Metagenomic Analysis of 16S Amplicons Corroborates Counts on Select Agar and PCR Analyses of Bacteria in Broiler Farm Litter.

The purpose of this study was twofold-first, to determine whether analysis of bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) in poultry litter corroborated standard counts and PCR assay, and second, to find whether a correlation between 16S rRNA analysis and or toxin PCR intensity with chick mortality existed. At three time points of growout (0, 2, and 4 wk) litter samples were collected from 23 broiler houses representing eight farms during a coccidiosis vaccine control program. DNA extracted from these samples was used for microbiota determination by sequencing the hypervariable V3-V4 region of bacterial 16s rRNA.

Chia: Host Status for and Activity of Plant Extracts.

Chia ( L.) seeds are used for food, drinks, oil, and animal feed, and all plant parts are employed in traditional medicine. The growing demand for the seed has created a need for improved disease management.

Biocidal Activity of Fast Pyrolysis Biochar against Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Soil Varies Based on Production Temperature or Age of Biochar.

Abstract: Soils in which fresh produce is grown can become contaminated with foodborne pathogens and are sometimes then abandoned or removed from production. The application of biochar has been proposed as a method of bioremediating such pathogen-contaminated soils. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate three fast-pyrolysis-generated biochars (FPBC; pyrolyzed in house at 450, 500, and 600°C in a newly designed pyrolysis reactor) and 10 United Kingdom Biochar Research Center (UKBRC) standard slow-pyrolysis biochars to determine their effects on the viability of four surrogate strains of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in soil.

Survival of Salmonella during Apple Dehydration as Affected by Apple Cultivar and Antimicrobial Pretreatment.

Abstract: Dehydrated fruits, including dried coconut (Cocos nucifera) and dried apple (Malus sp.) slices, have been the subject of manufacturer recalls due to contamination with Salmonella. A study was conducted to determine the survival of Salmonella on apple slices of six apple cultivars after dehydration and also following treatment with antimicrobial solutions (0.

The Effect of Different Temperatures and Moisture Levels on Survival of Calonectria pseudonaviculata in Boxwood Leaves and Twigs and as Microsclerotia Produced in Culture.

Leaves and twig sections of boxwood infected with Calonectria pseudonaviculata were incubated in sand at two moisture levels (36% [carrying capacity] and 5% water [vol/vol]) and at five temperatures (-10, 0, 10, 20, and 30°C). Percent sporulation from monthly tissue samples plated on glucose yeast-extract tyrosine media declined to zero after 5 months at 30°C and after 7 months at -10°C. At 0, 10, and 20°C, sporulation was observed through 30 months.

Dark Period Following UV-C Treatment Enhances Killing of Botrytis cinerea Conidia and Controls Gray Mold of Strawberries.

Strawberries are available throughout the year either from production in the field or from high and low tunnel culture. Diversity of production conditions results in new challenges in controlling diseases before and after harvest. Fungicides have traditionally been used to control these diseases; however, their limitations necessitate a search for new approaches.

Synergistic streptococcal phage λSA2 and B30 endolysins kill streptococci in cow milk and in a mouse model of mastitis.

Bovine mastitis results in billion dollar losses annually in the USA alone. Streptococci are among the most relevant causative agents of this disease. Conventional antibiotic therapy is often unsuccessful and contributes to development of antibiotic resistance.

Chimeric phage lysins act synergistically with lysostaphin to kill mastitis-causing Staphylococcus aureus in murine mammary glands.

Staphylococci cause bovine mastitis, with Staphylococcus aureus being responsible for the majority of the mastitis-based losses to the dairy industry (up to $2 billion/annum). Treatment is primarily with antibiotics, which are often ineffective and potentially contribute to resistance development. Bacteriophage endolysins (peptidoglycan hydrolases) present a promising source of alternative antimicrobials.

Fruit quality, antioxidant capacity, and flavonoid content of organically and conventionally grown blueberries.

The effect of cultivation practices on fruit quality and antioxidant capacity in highbush blueberries var. Bluecrop (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) was evaluated from random samples of commercial late harvest fields in New Jersey.

Methyl 2,4,6-decatrienoates attract Stink bugs and tachinid parasitoids.

Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Pentatomidae), called the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), is a newly invasive species in the eastern USA that is rapidly spreading from the original point of establishment in Allentown, PA. In its native range, the BMSB is reportedly attracted to methyl (E,E,Z)-2,4,6-decatrienoate, the male-produced pheromone of another pentatomid common in eastern Asia, Plautia stali Scott. In North America, Thyanta spp.

Biocontrol of the food-borne pathogens Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella enterica serovar Poona on fresh-cut apples with naturally occurring bacterial and yeast antagonists.

Fresh-cut apples contaminated with either Listeria monocytogenes or Salmonella enterica serovar Poona, using strains implicated in outbreaks, were treated with one of 17 antagonists originally selected for their ability to inhibit fungal postharvest decay on fruit. While most of the antagonists increased the growth of the food-borne pathogens, four of them, including Gluconobacter asaii (T1-D1), a Candida sp. (T4-E4), Discosphaerina fagi (ST1-C9), and Metschnikowia pulcherrima (T1-E2), proved effective in preventing the growth or survival of food-borne human pathogens on fresh-cut apple tissue.

Comparison of the ability of the three endogenous GnRHs to stimulate release of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone in chickens.

It is well established that GnRH can stimulate the release of LH and FSH in mammals. Two GnRHs have been found in the chicken hypothalamus, cGnRH-I and -II. There is controversy as to whether either peptide can stimulate release of FSH in birds.

Optimizing concentration and timing of a phage spray application to reduce Listeria monocytogenes on honeydew melon tissue.

A phage cocktail was applied to honeydew melon pieces 1, 0.5, and 0 h before contamination with Listeria monocytogenes strain LCDC 81-861 and 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 h after contamination.

Alkylphenol and alkylphenol-ethoxylates in carp, water, and sediment from the Cuyahoga River, Ohio.

The occurrence of alkylphenol and alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs) was determined over a 74-mile length of the Cuyahoga River, Ohio. Measurable levels of both the octyl and nonyl forms of these abundantly used nonionic surfactants were observed with the nonylphenol (NP) plus nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) typically accounting for greater than 90% of the total APEs in each sample. For all media (water, fish, and sediment) the total NPE (NP + NPE) concentrations were higher in the more urbanized downstream section of the river.

Biocontrol of Listeria monocytogenes on fresh-cut produce by treatment with lytic bacteriophages and a bacteriocin.

The fresh-cut produce industry has been the fastest-growing portion of the food retail market during the past 10 years, providing consumers with convenient and nutritious food. However, fresh-cut fruits and vegetables raise food safety concerns, because exposed tissue may be colonized more easily by pathogenic bacteria than intact produce. This is due to the higher availability of nutrients on cut surfaces and the greater potential for contamination because of the increased amount of handling.