPA concentrations. The consumption of one or more of some specific types of canned foods vs. none were associated with higher urinary BPA concentrations: 41% (95% CI 1.23, 1.63) higher BPA for vegetable and fruit, 70% (95% CI 1.18, 2.44) higher for canned pasta, and 229% (95% CI 1.22, 4.30) higher for canned soup. Canned beverages were not associated with urinary BPA concentrations. Canned food, including some specific types such as canned vegetable and fruit, canned pasta, and canned soup were associated with higher levels of urinary BPA concentrations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Developmental peculiarities and seed-borne endophytes in quinoa: Omnipresent, robust bacilli contribute to plant fitness.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrea ePitzschke

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Among potential climate change-adapted crops for future agriculture, quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa, a facultative halophyte plant with exceptional nutritional properties, stands out as a prime candidate. This work examined how quinoa deals with extreme situations during seed rehydration. A seed-borne microbiome was discovered and its potential role in early development and stress resistance investigated.Methods involved germination and drought exposure assays, histochemical detection of reactive oxygen species, and diverse tests with seed(ling material to assess microbial occurrence, release and proliferation. Quinoa´s microbial partners were biochemically, microscopically and taxonomically characterized.Quinoa distinguishes itself from other plants in multiple ways. It germinates within minutes, even under extremely hostile conditions. Broken seeds/split embryos are able to regenerate. Furthermore, quinoa seedlings are resurrection-competent. These peculiarities became in part explainable upon discovery of seed-borne microorganisms. 100% of quinoa seeds, from different sources, are inhabited by bacteria of the genus Bacillus. These endophytes are mobile and reside in all seedling organs, indicating vertical transmission. Owing to their strong catalase activity and high superoxide contents they can modify host redox properties. One outcome is cell expansion, enabling quinoa to overcome a critical period in development, seedling establishment.Quinoa´s immediate confrontation with foreign ROS and bacterial elicitors likely induces a naturally primed state, enabling plants to withstand extreme situations. The endophytic bacteria, which are cultivable and highly robust themselves, have high potential for application in agriculture, food (amylase and cosmetics (catalase industry. An exciting question arising from this work is: Can quinoa´s microbiome be transferred to improve stress resistance in other plant species?

  5. Effect of encapsulation of selected probiotic cell on survival in simulated gastrointestinal tract condition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hasiah Ayama

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The health benefits of probiotic bacteria have been led to their increasing use in foods. Encapsulation has been investigated to improve their survival. In this study, the selection, encapsulation and viability of lactic acid bacteria (LAB with probiotic properties in simulated gastrointestinal tract (GIT condition were investigated. One hundred and fifty isolates of LAB were obtained from 30 samples of raw cow and goat milk and some fermented foods. Nine isolates could survive under GIT condition and only 3 isolates exhibited an antimicrobial activity against all food-borne pathogenic bacteria. Among them, 2 isolates (CM21 and CM53 exhibited bile salt hydrolase activity on glycocholate and glycodeoxycholate agar plates and were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum. CM53 was selected for encapsulation using 1-3% alginate and 2% Hi-maize resistant starch by emulsion system. Viability and releasing ability of encapsulated CM53 in simulated GIT condition was increased in accordance to the alginate concentration and incubation time, respectively.

  6. A survey of traditional Iranian food products for contamination with toxigenic Clostridium botulinum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H.R. Tavakoli

    Full Text Available Summary: This study aimed to determine the rate of Clostridium botulinum contamination in some traditional Iranian food products (cheese, kashk and salted fish and evaluate the efficacy of the mouse bioassay method in detection of C. botulinum toxins in these foods. A total of 131 samples (57 cheese, 11 kashk and 63 salted fish were collected and examined to determine the rate of contamination by C. botulinum. Standard monovalent anti-toxins were used to determine the types of toxin. C. botulinum bacteria were detected in 4.58% of the examined samples (1.52% of cheese and 3.06% of salted fish samples. While no contamination was detected in the kashk samples, C. botulinum types A and E were found to be dominant in cheese and salted fish samples, respectively. These results indicate—some traditional Iranian foods may be contaminated with different types of C. botulinum, and the consumption of these products, either raw or cooked, may contribute to food-borne intoxications. Keywords: Clostridium botulinum, Botulinum toxin, Traditional foods

  7. 49-60 Characterization of Lactic Acid Bacteria from Camel Milk and the

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Reviwer

    bacteria in the food industry is the lactic acid bacteria. (LAB) which are used ... Weinberg et al., 2007) as well as for their preservative ... Food and Drug Administration FDA (2003). In the ... lactic acid bacteria species were characterized as fast.

  8. DNA based methods used for characterization and detection of food ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Detection of food borne pathogen is of outmost importance in the food industries and related agencies. For the last few decades conventional methods were used to detect food borne pathogens based on phenotypic characters. At the advent of complementary base pairing and amplification of DNA, the diagnosis of food ...

  9. Antimicrobial Resistance in the Food Chain: A Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verraes, Claire; Van Boxstael, Sigrid; Van Meervenne, Eva; Van Coillie, Els; Butaye, Patrick; Catry, Boudewijn; de Schaetzen, Marie-Athénaïs; Van Huffel, Xavier; Imberechts, Hein; Dierick, Katelijne; Daube, George; Saegerman, Claude; De Block, Jan; Dewulf, Jeroen; Herman, Lieve

    2013-01-01

    Antimicrobial resistant zoonotic pathogens present on food constitute a direct risk to public health. Antimicrobial resistance genes in commensal or pathogenic strains form an indirect risk to public health, as they increase the gene pool from which pathogenic bacteria can pick up resistance traits. Food can be contaminated with antimicrobial resistant bacteria and/or antimicrobial resistance genes in several ways. A first way is the presence of antibiotic resistant bacteria on food selected by the use of antibiotics during agricultural production. A second route is the possible presence of resistance genes in bacteria that are intentionally added during the processing of food (starter cultures, probiotics, bioconserving microorganisms and bacteriophages). A last way is through cross-contamination with antimicrobial resistant bacteria during food processing. Raw food products can be consumed without having undergone prior processing or preservation and therefore hold a substantial risk for transfer of antimicrobial resistance to humans, as the eventually present resistant bacteria are not killed. As a consequence, transfer of antimicrobial resistance genes between bacteria after ingestion by humans may occur. Under minimal processing or preservation treatment conditions, sublethally damaged or stressed cells can be maintained in the food, inducing antimicrobial resistance build-up and enhancing the risk of resistance transfer. Food processes that kill bacteria in food products, decrease the risk of transmission of antimicrobial resistance. PMID:23812024

  10. Bacteriocin-based strategies for food biopreservation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gálvez, Antonio; Abriouel, Hikmate; López, Rosario Lucas; Ben Omar, Nabil

    2007-11-30

    Bacteriocins are ribosomally-synthesized peptides or proteins with antimicrobial activity, produced by different groups of bacteria. Many lactic acid bacteria (LAB) produce bacteriocins with rather broad spectra of inhibition. Several LAB bacteriocins offer potential applications in food preservation, and the use of bacteriocins in the food industry can help to reduce the addition of chemical preservatives as well as the intensity of heat treatments, resulting in foods which are more naturally preserved and richer in organoleptic and nutritional properties. This can be an alternative to satisfy the increasing consumers demands for safe, fresh-tasting, ready-to-eat, minimally-processed foods and also to develop "novel" food products (e.g. less acidic, or with a lower salt content). In addition to the available commercial preparations of nisin and pediocin PA-1/AcH, other bacteriocins (like for example lacticin 3147, enterocin AS-48 or variacin) also offer promising perspectives. Broad-spectrum bacteriocins present potential wider uses, while narrow-spectrum bacteriocins can be used more specifically to selectively inhibit certain high-risk bacteria in foods like Listeria monocytogenes without affecting harmless microbiota. Bacteriocins can be added to foods in the form of concentrated preparations as food preservatives, shelf-life extenders, additives or ingredients, or they can be produced in situ by bacteriocinogenic starters, adjunct or protective cultures. Immobilized bacteriocins can also find application for development of bioactive food packaging. In recent years, application of bacteriocins as part of hurdle technology has gained great attention. Several bacteriocins show additive or synergistic effects when used in combination with other antimicrobial agents, including chemical preservatives, natural phenolic compounds, as well as other antimicrobial proteins. This, as well as the combined use of different bacteriocins may also be an attractive approach to

  11. Food-borne pathogens. Is there a remedy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Niemand, J G

    1985-03-01

    The Salmonella scare reinforced the importance of never taking chances when it comes to controlling pathogens. The issue has been resolved by radurisation. The article deals with the various pathogens that can effect food and argues the case for radurisation in dealing with them. It also looks at some of the other food products that can be treated using this process.

  12. IMPACT UPON ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION DUE TO DEFECTIVELY PRODUCED AND OPERATED VENTILATION SYSTEMS IN FOOD INDUSTRY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Izabela Małecka

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Mechanical (air-conditioning ventilation systems and equipment in the food industry may transfer various pathogenic bacteria causing, for instance, pneumonia (Legionellosis. Microclimate parameters in manufacturing shops felt by people are affected by: human factors (health, individual temperature perception etc, and non-human factors (air physical parameters, air freshness and cleanliness etc.. Microbiological contamination of process equipment, machines and systems such as ventilation and air-conditioning equipment causes growth of pathogenic bacteria. The amount of air supplied and removed from a room depends on its use and load of odours and hazardous material. As a result of dew point formation in ventilation systems may appear the so-called air-borne condensation nuclei on which steam settles when the air gets oversaturated. The air flow rate has a material influence upon comfortable conditions in human inhabited zones. In manufacturing shops where the highest air quality is a priority, radial disinfection by means of catalytic ionization is applied. In food industry manufacturing shops of higher microbiological standard, ventilation systems based on air re-circulation should not be used.

  13. Emerging arthropod-borne diseases of companion animals in Europe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beugnet, Frederic; Marié, Jean-Lou

    2009-08-26

    Vector-borne diseases are caused by parasites, bacteria or viruses transmitted by the bite of hematophagous arthropods (mainly ticks and mosquitoes). The past few years have seen the emergence of new diseases, or re-emergence of existing ones, usually with changes in their epidemiology (i.e. geographical distribution, prevalence, and pathogenicity). The frequency of some vector-borne diseases of pets is increasing in Europe, i.e. canine babesiosis, granulocytic anaplasmosis, canine monocytic ehrlichiosis, thrombocytic anaplasmosis, and leishmaniosis. Except for the last, these diseases are transmitted by ticks. Both the distribution and abundance of the three main tick species, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Dermacentor reticulatus and Ixodes ricinus are changing. The conditions for such changes involve primarily human factors, such as travel with pets, changes in human habitats, social and leisure activities, but climate changes also have a direct impact on arthropod vectors (abundance, geographical distribution, and vectorial capacity). Besides the most known diseases, attention should be kept on tick-borne encephalitis, which seems to be increasing in western Europe, as well as flea-borne diseases like the flea-transmitted rickettsiosis. Here, after consideration of the main reasons for changes in tick vector ecology, an overview of each "emerging" vector-borne diseases of pets is presented.

  14. Arcobacter: an emerging food-borne zoonotic pathogen, its public health concerns and advances in diagnosis and control - a comprehensive review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramees, Thadiyam Puram; Dhama, Kuldeep; Karthik, Kumaragurubaran; Rathore, Ramswaroop Singh; Kumar, Ashok; Saminathan, Mani; Tiwari, Ruchi; Malik, Yashpal Singh; Singh, Raj Kumar

    2017-12-01

    Arcobacter has emerged as an important food-borne zoonotic pathogen, causing sometimes serious infections in humans and animals. Newer species of Arcobacter are being incessantly emerging (presently 25 species have been identified) with novel information on the evolutionary mechanisms and genetic diversity among different Arcobacter species. These have been reported from chickens, domestic animals (cattle, pigs, sheep, horses, dogs), reptiles (lizards, snakes and chelonians), meat (poultry, pork, goat, lamb, beef, rabbit), vegetables and from humans in different countries. Arcobacters are implicated as causative agents of diarrhea, mastitis and abortion in animals, while causing bacteremia, endocarditis, peritonitis, gastroenteritis and diarrhea in humans. Three species including A. butzleri, A. cryaerophilus and A. skirrowii are predominantly associated with clinical conditions. Arcobacters are primarily transmitted through contaminated food and water sources. Identification of Arcobacter by biochemical tests is difficult and isolation remains the gold standard method. Current diagnostic advances have provided various molecular methods for efficient detection and differentiation of the Arcobacters at genus and species level. To overcome the emerging antibiotic resistance problem there is an essential need to explore the potential of novel and alternative therapies. Strengthening of the diagnostic aspects is also suggested as in most cases Arcobacters goes unnoticed and hence the exact epidemiological status remains uncertain. This review updates the current knowledge and many aspects of this important food-borne pathogen, namely etiology, evolution and emergence, genetic diversity, epidemiology, the disease in animals and humans, public health concerns, and advances in its diagnosis, prevention and control.

  15. Stimulate The Growth of Rice Using Endophytic Bacteria from Lowland Rice Plant Tissue

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nuni Gofar

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Exploration and selection of endophytic bacteria from healthy food crops grown in lowland ecosystem is important to be conducted in order to get growth-stimulating endophytic bacteria at soil with low fertility level so that capable to optimize initial growth of food crops and subsequently can increase productivity level of lowland soil.The research objective was to isolate and to test the IAA-producing endophytic bacteria isolate in stimulating the rice crop growth at lowland area. Endophytic bacteria are isolated from tissues of rice, corn and peanut crops which grown at shallow swamp land in Ogan Ilir and Ogan Komering Ilir Districts, South Sumatra, Indonesia. There was nine isolates of nitrogen-fixer endophytic bacteria that capable to contribute IAA phytohormone into their growth media. The P31 isolate from rice crop tisssue of 2 months old produce the best rice sprouts than other isolates. This isolate can contribute of about 10 mg kg-1 IAA to its growth medium and increase the crowns dry weight and the roots dry weight respectively with magnitudes of 133% and 225% compared to control treatment. Concentration and absorbtion of N for rice crops innoculated with P31 isolates had increased by 169% and 400%, recpectively. The P31 isolates had been identified as Burkholderia pseudomallei (also known as Pseudomonas pseudomallei.

  16. Optimasi Konsentrasi Fruktooligosakarida untuk Meningkatkan Pertumbuhan Bakteri Asam Laktat Starter Yoghurt (CONCENTRATION OPTIMIZATION OF FRUCTOOLIGOSACCHARIDES TO INCREASE GROWTH OF LACTIC ACID BACTERIA YOGHURT STARTER

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Raden Haryo Bimo Setiarto

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Fructooligosaccharides are prebiotic source that widely used in food products, such as: fermented milk and infant formula. Prebiotics are food components that cannot be digested in the digestive tract enzymatically. However, they can be fermented by probiotic bacteria in the colon. This study aimed to determine the optimum concentrations of fructooligosaccharides in order to increase the growth of lactic acid bacteria yogurt starter (Lactobacillus acidophillus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophillus. Optimation concentration of fructooligosaccharides on the growth of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophillus can be determined based on OD (optical density, TPC (Total Plate Count, total lactic acid content and pH value. Suplementation of fructooligosaccharides 1 % (w/v on the media MRSB increased significantly the growth of L. acidophilus, L.bulgaricus, S. thermophilus. Furthermore, L. acidophilus, L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus experienced exponential growth phase during incubation period from 6 to 18 hours. Fermentation of L. acidophilus, L. bulgaricus, S. thermophilus in MRSB medium supplemented by fructooligosaccharides decreased the pH value of the formation of organic acids from 6.00 to 4.00. ABSTRAK Fruktooligosakarida adalah sumber prebiotik yang banyak digunakan dalam produk pangan olahan seperti susu fermentasi dan susu formula. Prebiotik adalah komponen bahan pangan fungsional yang tidak dapat dicerna di dalam saluran pencernaan secara enzimatik sehingga akan difermentasi oleh bakteri probiotik dalam usus besar. Penelitian ini bertujuan menentukan konsentrasi optimum fruktooligosakarida untuk meningkatkan pertumbuhan bakteri asam laktat starter yoghurt (Lactobacillus acidophillus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophillus. Konsentrasi optimum fruktooligosakarida pada pertumbuhan Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Streptococcus thermophillus dapat

  17. Food Insecurity among Community College Students: Prevalence and Relationship to GPA, Energy, and Concentration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maroto, Maya E.

    2013-01-01

    The latest U.S. government surveys indicate that one in six Americans suffer from food insecurity, which means they have trouble affording adequate food. Previous research has shown that food insecurity affects adult cognitive ability, energy levels, ability to concentrate as well as child academic success. Food insecurity has been studied in…

  18. Scientific Opinion on Review of the European Union Summary Report on trends and sources of zoonoses, zoonotic agents and food-borne outbreaks—Terms of reference 2 to 7

    OpenAIRE

    EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW)

    2013-01-01

    The Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) Panel of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has evaluated the European Union Summary Report on Trends and Sources of Zoonoses, Zoonotic Agents and Food-borne Outbreaks by EFSA and ECDC (the report) with regard to data needs and subsequent analyses that will minimise the impact of existing data gaps and inconsistencies. Specific assessments performed for bovine tuberculosis, echinococcosis, Q fever, brucellosis, rabies, cysticercosis and tularaemia s...

  19. Prospects of eliminating pathogens by the process of food irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kampelmacher, E.H.

    1981-01-01

    Food-borne diseases are an increasing health hazard throughout the world. Some of these diseases, such as salmonellosis, staphylo-entero-toxicosis, botulism, vibriosis and parasitic infections have always played an important role, whereas some other food-borne pathogens, such as Campylobacter, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and toxin-producing fungi have only been recognised in recent decades. Changing food-production methods, food processing and especially food habits, together with the enormous trade in foods and feeds from one part of the world to the other, are responsible for the increase of these diseases. To meet this situation, prevention and control of food-borne diseases, which involve large groups of persons and play a major socio-economic role in many parts of the world, are of utmost importance. In prevention and control programmes food irradiation can be applied successfully and may solve some of the food and feed contamination problems. The author summarizes to-day's most important food-borne diseases, the type of foods which are responsible for infections in man and animals, and the commodities in which low-dose food irradiation may be of great value in preventing these diseases. The advantages of irradiation versus the use of chemical additives and pesticides and with respect to the prevention of cross-contamination (which plays a very important role in initiating food-borne diseases) by pre-packaging, are emphasized. The required irradiaton doses to eliminate or reduce the number of pathogenic organisms which may be present in foods, the problem of radioresistance and the acceptability of irradiated food are discussed. Finally to-day's situation of irradiated foods with regard to legislation, consumers' information and economic feasibility is summarized. (author)

  20. Antibacterial activity of kecombrang flower extract (Nicolaia speciosa) microencapsulation with food additive materials formulation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naufalin, R.; Rukmini, H. S.

    2018-01-01

    Kecombrang flower (Nicolaia speciosa) contains bioactive components of alkaloids, flavonoids, polyphenols, steroids, saponins, and essential oils as potential antimicrobials. The use of antibacterials in the form of essential oils has constraints; therefore microencapsulation needs to be done to prevent damage to the bioactive components. Microencapsulation can prevent degradation due to radiation or oxygen, easy-mix with foodstuffs and also slow the occurrence of evaporation. This study aimed to determine the effect of types of kecombrang extract, the concentration of microcapsules in food additives (NaCl and sucrose), and concentration of flower extract in the microcapsules. This study used Randomized Block Design (RBD) with 18 treatment combinations and two replications. Factors studied were types of kecombrang flower extract of (semi polar and polar extract), Food Additive types (sucrose and NaCl), the concentration of microcapsules in food additive (0%; 15%; 30% w /v). The results showed that polar and non-polar extract microcapsules produced antibacterial activity of 7.178 mm and 7.145 respectively of Bacillus cereus bacteria, while Escherichia coli was 7.272 mm and 7.289 mm respectively. A 30 percent microcapsule concentration provides antibacterial activity with inhibiting zone of 7, 818 mm for B. cereus and 8,045 for E.coli. Food Additive of sucrose concentrations showed that microcapsules produced tend to be more effective in inhibiting the growth of E.coli and B. cereus bacteria than that of NaCl, with each inhibition zone of 7.499 mm and 7.357 mm

  1. Is lowering reducing sugars concentration in French fries an effective measure to reduce acrylamide concentration in food service establishments?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sanny, M.A.I.; Jinap, S.; Bakker, E.J.; Boekel, van M.A.J.S.; Luning, P.A.

    2012-01-01

    The objective of this study was to obtain insight into the actual effectiveness of lowering reducing sugars concentration in par-fried potato strips on the concentration and variation of acrylamide in French fries prepared in real-life situations in food service establishments. Acrylamide, frying

  2. Optimization of an effective growth medium for culturing probiotic bacteria for applications in strict vegetarian food products

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manju Pathak

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Background: This study aimed to modify de Man Rogosa Sharpe culture medium (termed MRS for selective cultivation of probiotics strain for the consumption by the strictly vegetarian human population. Vegetarian probiotic foods by definition must be free from all animal-derived ingredients. This not only includes the product ingredients but the probiotic inoculum as well. Probiotic starter cultures are traditionally grown and stored in media containing milk or meatderived ingredients. The presence of these ingredients makes the probiotic cell concentrates unsuitable for use in vegetarian products and thus creates the need for a growth medium which isfree from animal-derived ingredients. Present study investigated the growth of a strain of Lactobacillus lactis in MRS. The present invention relates in general to a bacterial culture media,and more specifically a complex microbial culture media, based on plant seed powder extract in place of animal extract for probiotic bacterial growth.Methods: Lactobacillus lactis, a probiotic, was grown in standard MRS culture medium as well as in our various test media (TM containing various vegetal source in place of beef extract, yeast extract and peptone as in case of MRS. The inoculated culture mediums were incubated at 37C for 72 hours and growth of probiotic is recorded at regular intervals. The growth was recorded as Colony Forming Units (CFUs.Results: The best growth of probiotic is observed in TM 2. TM 2 is the leguminous seed extract. Starter culture mediums for probiotics or other bacteria primarily contain protein from animal source. The possibility of using vegetal protein from TM 2 extract in place of peptones and meat extract for the nitrogen supplementation of culture media for the growth of lactic acid bacteria has been demonstrated.Functional Foods in Health and Disease 2012, 2(10:369-378 Conclusion: The absolute vegetarian culture medium containing TM 2 is better than standard MRS for the

  3. Assessment of Antibiotic Resistant Commensal Bacteria in Food

    Science.gov (United States)

    2006-01-01

    mold Penicillium was able to inhibit the growth of some bacteria. (37). In 1928, a Brittish physician Alexander Fleming observed the similar...phenomenon. One of his bacterial plate cultures was contaminated with the blue-green mold Penicillium , and the bacterial colonies in close approximation to...sliced chicken lunchmeat, and the strain was identified as Pseudomonas sp . ART bacteria were isolated sporadically in 32 lunchmeat, which is

  4. The consumption of canned food and beverages and urinary Bisphenol A concentrations in NHANES 2003–2008

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hartle, Jennifer C.; Navas-Acien; Lawrence, Robert S.

    2016-01-01

    Background Exposure to Bisphenol A (BPA) is ubiquitous and includes dietary and environmental pathways. BPA is rapidly glucuronidated in the body, and both BPA and its conjugates can be readily measured in urine. Objectives To investigate the contribution of canned food and beverages, known sources of BPA contamination, to BPA biomarkers of exposure using dietary and urinary BPA concentration information in a representative sample of the U.S. population. Methods We evaluated 7,669 NHANES 2003–2008 participants 6 years and older with 24-hour dietary recall information and urinary BPA concentrations available. Using linear regression models, we evaluated the associations between recent canned food and beverage consumption and urinary BPA concentrations, adjusting for potential confounders. Results We found 9% of our participants consumed one canned food in the past 24 hours and 2% consumed two or more canned foods. The consumption of one canned food vs. none was associated with 24% (95% CI 1.11, 1.38) higher urinary BPA concentrations. The consumption of two or more canned foods vs. none was associated with 54% (95% CI 1.27, 1.88) higher urinary BPA concentrations. The consumption of one or more of some specific types of canned foods vs. none were associated with higher urinary BPA concentrations: 41% (95% CI 1.23, 1.63) higher BPA for vegetable and fruit, 70% (95% CI 1.18, 2.44) higher for canned pasta, and 229% (95% CI 1.22, 4.30) higher for canned soup. Canned beverages were not associated with urinary BPA concentrations. Conclusions Canned food, including some specific types such as canned vegetable and fruit, canned pasta, and canned soup were associated with higher levels of urinary BPA concentrations. PMID:27362993

  5. Method for recovering aroma concentrate from a caffeine- or theobromine-comprising food base material

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kattenberg, H.R.; Willemsen, J.H.A.; Starmans, D.A.J.; Hoving, H.D.; Winters, M.G.M.

    2002-01-01

    Described is a method for recovering aroma concentrate from a caffeine- or theobromine-comprising food base material, such as coffee or tea, and in particular cocoa, at least comprising the steps of: introducing the food base material into an aqueous extractant and incubating the food base material

  6. Chemistry, Antimicrobial Mechanisms, and Antibiotic Activities of Cinnamaldehyde against Pathogenic Bacteria in Animal Feeds and Human Foods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Friedman, Mendel

    2017-12-06

    Cinnamaldehyde is a major constituent of cinnamon essential oils produced by aromatic cinnamon plants. This compound has been reported to exhibit antimicrobial properties in vitro in laboratory media and in animal feeds and human foods contaminated with disease-causing bacteria including Bacillus cereus, Campylobacter jejuni, Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella enterica. This integrated review surveys and interprets our current knowledge of the chemistry, analysis, safety, mechanism of action, and antibiotic activities of cinnamaldehyde in food animal (cattle, lambs, calves, pigs, poultry) diets and in widely consumed liquid (apple, carrot, tomato, and watermelon juices, milk) and solid foods. Solid foods include various fruits (bayberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries), vegetables (carrots, celery, lettuce, spinach, cucumbers, and tomatoes), meats (beef, ham, pork, and frankfurters), poultry (chickens and turkeys), seafood (oysters and shrimp), bread, cheese, eggs, infant formula, and peanut paste. The described findings are not only of fundamental interest but also have practical implications for food safety, nutrition, and animal and human health. The collated information and suggested research needs will hopefully facilitate and guide further studies needed to optimize the use of cinnamaldehyde alone and in combination with other natural antimicrobials and medicinal antibiotics to help prevent and treat food animal and human diseases.

  7. Exposure to Anacardiaceae Volatile Oils and Their Constituents Induces Lipid Peroxidation within Food-Borne Bacteria Cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ricardo M. Montanari

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available The chemical composition of the volatile oils from five Anacardiaceae species and their activities against Gram positive and negative bacteria were assessed. The peroxidative damage within bacterial cell membranes was determined through the breakdown product malondialdehyde (MDA. The major constituents in Anacardium humile leaves oil were (E-caryophyllene (31.0% and α-pinene (22.0%, and in Anacardium occidentale oil they were (E-caryophyllene (15.4% and germacrene-D (11.5%. Volatile oil from Astronium fraxinifolium leaves were dominated by (E-β-ocimene (44.1% and α-terpinolene (15.2%, whilst the oil from Myracrodruon urundeuva contained an abundance of δ-3-carene (78.8%. However, Schinus terebinthifolius leaves oil collected in March and July presented different chemical compositions. The oils from all species, except the one from A. occidentale, exhibited varying levels of antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli. Oil extracted in July from S. terebinthifolius was more active against all bacterial strains than the corresponding oil extracted in March. The high antibacterial activity of the M. urundeuva oil could be ascribed to its high δ-3-carene content. The amounts of MDA generated within bacterial cells indicate that the volatile oils induce lipid peroxidation. The results suggest that one putative mechanism of antibacterial action of these volatile oils is pro-oxidant damage within bacterial cell membrane explaining in part their preservative properties.

  8. Tree species effects on pathogen-suppressive capacities of soil bacteria across two tropical dry forests in Costa Rica.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becklund, Kristen; Powers, Jennifer; Kinkel, Linda

    2016-11-01

    Antibiotic-producing bacteria in the genus Streptomyces can inhibit soil-borne plant pathogens, and have the potential to mediate the impacts of disease on plant communities. Little is known about how antibiotic production varies among soil communities in tropical forests, despite a long history of interest in the role of soil-borne pathogens in these ecosystems. Our objective was to determine how tree species and soils influence variation in antibiotic-mediated pathogen suppression among Streptomyces communities in two tropical dry forest sites (Santa Rosa and Palo Verde). We targeted tree species that co-occur in both sites and used a culture-based functional assay to quantify pathogen-suppressive capacities of Streptomyces communities beneath 50 focal trees. We also measured host-associated litter and soil element concentrations as potential mechanisms by which trees may influence soil microbes. Pathogen-suppressive capacities of Streptomyces communities varied within and among tree species, and inhibitory phenotypes were significantly related to soil and litter element concentrations. Average proportions of inhibitory Streptomyces in soils from the same tree species varied between 1.6 and 3.3-fold between sites. Densities and proportions of pathogen-suppressive bacteria were always higher in Santa Rosa than Palo Verde. Our results suggest that spatial heterogeneity in the potential for antibiotic-mediated disease suppression is shaped by tree species, site, and soil characteristics, which could have significant implications for understanding plant community composition and diversity in tropical dry forests.

  9. Genomic and transcriptomic insights into how bacteria withstand high concentrations of benzalkonium chloride biocides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Minjae; Hatt, Janet K; Weigand, Michael R; Krishnan, Raj; Pavlostathis, Spyros G; Konstantinidis, Konstantinos T

    2018-04-13

    Benzalkonium chlorides (BAC) are commonly used biocides in broad-spectrum disinfectant solutions. How microorganisms cope with BAC exposure remains poorly understood, despite its importance for disinfection and disinfectant-induced antibiotic resistance. To provide insights into these issues, we exposed two isolates of an opportunistic pathogen, Pseudomonas aeruginosa , to increasing concentrations of BAC. One isolate was pre-adapted to BAC as it originated from a bioreactor fed with sub-inhibitory concentrations of BAC for 3 years, while the other originated from a bioreactor that received no BAC. Replicated populations of both isolates were able to survive high concentrations of BAC, up to 1200 and 1600mg/L for the non- and pre-adapted ones, respectively, exceeding typical application doses. RNA-seq analysis revealed up-regulation of efflux pump genes and decreased expression of porins related to BAC transport as well as reduced growth rate. Increased expression of spermidine (a polycation) synthase genes and mutations in the pmrB (polymyxin resistance) gene, which cause a reduction in membrane negative charge, suggested that a major adaptation to exposure to the cationic surfactant BAC was to actively stabilize cell surface charge. Collectively, these results revealed that P. aeruginosa adapts to BAC exposure by a combination of mechanisms, and provided genetic markers to monitor BAC-resistant organisms that may have applications in the practice of disinfection. Importance Benzalkonium chlorides (BAC) are widely used as biocides in disinfectant solutions, food processing lines, domestic households, and healthcare facilities. Due to their wide use and mode of action, there has been rising concern that BAC may promote antibiotic resistance. Consistently, at least 40 outbreaks have been attributed to infection by disinfectant- and antibiotic-resistant pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa However, the underlying molecular mechanisms that bacteria deal with BAC

  10. Isolation and biochemical and molecular characterization of Listeria monocytogenes in food

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Helel, Salma

    2008-01-01

    monocytogenes is a Gram-positive bacteria, saprophytic, non-spore. This is an extremely resistant seeds to environmental conditions outside, especially since the cold psychrotrophic. It can contaminate raw vegetables, cooked meals ready for consumption or foods to be stored in the refrigerator, such as cheese or meat. It is the bacteria responsible for listeriosis. It threatens first unborn children, infants, pregnant women, the elderly and people whose immune system is weakened. Strains of Listeria spp isolated from foods (seafood, meat, meat) were first identified at the stage of the genus by classical tests (Gram staining, catalase test, oxidase test and mobility) and stage of the test case by hemolysis, CAMP test and the gallery Api Listeria. Biochemical characterization allowed after a numerical analysis, to assign 100% of isolates to the genus Listeria. Molecular characterization was performed by PCR amplification of genes coding for protein p60 (iap), the listeriolysine O (hly), the Phosphatidylinositol Phospholipase C (PI-PLC plca) Phosphatidylcholine Phospholipase C (plcB). The result showed an amplification of the iap gene of 100% of the hly gene, plca, plcB of 31.81%. This characterization represents an identification of the collection on the genetic level and shows that 31.81% of isolates, is likely to express the genes responsible for virulence factors of L. monocytogenes, to produce listeriolysine O, phospholipase C and Lecithinase. The molecular identification was performed by microarray technique and identified isolates L. September monocytogenes (five original clinical isolates and two food-borne), fourteen L. innocua (of food) and a strain not identified by DNA chip.. (Author)

  11. Sensitive detection of maltose and glucose based on dual enzyme-displayed bacteria electrochemical biosensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Aihua; Lang, Qiaolin; Liang, Bo; Shi, Jianguo

    2017-01-15

    Glucoamylase-displayed bacteria (GA-bacteria) and glucose dehydrogenase-displayed bacteria (GDH-bacteria) were co-immobilized on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) to construct GA-bacteria/GDH-bacteria/MWNTs/GCE biosensor. The biosensor was developed by optimizing the loading amount and the ratio of GA-bacteria to GDH-bacteria. The as-prepared biosensor exhibited a wide dynamic range of 0.2-10mM and a low detection limit of 0.1mM maltose (S/N=3). The biosensor also had a linear response to glucose in the range of 0.1-2.0mM and a low detection limit of 0.04mM glucose (S/N=3). Interestingly, at the same concentration, glucose was 3.75-fold sensitive than that of maltose at the proposed biosensor. No interferences were observed for other possible mono- and disaccharides. The biosensor also demonstrated good long-term storage stability and repeatability. Further, using both GDH-bacteria/MWNTs/GCE biosensor and GA-bacteria/GDH-bacteria/MWNTs/GCE biosensor, glucose and maltose in real samples can be detected. Therefore, the proposed biosensor is capable of monitoring the food manufacturing and fermentation process. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Traditional foods and 25(OH)D concentrations in a subarctic First Nations community.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mansuri, Sudaba; Badawi, Alaa; Kayaniyil, Sheena; Cole, David E; Harris, Stewart B; Mamakeesick, Mary; Wolever, Thomas; Gittelsohn, Joel; Maguire, Jonathon L; Connelly, Philip W; Zinman, Bernard; Hanley, Anthony J

    2016-01-01

    Sub-optimal vitamin D status is common worldwide and the condition may be associated with increased risk for various chronic diseases. In particular, low vitamin D status is highly prevalent in indigenous communities in Canada, although limited data are available on the determinants of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations in this population. The relationship between traditional food consumption and vitamin D status has not been well documented. To investigate the determinants of serum 25(OH)D status in a First Nations community in Ontario, Canada, with a focus on the role of traditional food consumption and activities. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted within the Sandy Lake Health and Diabetes Project (2003-2005). A total of 445 participants (>12 years of age) were assessed for serum 25(OH)D status, anthropometric and lifestyle variables, including traditional and non-traditional dietary practices and activities. Diet patterns were identified using factor analysis, and multivariate linear regression analysis was used to analyse the determinants of 25(OH)D concentrations. Mean serum 25(OH)D concentrations were 22.1 nmol/L (16.9, 29.9 nmol/L) in men and 20.5 nmol/L (16.0, 27.3 nmol/L) in women. Multivariate determinants of higher serum 25(OH)D included higher consumption of traditional and healthier market foods, higher wild fish consumption, male gender, spring/summer season of blood collection and more frequent physical activity. Significant negative determinants included hours of TV/day, higher BMI and higher consumption of unhealthy market foods. Traditional food consumption contributed independently to higher 25(OH)D concentrations in a First Nations community with a high prevalence of sub-optimal vitamin D status.

  13. Search and molecular identification of two pathogenic bacteria (Salmonella and Listeria) in different food matrices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wislati, Mohamed Amine

    2010-01-01

    A food is a substance consumed in the natural state or after a cooking. The essential role of food is the apport of essential elements in the growth and in the energy needs as well as in the reserves of the body. Foodstuffs may be contaminated by microorganisms such as the viruses, the parasites, the bacteria at the different steps of production, transformation, transport and manipulation being able to engender food collective toxi-infections (T.I.A.C), infections. This study contains a research directed by two pathogenic germs; Listeria and Salmonella as food contaminants, ending at the man's respectively in two diseases: the Listeriosis and the Salmonellosis and the enumeration of the fecal coliform as indicators of lack of hygiene and a contamination of fecal origin. 90 samples of various types and origins are analyzed in the laboratory of biology and molecular microbiology of the (CNSTN) and are identified by Api (Listeria, 20E) and by PCR. Three origins of Listeria and four origins of Salmonella were isolated. Then, the healthiness of various lots was estimated (dairy products, produced meat-based and produced ready to be eaten) according to the plan of interpretation of the result (plan 2 classes) and (plan 3 classes).The obtained results confirm the contamination of our products taken from the market of public consumption. So the strengthen measures of prevention and health control are very important in the food industry.

  14. Lactic acid bacteria in a changing legislative environment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Feord, J.

    2002-01-01

    The benefits of using lactic acid bacteria in the food chain, both through direct consumption and production of ingredients, are increasingly recognised by the food industry and consumers alike. The regulatory environment surrounding these products is diverse, covering foods and food ingredients,

  15. Pathogenic bacteria associated with oysters (Crassostrea brasiliana) and estuarine water along the south coast of Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ristori, Christiane A; Iaria, Sebastião T; Gelli, Dilma S; Rivera, Irma N G

    2007-08-01

    Oysters and estuarine water samples were collected monthly, from June 1998 to March 1999, in the Cananéia estuary, on the south coast of São Paulo, Brazil, and analyzed for bacterial hazards with and without depuration in filtered estuarine water. Aeromonas spp., Plesiomonas shigelloides, Vibrio cholerae O1, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Vibrio vulnificus were counted in oyster samples using the most probable number (MPN) and their presence verified in the surrounding estuarine water samples. The presence of Salmonella, Shigella, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and fecal coliforms counts were determined in oysters and in water samples too. Sixty percent of water samples contained fecal coliforms ranging from 200 CFU/100 ml and 100%, 30%, 20% and 10% were positive for V. parahaemolyticus, Salmonella, Aeromonas, and V. vulnificus in 5 l of water samples, respectively. In oyster samples, the fecal coliforms concentration ranged from or =2.4 x 10(3) MPN/g in 40% of untreated and from oyster samples and their concentration varied from 3.6 to > or =2.4 x 10(3) MPN/g. For the untreated oyster samples 80%, 70%, and 10% were positive for V. vulnificus (oyster samples 60%, 30%, and 0% of them contained the same bacteria, respectively. Escherichia coli O157:H7, Shigella spp., P. shigelloides, and V. cholerae O1 were not detected in any of the samples. Fecal indicators did not correlate with Vibrio presence (p>0.05), although the isolation of Aeromonas species had a positive correlation (p = 0.017). The results showed no correlation between temperature, salinity, and bacteria (p > 0.05). The comparison between bacterial concentration in treated and untreated oyster samples, showed that only Aeromonas was higher in untreated oyster samples (p = 0.039). This study contributes toward creating a more global understanding of food-borne bacterial pathogens. The presence and concentration of viable bacterial hazards in oysters and water surrounding areas was determined for the first time

  16. Developmental Peculiarities and Seed-Borne Endophytes in Quinoa: Omnipresent, Robust Bacilli Contribute to Plant Fitness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pitzschke, Andrea

    2016-01-01

    Among potential climate change-adapted crops for future agriculture, quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa), a facultative halophyte plant with exceptional nutritional properties, stands out as a prime candidate. This work examined how quinoa deals with extreme situations during seed rehydration. Quinoa distinguishes itself from other plants in multiple ways. It germinates within minutes, even under extremely hostile conditions. Broken seeds/split embryos are able to regenerate. Furthermore, quinoa seedlings are resurrection-competent. These peculiarities became in part explainable upon discovery of seed-borne microorganisms. 100% of quinoa seeds, from different sources, are inhabited by diverse members of the genus Bacillus. These endophytes are motile and reside in all seedling organs, indicating vertical transmission. Owing to their high catalase activities and superoxide contents the bacteria potentially manipulate the host’s redox status. Superoxide-driven cell expansion enables quinoa to overcome a critical period in development, seedling establishment. Quinoa’s immediate confrontation with “foreign” reactive oxygen species and bacterial elicitors likely induces a naturally primed state, enabling plants to withstand extreme situations. The endophytic bacteria, which are cultivable and highly robust themselves, have high potential for application in agriculture, food (amylase) and cosmetics (catalase) industry. This work also discusses the potential of transferring quinoa’s microbiome to improve stress resistance in other plant species. PMID:26834724

  17. An attempt of rationalization of tick-borne disease prevention using a multifunctional container for Tick Twister ®

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Barbara Oczko-Grzesik

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Ticks are reservoir and transmission vectors of many bacteria, viruses and parasites, which are pathogenic for humans. Early and correct tick removal is crucial as prevention of tick-borne diseases. The aim of the study is an attempt at rationalization of tick-borne disease prevention using a multifunctional container for Tick Twister®. In practice, it should enable people to use Tick Twister® in all circumstances contributing to the improvement of efficiency in tick-borne diseases prevention, and as a result, to a decrease in their frequency and after effects.

  18. Management of soil-borne diseases of organic vegetables

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shafique Hafiza Asma

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available With the rising awareness of the adverse effects of chemical pesticides, people are looking for organically grown vegetables. Consumers are increasingly choosing organic foods due to the perception that they are healthier than those conventionally grown. Vegetable crops are vulnerable to a range of pathogenic organisms that reduce yield by killing the plant or damaging the product, thus making it unmarketable. Soil-borne diseases are among the major factors contributing to low yields of organic produce. Apart from chemical pesticides there are several methods that can be used to protect crops from soil-borne pathogens. These include the introduction of biocontrol agents against soil-borne plant pathogens, plants with therapeutic effects and organic soil amendments that stimulate antagonistic activities of microorganisms to soil-borne diseases. The decomposition of organic matter in soil also results in the accumulation of specific compounds that may be antifungal or nematicidal. With the growing interest in organic vegetables, it is necessary to find non chemical means of plant disease control. This review describes the impact of soil-borne diseases on organic vegetables and methods used for their control.

  19. Effect of frying instructions for food handlers on acrylamide concentration in French fries: an explorative study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sanny, M; Luning, P A; Jinap, S; Bakker, E J; van Boekel, M A J S

    2013-03-01

    The objective of this study was to obtain insight into the effect of frying instructions on food handlers' control decisions in restaurants and to investigate the impact of control decisions on the variation and concentration of acrylamide in French fries. The concentrations of acrylamide and reducing sugars were analyzed, the frying temperature and time were measured, and thawing practices were observed. The results obtained before and after instructions were provided to the food handlers were compared for restaurants as a group and for each restaurant. Frying instructions supported food handlers' decisions to start frying when the oil temperature reached 175°C; all handlers started frying at the correct temperature. However, the effect of the instructions on the food handlers' decisions for frying time differed; most handlers increased the frying time beyond 240 s to achieve crispier French fries with a final color dictated by their preference. Providing instructions did not result in a significant difference in the mean concentration of acrylamide in French fries for the restaurants as a group. However, data analyzed for each restaurant revealed that when food handlers properly followed the instructions, the mean concentration of acrylamide was significantly lower (169 μg/kg) than that before instructions were provided (1,517 μg/kg). When food handlers did not complying with the frying instructions, mean acrylamide concentrations were even higher than those before instructions were provided. Two different strategies were developed to overcome the noncompliant behavior of food handlers: establishing requirements for the features of commercial fryers and strict monitoring of compliance with instructions.

  20. Radionuclides of foods in Japan and uptake of radio/stable elements by terrestrial food, microorganism

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sugiyama, H.; Kuwahara, C.; Kato, F.

    2004-01-01

    According to our recent investigation from 2000 to 2003, radiocesium concentrations of foods in Japan imported from various foreign countries were low levels ( 137 Cs concentrations. And also, we obtained the data that wild mushrooms collected from four points of Japanese forests in 2002 had been still contaminated by 137 Cs ( 137 Cs to mushrooms is both a direct path way from soil and an indirect path way from the cells of soil microorganisms. We performed the culture experiments of the saprophytic edible mushroom (Pleurotus otsreatus) mycelia and one of the representative soil microorganisms isolated from wild mushroom substrata, using several stable elements. On the isolation of soil microorganisms from mushroom substrata, the appearance frequencies of planktonic bacteria and filamentous actinomycetes were affected by pH of isolation medium. Cs tolerance of the planktonic bacteria and the filamentous actinomycetes showed considerable difference; as far as tested 13 soil samples, planktonic bacteria being able to grow in the presence of 50 mM CsCl were present in all the samples at a higher density but no filamentous actinomycetes could grow in the presence of 50 mM. Accumulation of Cs in filamentous actinomycetes (Streptomyces sp. K202) were two to eight times higher than those in bacteria when they were incubated in the presence of 5 mM CsCl. (author)

  1. Culturable diversity of halophilic bacteria in foreshore soils.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Irshad, Aarzoo; Ahmad, Irshad; Kim, Seung Bum

    2014-01-01

    Halophilic bacteria are commonly found in natural environments containing significant concentration of NaCl such as inland salt lakes and evaporated sea-shore pools, as well as environments such as curing brines, salted food products and saline soils. Dependence on salt is an important phenotypic characteristic of halophilic bacteria, which can be used in the polyphasic characterization of newly discovered microorganisms. In this study the diversity of halophilic bacteria in foreshore soils of Daecheon, Chungnam, and Saemangeum, Jeonbuk, was investigated. Two types of media, namely NA and R2A supplemented with 3%, 5%, 9%, 15%, 20% and 30% NaCl were used. More than 200 halophilic bacteria were isolated and BOX-PCR fingerprinting analysis was done for the typing of the isolates. The BLAST identification results showed that isolated strains were composed of 4 phyla, Firmicutes (60%), Proteobacteria (31%), Bacteriodetes (5%) and Actinobacteria (4%). Isolates were affiliated with 16 genera and 36 species. Bacillus was the dominant genus in the phylum Firmicutes, comprising 24% of the total isolates. Halomonas (12%) and Shewanella (12%) were also found as the main genera. These findings show that the foreshore soil of Daecheon Beach and Saemangeum Sea of Korea represents an untapped source of bacterial biodiversity.

  2. Culturable diversity of halophilic bacteria in foreshore soils

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aarzoo Irshad

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Halophilic bacteria are commonly found in natural environments containing significant concentration of NaCl such as inland salt lakes and evaporated sea-shore pools, as well as environments such as curing brines, salted food products and saline soils. Dependence on salt is an important phenotypic characteristic of halophilic bacteria, which can be used in the polyphasic characterization of newly discovered microorganisms. In this study the diversity of halophilic bacteria in foreshore soils of Daecheon, Chungnam, and Saemangeum, Jeonbuk, was investigated. Two types of media, namely NA and R2A supplemented with 3%, 5%, 9%, 15%, 20% and 30% NaCl were used. More than 200 halophilic bacteria were isolated and BOX-PCR fingerprinting analysis was done for the typing of the isolates. The BLAST identification results showed that isolated strains were composed of 4 phyla, Firmicutes (60%, Proteobacteria (31%, Bacteriodetes (5% and Actinobacteria (4%. Isolates were affiliated with 16 genera and 36 species. Bacillus was the dominant genus in the phylum Firmicutes, comprising 24% of the total isolates. Halomonas (12% and Shewanella (12% were also found as the main genera. These findings show that the foreshore soil of Daecheon Beach and Saemangeum Sea of Korea represents an untapped source of bacterial biodiversity.

  3. Outdoor ultrafine particle concentrations in front of fast food restaurants

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vert, Cristina; Meliefste, Kees; Hoek, Gerard

    2016-01-01

    Ultrafine particles (UFPs) have been associated with negative effects on human health. Emissions from motor vehicles are the principal source of UFPs in urban air. A study in Vancouver suggested that UFP concentrations were related to density of fast food restaurants near the monitoring sites. A

  4. Autoinducer-2-like activity associated with foods and its interaction with food additives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Lingeng; Hume, Michael E; Pillai, Suresh D

    2004-07-01

    The autoinducer-2 (AI-2) molecule produced by bacteria as part of quorum sensing is considered to be a universal inducer signal in bacteria because it reportedly influences gene expression in a variety of both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. The objective of this study was to determine whether selected fresh produce and processed foods have AI-2-like activity and whether specific food additives can act as AI-2 mimics and result in AI-2-like activity. The luminescence-based response of the reporter strain Vibrio harveyi BB170 was used as the basis for determining AI-2 activity in the selected foods and food ingredients. Maximum AI-2 activity was seen on the frozen fish sample (203-fold, compared with the negative control) followed by tomato, cantaloupe, carrots, tofu, and milk samples. Interestingly, some samples were capable of inhibiting AI-2 activity. Turkey patties showed the highest inhibition (99.8% compared with the positive control) followed by chicken breast (97.5%), homemade cheeses (93.7%), beef steak (90.6%), and beef patties (84.4%). AI-2 activity was almost totally inhibited by sodium propionate, whereas sodium benzoate caused 93.3% inhibition, compared with 75% inhibition by sodium acetate. Sodium nitrate did not have any appreciable effect, even at 200 ppm. Understanding the relationships that exist between AI-2 activity on foods and the ecology of pathogens and food spoilage bacteria on foods could yield clues about factors controlling food spoilage and pathogen virulence.

  5. Enhancement of microbial quality and inactivation of pathogenic bacteria by gamma irradiation of ready-to-cook Iranian barbecued chicken

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fallah, Aziz A.; Siavash Saei-Dehkordi, S.; Rahnama, Mohammad

    2010-01-01

    Ready-to-cook Iranian barbecued chicken consists of cubed chicken breast, lemon juice, salt, red pepper, onion, saffron and vegetable oil with an overall pH value of about 5.5. This product is sometimes consumed under-cooked, hence it may pose health hazards to consumers when contaminated with food-borne pathogens. In this study, the effect of gamma irradiation (0, 1.5, 3 and 4.5 kGy) on the microbial quality of ready-to-cook (RTC) barbecued chicken samples stored at 4 o C for 15 days was investigated. Moreover, the effectiveness of irradiation for inactivating Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella typhimurium inoculated into the samples was also studied. Irradiation of the samples resulted in dose dependent reduction in counts of aerobic mesophilic bacteria, yeasts and molds, Enterobacteriaceae and lactic acid bacteria. Among the microbial flora, yeasts and molds and Enterobacteriaceae were more sensitive to irradiation and got completely eliminated at dose of 3 kGy. D 10 values of L. monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7 and S. typhimurium inoculated into the samples were 0.680, 0.397 and 0.601 kGy, respectively. An irradiation dose of 3 kGy reduced the counts of E. coli O157:H7 to an undetectable level in RTC barbecued chicken but was ineffective on elimination of L. monocytogenes and S. typhimurium. However, none of the food-borne pathogens were detected in the samples irradiated at 4.5 kGy. This study showed that irradiation had no undesirable effects on the initial sensory attributes of barbecued chicken. At the end of the storage period, irradiated samples were more acceptable compared to non-irradiated ones.

  6. Enhancement of microbial quality and inactivation of pathogenic bacteria by gamma irradiation of ready-to-cook Iranian barbecued chicken

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fallah, Aziz A.; Siavash Saei-Dehkordi, S.; Rahnama, Mohammad

    2010-10-01

    Ready-to-cook Iranian barbecued chicken consists of cubed chicken breast, lemon juice, salt, red pepper, onion, saffron and vegetable oil with an overall pH value of about 5.5. This product is sometimes consumed under-cooked, hence it may pose health hazards to consumers when contaminated with food-borne pathogens. In this study, the effect of gamma irradiation (0, 1.5, 3 and 4.5 kGy) on the microbial quality of ready-to-cook (RTC) barbecued chicken samples stored at 4 °C for 15 days was investigated. Moreover, the effectiveness of irradiation for inactivating Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella typhimurium inoculated into the samples was also studied. Irradiation of the samples resulted in dose dependent reduction in counts of aerobic mesophilic bacteria, yeasts and molds, Enterobacteriaceae and lactic acid bacteria. Among the microbial flora, yeasts and molds and Enterobacteriaceae were more sensitive to irradiation and got completely eliminated at dose of 3 kGy. D10 values of L. monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7 and S. typhimurium inoculated into the samples were 0.680, 0.397 and 0.601 kGy, respectively. An irradiation dose of 3 kGy reduced the counts of E. coli O157:H7 to an undetectable level in RTC barbecued chicken but was ineffective on elimination of L. monocytogenes and S. typhimurium. However, none of the food-borne pathogens were detected in the samples irradiated at 4.5 kGy. This study showed that irradiation had no undesirable effects on the initial sensory attributes of barbecued chicken. At the end of the storage period, irradiated samples were more acceptable compared to non-irradiated ones.

  7. Enhancement of microbial quality and inactivation of pathogenic bacteria by gamma irradiation of ready-to-cook Iranian barbecued chicken

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fallah, Aziz A., E-mail: a_a_falah@yahoo.co [Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahre-Kord University, Shahre-Kord 34141 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Research Institute of Zoonotic Diseases, Shahre-Kord University, Shahre-Kord 34141 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Siavash Saei-Dehkordi, S. [Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahre-Kord University, Shahre-Kord 34141 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Research Institute of Zoonotic Diseases, Shahre-Kord University, Shahre-Kord 34141 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Rahnama, Mohammad [Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zabol, Zabol 98615 (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

    2010-10-15

    Ready-to-cook Iranian barbecued chicken consists of cubed chicken breast, lemon juice, salt, red pepper, onion, saffron and vegetable oil with an overall pH value of about 5.5. This product is sometimes consumed under-cooked, hence it may pose health hazards to consumers when contaminated with food-borne pathogens. In this study, the effect of gamma irradiation (0, 1.5, 3 and 4.5 kGy) on the microbial quality of ready-to-cook (RTC) barbecued chicken samples stored at 4 {sup o}C for 15 days was investigated. Moreover, the effectiveness of irradiation for inactivating Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella typhimurium inoculated into the samples was also studied. Irradiation of the samples resulted in dose dependent reduction in counts of aerobic mesophilic bacteria, yeasts and molds, Enterobacteriaceae and lactic acid bacteria. Among the microbial flora, yeasts and molds and Enterobacteriaceae were more sensitive to irradiation and got completely eliminated at dose of 3 kGy. D{sub 10} values of L. monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7 and S. typhimurium inoculated into the samples were 0.680, 0.397 and 0.601 kGy, respectively. An irradiation dose of 3 kGy reduced the counts of E. coli O157:H7 to an undetectable level in RTC barbecued chicken but was ineffective on elimination of L. monocytogenes and S. typhimurium. However, none of the food-borne pathogens were detected in the samples irradiated at 4.5 kGy. This study showed that irradiation had no undesirable effects on the initial sensory attributes of barbecued chicken. At the end of the storage period, irradiated samples were more acceptable compared to non-irradiated ones.

  8. Photocrosslinker technology: An antimicrobial efficacy of cinnamaldehyde cross-linked low-density polyethylene (Cin-C-LDPE) as a novel food wrapper.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manukumar, H M; Umesha, S

    2017-12-01

    In recent years much attention has been devoted to active packaging technologies that offer new opportunities for the food industry and food preservation. The spoilage of food products during post process handling leads to food contamination and causes life-threatening food-borne illness. The methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) 090 is one of the food-borne pathogens associated with food poisoning that leads to an outbreak of perilous human infections worldwide. The development of resistance in bacteria and diffusion of coated synthetic preservatives into food are the major problem in food packaging industries. In the present work, we have developed a new food wrap method by cross-linking cinnamaldehyde on low-density polyethylene (Cin-C-LDPE) using novel photocrosslinker technology. The cinnamaldehyde showed potent antimicrobial activity (145mg/mL of MIC) against MRSA 090 and radical scavenging activity (RSA). The cinnamaldehyde was successfully cross-linked to LDPE and exhibited excellent antibiofilm properties against MRSA090 compared to bare LDPE. This positive interaction of developed Cin-C-LDPE against MRSA090 biofilm was confirmed by SEM and FT-IR studies, and results showed the damaged cell membrane architecture, inturn abridged adherence of MRSA090. The Cin-C-LDPE wrapped chicken, mutton, cheese, and grapes showed 2.5±0.15 log MRSA 090 reduction at the end of 10th day compared to the bare LDPE wrapped food samples. This clearly concludes that for the first time we have developed a novel Cin-C-LDPE food wrap technology effectively involved in biocidal activity against MRSA090. Applying this new strategy to develop food wrap containing nontoxic natural antimicrobial to target cell membrane components is the upcoming challenging and promising research gap remains in the food packaging industry for the future world. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Managing the potential risks of using bacteria-laden water in mineral processing to protect freshwater.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Wenying; Moran, Chris J; Vink, Sue

    2013-06-18

    The minerals industry is being driven to access multiple water sources and increase water reuse to minimize freshwater withdrawal. Bacteria-laden water, such as treated effluent, has been increasingly used as an alternative to freshwater for mineral processing, in particular flotation, where conditions are favorable for bacterial growth. However, the risk posed by bacteria to flotation efficiency is poorly understood. This could be a barrier to the ongoing use of this water source. This study tested the potential of a previously published risk-based approach as a management tool to both assist mine sites in quantifying the risk from bacteria, and finding system-wide cost-effective solutions for risk mitigation. The result shows that the solution of adjusting the flotation chemical regime could only partly control the risk. The second solution of using tailings as an absorbent was shown to be effective in the laboratory in reducing bacterial concentration and thus removing the threat to flotation recovery. The best solution is likely to combine internal and external approaches, that is, inside and outside processing plants. Findings in this study contribute possible methods applicable to managing the risk from water-borne bacteria to plant operations that choose to use bacteria-containing water, when attempting to minimize freshwater use, and avoiding the undesirable consequences of increasing its use.

  10. Optimizing Taq polymerase concentration for improved signal-to-noise in the broad range detection of low abundance bacteria.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rudolph Spangler

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: PCR in principle can detect a single target molecule in a reaction mixture. Contaminating bacterial DNA in reagents creates a practical limit on the use of PCR to detect dilute bacterial DNA in environmental or public health samples. The most pernicious source of contamination is microbial DNA in DNA polymerase preparations. Importantly, all commercial Taq polymerase preparations inevitably contain contaminating microbial DNA. Removal of DNA from an enzyme preparation is problematical. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: This report demonstrates that the background of contaminating DNA detected by quantitative PCR with broad host range primers can be decreased greater than 10-fold through the simple expedient of Taq enzyme dilution, without altering detection of target microbes in samples. The general method is: For any thermostable polymerase used for high-sensitivity detection, do a dilution series of the polymerase crossed with a dilution series of DNA or bacteria that work well with the test primers. For further work use the concentration of polymerase that gave the least signal in its negative control (H(2O while also not changing the threshold cycle for dilutions of spiked DNA or bacteria compared to higher concentrations of Taq polymerase. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: It is clear from the studies shown in this report that a straightforward procedure of optimizing the Taq polymerase concentration achieved "treatment-free" attenuation of interference by contaminating bacterial DNA in Taq polymerase preparations. This procedure should facilitate detection and quantification with broad host range primers of a small number of bona fide bacteria (as few as one in a sample.

  11. Identification of Lactic Acid Bacteria and Propionic Acid Bacteria using FTIR Spectroscopy and Artificial Neural Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Beata Nalepa

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available In the present study, lactic acid bacteria and propionic acid bacteria have been identified at the genus level with the use of artificial neural networks (ANNs and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR. Bacterial strains of the genera Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Streptococcus and Propionibacterium were analyzed since they deliver health benefits and are routinely used in the food processing industry. The correctness of bacterial identification by ANNs and FTIR was evaluated at two stages. At first stage, ANNs were tested based on the spectra of 66 reference bacterial strains. At second stage, the evaluation involved 286 spectra of bacterial strains isolated from food products, deposited in our laboratory collection, and identified by genus-specific PCR. ANNs were developed based on the spectra and their first derivatives. The most satisfactory results were reported for the probabilistic neural network, which was built using a combination of W5W4W3 spectral ranges. This network correctly identified the genus of 95 % of the lactic acid bacteria and propionic acid bacteria strains analyzed.

  12. Radionuclides concentration in foods in Peninsular Malaysia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zalina Laili; Muhamat Omar; Mohd Nahar Othman; Md Suhaimi Elias; Esther Philip, Mohd Zaidi Ibrahim; Faizal Azrin Abdul Razalim; Azmi Hassan

    2006-01-01

    The concentrations of natural radionuclides (U-238, Th-232, Ra-226, Ra-228 and K-40) and artificial radionuclides (Cs-137) in fresh, dried and cooked foodstuffs from 30 major towns in Peninsular Malaysia were determined by gamma spectrometry system and Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) technique. A total of 232 samples representing a typical Malaysian community diet were analysed. The results showed that most of the samples contained only natural radionuclides. The percentage of radionuclides detected in the samples were found about 2% for U-238, 9% for Th-232, 49% for Ra-226, 77% for Ra-228, 99% for K-40 and 15% for Cs-137. The radionuclide concentrations were in the ranges of <6.1 - 29.3, <2.0 - 55.8, <0.1 - 34.4, <0.1 - 41, <0.1- 2552.3 and < 0.1 - 6.6 Bq/Kg dry weight for U-238, Th-232, Ra-226, Ra-228 and K-40 and Cs-137 respectively. The study revealed that most of the foodstuffs did not contain U-238. Lentils were found to contain significant concentration of Th-232 (4 - 49 Bq/kg) and can be considered as thorium accumulators. The concentrations of Ra-226 and Ra-228 in leafy vegetables were higher than the fruit and root vegetables. These data can be used as a reference for future food radioactivity monitoring. As edible mushroom and fern had high concentrations of Cs-137, indicating their high ability to accumulate Cs-137, they could be used as indicator plants in the event of radioactive fall outs

  13. Screening of probiotic lactic acid bacteria from Thai fermented foods for human.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kantachote, D.

    2004-09-01

    Full Text Available Total of 327 strains of lactic acid bacteria were isolated from 179 samples of various Thai fermented foods. The strains were investigated for their probiotic properties based on stability in bile salt (0.15% and high acidity (pH 2, 3 and 4. Moreover, utilization of protein or fat or starch, growth in the absence of vitamin B12 and growth under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions with no significant difference were also considered. According to the above criteria, 67 strains were selected for antibiotics sensitivity test. The selected strains were susceptible to following antibiotics: ampicillin, cephalothin, cefoperazone, tetracycline andchloramphenicol; however the strains were resistant to vancomycin, kanamycin, streptomycin, norfloxacin and polymyxin B. Using agar spot method, only 5 strains were able to inhibit 13 strains of manifest by a bacteria indicator as clear zone greater than 10 mm. A further investigation using co-culture technique showed inhibition of the tested organisms was between 80 and 100 percent. The strains grew under media of MRS and SPY2 (no materials from animal over 36 hours with no significant difference. The strains were investigated for survival in condition of high acidity within 3 hours. It was found that at pH 4 almost 100% were maintained but at pH 2 and 3 the survival reduced approximately 1 log cycle. The strain LA71 which showed the highest survival was identified as Lactobacillus plantarum.

  14. Food Safety as a contributor to Food Security: global policy concerns & challenges

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vijay Kumar Chattu

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The theme for World Health Day campaign for this year 2015 is “Food safety: from farm to plate, make food safe”. The day focuses on demonstrating the importance of food safety along the whole length of the food chain in a globalized world, from production and transport, to preparation and consumption (1. Everyone needs food and needs it every day either plant sources or animal sources or both. The food we eat must be nutritious and safe but we often ignore or overlook the issue of food safety. Many cases of food borne diseases either acute poisoning or chronic exposure are largely under reported. In this globalized world, though the food chain extends over thousands of miles from different continents, an error or contamination in one country can affect the health of consumers on the other part of the world. To ensure full impact, these actions must build on principles of government stewardship, engagement of civil society, (2.According to UN, access to a safe and secure food supply is a basic human right. Food safety and food security are interrelated concepts which have an impact on the health outcomes and quality of human lives. As per Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO, Food security is a situation that exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life, (3. Based on the definition of Food security, four food security dimensions can be identified: food availability, economic and physical access to food, food utilization and stability over time. Apart from that food security is also affected by Poverty and Climate change.Food safety is an umbrella term that encompasses many aspects like food items handling, preparation and storage of food to prevent illness and injury. The other important issues are chemical, microphysical and microbiological aspects of food safety, (4. Control of

  15. Food insecurity and mental health: an analysis of routine primary care data of pregnant women in the Born in Bradford cohort.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Power, Madeleine; Uphoff, Eleonora; Kelly, Brian; Pickett, Kate E

    2017-04-01

    Since 2008, use of food banks has risen sharply in the UK; however, evidence on the epidemiology of UK food insecurity is sparse. The aim of this study was to describe the trajectory of common mental disorder across the pre-pregnancy, pregnancy and postnatal period for food secure compared with food insecure women. Data from the Born in Bradford (BiB) cohort, the nested BiB1000 study and primary care records were linked based on National Health Service (NHS) numbers. Data linkage was completed for 1297, and primary care records were available from 18 months prior to 40 months after birth of the cohort child. Incidence rates of common mental disorders per 1000 patient years at risk were compared between food secure and insecure women, and for Pakistani compared with white British women, in 10 6-month periods around pregnancy. Poisson regression was used to calculate incidence rate ratios, adjusted for ethnicity and exposure. Food insecurity was significantly associated with an increased risk of common mental disorder before and during pregnancy (incidence rate ratio 1.9, 95% confidence interval 1.3 to 2.8, p=0.001) and after giving birth (incidence rate ratio 1.3, 95% confidence interval 1.0 to 1.7, p=0.029). Our study shows that food insecure women have worse mental health than food secure women, and that this difference is most pronounced for white British pregnant women. These findings provide evidence for concerns expressed by public health experts that food insecurity may become the next public health emergency. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  16. Antagonistic activity of isolated lactic acid bacteria from Pliek U against gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli ATCC 25922

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kiti, A. A.; Jamilah, I.; Rusmarilin, H.

    2017-09-01

    Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) is one group of microbes that has many benefits, notably in food and health industries sector. LAB plays an important role in food fermentation and it has bacteriostatic effect against the growth of pathogenic microorganisms. The research related LAB continued to be done to increase the diversity of potential isolates derived from nature which is indigenous bacteria for biotechnological purposes. This study was aimed to isolate and characterize LAB derived from pliek u sample and to examine the potency to inhibits Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 bacteria growth. A total of 5 isolates were isolated and based on morphological and physiological characteristics of the fifth bacteria, they are allegedly belonging to the genus Bacillus. Result of antagonistic test showed that the five isolates could inhibits the growth of E. coli ATCC 25922. The highest inhibition zone is 8.5 mm was shown by isolates NQ2, while the lowest inhibition is 1.5 mm was shown by isolates NQ3.

  17. Concentrations and Exposure Evaluation of Metals in Diverse Food Items from Chengdu, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Rong; Zhong, Bifeng; Pi, Lu; Xie, Fuyu; Chen, Mengqin; Ding, Sanglan; Su, Shijun; Li, Zhi; Gan, Zhiwei

    2018-01-01

    A total of 520 food samples belonging to 29 food types and 63 drinking water were collected in Chengdu market of China in 2014 to investigate the concentrations of 11 metals, and to assess the related exposure to the local consumers by estimating the hazard quotient and carcinogenic risk (CR). The results showed that metals concentrations in drinking water were below the limit values suggested by the Ministry of Health of the People's Republic of China, and FAO/WHO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations/World Health Organization). While As, Cd, and Cr were found at concentrations higher than the limit values in some of the foodstuffs. Children in Chengdu intake more metals compared to adults, with the same order of Mn > Zn > Cu > Sr > Cr > Ni > As > Cd > Pb > Co > Sb. Among all of the diverse food, rice, flour, and fish and seafood were the primary sources to intake metals for Chengdu residents. Residents in Chengdu are subjected to both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks based on the calculated HI and CR values, especially for children. Finally, total daily metals intakes for both children and adults were calculated based on the current study and our previous studies, including consumption of food and drinking water and intake of outdoor and indoor dust. Dietary exposure is the predominant exposure route to metals for Chengdu residents, accounting for more than 75.8% of the total daily metals intakes for both children and adults.

  18. Current applications of probiotic foods in Africa

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ONOS

    2010-01-25

    Jan 25, 2010 ... Natural Food Preservation Systems. In: Wood BJB (Ed). The Lactic. Acid Bacteria. Vol. 1 Elsevier Science Publishers, London. FAO/WHO (2001).Health and nutritional properties of probiotics in food including powder milk with live Lactic acid bacteria. Cordoba,. Argentina: Food and Agriculture Organization ...

  19. Antibacterial activity of food-grade chitosan against Vibrio parahaemolyticus biofilms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Ting; Liao, Zhenlin; Lei, Huan; Fang, Xiang; Wang, Jie; Zhong, Qingping

    2017-09-01

    Biofilm is a community composed of microbes and the extracellular polymeric substances. This special architecture poses a significant public health risk as it increases the fitness of bacteria in harsh conditions and renders bacterial resistance to antimicrobial agents and cleaning. In this study, we investigated the inhibition and eradication effects of chitosan on the biofilm of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, an important food-borne pathogen. The crystal violet staining, [2, 3-bis (2-methoxy-4-nitro-5- sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium-5-carboxanilide] (XTT) reduction method, phenol-sulfuric acid method, fluorescence microscope and confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) observation were conducted. The results indicated that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of chitosan was 1.25 mg/mL. Sub-MIC of chitosan could significantly inhibit biofilm formation, reduce the metabolic activities and the secretion of extracellular polysaccharide (EPS). Moreover, chitosan at 4MIC could eradicate 85.06% mature biofilm of V. parahaemolyticus, and decrease 81.43% EPS in mature biofilm. These results were also confirmed by the visual images obtained from fluorescence microscopy and CLSM. This study elucidated that chitosan was not only effective to prevent biofilm formation, but also eradicate mature biofilms of V. parahaemolyticus. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  20. POTENTIAL OF Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis MTCC 3041 AS A BIOPRESERVATIVE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Neha Sharma

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Lactic acid bacteria especially in developing countries can be exploited against frequently occurring spoilage organisms of fresh fruits and vegetables in addition to pathogens. Keeping in views this antagonism imparted by bacteria Lactococci, the present study was taken and effectiveness of bacteriocin of Lactococci was also studied in preservatives and enzymes. Lactic acid bacteria Lactococcus lactis subs. Lactis MTCC 3041 was used as bacteriocin producer strain. Isolation of most frequently occurring spoilage organisms from spoiled Mango and Kinnow was done by microbiological procedures and were identified by microscopic studies as Isolate 1 and Isolate 2. It has limited use in processed salted food as no zone of inhibition was observed at and above 5% NaCl (w/v.0.3% (w/v is the minimum concentration of KMS that provides stress to the microorganism for the production of bacteriocin. It is not suitable for food having sodium benzoate as preservative as with increase in concentration growth of Lactococcus lactis decreases. Presence of bacteriocin hinders the growth of the isolate 1 as fresh weight of the mycelium in test sample is 7.09% less than the control. Being non-pathogenic this organism can be safely used against spoilage organisms in addition to food borne pathogens.

  1. A multiplex PCR/LDR assay for simultaneous detection and identification of the NIAID category B bacterial food and water-borne pathogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rundell, Mark S; Pingle, Maneesh; Das, Sanchita; Hussain, Aashiq; Ocheretina, Oksana; Charles, Macarthur; Larone, Davise H; Spitzer, Eric D; Golightly, Linnie; Barany, Francis

    2014-06-01

    Enteric pathogens that cause gastroenteritis remain a major global health concern. The goal of this study was to develop a multiplex PCR/ligation detection reaction (LDR) assay for the detection of all NIAID category B bacterial food and water-borne pathogens directly from stool specimens. To validate the PCR/LDR assay, clinical isolates of Campylobacter spp., Vibrio spp., Shigella spp., Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Yersinia enterocolitica, and diarrheagenic Escherichia coli were tested. The sensitivity and specificity of the assay were assessed using a large number of seeded culture-negative stool specimens and a smaller set of clinical specimens from Haiti. The overall sensitivity ranged from 91% to 100% (median 100%) depending on the species. For the majority of organisms, the sensitivity was 100%. The overall specificity based on initial testing ranged from 98% to 100% depending on the species. After additional testing of discordant samples, the lowest specificity was 99.4%. PCR/LDR detected additional category B agents (particularly diarrheagenic E. coli) in 11/40 specimens from Haiti that were culture-positive for V. cholerae and in approximately 1% of routine culture-negative stool specimens from a hospital in New York. This study demonstrated the ability of the PCR/LDR assay to detect a large comprehensive panel of category B enteric bacterial pathogens as well as mixed infections. This type of assay has the potential to provide earlier warnings of possible public health threats and more accurate surveillance of food and water-borne pathogens. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. [Life style diseases and functional foods].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goto, Tsuyoshi; Kawada, Teruo

    2016-03-01

    In Japan the onset of lifestyle-related diseases has increased, the people interests in "food and health", and the movement of the food industry is actively to respond to it. Healthy life expectancy is essential for mitigation of social medical expenses and improvement of the personal QOL in the super-aged society. Daily diet becomes the nucleus of healthy life expectancy. Historically, the concept of "functional food" system was born in the mid-1980s in ahead of our country in the world. Administration as a response to it to allow on that review, "food for specified health uses" was born. Furthermore, foods with a prevention function of lifestyle-related diseases, such as "Foods with Function Claims" system have been developing from 2015. In this paper, we want to further describe these circumstances, the current situation and the outlook.

  3. Louse-borne relapsing fever in Finland in two asylum seekers from Somalia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hytönen, Jukka; Khawaja, Tamim; Grönroos, Juha O; Jalava, Anna; Meri, Seppo; Oksi, Jarmo

    2017-01-01

    We report two cases of louse-borne relapsing fever (LBRF) in young Somali asylum seekers having recently arrived to Finland. They had sought medical attention for a febrile illness. Blood smears were examined for suspected malaria, but instead, spirochete shaped bacteria were observed. The bacteria were confirmed as Borrelia recurrentis by PCR and sequencing. The patients survived, but their treatment was complicated by Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction. We conclude that LBRF must be considered as a diagnostic option in febrile refugees also in the northernmost parts of Europe. © 2016 APMIS. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. Sensitive quantitative analysis of the meconium bacterial microbiota in healthy term infants born vaginally or by cesarean section.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ravinder Nagpal

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available For decades, babies were thought to be born germ-free, but recent evidences suggest that they are already exposed to various bacteria in-utero. However, the data on population levels of such pioneer gut bacteria, particularly in context to birth mode, is sparse. We herein aimed to quantify such bacteria from the meconium of 151 healthy term Japanese infants born vaginally or by C-section. Neonatal first meconium was obtained within 24-48 hours of delivery; RNA was extracted and subjected to reverse-transcription-quantitative PCR using specific primers for Clostridium coccoides group, Clostridium leptum subgroup, Bacteroides fragilis group, Atopobium cluster, Prevotella, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Enterococcus, Enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, Streptococcus, Clostridium perfringens, and C. difficile. We detected several bacterial groups in both vaginally- and cesarean-born infants. B. fragilis group, Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus, Streptococcus and Staphylococcus were detected in more than 50% of infants, with counts ranging from 105-108 cells/g sample. About 30-35% samples harbored Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus (104-105 cells/g; whereas C. coccoides group, C. leptum subgroup and C. perfringens were detected in 10-20% infants (103-105 cells/g. Compared to vaginally-born babies, cesarean-born babies were significantly less often colonized with Lactobacillus genus (6% vs. 37%; P=0.01 and L. gasseri subgroup (6% vs. 31%; P=0.04. Overall, seven Lactobacillus subgroups/ species i.e. L. gasseri subgroup, L. ruminis subgroup, L. casei subgroup, L. reuteri subgroup, L. sakei subgroup, L. plantarum subgroup and L. brevis were detected in the samples from vaginally-born group, whereas only two members i.e. L. gasseri subgroup and L. brevis were detected in the cesarean group. These data corroborate that several bacterial clades may already be present before birth in term infants’ gut. Further, Remarkably lower detection rate

  5. Intestinal T-cell responses in celiac disease - impact of celiac disease associated bacteria.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Veronika Sjöberg

    Full Text Available A hallmark of active celiac disease (CD, an inflammatory small-bowel enteropathy caused by permanent intolerance to gluten, is cytokine production by intestinal T lymphocytes. Prerequisites for contracting CD are that the individual carries the MHC class II alleles HLA-DQ2 and/or HLA-DQ8 and is exposed to gluten in the diet. Dysbiosis in the resident microbiota has been suggested to be another risk factor for CD. In fact, rod shaped bacteria adhering to the small intestinal mucosa were frequently seen in patients with CD during the "Swedish CD epidemic" and bacterial candidates could later be isolated from patients born during the epidemic suggesting long-lasting changes in the gut microbiota. Interleukin-17A (IL-17A plays a role in both inflammation and anti-bacterial responses. In active CD IL-17A was produced by both CD8(+ T cells (Tc17 and CD4(+ T cells (Th17, with intraepithelial Tc17 cells being the dominant producers. Gluten peptides as well as CD associated bacteria induced IL-17A responses in ex vivo challenged biopsies from patients with inactive CD. The IL-17A response was suppressed in patients born during the epidemic when a mixture of CD associated bacteria was added to gluten, while the reverse was the case in patients born after the epidemic. Under these conditions Th17 cells were the dominant producers. Thus Tc17 and Th17 responses to gluten and bacteria seem to pave the way for the chronic disease with interferon-γ-production by intraepithelial Tc1 cells and lamina propria Th1 cells. The CD associated bacteria and the dysbiosis they might cause in the resident microbiota may be a risk factor for CD either by directly influencing the immune responses in the mucosa or by enhancing inflammatory responses to gluten.

  6. The Aggregation of Boron on the Tissues of Gold Fish (Carassius auratus Linnaeus, 1758

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tuncer Okan Genç

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available In this study, it was aimed to determine the water-borne and food-borne boron accumulation in the liver and muscle tissues of Gold Fish (Carassius auratus Linnaeus, 1758. For each treatment, 12 individuals were. The water-borne boron treatments were applied as boron acid concentration of 1 mg/L, 10 mg/L and 20 mg/L in the aquarium water, while the food-borne boron treatments were prepared food contained the defined levels of boron (1 mg/kg, 5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg as boric acid. The boron levels in the tissues were determined by an ICP-MS procedure. The maximum boron concentration was found in the 20mg/L water borne boron treatment in the liver tissue (1.78±0.02 mg/kg. In the water-borne boron treatments, the maximum Transfer Factor (TF was found in the 20mg/L boron concentration, and TF values were increased when the boron concentrations were decreasing. In the 1 mg/kg food-borne boron treatment, TF was found as 0, and increasing concentration of boron in the food caused an increase in TF reached about 0.06. This study suggested that the target organ for boron accumulation is the liver rather than the muscles and the accumulation of food-borne boron is lower when comparing water-borne boron.

  7. Longer Contact Times Increase Cross-Contamination of Enterobacter aerogenes from Surfaces to Food.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miranda, Robyn C; Schaffner, Donald W

    2016-11-01

    Bacterial cross-contamination from surfaces to food can contribute to foodborne disease. The cross-contamination rate of Enterobacter aerogenes on household surfaces was evaluated by using scenarios that differed by surface type, food type, contact time (food types were watermelon, bread, bread with butter, and gummy candy. Surfaces (25 cm 2 ) were spot inoculated with 1 ml of inoculum and allowed to dry for 5 h, yielding an approximate concentration of 10 7 CFU/surface. Foods (with a 16-cm 2 contact area) were dropped onto the surfaces from a height of 12.5 cm and left to rest as appropriate. Posttransfer, surfaces and foods were placed in sterile filter bags and homogenized or massaged, diluted, and plated on tryptic soy agar. The transfer rate was quantified as the log percent transfer from the surface to the food. Contact time, food, and surface type all had highly significant effects (P food, while the least bacteria transferred to gummy candy (∼0.1 to 62%). Transfer of bacteria to bread (∼0.02 to 94%) was similar to transfer of bacteria to bread with butter (∼0.02 to 82%), and these transfer rates under a given set of conditions were more variable than with watermelon and gummy candy. The popular notion of the "five-second rule" is that food dropped on the floor and left there for foods (watermelon, bread, bread with butter, and gummy candy), four different contact times (food and the surface, are of equal or greater importance. Some transfer takes place "instantaneously," at times of <1 s, disproving the five-second rule. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  8. Effects of Ethanolic Ferolagu angulata Extract on Pathogenic Gastrointestinal Bacteria and Probiotic Bacteria in Skimmed Milk Medium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reza Naghiha

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Background:    Due to excessive consumption of synthetic drugs, drug resistance rate of pathogenic bacteria is increasing and there is an ever-increasing need to find new safe compounds to tackle this problem. This study was conducted to investigate the consequences of chavill extract on the growth and viability of gastrointestinal pathogenic bacterium and probiotics bacteria. Methods:    The experiment contained three levels of the chavill extract concentrations (0, 1 and 3% which were added to the milk free fat in accompany with three probiotic bacteria (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei and lactobacillus plantaram and a pathogenic gastrointestinal bacterium (Salmonella typhimurium. Bacterial inoculums (1×107 CFU/ml with different concentrations of chavill extract were added to skimmed milk medium and bacteria growth were enumerated. Results:  The concentration of 1% chavill extract significantly increased the total count of probiotic bacteria compared to the control group, while the number of pathogenic bacteria was decreased. At 3% chavill extract the growth of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus plantaram were increased. On the other hand, it prevented the growth of Salmonella typhimurium Conclusion:   Chavill extracts would play as an alternative to antibiotics in pharmacological studies to decreases harmful bacteria and increase probiotic bacteria.

  9. Interrelationships of food safety and plant pathology: the life cycle of human pathogens on plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barak, Jeri D; Schroeder, Brenda K

    2012-01-01

    Bacterial food-borne pathogens use plants as vectors between animal hosts, all the while following the life cycle script of plant-associated bacteria. Similar to phytobacteria, Salmonella, pathogenic Escherichia coli, and cross-domain pathogens have a foothold in agricultural production areas. The commonality of environmental contamination translates to contact with plants. Because of the chronic absence of kill steps against human pathogens for fresh produce, arrival on plants leads to persistence and the risk of human illness. Significant research progress is revealing mechanisms used by human pathogens to colonize plants and important biological interactions between and among bacteria in planta. These findings articulate the difficulty of eliminating or reducing the pathogen from plants. The plant itself may be an untapped key to clean produce. This review highlights the life of human pathogens outside an animal host, focusing on the role of plants, and illustrates areas that are ripe for future investigation.

  10. Production of γ-aminobutyric acid by microorganisms from different food sources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hudec, Jozef; Kobida, Ľubomír; Čanigová, Margita; Lacko-Bartošová, Magdaléna; Ložek, Otto; Chlebo, Peter; Mrázová, Jana; Ducsay, Ladislav; Bystrická, Judita

    2015-04-01

    γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a potentially bioactive component of foods and pharmaceuticals. The aim of this study was screen lactic acid bacteria belonging to the Czech Collection of Microorganisms, and microorganisms (yeast and bacteria) from 10 different food sources for GABA production by fermentation in broth or plant and animal products. Under an aerobic atmosphere, very low selectivity of GABA production (from 0.8% to 1.3%) was obtained using yeast and filamentous fungi, while higher selectivity (from 6.5% to 21.0%) was obtained with bacteria. The use of anaerobic conditions, combined with the addition of coenzyme (pyridoxal-5-phosphate) and salts (CaCl2 , NaCl), led to the detection of a low concentration of GABA precursor. Simultaneously, using an optimal temperature of 33 °C, a pH of 6.5 and bacteria from banana (Pseudomonadaceae and Enterobacteriaceae families), surprisingly, a high selectivity of GABA was obtained. A positive impact of fenugreek sprouts on the proteolytic process and GABA production from plant material as a source of GABA precursor was identified. Lactic acid bacteria for the production of new plant and animal GABA-rich products from different natural sources containing GABA precursor can be used. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

  11. Dual Recognition Strategy for Specific and Sensitive Detection of Bacteria Using Aptamer-Coated Magnetic Beads and Antibiotic-Capped Gold Nanoclusters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Dan; Yu, Mengqun; Fu, Fei; Han, Weiye; Li, Gan; Xie, Jianping; Song, Yang; Swihart, Mark T; Song, Erqun

    2016-01-05

    Food poisoning and infectious diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus (SA) are serious public health concerns. A method of specific, sensitive, and rapid detection of such bacteria is essential and important. This study presents a strategy that combines aptamer and antibiotic-based dual recognition units with magnetic enrichment and fluorescent detection to achieve specific and sensitive quantification of SA in authentic specimens and in the presence of much higher concentrations of other bacteria. Aptamer-coated magnetic beads (Apt-MB) were employed for specific capture of SA. Vancomycin-stabilized fluorescent gold nanoclusters (AuNCs@Van) were prepared by a simple one-step process and used for sensitive quantification of SA in the range of 32-10(8) cfu/mL with the detection limit of 16 cfu/mL via a fluorescence intensity measurement. And using this strategy, about 70 cfu/mL of SA in complex samples (containing 3 × 10(8) cfu/mL of other different contaminated bacteria) could be successfully detected. In comparison to prior studies, the developed strategy here not only simplifies the preparation procedure of the fluorescent probes (AuNCs@Van) to a great extent but also could sensitively quantify SA in the presence of much higher concentrations of other bacteria directly with good accuracy. Moreover, the aptamer and antibiotic used in this strategy are much less expensive and widely available compared to common-used antibodies, making it cost-effective. This general aptamer- and antibiotic-based dual recognition strategy, combined with magnetic enrichment and fluorescent detection of trace bacteria, shows great potential application in monitoring bacterial food contamination and infectious diseases.

  12. Comparative evaluation of three impactor samplers for measuring airborne bacteria and fungi concentrations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Méheust, Delphine; Gangneux, Jean-Pierre; Cann, Pierre Le

    2013-01-01

    Portable microbial samplers are useful for detecting microorganisms in the air. However, limited data are available on their performance when sampling airborne biological agents in a routine practice. We compared bacterial and fungal concentrations obtained in field conditions using three impactor samplers with different designs (AES Chemunex Sampl'Air, bioMérieux Air Ideal, and Sartorius AirPort MD8/BACTair). The linearity of mold collection was tested in the range of 100 L to 1000 L, and all the devices had a correlation coefficient higher than 0.95. For optimal comparison of the samplers, we performed experiments in different hospital rooms with varying levels of air biocontamination. Each sampling procedure was repeated to assess reproducibility. No significant difference between the samplers was observed for the mold concentrations on Sabouraud agar, whereas Sampl'Air collected significantly more bacteria on tryptic soy agar than Air Ideal or BACTair at one of the sites. Impactor location in the room was nevertheless associated with the variability observed with the three samplers at the highest microbial concentration levels. On the basis of their performance, autonomy and simplicity of use, these three impactors are suitable for routine indoor evaluation of microbial air contamination.

  13. Meat Processing Plant Microbiome and Contamination Patterns of Cold-Tolerant Bacteria Causing Food Safety and Spoilage Risks in the Manufacture of Vacuum-Packaged Cooked Sausages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hultman, Jenni; Rahkila, Riitta; Ali, Javeria; Rousu, Juho; Björkroth, K Johanna

    2015-10-01

    Refrigerated food processing facilities are specific man-made niches likely to harbor cold-tolerant bacteria. To characterize this type of microbiota and study the link between processing plant and product microbiomes, we followed and compared microbiota associated with the raw materials and processing stages of a vacuum-packaged, cooked sausage product affected by a prolonged quality fluctuation with occasional spoilage manifestations during shelf life. A total of 195 samples were subjected to culturing and amplicon sequence analyses. Abundant mesophilic psychrotrophs were detected within the microbiomes throughout the different compartments of the production plant environment. However, each of the main genera of food safety and quality interest, e.g., Leuconostoc, Brochothrix, and Yersinia, had their own characteristic patterns of contamination. Bacteria from the genus Leuconostoc, commonly causing spoilage of cold-stored, modified-atmosphere-packaged foods, were detected in high abundance (up to >98%) in the sausages studied. The same operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were, however, detected in lower abundances in raw meat and emulsion (average relative abundance of 2%±5%), as well as on the processing plant surfaces (food safety concerns related to their resilient existence on surfaces. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  14. Natural Diversity in Heat Resistance of Bacteria and Bacterial Spores: Impact on Food Safety and Quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    den Besten, Heidy M W; Wells-Bennik, Marjon H J; Zwietering, Marcel H

    2018-03-25

    Heat treatments are widely used in food processing often with the aim of reducing or eliminating spoilage microorganisms and pathogens in food products. The efficacy of applying heat to control microorganisms is challenged by the natural diversity of microorganisms with respect to their heat robustness. This review gives an overview of the variations in heat resistances of various species and strains, describes modeling approaches to quantify heat robustness, and addresses the relevance and impact of the natural diversity of microorganisms when assessing heat inactivation. This comparison of heat resistances of microorganisms facilitates the evaluation of which (groups of) organisms might be troublesome in a production process in which heat treatment is critical to reducing the microbial contaminants, and also allows fine-tuning of the process parameters. Various sources of microbiological variability are discussed and compared for a range of species, including spore-forming and non-spore-forming pathogens and spoilage organisms. This benchmarking of variability factors gives crucial information about the most important factors that should be included in risk assessments to realistically predict heat inactivation of bacteria and spores as part of the measures for controlling shelf life and safety of food products.

  15. Antimicrobial properties of probiotic bacteria from various sources

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    OKEREKE HOPE C

    2012-05-15

    May 15, 2012 ... The lactic acid bacteria (LAB), a component of several fermented foods including ... lactic acid bacteria grown in MRS broth for 20 to 24 h using centrifugation .... vacuum packed chill-stored meat has potential application for ...

  16. Multiplex nucleic acid sequence-based amplification for simultaneous detection of several enteric viruses in model ready-to-eat foods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jean, Julie; D'Souza, Doris H; Jaykus, Lee-Ann

    2004-11-01

    Human enteric viruses are currently recognized as one of the most important causes of food-borne disease. Implication of enteric viruses in food-borne outbreaks can be difficult to confirm due to the inadequacy of the detection methods available. In this study, a nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) method was developed in a multiplex format for the specific, simultaneous, and rapid detection of epidemiologically relevant human enteric viruses. Three previously reported primer sets were used in a single reaction for the amplification of RNA target fragments of 474, 371, and 165 nucleotides for the detection of hepatitis A virus and genogroup I and genogroup II noroviruses, respectively. Amplicons were detected by agarose gel electrophoresis and confirmed by electrochemiluminescence and Northern hybridization. Endpoint detection sensitivity for the multiplex NASBA assay was approximately 10(-1) reverse transcription-PCR-detectable units (or PFU, as appropriate) per reaction. When representative ready-to-eat foods (deli sliced turkey and lettuce) were inoculated with various concentrations of each virus and processed for virus detection with the multiplex NASBA method, all three human enteric viruses were simultaneously detected at initial inoculum levels of 10(0) to 10(2) reverse transcription-PCR-detectable units (or PFU)/9 cm2 in both food commodities. The multiplex NASBA system provides rapid and simultaneous detection of clinically relevant food-borne viruses in a single reaction tube and may be a promising alternative to reverse transcription-PCR for the detection of viral contamination of foods.

  17. Enteric Pathogen Bacteria in Non-Broiler Chicken Egg Shells from Traditional Market and Supermarket, Jatinangor Subdistrict, West Java

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kavita Arumugam

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Background: Around 1.5 million of children dying annually due to diarrhea. Contaminated food is one of the sources of the diarrhea incidence (food borne diseases. Eggs are one of the least expensive forms of protein which is affordable by the community and is easily to find in either traditional or modern market/supermarkets.The objective of this study was to identify enteropathogenic bacteria contamination on non-broiler (ayam kampung egg shell and to compare the findings between eggs sold in traditional and modern markets. Methods: This was a descriptive study performed at the Microbiology Laboratory of the Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Padjadjaran. A total of 40 eggs were used, 20 from two traditional markets and 20 from two modern markets. The eggs were swabbed using saline, dipped in tryptic soy broth and streaked on Mac Conkey agar. The collected data were analyzed and presented in tables. Results: Out of 40 samples, there were 19 positive cultures found from the traditional market and 16 from the modern market. There were 30 pink colonies indicating that they were lactose fermented, 5 transparent colonies indicated non-lactose fermentation, 4 showed no colony growth, and 1 grew an unidentified colony. The most found bacteria were Klebsiella sp. and Enterobacter sp. in both market. Conclusions: Eggs shells from traditional and modern markets are contaminated with Enteropathogenic microbes.

  18. Food health law

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Edinger, Wieke Willemijn Huizing

    2014-01-01

    risks to human health of foods with, e.g., negative nutritional features. While EU food safety legislation seems successful in preventing food-borne illnesses, public focus has shifted to the growing prevalence of lifestyle-related illnesses. There is convincing scientific evidence of a correlation...... between obesity and non-communicable diseases, on the one hand, and unhealthy food on the other. The EU has taken initiatives to stop this development, but these are directed at guiding consumer choice rather than at regulating foods from the point of view of their composition and nutritional value...

  19. Basic model for the prediction of 137Cs concentration in the organisms of detritus food chain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tateda, Yuzuru

    1997-01-01

    In order to predict 137 Cs concentrations in marine organisms for monitoring, a basic model for the prediction of nuclide levels in marine organisms of detritus food chain was studied. The equilibrated values of ( 137 Cs level in organism)/( 137 Cs level in seawater) derived from calculation agreed with the observed data, indicating validity of modeling conditions. The result of simulation by this basic model showed the following conclusions. 1) ''Ecological half-life'' of 137 Cs in organisms of food chain were 35 and 130 days for detritus feeder and benthic teleosts, respectively, indicating that there was no difference of the ecological half lives in organisms between in detritus food chain and in other food chains. 2) The 137 Cs concentration in organisms showed a peak at 18 and 100 days in detritus and detritus feeder, respectively, after the introduction of 137 Cs into environmental seawater. Their concentration ratios to 137 Cs peak level in seawater were within a range of 2.7-3.8, indicating insignificant difference in the response to 137 Cs change in seawater between in the organisms of detritus food chain and of other food chain. 3) The basic model studies makes it available that the prediction of 137 Cs level in organisms of food chain can be simulated in coastal ecosystem. (author)

  20. Antimicrobial properties of tropical plants against 12 pathogenic ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    STORAGESEVER

    2008-07-04

    Jul 4, 2008 ... varies depending on bacterial species and type of extract. The average ... more species of bacteria. The most ..... 12 types of food borne bacteria including pathogens. ... the production of human collagen I, a protein associated.

  1. Anticipation and consumption of food each increase the concentration of neuroactive steroids in rat brain and plasma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pisu, Maria Giuseppina; Floris, Ivan; Maciocco, Elisabetta; Serra, Mariangela; Biggio, Giovanni

    2006-09-01

    Stressful stimuli and anxiogenic drugs increase the plasma and brain concentrations of neuroactive steroids. Moreover, in rats trained to consume their daily meal during a fixed period, the anticipation of food is associated with changes in the function of various neurotransmitter systems. We have now evaluated the effects of anticipation and consumption of food in such trained rats on the plasma and brain concentrations of 3alpha-hydroxy-5alpha-pregnan-20-one (3alpha,5alpha-TH PROG) and 3alpha,21-dihydroxy-5alpha-pregnan-20-one (3alpha,5alpha-TH DOC), two potent endogenous positive modulators of type A receptors for gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The abundance of these neuroactive steroids was increased in both the cerebral cortex and plasma of the rats during both food anticipation and consumption. In contrast, the concentration of their precursor, progesterone, was increased in the brain only during food consumption, whereas it was increased in plasma only during food anticipation. Intraperitoneal administration of the selective agonist abecarnil (0.1 mg/kg) 40 min before food presentation prevented the increase in the brain levels of 3alpha,5alpha-TH PROG and 3alpha,5alpha-TH DOC during food anticipation but not that associated with consumption. The change in emotional state associated with food anticipation may thus result in an increase in the plasma and brain levels of 3alpha,5alpha-TH PROG and 3alpha,5alpha-TH DOC in a manner sensitive to the activation of GABA(A) receptor-mediated neurotransmission. A different mechanism, insensitive to activation of such transmission, may underlie the changes in the concentrations of these neuroactive steroids during food consumption.

  2. EFSA BIOHAZ Panel (EFSA Panel on Biological Hazards) , 2013 . Scientific Opinion on the evaluation of molecular typing methods for major food-borne microbiological hazards and their use for attribution modelling, outbreak investigation and scanning surveillance: Part 1 (evaluation of methods

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hald, Tine; Baggesen, Dorte Lau

    An evaluation of molecular typing methods that can be applied to the food-borne pathogens Salmonella, Campylobacter, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes is presented. This evaluation is divided in two parts. Firstly, commonly used molecular typing methods are assessed...... against a set of predefined criteria relating to discriminatory capacity, reproducibility, repeatability and current or potential suitability for international harmonisation. Secondly, the methods are evaluated for their appropriateness for use in different public health-related applications...... and potential for use of molecular characterisation methods, including whole genome sequencing technologies, in microbial food safety. Recommendations are also made in order to encourage a holistic and structured approach to the use of molecular characterisation methods for food-borne pathogens; in particular...

  3. [Molecular typing characterization of food-borne methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in China].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bai, Y; Wang, W; Yan, L; Yang, S R; Yan, S F; Dong, Y P; Zhao, B C; Zhao, Y Y; Xu, J; Hu, Y J; Li, F Q

    2018-04-06

    Cluster Ⅴ) was the most prevalent clone, which were all cultured from raw pork (9 isolates). Besides, two MRSA were identified as CC59-ST338-t437-MT621-MC621 (PFGE Cluster Ⅳ). Different clone had their own resistance spectrum profiles. Conclusion: The food-borne MRSA isolates were all MDR in this study. Different clones had their own resistance spectrum profiles. MLVA represented a promising tool for molecular epidemiology tracing of MRSA in foodborne disease events.

  4. Estimated fecal coliform bacteria concentrations using near real-time continuous water-quality and streamflow data from five stream sites in Chester County, Pennsylvania, 2007–16

    Science.gov (United States)

    Senior, Lisa A.

    2017-09-15

    Several streams used for recreational activities, such as fishing, swimming, and boating, in Chester County, Pennsylvania, are known to have periodic elevated concentrations of fecal coliform bacteria, a type of bacteria used to indicate the potential presence of fecally related pathogens that may pose health risks to humans exposed through water contact. The availability of near real-time continuous stream discharge, turbidity, and other water-quality data for some streams in the county presents an opportunity to use surrogates to estimate near real-time concentrations of fecal coliform (FC) bacteria and thus provide some information about associated potential health risks during recreational use of streams.The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Chester County Health Department (CCHD) and the Chester County Water Resources Authority (CCWRA), has collected discrete stream samples for analysis of FC concentrations during March–October annually at or near five gaging stations where near real-time continuous data on stream discharge, turbidity, and water temperature have been collected since 2007 (or since 2012 at 2 of the 5 stations). In 2014, the USGS, in cooperation with the CCWRA and CCHD, began to develop regression equations to estimate FC concentrations using available near real-time continuous data. Regression equations included possible explanatory variables of stream discharge, turbidity, water temperature, and seasonal factors calculated using Julian Day with base-10 logarithmic (log) transformations of selected variables.The regression equations were developed using the data from 2007 to 2015 (101–106 discrete bacteria samples per site) for three gaging stations on Brandywine Creek (West Branch Brandywine Creek at Modena, East Branch Brandywine Creek below Downingtown, and Brandywine Creek at Chadds Ford) and from 2012 to 2015 (37–38 discrete bacteria samples per site) for one station each on French Creek near Phoenixville and

  5. Assessment of the Bacteriological Quality of Food Samples May Offer Clues the Antibiotic Resistance Pattern

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Enayatollah Kalantar

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Background: Foodborne illnesses continue to be a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide; however, the burden of diseases caused by food-borne pathogens remains largely unknown. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to culture-confirmed the bacterial profile and their antibiotic resistant pattern in Food and Drug Laboratory, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran. Patients and Methods: A total of 22 bacteria including of Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella spp and E. coli were presumptive isolated from the traditional ice cream, cream pastries, sausage, and salami by the Official Food Microbiology Laboratory, Deputy of Food and Drug Administration, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran, and sent to the Research Center Laboratory, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, to confirm the bacterial spp by multiplex polymerase chain reaction. These isolates were also checked for their antimicrobial resistance pattern according to CLSI guideline. Results: The highest rate of contamination was with Klebsiella spp 09 (40.9%, followed by S. aureus 07 (31.8%, E. coli 06 (27.27%, as reported by the Official Food Microbiology Laboratory of Alborz University of Medical Sciences. Gel electrophoresis of the isolates shows the 600bp bp and 80 bp gene among S. aureus and E. coli respectively. The antibiotic resistant pattern in case of Klensiella spp showed that 6 (66.6% Klensiella spp were resistant to Penicillin and Cotrimoxazole. Similarly, penicillin and amoxicillin were found the highest resistant antibiotic against 83.3% E. coli, however, ceftriaxone showed the highest sensitivity against 100% E. coli isolates. Conclusions: In conclusion, Klebsiella spp, S. aureus and E. coli are contaminants of food specimens obtained from food industries in Karaj, Iran; they constitute a serious health risk for human population. Moreover, the principal purpose of this study is to increase awareness of the antibiotic resistance of

  6. Natural radionuclides in food in an area with high concentrations of radionuclides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pereira, W.S.; Moraes, S.R.; Cavalcante, J.J.V.; Kelecom, A.; Silva, A.X. da; Lopez, J.M.; Filgueiras, R.; Carmo, A.S.

    2017-01-01

    Areas of high natural radiation expose the local population to doses greater than the world average. One of the routes of exposure is food intake. The activity concentration (AC) of 5 natural radionuclides in 7 types of foods was analyzed. The highest CA measured was 2.40 Bq.kg -1 for the U nat in the potato. The multivariate statistic identified two groups: (U nat e 232 Th) and [( 210 Pb and 228 Ra) and 226 Ra

  7. Analysis of molecular interactions between yoghurt bacteria by an integrated genomics approach

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sieuwerts, S.

    2009-01-01

    The lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are a group of Gram-positive bacteria that ferment sugars such as lactose to produce mainly lactic acid. LAB are a group of industrially important microorganisms that are applied for the production of many fermented foods. These include foods produced with substrates

  8. A retrospective chart review to identify perinatal factors associated with food allergies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dowhower Karpa, Kelly; Paul, Ian M; Leckie, J Alexander; Shung, Sharon; Carkaci-Salli, Nurgul; Vrana, Kent E; Mauger, David; Fausnight, Tracy; Poger, Jennifer

    2012-10-19

    Gut flora are important immunomodulators that may be disrupted in individuals with atopic conditions. Probiotic bacteria have been suggested as therapeutic modalities to mitigate or prevent food allergic manifestations. We wished to investigate whether perinatal factors known to disrupt gut flora increase the risk of IgE-mediated food allergies. Birth records obtained from 192 healthy children and 99 children diagnosed with food allergies were reviewed retrospectively. Data pertaining to delivery method, perinatal antibiotic exposure, neonatal nursery environment, and maternal variables were recorded. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association between variables of interest and subsequent food allergy diagnosis. Retrospective investigation did not find perinatal antibiotics, NICU admission, or cesarean section to be associated with increased risk of food allergy diagnosis. However, associations between food allergy diagnosis and male gender (66 vs. 33; p=0.02) were apparent in this cohort. Additionally, increasing maternal age at delivery was significantly associated with food allergy diagnosis during childhood (OR, 1.05; 95% CI, 1.017 to 1.105; p=0.005). Gut flora are potent immunomodulators, but their overall contribution to immune maturation remains to be elucidated. Additional understanding of the interplay between immunologic, genetic, and environmental factors underlying food allergy development need to be clarified before probiotic therapeutic interventions can routinely be recommended for prevention or mitigation of food allergies. Such interventions may be well-suited in male infants and in infants born to older mothers.

  9. PROTEOLYTIC AND FIBRINOLYTIC ACTIVITIES OF HALOPHILIC LACTIC ACID BACTERIA FROM TWO INDONESIAN FERMENTED FOODS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Asep A. Prihanto

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available Exploration of fermented foods as sources of fibrinolytic enzymes is increased in the last decades. Terasi and Jambal roti is Indonesian traditional fermented fish products, which were famous in Java Island. Both are important products in Indonesian dishes, especially in Java. Investigation on halophilic lactic acid bacteria using MRS and M-17 agar obtained seventy four isolated strains. Their proteolytic and fibrinolytic activities were determined using skim milk agar and plasminogen-free fibrin plate. Twenty five isolates showed protease activities, while only four of them secreted fibrinolitic enzyme. The highest proteolytic and fibrinolytic activity was shown by TB1 strain, which is identified as Bacillus coagulans. The 16s rDNA is still in investigating to confirm the TB1 strain identity.

  10. Associations between marine food consumption and plasma concentrations of POPs in a Norwegian coastal population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rylander, Charlotta; Sandanger, Torkjel Manning; Brustad, Magritt

    2009-02-01

    There are strong indications that a moderate intake of fatty fish decreases the risk of cardiovascular diseases due to its content of omega-3 fatty acids. Other studies indicate that fatty fish consumption increase the body burden of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and may thereby increase the risk of negative health effects. Many of the latter studies are based on POP analysis of fatty fish, from which a recommended daily intake for humans has been calculated based on the no-observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) obtained from animal studies. Studies investigating associations between human plasma concentrations of POPs and intake of marine food show deviating results. In this study we investigated associations between self-reported intake of marine food (fatty fish, fish liver, fish liver oil, seagull eggs and halibut) and plasma concentrations of POPs. The study group consisted of 44 women and 16 men from northern Norway with a marine based diet. In addition to donate blood samples, the participants answered a detailed food frequency questionnaire with special emphasis on marine food consumption. Concentrations of 25 different POPs were measured in plasma. PCB 153 and p'p-DDE were the most ubiquitous PCB and chlorinated pesticide and the geometric mean concentrations were 73 ng/g lipids and 116 ng/g lipids respectively. The main findings in this study were that age, gender and intake of fresh fish liver oil were significant predictors of three of the most common PCBs and trans-Nonachlor in this study group. In addition, intake of seagull eggs influenced the concentration of PCB 180. However, even though the participants had a high intake of marine food they did not have elevated levels of POPs compared to other study groups. Intake of fatty fish did not significantly affect the body burden of POPs in this study group.

  11. Concentrations of Staphylococcus species in indoor air as associated with other bacteria, season, relative humidity, air change rate, and S. aureus-positive occupants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madsen, Anne Mette; Moslehi-Jenabian, Saloomeh; Islam, Md Zohorul; Frankel, Mika; Spilak, Michal; Frederiksen, Margit W

    2018-01-01

    The aim of this study was to obtain knowledge about concentrations of Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA (methicillin-resistant S. aureus), and other Staphylococcus species in indoor air in Greater Copenhagen and about factors affecting the concentrations. The effects of season, temperature, relative humidity, air change rate (ACR), other bacterial genera, area per occupant, and presence of S. aureus-positive occupants were studied. In samples from 67 living rooms, S. hominis, S. warneri, S. epidermidis, and S. capitis were found in 13-25%; S. saprophyticus, S. cohnii, and S. pasteuri in 5-10%; and S. lugdunensis, S. haemolyticus, S. caprae, S. equorum, S. kloosii, S. pettenkoferi, S. simulans, and S. xylosus in less than 3%. Staphylococcus aureus were found in two of 67 living rooms: spa type t034 (an MRSA) was recovered from a farmhouse, while spa type t509 was found in an urban home. Two species, S. equorum and S. kloosii, were found only in the farmhouse. Staphylococcus was significantly associated with season with lowest concentration and richness in winter. Genera composition was associated with ACR with smaller fractions of Staphylococcus at higher ACR, while richness was significantly and negatively associated with area per occupant. Concentration of Staphylococcus correlated positively with the total concentration of bacteria, but negatively with the total concentration of other bacteria. The concentration of Staphylococcus was not significantly associated with concentrations of the other abundant genera Bacillus, Kocuria, and Micrococcus. In offices with S. aureus-positive occupants, airborne S. aureus was not found. In conclusion, Staphylococcus species constitute a considerable proportion of the airborne bacteria in the studied homes and offices. However, both S. aureus and MRSA had very low prevalence during all seasons. Thus, transmission of S. aureus and MRSA through the air in living rooms in Copenhagen is expected to be limited. The negative associations

  12. Potential utilization of algal protein concentrate as a food ingredient in space habitats

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakhost, Z.; Karel, M.

    1989-01-01

    Green alga Scenedesmus obliquus was studied as one of the potential sources of macronutrients in a space habitat. Algal protein concentrate (70.5% protein) was incorporated into a variety of food products such as bran muffins, fettuccine (spinach noodle imitation) and chocolate chip cookies. Food products containing 20 to 40% of incorporated algal proteins were considered. In the sensory analysis the greenish color of the bran muffins and cookies was not found to be objectional. The mild spinachy flavor (algae flavor) was less detectable in chocolate chip cookies than in bran muffins. The color and taste of the algae noodles were found to be pleasant and compared well with commercially available spinach noodles. Commercially available spray-dried Spirulina algae was also incorporated so the products can be compared with those containing Scenedesmus obliquus concentrate. Food products containing commercial algae had a dark green color and a "burnt after taste" and were less acceptable to the panelists.

  13. Relationships between metal concentrations in great tit nestlings and their environment and food

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dauwe, Tom; Janssens, Ellen; Bervoets, Lieven; Blust, Ronny; Eens, Marcel

    2004-01-01

    Metal concentrations (Ag, As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Zn) were determined in the feathers and excreta of nestling great tits (Parus major), in their main invertebrate prey (Lepidoptera larvae) and in vegetation samples, all collected from four sites along a pollution gradient. Metal contamination in vegetation samples increased significantly towards the pollution source. The Ag, As, Hg, Ni and Pb concentrations in food samples were significantly higher at the site closest to the pollution source compared to the other three sites. Great tit nestlings from the site closest to the pollution source had significantly higher concentrations of Ag, As, Hg and Pb in their excreta than did nestlings at the other three sites. For five metals (Ag, As, Cu, Ni and Pb), we found concentrations in caterpillars to be significantly positively correlated with vegetation samples. We also found clear significant positive correlations between excreta and caterpillars for Ag, As, Hg and Pb and between feathers and caterpillars for As and Pb. Our data suggest that excreta are a good monitor for the presence and concentrations of non-essential metals in the food and the environment of passerine birds

  14. Food Safety as a contributor to Food Security: global policy concerns & challenges

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vijay Kumar Chattu

    2015-12-01

    Microphysical particles such as glass and metal can be hazardous and cause serious injury to consumers. Pathogenic bacteria, viruses and toxins produced by microorganisms are all possible contaminants of food and impact food safety. Like food security, food safety is also effected by poverty and climate change. Hence Foo

  15. Multidrug resistance in enteric and other gram-negative bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    George, A M

    1996-05-15

    In Gram-negative bacteria, multidrug resistance is a term that is used to describe mechanisms of resistance by chromosomal genes that are activated by induction or mutation caused by the stress of exposure to antibiotics in natural and clinical environments. Unlike plasmid-borne resistance genes, there is no alteration or degradation of drugs or need for genetic transfer. Exposure to a single drug leads to cross-resistance to many other structurally and functionally unrelated drugs. The only mechanism identified for multidrug resistance in bacteria is drug efflux by membrane transporters, even though many of these transporters remain to be identified. The enteric bacteria exhibit mostly complex multidrug resistance systems which are often regulated by operons or regulons. The purpose of this review is to survey molecular mechanisms of multidrug resistance in enteric and other Gram-negative bacteria, and to speculate on the origins and natural physiological functions of the genes involved.

  16. Dual channel detection of ultra low concentration of bacteria in real time by scanning fluorescence correlation spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Altamore, Ilaria; Lanzano, Luca; Gratton, Enrico

    2013-06-01

    We describe a novel method to detect very low concentrations of bacteria in water. Our device consists of a portable horizontal geometry small confocal microscope with large pinhole and a holder for cylindrical cuvettes containing the sample. Two motors provide fast rotational and slow vertical motion of the cuvette so the device looks like a simplified flow cytometer without flow. To achieve high sensitivity, the design has two detection channels. Bacteria are stained by two different nucleic acid dyes and excited with two different lasers. Data are analyzed with a correlation filter based on particle passage pattern recognition. The passage of a particle through the illumination volume is compared with a Gaussian pattern in both channels. The width of the Gaussian correlates with the time of passage of the particle so one particle is counted when the algorithm finds a match with a Gaussian in both channels. The concentration of particles in the sample is deduced from the total number of coincident hits and the total volume scanned. This portable setup provides higher sensitivity, low-cost advantage, and it can have a wide use ranging from clinical applications to pollution monitors and water and air quality control.

  17. Dual channel detection of ultra low concentration of bacteria in real time by scanning fluorescence correlation spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Altamore, Ilaria; Lanzano, Luca; Gratton, Enrico

    2013-01-01

    We describe a novel method to detect very low concentrations of bacteria in water. Our device consists of a portable horizontal geometry small confocal microscope with large pinhole and a holder for cylindrical cuvettes containing the sample. Two motors provide fast rotational and slow vertical motion of the cuvette so the device looks like a simplified flow cytometer without flow. To achieve high sensitivity, the design has two detection channels. Bacteria are stained by two different nucleic acid dyes and excited with two different lasers. Data are analyzed with a correlation filter based on particle passage pattern recognition. The passage of a particle through the illumination volume is compared with a Gaussian pattern in both channels. The width of the Gaussian correlates with the time of passage of the particle so one particle is counted when the algorithm finds a match with a Gaussian in both channels. The concentration of particles in the sample is deduced from the total number of coincident hits and the total volume scanned. This portable setup provides higher sensitivity, low-cost advantage, and it can have a wide use ranging from clinical applications to pollution monitors and water and air quality control. (paper)

  18. Antimicrobial susceptibility of lactic acid bacteria isolated from human and food-producing animal feces in Khon Kaen Province, Thailand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sornplang, Pairat; Sakulsawasdiphan, Kattinet; Piyadeatsoontorn, Sudthidol; Surasorn, Benyapha

    2016-12-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the susceptibility of 93 Lactobacillus strains to seven antimicrobial agents, i.e., penicillin G, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, vancomycin, tetracycline, streptomycin, ciprofloxacin, and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, by disk diffusion test. The Lactobacillus strains were isolated from fecal samples taken from 90 healthy, food-producing animals (fattening pigs, free-grazing ducks, and beef cattle) and 30 healthy human subjects (1- to 6-year-olds) in Khon Kaen. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of tetracycline and ciprofloxacin against all strains were determined using the E-test. All 93 Lactobacillus isolates were identified at the species level using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The most common species of Lactobacillus isolated from fattening pigs, free-grazing ducks, beef cattle, and humans were L. reuteri (30 %), L. salivarius (46.7 %), L. acetotolerans (20 %), and L. gasseri (33.3 %), respectively. A total of 83 Lactobacillus strains were resistant to the examined antibiotics. Some strains were resistant to two to six types of antibiotics. More than 50 % of Lactobacillus species were intrinsically resistant to vancomycin, streptomycin, ciprofloxacin, and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim. The prevalence of acquired resistance to tetracycline was observed for Lactobacillus isolates from fattening pigs, humans, free-grazing ducks, and beef cattle at 92.3, 85.7, 77.8, and 68.4 %, respectively. These results demonstrate the impact of antibiotic use in human and veterinary medicine on antibiotic treatment efficacy and may support the spread of transferable antibiotic resistant genes to other bacteria via the food chain.

  19. Carbon partitioning in the food web of a high mountain lake: from bacteria to zooplankton

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alessandra PUGNETTI

    1999-08-01

    Full Text Available The organisms of the microbial loop in Lake Paione Superiore (LPS, a high mountain lake in the Italian Alpine region, were studied together with phytoplankton and zooplankton for three successive years. The biomass of bacteria, HNF (heterotrophic nanoflagellates, ciliates and phytoplankton, as mean carbon concentration in the three years, was 30 and 37 μg C l-1 near the surface (SUR and the bottom (BOT respectively. Under the ice-cover the mean biomass carbon decreased especially at the BOT, whereas at SUR the decrease was less evident due to the maintenance of higher phytoplankton biomass (mixotrophic flagellates. In LPS ~50% of the carbon was confined in bacteria, 20% in protozoa and 30% in phytoplankton. The ratio Autotrophs/Heterotrophs was lower than 1 (mean: 0,97 at SUR and 0,58 at BOT thus indicating a system with a predominance of the heterotrophs. This might be the result of light inhibition of algal growth coupled to a production of dissolved carbon, utilized by bacteria. During late summer the peak of Daphnia longispina, the main component of the zooplankton of LPS, increased the carbon content in the lake to a total of 158 and 300 μg C l-1 in 1997 and 1998 respectively. At the late summer peaks, zooplankton represented from 78 to 89% of the total carbon of the pelagic communities. Furthermore, the presence of Daphnia could be responsible for a decrease in the biomass carbon of a variety of organisms (algae, protozoa and bacteria. It may be possible that this is an instance of zooplankton grazing on algae, protozoa and also bacteria, as Daphnia has very broad niches and may eat pico-, nanoplankton and small ciliates. In the oligotrophic LPS, a diet which also includes protozoa could give Daphnia a further chance of survival, as ciliates are an important source of fatty acids and sterols.

  20. FERMENTED MILK AS A FUNCTIONAL FOOD

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Irena Rogelj

    2000-06-01

    Full Text Available Certain foods have been associated with health benefits for many years; fermented milks and yoghurt are typical examples. The health properties of these dairy products were a part of folklore until the concept of probiotics emerged, and the study of fermented milks and yoghurt containing probiotic bacteria has become more systematic. Functional foods have thus developed as a food, or food ingredient, with positive effects on host health and/or well-being beyond their nutritional value, and fermented milk with probiotic bacteria has again become the prominent representative of this new category of food. Milk alone is much more than the sum of its nutrients. It contains an array of bioactivities: modulating digestive and gastrointestinal functions, haemodynamics, controlling probiotic microbial growth, and immunoregulation. When fermented milk is enriched with probiotic bacteria and prebiotics it meets all the requirements of functional food. The possible positive effects of enriched fermented milk on host health will be reviewed.

  1. Extreme Heat Resistance of Food Borne Pathogens Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella typhimurium on Chicken Breast Fillet during Cooking

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aarieke E.I. de Jong

    2012-01-01

    The surface temperature reached 70∘C within 30 sec and 85∘C within one minute. Extremely high decimal reduction times of 1.90, 1.97, and 2.20 min were obtained for C. jejuni, E. coli, and S. typhimurium, respectively. Chicken meat and refrigerated storage before cooking enlarged the heat resistance of the food borne pathogens. Additionally, a high challenge temperature or fast heating rate contributed to the level of heat resistance. The data were used to assess the probability of illness (campylobacteriosis due to consumption of chicken fillet as a function of cooking time. The data revealed that cooking time may be far more critical than previously assumed.

  2. Association between Dietary Share of Ultra-Processed Foods and Urinary Concentrations of Phytoestrogens in the US.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez Steele, Eurídice; Monteiro, Carlos A

    2017-02-28

    The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between dietary contribution of ultra-processed foods and urinary phytoestrogen concentrations in the US. Participants from cross-sectional 2009-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey aged 6+ years, selected to measure urinary phytoestrogens and with one 24-h dietary recall were evaluated (2692 participants). Food items were classified according to NOVA (a name, not an acronym), a four-group food classification based on the extent and purpose of industrial food processing. Ultra-processed foods are formulations manufactured using several ingredients and a series of processes (hence "ultra-processed"). Most of their ingredients are lower-cost industrial sources of dietary energy and nutrients, with additives used for the purpose of imitating sensorial qualities of minimally processed foods or of culinary preparations of these foods. Studied phytoestrogens included lignans (enterolactone and enterodiol) and isoflavones (genistein, daidzein, O -desmethylangolensin and equol). Gaussian regression was used to compare average urinary phytoestrogen concentrations (normalized by creatinine) across quintiles of energy share of ultra-processed foods. Models incorporated survey sample weights and were adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, family income, and education, among other factors. Adjusted enterodiol geometric means decreased monotonically from 60.6 in the lowest quintile to 35.1 µg/g creatinine in the highest, while adjusted enterolactone geometric means dropped from 281.1 to 200.1 across the same quintiles, respectively. No significant linear trend was observed in the association between these quintiles and isoflavone concentrations. This finding reinforces the existing evidence regarding the negative impact of ultra-processed food consumption on the overall quality of the diet and expands it to include non-nutrients such as lignans.

  3. Identification of lactic acid bacteria from chili bo, a Malaysian food ingredient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leisner, J J; Pot, B; Christensen, H; Rusul, G; Olsen, J E; Wee, B W; Muhamad, K; Ghazali, H M

    1999-02-01

    Ninety-two strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from a Malaysian food ingredient, chili bo, stored for up to 25 days at 28 degreesC with no benzoic acid (product A) or with 7,000 mg of benzoic acid kg-1 (product B). The strains were divided into eight groups by traditional phenotypic tests. A total of 43 strains were selected for comparison of their sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) whole-cell protein patterns with a SDS-PAGE database of LAB. Isolates from product A were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus farciminis, Pediococcus acidilactici, Enterococcus faecalis, and Weissella confusa. Five strains belonging to clusters which could not be allocated to existing species by SDS-PAGE were further identified by 16S rRNA sequence comparison. One strain was distantly related to the Lactobacillus casei/Pediococcus group. Two strains were related to Weissella at the genus or species level. Two other strains did not belong to any previously described 16S rRNA group of LAB and occupied an intermediate position between the L. casei/Pediococcus group and the Weissella group and species of Carnobacterium. The latter two strains belong to the cluster of LAB that predominated in product B. The incidence of new species and subspecies of LAB in chili bo indicate the high probability of isolation of new LAB from certain Southeast Asian foods. None of the isolates exhibited bacteriocin activity against L. plantarum ATCC 14917 and LMG 17682.

  4. Big bacteria

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schulz, HN; Jørgensen, BB

    2001-01-01

    A small number of prokaryotic species have a unique physiology or ecology related to their development of unusually large size. The biomass of bacteria varies over more than 10 orders of magnitude, from the 0.2 mum wide nanobacteria to the largest cells of the colorless sulfur bacteria...... and by actively creating an advective flow through the entire population. Diffusion limitation generally restricts the maximal size of prokaryotic cells and provides a selective advantage for mum-sized cells at the normally low substrate concentrations in the environment. The largest heterotrophic bacteria......, the 80 x 600 mum large Epulopiscium sp. from the gut of tropical fish, are presumably living in a very nutrient-rich medium. Many large bacteria contain numerous inclusions in the cells that reduce the volume of active cytoplasm. The most striking examples of competitive advantage from large cell size...

  5. Prevalence of Salmonella typhi and intestinal parasites among food ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Bernt Lindtjorn

    Background: Food borne diseases are a global public health problem. Food handlers play ... medical check up for food handlers and improve human waste disposal. [Ethiop. J. Health ..... among food handlers in Namakkal district, Tamil. Nadu.

  6. Molecular mechanisms of toxicity of important food-borne phytotoxins

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rietjens, I.M.C.M.; Martena, M.J.; Boersma, M.G.; Spiegelenberg, W.; Alink, G.M.

    2005-01-01

    At present, there is an increasing interest for plant ingredients and their use in drugs, for teas, or in food supplements. The present review describes the nature and mechanism of action of the phytochemicals presently receiving increased attention in the field of food toxicology. This relates to

  7. Use of a bacteriophage cocktail to control Salmonella in food and the food industry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spricigo, Denis Augusto; Bardina, Carlota; Cortés, Pilar; Llagostera, Montserrat

    2013-07-15

    The use of lytic bacteriophages for the biocontrol of food-borne pathogens in food and in the food industry is gaining increasing acceptance. In this study, the effectiveness of a bacteriophage cocktail composed of three different lytic bacteriophages (UAB_Phi 20, UAB_Phi78, and UAB_Phi87) was determined in four different food matrices (pig skin, chicken breasts, fresh eggs, and packaged lettuce) experimentally contaminated with Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and S. enterica serovar Enteritidis. A significant bacterial reduction (>4 and 2 log/cm(2) for S. Typhimurium and S. Enteritidis, respectively; p≤0.005) was obtained in pig skin sprayed with the bacteriophage cocktail and then incubated at 33 °C for 6h. Significant decreases in the concentration of S. Typhimurium and S. Enteritidis were also measured in chicken breasts dipped for 5 min in a solution containing the bacteriophage cocktail and then refrigerated at 4 °C for 7 days (2.2 and 0.9 log10 cfu/g, respectively; p≤0.0001) as well as in lettuce similarly treated for 60 min at room temperature (3.9 and 2.2 log10 cfu/g, respectively; p≤0.005). However, only a minor reduction of the bacterial concentration (0.9 log10 cfu/cm(2) of S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium; p≤0.005) was achieved in fresh eggs sprayed with the bacteriophage cocktail and then incubated at 25 °C for 2 h. These results show the potential effectiveness of this bacteriophage cocktail as a biocontrol agent of Salmonella in several food matrices under conditions similar to those used in their production. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Local concentration of fast-food outlets is associated with poor nutrition and obesity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kruger, Daniel J; Greenberg, Emily; Murphy, Jillian B; DiFazio, Lindsay A; Youra, Kathryn R

    2014-01-01

    We investigated the relationship of the local availability of fast-food restaurant locations with diet and obesity. We geocoded addresses of survey respondents and fast-food restaurant locations to assess the association between the local concentration of fast-food outlets, BMI, and fruit and vegetable consumption. The survey was conducted in Genesee County, Michigan. There were 1345 individuals included in this analysis, and the response rate was 25%. The Speak to Your Health! Community Survey included fruit and vegetable consumption items from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, height, weight, and demographics. We used ArcGIS to map fast-food outlets and survey respondents. Stepwise linear regressions identified unique predictors of body mass index (BMI) and fruit and vegetable consumption. Survey respondents had 8 ± 7 fast-food outlets within 2 miles of their home. Individuals living in close proximity to fast-food restaurants had higher BMIs t(1342) = 3.21, p food availability, which may constrain the success of nutrition promotion efforts. Efforts to decrease the local availability of unhealthy foods as well as programs to help consumers identify strategies for obtaining healthy meals at fast-food outlets may improve health outcomes.

  9. Cuticular bacteria appear detrimental to social spiders in mixed but not monoculture exposure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keiser, Carl N.; Shearer, Taylor A.; DeMarco, Alexander E.; Brittingham, Hayley A.; Knutson, Karen A.; Kuo, Candice; Zhao, Katherine; Pruitt, Jonathan N.

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Much of an animal’s health status, life history, and behavior are dictated by interactions with its endogenous and exogenous bacterial communities. Unfortunately, interactions between hosts and members of their resident bacterial community are often ignored in animal behavior and behavioral ecology. Here, we aim to identify the nature of host–microbe interactions in a nonmodel organism, the African social spider Stegodyphus dumicola. We collected and identified bacteria from the cuticles of spiders in situ and then exposed spiders to bacterial monocultures cultures via topical application or injection. We also topically inoculated spiders with a concomitant “cocktail” of bacteria and measured the behavior of spiders daily for 24 days after inoculation. Lastly, we collected and identified bacteria from the cuticles of prey items in the capture webs of spiders, and then fed spiders domestic crickets which had been injected with these bacteria. We also injected 1 species of prey-borne bacteria into the hemolymph of spiders. Only Bacillus thuringiensis caused increased mortality when injected into the hemolymph of spiders, whereas no bacterial monocultures caused increased mortality when applied topically, relative to control solutions. However, a bacterial cocktail of cuticular bacteria caused weight loss and mortality when applied topically, yet did not detectibly alter spider behavior. Consuming prey injected with prey-borne bacteria was associated with an elongated lifespan in spiders. Thus, indirect evidence from multiple experiments suggests that the effects of these bacteria on spider survivorship appear contingent on their mode of colonization and whether they are applied in monoculture or within a mixed cocktail. We urge that follow-up studies should test these host–microbe interactions across different social contexts to determine the role that microbes play in colony performance. PMID:29491926

  10. Isolation of lactic acid bacteria with potential protective culture characteristics from fruits

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hashim, Nurul Huda; Sani, Norrakiah Abdullah

    2015-09-01

    Lactic acid bacteria are also known as beneficial microorganisms abundantly found in fermented food products. In this study, lactic acid bacteria were isolated from fresh cut fruits obtained from local markets. Throughout the isolation process from 11 samples of fruits, 225 presumptive lactic acid bacteria were isolated on MRS agar medium. After catalase and oxidase tests, 149 resulted to fit the characteristics of lactic acid bacteria. Further identification using Gram staining was conducted to identify the Gram positive bacteria. After this confirmation, the fermentation characteristics of these isolates were identified. It was found that 87 (58.4%) isolates were heterofermentative, while the rest of 62 (41.6%) are homofermentative lactic acid bacteria. Later, all these isolates were investigated for the ability to inhibit growth of Staphylococcus aureus using agar spot assay method. Seven (4.7%) isolates showed strong antagonistic capacity, while 127 (85.2%) and 8 (5.4%) isolates have medium and weak antagonistic capacity, respectively. The other 7 (4.7%) isolates indicated to have no antagonistic effect on S. aureus. Results support the potential of LAB isolated in this study which showed strong antagonistic activity against S. aureus may be manipulated to become protective cultures in food products. While the homofermentative or heterofermentative LAB can be utilized in fermentation of food and non-food products depending on the by-products required during the fermentation.

  11. Plant-based Paste Fermented by Lactic Acid Bacteria and Yeast: Functional Analysis and Possibility of Application to Functional Foods

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shinsuke Kuwaki

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available A plant-based paste fermented by lactic acid bacteria and yeast (fermented paste was made from various plant materials. The paste was made of fermented food by applying traditional food-preservation techniques, that is, fermentation and sugaring. The fermented paste contained major nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids, 18 kinds of amino acids, and vitamins (vitamin A, B 1 B 2 , B 6 , B 12 , E, K, niacin, biotin, pantothenic acid, and folic acid. It contained five kinds of organic acids, and a large amount of dietary fiber and plant phytochemicals. Sucrose from brown sugar, used as a material, was completely resolved into glucose and fructose. Some physiological functions of the fermented paste were examined in vitro. It was demonstrated that the paste possessed antioxidant, antihypertensive, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergy and anti-tyrosinase activities in vitro. It was thought that the fermented paste would be a helpful functional food with various nutrients to help prevent lifestyle diseases.

  12. Uptake of americium-241 by algae and bacteria

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Geisy, J P; Paine, D

    1978-01-01

    Algae and bacteria are important factors in the transport and mobilization of elements in the biosphere. These factors may be involved in trophic biomagnification, resulting in a potential human hazard or environmental degradation. Although americium, one of the most toxic elements known, is not required for plant growth, it may be concentrated by algae and bacteria. Therefore, the availability of americium-241 to algae and bacteria was studied to determine their role in the ultimate fate of this element released into the environment. Both algae and bacteria concentrated americium-241 to a high degree, making them important parts of the biomagnification process. The ability to concentrate americium-241 makes algae and bacteria potentially significant factors in cycling this element in the water column. (4 graphs, numerous references, 3 tables)

  13. Performance of a Heating Block System Designed for Studying the Heat Resistance of Bacteria in Foods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kou, Xiao-xi; Li, Rui; Hou, Li-xia; Huang, Zhi; Ling, Bo; Wang, Shao-jin

    2016-01-01

    Knowledge of bacteria’s heat resistance is essential for developing effective thermal treatments. Choosing an appropriate test method is important to accurately determine bacteria’s heat resistances. Although being a major factor to influence the thermo-tolerance of bacteria, the heating rate in samples cannot be controlled in water or oil bath methods due to main dependence on sample’s thermal properties. A heating block system (HBS) was designed to regulate the heating rates in liquid, semi-solid and solid foods using a temperature controller. Distilled water, apple juice, mashed potato, almond powder and beef were selected to evaluate the HBS’s performance by experiment and computer simulation. The results showed that the heating rates of 1, 5 and 10 °C/min with final set-point temperatures and holding times could be easily and precisely achieved in five selected food materials. A good agreement in sample central temperature profiles was obtained under various heating rates between experiment and simulation. The experimental and simulated results showed that the HBS could provide a sufficiently uniform heating environment in food samples. The effect of heating rate on bacterial thermal resistance was evaluated with the HBS. The system may hold potential applications for rapid and accurate assessments of bacteria’s thermo-tolerances. PMID:27465120

  14. Bacteriocins from lactic acid bacteria: purification, properties and use as biopreservatives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Luis Parada

    2007-05-01

    Full Text Available Biopreservation systems in foods are of increasing interest for industry and consumers. Bacteriocinogenic lactic acid bacteria and/or their isolated bacteriocins are considered safe additives (GRAS, useful to control the frequent development of pathogens and spoiling microorganisms in foods and feed. The spreading of bacterial antibiotic resistance and the demand for products with fewer chemicals create the necessity of exploring new alternatives, in order to reduce the abusive use of therapeutic antibiotics. In this context, bacteriocins are indicated to prevent the growth of undesirable bacteria in a food-grade and more natural way, which is convenient for health and accepted by the community. According to their properties, structure, molecular weight (MW, and antimicrobial spectrum, bacteriocins are classified in three different groups: lantibiotics and non-lantibiotics of low MW, and those of higher MW. Several strategies for isolation and purification of bacteriocins from complex cultivation broths to final products were described. Biotechnological procedures including salting-out, solvent extraction, ultrafiltration, adsorption-desortion, ion-exchange, and size exclusion chromatography are among the most usual methods. Peptide structure-function studies of bacteriocins and bacterial genetic advances will help to understand the molecular basis of their specificity and mode of action. Nisin is a good example of commercial success, and a good perspective is open to continue the study and development of new bacteriocins and their biotechnological applications. These substances in appropriate concentrations may be used in veterinary medicine and as animal growth promoter instead usual antibiotics, as well as an additional hurdle factor for increasing the shelf life of minimal processed foods.

  15. Canine vector-borne diseases in Brazil

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dantas-Torres, Filipe

    2008-01-01

    Canine vector-borne diseases (CVBDs) are highly prevalent in Brazil and represent a challenge to veterinarians and public health workers, since some diseases are of great zoonotic potential. Dogs are affected by many protozoa (e.g., Babesia vogeli, Leishmania infantum, and Trypanosoma cruzi), bacteria (e.g., Anaplasma platys and Ehrlichia canis), and helminths (e.g., Dirofilaria immitis and Dipylidium caninum) that are transmitted by a diverse range of arthropod vectors, including ticks, fleas, lice, triatomines, mosquitoes, tabanids, and phlebotomine sand flies. This article focuses on several aspects (etiology, transmission, distribution, prevalence, risk factors, diagnosis, control, prevention, and public health significance) of CVBDs in Brazil and discusses research gaps to be addressed in future studies. PMID:18691408

  16. Canine vector-borne diseases in Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dantas-Torres Filipe

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Canine vector-borne diseases (CVBDs are highly prevalent in Brazil and represent a challenge to veterinarians and public health workers, since some diseases are of great zoonotic potential. Dogs are affected by many protozoa (e.g., Babesia vogeli, Leishmania infantum, and Trypanosoma cruzi, bacteria (e.g., Anaplasma platys and Ehrlichia canis, and helminths (e.g., Dirofilaria immitis and Dipylidium caninum that are transmitted by a diverse range of arthropod vectors, including ticks, fleas, lice, triatomines, mosquitoes, tabanids, and phlebotomine sand flies. This article focuses on several aspects (etiology, transmission, distribution, prevalence, risk factors, diagnosis, control, prevention, and public health significance of CVBDs in Brazil and discusses research gaps to be addressed in future studies.

  17. Concentrations of antibiotics predicted to select for resistant bacteria: Proposed limits for environmental regulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bengtsson-Palme, Johan; Larsson, D G Joakim

    2016-01-01

    There are concerns that selection pressure from antibiotics in the environment may accelerate the evolution and dissemination of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Nevertheless, there is currently no regulatory system that takes such risks into account. In part, this is due to limited knowledge of environmental concentrations that might exert selection for resistant bacteria. To experimentally determine minimal selective concentrations in complex microbial ecosystems for all antibiotics would involve considerable effort. In this work, our aim was to estimate upper boundaries for selective concentrations for all common antibiotics, based on the assumption that selective concentrations a priori need to be lower than those completely inhibiting growth. Data on Minimal Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) were obtained for 111 antibiotics from the public EUCAST database. The 1% lowest observed MICs were identified, and to compensate for limited species coverage, predicted lowest MICs adjusted for the number of tested species were extrapolated through modeling. Predicted No Effect Concentrations (PNECs) for resistance selection were then assessed using an assessment factor of 10 to account for differences between MICs and minimal selective concentrations. The resulting PNECs ranged from 8 ng/L to 64 μg/L. Furthermore, the link between taxonomic similarity between species and lowest MIC was weak. This work provides estimated upper boundaries for selective concentrations (lowest MICs) and PNECs for resistance selection for all common antibiotics. In most cases, PNECs for selection of resistance were below available PNECs for ecotoxicological effects. The generated PNECs can guide implementation of compound-specific emission limits that take into account risks for resistance promotion. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  18. Association between Dietary Share of Ultra-Processed Foods and Urinary Concentrations of Phytoestrogens in the US

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eurídice Martínez Steele

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between dietary contribution of ultra-processed foods and urinary phytoestrogen concentrations in the US. Participants from cross-sectional 2009–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey aged 6+ years, selected to measure urinary phytoestrogens and with one 24-h dietary recall were evaluated (2692 participants. Food items were classified according to NOVA (a name, not an acronym, a four-group food classification based on the extent and purpose of industrial food processing. Ultra-processed foods are formulations manufactured using several ingredients and a series of processes (hence “ultra-processed”. Most of their ingredients are lower-cost industrial sources of dietary energy and nutrients, with additives used for the purpose of imitating sensorial qualities of minimally processed foods or of culinary preparations of these foods. Studied phytoestrogens included lignans (enterolactone and enterodiol and isoflavones (genistein, daidzein, O-desmethylangolensin and equol. Gaussian regression was used to compare average urinary phytoestrogen concentrations (normalized by creatinine across quintiles of energy share of ultra-processed foods. Models incorporated survey sample weights and were adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, family income, and education, among other factors. Adjusted enterodiol geometric means decreased monotonically from 60.6 in the lowest quintile to 35.1 µg/g creatinine in the highest, while adjusted enterolactone geometric means dropped from 281.1 to 200.1 across the same quintiles, respectively. No significant linear trend was observed in the association between these quintiles and isoflavone concentrations. This finding reinforces the existing evidence regarding the negative impact of ultra-processed food consumption on the overall quality of the diet and expands it to include non-nutrients such as lignans.

  19. Lactic acid bacteria as a cell factory for riboflavin production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thakur, Kiran; Tomar, Sudhir Kumar; De, Sachinandan

    2016-07-01

    Consumers are increasingly becoming aware of their health and nutritional requirements, and in this context, vitamins produced in situ by microbes may suit their needs and expectations. B groups vitamins are essential components of cellular metabolism and among them riboflavin is one of the vital vitamins required by bacteria, plants, animals and humans. Here, we focus on the importance of microbial production of riboflavin over chemical synthesis. In addition, genetic abilities for riboflavin biosynthesis by lactic acid bacteria are discussed. Genetically modified strains by employing genetic engineering and chemical analogues have been developed to enhance riboflavin production. The present review attempts to collect the currently available information on riboflavin production by microbes in general, while placing greater emphasis on food grade lactic acid bacteria and human gut commensals. For designing riboflavin-enriched functional foods, proper selection and exploitation of riboflavin-producing lactic acid bacteria is essential. Moreover, eliminating the in situ vitamin fortification step will decrease the cost of food production. © 2015 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

  20. Ground transport stress affects bacteria in the rumen of beef cattle: A real-time PCR analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Lixin; He, Cong; Zhou, Yanwei; Xu, Lifan; Xiong, Huijun

    2017-05-01

    Transport stress syndrome often appears in beef cattle during ground transportation, leading to changes in their capacity to digest food due to changes in rumen microbiota. The present study aimed to analyze bacteria before and after cattle transport. Eight Xianan beef cattle were transported over 1000 km. Rumen fluid and blood were sampled before and after transport. Real-time PCR was used to quantify rumen bacteria. Cortisol and adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) were measured. Cortisol and ACTH were increased on day 1 after transportation and decreased by day 3. Cellulolytic bacteria (Fibrobacter succinogenes and Ruminococcus flavefaciens), Ruminococcus amylophilus and Prevotella albensis were increased at 6 h and declined by 15 days after transport. There was a significant reduction in Succinivibrio dextrinosolvens, Prevotella bryantii, Prevotella ruminicola and Anaerovibrio lipolytica after transport. Rumen concentration of acetic acid increased after transport, while rumen pH and concentrations of propionic and butyric acids were decreased. Body weight decreased by 3 days and increased by 15 days after transportation. Using real-time PCR analysis, we detected changes in bacteria in the rumen of beef cattle after transport, which might affect the growth of cattle after transport. © 2016 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

  1. Oligotrophic bacteria isolated from clinical materials.

    OpenAIRE

    Tada, Y; Ihmori, M; Yamaguchi, J

    1995-01-01

    Oligotrophic bacteria (oligotrophs) are microorganisms that grow in extremely nutritionally deficient conditions in which the concentrations of organic substances are low. Many oligotrophic bacteria were isolated from clinical materials including urine, sputum, swabbings of the throat, vaginal discharges, and others. Seventy-seven strains of oligotrophic bacteria from 871 samples of clinical material were isolated. A relatively higher frequency of isolation of oligotrophic bacteria was shown ...

  2. ESSENTIAL OILS OF CYMBOPOGON SP. IN THE CONTROL OF FOODBORNE PATHOGENIC BACTERIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Danilo Florisvaldo BRUGNERA

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available In this study, the agar well diffusion technique was used to determine the antibacterial activity of Cymbopogon nardus (citronella and Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass essential oils, which were applied at different concentrations. The bacterial species used were the foodborne pathogens Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Both essential oils presented antibacterial activity in most concentrations tested. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs founded were: 7.81μL/mL (S. aureus and 3.90μL/mL (E. coli and P. aeruginosa, for C. nardus essential oil; and 3.90μL/mL (S. aureus, E. coli and P. aeruginosa, for C. citratus essential oil. The essential oils used were shown as promising natural antibacterials for pathogenic bacteria control in the food industry.

  3. Bacterial SOS response: a food safety perspective

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Veen, van der S.; Abee, T.

    2011-01-01

    The SOS response is a conserved inducible pathway in bacteria that is involved in DNA repair and restart of stalled replication forks. Activation of the SOS response can result in stress resistance and mutagenesis. In food processing facilities and during food preservation, bacteria are exposed to

  4. Human body may produce bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salerian, Alen J

    2017-06-01

    "Human body may produce bacteria" proposes that human body may produce bacteria and represent an independent source of infections contrary to the current paradigm of infectious disorders proposed by Louis Pasteur in 1880. The following observations are consistent with this hypothesis: A. Bidirectional transformations of both living and nonliving things have been commonly observed in nature. B. Complex multicellular organisms harbor the necessary properties to produce bacteria (water, nitrogen and oxygen). C. Physical laws suggest any previously observed phenomenon or action will occur again (life began on earth; a non living thing). D. Animal muscle cells may generate energy (fermentation). E. Sterilized food products (i.e. boiled eggs), may produce bacteria and fungus under special conditions and without any exposure to foreign living cells. "Human body may produce bacteria" may challenge the current medical paradigm that views human infectious disorders as the exclusive causative byproducts of invading foreign cells. It may also introduce new avenues to treat infectious disorders. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Cadmium resistance of endophytic bacteria and rizosféricas bacteria isolated from Oriza sativa in Colombia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nataly Ayubb T

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The present study had as objective to evaluate in vitro the resistance of endophytic bacteria and rizospheric bacteria to different concentrations of Cadmium.This bacteria were isolated fron different tissues of commercial rice varieties and from bacteria isolated from the rhizosphere in rice plantations of the Nechí (Antioquía and Achí (Bolivar.  Plant growth promotion was evaluated in vitro by nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization and siderophores production of endophytic bacteria. Of each tissue isolated from rice plants was carried out isolation in culture medium for endophytic bacteria, and the soil samples were serially diluted in peptone water. Each sample was determined the population density by counting in CFU / g of tissue and morphotypes were separated by shape, color, size and appearance in culture media. Significant differences were observed for density population of bacteria with respect to tissue, with higher values in root (4x1011 g/root, followed of the stem (3x1010g/etem, leaf (5x109 g/ leaf, flag leaf (3x109 g/ flag leaf and with less density in panicle (4x108 g/panicle. The results of the identification with kit API were confirmed the presence of endophytic bacteria Burkholderia cepaceae and rizospheric bacteria Pseudomona fluorescens With the ability to tolerate different concentrations of Cd, fix nitrogen, solubilize phosphates and produce siderophores.

  6. The EHEC-crisis - Impact and lessons learned - Sustainable cross-border crisis control and communication

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hamer, M.; Terlau, W.; Terlau, W.; Roest, van der J.; Petersen, B.

    2016-01-01

    Food-borne disease is an ever-present threat and is often associated with the consumption of fresh food such as horticultural products. Apart from chemicals, heavy metals, fungi and viruses, bacteria are the most common cause for food poisoning. A serious outbreak in Germany and neighbouring

  7. Spoilage of vegetable crops by bacteria and fungi and related health hazards.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tournas, V H

    2005-01-01

    After harvest, vegetables are often spoiled by a wide variety of microorganisms including many bacterial and fungal species. The most common bacterial agents are Erwinia carotovora, Pseudomonas spp., Corynebacterium, Xanthomonas campestris, and lactic acid bacteria with E. carotovora being the most common, attacking virtually every vegetable type. Fungi commonly causing spoilage of fresh vegetables are Botrytis cinerea, various species of the genera Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Colletotrichum, Phomopsis, Fusarium, Penicillium, Phoma, Phytophthora, Pythium and Rhizopus spp., Botrytis cinerea, Ceratocystis fimbriata, Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and some mildews. A few of these organisms show a substrate preference whereas others such as Botrytis cinerea, Colletotrichum, Alternaria, Cladosporium, Phytophthora, and Rhizopus spp., affect a wide variety of vegetables causing devastating losses. Many of these agents enter the plant tissue through mechanical or chilling injuries, or after the skin barrier has been broken down by other organisms. Besides causing huge economic losses, some fungal species could produce toxic metabolites in the affected sites, constituting a potential health hazard for humans. Additionally, vegetables have often served as vehicles for pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and parasites and were implicated in many food borne illness outbreaks. In order to slow down vegetable spoilage and minimize the associated adverse health effects, great caution should be taken to follow strict hygiene, good agricultural practices (GAPs) and good manufacturing practices (GMPs) during cultivation, harvest, storage, transport, and marketing.

  8. Bacteriocins and lactic acid bacteria - a minireview | Savadogo ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Fermentation of various foods by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) is one of the oldest forms of biopreservation practised by mankind. Bacterial antagonism has been recognized for over a century but in recent years this phenomenon has received more scientific attention, particulary in the use of various strains of lactic acid bacteria.

  9. Chinese-American foods : Geography, culture and tourism

    OpenAIRE

    Lew, Alan A.

    2016-01-01

    Food is a major way that Chinese, and other ethnic groups, engage with their cultural heritage. Behavioral perspectives from tourism studies give insight into the range of food neophyllics (love of new foods) and food neophobics (fear of new foods), as well as the role of authenticity in food experiences. Three general types of Chinese food are identified in the US: Chinese American (restaurant) Food, Real Chinese (restaurant) Food, and American Born Chinese (home) Food. Traditional Chinese A...

  10. In vitro Seed-dressing Technique for the Control of Seed-borne ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In vitro Seed-dressing Technique for the Control of Seed-borne Fungi of Rice variety Faro -29. ... Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management ... Fernasan-D, Apron Plus 50 DS and Dithane–M45), and soaking and slurry methods at various concentrations, for the control of seed-borne fungi of rice variety

  11. Identification of Lactic Acid Bacteria from Chili Bo, a Malaysian Food Ingredient

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leisner, Jørgen J.; Pot, Bruno; Christensen, Henrik; Rusul, Gulam; Olsen, John E.; Wee, Bee Wah; Muhamad, Kharidah; Ghazali, Hasanah M.

    1999-01-01

    Ninety-two strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from a Malaysian food ingredient, chili bo, stored for up to 25 days at 28°C with no benzoic acid (product A) or with 7,000 mg of benzoic acid kg−1 (product B). The strains were divided into eight groups by traditional phenotypic tests. A total of 43 strains were selected for comparison of their sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) whole-cell protein patterns with a SDS-PAGE database of LAB. Isolates from product A were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus farciminis, Pediococcus acidilactici, Enterococcus faecalis, and Weissella confusa. Five strains belonging to clusters which could not be allocated to existing species by SDS-PAGE were further identified by 16S rRNA sequence comparison. One strain was distantly related to the Lactobacillus casei/Pediococcus group. Two strains were related to Weissella at the genus or species level. Two other strains did not belong to any previously described 16S rRNA group of LAB and occupied an intermediate position between the L. casei/Pediococcus group and the Weissella group and species of Carnobacterium. The latter two strains belong to the cluster of LAB that predominated in product B. The incidence of new species and subspecies of LAB in chili bo indicate the high probability of isolation of new LAB from certain Southeast Asian foods. None of the isolates exhibited bacteriocin activity against L. plantarum ATCC 14917 and LMG 17682. PMID:9925588

  12. Energy density at a buffet-style lunch differs for adolescents born at high and low risk of obesity

    OpenAIRE

    Kral, Tanja V.E.; Stunkard, Albert J.; Berkowitz, Robert I.; Stettler, Nicolas; Stallings, Virginia A.; Kabay, April; Faith, Myles S.

    2009-01-01

    The energy density (ED; kcal/g) of foods, when manipulated in the laboratory, affects short-term energy intake. The aim of this study was to examine if, when given a choice, dietary ED (foods only) and energy intake (expressed as a percentage of subjects’ estimated daily energy requirement) at a self-selected, single meal differs for teens born with a different familial predisposition to obesity and as a function of their sex. Subjects (13 males, 17 females) were 12 years of age and born at h...

  13. Population structure of Cladophora-borne Escherichia coli in nearshore water of Lake Michigan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byappanahalli, Muruleedhara N; Whitman, Richard L; Shively, Dawn A; Ferguson, John; Ishii, Satoshi; Sadowsky, Michael J

    2007-08-01

    We previously reported that the macrophytic green alga Cladophora harbors high densities (up to 10(6) colony-forming units/g dry weight) of the fecal indicator bacteria, Escherichia coli and enterococci, in shoreline waters of Lake Michigan. However, the population structure and genetic relatedness of Cladophora-borne indicator bacteria remain poorly understood. In this study, 835 E. coli isolates were collected from Cladophora tufts (mats) growing on rocks from a breakwater located within the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in northwest Indiana. The horizontal fluorophore enhanced rep-PCR (HFERP) DNA fingerprinting technique was used to determine the genetic relatedness of the isolates to each other and to those in a library of E. coli DNA fingerprints. While the E. coli isolates from Cladophora showed a high degree of genetic relatedness (92% similarity), in most cases, however, the isolates were genetically distinct. The Shannon diversity index for the population was very high (5.39). Both spatial and temporal influences contributed to the genetic diversity. There was a strong association of isolate genotypes by location (79% and 80% for lake- and ditch-side samplings, respectively), and isolates collected from 2002 were distinctly different from those obtained in 2003. Cladophora-borne E. coli isolates represented a unique group, which was distinct from other E. coli isolates in the DNA fingerprint library tested. Taken together, these results indicate that E. coli strains associated with Cladophora may be a recurring source of indicator bacteria to the nearshore beach.

  14. Reproduction in Balanus amphitrite Darwin (Cirripedia: Thoracica); influence of temperature and food concentration

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Desai, D.V.; Anil, A.C.; Venkat, K.

    Balanus amphitrite, an acorn barnacle is distinctly euryhaline and eurythermal, and a dominant fouling organism found in warm and temperate waters through out the world. In this study the influence of temperature and food concentration...

  15. Separation process for very concentrated emulsions and suspensions in the food industry

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dinther, van A.M.C.; Schroën, C.G.P.H.; Boom, R.M.

    2013-01-01

    Separation of concentrated food suspensions and emulsions by e.g. microfiltration is currently not possible and therefore preceded by dilution, wasting energy and water. A new approach is shown, with sieves having pores much larger than the micron-sized droplets, low cross-flow velocities and a

  16. Novel bacteriocins from lactic acid bacteria (LAB): various structures and applications

    OpenAIRE

    Perez, Rodney H; Zendo, Takeshi; Sonomoto, Kenji

    2014-01-01

    Bacteriocins are heat-stable ribosomally synthesized antimicrobial peptides produced by various bacteria, including food-grade lactic acid bacteria (LAB). These antimicrobial peptides have huge potential as both food preservatives, and as next-generation antibiotics targeting the multiple-drug resistant pathogens. The increasing number of reports of new bacteriocins with unique properties indicates that there is still a lot to learn about this family of peptide antibiotics. In this review, we...

  17. Role of bacteria in bioaccumulation of mercury in the oyster Crassostrea virginica

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sayler, G.S.; Nelson, J.D. Jr.; Colwell, R.R.

    1975-01-01

    An investigation of mercury-resistant bacteria was undertaken to determine their role in the accumulation of mercury in a simplified food chain. Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) were maintained in a closed system, sealed aquarium with stirred, aerated water containing 10 μg of 203 HgCl 2 per liter. Uptake of 203 Hg by oysters held under control conditions was compared with that of 203 Hg uptake by oysters under similar conditions except that mercury-accumulating and mercury-metabolizing species of Pseudomonsa, isolated from Chesapeake Bay, were added to the experimental oysters. After incubation for 4 days, the major portion of the 203 Hg in the water column was found to be associated with the microparticulate fraction, corresponding to a rise in total viable count. Mercury accumulation in the oysters was significantly higher in the gill and fisceral tissue than other tissues. Mercury concentrations were 200 times greater in tissue fractions of oysters dosed with mercury-metabolizing bacteria compared with the oysters held under control conditions without mercury-metabolizing bacteria. (U.S.)

  18. Larval development and metamorphosis of Balanus albicostatus (Cirripedia: Thoracica); implications of temperature, food concentration and energetics

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Desai, D.V.; Khandeparker, L.; Shirayama, Y.

    The influence of food concentrations (0.5, 1 and 2 x 105 cells ml sup(-1)) and temperatures (20 and 30 degrees C) on the survival, development, organic carbon and nitrogen content of Balanus albicostatus larvae was evaluated The effect of food...

  19. Variation in bacterial ATP concentration during rapid changes in extracellular pH and implications for the activity of attached bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albert, Lynal S; Brown, Derick G

    2015-08-01

    In this study we investigated the relationship between a rapid change in extracellular pH and the alteration of bacterial ATP concentration. This relationship is a key component of a hypothesis indicating that bacterial bioenergetics - the creation of ATP from ADP via a proton gradient across the cytoplasmic membrane - can be altered by the physiochemical charge-regulation effect, which results in a pH shift at the bacteria's surface upon adhesion to another surface. The bacterial ATP concentration was measured during a rapid change in extracellular pH from a baseline pH of 7.2 to pH values between 3.5 and 10.5. Experiments were conducted with four neutrophilic bacterial strains, including the Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas putida and the Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus epidermidis. A change in bulk pH produced an immediate response in bacterial ATP, demonstrating a direct link between changes in extracellular pH and cellular bioenergetics. In general, the shifts in ATP were similar across the four bacterial strains, with results following an exponential relationship between the extracellular pH and cellular ATP concentration. One exception occurred with S. epidermidis, where there was no variation in cellular ATP at acidic pH values, and this finding is consistent with this species' ability to thrive under acidic conditions. These results provide insight into obtaining a desired bioenergetic response in bacteria through (i) the application of chemical treatments to vary the local pH and (ii) the selection and design of surfaces resulting in local pH modification of attached bacteria via the charge-regulation effect. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Long interspersed element-1 is differentially regulated by food-borne carcinogens via the aryl hydrocarbon receptor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okudaira, N; Okamura, T; Tamura, M; Iijma, K; Goto, M; Matsunaga, A; Ochiai, M; Nakagama, H; Kano, S; Fujii-Kuriyama, Y; Ishizaka, Y

    2013-10-10

    A single human cell contains more than 5.0 × 10(5) copies of long interspersed element-1 (L1), 80-100 of which are competent for retrotransposition (L1-RTP). Recent observations have revealed the presence of de novo L1 insertions in various tumors, but little is known about its mechanism. Here, we found that 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) and 2-amino-3,8-dimethyl-imidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx), food-borne carcinogens that are present in broiled meats, induced L1-RTP. This induction was dependent on a cellular cascade comprising the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR), a mitogen-activated protein kinase, and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β. Notably, these compounds exhibited differential induction of L1-RTP. MeIQx-induced L1-RTP was dependent on AhR nuclear translocator 1 (ARNT1), a counterpart of AhR required for gene expression in response to environmental pollutants. By contrast, PhIP-induced L1-RTP did not require ARNT1 but was dependent on estrogen receptor α (ERα) and AhR repressor. In vivo studies using transgenic mice harboring the human L1 gene indicated that PhIP-induced L1-RTP was reproducibly detected in the mammary gland, which is a target organ of PhIP-induced carcinoma. Moreover, picomolar levels of each compound induced L1-RTP, which is comparable to the PhIP concentration detected in human breast milk. Data suggest that somatic cells possess machineries that induce L1-RTP in response to the carcinogenic compounds. Together with data showing that micromolar levels of heterocyclic amines (HCAs) were non-genotoxic, our observations indicate that L1-RTP by environmental compounds is a novel type of genomic instability, further suggesting that analysis of L1-RTP by HCAs is a novel approach to clarification of modes of carcinogenesis.

  1. Antibacterial Activity of Zataria multiflora Boiss Essential Oil against Some Fish Spoilage Bacteria

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Hashemi

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Background: The aim of this study was to investigate antimicrobial effect of Zataria multiflora Boiss essential oil (EO against six fish spoilage bacteria for evaluation of its potential utilization in the preservation of minimally processed fish products. Methods: Firstly, GC-MS analysis of the EO was performed to determine its chemical composition. Then, antibacterial effect of the EO in a range of 0.031 to 4 mg/ml was tested against different fish spoilage bacteria such as Aeromonas hydrophila, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Shewanella putrefaciens, Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis by broth microdilution method to determine minimum inhibitory (MIC and minimum bactericidal (MBC concentrations. Results: GC-MS results showed that phenolic components such as carvacrol (51.55% and thymol (25.49% were predominant constituents of the EO. Zataria multiflora Boiss EO exhibited strong antimicrobial activity against all tested bacteria. Shewanella Putrefaciens was the most sensitive bacteria with MBC value of 0. 5 mg/ml. Conclusion: According to the results, this EO could be used as an important natural alternative to prevent bacterial growth in food specially seafood products to preserve them against bacterial spoilage.

  2. Food safety knowledge, attitudes and practices of institutional food-handlers in Ghana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Akabanda, Fortune; Hlortsi, Eli Hope; Owusu-Kwarteng, James

    2017-01-06

    In large scale cooking, food is handled by many individuals, thereby increasing the chances of food contamination due to improper handling. Deliberate or accidental contamination of food during large scale production might endanger the health of consumers, and have very expensive repercussions on a country. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices among institutional food- handlers in Ghana. The study was conducted using a descriptive, cross-sectional survey of 29 institutions by conducting face to face interview and administration of questionnaire to two hundred and thirty-five (235) institutional food-handlers. The questionnaire was peer-reviewed and pilot tested in three institutions in the Upper East Region of Ghana, before the final version was distributed to food-handlers. The questionnaire was structured into five distinctive parts to collect information on (i) demographic characteristics, (ii) employees' work satisfaction, (iii) knowledge on food safety, (iv) attitudes towards food safety and (v) food hygiene practices. Majority of the food-handlers were between 41-50 years (39.1%). Female respondents were (76.6%). In our study, the food-handlers were knowledgeable about hygienic practices, cleaning and sanitation procedures. Almost all of the food-handlers were aware of the critical role of general sanitary practices in the work place, such as hand washing (98.7% correct answers), using gloves (77.9%), proper cleaning of the instruments/utensils (86.4%) and detergent use (72.8%). On disease transmission, the results indicates that 76.2% of the food- handlers did not know that Salmonella is a food borne pathogens and 70.6% did not know that hepatitis A is a food borne pathogen. However, 81.7% handlers agreed that typhoid fever is transmitted by food and 87.7% agreed that bloody diarrhea is transmitted by food. Logistic regression analysis testing four models showed statistically significant differences

  3. Introduction of a novel food processing technology- food irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nair, P.M.

    1994-01-01

    The treatment of food with ionizing radiation for its preservation is a resurging technology which was lying dormant since its introduction after the discovery on the use of x-ray as an effective way to kill bacteria in food. Large research programmes were initiated on the use of gamma rays for food preservation in many countries and some of the conclusions derived are discussed. 1 fig., 2 tabs

  4. Ensuring safe food: from production to consumption

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Committee to Ensure Safe Food from Production to Consumption, Institute of Medicine and National Research Council

    .... Recent actions taken at the federal, state, and local levels in response to the increase in reported incidences of food borne illnesses point to the need to evaluate the food safety system in the United States...

  5. Deoxynivalenol. Derivation of concentration limits in wheat and wheat containing food products

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pieters MN; Fiolet DCM; Baars AJ; CSR

    1999-01-01

    The mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) produced by fungi of the Fusarium genus may occur in various cereal crops. A provisional TDI of 1.1 ug per kg body weight was derived to calculate concentration limits for the mycotoxin, deoxynivalenol (DON), in wheat and wheat food products. Children (1-4 years

  6. Consumer health hazards in international food trade

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Achterbosch, T.J.

    2007-01-01

    Emerging risks have been defined as potential food-borne, feed-borne, or diet-related hazards that may become a risk for human health in the future. This study disentangles how emerging risks relate to international trade. It develops a basic framework for the economic analysis of emerging risks,

  7. Prevalence and predictors of intestinal parasites among food handlers in Yebu Town, southwest Ethiopia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tamirat Tefera

    Full Text Available As a result of urbanization, eating and drinking from food service establishments is becoming a common practice in developing countries like Ethiopia, which increases the chances of food borne diseases. The health status and hygiene practices of food handlers are the major determinants of food contamination. In developing countries where there are poor regulatory systems for food hygiene, food handlers are often appointed without screening for possible infections associated with poor hygiene like intestinal parasites.This study aimed at determining the prevalence and predictors of intestinal parasites and assessing the hygiene practices among food handlers in Yebu Town, southwest Ethiopia.A cross-sectional study was conducted among a total of 118 food handlers in Yebu Town in January 2011. Fresh stool specimens were collected and processed using both direct wet mount and Formol ether concentration techniques.The overall prevalence of intestinal parasites among the study subjects was 44.1% (52/118. Ascaris lumbricoides and hookworm spp were the predominant parasites identified from the stool of study participants. Age above 35 years (AOR: 4.8, 95% CI: 1.1, 21.8, no regular practice of washing hands before a meal (AOR: 7.8, 95% CI: 2.8, 24.8, and untrimmed finger nail (AOR: 14.7, 95% CI: 2.8, 75.4 were independent predictors of intestinal parasitic infection among the food handlers.The present study showed high prevalence of intestinal parasites among the study subjects. The study also revealed poor personal hygiene like poor practice of hand washing and poor finger nail hygiene. Therefore, much has to be done to improve the personal hygiene of the food handlers. Pre-placement and periodic screening of food handlers for parasites and prompt treatment, and health education on regular trimming or cleaning of fingernails would be the way forward for prevention of food borne diseases.

  8. Prevalence and predictors of intestinal parasites among food handlers in Yebu Town, southwest Ethiopia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tefera, Tamirat; Mebrie, Getye

    2014-01-01

    As a result of urbanization, eating and drinking from food service establishments is becoming a common practice in developing countries like Ethiopia, which increases the chances of food borne diseases. The health status and hygiene practices of food handlers are the major determinants of food contamination. In developing countries where there are poor regulatory systems for food hygiene, food handlers are often appointed without screening for possible infections associated with poor hygiene like intestinal parasites. This study aimed at determining the prevalence and predictors of intestinal parasites and assessing the hygiene practices among food handlers in Yebu Town, southwest Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among a total of 118 food handlers in Yebu Town in January 2011. Fresh stool specimens were collected and processed using both direct wet mount and Formol ether concentration techniques. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasites among the study subjects was 44.1% (52/118). Ascaris lumbricoides and hookworm spp were the predominant parasites identified from the stool of study participants. Age above 35 years (AOR: 4.8, 95% CI: 1.1, 21.8), no regular practice of washing hands before a meal (AOR: 7.8, 95% CI: 2.8, 24.8), and untrimmed finger nail (AOR: 14.7, 95% CI: 2.8, 75.4) were independent predictors of intestinal parasitic infection among the food handlers. The present study showed high prevalence of intestinal parasites among the study subjects. The study also revealed poor personal hygiene like poor practice of hand washing and poor finger nail hygiene. Therefore, much has to be done to improve the personal hygiene of the food handlers. Pre-placement and periodic screening of food handlers for parasites and prompt treatment, and health education on regular trimming or cleaning of fingernails would be the way forward for prevention of food borne diseases.

  9. Stress Physiology of Lactic Acid Bacteria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Papadimitriou, Konstantinos; Alegría, Ángel; Bron, Peter A.; de Angelis, Maria; Gobbetti, Marco; Kleerebezem, Michiel; Lemos, José A.; Linares, Daniel M.; Ross, Paul; Stanton, Catherine; Turroni, Francesca; van Sinderen, Douwe; Varmanen, Pekka; Ventura, Marco; Zúñiga, Manuel; Tsakalidou, Effie

    2016-01-01

    SUMMARY Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are important starter, commensal, or pathogenic microorganisms. The stress physiology of LAB has been studied in depth for over 2 decades, fueled mostly by the technological implications of LAB robustness in the food industry. Survival of probiotic LAB in the host and the potential relatedness of LAB virulence to their stress resilience have intensified interest in the field. Thus, a wealth of information concerning stress responses exists today for strains as diverse as starter (e.g., Lactococcus lactis), probiotic (e.g., several Lactobacillus spp.), and pathogenic (e.g., Enterococcus and Streptococcus spp.) LAB. Here we present the state of the art for LAB stress behavior. We describe the multitude of stresses that LAB are confronted with, and we present the experimental context used to study the stress responses of LAB, focusing on adaptation, habituation, and cross-protection as well as on self-induced multistress resistance in stationary phase, biofilms, and dormancy. We also consider stress responses at the population and single-cell levels. Subsequently, we concentrate on the stress defense mechanisms that have been reported to date, grouping them according to their direct participation in preserving cell energy, defending macromolecules, and protecting the cell envelope. Stress-induced responses of probiotic LAB and commensal/pathogenic LAB are highlighted separately due to the complexity of the peculiar multistress conditions to which these bacteria are subjected in their hosts. Induction of prophages under environmental stresses is then discussed. Finally, we present systems-based strategies to characterize the “stressome” of LAB and to engineer new food-related and probiotic LAB with improved stress tolerance. PMID:27466284

  10. Primary standard for the number concentration of liquid-borne particles in the 10 to 20 µm diameter range

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakaguchi, T.; Ehara, K.

    2011-02-01

    The national primary standard for the number concentration of liquid-borne particles in the 10 to 20 µm diameter range has been developed at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan. The standard consists of a total number counting type flow cytometer (T-FCM) and an electronic balance. The T-FCM is a commercial flow cytometer modified so that the total number of particles in an aqueous suspension sampled in a test tube can be counted, and the electronic balance is used to determine the mass of the suspension. This standard is intended to be used for calibrating commercial standard suspensions of monodisperse polystyrene latex (PSL) particles. The measurand in the calibration is the mass-based number concentration (the particle number in a unit mass of a suspension), and the calibration capability covers the concentration range from 5 × 102 to 2 × 106 particles g-1. When the concentration of the suspension is higher than 2 × 103 particles g-1, the suspension is first diluted to about 1 × 103 particles g-1 to suppress the coincidence loss in particle counting by the T-FCM. The validity of the calibration with the T-FCM was examined by comparison with an independent method in which a scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to determine the number concentration of particles deposited on a silicon wafer. For a suspension of 10 µm PSL particles with a concentration of approximately 1 × 106 particles g-1, the concentration values determined by the T-FCM and SEM methods were 1.042 × 106 and 1.035 × 106 particles g-1, respectively: The difference was less than 0.7%. The relative expanded uncertainty of the measurement by the T-FCM method with the coverage factor k = 2 was 4.4%.

  11. Preliminary Assessment of Growth Rates on Different Concentration of Microalgae Scenedesmus sp. in Industrial Meat Food Processing Wastewater

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Latiffi Nur Atikah Ahmad

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This study is aimed to evaluate and access the growth rates and biomass productivity in different concentrations of microalgae Scenedesmus sp. using Industrial Meat Food Processing Wastewater as a media. The focus of this study is to determine the best concentrations of microalgae Scenedesmus sp. in raw wastewater in terms of kinetics of cells growth rates. The study verified that concentration of 1×106 cells/ml of microalgae gives the highest specific growth rates of biomass at 0.4488 day-1 and 1720 cells/ml/day compare to the other concentrations, while the lowest occurred at concentration of 1×103 cells/ml at 0.4108 day-1 and 14.9 cells/ml/day. The result shows the different concentration of microalgae Scenedesmus sp. culturing in Industrial Food Processing Wastewater influence the cells growth of biomass and the optimum were obtained at concentration of 1×106 cells/ml which suggested use for Industrial Meat Food Processing Wastewater Treatment purposed. With this finding, it should be seemly to adopt and applied efficiently in treating the wastewater especially for Scenedesmus sp. type of microalgae.

  12. Antimicrobial effects of Turkish propolis, pollen, and laurel on spoilage and pathogenic food-related microorganisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erkmen, Osman; Ozcan, Mehmet Musa

    2008-09-01

    The antimicrobial activities of propolis extract, pollen extract, and essential oil of laurel (Laurus nobilis L.) at concentrations from 0.02% to 2.5% (vol/vol) were investigated on bacteria (Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococcus aureus, Yersinia enterocolitica, Enterococcus faecalis, and Listeria monocytogenes), yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida rugosa), and molds (Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus oryzae). Pollen has no antimicrobial effects on the bacteria and fungi tested in the concentrations used. Propolis showed a bactericidal effect at 0.02% on B. cereus and B. subtilis, at 1.0% on S. aureus and E. faecalis, and at 0.2% on L. monocytogenes. The minimum inhibitory concentration of propolis for fungi was 2.5%. Propolis and laurel were ineffective against E. coli and S. typhimurium at the concentrations tested. The results showed that the antimicrobial activity were concentration dependent. Propolis and essential oil of laurel may be used as biopreservative agents in food processing and preservation.

  13. Listeriosis in animals, its public health significance (food-borne zoonosis) and advances in diagnosis and control: a comprehensive review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dhama, Kuldeep; Karthik, Kumaragurubaran; Tiwari, Ruchi; Shabbir, Muhammad Zubair; Barbuddhe, Sukhadeo; Malik, Satya Veer Singh; Singh, Raj Kumar

    2015-01-01

    Listeriosis is an infectious and fatal disease of animals, birds, fish, crustaceans and humans. It is an important food-borne zoonosis caused by Listeria monocytogenes, an intracellular pathogen with unique potential to spread from cell to cell, thereby crossing blood-brain, intestinal and placental barriers. The organism possesses a pile of virulence factors that help to infect the host and evade from host immune machinery. Though disease occurrence is sporadic throughout the world, it can result in severe damage during an outbreak. Listeriosis is characterized by septicaemia, encephalitis, meningitis, meningoencephalitis, abortion, stillbirth, perinatal infections and gastroenteritis with the incubation period varying with the form of infection. L. monocytogenes has been isolated worldwide from humans, animals, poultry, environmental sources like soil, river, decaying plants, and food sources like milk, meat and their products, seafood and vegetables. Since appropriate vaccines are not available and infection is mainly transmitted through foods in humans and animals, hygienic practices can prevent its spread. The present review describes etiology, epidemiology, transmission, clinical signs, post-mortem lesions, pathogenesis, public health significance, and advances in diagnosis, vaccines and treatment of this disease. Special attention has been given to novel as well as prospective emerging therapies that include bacteriophage and cytokine therapy, avian egg yolk antibodies and herbal therapy. Various vaccines, including advances in recombinant and DNA vaccines and their modes of eliciting immune response, are also discussed. Due focus has also been given regarding appropriate prevention and control strategies to be adapted for better management of this zoonotic disease.

  14. International Developments of Food Irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Loaharanu, P. [Head, Food Preservation Section, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Wagramerstr. 5, A-1400, Vienna (Austria)

    1997-12-31

    Food irradiation is increasingly accepted and applied in many countries in the past decade. Through its use, food losses and food-borne diseases can be reduced significantly, and wider trade in many food items can be facilitated. The past five decades have witnessed a positive evolution on food irradiation according to the following: 1940`s: discovery of principles of food irradiation; 1950`s: initiation of research in advanced countries; 1960`s: research and development were intensified in some advanced and developing countries; 1970`s: proof of wholesomeness of irradiated foods; 1980`s: establishment of national regulations; 1990`s: commercialization and international trade. (Author)

  15. International Developments of Food Irradiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Loaharanu, P [Head, Food Preservation Section, Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Wagramerstr. 5, A-1400, Vienna (Austria)

    1998-12-31

    Food irradiation is increasingly accepted and applied in many countries in the past decade. Through its use, food losses and food-borne diseases can be reduced significantly, and wider trade in many food items can be facilitated. The past five decades have witnessed a positive evolution on food irradiation according to the following: 1940`s: discovery of principles of food irradiation; 1950`s: initiation of research in advanced countries; 1960`s: research and development were intensified in some advanced and developing countries; 1970`s: proof of wholesomeness of irradiated foods; 1980`s: establishment of national regulations; 1990`s: commercialization and international trade. (Author)

  16. International Developments of Food Irradiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loaharanu, P.

    1997-01-01

    Food irradiation is increasingly accepted and applied in many countries in the past decade. Through its use, food losses and food-borne diseases can be reduced significantly, and wider trade in many food items can be facilitated. The past five decades have witnessed a positive evolution on food irradiation according to the following: 1940's: discovery of principles of food irradiation; 1950's: initiation of research in advanced countries; 1960's: research and development were intensified in some advanced and developing countries; 1970's: proof of wholesomeness of irradiated foods; 1980's: establishment of national regulations; 1990's: commercialization and international trade. (Author)

  17. Bioactive packaging using antioxidant extracts for the prevention of microbial food-spoilage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreira, Diana; Gullón, Beatriz; Gullón, Patricia; Gomes, Ana; Tavaria, Freni

    2016-07-13

    Bioactive food packaging is an innovative approach for the prevention of the growth of food-spoilage microorganisms. Four active extracts from agroindustrial subproducts (Eucalyptus wood, almond shells, corn cobs and grape pomace) with demonstrated antioxidant activity have been investigated for bestowing antimicrobial activity to bioactive packaging. To carry out this evaluation, the antioxidant extracts were tested against five food pathogenic bacteria, namely, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella spp. The results obtained showed that all the tested extracts inhibited the growth of all five pathogenic bacteria. From the analysis of the minimal bactericidal concentrations (MBCs), the Eucalyptus wood extract was the most active, being necessary only 2% (v/v) to inhibit Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus, whereas almond shells extract were less active requiring 4% (w/v) to inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the extract from corn cobs was bactericidal against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus at a concentration of 4% (w/v). After checking their antimicrobial activity, the antioxidant extracts have been incorporated into sodium alginate films and the maintenance of their antimicrobial properties was confirmed. This work showed that the antioxidant extracts from agroindustrial byproducts exhibited antimicrobial activity and were suitable for incorporation into edible films that could be used in bioactive packaging systems.

  18. Associations of socioeconomic status and processed food intake with serum phosphorus concentration in community-living adults: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gutiérrez, Orlando M; Katz, Ronit; Peralta, Carmen A; de Boer, Ian H; Siscovick, David; Wolf, Myles; Diez Roux, Ana; Kestenbaum, Bryan; Nettleton, Jennifer A; Ix, Joachim H

    2012-09-01

    Higher serum phosphorus concentrations are associated with cardiovascular disease events and mortality. Low socioeconomic status is linked with higher serum phosphorus concentration, but the reasons are unclear. Poor individuals disproportionately consume inexpensive processed foods commonly enriched with phosphorus-based food preservatives. Accordingly, we hypothesized that excess intake of these foods accounts for a relationship between lower socioeconomic status and higher serum phosphorus concentration. Cross-sectional analysis. We examined a random cohort of 2,664 participants with available phosphorus measurements in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, a community-based sample of individuals free of clinically apparent cardiovascular disease from across the United States. Socioeconomic status, the intake of foods commonly enriched with phosphorus-based food additives (processed meats, sodas), and frequency of fast-food consumption. Fasting morning serum phosphorus concentrations. In unadjusted analyses, lower income and lower educational achievement categories were associated with modestly higher serum phosphorus concentration (by 0.02 to 0.10 mg/dL, P fast-food consumption with serum phosphorus. In contrast, each serving per day higher soda intake was associated with 0.02 mg/dL lower serum phosphorus concentration (95% confidence interval, -0.04, -0.01). Greater intake of foods commonly enriched with phosphorus additives was not associated with higher serum phosphorus concentration in a community-living sample with largely preserved kidney function. These results suggest that excess intake of processed and fast foods may not impact fasting serum phosphorus concentrations among individuals without kidney disease. Copyright © 2012 National Kidney Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Microbial survival on food contact surfaces in the context of food hygiene regulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stuart-Moonlight, Belinda Isobel

    2001-01-01

    Bacterial food poisoning causes substantial suffering and financial loss worldwide. One way organisms enter foods is via cross contamination directly or indirectly from structural and food contact surfaces. An 'in situ' method was developed for the detection of surviving bacteria on surfaces. Samples of test surfaces were overlaid with agar and after incubation, colonies were visualised by reaction with nitroblue tetrazolium, which was reduced to a purple insoluble dye. It was shown that the death of bacteria applied as liquid films to surfaces, occurred largely at the point of drying. For impervious surfaces (ceramic, stainless steel, glass and polystyrene), surface type had little effect on survival. In contrast, survival was markedly affected by the nature of the suspension fluid in which cells were dried. In deionised water, survival was low and for Gram negative organisms was strongly influenced by cell density. Where cells were dried in simulated food films (containing brain heart infusion, NaCI, serum or sucrose), survival values increased with increasing concentrations and approached 100% for Staphylococcus aureus cells suspended in 10% w/v sucrose. The survival of Gram positive organisms on impervious surfaces was generally greater than for Gram negative organisms and consistent with this observation, scanning electron microscopy indicated that Gram negative cells collapsed during drying. On wood surfaces, survival was generally similar to or higher than on impervious surfaces. However, neither of the Gram positive organisms tested (Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes) could be recovered following inoculation onto the surface of the African hard-wood, iroko, although Gram negative organisms survived well. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed that cells had not been adsorbed below the wood surface and an ethanol-soluble toxic factor was extracted from iroko, which killed Staphylococcus aureus cells, but had no effect on the viability of

  20. Bacteria and plutonium in marine environments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Carey, A.E.; Bowen, V.T.

    1978-01-01

    Microbes are important in geochemical cycling of many elements. Recent reports emphasize biogenous particulates and bacterial exometabolites as controlling oceanic distribution of plutonium. Bacteria perform oxidation/reduction reactions on metals such as mercury, nickel, lead, copper, and cadmium. Redox transformations or uptake of Pu by marine bacteria may well proceed by similar mechanisms. Profiles of water samples and sediment cores were obtained along the continental shelf off Nova Scotia and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Profiles of water samples, and sediment cores were obtained. Epifluorescent microscopy was used to view bacteria (from water or sediment) after concentration on membrane filters and staining with acridine orange. Radiochemical analyses measured Pu in sediments and water samples. Studies of 237 Pu uptake used a strain of Leucothrix mucor isolated from a macroalga. Enumeration shows bacteria to range 10 4 to 10 5 cells/ml in seawater or 10 7 to 10 8 cells/gram of sediment. These numbers are related to the levels and distrbution of Pu in the samples. In cultures of L. mucor amended with Pu atom concentrations approximating those present in open ocean environments, bacterial cells concentrated 237 Pu slower and to lower levels than did clay minerals, glass beads, or phytoplankton. These data further clarify the role of marine bacteria in Pu biogeochemistry