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Foods (Basel, Switzerland) Aug 2022The levels of chemical pollutants were determined in 30 samples of varietal honey from southeastern Poland, including 223 pesticides (insecticides, herbicides,...
The levels of chemical pollutants were determined in 30 samples of varietal honey from southeastern Poland, including 223 pesticides (insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, acaricides, plant growth regulators, and veterinary drugs) and 5 heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Hg, Cu, and Zn). In 10% of the samples, no pesticide residues were found. The most frequently identified pesticides were thiacloprid (90% of the samples, max 0.337 mg/kg), acetamiprid (86.6%, max 0.061 mg/kg), carbendazim (60%, max 0.049 mg/kg), DMF (56.6%, max 0.038 mg/kg), total amitraz (53.3%, max 0.075 mg/kg), thiamethoxam (26.6%, max 0.004 mg/kg), thiacloprid-amide (13.3%, max 0.012 mg/kg), dimethoate (10%, max 0.003 mg/kg), azoxystrobin (10%, max 0.002 mg/kg), tebuconazole (6.66%, max 0.002 mg/kg), and boscalid (3.33%, max 0.001 mg/kg). The acceptable limits for the compounds were not exceeded in any sample. The Pb content ranged between 0.044 and 0.081 mg/kg. The concentration of Hg and Cd did not exceed 5.0 µg/kg and 0.02 mg/kg, respectively. The honey variety significantly (p < 0.01) influenced the content of Cu, which ranged from 0.504 (rapeseed honey) to 1.201 mg/kg (buckwheat). A similar tendency (p > 0.05) was observed for the Zn content, which ranged from 0.657 mg/kg (linden) to 2.694 mg/kg (buckwheat). Honey produced in southeastern Poland was shown to be safe for human consumption.
PubMed: 35954127
DOI: 10.3390/foods11152362 -
Chemosphere Oct 2023The Ecuadorian Amazon has experienced a significant land use change due to the demographic increase and the expansion of the agricultural frontier. Such changes in land...
The Ecuadorian Amazon has experienced a significant land use change due to the demographic increase and the expansion of the agricultural frontier. Such changes in land use have been associated to water pollution problems, including the emission of untreated urban wastewater and pesticides. Here we provide the first report on the influence of urbanization and intensive agriculture expansion on water quality parameters, pesticide contamination and the ecological status of Amazonian freshwater ecosystems of Ecuador. We monitored 19 water quality parameters, 27 pesticides, and the macroinvertebrate community in 40 sampling locations of the Napo River basin (northern Ecuador), including a nature conservation reserve and sites in areas influenced by African palm oil production, corn production and urbanization. The ecological risks of pesticides were assessed using a probabilistic approach based on species sensitivity distributions. The results of our study show that urban areas and areas dominated by African palm oil production have a significant influence on water quality parameters, affecting macroinvertebrate communities and biomonitoring indices. Pesticide residues were detected in all sampling sites, with carbendazim, azoxystrobin, diazinon, propiconazole and imidacloprid showing the largest prevalence (>80% of the samples). We found a significant effect of land use on water pesticide contamination, with residues of organophosphate insecticides correlating with African palm oil production and some fungicides with urban areas. The pesticide risk assessment indicated organophosphate insecticides (ethion, chlorpyrifos, azinphos-methyl, profenofos and prothiophos) and imidacloprid as the compounds posing the largest ecotoxicological hazard, with pesticide mixtures potentially affecting up to 26-29% of aquatic species. Ecological risks of organophosphate insecticides were more likely to occur in rivers surrounded by African palm oil plantations, while imidacloprid risks were identified in corn crop areas as well as in natural areas. Future investigations are needed to clarify the sources of imidacloprid contamination and to assess its effects for Amazonian freshwater ecosystems.
Topics: Pesticides; Ecuador; Insecticides; Water Quality; Ecosystem; Palm Oil; Urbanization; Environmental Monitoring; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Agriculture; Fresh Water; Rivers; Chlorpyrifos
PubMed: 37379974
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139286 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) Feb 2023Pesticide residues in grain products are a major issue due to their comprehensive and long-term impact on human health, and quantitative modeling on the degradation of...
Pesticide residues in grain products are a major issue due to their comprehensive and long-term impact on human health, and quantitative modeling on the degradation of pesticide residues facilitate the prediction of pesticide residue level with time during storage. Herein, we tried to study the effect of temperature and relative humidity on the degradation profiles of five pesticides (carbendazim, bensulfuron methyl, triazophos, chlorpyrifos, and carbosulfan) in wheat and flour and establish quantitative models for prediction purpose. Positive samples were prepared by spraying the corresponding pesticide standards of certain concentrations. Then, these positive samples were stored at different combinations of temperatures (20 °C, 30 °C, 40 °C, 50 °C) and relative humidity (50%, 60%, 70%, 80%). Samples were collected at specific time points, ground, and the pesticide residues were extracted and purified by using QuEChERS method, and then quantified by using UPLC-MS/MS. Quantitative model of pesticide residues was constructed using Minitab 17 software. Results showed that high temperature and high relative humidity accelerate the degradation of the five pesticide residues, and their degradation profiles and half-lives over temperature and relative humidity varied among pesticides. The quantitative model for pesticide degradation in the whole process from wheat to flour was constructed, with R above 0.817 for wheat and 0.796 for flour, respectively. The quantitative model allows the prediction of the pesticide residual level in the process from wheat to flour.
PubMed: 36832863
DOI: 10.3390/foods12040788 -
Frontiers in Microbiology 2022Banana wilt caused by f. sp. has devastated a large number of banana plantations worldwide. Biological control is a possible method to conquer this disease. However,...
Banana wilt caused by f. sp. has devastated a large number of banana plantations worldwide. Biological control is a possible method to conquer this disease. However, the control effect was often low and unstable while a single biocontrol strain had been applied in the field. Therefore, this study aimed to construct an effective compound microbial agent to control Fusarium wilt of banana (FWB) in the field. In addition to it, the compounding strategy of combining single strains for improving the control effect was investigated. Based on the compatibility test, five representative biocontrol strains were selected for the combination of all possible permutations. The pot experiment indicated that every biocontrol strain and their 26 combinations could control FWB to varying degrees. The control effect of combinations on FWB was higher than that of a single strain. In terms of the number of combinatorial biocontrol strains, the control effect of the four-strain combinations was the highest. According to the taxonomic differences of the five biocontrol strains, 26 biocontrol strain combinations could be divided into four groups. Among the strains in the combination, the larger the taxonomic differences the more easily it was to obtain a higher control effect. To obtain stable and efficient combinations, eight combinations were selected out and evaluated for their effectiveness in controlling FWB in different type soil. Compared with the other seven combinations, the four-strain combination T28 (Pt05 + Bc11 + Ba62 + gz-2) got the highest and stablest control effect in the four types of soil in greenhouse. And then the control effect of combination T28 was evaluated in field conditions, compared with commercially agents , , and carbendazim. After four consecutive applications in the field, the control effect of T28 against FWB was the highest, reaching 57.14%. The results showed that combination T28 had a good application prospect, and the finding provided a reference for the construction of compound microbial agents.
PubMed: 36605520
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1066807 -
Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland) Sep 2022Rice blast caused by Magnaporthe oryzae is one of the most destructive fungal diseases of rice worldwide. Stimulatory effects of low doses of fungicides on pathogens are...
Rice blast caused by Magnaporthe oryzae is one of the most destructive fungal diseases of rice worldwide. Stimulatory effects of low doses of fungicides on pathogens are closely relevant to disease management. In the present study, in potato dextrose agar (PDA) amended with carbendazim at a dose range from 0.003 to 0.3 μg/mL, stimulatory effects on the mycelial growth of three isolates sensitive to carbendazim were tested. Carbendazim at concentrations from 0.003 to 0.1 µg/mL showed stimulatory effects on mycelial growth of isolates Guy11 and H08-1a, while carbendazim at concentrations from 0.003 to 0.03 µg/mL stimulated the growth of isolate P131. The maximum stimulation magnitudes were 11.84% for the three isolates tested. Mycelial colonies grown on PDA amended with different concentrations of carbendazim were incubated at 28 °C in darkness for 7 days as the pretreatment. Pretreatment mycelia were inoculated on fresh fungicide-free PDA and subsequent mycelia growth stimulations were still observed, and the maximum stimulation magnitudes were 9.15% for the three isolates tested. Pretreatment mycelia did not significantly change the tolerance to H2O2 and NaCl, except that the tolerance to H2O2 was increased significantly (p < 0.05) when the carbendazim was at 0.3 µg/mL. After five generations of mycelial transference on fungicide-free PDA, the transgenerational hormesis of mycelial were exhibited when transferred onto PDA supplemented with carbendazim at 0.3 µg/mL, and the maximum percent stimulation was 51.28%. The time course of infection indicated that the visible initial necrotic symptoms could be detected at 2 DPI on leaves treated with carbendazim at 0.03 µg/mL, whereas no necrotic symptom could be discerned for the control. Statistical results of lesion area and lesion type at 7 DPI showed that there was a significant stimulation (p < 0.05) on aggressiveness of M. oryzae isolate Guy11 on detached rice leaves at 0.03 µg/mL carbendazim. These results will advance our understanding of hormetic effects of fungicides and provide valuable information for judicious application of fungicides.
PubMed: 36294573
DOI: 10.3390/jof8101008 -
MBio Jun 2022Over the years, there has been a lot of emphasis on the development of high-throughput platforms that help identify transporters of drugs and xenobiotics. However, major...
Over the years, there has been a lot of emphasis on the development of high-throughput platforms that help identify transporters of drugs and xenobiotics. However, major hinderances in these approaches include substrate promiscuity and functional redundancy of membrane transporters. To tackle such issues, Almeida and colleagues (L. D. Almeida, A. S. F. Silva, D. C. Mota, A. A. Vasconcelos, et al., mBio 12(6):e03221-21, 2021) elegantly used the power of yeast genetics and created a double gene deletion library for 122 nonessential plasma membrane transporters that facilitates high-throughput identification of drug/xenobiotic transporters. While examining a library of cytotoxic compounds, the authors identified a strong correlation between the chemical structure of azoles and possible import/export routes. Interestingly, the authors also identified the -inositol transporter Itr1 to be responsible for import of triazole and imidazole antifungal compounds and proposed a role for the ABC transporter Pdr5 in carbendazim uptake.
Topics: ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; Biological Transport; Membrane Transport Proteins; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
PubMed: 35467415
DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00955-22 -
Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland) May 2023Grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) are currently among the most important health challenges for viticulture in the world. Esca, Botryosphaeria dieback, and Eutypa dieback... (Review)
Review
Microbial Biological Control of Fungi Associated with Grapevine Trunk Diseases: A Review of Strain Diversity, Modes of Action, and Advantages and Limits of Current Strategies.
Grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) are currently among the most important health challenges for viticulture in the world. Esca, Botryosphaeria dieback, and Eutypa dieback are the most current GTDs caused by fungi in mature vineyards. Their incidence has increased over the last two decades, mainly after the ban of sodium arsenate, carbendazim, and benomyl in the early 2000s. Since then, considerable efforts have been made to find alternative approaches to manage these diseases and limit their propagation. Biocontrol is a sustainable approach to fight against GTD-associated fungi and several microbiological control agents have been tested against at least one of the pathogens involved in these diseases. In this review, we provide an overview of the pathogens responsible, the various potential biocontrol microorganisms selected and used, and their origins, mechanisms of action, and efficiency in various experiments carried out , in greenhouses, and/or in vineyards. Lastly, we discuss the advantages and limitations of these approaches to protect grapevines against GTDs, as well as the future perspectives for their improvement.
PubMed: 37367574
DOI: 10.3390/jof9060638 -
Journal of Fungi (Basel, Switzerland) Feb 2022Multidrug resistance, defined as the resistance to multiple drugs in different categories, has been an increasing serious problem. Limited antifungal drugs and the rapid...
Multidrug resistance, defined as the resistance to multiple drugs in different categories, has been an increasing serious problem. Limited antifungal drugs and the rapid emergence of antifungal resistance prompt a thorough understanding of how the occurrence of multidrug resistance develops and which mechanisms are involved. In this study, experimental evolution was performed under single-azole-drug stress with the model filamentous fungus . By about 30 weeks of continuous growth on agar plates containing ketoconazole or voriconazole with weekly transfer, four evolved multidrug-resistant strains 30thK1, 30thK2, 26thV1, and 24thV2 were obtained. Compared to the ancestral strain, all four strains increased resistance not only to commonly used azoles, including ketoconazole, voriconazole, itraconazole, fluconazole, and triadimefon, but also to antifungal drugs in other categories, including terbinafine (allylamine), amorolfine (morpholine), amphotericin B (polyene), polyoxin B (chitin synthesis inhibitor), and carbendazim (β-tubulin inhibitor). After 8 weeks of growth on agar plates without antifungal drugs with weekly transfer, these evolved strains still displayed multidrug-resistant phenotype, suggesting the multidrug resistance could be stably inherited. Transcriptional measurement of drug target genes and drug transporter genes and deletion analysis of the efflux pump gene in the evolved strains suggest that overexpression of played a major role in the resistance mechanisms for azoles and terbinafine in the evolved strains, particularly for 30thK2 and 26thV1, and evolved drug-resistant strains had less intracellular ketoconazole accumulation and less disruption of ergosterol accumulations under ketoconazole stress compared to wild type. Mutations specifically present in evolved drug-resistant strains were identified by genome re-sequencing, and drug susceptibility test of knockout mutants for most of mutated genes suggests that mutations in 16 genes, functionally novel in drug resistance, potentially contribute to multidrug resistance in evolved strains.
PubMed: 35205952
DOI: 10.3390/jof8020198 -
Food Chemistry Jan 2022Carbendazim (CBZ) is a fungicide employed in grape crop disease controls, and its maximum residue limit in food is regulated by specialized agencies. This study aimed to...
Carbendazim (CBZ) is a fungicide employed in grape crop disease controls, and its maximum residue limit in food is regulated by specialized agencies. This study aimed to determine the CBZ content in the grape juices in a semi-quantitative classification model based on portable Ultraviolet-Visible spectroscopy and partial least squares with discriminant analysis. The sensitivity and specificity of the obtained model ranged from 83 to 100%, with the external validation set. These results are therefore promising for industrial application, and the model presents robustness for the evaluation of grape juices produced from a different grape variety. The VIP scores allowed identifying important variables involved in class modeling. This study suggests a methodology that is fast and demands minimal sample preparation (only dilution), besides being less expensive compared to the traditional methods, free of reagent/solvent, contributing to quality control in the juice industry.
Topics: Benzimidazoles; Carbamates; Fruit and Vegetable Juices; Least-Squares Analysis; Vitis
PubMed: 34416485
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.130742 -
Journal of Food and Drug Analysis Jun 2023Green emission carbon dots (CDs) electrochemically prepared from 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid and o-phenyl-enediamine were applied separately for the quantitation of...
Green emission carbon dots (CDs) electrochemically prepared from 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid and o-phenyl-enediamine were applied separately for the quantitation of hypochlorite and carbendazim. The characteristic and optical properties of the CDs were studied through fluorescence, UV-vis absorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The synthesized CDs were mainly 0.8-2.2 nm in size, with an average size of 1.5 nm. The CDs exhibited green luminescence centered at 520 nm when excited by 420 nm light. The green emission of the CDs is quenched after the addition of hypochlorite, mainly through the redox reaction between hypochlorite and hydroxyl groups on the CDs surface. Furthermore, the hypochlorite-induced fluorescence quenched can be prevented in the presence of carbendazim. The sensing approaches exhibit good linear ranges of 1-50 μM and 0.05-5 μM for hypochlorite and carbendazim, respectively, with low detection limits of 0.096 and 0.005 μM, respectively. Practicalities of the luminescent probes were separately validated by the quantitation of the two analytes in real sample matrix with recoveries ranging from 96.3 to 108.9% and the relative standard deviation values below 5.51%. Our results show the potential of the sensitive, selective, and simple CD probe for water and food quality control.
Topics: Hypochlorous Acid; Quantum Dots; Carbon; Photoelectron Spectroscopy
PubMed: 37335167
DOI: 10.38212/2224-6614.3445