Publications by authors named "Murru N"

Background: Wild game meat has over the years gained popularity across the globe as it is considered a food source with high protein content, low fat content, and a balanced composition of fatty acids and minerals, which are requirements for a healthy diet. Despite this popularity, there is a concern over its safety as many species of wildlife are reservoirs of zoonotic diseases including those of bacterial origin, more so antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Methods: This study aimed to describe the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in mammalian wild game, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

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One commercial production run of Provolone del Monaco - a long-ripened pasta filata cheese - was followed up to the end of ripening for a total of 20 samples. 371 LAB isolates were subject to genetic characterization followed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The dominant species were Lacticaseibacillus casei/paracasei (19.

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  • The study focuses on the Bagnolese sheep, a breed in Campania that produces milk for Pecorino Bagnolese cheese, and aims to analyze its milk production traits and the genetic impact of the DGAT1 gene.
  • Researchers recorded milk quantity and assessed protein and fat content using specific methods, alongside genotyping to investigate genetic variations at DGAT1.
  • Results indicated that Bagnolese sheep with the CT genotype at the g.5553 SNP of DGAT1 had higher fat and protein yields, suggesting this genotype could serve as a marker for improving milk production in the breed.
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, along with various other pathogenic bacteria, may show resistance against a broad spectrum of antibiotics. Evaluating the extent of resistance in harmful microorganisms like holds significant importance in crafting novel therapeutic strategies to mitigate or combat the rise of infections stemming from antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The present work aims to investigate the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance among strains in meat products (n = 173), seafood (n = 54), dairy products (n = 19), sauces (n = 2), confectionary products (n = 1), ready-to-eat rice dishes (n = 1), and food-processing environments (n = 19).

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  • - The study focuses on developing a faster detection method for seafood-related pathogens, specifically three bacteria types, using multiplex real-time PCR, which is quicker than traditional culture methods.
  • - Bivalve mollusks were tested by inoculating them with different concentrations of these bacteria, and the PCR method showed a high detection accuracy, matching results with the standard reference method.
  • - The new PCR technique proved reliable for two of the bacteria types, while results for the third were promising but needed more investigation; this method could enhance food safety monitoring in seafood.
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is one of the main zoonotic agents causing foodborne diseases in Europe. The main reservoirs of the infection are represented by domestic and wild animals, and the infection occurs by direct contact or following the consumption of contaminated food or water. The study aimed to evaluate the presence of spp.

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The epidemiology of Salmonella Infantis is complex in terms of its distribution and transmission. The continuous collection and analysis of updated data on the prevalence and antimicrobic resistance are essential. The present work aimed to investigate the antimicrobial resistance and the correlation among Infantis isolates from different sources through the multiple-locus variable-number of tandem repeat (VNTR) analysis (MLVA).

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  • The study focuses on assessing the prevalence of foodborne illness agents, specifically a genus with two species and six subspecies, in food and animal carcasses in southern Italy from 2011 to 2021.
  • A total of 12,246 food samples and 982 animal carcass samples were analyzed, revealing an overall positive sample rate of 5.84%, with a notable increase in prevalence during the later years of the study period.
  • The most affected categories include "Meat and Meat Products," and the most frequently identified serovar was Infantis, indicating urgent need for improved control measures despite existing national and European strategies.
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"Grottone" is a pasta filata hard cheese produced in Campania region from cow's milk and characterized by holes formation due to CO development by Propionic Acid Bacteria. The contamination of raw milk with butyric acid-producing spore-forming clostridia represent a major concern for cheese producers since clostridia outgrowth may lead to the cheese late blowing defect during ripening. Detection of clostridial endospores in milk before processing and the use of antimicrobial compounds may represent an important control strategy.

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  • Campylobacteriosis is a public health issue mainly caused by Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli, but there is growing awareness of other species like Arcobacter; however, little is known about Arcobacter in wild boars.
  • A study examined fecal samples from 76 wild boars in Italy using various isolation techniques, finding that over half of the animals carried Campylobacter or Arcobacter, with Campylobacter lanienae being the most common.
  • Almost 40% of the boars had high levels of Campylobacter in their feces, raising concerns about potential meat contamination, especially since these animals were hunted for consumption.
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Wild boars can be infected with several foodborne pathogens which may be transmitted to humans through the consumption of their meat, but currently, data of their prevalence are still limited. The present study aimed to evaluate the presence of enteric pathogens in wild boar meat samples killed in the Campania region. Twentyeight wild boar meat samples were analyzed for the detection of spp, , spp.

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Yersiniosis - the 4th most commonly reported zoonosis in the European Union - is caused by the consumption of food contaminated with the bacterium Yersinia enterocolitica. The number of human cases and contaminated food samples is probably underestimated since conventional molecular methods currently proposed for Yersinia enterocolitica detection proved to have several limitations. Critical issues associated with the detection of Yersinia enterocolitica in meat and/or meat product has already been investigated, whereas data on the possible limits of the molecular methods for Yersinia enterocolitica detection in vegetables are still lacking.

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Routine evaluation of the slaughter process is performed by the enumeration of the aerobic colony count, Enterobacteriaceae and Salmonella spp. on the carcass through destructive or non-destructive methods. With non-destructive methods, bacteria are counted from a minimum area of 100 cm in different sampling sites on the pork carcasses, and the results of these investigated areas are pooled to one value for the complete carcass evaluation (a total of 400 cm).

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Probiotics are considered as the twenty-first century panpharmacon due to their competent remedial power to cure from gastrointestinal dysbiosis, systematic metabolic diseases, and genetic impairments up to complicated neurodegenerative disorders. They paved the way for an innovative managing of various severe diseases through palatable food products. The probiotics' role as a "bio-therapy" increased their significance in food and medicine due to many competitive advantages over traditional treatment therapies.

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Conventional methods for Yersinia enterocolitica detection in food samples are generally considered inadequate. Problems arise from the presence of the so-called "background flora", coupled to the low contamination level of the pathogen. Since, data on the microbial ecology occurring in competitive microflora are still lacking, MALDI TOF MS was used for strains 'identification after enrichment in PSB or ITC broths, and after plating on selective CIN medium at different incubation times.

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  • * The methods were tested on multiple bacterial strains and food samples, confirming that Real-Time PCR could specifically amplify the target bacteria, while ddPCR effectively quantified contamination levels down to 10 CFU/mL.
  • * Results showed that despite the effectiveness of these methods, the specific bacteria were not found in the 54 naturally contaminated food samples tested, indicating the novelty of these techniques for food safety monitoring.
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The continuous collection and analysis of updated data on the antimicrobic resistance among bacterial strains represent the essential core for the surveillance of this problem. The present work aimed to investigate the occurrence of antimicrobial resistance among serovars isolated in foods in 2015-2019. A total of 178 strains belonging to 39 serovars were tested against 10 antimicrobials.

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Wild boars (Sus scrofa) are the most widely distributed large mammals and recent increase in consumption of wild boar meat urges the need of microbiological quality criteria. The aim of the study was to characterize the initial bacterial contamination on freshly-killed wild boar meat using a culture-dependent approach with ISO-methods combined with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry identification and 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. Moreover, the presence of foodborne pathogens was examined using Real-Time-PCR and confirmed by classical isolation.

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Chemical hazards may enter the milk chain during primary production. The study, for the first time, investigated the occurrence of bisphenol A (BPA) levels in cow milk samples collected on the farm following manual or mechanical milking and from the cooling tank. We applied a new monitoring model based on the identification of the hazards at each stage of the milk chain to identify potential pathways for contamination along the milk chain.

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Diet represents the primary route for human exposure to bisphenol A (BPA). As endocrine disruptor (ED), BPA has raised concerns about its adverse effects on human health. Therefore, EFSA recommended a tolerable daily intake (t-TDI) of 4 μg/kg bw/day and the EU Regulation n.

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Routine evaluation of bacterial contamination in minced pork is still mainly performed by the enumeration of indicator bacteria, including total aerobic colony count and E. coli, using standardized isolation methods. However, the bacterial community structure as well as the effect of the storage time and temperature on the aerobic plate count are largely unknown for this matrix.

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This work investigated bacteriophage induced starter failures in artisanal buffalo Mozzarella production plants in Southern Italy. Two hundred and ten samples of whey starter cultures were screened for bacteriophage infection. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) revealed phage infection in 28.

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Background: Five probiotic lactobacilli were tested, alone or in combination with two commercial starters, to select the most suitable strain for a probiotic bovine salami production. Lactobacillus plantarum 299v was used with both starters, to make salami according to a traditional recipe. Salami obtained by using just the starters and by spontaneous fermentation, served as control.

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Pre-slaughter stress can result in variations in the glycogen storage and metabolic changes of muscle, responsible for quality poultry meat. Aim of this study was to investigate, as pre-slaughter stress markers and quality meat, physicochemical (pH), biochemical (muscle glycogen content), and chemical (super oxides free radicals) parameters. The carcass quality, as incidence of individual carcass defects, was also evaluated.

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A screening for oxalate degrading abilities was initially carried on within Lactic Acid Bacteria cultures of different food origin. Seventy-nine strains were drop-inoculated onto MRS agar plates containing calcium oxalate. By comparing colonies diameters, 31 strains were used to inoculate, in parallel, MRS and MRS modified by sodium oxalate addition.

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