Food Science Commons^™

Commensal Escherichia Coli Strains Can Promote Intestinal Inflammation Via Differential Interleukin-6 Production, Hatem Kittana, Joao Carlos Gomes-Neto, Kari Heck, Abby L. Geis, Rafael R. Segura Munoz, Liz A. Cody, Robert J. Schmaltz, Laure B. Bindels, Rohita Sinha, Jesse M. Hostetter, Andrew K. Benson, Amanda E. Ramer-Tait

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Escherichia coli is a facultative anaerobic symbiont found widely among mammalian gastrointestinal tracts. Several human studies have reported increased commensal E. coli abundance in the intestine during inflammation; however, host immunological responses toward commensal E. coli during inflammation are not well-defined. Here, we show that colonization of gnotobiotic mice with different genotypes of commensal E. coli isolated from healthy conventional microbiota mice and representing distinct populations of E. coli elicited strain-specific disease phenotypes and immunopathological changes following treatment with the inflammatory stimulus, dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). Production of the inflammatory cytokines GM-CSF, IL-6, and IFN-y was a hallmark of the …

Analysis Of Genetic And Nongenetic Factors Influencing Triglycerides-Lowering Drug Effects Based On Paired Observations, Zheng Xu, Qing Duan, Juan Cui, Yumou Qiu, Qidong Jia, Cong Wu, Jennifer Clarke

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Obesity is a risk factor for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other chronic diseases. Some drugs, including fenofibrate, are used to treat obesity or excessive weight by lowering the level of specific triglycerides. However, different groups have different drug sensitivities and, consequently, there are differences in drug effects. In this study, we assessed both genetic and nongenetic factors that influence drug responses and stratified patients into groups based on differential drug effect and sensitivity. Our methodology of investigating genetic factors and nongenetic factors is applicable to studying differential effects of other drugs, such as statins, and provides …

Food-Derived Bioactive Peptides In Human Health: Challenges And Opportunities, Subhadeep Chakrabarti, Snigdha Guha, Kaustav Majumder

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Recent scientific evidence suggests that food proteins not only serve as nutrients, but can also modulate the body’s physiological functions. These physiological functions are primarily regulated by some peptides that are encrypted in the native protein sequences. These bioactive peptides can exert health beneficial properties and thus are considered as a lead compound for the development of nutraceuticals or functional foods. In the past fewdecades, awide range of food-derived bioactive peptide sequences have been identified, with multiple health beneficial activities. However, the commercial application of these bioactive peptides has been delayed because of the absence of appropriate and scalable production …

Release Of Major Peanut Allergens From Their Matrix Under Various Ph And Simulated Saliva Conditions—Ara H2 And Ara H6 Are Readily Bio-Accessible, Stef J. Koppelman, Mieke Smits, Monic Tomassen, Govardus A.H. De Jong, Joseph L. Baumert, Steve L. Taylor, Renger Witkamp, Robert Jan Veldman, Raymond Pieters, Harry J. Wichers

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The oral mucosa is the first immune tissue that encounters allergens upon ingestion of food. We hypothesized that the bio-accessibility of allergens at this stage may be a key determinant for sensitization. Light roasted peanut flour was suspended at various pH in buffers mimicking saliva. Protein concentrations and allergens profiles were determined in the supernatants. Peanut protein solubility was poor in the pH range between 3 and 6, while at a low pH (1.5) and at moderately high pHs (>8), it increased. In the pH range of saliva, between 6.5 and 8.5, the allergens Ara h2 and Ara h6 …

Investigating Colonization Of The Healthy Adult Gastrointestinal Tract By Fungi, Thomas A. Auchtung, Tatiana Y. Fofanova, Christopher J. Stewart, Andrea K. Nash, Matthew C. Wong, Jonathan R. Gesell, Jennifer M. Auchtung, Nadim J. Ajami, Joseph F. Petrosino

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

A wide diversity of fungi have been detected in the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract with the potential to provide or influence important functions. However, many of the fungi most commonly detected in stool samples are also present in food or the oral cavity. Therefore, to recognize which gut fungi are likely to have a sustained influence on human health, there is a need to separate transient members of the GI tract from true colonizers. To identify colonizing fungi, the eukaryotic rRNA operon’s second internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) was sequenced from the stool, saliva, and food of healthy adults following consumption …

Divergence In Gene Regulation Contributes To Sympatric Speciation Of Shewanella Baltica Strains, Jie Deng, Jennifer M. Auchtung, Konstantinos T. Konstantinidis, Alejandro Caro-Quintero, Ingrid Brettar, Manfred Hofle, James M. Tiedje

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Niche partitioning and sequence evolution drive genomic and phenotypic divergence, which ultimately leads to bacterial diversification. This study investigated the genomic composition of two Shewanella baltica clades previously identified through multilocus sequencing typing and recovered from the redox transition zone in the central Baltic Sea. Comparative genomic analysis revealed significantly higher interclade than intraclade genomic dissimilarity and that a subset of genes present in clade A were associated with potential adaptation to respiration of sulfur compounds present in the redox transition zone. The transcriptomic divergence between two representative strains of clades A and D, OS185 and OS195, was also characterized …

Food Processing Environment Surveillance Using Amplicon Metagenomics: Assessing The Change In The Microbiome Of A Fluid Milk Processing Facility Before And After Cleaning, Sapna Chitlapilly Dass, Bing Wang, Jayne E. Stratton, Andreia Bianchini, Angela Ababdappa

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Effective cleaning strategies in a food processing facility play an important role in reducing food borne illness or economic losses associated with spoilage. In this study, the efficacy of cleaning practices was assessed by studying the bacterial population present before and after sanitation in a fluid milk processing environment. The bacterial population was studied using 16S rRNA amplicon metagenomics sequencing of the V1-V3 regions. Relative abundance of varying levels(0.01-99%)were found in the various processing facility environmental samples. Genera such as Paenibacillus, Viribacillus and Lysinibacillus that can cause food spoilage in cold-stored products were found on product contact surfaces before …

Metatranscriptome Of Human Faecal Microbial Communities In A Cohort Of Adult Men, Galeb S. Abu-Ali, Raaj S. Mehta, Jason Lloyd-Price, Himel Mallick, Tobyn Branck, Kerry L. Ivey, David A. Drew, Casey Dulong, Eric Rimm, Jacques Izard, Andrew T. Chan, Curtis Huttenhower

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The gut microbiome is intimately related to human health, but it is not yet known which functional activities are driven by specific microorganisms' ecological configurations or transcription. We report a large-scale investigation of 372 human fecal metatranscriptomes and 929 metagenomes from a subset of 308 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. We identified a metatranscriptomic 'core' universally transcribed over time and across participants, often by different microorganisms. In contrast to the housekeeping functions enriched in this core, a 'variable' metatranscriptome included specialized pathways that were differentially expressed both across participants and among microorganisms. Finally, longitudinal metagenomic profiles allowed ecological …

In Vitro Digestibility Of Nanoporous Wheat Starch Aerogels, Ali Ubeyitogullari, Sandrayee Brahma, Devin J. Rose, Ozan Ciftci

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

This study reports the in vitro digestibility of starch aerogels for the first time. The relative crystallinities of the wheat starch aerogels (WSAs) produced at gelatinization temperatures of 120 °C (WSA-120C), 130 °C (WSA-130C), and 120 °C with the addition of sodium metaphosphate (STMP) (WSA-STMP) and xerogel were similar. However, WSA-120C showed the highest amylose−lipid complex content. The addition of STMP created some cross-linked starch with a phosphorus content of 0.023%. Resistant starch (RS) contents of WSA-STMP (33.5%) and xerogel (26.9%) were higher than the other samples when they were uncooked prior to digestion. Nevertheless, the RS contents of WSA-STMP …

Use Of Uv Treated Milk Powder To Increase Vaccine Efficacy In The Elderly, Sara Schaefer, Kasper Arthur Hettinga, James Cullor, J. Bruce German, Bethany M. Henrick

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Aging populations experience a decline in adaptive immune system function also known as immunosenesence. Protein nutrition has been shown to stimulate and strengthen the immune system, and such approaches are needed for this growing segment of the population. A controlled, randomized, double blind pilot study was conducted to compare two different protein sources (soy and dairy) as nutritional supplementation to enhance vaccine response. Our objective was to examine the immune stimulating effects of dairy protein subjected to ultraviolet radiation (UV-C) radiation treatment process instead of pasteurization. Participants were 21 healthy individuals over 60 years of age who consumed 6 g …

In Vitro Digestion And Characterization Of 2s Albumin And Digestion-Resistant Peptides In Pecan, Jelena Spiric, Stef J. Koppelman, Andre Knulst, Julie A. Nordlee, Steve L. Taylor, Joseph L. Baumert

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The 2S albumins are one of the major protein families involved in severe food allergic reactions to nuts, seeds, and legumes, thus potentially making these proteins clinically relevant for allergic sensitization and potential diagnostic markers. In this study, we sought to purify native 2S albumin protein from pecan to further characterize this putative allergen. The purified 2S albumin, Car i 1, from pecan was found to be resistant to digestion by pepsin in simulated gastric fluid (SGF) and comparatively stable to proteolysis by trypsin and pancreatin in simulated intestinal fluid (SIF). Digestion of purified Car i 1 in SGF and …

Evaluation Of A Handheld Gluten Detection Device, Steve L. Taylor, Julie A. Nordlee, Shyamali Jayasena, Joseph L. Baumert

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

A portable, handheld gluten detection device, the Nima sensor, is now available for consumers wishing to determine if gluten is present in food. By United States regulation, gluten-free foods should contain < 20 ppm of gluten. Thirteen gluten-free foods (muffins, three different types of bread, three different types of pasta, puffed corn snack, ice cream, meatballs, vinegar and oil salad dressing, oatmeal, and dark chocolate) were prepared; each food was spiked on a weight-to-weight basis with gluten levels of 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 100 ppm before processing or preparation. Unprocessed and processed foods were tested with the handheld gluten sensor and by two gluten-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) on the basis of the R5 and G12 monoclonal antibodies, respectively. The portable gluten detection device detected gluten in all food types at the 30-ppm addition level, failing to detect gluten in only 5 (6.4%) of 78 subsamples. At the 20-ppm addition level, the portable gluten detection device failed to detect gluten in one type of pasta but detected gluten residues in 63 (87.5%) of 72 other subsamples. The device was able to detect gluten at the 10-ppm addition level in 9 of the 13 food matrices (41 of 54 subsamples, 75.9%) but not in the three types of pasta and the puffed corn snack. The gluten-sensing device did not perform reliably at the 5-ppm addition level in 11 of 13 food matrices (exceptions: ice cream and muffins). In contrast, the ELISA methods were highly reliable at gluten addition levels of ≥ 10 ppm in all food matrices. The portable gluten detection device yielded a low percentage of false-positive results (4 of 111, 3.6%) in these food matrices. Thus, this handheld portable gluten sensor performed reliably in the detection of gluten in foods having ≥ 20 ppm of added gluten with only 18 (5.9%) of 306 failures, if results of the one type of pasta are excluded. The device worked with greater reliability as the gluten levels in the foods increased.

Microstructural Changes To Proso Millet Protein Bodies Upon Cooking And Digestion, Paridhi Gulati, You Zhou, Christian Elowsky, Devin J. Rose

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Cooking results in a drastic decline in digestibility of proso millet proteins, panicins. Scanning electron and confocal microscopy were used to observe morphological changes in proso millet protein bodies upon cooking and digestion that could be associated with the loss in digestibility. Spherical protein bodies (1–2.5 mm) were observed in proso millet flour and extracted protein. Cooking did not result in any noticeable change in the size or shape of the protein bodies. However, upon digestion with pepsin the poor digestibility of cooked proso millet protein was clearly evident from the differences in microstructure of the protein bodies: large cavities …

Characterization Of Food Structures And Functionalities, Xingxun Liu, Ying Yang, Changmou Xu, Jiajia Rao

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Some functional properties such as texture and nutrition are the most important attributes used by consumers to assess food qualities, which have been used for in nearly all kinds of food products, from beverage, yoghurt, and ice cream to bread and noodles. Nowadays, there is a desire tomake foods healthier and at the same time not diminish sensory quality. This requires an understanding of key elements of food structure associated with texture and nutritional perception. In terms of taste perception, texture is perceived during oral processing of food.

Fermented Foods As A Dietary Source Of Live Organisms, Shannon Rezac, Car Reen Kok, Melanie Heermann, Robert W. Hutkins

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

The popularity of fermented foods and beverages is due to their enhanced shelf-life, safety, functionality, sensory, and nutritional properties. The latter includes the presence of bioactive molecules, vitamins, and other constituents with increased availability due to the process of fermentation.Many fermented foods also contain livemicroorganisms that may improve gastrointestinal health and provide other health benefits, including lowering the risk of type two diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The number of organisms in fermented foods can vary significantly, depending on how products were manufactured and processed, as well as conditions and duration of storage. In this review, we surveyed published studies in …

Effects Of Tobacco Smoke And Electronic Cigarette Vapor Exposure On The Oral And Gut Microbiota In Humans: A Pilot Study, Christopher J. Stewart, Thomas A. Auchtung, Nadim J. Ajami, Kenia Velasquez, Daniel P. Smith, Richard De La Garza Ii, Ramiro Salas, Joseph F. Petrosino

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Background: The use of electronic cigarettes (ECs) has increased drastically over the past five years, primarily as an alternative to smoking tobacco cigarettes. However, the adverse effects of acute and long-term use of ECs on the microbiota have not been explored. In this pilot study, we sought to determine if ECs or tobacco smoking are associated with differences in the oral and gut microbiota, in comparison to non-smoking controls.

Methods: We examined a human cohort consisting of 30 individuals: 10 EC users, 10 tobacco smokers, and 10 controls. We collected cross-sectional fecal, buccal swabs, and saliva samples from each participant. …

Elevated Fecal Ph Indicates A Profound Change In The Breastfed Infant Gut Microbiome Due To Reduction Of Bifidobacterium Over The Past Century, Bethany M. Henrick, Andra A. Hutton, Michelle C. Palumbo, Giorgio Casaburi, Ryan D. Mitchell, Mark A. Underwood, Jennifer T. Smilowitz, Steven A. Frese

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Historically, Bifidobacterium species were reported as abundant in the breastfed infant gut. However, recent studies in resource-rich countries show an increased abundance of taxa regarded as signatures of dysbiosis. It is unclear whether these differences are the product of genetics, geographic factors, or interventions such as formula feeding, antibiotics, and caesarean section. Fecal pH is strongly associated with Bifidobacterium abundance; thus, pH could be an indicator of its historical abundance. A review of 14 clinical studies published between 1926 and 2017, representing more than 312 healthy breastfed infants, demonstrated a change in fecal pH from 5.0 to 6.5 (adjusted r …

การคัดแยก จำแนก และหาสภาวะที่เหมาะสมของแบคทีเรียชอบเกลือที่สร้างรงควัตถุสำหรับใช้เป็นสารให้สีทางเลือกในอาหาร, วิจิตรา ศรีเจริญ

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

รงควัตถุจากจุลินทรีย์เป็นแหล่งทางเลือกหนึ่งสำหรับใช้เป็นสารให้สีในอาหารจากธรรมชาติ เนื่องจากจุลินทรีย์สามารถผลิตรงควัตถุได้หลากหลายชนิดและเฉดสี ขึ้นกับชนิดและสายพันธุ์ของจุลินทรีย์ โดยงานวิจัยนี้เป็นการคัดแยกและศึกษาลักษณะของรงควัตถุที่สร้างจากแบคทีเรียชอบเกลือที่คัดแยกจากอาหารหมักพื้นบ้านของไทย (ปลาร้า) และซีอิ๊ว เมื่อศึกษาเสถียรภาพในการสร้างรงควัตถุของแบคทีเรียไอโซเลทอย่างน้อย 60 generations พบว่า มีแบคทีเรียไอโซเลทที่สร้างรงควัตถุทั้งหมด 22 ไอโซเลท และนำไประบุสายพันธุ์แบคทีเรียด้วยการวิเคราะห์ลำดับนิวคลีโอไทด์ที่ตำแหน่ง 16s DNA/RNA เมื่อพิจารณาสายพันธุ์และเฉดสีที่แบคทีเรียสร้างขึ้น สามารถคัดเลือกตัวแทนแบคทีเรียไอโซเลทมา 5 ไอโซเลท ดังนี้ Halobacillus yeomjeoni (81-1), Salinicoccus sp. (82-1), Bacillus infantis (63-11), Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (60-5) และ Staphylococcus carnosus (48-10) จากนั้นวิเคราะห์ชนิดและลักษณะของรงควัตถุที่ได้ด้วยวิธี UV-Visible spectrophotometric พบว่า สเปคตรัมการดูดกลืนแสงสูงสุด (maximum absorption peaks) ของรงควัตถุสีเหลือง-ส้มจาก Halobacillus yeomjeoni (81-1) ที่ความยาวคลื่น 482 นาโนเมตร รงควัตถุสีเหลืองจาก Staphylococcus carnosus (48-10) ที่ความยาวคลื่น 460 นาโนเมตร และรงควัตถุสีส้ม-แดงจาก Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (60-5) ที่ความยาวคลื่น 488 นาโนเมตร ในขณะที่รงควัตถุจาก Salinicoccus sp. (82-1) และ Bacillus infantis (63-11) ที่มีสีชมพู มีความยาวคลื่นที่ 509 และ 492 นาโนเมตร ตามลำดับ เมื่อมาวิเคราะห์ด้วยเทคนิค Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) เพื่ออนุมานกลุ่มสารของรงควัตถุที่ได้จากแบคทีเรียไอโซเลท พบว่า สเปคตรัม IR (IR spectrum) ของรงควัตถุที่ผลิตจากแบคทีเรียไอโซเลทมีลักษณะคล้ายคลึงกับสารแซนโทฟิลล์ (xanthophyll) ที่มีรายงานมาก่อนหน้านี้ และวิเคราะห์เพิ่มเติมด้วยเทคนิค High-Performance Liquid Chromatography …

Numerical Simulation And Optimization Of Commercial Sterilization Of Liquid Enteral Nutrition Using Batch Microwave Heating, Tanathep Leungtongkum

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This thesis contains 3 parts. The first part was to investigate the effect of ingredients on product’s stability and to find optimized oral-feeding enteral nutrition formulas. Since oral-feeding enteral nutrition is high in caloric density, it contains a high amount of calorie sources. Thus, it is likely to have either too high viscosity and/or unstable emulsion. Consequently, 9 factors which are caloric content, oil type, lecithin concentration, fructose syrup to acid ratio, percentage of hydrolyzed whey protein to total protein, percentage of calorie from fat and from fructose syrup to total calorie, complex whey protein concentration, and percentage of whey …

Synthesis, Characterisation And Dna Intercalation Studies Of Regioisomers Of Ruthenium (Ii) Polypyridyl Complexes, Laura Perdisatt, Samar Moqadasi, Luke O'Neill, Gary Hessman, Alessandra Ghion, Muhammad Qasim Mushtaq Warraich, Alan Casey, Christine O'Connor

Articles

Regioisomers of the functional group of the main ligand (L) on a series of [Ru(phen)2L]2+and [Ru(bpy)2L]2+ complexes, where phen is 1,10 phenanthroline and bpy is 2,2′-bipyridine, were synthesised to investigate the interaction with deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as potential therapeutics. UV–Vis binding titrations, thermal denaturation and circular dichroism were used to evaluate their interaction with DNA. The conclusions indicated the significance of the auxiliary ligand; especially 1,10-phenanthroline has on the binding constants (Kb). The systematic variation of auxiliary ligand(phen or bpy), and polypyridyl ligand (4-(1H-Imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthrolin-2-yl)benzonitrile (CPIP), 2-(4-formylphenyl)imidazo[4,5-f] [1,10] phenanthroline (FPIP), 2-(4-bromophenyl)imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline (BPIP) and 2-(4-nitrophenyl)imidazo[4,5-f] [1,10] phenanthroline (NPIP), split in terms of …

Current And Future Technologies For Microbiological Decontamination Of Cereal Grains, Agatha Los, Dana Ziuzina, Paula Bourke

Articles

Cereal grains are the most important staple foods for mankind worldwide. The constantly increasing annual production and yield is matched by demand for cereals, which is expected to increase drastically along with the global population growth. A critical food safety and quality issue is to minimize the microbiological contamination of grains as it affects cereals both quantitatively and qualitatively. Microorganisms present in cereals can affect the safety, quality, and functional properties of grains. Some molds have the potential to produce harmful mycotoxins and pose a serious health risk for consumers. Therefore, it is essential to reduce cereal grain contamination to …

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (Libs) For Rapid Analysis Of Ash, Potassium And Magnesium In Gluten Free Flours, Maria Markiewicz-Keszycka, Maria Piedad Casado-Gavalda, Xavier Cama-Moncunill, Raquel Cama-Moncunill, Yash Dixit, Patrick J. Cullen, Carl Sullivan

Articles

Gluten free (GF) diets are prone to mineral deficiency, thus effective monitoring of the elemental composition of GF products is important to ensure a balanced micronutrient diet. The objective of this study was to test the potential of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) analysis combined with chemometrics for at-line monitoring of ash, potassium and magnesium content of GF flours: tapioca, potato, maize, buckwheat, brown rice and a GF flour mixture. Concentrations of ash, potassium and magnesium were determined with reference methods and LIBS. PCA analysis was performed and presented the potential for discrimination of the six GF flours. For the quantification …

Assessment Of The Disinfection Capacity And Eco-Toxicological Impact Of Atmospheric Cold Plasma For Treatment Of Food Industry Effluents, Apurva Patange, Daniela Boehm, Michelle Giltrap, Peng Lu, Patrick J. Cullen, Paula Bourke

Articles

Generation of wastewater is one of the main environmental sustainability issues across food sector industries. The constituents of food process effluents are often complex and require high energy and processing for regulatory compliance. Wastewater streams are the subject of microbiological and chemical criteria, and can have a significant eco-toxicological impact on the aquatic life. Thus, innovative treatment approaches are required to mitigate environmental impact in an energy efficient manner. Here, dielectric barrier discharge atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) was evaluated for control of key microbial indicators encountered in food industry effluent. This study also investigated the eco-toxicological impact of cold plasma …

Dietary Nitrate And Diet Quality: An Examination Of Changing Dietary Intakes Within A Representative Sample Of Australian Women, Jacklyn K. Jackson, Amanda J. Patterson, Lesley K. Macdonald-Wicks, Catherine P. Bondonno, Lauren C. Blekkenhorst, Natalie C. Ward, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Julie E. Byles, Mark A. Mcevoy

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Dietary nitrate is increasingly linked to a variety of beneficial health outcomes. Our purpose was to estimate dietary nitrate consumption and identify key dietary changes which have occurred over time within a representative sample of Australian women. Women from the 1946–1951 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health with complete food frequency questionnaire data for both 2001 and 2013 were included for analysis. Dietary nitrate intakes were calculated using key published nitrate databases. Diet quality scores including the Australian Recommended Food Score, the Mediterranean Diet Score and the Nutrient Rich Foods Index were calculated along with food group …

Randomised Controlled Trial Comparing Daily Versus Depot Vitamin D3 Therapy In 0-16-Year-Old Newly Settled Refugees In Western Australia Over A Period Of 40 Weeks, Ushma D. Wadia, Wayne Soon, Paola T. Chivers, Aesen Thambiran, David P. Burgner, Sarah Cherian, Aris Siafarikas

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in newly settled refugees in Western Australia (WA). If adherence to daily vitamin D therapy is problematic, depot therapy is a therapeutic alternative. The aim of this studywas to compare daily versus depot treatment and factors influencing the therapeutic outcome. Newly settled refugees (n = 151) with 25(OH)D levels less than 78 nmol/L were randomised to receive daily or depot vitamin D therapy with eight weekly interval follow up to 40 weeks. Biochemical and clinical parameters were collected at each visit. Generalized LinearMixedModels (GLMM) examined the longitudinal changes over time controlling for confounders including …

The Effects Of Varying Gas Concentrations And Exposure Times On Colour Stability And Shelf-Life Of Vacuum Packaged Beef Steaks Subjected To Carbon Monoxide Pretreatment, Lauren Anne Van Rooyen, Paul Allen, Caragh Kelly-Rees, David I. O'Connor

Articles

There is an emerging demand for more value-added meat packaging technologies which enhance meat quality. Overall, colour is the most important quality trait judged at point of purchase as sensory traits cannot be physically assessed prior to consumption (Carpenter, Cornforth, & Whittier, 2001; Van Rooyen, Allen, Crawley, & O’Connor, 2017). Consumers use colour as an indicator of freshness and wholesomeness and this influences perceived meat quality (Carpenter et al., 2001; Issanchou, 1996), while discoloration is associated with unwholesomeness (Faustman & Cassens, 1990) and leads to economic losses (Kropf, Hunt, & Piske, 1986) and food waste. Packaging directly affects the colour …

The N-Acyltransferase Lnt: Structure-Function Insights From Recent Simultaneous Studies, Wei Chang, Declan A. Doyle, Toufic El Arnaout

Articles

Bacterial lipoproteins have been researched for decades due to their roles in a large number of biological functions. There were no structures of their main three membrane processing enzymes, until 2016 for Lgt and LspA, and then 2017 for Lnt with not one but three simultaneous, independent publications. We have analyzed the recent findings for this apolipoprotein N-acyltransferase Lnt, with comparisons between the novel structures, and with soluble nitrilases, to determine the significance of unique features in terms of substrate's recognition and binding mechanism influenced by exclusive residues, two transmembrane helices, and a flexible loop.

An Investigation Of High Intensity Ultrasonication And Chemical Immersion Treatments On Campylobacter Jejuni And Spoilage Bacteria In Chicken, Ahmed Kassem, Joseph Meade, Kevina Mcgill, Ciara Walsh, James Gibbons, James Lyng, Paul Whyte

Articles

High intensity ultrasonication (US) alone or in combination with chemical immersion treatments of lactic acid (3% LA), sodium decanoate (3% SD) and trisodium phosphate (10% TSP) were investigated to reduce populations of Campylobacter jejuni and spoilage organisms in raw chicken. Different experimental conditions were used including a range of temperatures (4°C, 25°C and 54°C) and exposure times (1, 2 and 3min). All combination treatments significantly reduced C. jejuni compared to their individual treatments while only the combination US+SD significantly reduced Total Viable Count (TVC). Multiple linear regression predicted bacterial reductions resulting from changing treatment, temperature and time or each group …

Multi-Drug Resistant Escherichia Coli In Diarrhoeagenic Foals: Pulsotyping, Phylotyping, Serotyping, Antibiotic Resistance And Virulence Profiling, C.A. Kennedy, Ciara Walsh, M. Karczmarczyk, S. O'Brien, N. Akasheh, M. Quirke, S. Farrell-Ward, T. Buckley, U. Fogherty, K. Kavanagh, C.T. Parker, T. Sweeney, S. Fanning

Articles

Extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC) possess the ability to cause extraintestinal infections such as urinary tract infections, neonatal meningitis and sepsis. While information is readily available describing pathogenic E. coli populations in food-producing animals, studies in companion/sports animals such as horses are limited. In addition, many antimicrobial agents used in the treatment of equine infections are also utilised in human medicine, potentially contributing to the spread of antibiotic resistance determinants among pathogenic strains. The aim of this study was to phenotypically and genotypically characterise the multidrug resistance and virulence associated with 83 equine E. coli isolates recovered from foals with …

Plasma Activated Water And Airborne Ultrasound Treatments For Enhanced Germination And Growth Of Soybean, Chiara Lo Porto, Dana Ziuzina, Agata Los, Daniela Boehm, Fabio Palumbo, Pietro Favia, Brijesh Tiwari, Paula Bourke, Patrick J. Cullen

Articles

The effect of two novel technologies, also in combination, on germination and growth of soybeans has been investigated. On one side, ultrasound treatment of the seeds increased water uptake without altering the morphology and the wettability of the seed coat, but also induced slight chemical modifications of the outer part of the seed. Plasma-activated water (PAW), obtained from treating water with non-thermal atmospheric-pressure plasma in air, increased the rate of germination and subsequent plant growth. Different combinations of these two technologies were tested in order to study their interaction and to identify an optimum treatment process. Industrial relevance A great …