فهرست مطالب razieh partovi

Using in ovo injection method, specific nutrients and antioxidants can be provided in precise doses at certain times for maximum absorption by the embryo. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of in ovo injection of flaxseed oil on the quality and antioxidant properties as well as fatty acid profile of breast meat of day-old broilers. 20 one-day-old fertilized eggs were randomly divided into two groups of 10; one control and one FSO (flaxseed oil) which received 100 μL of flaxseed oil by injection into the allantoic sac. The amounts of fat, vitamin E, total phenol, carotenoid, TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) value, color, texture and fatty acid profile of the chicken breast meat were measured. In ovo injection of flaxseed oil significantly increased the fat content. The mean amounts of vitamin E in control and FSO were 0.54 and 0.71 mg/100g, respectively (P<0.05). Carotenoid content, redness and yellowness of the broilers breast meat in FSO increased in comparison to control, while TBARS value and lightness index decreased insignificantly. FSO showed lower saturated fatty acids and higher unsaturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, unsaturated/saturated and n-3 fatty acids, but these differences were not significant. Based on the results of this study, in ovo injection of flaxseed oil improved oxidative stability of day-old broiler breast meat through increasing vitamin E content.

Herbs possess a large amount of antioxidants; thus, using them in the poultry diet can improve the quality of final products.

This study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation of artichoke, Silybum marianum, and their mixture on Japanese quail’s carcass characteristics, oxidative stability, and breast meat quality. 

A total of 120 one-day-old Japanese quail were studied in a completely randomized design with 4 experimental treatments (0%, 1.5% artichoke, 1.5% S. marianum, 1.5% mixture of artichoke and S. marianum). Each treatment consisted of 3 replicates of 10 birds. At the end of the experiment (day 42), the carcass characteristics of the birds were recorded, and the physical characteristics, chemical composition, color, and oxidative stability of breast meat were evaluated. 

The results showed no significant difference among the experimental groups regarding pH, dry matter, ash, drip loss, and cooking loss. Dietary enrichment with artichoke and S. marianum caused a decrease in the mean body weight in the experimental treatments compared to the control group (P<0.05). Dietary supplementation with herbal powders increased the crude protein and fat content of breast meat, and group 4 (artichoke+S. marianum) had a higher mean than other groups (P<0.05). The hardness of breast meat in the treatment groups has decreased compared to the control group. Compared to the control group, the amount of lightness in the treatments has reduced, and redness and yellowness have increased. TBARS (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) index showed a significant decrease in the investigated treatments compared to the control group (P<0.05). 

Dietary supplementation of S. marianum and artichoke improved nutritional value and increased oxidative stability of breast meat in Japanese quail. However, they adversely affected birds’ weight gain and feed consumption.

Aflatoxins are among the most important fungal mycotoxins with carcinogenic properties. Aflatoxin M1 can be transmitted to humans through milk and dairy products. This study proposed to appraise the fungal and aflatoxin M1 contaminations in sheep milk collcted from different farms in Mazandaran province.  During July to September 2020, 70 samples of raw milk from sheep were collected in disparate regions of Northern Iran. All of the samples were analyzed in order to presence of fungal agents by culturing the raw milk onto Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA) as well as AFM1 by competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique.  Of the fungal agents identified, the most frequently moulds were related to Aspergillus spp. (38.8%), Cladosporium spp. (22.4%) and Penicillium spp. (13.9%); and yeasts dependent on Trichosporon spp. (47.1 %), Rhodotorula spp. (33.8%) and Candida spp. (14.7%). Of the 70 milk samples, all samples (100%) had AFM1 at condensation lower than the high level specified in European Union (EU) regulations, i.e., 50 ng/L.  The AFM1 contamination levels ranged from 1.15 to 48.50 ng/L with the average of 13.26 ± 4.87 ng/L. Contamination of sheep milk with mycotoxins, especially AFM1, can be a potential risk for the consumer; therefore, raw sheep milk should be checked for these toxins.

Effects of edible coatings, including sodium alginate (Alg), pullulan (Pul) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) with bitter orange peel extract (BOE), on the chemical, microbial and texture qualities of chicken fillets during storage in refrigerator was investigated.

Samples treated with biopolymer coatings with BOE included significantly lower free fatty acids, peroxide value, total volatile basic nitrogen content and microbial count during cold storage, compared to fillets treated with pure BOE, biopolymer composites (no BOE) and controls.

Effectiveness of the coatings on bacterial population was as follows Alg/Pul/BOE > Pul/CMC/BOE > Alg/CMC/BOE > BOE > Alg/Pul > Alg/CMC > Pul/CMC > control. Coating fillet samples with pure BEO showed greater inhibitory activities against microbial spoilage, compared with composite coatings with no extracts.

Treatment efficiency as of antimicrobial agents and maintenance of physicochemical characteristics were as follows Alg/Pul/BOE > Pul/CMC/BOE > Alg/CMC/BOE. Based on the current findings, these composite coatings can be promising options to improve the quality of fresh foods during shelf-life.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation with Mentha pulegium and Rosmarinus officinalis on the carcass characteristics, physicochemical properties, color, texture and oxidative stability of Japanese quail breast meat.

120 Japanese quails were divided into 4 treatments and 3 replications including T1: basic diet (control), T2: basic diet + M. pulegium (1.5%), T3: basic diet + R. officinalis (1.5%) and T4: basic diet + M. pulegium (1.5%) + R. officinalis (1.5%).

The results showed there was no significant difference in breast and thigh weight, pH, dry matter, ash, cooking loss and vitamin E content among the treatments. Live weight, protein and fat contents, redness (a*), yellowness (b*), phenol and carotenoid contents of all treatments increased significantly (P<0.05) in comparison to control. Supplementation of diet with M. pulegium and R. officinalis individually or in combination significantly reduced TBARS, lightness (L*) and hardness compared to control (P<0.05).

The results revealed that supplementation of diet with M. pulegium and R. officinalis improved the protein and fat contents, color and oxidative stability of Japanese quail breast meat.

Query fever is an important zoonotic disease caused by the obligate intracellular microorganism of Coxiella burnetii. Moreover, the present study aimed to determine the prevalence of C. burnetii in bulk milk samples from dairy bovine herds using a nested polymerase chain reaction assay. During four seasons, a total of 100 samples of bulk milk from traditional, semi-industrial, and industrial dairy bovine herds located in six cities of Mazandaran province, northern Iran from May 2019 to February 2020 were collected. The samples were subjected to detect C. burnetii using a nested-PCR assay. Twenty - seven out of 100 bulk milk samples (27%, 95% CI: 18.3-35), 7% were infected with C. burnetii. The prevalence was 54.3% (19 samples) in traditional dairy herds and 12.3 % (8 samples) in semi-industrial industrial dairy herds. Furthermore, our results revealed that the chance of milk being infected with C. burnetii bacteria in traditional milk is 8.5 times higher than the milk of semi-industrial and industrial dairy herds. Based on the obtained results of the current study, the highest and lowest prevalence of C. burnetii were seen in Ghaemshar (66.7%) and Babol (0%), respectively (p<0.05). Spring season (37%) had the highest contamination of C. burnetii in bulk milk samples. According to the findings of this study, the clinically healthy dairy cows are important sources of C. burnetii infection in this area, amplified by the traditional herds of these animals. Because these animals can transmit the infection to humans, this common zoonotic bacterium can be a potential health problem in Mazandaran province, Northern Iran.

Regarding the consequences of parasitic infections, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and types of parasitic infections in the liver of slaughtered animals and their economic losses.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on 510,802 and 501,108 head of livestock, respectively, in 2018 and 2019, including different species of cattle, sheep, and goats in the modern slaughterhouse of Mazandaran province. All recorded livers were evaluated using macroscopic, observational, and palpation methods. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software and the Chi-square test.

The prevalence of parasitic infection of hydatid cyst in 2018 was 6.37% in sheep (liver), 2.40% in cattle, and 1.90% in goats; further, in 2019, it was 8.06% in sheep, 2.83% in goats, and 1.35% in cattle. According to the results, the prevalence of hydatid cyst was significantly higher in sheep liver than those in cattle and goats. After hydatidosis, fasciolosis was most prevalent in the liver of slaughtered animals. The highest seasonal prevalence of parasitic infections in the liver was observed in spring and summer, respectively. The average overall direct economic loss during the years of the study was estimated to be 82,362,000,000 Rial, equivalent to 588,300 USD.

The rate of contamination of slaughtered animals with hydatid cysts and Fasciola is high due to the zoonotic nature of these parasites, and the damage caused by the extermination of infected areas imposes high costs on society; thus, preventive measures should be taken in livestock in this area.

Green synthesis of nanoparticles has some advantages including the commitments  to avoid  harmful chemicals, clean process, eco-friendly, easy preparation, economical and control on size and shape of particles. In this study, water extract of Saturaja rechengri Jamzad was prepared and titanium nanoparticles  produced using green and ultrasound techniques. Then, in order to characterize the nanoparticles, UV analysis, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and TEM and SEM analysis were performed. MIC and MBC of nanoparticles against E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes and cytotoxicity in 12.5, 25, 50, 100 and 200 mg/ml on HT-29 and HEK-293 cell lines were also determined. Nanoparticles had absorption at 352 nm which showed synthesis of titanium nanoparticles using Saturaja rechengri Jamzad extract. Spherical shape of nanoparticles was detected in colloidal solution with 37.4 to 49.6 nm. Titanium nanoparticles could stop the growth of E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes at 20 µg/ml. The nanoparticles did not revealany cytotoxic effect on the  normal cells, while it was  stop the growth of 50% of cancer cells at 183 µg/ml. The results of this study decreased the anxiety of using titanium nanoparticles and increased the potential  of using this nanoparticle in food packaging  to finally extend shelf life of food.

Prebiotics are non-digestible feed ingredients that improve the immune system.

The present study was designed to assess the changes caused by the addition of prebiotics to the feed on carcass characteristics and also chemical composition, physical characteristics, color, texture, and fatty acid profile of chicken pectoral muscles containing Eimeria species.

Forty-one-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chickens were assigned to four treatments, including nega-tive control (NC), positive control (PC), positive medicated with coxidine (COX), and positive medicated with prebiotics (PRE). After 42 days, carcass characteristics of the chickens were recorded, and also physical character-istics, chemical composition, color, texture, and fatty acid analysis of breast meat were determined.

Infection with Eimeria species diminished carcass characteristics. PRE had higher final body weight, hot carcass weight, and breast and thigh muscle weights. Drip loss, pH, cooking loss, fat, ash, dry matter, and texture properties of broilers’ breast meat did not show any significant differences among the experimental groups. Dietary supplementation with prebiotics increased the crude protein content of breast meat. Infection with Eimeria species decreased the a-value of breast meat. Dietary supplementation with prebiotics decreased the amount of fatty acids 16:1 and 18:1 and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) compared to NC.

Dietary supplementation with prebiotics is a promising strategy with the potential to compensate for the negative effects of infection with Eimeria spp. on carcass characteristics, protein content, and color of breast meat of broiler chickens.

Synthetic colors have advantages in comparison to natural colors, but they cause cancer, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, immune system suppression and vitamin deficiency. In the present study, authorized and unauthorized synthetic colors in saffron barbecued chicken from meat shops and restaurants in Babol city have been identified by thin-layer chromatography. Fifty samples of saffron barbecued chicken from meat shops and restaurants in Babol city have been collected from July to September 2019. Out of 50 samples, 20 had natural color, while 27 and 3 samples contained authorized and unauthorized synthetic colors respectively. According to the Institute of Standards and Industrial Research of Iran, the application of synthetic colors is banned in saffron barbecued chicken. Therefore, 40% were consumable and 60% were inconsumable, out of which 54% contained quinoline yellow and 6% had tartrazine. About 58.06% and 63.15% of samples from meat shops and restaurants were inconsumable, respectively. There were no significant differences regarding the frequency of the evaluated colors between samples from meat shops and restaurants (p>0.05). Based on the results, it is essential that the presence of synthetic colors is traced constantly and more strictly in food products and that the perpetrators receive more serious punishment.

Staphylococcus aureus is the causing agent of endocarditis, sepsis and Staphylococcal food poisoning. The purpose of this study was to assess erythromycin sensitivity in 50 Vancomycin Resistant S. aureus (VRSA) and Vancomycin Sensitive S. aureus (VSSA) isolates from bovine raw milk and also to determine the distribution of erythromycin resistance genes among the isolates. Broth microdilution method was used to determine vancomycin resistance and minimum inhibitory concentration of erythromycin. The presence of the ermA, ermB, ermC and msrA genes encoding erythromycin resistance was examined by PCR. 84% of the isolates were susceptible while 16% were resistant to vancomycin. A single isolate of S. aureus was sensitive to erythromycin which did not possess any of the erythromycin resistance genes. 90% of the isolates were resistant to erythromycin, of which, no resistance gene were found in 24.4% and 51.1% were ermB positive. ErmA was not found in any of the isolates. Simultaneous presence of resistance genes was detected in eight isolates. There was not any significant relationship between erythromycin resistance genes and MICE. 37.5% of VRSA isolates contained none of the erythromycin resistance genes while 25% contained two resistance genes. Mean MICE of VRSA was higher than VSSA isolates. All the VRSA isolates were also erythromycin resistant. There was no significant relationship between erythromycin resistance genes and vancomycin sensitivity.

​Escherichia coli O157:H7 is one of the most important and common foodborne pathogens in the world which is being resistant against some current synthetic antimicrobials. The aim of this study was to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bacterial concentration (MBC) of Artemisia dracunculus (tarragon) essential oil and its nanoemulsion for enterohemorrhagic strain of Escherichia coli and then the effect of sub-MIC concentrations on growth rate and gene expression of virulence genes (stx1A and stx2A). Nanoemulsion of tarragon essential oil was prepared by the ultrasound method and the droplet size and zeta potential were determined. MIC and MBC of essential oil and nanoemulsion were determined using the broth microdilution method. The growth rate and expression of stx1A and stx2A genes in Escherichia coli were assessed after treatment with different concentrations of sub-MICs of essential oil and nanoemulsion. Estragol was identified as the main component in the essential oil. The average diameter of nanoemulsion particle was 50 nm and the zeta potential was -30mV. The MIC values ​​ of essential oil and nanoemulsion were 0.58±0.11 and 0.33±0.07mg/ml, respectively, and their MBC were 0.65 ± 0.20 and 0.38 ± 0.15 mg/ml, respectively. Nanoamulsion had a greater inhibitory effect against bacterial growth than free essential oil. At the end of the 72-hour period, nanoemulsion treatment at 75% MIC resulted in a reduction in stx1A and stx2A transcription of 3.75 and 4.10 folds, while at 75% MIC of essential oil stx1A and stx2A transcripts were reduced 1.91 and 2.02 folds compared with control, respectively. Higher activity of nanoemulsion of tarragon essential oil to reduce the growth and shigatoxin production of E. coli compared to pure EO, reveals its potential to be used as a natural food preservative and a solution to the global problem of emergence of antibiotic-resistant microbes.

Active packaging is one of the new packaging technologies which causes interaction between packaging material and food with the aim of food shelf life extension while maintaining food safety and quality. Biodegradable films like polylactic acid (PLA) can be good alternatives to non-biodegradable plastics because of environmental pollution and concerns about the limitations of petroleum resources.

This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of PLA film incorporated with marjoram and clove essential oils (EOs) (0.5 and 1% v/v) in maintaining the microbial and chemical quality of minced beef during refrigerated storage.

Minced beef was packaged with PLA film incorporated with marjoram and clove EOs (0.5 and 1% v/v) alone and in combination and stored at refrigerator temperature for 10 days. Then, microbiological and chemical analyses were done at 0, 2, 4, 7 and 10 days of examination.

A reduction of 1 log CFU/g in total count was observed between groups with simultaneous use of EOs and control group (P < 0.05) at day 7; however, there was not any significant difference between the mentioned groups at day 10. Active packaging with marjoram and clove EOs decreased the number of psychrotrophs in comparison to the control group and it was more evident at days 7 and 10. The number of Enterobacteriaceae in control and 1% clove EO/1% marjoram EO groups showed a difference of 3 log units at day 10. TVB-N of 1% clove EO/1% marjoram EO and 0.5% clove EO/1% marjoram EO showed significant differences from control at day 10 (P < 0.05).

The results of the current study have shown that the active PLA films can be a promising approach in order to maintain microbial and chemical quality of minced beef at refrigerator temperature for 10 days.

Poultry meat is very susceptible to oxidation because of the high concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which negatively affects the quality and nutritional values of chicken meat. Coccidiosis is the most common parasitic disease of poultry. Intending to limit anti-parasites usage in poultry feed and also because of the concerns about antibiotic resistance and residues in poultry products, there is a need for research to discover natural alternatives. The effect of nanocurcumin on antioxidant profile (carotenoid and vitamin E contents, lipid oxidation and antioxidant capacity) and pH of broiler chicken breast meat infected with Eimeria species was investigated. Fifty, one-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chickens were assigned to five treatments including non-infected and non-medicated control (NNC), infected non-supplemented control (INC), infected and medicated with nanocurcumin 300 mg kg-1 feed (NCRM1), infected and medicated with nanocurcumin 400 mg kg-1 feed (NCRM2) and infected and antibiotic medicated group. Infection with Eimeria acervulina, E. maxima, and E. tenella decreased vitamin E and carotenoid contents of chicken breast meat significantly. The NCRM2 had significantly enhanced carotenoid and vitamin E levels in chicken breast meat, so there was no significant difference between NCRM2 and NNC group. No significant change was observed in pH value among groups. Malondialdehyde value of breast meat was significantly lower in NCRM1 and NCRM2 than the INC group. The NCRM2 and NCRM1 showed the best antioxidant capacity even better than NNC. In conclusion, nanocurcumin could be a potential feed additive that can increase oxidant stability of broiler chicken breast meat.

One of the most important foodborne pathogen which causes enteritis is Salmonella enteritidis (SE). Human cases are mostly associated with the consumption of eggs and poultry meat.

An experiment has been carried out to evaluate the impacts of a yeast product as liquid prebiotic on bacterial shedding, performance indices, and some breast meat characteristics of broiler chickens challenged with SE.

A total of 90 one-day-old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to three different groups with three replicates for each treatment. The treatments were as follows: (1) CONT: birds were not challenged, (2) SE: birds were challenged with SE and fed with a control diet without prebiotic, and (3) SE+PREB: birds were challenged with SE and fed with liquid prebiotic. The challenge with SE was performed on birds in groups 2 and 3 at 28 days of age. Performance parameters and Salmonella shedding were determined on days 7 and 14 post infection. Twelve birds per treatment were sampled at the end of the trial for evaluating characteristics of breast meat.

The challenged birds which received prebiotic showed significantly higher body weight gain, lower feed intake, and lower SE shedding than SE group (P<0.05). No significant differences were seen in meat characteristics.

Prebiotics can have beneficial effects even if they are used in the diet at an unusual time. The supplementation of yeast product can improve some performance parameters and reduce bacterial shedding in SE challenged chicken.

Microorganisms especially wild or added lactic acid bacteria as starter or adjunct culture have a significant effect on different stages of cheese production. The aim of this study was to evaluate technological properties of 3 strains of E. faecium (SC5, SF5, SA12) and 3 strains of E. durans (SA25, SE16, SD18) isolated from Siahmazgi cheese in order to select suitable microorganisms regarding technological properties to be used as starter or adjunct culture in the production of fermented dairy products. The strains were evaluated regarding acidifying activity, proteolysis and lipolysis ability and also other biochemical properties. Then the growth curve of the strains were drawn at different environmental conditions. There was a significant difference in relation to acid production, proteolysis and lipolysis ability between Enterococcus strains. The strongest strain in relation to pH reduction was SC5. SC5 and SE16 strains were the strongest strains in relation to proteolysis (4.35 mg Tyr/5 ml milk) and lipolysis (10.37 U/min), respectively. The results showed that growth at salt concentrations (%2 and %4) and also pH=9.6 induced log phase to be started at hour 4, but growth at pH=5 and %6.5 salt concentration induced log phase to be started with delay (hour 8). The results showed that Enterococcus strains isolated from Siahmazgi cheese cannot be used as starter culture because of weakness in pH reduction, but due to proteolysis and lipolysis activity, inability to produce gas from glucose, diacetyl production, and resistance to diverse environmental conditions (SE16 strain) can be used as adjunct culture.

Food spoilage and foodborne diseases are two important problems in the food industry. On the other hand, consumers’ tendency to use natural additives is increasing. Hence, plant essential oils (EOs) can be safe alternatives in this regard. The objectives were to determine the chemical composition and to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of Cymbopogon citratus EO against some foodborne bacteria alone and in combination with Origanum majorana and Caryophyllus aromaticus EOs. Materials and Chemical composition of C. citratus EO was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Further, antibacterial activity of the EO against foodborne bacteria was assessed using disk diffusion method. In addition, the minimum inhibitory concentration of the EO was determined by microdilution broth method and then the minimum bactericidal concentration value was determined. Checkerboard synergy testing was also performed to determine the fractional inhibitory concentration index. Finally, time-kill curves were drawn based on the bacterial population (CFU/mL) against time (h). The major compounds of C. citratus EO were isothymol, thymol, trans-caryophyllene, and cymene. The most and the least sensitive foodborne bacteria to C. citratus EO were Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of C. citratus EO against all the evaluated bacteria were 0.1% and The minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values ranged between 0.1 and >2% (v/v). The combination of C. citratus and O. majorana EOs showed a synergistic activity against Salmonella typhimurium and partial synergism against B. subtilis, Escherichia coli O157:H7, S. aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes. Moreover, the combination of C. citratus and C. aromaticus EOs demonstrated partial synergism against S. aureus and L. monocytogenes, and additive interaction against S. typhimurium; however, the combination was indifferent against E. coli O157:H7 and B. subtilis. Furthermore, C. citratus plus O. majorana EOs and C. citratus plus C. aromaticus EOs showed a bactericidal effect against S. typhimurium after 24 hours in the time-kill assay. In general, the synergism, partial synergism, and additive effects of C. citratus in combination with C. aromaticus and O. majorana EOs strengthen the antimicrobial activity, expand the spectrum of activity, reduce the concentrations required, decrease the side effects, and prevent the alteration of organoleptic properties of food.

Food products need to be protected against pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms. One method is adding antimicrobial agents. Consumers’ tendency to use synthetic additives is drastically decreasing due to their side effects and also the emergence of multidrug resistant microorganisms. Plant essential oils (EOs) are natural antimicrobial compounds which are widely used in food industry. The objectives were to determine the chemical compositions of Caryophyllus aromaticus and Origanum majorana EOs and also to assess their antimicrobial activities against foodborne bacteria alone and in combination. The EOs were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Antibacterial activities of the EOs against foodborne bacteria were assessed using disc diffusion method. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of the EOs were determined by microdilution broth method and then minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values were determined. Checkerboard synergy testing was performed to determine the fractional inhibitory concentration index. Then time-kill curves were drawn based on the bacterial population (CFU/mL) against time (h). The major constituents of C. aromaticus were eugenol and carvacrol, while O. majorana had carvacrol, thymol, trans-caryophyllene, and cymene as the main constituents. Zone of inhibition for O. majorana EO was greater than that for C. aromaticus EO. The inhibition zone of O. majorana EO against all the tested bacteria except for Bacillus subtilis was significantly greater than that of streptomycin (P 0.05). MIC value of the EOs against bacteria was 0.1% except for O. majorana EO against B. subtilis (0.3%). MBC values of C. aromaticus and O. majorana EOs ranged from 0.5% to 1.0% and 0.3% to 0.5% (v/v), respectively. The EOs were more effective on gram-positive bacteria than gram-negative ones. The combination of EOs revealed synergistic activity against Listeria monocytogenes, partial synergistic activity against B. subtilis, and additive effect against Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Staphylococcus aureus were indifferent against the combination of EOs. Time–kill curves of the EOs demonstrated strong bactericidal effect against all foodborne bacteria at 6 and 24 hours either alone or in combination. The synergistic, partial synergistic, and additive effects of the combination of C. aromaticus and O. majorana EOs strengthen the antimicrobial activity, expand the spectrum of activity, reduce the concentrations required, decrease the side effects, and prevent the alteration of organoleptic properties of food.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is the causative agent of gastroenteritis due to consumption of contaminated seafood. The aim of the present study was to determine the chemical composition of Essential Oils (EOs) of five plants (Artemisia absinthium, Zataria multiflora Boiss., Pulicaria gnaphalodes, Trachyspermum ammi and Cuminum cyminum) and to evaluate their antimicrobial activity against pathogenic and non-pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus.
The EOs were analyzed by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The detection of inhibitory effect of the EOs on the tested bacteria was carried out by agar disc-diffusion method and then MIC (Minimum Inhibitory Concentration) and MBC (Minimum Bactericidal Concentration) of the EOs against both bacteria were determined.
The analysis of the components of the EOs by gas chromatography mass spectrometry allowed the identification of 76 compounds. Of the five tested EOs, four oils exhibited an antimicrobial effect against both strains of V. parahaemolyticus. In all EOs tested, Pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus showed more sensitivity than non-pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus. The strongest EO against pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus were T. ammi with 63.42% thymol and C. cyminum with 29.02% cuminaldehyde and 20.70% α-terpinene-7-al, equally (31 mm inhibition zone). Non-pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus showed the most sensitivity against Z. multiflora Boiss. EO with 73.64% carvacrol (27 mm inhibition zone and the lowest MIC (0.025%) and MBC (0.05%)). Despite the large amount of thujone, A. absinthium EO in this study did not show antibacterial activity in disk diffusion assay, MIC or MBC values.
The results of this study suggest that Z. multiflora Boiss. and T. ammi have strong antimicrobial activity against both pathogenic and non-pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus.

Fasciolosis and dicrocoeliosis are endemic parasitic diseases in Middle East especially Iran, which making significant economic problems. This retrospective survey has been done to evaluate contamination rate of slaughtered animals with fasciolosis and dicrocoeliosis at Meisam abattoir, in Tehran, Iran. In this survey, prevalence rate of fasciolosis and dicrocoeliosis in slaughtered animals in a three-year period (2005-2008) has been analyzed. The prevalence rates of fasciolosis and dicrocoeliosis in cattle were 2.20 % and 2.5 %, and the rates in sheep were 2.01 % and 5.83 %, respectively. The average annual direct economic loss incurred as a result of condemnation of ovine and bovine infected livers due to fasciolosis and dicrocoeliosis were estimated as high as 227,907 USD. The results of current survey revealed the rate of dicrocoeliosis is higher than fasciolosis. Our work proved that the highest frequency rate of the fasciolosis and dicrocoeliosis in cattle was in summer and spring, respectively. Whereas winter and autumn had the highest prevalence rate of fasciolosis and dicrocoeliosis in sheep.