An update on formaldehyde adulteration in food: sources, detection, mechanisms, and risk assessment.

Formaldehyde is added illegally to food to extend its shelf life due to its antiseptic and preservation properties. Several research has been conducted to examine the consequences of adulteration with formaldehyde in food items. These findings suggest that adding formaldehyde to food is considered harmful as it accumulates in the body with long-term consumption. In this review includes study findings on food adulteration with formaldehyde and their assessment of food safety based on the analytical method applied to various geographical regions, food matrix types, and their sources in food items. Additionally, this review sought to assess the risk of formaldehyde-tainted food and the understanding of its development in food and its impacts on food safety in light of the widespread formaldehyde adulteration. Finally, the study would be useful as a manual for implementing adequate and successful risk assessment to increase food safety.

Nutritional properties of wild and fattening mud crab (Scylla serrata) in the south-eastern district of Bangladesh.

Mud crab (Scylla serrata) is one of the most important crustacean species in Bangladesh due to its high economic value. Crab fattening is widely practiced in the country to meet export demand while the supply for domestic consumption is mainly dependent on wild sources. This work reported for the first time a comparative evaluation of the nutritional properties of wild and fattening mud crabs. For this purpose, the proximate compositions were determined in terms of total contents of protein, moisture, ash, lipid, and minerals. Female fattening mud crabs had the highest levels of protein (17.07 ± 1.52%) and moisture (76.95 ± 1.39%) content, while the highest percentages of ash (4.9 ± 1.03%) were detected in male fattening mud crabs. Male fattening mud crabs also contained high amounts of minerals, especially calcium (1199.71 ± 343.43 mg/100g) and iron (14.21 ± 1.28 mg/100g). Male and female wild crabs showed the highest levels of magnesium and phosphorus, respectively. Additionally, the calculated percentage of recommended nutrient intake (RNI) value revealed that mud crab contributes 4.4-59.99%, 6.6-53.98%, and 7.33-54.53% for infants, adults, pregnant and lactating women, respectively. The present study indicates that mud crab had a balanced nutritional composition that would be nutrient-rich excellent diet for consumers.

Omics-Based Analytical Approaches for Assessing Chicken Species and Breeds in Food Authentication.

Chicken is known to be the most common meat type involved in food mislabeling and adulteration. Establishing a method to authenticate chicken content precisely and identifying chicken breeds as declared in processed food is crucial for protecting consumers' rights. Categorizing the authentication method into their respective omics disciplines, such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, lipidomics, metabolomics, and glycomics, and the implementation of bioinformatics or chemometrics in data analysis can assist the researcher in improving the currently available techniques. Designing a vast range of instruments and analytical methods at the molecular level is vital for overcoming the technical drawback in discriminating chicken from other species and even within its breed. This review aims to provide insight and highlight previous and current approaches suitable for countering different circumstances in chicken authentication.

Molecular Regulation of Lipogenesis, Adipogenesis and Fat Deposition in Chicken.

In the poultry industry, excessive fat deposition is considered an undesirable factor, affecting feed efficiency, meat production cost, meat quality, and consumer's health. Efforts to reduce fat deposition in economically important animals, such as chicken, can be made through different strategies; including genetic selection, feeding strategies, housing, and environmental strategies, as well as hormone supplementation. Recent investigations at the molecular level have revealed the significant role of the transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulatory networks and their interaction on modulating fat metabolism in chickens. At the transcriptional level, different transcription factors are known to regulate the expression of lipogenic and adipogenic genes through various signaling pathways, affecting chicken fat metabolism. Alternatively, at the post-transcriptional level, the regulatory mechanism of microRNAs (miRNAs) on lipid metabolism and deposition has added a promising dimension to understand the structural and functional regulatory mechanism of lipid metabolism in chicken. Therefore, this review focuses on the progress made in unraveling the molecular function of genes, transcription factors, and more notably significant miRNAs responsible for regulating adipogenesis, lipogenesis, and fat deposition in chicken. Moreover, a better understanding of the molecular regulation of lipid metabolism will give researchers novel insights to use functional molecular markers, such as miRNAs, for selection against excessive fat deposition to improve chicken production efficiency and meat quality.

Effect of Temperature, Water Activity and Carbon Dioxide on Fungal Growth and Mycotoxin Production of Acclimatised Isolates of Fusarium verticillioides and F. graminearum.

Climate change is primarily manifested by elevated temperature and carbon dioxide (CO2) levels and is projected to provide suitable cultivation grounds for pests and pathogens in the otherwise unsuitable regions. The impacts of climate change have been predicted in many parts of the world, which could threaten global food safety and food security. The aim of the present work was therefore to examine the interacting effects of water activity (aw) (0.92, 0.95, 0.98 aw), CO2 (400, 800, 1200 ppm) and temperature (30, 35 °C and 30, 33 °C for Fusarium verticillioides and F. graminearum, respectively) on fungal growth and mycotoxin production of acclimatised isolates of F. verticillioides and F. graminearum isolated from maize. To determine fungal growth, the colony diameters were measured on days 1, 3, 5, and 7. The mycotoxins produced were quantified using a quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometer (QTOF-MS) combined with ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) system. For F. verticillioides, the optimum conditions for growth of fumonisin B1 (FB1), and fumonisin B2 (FB2) were 30 °C + 0.98 aw + 400 ppm CO2. These conditions were also optimum for F. graminearum growth, and zearalenone (ZEA) and deoxynivalenol (DON) production. Since 30 °C and 400 ppm CO2 were the baseline treatments, it was hence concluded that the elevated temperature and CO2 levels tested did not seem to significantly impact fungal growth and mycotoxin production of acclimatised Fusarium isolates. To the best of our knowledge thus far, the present work described for the first time the effects of simulated climate change conditions on fungal growth and mycotoxin production of acclimatised isolates of F. verticillioides and F. graminearum.

Etlingera elatior-Mediated Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles and Their Application as Electrochemical Current Enhancer.

This work presents a simple green synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) by using an aqueous extract of Etlingera elatior (torch ginger). The metabolites present in E. elatior, including sugars, proteins, polyphenols, and flavonoids, were known to play important roles in reducing metal ions and supporting the subsequent stability of nanoparticles. The present work aimed to investigate the ability of the E. elatior extract to synthesise AuNPs via the reduction of gold (III) chloride hydrate and characterise the properties of the nanoparticles produced. The antioxidant properties of the E. elatior extract were evaluated by analysing the total phenolic and total flavonoid contents. To ascertain the formation of AuNPs, the synthesised particles were characterised using the ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) microscopy, and dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurement. The properties of the green synthesised AuNPs were shown to be comparable to the AuNPs produced using a conventional reducing agent, sodium citrate. The UV-Vis measured the surface plasmon resonance of the AuNPs, and a band centered at 529 nm was obtained. The FTIR results proved that the extract contained the O-H functional group that is responsible for capping the nanoparticles. The HRTEM images showed that the green synthesized AuNPs were of various shapes and the average of the nanoparticles' hydrodynamic diameter was 31.5 ± 0.5 nm. Meanwhile, the zeta potential of -32.0 ± 0.4 mV indicates the high stability and negative charge of the AuNPs. We further successfully demonstrated that using the green synthesised AuNPs as the nanocomposite to modify the working surface of screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE/Cs/AuNPs) enhanced the rate of electron transfer and provided a sensitive platform for the detection of Cu(II) ions.

Development of an Electrochemical DNA Biosensor to Detect a Foodborne Pathogen.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus (V. parahaemolyticus) is a common foodborne pathogen that contributes to a large proportion of public health problems globally, significantly affecting the rate of human mortality and morbidity. Conventional methods for the detection of V. parahaemolyticus such as culture-based methods, immunological assays, and molecular-based methods require complicated sample handling and are time-consuming, tedious, and costly. Recently, biosensors have proven to be a promising and comprehensive detection method with the advantages of fast detection, cost-effectiveness, and practicality. This research focuses on developing a rapid method of detecting V. parahaemolyticus with high selectivity and sensitivity using the principles of DNA hybridization. In the work, characterization of synthesized polylactic acid-stabilized gold nanoparticles (PLA-AuNPs) was achieved using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Ultraviolet-visible Spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Field-emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), and Cyclic Voltammetry (CV). We also carried out further testing of stability, sensitivity, and reproducibility of the PLA-AuNPs. We found that the PLA-AuNPs formed a sound structure of stabilized nanoparticles in aqueous solution. We also observed that the sensitivity improved as a result of the smaller charge transfer resistance (Rct) value and an increase of active surface area (0.41 cm2). The development of our DNA biosensor was based on modification of a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) with PLA-AuNPs and using methylene blue (MB) as the redox indicator. We assessed the immobilization and hybridization events by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). We found that complementary, non-complementary, and mismatched oligonucleotides were specifically distinguished by the fabricated biosensor. It also showed reliably sensitive detection in cross-reactivity studies against various food-borne pathogens and in the identification of V. parahaemolyticus in fresh cockles.

A simple, portable, electrochemical biosensor to screen shellfish for Vibrio parahaemolyticus.

An earlier electrochemical mechanism of DNA detection was adapted and specified for the detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in real samples. The reader, based on a screen printed carbon electrode, was modified with polylactide-stabilized gold nanoparticles and methylene blue was employed as the redox indicator. Detection was assessed using a microprocessor to measure current response under controlled potential. The fabricated sensor was able to specifically distinguish complementary, non-complementary and mismatched oligonucleotides. DNA was measured in the range of 2.0 × 10-8-2.0 × 10-13 M with a detection limit of 2.16 pM. The relative standard deviation for 6 replications of differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) measurement of 0.2 µM complementary DNA was 4.33%. Additionally, cross-reactivity studies against various other food-borne pathogens showed a reliably sensitive detection of the target pathogen. Successful identification of Vibrio parahaemolyticus (spiked and unspiked) in fresh cockles, combined with its simplicity and portability demonstrate the potential of the device as a practical screening tool.

Sensitive detection of multiple pathogens using a single DNA probe.

A simple but promising electrochemical DNA nanosensor was designed, constructed and applied to differentiate a few food-borne pathogens. The DNA probe was initially designed to have a complementary region in Vibrio parahaemolyticus (VP) genome and to make different hybridization patterns with other selected pathogens. The sensor was based on a screen printed carbon electrode (SPCE) modified with polylactide-stabilized gold nanoparticles (PLA-AuNPs) and methylene blue (MB) was employed as the redox indicator binding better to single-stranded DNA. The immobilization and hybridization events were assessed using differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). The fabricated biosensor was able to specifically distinguish complementary, non-complementary and mismatched oligonucleotides. DNA was measured in the range of 2.0×10(-9)-2.0×10(-13)M with a detection limit of 5.3×10(-12)M. The relative standard deviation for 6 replications of DPV measurement of 0.2µM complementary DNA was 4.88%. The fabricated DNA biosensor was considered stable and portable as indicated by a recovery of more than 80% after a storage period of 6 months at 4-45°C. Cross-reactivity studies against various food-borne pathogens showed a reliably sensitive detection of VP.