International journal of food microbiology最新文献

{"title":"Application of a novel phage vB_Sa_2868B2 and its endolysin LytN with broad antibacterial Spectrum against multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus on food matrices, and metal surfaces","authors":"Feng Zhang ,&nbsp;Shi Wu ,&nbsp;Jiaxu Gao ,&nbsp;Shiyu Ma ,&nbsp;Xiaodong Pei ,&nbsp;Xu Yang ,&nbsp;Zhiping Zhang ,&nbsp;Lili Song ,&nbsp;Tao Wei","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111575","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111575","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The novel bacteriophage vB_Sa_2868B2 and its endolysin LytN, which were isolated and characterized in this study, demonstrate significant potential as effective biocontrol agents against foodborne multidrug-resistant <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em>, including methicillin-resistant <em>S. aureus</em> (MRSA). Morphological and genomic analyses revealed that vB_Sa_2868B2 is a new species of the genus <em>Rosenblumvirus</em>. Lifecycle and stability assays demonstrated that phage vB_Sa_2868B2 exhibited a short latent period (20 min), a high burst size (126 plaque-forming units [PFU]/cell), and broad tolerance to temperature (4–60 °C) and pH (4.0–11.0) conditions. The phage displayed a wide host range for <em>S. aureus,</em> lysing 49.10 % <em>S. aureus</em> strains with 29 different sequence types (STs). vB_Sa_2868B2 effectively reduced bacterial loads of <em>S. aureus</em> in milk by 5.60–5.80 log₁₀ CFU/mL within 6 h. Furthermore, the purified endolysin LytN of vB_Sa_2868B2 showed robust stability across a wide temperature (0–45 °C) and pH (3.0–12.0) range, coupled with excellent metal ion tolerance. Notably, endolysin LytN demonstrated broad lytic activity, lysing 97.13 % of staphylococcal strains spanning 37 distinct STs, particularly including 99.11 % of the methicillin-resistant <em>S. aureus</em> (MRSA) isolates. Both phage vB_Sa_2868B2 and endolysin LytN exhibited significant bactericidal efficacy against MRSA in pork, with LytN treatment achieving a 3.50 log₁₀ CFU/mL reduction. Additionally, the phage and endolysin effectively disrupted biofilms on stainless steel surfaces, reducing bacterial counts on metal contact surfaces by 4.00 and 4.30 log₁₀ CFU/mL. Collectively, these findings highlight that the novel phage vB_Sa_2868B2 and endolysin LytN are highly effective, promising antibacterial biocontrol candidates for controlling <em>S. aureus</em> in the food industry. This work provides a robust foundation for developing novel, phage-based interventions to enhance food safety and combat antibiotic resistance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"448 ","pages":"Article 111575"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145774512","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unraveling the antibacterial mechanism of eucalyptol against Escherichia coli O157:H7 through transcriptomics and its application in beef broth","authors":"Yaluan He ,&nbsp;Yilin Wang ,&nbsp;Yue He ,&nbsp;Han Hu ,&nbsp;Yong Hu ,&nbsp;Qiang Hua ,&nbsp;Yongkang Wu ,&nbsp;Dongsheng Li ,&nbsp;Zhijie Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111580","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111580","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Escherichia coli</em> O157:H7 poses a significant threat to human health and food safety. Traditional agents used for antibacterial control can be hazardous to health and cause environmental pollution, consequently, plant-derived antimicrobials have attracted considerable interest as promising alternatives. In the study, the antimicrobial activity and mechanisms of the terpenoid eucalyptol (1,8-cineole) against <em>E. coli</em> O157:H7 were investigated for the first time, based on transcriptomics and molecular docking analyses. Eucalyptol was demonstrated to inhibit the growth of <em>E. coli</em> O157:H7 with minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations of 1.8 and 3.0 μL/mL, respectively. In addition, results indicated that eucalyptol altered <em>E. coli</em> O157:H7 cell morphology, disrupted cell membrane integrity, and contributed to the leakage of nucleic acids and proteins. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that exposure to eucalyptol interfered with the bacterial quorum sensing system, inhibited flagellar motility and adhesion, and resulted in the differential expression of 38 genes closely associated with bacterial biofilm formation, virulence, and survival. Furthermore, molecular docking results indicated that <em>gadA</em>-encoded glutamate decarboxylase B (GadB) and autoinducer-2 degrading protein (LsrG) in <em>E. coli</em> O157:H7 could represent potential targets for eucalyptol. Hemolysis assays showed that the hemolysis rate below 5 %, demonstrating acceptable in vitro safety. Moreover, the <em>E. coli</em> O157:H7 in beef broth was completely eradicated by 2 × MIC of eucalyptol during storage. These findings revealed the potential of eucalayptol as a new natural food antibacterial agent and preliminarily elucidated the antibacterial mechanism, providing a new strategy for controlling <em>E. coli</em> O157:H7 in the food industry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"448 ","pages":"Article 111580"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145774518","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Machine learning-driven GC–MS analysis for assessing the contribution of amino acids in the flavor of cheese maturing at high temperature","authors":"Xinyue Hao ,&nbsp;Junzhe Zou ,&nbsp;Jianhua Zeng ,&nbsp;Jian He ,&nbsp;Baolei Li ,&nbsp;Kai Lin ,&nbsp;Huaxi Yi ,&nbsp;Lanwei Zhang ,&nbsp;Pimin Gong","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111581","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111581","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Branched-chain (BCAA) and aromatic amino acids (AAA) are precursors of volatile compounds with pleasant flavors in cheese. In this study, BCAA and AAA were added to cheese which matured at 30 °C for 7 days to assess their effects on accelerating cheese ripening. Machine learning applied to GC–MS data enabled a comprehensive and holistic assessment of ripening acceleration, effectively integrating multiple volatile compounds to overcome the limitations of traditional single-marker maturity indices. This analysis revealed that flavor components of Ile and Tyr cheeses likely correspond to 3 months maturity, as well as Leu and Val cheeses potentially reach 6 months maturity. The combined results of the number of <em>Lactococcus</em>, hydrolysis degree, FAA composition revealed that Leu, Tyr and Trp would promote the formation of related flavor substances through the increase of substrate content and Leu can increase the tolerance of <em>Lactococcus</em> in cheese. Val could be used by <em>Lactococcus</em> as nutritional factors to increase the numbers and tolerance of <em>Lactococcus</em>, further affected the production of some volatile compounds. This study proved that adding amino acids at higher ripening temperature can accelerate cheese local ripening and its possible mechanism, which provided an innovative scheme for rapid ripening cheese.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"448 ","pages":"Article 111581"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145788682","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative genomics and functional traits of Weissella cibaria and Weissella confusa isolated from kimchi","authors":"Md. Ashikur Rahman ,&nbsp;Hyunhee Hong ,&nbsp;Md. Ashrafudoulla ,&nbsp;Shirin Akter ,&nbsp;Sang-Do Ha ,&nbsp;Si Hong Park","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111565","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111565","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Weissella</em> is a fascinating genus that has garnered increasing attention for its probiotic potential and industrial versatility. In this study, we present a detailed genomic and phenotypic investigation of six <em>Weissella</em> strains isolated from kimchi, identified as <em>W. cibaria</em> (254, 256, 258, 260) and <em>W. confusa</em> (255, 257). Genomic analysis revealed species-specific differences, with <em>W. cibaria</em> linked to cell cycle regulation and replication, while <em>W. confusa</em> displayed adaptations for motility and metabolic diversity. Antibiotic resistance gene analysis revealed the presence of daunorubicin resistance (<em>drrA</em>), multidrug resistance determinants (<em>bmr3</em>, <em>lmrA</em>, <em>ykkCD</em>), and species-specific resistance to bicyclomycin (<em>bcr1</em>, <em>bcr2</em>) and quaternary ammonium compounds (<em>qacC</em>). Phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility testing demonstrated intrinsic resistance to vancomycin alongside high sensitivity to ampicillin, erythromycin, chloramphenicol, and gentamicin. Probiotic assessments highlighted significant tolerance to acid, bile salts, and enzymatic stress, with <em>W. cibaria</em> 256 and <em>W. confusa</em> 255 showing superior survivability under simulated gastrointestinal conditions. High surface hydrophobicity observed in <em>W. confusa</em> 255 and 257 further underscores their adhesion capabilities, which are crucial for gut colonization. Exopolysaccharide (EPS) production was further characterized by FTIR analysis, revealing diverse functional groups associated with structural protection and probiotic functionality. Morphological characteristics as determined by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) revealed rod-shaped cells of 1.39–1.87 μm in length and 0.50–0.70 μm in width for <em>W. cibaria</em> strains versus 1.02–1.45 μm in length and 0.54–0.62 μm in width for <em>W. confusa</em> strains. These findings provide novel insights into the genomic and phenotypic underpinnings of <em>Weissella</em> species' probiotic properties, resistance mechanisms, and adaptability to fermented food environments, highlighting their promising applications in functional food development and human health enhancement.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"448 ","pages":"Article 111565"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145827415","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Volatile organic metabolite profiling of a broad collection shows the brewing potential of non-conventional yeast","authors":"David Roldán-López ,&nbsp;Miguel Morard ,&nbsp;Héctor Tomàs Martínez ,&nbsp;Roberto Pérez-Torrado","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111593","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111593","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Modern brewing requires new yeast starters to meet consumer flavour preferences. The organoleptic characteristics of beer are the result of a complex mixture of numerous compounds, mostly volatile organic metabolites (VOMs) derived from yeast fermentation. In this study, the profile of VOMs produced by 184 yeast strains under ale brewing conditions was analysed. Yeasts of the genus <em>Saccharomyces</em> (<em>S. cerevisiae, S. kudriavzevii, S. uvarum, S. eubayanus, S. paradoxus, S. mikatae, S. jurei,</em> and <em>S. arboricola</em>), <em>Saccharomyces</em> hybrids (<em>S. pastorianus,</em> as commercial control, <em>S. cerevisiae</em> x <em>S. kudriavzevii</em>, <em>S. cerevisiae</em> x <em>S. uvarum</em> and <em>S. eubayanus</em> x <em>S. uvarum</em>) and non-<em>Saccharomyces</em> yeasts (<em>Kazachstania, Naumovozyma</em> and <em>Nakaseomyces</em> spp) were studied.</div><div>Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC–MS) has been used to analyse 62 extracellular volatile compounds. The k-means cluster analysis classified the yeasts into four different clusters and curiously found that: Almost all of the <em>Saccharomyces</em> hybrids studied, regardless of their parental species or source of isolation, exhibit a metabolic profile similar to that of <em>S. pastorianus</em> and strains isolated from beer. This suggests that they exhibit similar metabolic behaviour and have an interesting profile for industrial use. In addition, specific strains of <em>S. cerevisiae, S. uvarum</em> and <em>S. paradoxus</em> have been found to produce valuable compounds for the brewing industry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"448 ","pages":"Article 111593"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145833335","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Construction of a cinnamaldehyde-loaded porous lotus petiole composite within a negative-shaped biomimetic lotus leaf film for Orah mandarin preservation","authors":"Linyun Mou ,&nbsp;Ya Lu ,&nbsp;Jianlong Li ,&nbsp;Mengdi Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111598","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111598","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study proposes a novel active packaging film based on a “negative-shape biomimicry” strategy, engineered with a lotus-leaf-inspired microstructure for preserving Orah mandarin. The main spoilage fungi, isolated from deteriorating Orah mandarins, were identified as <em>Aspergillus aculeatus</em>, <em>Penicillium citrinum</em>, and <em>P. oxalicum</em>, which guided the active packaging design. Porous lotus petiole powder, a rich source of coumarins and flavonoids, served as a cinnamaldehyde (Cin) carrier, incorporated into a 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid-modified chitosan/pullulan film, with a ‘negative-shape’ microstructure engineered via lotus leaf templating to enhance hydrophilicity and active component adsorption. Although mechanical strength decreased, thermal stability was significantly improved. Gaussian calculations proposed a mechanism based on physical adsorption, van der Waals forces, and hydrogen bonding between the plant powder and Cin, facilitating sustained release. The resulting film exhibited effective antifungal activity against target pathogens, with molecular docking suggesting inhibition of lanosterol 14<em>α</em>-demethylase as a potential mechanism, and also showed excellent 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging capacity. Upon application, the packaging significantly reduced decay incidence and weight loss of Orah mandarins during storage (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), effectively delayed fruit senescence, maintained overall quality, and suppressed the generation of off-flavor volatile compounds, thereby demonstrating a green, multifunctional, and sustainable approach to postharvest preservation through innovative biomimetic design and the synergistic integration of natural materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"448 ","pages":"Article 111598"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145834029","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative evaluation of LAB proteolytic activities in soy-based dairy alternatives and bovine milk for selecting plant-based food starter strains","authors":"Joanna Ivy Irorita Fugaban ,&nbsp;Steffen Yde Bak ,&nbsp;Pascal Fourcassie ,&nbsp;Claus Heiner Bang-Berthelsen ,&nbsp;Egon Bech Hansen","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111566","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111566","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The green transition in food production has intensified the search for novel starter cultures to produce plant-based dairy alternatives (PBDAs) that match dairy products in quality, taste, and texture. Traditional dairy starters have shown clear limitations in these matrices, particularly in nitrogen metabolism and proteolysis. This study aimed to screen and characterize lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with proteolytic traits better suited for plant-based food fermentations. Diverse LAB strains from different genera were screened in a soy-based drink (SBD), identifying 14 different clades of cell envelope proteinases (CEPs). Representative strains were then comparatively profiled in bovine milk and SBD, revealing that Clade I proteases have three distinct phenotypes, with proteases that are active predominantly in milk, predominantly in SBD, or in both matrices. Sequence and three-dimensional structure analyses identified amino acid differences in the Fn2 domain that may modulate substrate specificity. Soy-specific proteases were observed to have a tandem deletion in the pro-peptide and mutation at H763 in the active enzyme. Additionally, proteomics analysis revealed that these proteases target the disordered regions of soy proteins as the primary sources of peptides. The soy proteins dehydrin (K7LEQ5) and a late embryogenesis abundant protein (I1L957), which have highly disordered structures similar to caseins, were found to be susceptible to these proteases. Comparative peptide profiling showed that <em>Lactococcus</em> proteinases generated highly varied peptide sequences with consistent peptide lengths, whereas <em>prtS</em> gene-coded proteinases produced more uniform peptide sets, which highlights key functional difference between these two groups of traditional dairy starters. Overall, our findings indicate that Clade I proteases can be beneficial for hybrid dairy fermentation and plant-based fermentation, while Clade IV are highly conserved and ubiquitous in plant-adapted <em>Leuconostoc</em> spp. Although further investigation of these proteases is needed, these findings help fill a gap in comprehensive studies of the proteolytic capacity across different food matrices and provide detailed criteria for selecting suitable starter strains for plant-based foods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"448 ","pages":"Article 111566"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145774547","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Whole genome sequencing reveals transmission dynamics and persistence of Listeria monocytogenes along the poultry slaughtering and processing chain","authors":"Ye Wang ,&nbsp;Chaohui Huang ,&nbsp;Sijie Wu ,&nbsp;Jianye Jia ,&nbsp;Tianxiang Pan ,&nbsp;Ruochen Wang ,&nbsp;Jing Li ,&nbsp;Zegang Wang ,&nbsp;Chuang Meng ,&nbsp;Yuelan Yin ,&nbsp;Xin'an Jiao","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111568","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111568","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Listeria monocytogenes</em> (Lm) is a gram-positive foodborne pathogen responsible for severe invasive human and livestock listeriosis. The dissemination of Lm throughout the poultry production chain significantly increases the risk of human listeriosis. In this study, we investigated the epidemiology and genetic characteristics of Lm in a poultry slaughterhouse using whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Lm contamination was detected in 8.32 % (77/925) of slaughterhouse carcasses, 9.86 % (102/1035) of environmental samples, and 13.28 % (32/241) of retail chicken, showing a gradual increase along the production chain. Moreover, contamination levels rose progressively throughout processing, reaching their highest at the quick-freezing and refrigeration stages after evisceration. Cross-contamination between poultry carcasses and processing equipment surfaces (8 ≤ single-nucleotide polymorphism distance (SNP) ≤ 21) was major driver of Lm transmission in slaughterhouse. Core-genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST) and SNP analyses identified four persistent Lm clusters (clonal complex 8, 9, 19 and 87), indicating long-term contamination on slaughterhouse processing equipment surfaces. Notably, all serotype 1/2b isolates belonged to cluster CC87 and harbored multiple stress resistance genes, demonstrating enhanced adaptability to slaughterhouse environments. In addition, CC87 strains showed reduced susceptibility to ampicillin (100 %) and gentamicin (66.7 %), highlighting significant therapeutic challenges and public health risks. These findings underscore the importance of implementing robust epidemiological surveillance throughout the poultry production chain to prevent Lm contamination and reduce the risk of human listeriosis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"448 ","pages":"Article 111568"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145819349","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correlation of Elastic Light Scatter pattern analysis of clinical and shellfish strains of Vibrio parahaemolyticus from New Zealand with virulence characteristics","authors":"Xiaodong Guo ,&nbsp;Sana Bari ,&nbsp;Yuwei Zhang ,&nbsp;J. Paul Robinson ,&nbsp;Valery Patsekin ,&nbsp;Graham C. Fletcher ,&nbsp;Sinisa Vidovic ,&nbsp;Andrew Gehring ,&nbsp;James Lindsay ,&nbsp;Stephen L.W. On","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111579","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111579","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Vibrio parahaemolyticus</em> is a leading cause of seafood-associated bacterial gastroenteritis, however not all strains are pathogenic. In New Zealand, strains have been found in locally sourced shellfish, and in both sporadic and outbreak cases of human illness, some due to pandemic sequence types. We evaluate the potential of Elastic Light Scatter (ELS) analysis, a unique approach to examine colony ultrastructure, to identify virulent strains. A set of representative, phylogenetically characterized New Zealand isolates from clinical cases and shellfish were profiled with ELS, and relationships assessed by cluster analysis. Key traits including motility, protease and lipase activities, hemolysis, and halotolerance were also determined. The ELS-based grouping revealed phenotypic differences between strains not evident from their original classification by source of origin. ELS analysis identified two distinct clusters (ELS-1, ELS-2), one of which comprised shellfish strains only; however, ELS-2 contained all clinical strains and several shellfish strains, that exhibited more pronounced swarming and swimming motility results than ELS-1 strains. ELS-1 strains demonstrated wider halotolerance, indicating better adaptation to estuarine environments. Furthermore, most of our shellfish isolates exhibited hemolytic activity, in contrast to those studied of clinical origin. Lipase and protease activities were prevalent among all strains. These findings show that certain virulence traits are present in environmental strains, with wider implications for food and water safety. ELS, combined with phenotypic profiling, may be a powerful tool for rapid screening and risk assessment of potentially pathogenic <em>V. parahaemolyticus</em> strains.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"448 ","pages":"Article 111579"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145788684","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Metagenomic characterization of the antibiotic, biocide, and metal resistome of soil and romaine lettuce from the field through processing and storage","authors":"Susan R. Leonard ,&nbsp;Mark K. Mammel ,&nbsp;Taylor K.S. Richter ,&nbsp;Ivan Simko ,&nbsp;Maria T. Brandl","doi":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111595","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2025.111595","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The presence of antimicrobial resistance genes (AMRGs) on crops is of concern to public health since plant-derived foods may serve as vectors of AMRGs to human pathogens. This study mined the bacterial metagenomes of soil and lettuce from harvest through processing and storage to characterize their comprehensive resistomes (antibiotics, metals, and biocides). Cold-stored lettuce had the greatest number of AMRG reads per million of all sample types. AMRGs were overall dominated by metal resistance determinants, except those of processed lettuce (cut, washed in chlorinated water, and rinsed), which were heavily enriched in genes encoding biocide resistance. The greatest percentage of drug resistance genes, when averaged over all sample types, belonged to resistance to β-lactams (30 %) followed by aminoglycosides (6.7 %); and specific allele sequences from both classes were observed in common between lettuce and soil sampled next to lettuce heads. Genes for resistance to β-lactams were in highest relative abundance (RA) on cold-stored lettuce and lowest in soil. Several extended-spectrum β-lactamase genes and the colistin resistance gene <em>mcr-9.1</em> were detected in the cold-stored lettuce resistome. Harvest season and field type had a significant effect on the comprehensive resistome of most sample types (PERMANOVA, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Notably, the RA of β-lactams resistance genes in the drug resistome of cold-stored lettuce represented 17.4 % and 2.0 % in spring vs. fall, and 11.3 % and 3.9 % in the commercial vs. experimental field, respectively. This study highlights the multifactorial role of the biotic and abiotic environment on the comprehensive resistome of lettuce during production and storage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":14095,"journal":{"name":"International journal of food microbiology","volume":"448 ","pages":"Article 111595"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145827436","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}