Food and Health
Volume:5 Issue: 3, Summer 2022

Contamination of poultry products by Salmonella spp. is an important issue both in the poultry industry and public health. The present study aimed at molecular detection and typing of Salmonella isolated from poultry products. Moreover, antibiotic resistance patterns and the biofilm formation ability of isolates were determined. Eighty poultry product samples were collected from chicken supply and distribution centers. Salmonella spp. were identified by culture as well as the genus-specific PCR. For serological identification, a slide agglutination test using O grouping polyvalent sera was used. BOXAIR and REP-PCR methods were evaluated for the discrimination of Salmonella isolates at the serotype level. Antibiotic susceptibility testing of serotypes against sixteen antibiotics was performed using the standard Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. The extent of biofilm formation was measured by the Microtiter-plate biofilm formation assay. From a total of 80 samples, 11 Salmonella spp. were identified which were divided into 2 different serotypes belonging to B and A serogroups. BOX repeat-based PCR (BOXAIR-PCR) and Repetitive element-based PCR (REP-PCR) banding results of isolates revealed 7 and 6 reproducible fingerprint patterns, respectively. The highest resistance was observed in response to ampicillin and doxycycline followed by chloramphenicol, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim, neomycin, nalidixic acid. Multidrug resistance was detected in all Salmonella serotypes. Seven isolates possessed the ability to produce biofilm with varied adhesion strength. These results revealed the high and unexpected prevalence of Salmonella spp. in poultry products with multiple antibiotic resistance and biofilm production ability. Also, BOXAIR and REP-PCR results revealed high diversity in serotypes of Salmonella and subsequently indicate variety in the origin of Salmonella spp.

One of the most widely used methods for sanitizing and reducing the microbial load of fruit juices is thermal pasteurization, which damages bioactive pigments such as anthocyanins. This study was conducted to evaluate the possibility of pasteurization of grape juice by ultrasound (at powers 10, 105, and 200 W, temperatures 0, 30, and 60 °C, and times 2, 6, and 10 min) and to compare the microbial load and color properties by thermal pasteurization (pasteurization at 90 °C for 30 sec). According to the results, the number of color components (a*, b*, and L*) and the total count of microorganisms in pasteurized grape juice decreased significantly (p≤0.05) as the power, temperature, and time increased. Optimal conditions for simultaneous pasteurization by ultrasound to achieve the minimum microbial load and the maximum number of color components with 90.196% desirability were predicted at a power of 113 watts, a temperature of 60 °C, and a time of 8.850 min. The microbial load of pasteurized grape juice by ultrasound was 0 (CFU/ml), and the number of color components was L*= 18.8021, a*= 37.8406, and b*=27.2104. The results indicated that the pigments of grape juice could be preserved and the same safety in terms of microbial load reduction could be achieved through pasteurization by ultrasound.

Memory has an important role in human life, and any reduction causes many problems, and increasing it improves the quality of life. Research has shown that dietary intake is an important factor in brain function and development which might affect the level of memory. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between eating habits and memory status and anthropometric indices of local and non-local students of Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch of Tehran. In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 190 students, 97 boys and 93 girls (134 local and 56 non-local) 18 to 50 years old from the Science and Research Branch of Islamic Azad University were chosen randomly. The required data were collected by a general information questionnaire and memory was collected using Kim Karad Memory Questionnaire. Eating habits were also assessed using the IAUFHQ-82 questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. Based on the present study no significant relationship was found between eating habits and memory status and body mass index. Furthermore, no significant difference was observed between the eating habits of local and non-local students. Surprisingly no insignificant relationship was observed between eating habits and memory status and body mass index; hence, it is necessary to conduct further studies with large-scale sample size.

Nowadays it seems necessary to replace synthetic plastics with biodegradable films in food packaging due to their major threats to human health and the environment. In this study corn starch film composed of Ag-TiO2 nanocomposites and Satureja khuzestanica essential oil (SEO) were prepared and the antimicrobial, morphological, physical, and mechanical characteristics in chicken fillet packaging were assessed. The morphology of the films was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The combination of energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) with SEM analyzed the near-surface elements. The plain film showed higher WVP (2.82×10־7 g/m.h.Pa) than other films and the nano/essence film had the lowest moisture content% (21.6%). For determining the film's antimicrobial activity, chicken fillets were inoculated with Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Staphylococcus aureus (separately with four prepared films). Microbial counting of the fillets was performed at three intervals (14 and 7th day) and the results showed a significant difference in reducing the number of microorganisms in nano/essence and essence films compared to the control group (chicken fillets packed in plastic bags) and plain film (at a rate of 1.5-2 log CFU/g). The rate of reduction of S. aureus was higher compared to S. Typhimurium and E. coli in the packing groups respectively. Sensory properties were also evaluated at three- intervals. The bio-polymer film incorporated with SEO and Ag-TiO2 nanocomposites can be used for packaging foods and is able to delay microbial and physical spoilage in foodstuffs.

The present study was performed to investigate the effect of nettle hydroalcoholic extract (NE) with edible sodium alginate (SA) coating on the quality of rainbow trout fillet (Oncorhynchus mykiss) during a 12-day refrigeration period (4±1˚C). NE was extracted by ethanol solvent and the chemical compounds of NE were determined. Experiments were performed on 4 treatments (T1: control treatment, T2: SA 2%, T3: SA+NE 0.5% and T4: SA+NE 1%) in three replications. The results of chemical tests performed in comparison with the control sample showed that the samples containing the SA and NE were able to control the increase of chemical and microbial parameters (p<0.05). At the end of the storage period, the lowest amount of peroxide value, thiobarbituric acid and total volatile basic nitrogen, and the lowest amounts of lactic acid-producing bacteria, total bacterial count, psychrotrophic values were observed in SA+NE 1% (p<0.05). The results of the sensory evaluation showed that the mentioned treatment maintained the quality of the fillet until the end of the storage period. In general, edible coating of SA with NE can delay the process of lipid oxidation and microbial spoilage and maintain or improve the sensory properties of refrigerated fish fillets.