Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Amandine Andre, Nadina Muller, Irene Chetschik
Summary: The investigation examined the contamination of wheat grains and flours in Switzerland with two mycotoxins, zearalenone (ZEA) and enniatin B (ENB). ZEA was detected in half of the grain samples, while commercial wheat flours were free of ZEA. ENB was found in all samples, with levels influenced by the harvest year and humid weather conditions. The contamination was not limited to the surface layers of the grains. Decontamination solutions are necessary to prevent food waste and improve the safety of wheat-based products.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Wided Abdedayem, Mehran Patpour, Marwa Laribi, Annemarie F. Justesen, Hajer Kouki, Moez Fakhfakh, Mogens S. Hovmoller, Amor H. Yahyaoui, Sonia Hamza, Sarrah Ben M'Barek
Summary: Climate changes in the past 25 years have contributed to the re-emergence of wheat stem rust disease caused by Puccinia graminis f.sp. tritici (Pgt) in East Africa, Europe, and the Mediterranean basin. This study investigated Pgt occurrence in major wheat growing areas in Tunisia, revealing the predominance of three races. The low disease incidence and population diversity suggest that the fungus was likely introduced from other regions, and climate factors may have facilitated its establishment.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Ines Jedidi, Eva M. Mateo, Patricia Marin, Misericordia Jimenez, Salem Said, Maria T. Gonzalez-Jaen
Summary: This study detected the presence of fumonisins, trichothecenes, and ZEN, along with their potentially producing Fusarium species in wheat, barley, and maize in Tunisia. The high levels of fumonisins in cereals, especially maize, underscore the importance of controlling and regulating these mycotoxins for food safety.
JOURNAL OF AOAC INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Sieprawska Apolonia, Labanowska Maria, Kurdziel Magdalena, Filek Maria, Skorka Magdalena, Barbasz Anna
Summary: The study investigated the response of wheat seedling leaves to zearalenone (ZEA) applied directly and indirectly to the leaves and grains in tolerant and sensitive wheat cultivars. Results showed a decrease in antioxidant activity in chloroplasts, higher amounts of superoxide radical in leaves incubated in ZEA solution, and different formations of Mn - aqua complexes in leaves of tolerant and sensitive wheat cultivars upon ZEA treatment. These findings suggest a potential role of radical species in protective mechanisms against direct toxin action.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Hua Cui, Songshan Wang, Xu Yang, Wei Zhang, Mengze Chen, Yu Wu, Sen Li, Li Li, Di Cai, Baoyuan Guo, Jin Ye, Songxue Wang
Summary: Reliable prediction of mycotoxin contamination in post-harvest wheat is crucial for improving its quality and safety. The study found that water activity plays a significant role in the relationship between mycotoxins and CO2 production. Prediction models for DON and ZEN contamination were established based on CO2 concentration, moisture content, and temperature. These models, combined with multi-parameter integrated sensors, formed an early warning system to minimize the risk of mycotoxin contamination in post-harvest wheat.
Article
Agronomy
Asma Bouatrous, Kalthoum Harbaoui, Chahine Karmous, Samia Gargouri, Amir Souissi, Karima Belguesmi, Hatem Cheikh Mhamed, Mohamed Salah Gharbi, Mohamed Annabi
Summary: Cultivating cereals in monoculture systems leads to a decrease in grain yield and quality. This study focused on the impact of wheat mono-cropping under Mediterranean climate conditions in Tunisia. The results showed that cropping season had significant effects on all measured parameters, except for thousand kernel weight (TKW). One-year wheat previous crop improved grain yield (GY) more than two successive years. The highest yields were recorded for the Om Rabiaa and Nasr cultivars. Grain quality parameters were also affected by cropping season, with gluten content (GC) and vitreousness aspect (Vit A) being influenced by the genotype.
Article
Plant Sciences
Monica Marilena Miazzi, Elyes Babay, Pasquale De Vita, Cinzia Montemurro, Ramzi Chaabane, Francesca Taranto, Giacomo Mangini
Summary: In this study, a comparative genetic analysis was performed to investigate the relationships between Tunisian durum lines and modern cultivars. Divergent loci and candidate genes related to plant and spike architecture, grain composition, and biotic stress were identified from the analysis.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Spectroscopy
Hongwei Ning, Jiawei Wang, Hui Jiang, Quansheng Chen
Summary: This study proposes a near-infrared spectroscopy detection method for rapid detection of Zearalenone (ZEN) in wheat grains. Using wavelength variable selection algorithms and support vector machine models, the research achieved high-precision quantitative detection of ZEN in grains.
SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA PART A-MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Zhiwei Liu, Qicheng Hua, Jin Wang, Zaoqing Liang, Zexuan Zhou, Xing Shen, Hongtao Lei, Xiangmei Li
Summary: The study developed a smartphone-based detection device integrated with a prussian blue nanoparticles (PBNPs) immunochromatographic assay (ICA) for detecting ZEN in cereals. The quantitative analysis showed high sensitivity with a cut-off value, detection limit, and quantitation limit, and it also demonstrated good stability and bioactivity against competitive antigen (Ag). The integrated strategy exhibited great potential for rapid monitoring of mycotoxins or other small molecule hazards.
Article
Agronomy
Piotr Ochodzki, Adriana Twardawska, Halina Wisniewska, Tomasz Goral
Summary: The study identified winter wheat lines with low levels of head infection and kernel damage as well as low levels of grain contamination with mycotoxins.
Article
Agronomy
S. Kamel, M. Cherif
Summary: This study investigated the distribution of tan spot in nine districts of Northern Tunisia and assessed its prevalence, incidence, and severity. It was found that the disease was particularly serious in certain districts in 2016, 2017, and 2018, with durum wheat being more susceptible than bread wheat. Farmers can use this information to choose more tolerant varieties for cultivation.
CEREAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Simone Eckstein, Rosina Ehmann, Abderraouf Gritli, Houcine Ben Yahia, Manuel Diehl, Roman Woelfel, Mohamed Ben Rhaiem, Kilian Stoecker, Susann Handrick, Mohamed Ben Moussa
Summary: Research indicates a high percentage of dromedaries in Tunisia are seropositive or actively infected with MERS-CoV, suggesting extensive circulation of the virus in Northern Africa. Active surveillance of free-roaming camels, especially those crossing national borders, is necessary to prevent outbreaks.
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Hongxia Tan, Hongyuan Zhou, Ting Guo, Yuhao Zhang, Liang Ma
Summary: This study investigated the formation of ZEN-zein complex using ultrafiltration, multi-spectroscopic, and molecular modeling techniques. The results showed that ZEN can interact with zein to form a complex driven by hydrophobic force and hydrogen bonds. The conformational changes induced by binding with ZEN were revealed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and circular dichroism.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Sarrah Ben M'Barek, Marwa Laribi, Hajer Kouki, Dalma Castillo, Chayma Araar, Meriem Nefzaoui, Karim Ammar, Carolina Saint-Pierre, Amor Hassine Yahyaoui
Summary: Durum wheat landraces have great potential for improving resistance to Septoria tritici blotch disease (STB) caused by Zymoseptoria tritici. A collection of 3166 Mediterranean durum wheat landraces was evaluated for STB resistance and a final set of 1059 resistant accessions from 13 countries was obtained. These accessions showed high frequency of resistance reactions at both seedling and adult growth stages, with over 50% showing immune reactions. Accessions from Italy exhibited the highest variability, while those from Portugal, Spain, and Tunisia had the highest levels of resistance, indicating the presence of novel QTLs effective for STB resistance.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Esther Garcia-Cela, Carol Verheecke-Vaessen, Inga Osk-Jonsdottir, Rita Lawson, Naresh Magan
Summary: This study examines the relationship between temperature and water availability on the growth and production of mycotoxins by different strains of Fusarium asiaticum. It identifies the optimal and marginal conditions for growth of the strains and the varying mycotoxigenic profiles. The study also predicts the growth and regulated mycotoxin production by using probabilistic models.
FERMENTATION-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Ewelina Bigoraj, Iwona Kozyra, Agnieszka Kaupke, Zbigniew Osinski, James Lowther, Artur Rzezutka
Summary: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of human enteric viruses in mussels sold on the Polish market and study the fecal contamination of shellfish. The study found that human enteric viruses were commonly present in shellfish, with norovirus being the most frequently detected. The study also observed a seasonal distribution pattern of viruses in shellfish samples.
Editorial Material
Food Science & Technology
Bojan Blagojevic, Lis Alban Denmark
Article
Food Science & Technology
Indy Magnus, Fatemeh Abbasi, Hugo Thienpont, Lien Smeesters
Summary: Food safety and quality are increasingly important in our society, driving the development of novel optical food sensing technologies. However, current optical sensing technologies are often limited in their sensitivity and product variability. In this study, we developed a novel pistachio nut screening methodology using fluorescence spectroscopy and advanced chemometrics to simultaneously detect shells, tree parts, and aflatoxins. By optimizing hardware and software parameters, we achieved a high classification accuracy for healthy pistachio kernels.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Xiaodong Wang, Jingqiang Yu, Haixia Wu, Leiying Wu, Wuyunga Borjihan, Cong Wang, Munkhjargal Burenjargal, Alideertu Dong
Summary: This study developed a novel photon-phonon coupling (PPC) cold sterilization technology and compared its effects with low-temperature pasteurization and microwave ultraviolet. The results showed that PPC effectively reduced bacterial count in raw milk with minimal impact on milk quality and nutritional composition.
Review
Food Science & Technology
Riyadh Abdulmalek Hassan, Sharina Abu Hanifah, Lee Yook Heng, Fawaz Al-badaii, Alizar Ulianas
Summary: This study used bibliometric visualisation map analysis to explore the publication outputs, trends, and hotspots for endocrine disruptors (EDMs) biosensor development in relation to mycotoxins. The analysis showed that the current literature primarily focuses on developing biosensors for detecting highly toxic and widely distributed mycotoxins in food, but there needs to be more focus on biosensors for detecting mycotoxins known as endocrine disruptors.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Yajie Zheng, Jianpeng Dou, Changpo Sun, Hujun Liu, Shipei Zhang, Wenfu Wu
Summary: This study investigated the efficiency of modified SA/ll-glucan/Mt microsphere adsorbents in removing DON and ZEN from CSL. The microspheres showed high adsorption capacity, and simple and rapid regeneration was achieved without affecting the removal efficiency of mycotoxins from CSL.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Carlos Adelantado, Jose Angel Salatti-Dorado, Carlos Herrera, Lourdes Arce, Maria Jose Cardador
Summary: High-performance-ion mobility spectrometry (HPIMS) was used for the first time in the analysis of olive oil samples, following a simple liquid-liquid extraction procedure. The developed methodology is user-friendly, fast, and inexpensive, complying with the principles of green chemistry. The proposed approach, combined with multivariate analysis, showed potential in classifying olive oil samples based on their organoleptic quality, with high accuracy rates.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Jia-Wen Wei, Jia-Rong He, Shi-Yi Chen, Yi-Han Guo, Xuan-Zhu Huo, Nuan Zheng, Shuo-Hui Cao, Yao-Qun Li
Summary: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a major cause of human cancer. This study developed a quantitative analysis method for PAH4 using the back propagation neural network (BPNN) algorithm and constant wavelength synchronous fluorescence (CWSF) spectra as the data sets. The method can predict the concentrations of PAH4 in edible oil samples without preprocessing or pre-separation. It has been proven to be a powerful tool for the rapid detection of PAH4.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Liyun Chen, Xiumei Li, Jingyi Chen, Ranxun Lin, Yuhan Mai, Yuxin Lin, Guodong Wang, Zheng Chen, Wei Zhang, Jiang Wang, Cai Yuan, Longguang Jiang, Peng Xu, Mingdong Huang
Summary: Food spoilage is primarily caused by microbial contamination. Curcumin has shown moderate antimicrobial activity as a food preservative. This study formulates curcumin with zinc acetate to enhance its efficacy, resulting in Cur-Zn with increased antimicrobial activity against multiple food-contaminating bacteria and fungi. With light illumination, the antimicrobial activity of Cur-Zn is further enhanced due to the photodynamic inactivation (PDI) effect.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Marta Pilar Ortiz-Moriano, Gonzalo Machado-Schiaffino, Eva Garcia-Vazquez, Alba Ardura
Summary: Mislabelling in the global fisheries sector raises concerns about the identity, safety, and sustainability of seafood products. This study examined mislabelling in shrimps and prawns sold in the Spanish market and assessed potential risks of heavy metal ingestion.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Doyeon Kim, Jinwoo Kim, Minsik Kim
Summary: This study demonstrates the enhanced bactericidal activity of engineered lysins fused with amphipathic antimicrobial peptides against Gram-negative bacterium Cronobacter sakazakii. The fusion lysins are capable of disrupting bacterial cells and significantly reducing the risk of infection within a certain range of temperature and pH. Additionally, the study also shows the bactericidal effect of these fusion lysins against other Gram-negative pathogens.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Seul-Ki Park, Kyung-Jin Cho, Du-Min Jo, Young-Mog Kim
Summary: This study presents a new approach for detecting pathogenic Vibrio spp. in contaminated seafood, which combines PCR with a simplified DNA extraction process and pre-culturing step. The method has been validated and shown to be efficient, time-saving, and highly sensitive, offering a potential alternative for improving safety measures in the food industry.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Suwimol Surareungchai, Chaleeda Borompichaichartkul, Chitsiri Rachtanapun, Nutthachai Pongprasert, Pongphen Jitareerat, Varit Srilaong
Summary: This study builds upon previous research and focuses on risk assessment and analysis in the organic salad industry. The results show that previous risk matrix models can be adapted for various raw materials, and preventive control plans can be applied across different aspects of the production process.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Xuan Zhang, Changling Fang, Xiaoyi Lou, Feng Han, Siman Li, Yongfu Shi, Dongmei Huang
Summary: This study aimed to assess the levels of Biogenic amines (BAs) in four common food types in the Chinese market. It was found that cheese and seafood derived product showed higher levels of BAs, and the histamine level in mackerel and yellow rice wine exceeded the limits.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Martina Foschi, Alessandra Biancolillo, Federico Marini, Francesco Cosentino, Francesca Di Donato, Angelo Antonio D'Archivio
Summary: This study aimed to develop a potentially non-destructive and routine-compatible method for the geographical traceability of high-valued Italian chickpeas. By analyzing the spectral information of the outer and inner parts of the kernels, it was found that the spectral analysis of the outer part yielded accurate and reliable results, indicating the possibility of non-destructive authentication.
