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Seventy-five samples of selected meat products, including luncheon, beef burger, sausage, basterma, and kofta, were collected from Alexandria and New Borg El-Arab cities (Egypt). The samples were subjected to mycological examination as well as for detection of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and ochratoxin A (OTA) residues. Besides, the study evaluated the effect of aqueous leaf extracts from mealycup sage (Salvia farinacea) and neem (Azadirachta indica), individually and in combination, on the growth of human pathogens Aspergillus parasiticus and Aspergillus flavus producing AFB1, as well as Aspergillus ochraceus and Aspergillus niger which produce OTA. The obtained results revealed that sausage samples had the highest mould count with a mean value of 13.20×102/g, followed by basterma samples 12.05×102/g, then beef burger 7.39×102/g. In contrast, luncheon and kofta samples had the lowest count with a mean value of 5.51×102/g and 2.82×102/g. The findings revealed the antifungal potential of tested extracts. The total inhibition of A. parasitcus and A. niger growth was observed at 2 mg/mL of the combined extract. Salvia farinacea extract had the highest total phenolic content and total flavonoid content with a value of 174.1 and 52.6 mg g-1, respectively. Rutin was the major phenolic component in neem and combined extracts, accounting for 19123 and 8882 μg/g, respectively. Besides, the study investigated detoxification of AFB1 and OTA using combined extract in albino rats. The results confirmed the convenient and safe use of Salvia farinacea and Azadirachta indica extract and their combination as natural antifungal and antioxidant agents. The combined extract could be used as a natural preservative in food processing to control or prevent contamination.

Aims: Guava (Psidium guajava), pomegranate (Punica granatum), olive (Olea europaea L.), and moringa (Moringa oleifera( extracts which are assumed to contain active components and which are renewable sources in fighting infections of microbes. This study aimed to investigate its antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. Methodology: The agar well diffusion technique, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and the free radical scavenging activity of the plant extracts were applied. Results: All extracts exhibited different results against the microorganism used in the research. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for bacteria and fungi ranged from 25 to 300 mg/mL. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by using DPPH radical scavenging assay. In addition, the amount of total phenolic content (TPC) of the extracts ranged from 48.08 to 324.08 mg/g, while total flavonoid content (TFC) ranged from11.53 to 65.85 mg/g. Conclusion: It could be noticed that the guava and pomegranate extracts had strong antioxidant and antimicrobial effects, while olive extract had a moderate effect, but moringa showed a very weak effect against tested microbes. Therefore, the herbal extracts of guava and pomegranate could be used as novel, safe, and effective food preservatives instead of chemical ones.

Recently, consumers are paying much more attention to natural products from plants, mainly because of the general feeling that natural components are safe. The present research was undertaken in order to evaluate the potential application of licorice roots extract as a nutritional plant used in food industry. Chemical compositions, antimicrobial potency, and the potential antioxidant capacities of licorice root extract were determined. Furthermore, phytochemical, identification of bioactive compounds and antitumor potentials on breast cancer cell MDA-MB-361 was also carried out. The results revealed that the most licorice root contents were sugars and fiber (40.47 and 38.41 g/100g, respectively), and calcium was the main element (112.2 mg/100g). The licorice aqueous and ethanol extracts showed broad spectrum against tested microorganisms Gram positive and negative bacteria, yeast and fungi. Licorice aqueous extract showed strong antioxidant potential with IC50 (29.92±2.43 mg/g) and exhibited considerable proapoptotic property on breast cancer cell, due to its high concentration of total phenolic compounds in the extract. Gallic acid was observed to be the most abundant phenolic component in licorice root aqueous extract. The sensory evaluation revealed that the fortified licorice yoghurt was preferred. Obtained results indicate that the tested licorice extract could have pharmaceutical potential in prevention of breast cancer and can be recommended as natural antioxidant and antimicrobial agent to be used in food industrial.

Egyptian honeys are distinguished by their variety, properties, and therapeutic applications. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the quality and the functional and safety characteristics of Egyptian honey as a sensitive environmental bioindicator collected from 9 different locations in Egypt that were exposed to various air pollution sources, either stationary, mobile, or area sources, and stored for 6 mo at ambient temperature (22 ± 2 °C) compared with Codex Alimentarius international standards. Physicochemical properties, sugar profile via high performance liquid chromatography, functional potentials (antioxidant and antimicrobial), and safety parameters (microbiological quality, aflatoxins, and heavy metal pollutants) were assessed. The results revealed that honey obtained from Shabshir Hessa, El Gharbia Governorate (GSH-1), showed the best quality with the highest monosaccharide and phenolic and flavonoid content (73.07%, 363.07, and 15.33 mg/g, respectively) and clear of biotic and abiotic contaminants, reflecting good hygienic, environmental conditions and apiarian practices. The other 8 honey samples reflected inferior quality in physicochemical parameters either of low monosaccharide content (40.46-50.25%), high hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) values as in Borg El-Arab Industrial Zone, Alexandria Governorate (BAI-9), and Nubaria Desert Road, Alexandria Governorate (NDR-4; 50.83 and 48.25 mg/kg), or of high acidity as in Agricultural Road, El Gharbia Governorate (GAR-3), and NDR-4 (74.72 and 68.47 mEq/kg) attributable to contaminated locations (fermentations) or thermal treatment (HMF). Furthermore, safety assessment revealed that coliform counts exceeded 2.5 log10 cfu/g in 6 samples-Chemicals Company, Kafr El Zayyat Governorate (KZC-2); GAR-3; NDR-4; Mansoura Fertilizer Talkha Company, Daqahlia Governorate (MFT-5); Gharbaniyat Cement Company, Beheira Governorate; and BAI-9-and the highest counts of yeast and molds in Abees Ceramic Company, Alexandria Governorate (3.72 log10 cfu/g), which was reflected in its total aflatoxins (679.83 μg/kg). Samples MFT-5; GAR-3; Kafr El-Sheikh Petroleum Company, Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate; and KZC-2 exceeded the lead permissible limit (0.75, 0.61, 0.57, and 0.51 mg/kg, respectively) as a result of inferior hygienic quality and the negative effects of environmental pollutants. The results ring alarm bells about how we should take substantial steps toward stringent standards for quality control practices of honey production operations. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:1894-1907. © 2020 SETAC.

Background and objective Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a troubled foodborne pathogen associated with contamination of meat, fish and poultry. The present work aimed to evaluate plant extracts as natural preservatives anti- Escherichia coli O157:H7 in meat and fish products. Materials and methods Antibacterial activity and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of seven herbal plants, clove, marjoram, sage, pomegranate peel, turmeric, Cassia fistula and black pepper and their different 6 mixes were examined against Escherichia coli O157:H7. Phytochemical qualitative analysis, phenolic compounds (HPLC), total phenolic, total flavonoid contents and antioxidant activities of individual extracts and their 6 mixes were evaluated. Combination Mix 5 extract was applied on meat and fish-fillet, then its antimicrobial effect against E. coli O157:H7 and sensory evaluation were assessed. Results Five extracts exhibited good antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli O157:H7. The greatest inhibition zone was recorded by clove aqueous extract (25 mm). Mix 5 (clove, sage, pomegranate and Cassia fistula) showed the highest inhibition with MIC of 3.0 mg mL-1. This mix exhibited strong anti-bactericidal effect against E. coli O157:H7 in meat and fish-fillet products throughout 8 days of cold storage (4°C). The sensory evaluation revealed that Mix 5 was acceptable by panelists with concentration of 0.50% in beef burgers and 0.25% in fish-fillet. Conclusion This study suggests that the use of herbal extracts provide antibacterial potentials against food pathogens in meat and fish products.

The aim of this study is to bio-monitor the levels of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in cold smoked beef and sausages. The ability of probiotics to remove PAHs was also investigated as function of the cell viability (viable, non-viable and acid-treated cells), bacterial counts (10

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISUG The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of three different extracts of Saussurea costus roots (ethanol, methanol, and water) as a food additive in alleviating the harmful effect of sodium nitrite in rat meals. Thirty-five adult male rats were divided into five groups as follows: control, sodium nitrite (NaNO2; 75 mg/kg BW, single oral dose), S. costus 70% ethanol, 70% methanol, and aqueous extracts (300 mg/kg BW), respectively for four weeks followed by a single dose of NaNO2 24h before decapitation. Results showed that the 70% ethanol extract of S. costus has a higher concentration of total phenolic content, total flavonoids, and antioxidant effect than the 70% methanol and water extracts. Rats pretreated with S. costus extracts reduced the harmful effects induced by NaNO2 and improved the hematological parameters, liver, and kidney function biomarkers as well as lipid profile as compared to the NaNO2 group. Furthermore, S. costus improved the histopathological alterations in the liver and kidney induced by NaNO2 and improved meat sensory evaluation. Conclusively, the 70% ethanol extract of S. costus roots is the most effective extract as an antioxidant against the toxicity of sodium nitrite in male rats and might be used safely as a natural additive in the food industry.

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 is a troubled foodborne pathogen associated with contamination of meat, fish and poultry. The present work aimed to evaluate plant extracts as natural preservatives anti- Escherichia coli O157:H7 in meat and fish products.Antibacterial activity and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of seven herbal plants, clove, marjoram, sage, pomegranate peel, turmeric, Cassia fistula and black pepper and their different 6 mixes were examined against Escherichia coli O157:H7. Phytochemical qualitative analysis, phenolic compounds (HPLC), total phenolic, total flavonoid contents and antioxidant activities of individual extracts and their 6 mixes were evaluated. Combination Mix 5 extract was applied on meat and fish-fillet, then its antimicrobial effect against E. coli O157:H7 and sensory evaluation were assessed.Five extracts exhibited good antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli O157:H7. The greatest inhibition zone was recorded by clove aqueous extract (25 mm). Mix 5 (clove, sage, pomegranate and Cassia fistula) showed the highest inhibition with MIC of 3.0 mg mL-1. This mix exhibited strong anti-bactericidal effect against E. coli O157:H7 in meat and fish-fillet products throughout 8 days of cold storage (4°C). The sensory evaluation revealed that Mix 5 was acceptable by panelists with concentration of 0.50% in beef burgers and 0.25% in fish-fillet.This study suggests that the use of herbal extracts provide antibacterial potentials against food pathogens in meat and fish products.

Objectives: Cassia fistula and Ocimum basilicum which are assumed to contain the active components and which are renewable source in fighting infections of microorganisms. The aim of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial activity, the antioxidant activity and anti-inflammatory properties of Cassia fistula and Ocimum basilicum and their mix. Methods and Materials: Cassia fistula and Ocimum basilicum exhibited antimicrobial activity against all of the tested bacteria and yeasts except for Asperigillus spp. that showed high resistance. Results and Discussion: The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for bacteria and yeast ranged from 3.1 to 6.2 mg/ mL. The antioxidant activity of the Cassia fistula and Ocimum basilicum was evaluated by using DPPH radical scavenging assay. In addition, the amount of total phenolic content (TPC) of Cassia fistula, Ocimum basilicum and their mix was 64.71, 96.42 and 113.07 mg/g, while total flavonoids content was 16.33, 32.66 and 79 mg/g respectively. Vanillin, quercetin and cinnamic acid marked the phenolic profile of the mix. Cytotoxicity results indicated high safety use of the two plants. Conclusion: Our data confirmed convenient and safe use of C. fistula, O. basilicum and their mix as natural antimicrobial and antioxidant. The mix of both extracts can be recommended as natural preservative to be used in food processing to control and prevent food contamination.

Background: Aflatoxins (AFs) are a group of toxic, nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic and carcinogenic fungal metabolites. Heat- and acid-treated yeasts, probiotic bacteria and their combination were used to remove AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2 from human and animal food.; Results: The in vitro study revealed that the highest removal percentage of AFs in phosphate-buffered saline was recorded after 72 h with the yeast-probiotic coctile, reaching 95.59%. Therefore, this coctile was added to Cerelac contaminated with AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2, and the removal percentages were 8.17%, 36.12%, 44.75%, 64.72% and 93.21% after 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h of treatment, respectively. Cerelac yeast-probiotic coctile was administered to female rats and the results showed that all AFs (AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2) were detected in the serum of mother rats for both AF groups III and IV. On the other hand, AFM1 and AFM2 metabolites were not observed in mothers' sera but were detected in all infants of groups III and IV. Meanwhile, AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2 were not observed in infants' sera.; Conclusion: A mixture of yeast-probiotic coctile was successful in reducing the level of AF in rat sera and diminished the deleterious effect of AFs on animal health. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.; © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

This study reports on the exploitation of keratinous hydrolysate by keratinase enzymes to produce vitamin B-complex. Toward this end, keratinase enzyme was produced by Bacillus thuringiensis strain MT1, newly isolated from cattle-yard utilising donkey hairs. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR) analyses demonstrated hairs disintegration and the disruption of the disulphide bonds of the keratin structure, respectively. The biochemical characterisation of the produced enzyme exhibited optimal activity of 422 U/ml at 50 °C and pH 9 with a molecular mass of 80 kDa. The enzyme activity was entirely deactivated by Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), implying the existence of a metallokeratinase group. Donkey hairs were thus treated with metallokeratinase, emancipating eight essential and eight more non-essential amino acids, which were identified employing amino acid analyser. These amino acids were subsequently utilised by Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain ATCC 64712, at different concentrations, to produce vitamin B-complex. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis revealed the synthesis of vitamins B1, B2, and B12 at various levels associated with concentrations of supplemented amino acids. This report thus highlights the feasible application of keratinase enzyme as an eco-friendly approach to managing hair waste, and concurrently promotes the implementation of hair-based hydrolysate in vitamin B-complex biosynthesis.

Prevalence of C. perfringens in Egyptian poultry causes severe economic losses in poultry industry which evokes innovative solutions for enhanced future prospects. The objective of this study was to employ probiotic cell-free supernatants for inhibition of Clostridium perfringens in poultry meat to control its prevalence in the Egyptian market. Four probiotic strains, Lactobacillus rhamnosus EMCC 1105, Lactobacillus fermentum EMCC 1346, Pediococcus acidilactici EMCC 1690 and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis EMCC supernatants’ anti-clostridial effect was assessed using agar disk diffusion assay, while antioxidant potentials and phenolic compounds were determined through colorimetric methods; DPPH, Folin-Ciocalteu and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Fifteen out of 50 chicken samples collected from Alexandria Governorate, Egypt, with percent of 30%, showed positive results for presence of C. perfringens with counts reached 3.71 ± 0.25 Log10 CFU/g. L. rhamnosus EMCC 1105 showed higher anti-clostridial potentials with inhibition zone diameter of 30 mm at concentration of 100 mg/ml and Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of 6.25 mg/ml. Furthermore, L. rhamnosus revealed the best antioxidant potentials with IC50 46.59 μg/ml, total phenolic content 172.08 mg/ml and total flavonoid content 17.22 mg/ml. When different concentrations of its supernatant 25, 50 and 100 mg/g were applied, 100 mg/g were able to eliminate C. perfringens EMCC1574 from chicken meat on the 4th day of cold storage. For antagonistic potentials against clostridial infections, this probiotic strain could be recommended for further trials in other applications targeting food safety.

Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) is an important bacterium involved in the first steps of dental biofilm formation with subsequent initiation of several oral diseases. Aim: To evaluate the influence of Myrrh plant extract on S. mutans and its biofilm formation. Material and Methods: The antibacterial activity of the Myrrh prepared plant extract was tested against S. mutans using disc diffusion method. The ability of the Myrrh plant extract to inhibit biofilm formation of S. mutans was also determined. Results: showed the ability of the tested Myrrh oil plant extract to cease the bacterial growth. The recorded clear zone is 11 mm with extract concentration 42.5%. Myrrh extract was able to inhibit the S. mutans biofilm formation in 78.5% inhibition percentage on fibroblast cellular viability. Conclusion: Myrrh plant extract has promising antibacterial effect as well as on biofilm inhibition of S. mutans. The significant antimicrobial effect of the Myrrh plant extract indicates about its promise in controlling S. mutans biofilm, which has suspected role in the etiology of dental caries and periodontal diseases.

Due to the increasing throughput requirements of wireless applications, turbo decoders with parallel processing are needed. Interleavers with no memory collisions should to be used in such decoders to avoid overall throughput reduction. In this paper, a new collision-free S-random interleaver design is introduced. The proposed interleaver adds the excellent performance of code-matched interleavers to the collision-free interleaving property. The algorithm for the proposed interleaver construction is detailed. Simulation results show a better error performance for the presented interleaver over the non-code-matched collision-free random interleaver.

Aflatoxins could be detoxify by microbes to reduce their toxic effect in contaminated food. Cerelac is the common baby food in Egypt. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of both probiotics bacteria and yeasts on aflatoxins B1 and B2 dtoxification. Bacteria (heat acid inactivated); S. thermophilus TH-4, B. bifidum and yeasts; k. lactis, S. cerevisiae were used to detoxify these aflatoxins. In PBS each bacterial strain, reduced AFB1 and AFB2 by 28-29% and great reduction of 55% was achieved using both bacterial strains in combination. Similarly, yeast strains were able to reduce AFB1 and AFB2; 54% with S. cerevisiae and 42% with K. lactis, with higher reduction of 66.6% using both yeast strains in combination. Using the probiotic combination with Cerelac exhibited higher level of B1 and B2 reduction by 94.1%, 94.5%, respectively. Scanning Eectron Microscopy confirmed the ability of these probiotics to adsorb the toxins particles. Practical applications Probiotic and yeast mixtures could be the best materials used to reduce and/or eliminate mycotoxins especially aflatoxins from foods. Moreover, it can be used as food additives in infants food (Cerelac) to reduce the bioavailability of the aflatoxins in synthesized food.

Using of natural products is considered one of the recent research approaches all over the world; however, natural products had been extensively used now days as functional and therapeutic food. Our study focused on the screening of myrrh effects as antioxidant, antimicrobial and antitumor. The antioxidant activity of myrrh was measured in different concentrations and it was observed that concentrations 10 and 20 µg/mL of were recorded to have inhibition percentage by 47.41 and 16.37%, respectively. Cytotoxicity results of the extract on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) indicated that generally, the acidic water extract was safer on cells comparing with that of the neutral extracts. The antimicrobial activity against some gram-negative, gram-positive bacteria and yeast showed no positive results. The phytochemical analysis indicated both of terpenoids, flavonoids and proteins were funded with high amounts. But the chemical analysis revealed that percentage of protein, fiber, moisture, lipids, ash and carbohydrates are 11.2, 1.30, 9.7, 0.57, 6.5 and 70.73, respectively. Elements were presented with low concentration except calcium was existed with high concentration in comparison to the other tested elements. These concluded results revealed that myrrh could be a promising therapeutic food which helps in controlling colon cancer or as a complementary anticancer food support without any probable toxic effect neither on normal human cells or the intestinal microbial flora. Practical Applications Myrrh can be used as a functional and therapeutic food and its extract could be added to milk, yogurt and traditional meals which may help in protecting the human from colon cancer. In addition, the results obtained from this study prove that myrrh is a strong antioxidant that has strong scavenging activity against free radicals.