Displaying publications 41 - 60 of 159 in total

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  1. Detection of porcine pepsin in model cheese using polyclonal antibody-based ELISA
    Raja Nhari RMH, Muhammad Zailani AN, Khairil Mokhtar NF, Hanish I
    Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess, 2020 Apr;37(4):561-567.
    PMID: 32027553 DOI: 10.1080/19440049.2020.1717645
    The usage of porcine pepsin or other porcine derivatives in food products is a common practice in European, American and certain Asian countries although it creates issues in religious and personnel health concerns. In this study, porcine pepsin was detected using indirect ELISA that involved the anti-pep80510 polyclonal antibody raised against a specific peptide of porcine pepsin, pep80510. The sensitivity of the assay for standard porcine pepsin was 0.008 µg/g. The immunoassay did not cross-react to other animal rennet and milk proteins except for microbial coagulant from Mucor miehie. The recovery of porcine pepsin in spiked cheese curd within the range of CV < 20% while for porcine pepsin in spiked cheese whey the recovery is also within the range of CV% < 20%.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Contamination/analysis*
  2. Rapid detection of porcine DNA in processed food samples using a streamlined DNA extraction method combined with the SYBR Green real-time PCR assay
    Tan LL, Ahmed SA, Ng SK, Citartan M, Raabe CA, Rozhdestvensky TS, et al.
    Food Chem, 2020 Mar 30;309:125654.
    PMID: 31678669 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.125654
    A specialized DNA extraction method and a SYBR Green quantitative polymerase chain reaction (SyG-qPCR) assay were combined to generate a ready-to-use kit for rapid detection of porcine admixtures in processed meat products. Our qPCR assay utilized repetitive LINE-1 elements specific to the genome of Sus scrofa domesticus (pig) as a target and incorporated internal controls. We improved the genomic DNA extraction method, and reduced extraction times to the minimum. The method was validated for specificity, sensitivity (0.001% w/w) and robustness, and values were compared with those of a commercially available kit. We also tested our method using 121 processed food products and consistently detected amplification only in samples containing pork. Due to its efficiency and cost-effectiveness, our method represents a valuable new method for detecting food adulteration with pork that is superior to existing quality control approaches.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Contamination/analysis*
  3. Potential authentication of various meat-based products using simple and efficient DNA extraction method
    Khairil Mokhtar NF, El Sheikha AF, Azmi NI, Mustafa S
    J Sci Food Agric, 2020 Mar 15;100(4):1687-1693.
    PMID: 31803942 DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.10183
    BACKGROUND: The growth of halal food consumption worldwide has resulted in an increase in the request for halal authentication. DNA-based detection using powerful real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique has been shown to be highly specific and sensitive authentication tool. The efficient DNA extraction method in terms of quality and quantity is a backbone step to obtain successful real-time PCR assays. In this study, different DNA extraction methods using three lysis buffers were evaluated and developed to recommend a much more efficient method as well as achieve a successful detection using real-time PCR.

    RESULTS: The lysis buffer 2 (LB2) has been shown to be the best lysis buffer for DNA extraction from both raw and processed meat samples comparing to other lysis buffers tested. Hence, the LB2 has been found to be ideal to detect meat and porcine DNAs by real-time PCR using pairs of porcine specific primers and universal primers which amplified at 119 bp fragment and 93 bp fragment, respectively. This assay allows detection as low as 0.0001 ng of DNA. Higher efficiency and sensitivity of real-time PCR via a simplified DNA extraction method using LB2 have been observed, as well as a reproducible and high correlation coefficient (R2  = 0.9979) based on the regression analysis of the standard curve have been obtained.

    CONCLUSION: This study has established a fast, simple, inexpensive and efficient DNA extraction method that is feasible for raw and processed meat products. This extraction technique allows an accurate DNA detection by real-time PCR and can also be implemented to assist the halal authentication of various meat-based products available in the market. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

    Matched MeSH terms: Food Contamination/analysis*
  4. Survival of antibiotic resistant Escherichia coli in vacuumpacked keropok lekor: Food safety alert among SME keropok lekor producers
    Wan-Hamat H, Lani MN, Hamzah Y, Alias R, Hassan Z, Mahat NA
    Trop Biomed, 2020 Mar 01;37(1):103-115.
    PMID: 33612722
    The microbiological quality of thirty ready-to-eat (RTE) keropok lekor (a sausage shape Malaysian fish product) was evaluated in comparison to microbiological guidelines for ready to eat foods. The two E. coli isolates were subjected to DNA sequencing, identified and tested for their resistance towards fifteen different antibiotics. The survival and growth of the isolated E. coli strains inoculated in keropok lekor at atmospheric air and vacuum packaging were also evaluated. Results revealed that four samples (13.33%) contained Enterobacteriaceae counts that exceeded the recommended allowable counts of 4.0 log10 CFU/g. Unsatisfactory level of coliforms (< 1.7 log10 CFU/g) was also observed in ten of the samples; two of which contained E. coli (2.1 ± 0.17 and 3.7 ± 0.02 log10 CFU/g), suggesting of poor hygiene and sanitation practices. While the 'Possible E10' E. coli strain was observably resistant towards Nalidixic acid (30µg) alone, B10 E. coli isolate was worryingly resistant towards Ampicillin (10µg), Ceftazidime (30µg), Ciprofloxacin (5µg), Ceftriaxone (30µg), Nalidixic acid (30µg) and Tetracycline (30µg). This study also revealed that the growth and survival of the 'Possible E10' and B10 E. coli strains were not significantly affected by vacuum packaging when stored at both 4°C and 28°C. Therefore, intervention programmes to alert and educate smallmedium enterprisers (SMEs) of keropok lekor producers on food safety as well as potential health risks that can be associated due to inappropriate handling procedures of such product, merits consideration.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Contamination/analysis*
  5. A review on colorimetric methods for determination of organophosphate pesticides using gold and silver nanoparticles
    Che Sulaiman IS, Chieng BW, Osman MJ, Ong KK, Rashid JIA, Wan Yunus WMZ, et al.
    Mikrochim Acta, 2020 01 15;187(2):131.
    PMID: 31940088 DOI: 10.1007/s00604-019-3893-8
    This review (with 99 refs.) summarizes the progress that has been made in colorimetric (i.e. spectrophotometric) determination of organophosphate pesticides (OPPs) using gold and silver nanoparticles (NPs). Following an introduction into the field, a first large section covers the types and functions of organophosphate pesticides. Methods for colorimetric (spectrophotometric) measurements including RGB techniques are discussed next. A further section covers the characteristic features of gold and silver-based NPs. Syntheses and modifications of metal NPs are covered in section 5. This is followed by overviews on enzyme inhibition-based assays, aptamer-based assays and chemical (non-enzymatic) assays, and a discussion of specific features of colorimetric assays. Several Tables are presented that give an overview on the wealth of methods and materials. A concluding section addresses current challenges and discusses potential future trends and opportunities. Graphical abstractSchematic representation of organophosphate pesticide determinations based on aggregation of nanoparticles (particular silver or gold nanoparticles). This leads to a color change which can be determined visually and monitored by a red shift in the absorption spectrum.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Contamination/analysis
  6. Analysis and inorganic composition of microplastics in commercial Malaysian fish meals
    Karbalaei S, Golieskardi A, Watt DU, Boiret M, Hanachi P, Walker TR, et al.
    Mar Pollut Bull, 2020 Jan;150:110687.
    PMID: 31699500 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.110687
    Presence of microplastics (MPs) in a broad range of wild and cultured marine organisms is well-documented, but transfer mechanisms by which cultured organisms are contaminated with MPs is poorly understood. MP loads in three Malaysian commercial brands of fish meal were investigated. Chemical composition of extracted MP-like particles was confirmed using micro-Raman spectroscopy. Inorganic composition of MPs and pigment particles were assessed through energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Out of 336 extracted particles, 64.3% were plastic polymers, 25% pigment particles, 4.2% non-plastic items, and 6.5% were unidentified. Fragments were the dominant form of MPs (78.2%) followed by filaments (13.4%) and films (8.4%). This study demonstrates that cultured organisms could be exposed to high levels of MPs via MP contaminated fish/shellfish used in fish meal production. Fish meal replacement with other sources of protein including meat meals and plant-based meals may mitigate MP exposure to cultured or farmed organisms.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Contamination/analysis*
  7. A fluorescence quenching based gene assay for Escherichia coli O157:H7 using graphene quantum dots and gold nanoparticles
    Saad SM, Abdullah J, Rashid SA, Fen YW, Salam F, Yih LH
    Mikrochim Acta, 2019 11 19;186(12):804.
    PMID: 31745737 DOI: 10.1007/s00604-019-3913-8
    A fluorometric assay is described for highly sensitive quantification of Escherichia coli O157:H7. Reporter oligos were immobilized on graphene quantum dots (GQDs), and quencher oligos were immobilized on gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). Target DNA was co-hybridized with reporter oligos on the GQDs and quencher oligos on AuNPs. This triggers quenching of fluorescence (with excitation/emission peaks at 400 nm/530 nm). On introducing target into the system, fluorescence is quenched by up to 95% by 100 nM concentrations of target oligos having 20 bp. The response to the fliC gene of E. coli O157:H7 increases with the logarithm of the concentration in the range from 0.1 nM to 150 nM. The limit of detection is 1.1 ± 0.6 nM for n = 3. The selectivity and specificity of the assay was confirmed by evaluating the various oligos sequences and PCR product (fliC gene) amplified from genomic DNA of the food samples spiked with E. coli O157:H7. Graphical abstractSchematic representation of fluorometric assay for highly sensitive quantification of Escherichia coli O157:H7 based on fluorescence quenching gene assay for fliC gene of E. coli O157:H7.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Contamination/analysis
  8. Fulltext Microbiological Safety of Street-Vended Beverages in Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur
    Mohd Nawawee NS, Abu Bakar NF, Zulfakar SS
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2019 11 13;16(22).
    PMID: 31766289 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16224463
    Improper handling, poor hygienic practices, and lack of environmental control affect the safety of street-vended beverages. The objective of this study is to determine the bacterial contamination level of three types of beverages (cordial-based drinks, milk-based drinks, fruit juices) sold by street vendors at Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur. A total of 31 samples of beverages were analyzed to determine total viable count (TVC), total coliform, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus counts via the standard plate count method. The results showed that only 9.7% of the total samples were not contaminated with the tested microorganisms. All milk-based drink samples were positive for TVC and also had the highest average bacterial counts at 5.30 ± 1.11 log Colony Forming Unit/mL (CFU/mL). About 71% of the samples were contaminated with total coliform with the average readings ranging between 4.30 and 4.75 log CFU/mL, whereas 58.1% of the samples were positive with S. aureus, with fruit juices having the highest average reading (3.42 ± 1.15 log CFU/mL). Only one sample (milk-based drink) was E. coli positive. This study showed that the microbiological safety level of street-vended beverages in Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur was average and needs to be improved. Provision of food safety education and adequate sanitary facilities at vending sites are suggested to increase the safety of food products.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Contamination/analysis*
  9. Verification and evaluation of monochloropropanediol (MCPD) esters and glycidyl esters in palm oil products of different regions in Malaysia
    Abd Razak RA, Ahmad Tarmizi AH, Abdul Hammid AN, Kuntom A, Ismail IS, Sanny M
    Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess, 2019 Nov;36(11):1626-1636.
    PMID: 31437078 DOI: 10.1080/19440049.2019.1654139
    This study was conducted to investigate on the effect of different sampling regions of palm-refined oils and fats on the 2- and 3-monochloropropanediol fatty acid esters (MCPDE) and glycidol fatty acid esters (GE) levels. The American Oil Chemists' Society (AOCS) Official Method Cd 29a-13 on the determination of MCPDE and GE in edible oils and fats by acid transesterification was successfully verified and optimised, with slight modification using 7890A Agilent GC system equipped with 5975C quadrupole detector. The determined limits of detection (LOD) for MCPDE were 0.02 mg kg-1 and 0.05 mg kg-1 for GE. The method performance has showed good recovery between 80% and 120% for all pertinent compounds with seven replicates assayed in three separate days. Round robin test with two European laboratories, i.e. Eurofins and SGS, has shown compliance results with those of the present study. Among the sampling regions, only one refinery located in the central region of Malaysia showed a significant increment of the MCPDE and GE levels after refining process. The GE level averaging at 2.5 mg kg-1 was slightly higher than that of 3-MCPDE averaging at 1.3 mg kg-1. Both esters were preferentially partitioned into the liquid phase rather than the solid phase after fractionation. However, the overall results exhibited no direct correlation between the esters content and the different sampling locations of the palm oil products in Malaysia. Analysis of total chlorine content also displayed significant variations between sampling locations which clearly show its effect on the chlorine content in the CPO samples.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Contamination/analysis*
  10. Determination of phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitors in instant coffee premixes using liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS)
    Mohd Yusop AY, Xiao L, Fu S
    Talanta, 2019 Nov 01;204:36-43.
    PMID: 31357306 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2019.05.078
    As a widely consumed beverage, coffee tends to be a target for intentional adulteration. This study describes the application of modified quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) coupled to liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) for simultaneous screening, identification, and quantification of undeclared phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitors in instant coffee premixes (ICPs). The mass spectrometer was operated in auto MS/MS acquisition for simultaneous MS and MS/MS experiments. Qualitative establishments from the suspected-target screening and targeted identification processes led to an unambiguous analyte assignment from the protonated molecule ([M+H]+) precursor ion which is subsequently used for quantification of 23 targeted PDE5 inhibitors. The analytical method validation covered specificity, linearity, range, accuracy, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), precisions, matrix effect (ME), and extraction recovery (RE). The specificity was established using the optimised chromatographic separation as well as the distinguishable [M+H]+ precursor ion. The linearity of each target analyte was demonstrated with a coefficient of determination (r2) of >0.9960 over the expected range of sample concentrations. The accuracy ranged from 88.1%-119.3% with LOD and LOQ of <70 ng/mL and 80 ng/mL, respectively. Excellent precisions were established within 0.4%-9.1% of the relative standard deviation. An insignificant ME within -5.2% to +8.7% was achieved using three different strategies of chromatography, sample extraction, and sample dilution. The RE was good for all target analytes within 84.7%-123.5% except for N-desethylacetildenafil at low (53.8%) and medium (65.1%) quality control levels. The method was successfully applied to 25 samples of ICPs where 17 of them were found to be adulterated with PDE5 inhibitors and their analogues. Further quantification revealed the total amount of these adulterants ranged from 2.77 to 121.64 mg per sachet.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Contamination/analysis*
  11. Human intestinal protozoa in fresh asparagus from different types of markets in northwest Mexico
    Morales-Figueroa GG, Castro-García M, Esparza-Romero J, López-Mata MA, Quihui-Cota L
    Trop Biomed, 2019 Sep 01;36(3):718-725.
    PMID: 33597494
    Caborca is one of the most productive asparagus-growing regions in the state of Sonora in northwest Mexico, an area where some fresh fruits and vegetables are sold at unregulated open-air street markets. This is a cross-sectional study in which fifty bundles of asparagus for exportation, 50 bundles of sub-standard asparagus, and 50 bundles of asparagus from open-air markets were selected randomly and then subjected to Faust, Kinyoun and ELISA testing to detect intestinal parasites. Pearson's chi-square (χ2) and Student-NewmanKeuls tests were used to estimate differences among the sampling site groups (P < 0.05). The pathogens Cryptosporidium spp. (29%) G. intestinalis (5%) and Cyclospora spp. (3%) were found in the asparagus sold in the region. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. was higher in both the sub-standard asparagus and the product sampled from the open-air markets than in the samples for exportation (P < 0.05). This is the first study to demonstrate contamination by intestinal parasites in asparagus sold in different markets in northwest Mexico.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Contamination/analysis*
  12. Comparison assessment between SIM and MRM mode in the analysis of 3-MCPD ester, 2-MCPD ester and glycidyl ester
    Goh KM, Wong YH, Ang MY, Yeo SCM, Abas F, Lai OM, et al.
    Food Res Int, 2019 07;121:553-560.
    PMID: 31108780 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2018.12.013
    The detection of 3- and 2-MCPD ester and glycidyl ester was transformed from selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode to multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode by gas chromatography triple quadrupole spectrometry. The derivatization process was adapted from AOCS method Cd 29a-13. The results showed that the coefficient of determination (R2) of all detected compounds obtained from both detection mode was comparable, which falls between 0.997 and 0.999. The limit of detection and quantification (LOD and LOQ) were improved in MRM mode as compared to SIM mode. In MRM mode, the LOD of 3- and 2-MCPD ester was achieved 0.01 mg/kg while the LOQ was 0.05 mg/kg. Besides, LOD and LOQ of glycidyl ester were 0.024 and 0.06 mg/kg respectively. A blank spiked with MCPD esters (0.03, 0.10 and 0.50 mg/kg) and GE (0.06, 0.24 and 1.20 mg/kg) were chosen for repeatability and recovery tests. MRM mode showed better repeatability in area ratio and recovery with relative standard deviation (RSD %) food samples from different category were performed by repeated injections in both detection modes. Briefly, the contaminants from crude palm oil, mustard and olive oil were present in minute amount which below the LOD or LOQ in both detection modes. Sample from chocolate and infant formula products showed certain level of MCPD esters and GE, and their detection was more precisely quantitated based on MRM mode. Besides, margarine products showed a higher level of contaminations due to the high fat content in these products. MRM mode detection was proven to provide precise data with low RSD % in different food matrices. MRM mode detection was robust and selective for MCPD esters and GE analyses, it should be applied to determine the concentration of MCPD esters and GE contaminations in food.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Contamination/analysis
  13. Quantitative duplex real-time polymerase chain reaction assay with TaqMan probe detects and quantifies Crocodylus porosus in food chain and traditional medicines
    Ahmad Nizar NN, Hossain M, Sultana S, Ahamad MN, Johan MR, Ali ME
    Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess, 2019 Jun;36(6):825-835.
    PMID: 30945985 DOI: 10.1080/19440049.2019.1584407
    Consumption and exploitation of crocodiles have been rampant for their exotic, nutritive and medicinal attributes. These depredations are alarming and although they have continued to be monitored by wildlife and conservation agencies, unlawful trading of crocodiles shows an increasing trend worldwide. Recently, conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assays for crocodile have been documented but they are only suitable for identification and cannot quantify adulterations. We described here a quantitative duplex real-time PCR assay with probes to quantify contributions from Crocodylus porosus materials simultaneously. A very short amplicon size of 127bp was used because longer targets could have been broken down in samples, bringing considerable uncertainty in molecular analysis. We have validated a TaqMan probe-based duplex real-time PCR (qPCR) assay for the detection of 0.004 ng DNA in pure state and 0.1% target meat in model chicken meatball. False negative detection was eliminated through an endogenous control (141-bp site of eukaryotic 18S rRNA). Analysis of 12 model chicken meatballs adulterated with C. porosus reflected 96.3-120.2% target recovery at 0.1-10% adulterations. A validation test of 21 commercial food and traditional medicine (TM) crocodile-based products showed 100% effectiveness. Short amplicon sizes, alternative complementary target, exceptional stability and superior sensitivity suggested the assay could be used for the identification and quantitative determination of C. porosus in any food or TM samples even under degraded conditions.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Contamination/analysis*
  14. Evaluation of a magnetic activated charcoal modified with non-ionic silicone surfactant as a new magnetic solid phase extraction sorbent with triazine herbicides as model compounds in selected milk and rice samples
    Mohd NI, Gopal K, Raoov M, Mohamad S, Yahaya N, Lim V, et al.
    Talanta, 2019 May 01;196:217-225.
    PMID: 30683354 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2018.12.043
    The non-ionic silicone surfactant (OFX 0309) has been applied in cloud point extraction for the extraction of triazine herbicides in food samples. Evidence has shown that the non-ionic silicone surfactant demonstrated a good performance as an extractor toward triazine herbicides. In this present study, OFX 0309 surfactant was combined with activated charcoal (AC) due to their valuable properties. Activated charcoal modified with non-ionic silicone surfactant coated with magnetic nanoparticles (AC-OFX MNPs) was synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, VSM, SEM, TEM and BET. This novel material was applied as a magnetic adsorbent for the pre-concentration and separation of triazine herbicides due to hydrophobic interaction between polysiloxane polyether of OFX 0309 surfactant and triazine herbicides. Under optimal conditions, the proposed magnetic solid phase extraction method using AC-OFX MNPs adsorbent was applied to extract triazine herbicides from selected milk and rice samples using high performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector. The validation method revealed a good linearity (1 - 500 μg L-1) with the coefficient of determination (R2) in the range of 0.992-0.998 for the samples. The limits of detection (LOD) of the developed method were 0.04 - 0.05 µg L-1 (milk sample) and 0.02 - 0.05 µg L-1 (rice sample). The limits of quantification (LOQ) were 0.134 - 0.176 µg L-1 (milk sample) and 0.075 - 0.159 µg L-1 (rice sample). The recoveries of the triazine compounds ranged from 81% to 109% in spiked milk samples and from 81% to 111% in spiked rice samples, with relative standard deviations (RSD) values lower than 13.5% and 12.1% for milk and rice samples, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that have investigated the use of magnetic nanoparticles coated activated charcoal modified with OFX 0309 surfactant for pretreatment of triazine herbicides in food samples analysis for simultaneous separation of organic pollutants.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Contamination/analysis
  15. Magnetic poly(β-cyclodextrin-ionic liquid) nanocomposites for micro-solid phase extraction of selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in rice samples prior to GC-FID analysis
    Boon YH, Mohamad Zain NN, Mohamad S, Osman H, Raoov M
    Food Chem, 2019 Apr 25;278:322-332.
    PMID: 30583379 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2018.10.145
    Poly(β-cyclodextrin functionalized ionic liquid) immobilized magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4@βCD-Vinyl-TDI) as sorbent in magnetic µ-SPE was developed for the determination of selected polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in rice samples coupled with gas chromatographic-flame ionization detector (GC-FID). The nanocomposite was characterized by various tools and significant parameters that affected the extraction efficiency of PAHs were investigated. The calibration curves were linear for the concentration ranging between 0.1 and 500 μg kg-1 with correlation determinations (R2) from 0.9970 to 0.9982 for all analytes. Detection limits ranged at 0.01-0.18 μg kg-1 in real matrix. The RSD values ranged at 2.95%-5.34% (intra-day) and 4.37%-7.05% (inter-day) precision for six varied days. The sorbents showed satisfactory reproducibility in 2.9% to 9.9% range and acceptable recovery values at 80.4%-112.4% were obtained for the real sample analysis. The optimized method was successfully applied to access content safety of selected PAHs for 24 kinds of commercial rice available in Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Contamination/analysis*
  16. Fulltext Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in some commercially important fishes from a tropical river estuary suggests higher potential health risk in children than adults
    Ahmed ASS, Sultana S, Habib A, Ullah H, Musa N, Hossain MB, et al.
    PLoS One, 2019;14(10):e0219336.
    PMID: 31622361 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219336
    The Karnaphuli River estuary, located in southeast coast of Bangladesh, is largely exposed to heavy metal contamination as it receives a huge amount of untreated industrial effluents from the Chottagram City. This study aimed to assess the concentrations of five heavy metals (As, Pb, Cd, Cr and Cu) and their bioaccumulation status in six commercially important fishes, and also to evaluate the potential human health risk for local consumers. The hierarchy of the measured concentration level (mg/kg) of the metals was as follows: Pb (13.88) > Cu (12.10) > As (4.89) > Cr (3.36) > Cd (0.39). The Fulton's condition factor denoted that fishes were in better 'condition' and most of the species were in positive allometric growth. The bioaccumulation factors (BAFs) of the contaminants observed in the species were in the following orders: Cu (1971.42) > As (1042.93) > Pb (913.66) > Cr (864.99) > Cd (252.03), and among the specimens, demersal fish, Apocryptes bato appeared to be the most bioaccumulative organism. Estimated daily intake (EDI), target hazard quotient (THQ), hazard index (HI) and carcinogenic risk (CR) assessed for potential human health risk implications suggest that the values were within the acceptable threshold for both adults and children. However, calculated CR values indicated that both age groups were not far from the risk, and HI values demonstrated that children were nearly 6 times more susceptible to non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health effects than adults.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Contamination/analysis*
  17. Fulltext Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals from Smoked Corbicula fluminea Collected on Roadside Vendors at Kelantan, Malaysia
    Dee KH, Abdullah F, Md Nasir SNA, Appalasamy S, Mohd Ghazi R, Eh Rak A
    Biomed Res Int, 2019;2019:9596810.
    PMID: 31663001 DOI: 10.1155/2019/9596810
    Corbicula fluminea serves as traditional food to the local people in Kelantan, Malaysia. Concerns regarding river contamination, smoking method, and associated adverse effects on public health had been increasing. Hence, this study aims to measure the level of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn) and assess human health risk in C. fluminea consumption at Kelantan. Heavy-metal analysis was done using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry, while human health risk was assessed using provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI), target hazard quotient (THQ), and hazard index (HI). The estimated weekly intake (EWI) for all metals was found within PTWI, while THQ for Cd, Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn was 0.12, 0.06, 0.04, 0.41, and 0.03, respectively. The HI was calculated at 0.61 which is less than 1, considered as the safe consumption level. Therefore, C. fluminea consumption in this study was found safe from the health risk of noncarcinogenic effect over a lifetime.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Contamination/analysis
  18. Mercury Bioaccumulation in Tropical Mangrove Wetland Fishes: Evaluating Potential Risk to Coastal Wildlife
    Le DQ, Satyanarayana B, Fui SY, Shirai K
    Biol Trace Elem Res, 2018 Dec;186(2):538-545.
    PMID: 29577182 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-018-1313-2
    The present study, aimed at observing the total concentration of mercury (Hg) in edible finfish species with an implication to human health risk, was carried out from the Setiu mangrove wetlands on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Out of 20 species observed, the highest Hg concentrations were found among carnivores-fish/invertebrate-feeders, followed by omnivores and carnivores-invertebrate-feeders, while the lowest concentrations in herbivores. The Hg concentrations varied widely with fish species and body size, from 0.12 to 2.10 mg/kg dry weight. A positive relationship between body weight and Hg concentration was observed in particular for Toxotes jaculatrix and Tetraodon nigroviridis. Besides the permissible range of Hg concentration up to 0.3 mg/kg (cf. United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA)) in majority of species, the carnivore feeders such as Acanthopagrus pacificus, Gerres filamentosus, and Caranx ignobilis have shown excess amounts (> 0.40 mg/kg flesh weight) that raising concerns over the consumption by local people. However, the weekly intake of mercury-estimated through the fish consumption in all three trophic levels-suggests that the present Hg concentrations are still within the range of Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake (PTWI) reported by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). Perhaps, a multi-species design for Hg monitoring at Setiu wetlands would be able to provide further insights into the level of toxicity transfer among other aquatic organisms and thereby a strong health risk assessment for the local communities.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Contamination/analysis
  19. Simulation of improper food hygiene practices: A quantitative assessment of Vibrio parahaemolyticus distribution
    Malcolm TTH, Chang WS, Loo YY, Cheah YK, Radzi CWJWM, Kantilal HK, et al.
    Int J Food Microbiol, 2018 Nov 02;284:112-119.
    PMID: 30142576 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2018.08.012
    Kitchen mishandling practices contribute to a large number of foodborne illnesses. In this study, the transfer and cross-contamination potential of Vibrio parahaemolyticus from bloody clams to ready-to-eat food (lettuce) was assessed. Three scenarios were investigated: 1) direct cross-contamination, the transfer of V. parahaemolyticus from bloody clams to non-food contact surfaces (hands and kitchen utensils) to lettuce (via slicing), was evaluated; 2) perfunctory decontamination, the efficacy of two superficial cleaning treatments: a) rinsing in a pail of water, and b) wiping with a kitchen towel, were determined; and 3) secondary cross-contamination, the microbial transfer from cleaning residuals (wash water or stained kitchen towel) to lettuce was assessed. The mean of percent transfer rates through direct contact was 3.6%, and an average of 3.5% of total V. parahaemolyticus was recovered from sliced lettuce. The attempted treatments reduced the transferred population by 99.0% (rinsing) and 94.5% (wiping), and the relative amount of V. parahaemolyticus on sliced lettuce was reduced to 0.008%. V. parahaemolyticus exposure via secondary cross-contamination was marginal. The relative amount of V. parahaemolyticus recovered from washed lettuce was 0.07%, and the transfers from stained kitchen towel to lettuce were insubstantial. Our study highlights that V. parahaemolyticus was readily spread in the kitchen, potentially through sharing of non-food contact surfaces. Results from this study can be used to better understand and potentially raising the awareness of proper handling practices to avert the spread of foodborne pathogens.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Contamination/analysis
  20. Polyphasic approach to the identification and characterization of aflatoxigenic strains of Aspergillus section Flavi isolated from peanuts and peanut-based products marketed in Malaysia
    Norlia M, Jinap S, Nor-Khaizura MAR, Son R, Chin CK, Sardjono
    Int J Food Microbiol, 2018 Oct 03;282:9-15.
    PMID: 29885975 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2018.05.030
    Peanuts are widely consumed as the main ingredient in many local dishes in Malaysia. However, the tropical climate in Malaysia (high temperature and humidity) favours the growth of fungi from Aspergillus section Flavi, especially during storage. Most of the species from this section, such as A. flavus, A. parasiticus and A. nomius, are natural producers of aflatoxins. Precise identification of local isolates and information regarding their ability to produce aflatoxins are very important to evaluate the safety of food marketed in Malaysia. Therefore, this study aimed to identify and characterize the aflatoxigenic and non-aflatoxigenic strains of Aspergillus section Flavi in peanuts and peanut-based products. A polyphasic approach, consisting of morphological and chemical characterizations was applied to 128 isolates originating from raw peanuts and peanut-based products. On the basis of morphological characters, 127 positively identified as Aspergillus flavus, and the other as A. nomius. Chemical characterization revealed six chemotype profiles which indicates diversity of toxigenic potential. About 58.6%, 68.5%, and 100% of the isolates are positive for aflatoxins, cyclopiazonic acid and aspergillic acid productions respectively. The majority of the isolates originating from raw peanut samples (64.8%) were aflatoxigenic, while those from peanut-based products were less toxigenic (39.1%). The precise identification of these species may help in developing control strategies for aflatoxigenic fungi and aflatoxin contamination in peanuts, especially during storage. These findings also highlight the possibility of the co-occurrence of other toxins, which could increase the potential toxic effects of peanuts.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Contamination/analysis*
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