Assessment of antibiotic residues in chicken meat.

Background: Nowadays veterinarians and poultry producers use antibiotics to increase growth rates, bird health, and feed efficiency, egg production, for preventative and therapeutic purposes, and to lessen the prevalence of poultry diseases. Most poultry producers have used a variety of antibiotics, either with or without veterinarian instruction. Although antibiotics are beneficial for the majority of their uses, their unauthorized use has resulted in residues accumulated in poultry products intended for human consumption which represents a serious risk to the general public that could be toxicological, microbiological, or immunological. Aim: This study aimed to the estimation of the residues of three major antimicrobials used in the intensive chicken-rearing systems in Egypt, namely Oxytetracycline (OTC), Gentamicin, and Ciprofloxacin. Moreover, the effect of cooking on such residues was investigated. Methods: A total of 100 chicken meat samples (breast, thigh, gizzard, liver, 25 each) were examined for detection of the aforementioned antimicrobials using the microbial inhibition assay and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Besides, samples containing the highest antimicrobial residues were examined for the effect of boiling for 30 minutes on such residues. Results: The obtained results revealed that 23%, 21%, and 17% of the examined samples were positive for OTC, gentamicin, and ciprofloxacin residues , respectively . Cooking (boiling) for 30 minutes showed a reduction of the antibiotic residue by 88.2%, 95.2%, and 31.3%, respectively. Conclusion: Antimicrobial residues were detected in the chicken meat parts retailed in Egypt. Cooking can reduce the antimicrobial residues at least in part.

Antimicrobial Effect of Moringa oleifera Leaves Extract on Foodborne Pathogens in Ground Beef.

Consumers nowadays are becoming more aware of the importance of using only meat products containing safe and natural additives. Hence, using natural food additives for extending the shelf life of meat along with delaying microbial growth has become an urgent issue. Given the increasingly popular view of Moringa oleifera leaves as a traditional remedy and also the scarcity of published data concerning its antimicrobial effect against foodborne pathogens in meat and meat products, we designed the present study to investigate the antimicrobial effect of Moringa oleifera leaves aqueous extract (0.5%, 1%, and 2%) on ground beef during refrigerated storage at 4 °C for 18 days. MLE revealed potent antimicrobial properties against spoilage bacteria, such as aerobic plate count and Enterobacteriaceae count. MLE 2% showed a significant (p < 0.01) reduction in the counts of E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, and Staphylococcus aureus artificially inoculated to ground beef by 6.54, 5.35, and 5.40 log10 CFU/g, respectively, compared to control, by the 18th day of storage. Moringa leaves extract (MLE) had no adverse effect on the overall acceptability and other sensory attributes; moreover, it induced a slight improvement in the tenderness and juiciness of treated ground beef, compared to the control. Therefore, MLE can be used as a healthy, natural, and safe preservative to increase meat products' safety, quality, and shelf stability during cold storage. A promising approach for using natural food additives rather than chemical preservatives could begin new frontiers in the food industry, as they are more safe and do not constitute health risks to consumers.

Acute kidney injury in ventilated patients with coronavirus disease-2019 pneumonia: A single-center retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is repeatedly observed in ventilated critically ill patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. This study aimed to determine the incidence, risk factors, and consequences of AKI in the ventilated critically ill adult patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. METHODS: This retrospective study included all the ventilated critically ill adult patients with COVID-19 pneumonia from March 1, 2020, to June 1, 2020. Data were collected from the electronic medical system. AKI was diagnosed using the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes 2012 Clinical Practice definition. Patients were followed 90 days from the intensive care unit (ICU) admission time or to the date when they were discharged from the hospital. RESULTS: AKI occurred in 65.1% of patients, with 26.6% of these started on continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). Patients with AKI had higher comorbidity and illness severity scores (P < 0.001). Age and the vasopressor requirements were predictors of AKI (P= 0.016 and P = 0.041) and hypertension predicted AKI (P = 0.099) and its progression (P = 0.05). The renal recovery rate was 86.7% and was associated with the mean arterial pressure on ICU admission in the no-CRRT group (P = 0.014) and the hypoxic index in the CRRT group (P = 0.019). AKI was associated with higher mortality (P = 0.017) and significantly longer ICU length-of-stay (P = 0.001). Additionally, AKI patients were more often discharged to a long-term skilled nursing facility (P = 0.005). CONCLUSION: COVID-19-associated AKI was common and associated with poor outcome, with the specific mechanisms being the main driving factors.

Safety of frozen liver for human consumption.

The objective of this study was to ensure and evaluate the safety of imported frozen beef liver traded in supermarkets of Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt, through detection of Salmonella typhimurium, Salmonella enteritidies, Escherichia coli O157:H7, antibiotic residues, and aflatoxin B1 residue. Fifty samples of imported frozen liver were randomly collected from different shops at Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate for isolation of S. typhimurium, S. enteritidies, and E. coli O157:H7. The results revealed that for both microorganisms 4% of the examined samples presumed to contain Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 organisms, according to the colonial character on Harlequin Salmonella ABC agar media and Harlequin SMAC-BCIG agar media. According to biochemical and serological identifications, both organisms could not be detected in the examined samples. A total of 29 (58%) samples were positive for antibiotic residues, using the Premi test (a broad-spectrum screening test for the detection of antibiotic residues in meat) at or below the maximum residue limits. In addition, aflatoxin B1 was detected in one (2%) samples with a concentration of 1.1 µg/kg. The results reflect that there was good hygiene practice for handling and preparation of frozen liver while selling to consumers. However, a high percentage of antibiotic residues reflect ignorance of withdrawal time before slaughtering of animals as well as misuse of antibiotics in veterinary fields. Furthermore, aflatoxin B1 residue was detected in examined frozen liver samples at a concentration below the maximum residual level, which is not enough to cause threat to humans, but it is enough to cause problem if it is eaten regularly reflect contamination of animal feed with aflatoxins.

Botryticidal activity of nanosized silver-chitosan composite and its application for the control of gray mold in strawberry.

Botrytis cinerea Pers, the gray mold fungus, is among the most dangerous plant pathogens that cause great losses in agricultural crops. The botryticidal activities of nanosized silver (nano Ag), fungal chitosan (CTS) irradiated fungal chitosan (IrCTS), and nano Ag-IrCTS composite were investigated. All of the examined materials exhibited powerful antifungal activity against B. cinerea. The most effective compound was nano Ag-IrCTS composite with a minimal inhibitory concentration of 125 µg/mL. The microscopic examination, of treated B. cinerea with the composite, revealed that an obvious alteration in mycelial shape was appeared accompanied and moderate lysis in fungal hyphae. With the prolongation of treatment, most of the fungal mycelia were lysed into small and elastic fragments. The consequence of strawberries coating, with antifungal composite based solution, was the disappearance of gray mold infection signs in 90% of the contaminated fruits after 7 d of storage, treated fruits had a fresh-like appearance at the end of storage. Coating with nano Ag-IrCTS solution could be highly recommended regarding its efficiency in prohibiting B. cinerea growth, preventing gray mold decay and enhancing the overall quality of coated strawberry fruits.