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At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed2006

Controlling food-contaminating fungi by targeting their antioxidative stress-response system with natural phenolic compounds.

The antioxidative stress-response system is essential to fungi for tolerating exposure to phenolic compounds. We show how this system can be targeted to improve fungal control by using compounds that inhibit the fungal mitochondrial respiratory chain. Targeting mitochondrial superoxide dismutase with selected phenolic acid derivatives (e.g., vanillyl acetone) resulted in a 100- to 1,000-fold greater sensitivity to strobilurin or carboxin fungicides. This synergism is significantly greater with strobilurin than with carboxin, suggesting that complex III of the mitochondrial respiratory chain is a better target than complex II for fungal control, using phenolics. These results show certain natural compounds are effective synergists to commercial fungicides and can be used for improving control of food-contaminating pathogens. These results suggest that the use of such compounds for fungal control can reduce environmental and health risks associated with commercial fungicides, lower cost for control, and the probability for development of resistance.

Antifungal Agents↗
PubMed2006

Disposable electrochemical genosensor for the simultaneous analysis of different bacterial food contaminants.

This paper deals with the use of an electrochemical genosensor array for the rapid and simultaneous detection of different food-contaminating pathogenic bacteria. The method includes PCR amplification followed by analysis of the amplicons by hybridisation with toxin-specific oligonucleotide probes. A screen-printed array of four gold electrodes, modified using thiol-tethered oligonucleotide probes, was used. Unmodified PCR products were captured at the sensor interface via sandwich hybridisation with surface-tethered probes and biotinylated signaling probes. The resulting biotinylated hybrids were coupled with a streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase conjugate and then exposed to an alpha-naphthyl phosphate solution. Differential pulse voltammetry was finally used to detect the alpha-naphthol oxidation signal. Mixtures of DNA samples from different bacteria were detected at the nanomolar level without any cross-interference. The selectivity of the assay was also confirmed by the analysis of PCR products unrelated to the immobilised probes.

Bacteria↗
PubMed2000

Examination of selected food additives and organochlorine food contaminants for androgenic activity in vitro.

In order to produce a reporter gene assay for androgenic chemicals, a constitutive expression vector coding for the human androgen receptor and a reporter construct containing the firefly luciferase coding sequence under transcriptional control of the androgen responsive MMTV promoter were cotransfected into the androgen-insensitive human PC-3 prostate carcinoma cell line and stable transfectants selected. One colony of transfectants, PC-3 LUCAR+, was characterized further. 5alpha-Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) enhanced luciferase activity in a linear fashion for up to 3 days of culture. The Kd for DHT activation was within the range of 25.0-60.0 pM (r2 values >0.95). Flutamide competitively inhibited DHT activation (mean Ki value of 0.89 microM). Progesterone, estradiol, dexamethasone, and hydrocortisone were weak agonists (100-fold less effective than DHT) and diethylstilbestrol was without effect. The effects of organochlorine food contaminants (0, 0.1, 1.0, and 10.0 microM) on luciferase activity in PC-3 LUCAR+ cells were determined after exposure to the chemical for 18 h in the presence and absence of DHT (50 pM). 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-ethylene (p,p'-DDE) induced luciferase activity in the absence of DHT (100 microM p,p'-DDE equivalent to 50 pM DHT), but in the presence of DHT (50 pM), p,p'-DDE acted antagonistically. 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, kepone, butylated hydroxyanisole, and butylated hydroxytoluene all partially inhibited activation by DHT (50 pM) but alone had little or no effect. Toxaphene at 10 microM induced luciferase activity in the absence of DHT but decreased cell viability. Alpha- and delta-Hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCH) at 10 microM antagonized the DHT effect, but beta-HCH and gamma-HCH mirex, photomirex, oxychlordane, cis- and trans-nonachlor were without effect. Thus, of the chemicals tested, some interact with the human androgen receptor in vitro as agonists, others as antagonists, and some as partial agonists/antagonists.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The immunological reactivity indices (the humoral component) in persons in contact with mycotoxin-contaminated food products].

Blood serum levels of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, IgM, IgD, IgE), concentration of complement components (C1-inhibitor, C3, C4, C5, C9) as well as the content of some protein fractions (transferrin, ceruloplasmin, haptoglobin, orosomucoid, alpha 1-antitrypsin, alpha 2-macroglobulin, albumin and prealbumin) in the plasma were assayed in subjects exposed (due to their occupational necessity) to food raw materials (wheat, corn, barley, combined fodder) contaminated with mycotoxins. A total of 50 subjects, who have been working from 1 to 15 years at grain-treating factories, were investigated. It has been shown that a long-term exposure to food and fodder products containing mycotoxins induces a growth of IgE level attended by a drop in IgG content, and a decrease in the concentration of the complement components C3 and C9, transferrin and orosomucoid.

Antibody Formation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Efficiency of two commercial ELISA kits compared with the BAM culture method for detecting Listeria in naturally contaminated foods.

The efficiency of 2 commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits (Listeria-Tek and Tecra) for detecting Listeria in naturally contaminated foods was evaluated and compared with that of the culture method described in the Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM). Both ELISAs use modified University of Vermont (UVM-1) medium as a primary enrichment; the BAM method uses Listeria enrichment broth. Secondary enrichments for Listeria-Tek and Tecra, respectively, were Fraser broth and UVM-2, which contains additional acriflavin-HCl. When ELISA test results differed, secondary enrichments were tested against the other ELISA; Fraser broth was used to determine recovery rates because of its superiority over UVM-2. Of the 178 food samples examined, the presence of Listeria was detected and culturally confirmed in 38, 37, and 40 samples by the BAM, Listeria-Tek, and Tecra methods, respectively. Differences in results of the ELISAs compared with those of the BAM method were not statistically significant; however, differences between results of the 2 ELISA methods were significant. It was concluded that as rapid screening methods, the Listeria-Tek and the Tecra kits qualify as alternative methods to the BAM cultural method.

Bacteriological Techniques↗
PubMed1989

[Aspects of long-term ingestion of contaminated food by cattle and game].

A radioactive contamination monitoring system of the Czechoslovak Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food is described, including measuring and calibration methods and the monitoring results. Cesium contamination higher than the international derived intervention level was found only in game. The reasons were as follows: uncultivated green fields, forest herbage and needle-leaves are sufficient sources of game contamination; there exist evident differences between continuous ingestion of contaminated or mixed feed with respect to the cesium contamination of tissues.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1979

[Food contamination and consumer protection].

For years consumers have been irritated by publications of the press about "poison in food". Therefore an attempt is made to give objective information about the contamination of food. Hazardous substances can occur in food as natural components or they can be added in the course of production. Furthermore they can be formed during processing and storage or they can be contaminants of the environment. The legislative efforts to establish a sufficient protection of the consumer in this respect are shown.

Community Participation↗