Search results for "ASP"
showing 10 items of 4932 documents
Aerosol properties of the Eyjafjallajökull ash derived from sun photometer and satellite observations over the Iberian Peninsula
2012
The Eyjafjallajökull ash that crossed over Spain and Portugal on 6e12 May 2010 has been monitored by a set of operational sun photometer sites within AERONET-RIMA and satellite sensors. The sun photometer observations (aerosol optical depth, coarse mode concentrations) and ash products from IASI and SEVIRI satellite sensors, together with FLEXPART simulations of particle transport, allow identifying the volcanic aerosols. The aerosol columnar properties derived from inversions were investigated, indicating specific properties, especially regarding the absorption. The single scattering albedo was high (0.95 at 440 nm) and nearly wavelength independent, although with slight decrease with wave…
Development of an Antifungal Device Based on Oriental Mustard Flour to Prevent Fungal Growth and Aflatoxin B1 Production in Almonds
2021
The present study describes the manufacture of an antifungal device composed of oriental mustard flour and hydroxyethyl-cellulose (H-OMF) and evaluates its efficacity in inhibiting Aspergillus flavus growth and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) production in almonds. Additionally, it compares the H-OMF with allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) and a freeze-dried extract of yellow mustard flour (YMF-E); such substances were previously described as antifungal. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), Minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC), the H-OMF in vitro antifungal activity, and the residual fungal population, as well as the production of AFB1 in almonds were determined. AITC and YMF-E showed significant antifun…
Effect of allyl isothiocyanate on transcriptional profile, aflatoxin synthesis, and Aspergillus flavus growth.
2020
Abstract The goals of this study were to determine the efficacy of allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) against the growth of A. flavus and Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) production as well as to evaluate changes in the transcriptome profile when colonizing maize. A. flavus was inoculated in potato dextrose agar (PDA), the plates were placed inside glass jars and the mycelial growth (MG) was monitored for 7 d. Likewise, maize grains were contaminated with A. flavus in glass jars of 1 L and treated with 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 5 µL of AITC. The moisture content (MC) of grains was 15 and 21%. After 7 days of storage, the MG was significantly reduced in doses higher than 0.125 µL/L of AITC. All doses of AITC redu…
Impact of bioactive packaging systems based on EVOH films and essential oils in the control of aflatoxigenic fungi and aflatoxin production in maize.
2017
Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus are the most common fungal species associated with aflatoxin (AF) contamination of cereals, especially maize, and other agricultural commodities. AFB1, the most frequent and toxic metabolite, is a powerful hepatotoxic, teratogenic and mutagenic compound. Effective strategies to control these fungal species and AFs in food and feed are required. Active packaging film containing essential oils (EO) is one of the most innovative food packaging concepts. In this study, ethylene-vinyl alcohol (EVOH) copolymer films incorporating EO from Origanum vulgare (ORE), Cinnamomum zeylanicum (CIN) or their major active constituents, carvacrol (CAR) and cinnamaldehyde …
Selected plant essential oils and their main active components, a promising approach to inhibit aflatoxigenic fungi and aflatoxin production in food.
2018
Recent research has showed that Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus are aflatoxigenic species that can become very competitive in the framework of climate change. Aflatoxins show carcinogenic, mutagenic, immunotoxic and teratogenic effects on human and animals. Effective and sustainable measures to inhibit these species and aflatoxins in food are required. Origanum vulgare and Cinnamomum zeylanicum essential oils (EOs) and their major active constituents, carvacrol and cinnamaldehyde, respectively, were assayed for inhibiting these species and aflatoxin production in maize extract medium under different environmental conditions. Doses of 10-1000 mg l
Influence of probiotic microorganisms on aflatoxins B 1 and B 2 bioaccessibility evaluated with a simulated gastrointestinal digestion
2018
Aflatoxins (AFs) are produced mainly by the molds Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is classified as carcinogenic to humans. The aim of this study was to evaluate the capacity of different strains of Lactobacilli (Lb.) and Bifidobacteria (Bf.) to reduce the bioaccessibility of AFB1 and aflatoxin B2 (AFB2), spiked in loaf bread, using a dynamic in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion system. Aliquots of 20 mL of gastric and duodenal fluids were sampled for the determination of the mycotoxins gastric and duodenal bioaccessibility respectively, by liquid-chromatography coupled to the mass spectrometry in tandem (LC–MS/MS). A reduction of AFs bioacc…
Fumigation of Brazil nuts with allyl isothiocyanate to inhibit the growth of Aspergillus parasiticus and aflatoxin production
2017
Abstract BACKGROUND Brazil produces approximately 40 000 tons of Brazil nuts annually, which is commonly contaminated with fungi and mycotoxins. Gaseous allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) was used to inhibit the growth of Aspergillus parasiticus and its production of aflatoxins (AFs) in Brazil nuts. RESULTS Nuts were inoculated with 104 spores g−1 of A. parasiticus and placed in airtight glass jars with controlled relative humidity (RH = 95 or 85%). Samples were treated with 0, 0.5, 1.0 or 2.5 µL L−1 of gaseous AITC and analyzed after 30 days to determine the fungal population and AFs content. Samples were also submitted to sensory evaluation. AITC at 2.5 µL L−1 could completely inhibit the fungal…
Influence of the antimicrobial compound allyl isothiocyanate against the Aspergillus parasiticus growth and its aflatoxins production in pizza crust.
2015
Abstract Aflatoxins (AFs) are secondary metabolites produced by different species of Aspergillus, such as Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, which possess mutagenic, teratogenic and carcinogenic activities in humans. In this study, active packaging devices containing allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) or oriental mustard flour (OMF) + water were tested to inhibit the growth of A. parasiticus and AFs production in fresh pizza crust after 30 d. The antimicrobial and anti-aflatoxin activities were compared to a control group (no antimicrobial treatment) and to a group added with commercial preservatives (sorbic acid + sodium propionate). A. parasiticus growth was only inhibited after 30 d…
In vitro antifungal activity of lactic acid bacteria against mycotoxigenic fungi and their application in loaf bread shelf life improvement
2016
Food spoilage caused by mycotoxigenic fungi represents an important food safety problem. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are used as starter cultures in a larger number of food products. In this study, 16 strains of LAB were cultivated in MRS broth under anaerobiosis. Then, cell free supernatants were obtained by centrifugation and their antifungal activity against Aspergillus parasiticus and Penicillium expansum was tested using the disc-diffusion method. Furthermore, the LABs that showed in vitro antifungal activity were used in bread fermentation with yeast in order to study fungal growth inhibition and aflatoxin (AF) reduction in processed bread previously inoculated with A. parasiticus. The…
Prefazione al romanzo di Jumoke Verissimo, Memoria e desiderio
2021
A well established and renowned poet residing in Canada, Jumoke Verissimo debuted with her first novel, A Small Silence, in 2019. The Preface to the Italian edition elucidates how in Verissimo's fictional account of a dissident intellectual released from prison after the end of Abacha's dictatorship, and in his friendship with a young woman studying at the local University, we find a portrait of today's Nigeria trying to survive its post-independence, post-colonial, post-dictatorship era.