Search results for "toxin"

Neurotoxic effects of ochratoxin A on the subventricular zone of adult mouse brain

2014

Ochratoxin A (OTA), a mycotoxin that was discovered as a secondary metabolite of the fungal species Aspergillus and Penicillium, is a common contaminant in food and animal feed. This mycotoxin has been described as teratogenic, carcinogenic, genotoxic, immunotoxic and has been proven a potent neurotoxin. Other authors have previously reported the effects of OTA in different structures of the central nervous system as well as in some neurogenic regions. However, the impact of OTA exposure in the subventricular zone (SVZ) has not been assessed yet. To elucidate whether OTA affects neural precursors of the mouse SVZ we investigated, in vitro and in vivo, the effects of OTA exposure on the SVZ …

Survey of mycotoxins in dates and dried fruits from Tunisian and Spanish markets

2015

Abstract In an effort to enforce the knowledge on mycotoxin occurrence and co-occurrence in dates and dried fruits, 228 samples purchased from Tunisian and Spanish markets were subjected to multi-mycotoxin liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis of 16 mycotoxins. At least one mycotoxin was detected in 160 samples (70%). The frequency of contaminated samples was 83%, 80%, 64%, 59% and 26% for dates, dried vine fruits, figs, apricots and plums, respectively but none of the analyzed samples contained detectable levels of fumonisins (FB1, FB2, FB3) or T-2 toxin (T2). The incidence and levels of mycotoxins varied in samples. The most prevalent mycotoxin was enniat…

Simple liquid chromatography assay for analyzing ochratoxin a in bovine milk

2006

Comparison of Different Analytical Methods for Determination of Type B Trichothecenes in Wheat and Ochratoxin A in Beer

2008

Ochratoxin A in instant coffee in Italy

2012

Abstract The occurrence of ochratoxin A (OTA) in instant coffee from different brands and types was assessed. The survey covered 44 soluble coffees, 10 of which were decaffeinated, and 6 coffee products; the samples were collected in supermarkets and retail stores of Italy in 2011. The OTA was extracted, cleaned-up by immunoaffinity columns, and detected by HPLC-fluorescence detection. The detection and quantification limits were 0.05 and 0.2 μg/kg, respectively. Recovery, from samples spiked at levels of 0.5, 3.0, and 6.0 μg/kg, was 86.0 ± 7.1%, 91.0 ± 4.2%, and 91.7 ± 5.9% respectively. Forty-eight samples (96%) contained OTA at levels ranging from 0.32 to 6.40 μg/kg, always below the Eur…

Characterization and disruption of the cipC gene in the ochratoxigenic fungus Aspergillus carbonarius

2013

Aspergillus carbonarius is considered the most important ochratoxin A (OTA) producing fungi among those causing OTA contamination in grapes and grape-derived products. CipC is a small protein with unknown function that was previously found to be highly up-regulated in an OTA producer strain of A. carbonarius in comparison to a non OTA producer strain. In this study, cipC was characterized and disrupted via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation in an ochratoxigenic A. carbonarius strain in order to study whether this gene has a role in OTA production. Sequence analysis indicated that the promoter region of cipC contains putative binding sites for transcription factors that regula…

Occurrence of ochratoxin A in bread consumed in Morocco

2007

Abstract One hundred samples of commercial bread purchased from January to October (2006) from retail bakeshops in five different cities (Rabat, Temara, Sale, Casablanca and Meknes) in Morocco were surveyed for the presence of ochratoxin A (OTA) using liquid chromatography coupled to fluorescence detection. The identification of OTA in positive bread samples was confirmed by methyl ester derivatization. Analytical results showed that forty eight (48%) samples were positive with OTA greater than the limit of quantification (LOQ = 0.051 ng/g). Levels of OTA in positive samples ranged between 0.14 and 149 ng/g. The average contamination of bread samples with OTA was 13 ± 1.5 ng/g. The highest …

Use of ultrasonic vocalizations to assess olfactory detection in mouse pups treated with 3-methylindole.

2005

International audience; Altricial mammals use olfaction long before the olfactory bulb has reached its anatomically mature state. Indeed, while audition and vision are still not functional, the olfactory system of newborn animals can clearly process distinct odorant molecules. Although several previous studies have emphasized the important role that olfaction plays in early critical functions, it has been difficult to develop a sensitive and reliable test to precisely quantify olfactory ability in pups. One difficulty in determining early sensory capabilities is the rather limited behavioral repertory of neonates. The present study examines the use of ultrasonic vocalizations emitted by iso…

Experimental techniques for testing the sensitivity of bladder tumours to antineoplastic drugs

1973

A number of laboratory tests can be employed to examine the sensitivity of human bladder tumour cells to various chemotherapeutic agents.-Their principles and methods, and some preliminary results, are described with special reference to certain in vitro and in vivo cytotoxicity tests and to heterotransplantation in the hamster. Satisfactory agreement has sometimes been observed between experimental results and clinical responses, but our experience is still very limited.-The employment of several such tests would probably lead to a greater degree of reliability in the laboratory assessment of the sensitivity of bladder tumours to cytotoxic drugs.

Rapid and specific detection of F17-related pilin and adhesin genes in diarrheic and septicemic Escherichia coli strains by multiplex PCR

1996

The F17-related adhesins are prevalent in Escherichia coli strains isolated from calves with diarrhea or septicemia and from lambs with nephropathy. The F17 family includes the F17a, F17b, F17c, and F111 fimbriae produced by bovine E. coli strains and the G agglutinin produced by human uropathogenic E. coli strains. An easy and inexpensive multiplex PCR method was developed to detect all the F17-related fimbriae and to identify four subtypes of structural subunit genes and two distinct subfamilies of adhesin genes by only two runs of amplification. A strict correlation was observed between the phenotypic assays and the multiplex PCR method when 166 pathogenic E. coli strains isolated from i…