|
|
|
Agricultural Approaches to Human Health through Understanding Soil-Plant-Human/Animal Food Systems |
Objective: | Study important health-related elements (e.g., Fe, Zn, Cd, Se, Cu, Mn, Ca, and B) in major food crops to better understand their chemistry and availability in soil, movement in the rhizosphere, absorption by roots, and translocation to and deposition in edible portions; and, to use this knowledge to manipulate these processes to enhance the nutritional quality and safety of major plant foods. |
More Info: | The chemistry and availability of nutritionally-important trace elements (e.g., Zn, Cu, Cd) will be studied in soils including effects of soil- carbonates, chloride, and phosphate fertilization on Cd accumulation in durum wheat grain from producing areas. Wheat genotypes will be studied for differences in Cd accumulation in grain and for responses to Zn fertilization. Mechanisms of whole plant absorption, homeostasis, redistribution, and deposition in edible portions of both essential & toxic elements will be studied in major food crops using physiological approaches at the whole plant and organ level. The regulatory processes controlling the movement to roots, and absorption, translocation, and storage of both essential (e.g., Fe, Zn, and Se) and toxic (e.g., Cd) elements will be studied (including the role of plant hormones) using single gene mutants and wild-type genotypes. Processes controlling micronutrient uptake efficiency in cereals (e.g., wheat, rice and corn) and legumes (e.g., beans) will be studied using efficient and inefficient genotypes. |
Agency: | United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) |
|
Type: | Appropriated |
Start Date: | 1997 |
End Date: | 2004 |
Project Number: | 1907-12420-001-00D |
Keywords: | agricultural management; good agricultural practices; on-farm food safety; rhizosphere; trace elements; soil nutrients; food crops; nutrient availability; soil nutrient dynamics; cadmium; iron; zinc; copper; calcium; boron; selenium; dietary minerals; soil-plant interactions; rhizodeposition; bioaccumulation; bioavailability; nutritive value |
Institution: | USDA/ARS - North Atlantic Area |
Food Safety Categories: | Food and Food Products On-Farm Food Safety Sanitation and Pathogen Control
|
|
|
Agricultural Practices, Ecological and Varietal Effects on Aflatoxins and Other Mycotoxins in Corn |
Objective: | - Optimize agronomic systems and environmental practices, including fertilization and
rotation that minimize inoculum potential of Aspergillus flavus and other mycotoxin-
producing fungi while maximizing corn yield and profits in the Mid-south USA.
- Gain
an understanding of the role of crop management practices on the ecology of
Aspergillus flavus and aflatoxin contamination in order to optimize the application
of competitive exclusion products.
- Develop economical biologically-based strategies,
including antagonists from soil fungi and bacteria, microbial competitors and
antagonists, and natural compounds from biological sources, to minimize mycotoxins
and their respective fungi in corn, and continue ecological studies on Aspergillus
populations under various management strategies, e.g., rotations, tillage, and cover
crops, and herbicide-resistant crops.
- Evaluate insect-resistant and susceptible
maize lines for insect damage and aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination.
|
More Info: | - Evaluate potassium fertility as a means to decrease mycotoxins.
- Evaluate corn
maturity as a management practice to avoid heat and/or drought stress and mycotoxins.
-
Evaluate double-cropped corn for mycotoxin contamination.
- Evaluate corn-soybean
rotation to reduce fungal inoculum.
- Characterize population dynamics of Aspergillus
propagules in soil, air, insects and corn at various ontogeny in BT and conventional
corn.
- Compare efficacy of non-toxigenic A. flavus strains as biocontrol agents.
-
Optimize surfactant concentration and formulation for improvement of efficacy of non-
toxigenic strains.
- Determine efficacy of Pichia anomala to control aflatoxin and
fumonisin.
- Identify and characterize bacteria from corn field soils as biocontrol
agents of Aspergillus and Fusarium.
- Isolate and identify factors in corn-earn-worm-
resistant corn silks for control of insects and mycotoxins.
|
Agency: | United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) |
|
Type: | Appropriated |
Start Date: | 2005 |
End Date: | 2010 |
Project Number: | 6402-42000-003-00D |
Keywords: | aflatoxins; mycotoxins; Aspergillus flavus; fumonisins; contaminants; plant
pathogenic fungi; microbial contamination; corn; crop management; competitive exclusion;
microbial competition; food contamination; biological control agents; control methods;
agricultural management; |
Institution: | USDA/ARS - Mid South Area |
Food Safety Categories: | On-Farm Food Safety Sanitation and Pathogen Control Contaminants and Contamination
|
|
|
Agronomic, Environmental, and Resistant Germplasm Effects on Aflatoxins and Other Mycotoxins |
Objective: | - Determine agronomic, environmental, and genetic resistance factors that influence aflatoxins, fumonisims, and other mycotoxins on corn production in the mid south.
- Develop agronomic systems that maximize corn yields and profits while minimizing toxin development.
- Integrate mycological, agronomic, and corn genetic resistance into an improved strategy.
|
More Info: | Determine agronomic and environmental factors that influence aflatoxins and mycotoxins. Develop systems that combine resistant germplasm and agronomic practices into a system that maximizes yield and minimizes health risk. |
Agency: | United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) |
|
Type: | Appropriated |
Start Date: | 2000 |
End Date: | 2000 |
Project Number: | 6402-42000-001-00 |
Keywords: | toxins; corn; crop production; aflatoxins; mycotoxins |
Institution: | USDA/ARS - Mid South Area |
Food Safety Categories: | Food Composition and Characteristics On-Farm Food Safety Contaminants and Contamination
|
|
|
Alfalfa as an Alternative Molting Diet to Reduce Salmonella
enteritidis Invasion in Hens
|
Objective: | - Determine if addition of dietary alfalfa will prevent colonization of Salmonella Enteritidis in the crop of chickens undergoing molting and what characteristics in the crop microenvironment are associated with this type of induced molt.
- Understand the potential role of the gastrointestinal tract for Salmonella Enteritidis pathogenesis while birds are undergoing molting and if key characteristics in the chicken crop microenvironment can be linked with limiting S. Enteritidis colonization and invasion.
|
More Info: | The idea here is to compare the indigenous microbial response in crops of birds that have been molted either by feed deprivation or using an alfalfa diet approach. The hypothesis is that feed intake will be retained in the birds molted via alfalfa addition and the crop microflora will continue to be actively fermenting to the point of being inhibitory to Salmonella Enteritidis colonization and invasion. In addition to enumerating Salmonella Enteritidis recovered after infection in the different treatment groups we plan to quantitate fermentation products and enumerate crop lactobacilli. We will also examine virulence activity of Salmonella Enteritidis.
Salmonellosis is one of the most common foodborne diseases with an estimated 800,000 to 4 million human infections reported each year in the United States alone. During the past 10-15 years, the number of cases of gastroenteritis due to Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Enteritidis (SE) infections has greatly increased in the United States and Europe and by 1995, SE comprised 25% of all foodborne Salmonella isolates. Between 1985 and 1991, over 80% of SE infections in the United States were associated with table eggs and this may be linked to the specific stressful management practice of inducing a molt to stimulate multiple egg-laying cycles in hens. Sixty percent of the estimated 240 million laying hens nationwide are force molted with the practice growing more popular. Feed withdrawal is the primary method used in the layer industry to induce molting. However, feed withdrawal dramatically enhances SE recovery from crops, increases invasion of organs in chickens and increases horizontal transfer in flocks. The poultry industry needs alternative molting procedures that do not require feed withdrawal but allow managers to keep the economic advantages of recycling laying hens by molting without causing a SE contamination problem. In this proposal our objective is to determine whether an alfalfa molt induction will minimize SE invasion in laying hens. This will provide the poultry industry with a scientifically based rationale for alfalfa as a possible management alternative to reduce molting as a major risk for SE contamination. |
Agency: | United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) National Research Initiative (NRI) |
|
Type: | Grant |
Start Date: | 2002 |
End Date: | 2004 |
Project Number: | TEX08930 |
Keywords: | Salmonella enteritidis; pathogenesis; alfalfa; bacterial colonization; hens; on- farm food safety; animal health; diet therapy; molting; bacterial infections; chickens; feeding methods; feed deprivation; disease control |
Institution: | Texas A & M University |
Food Safety Categories: | On-Farm Food Safety Sanitation and Pathogen Control
|
|
|
Alternative Approaches to Antibiotic Use for Controlling Pathogens and Disease in Poultry |
Objective: | - Isolate and determine the efficacy of bacteriophage to reduce food borne human pathogen contamination of poultry products and to prevent poultry diseases.
- Determine the effects of stress on the innate immune system of turkeys and resulting susceptibility to bacterial infections of food safety importance, develop appropriate interventions to decrease pathogens load and susceptibility to disease, and develop assays to measure those effects.
|
More Info: | Bacteriophage are viruses that infect and kill bacteria. Bacteriophage will be isolated and characterized for selected pathogens that cause food borne illness or that cause significant diseases in poultry, including E coli, Salmonella sp., Campylobacter jejuni, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Bordetella avium. Isolated bacteriophage will be used in various ways to determine their efficacy to prevent poultry diseases or to prevent poultry from harboring bacteria that cause food borne illness. We will use an experimental stress model to produce E. coli airsacculites, and septicemia, and osteomyelitis complex in turkeys and to study the efficacy of nutritional, pharmocological, environmental, and behavioral strategies to decrease the response to stress and resulting immunosuppression. We will adapt this model to explore the effects of stress on the shedding of pathogenic organisms affecting the safety of turkey products, including E. coli, L. monocytogenes, S.aureus, Salmonella sp., C. jejuni, and Clostridia sp. |
Agency: | United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) |
|
Type: | Appropriated |
Start Date: | 2001 |
End Date: | 2002 |
Project Number: | 6226-32000-006-00D |
Keywords: | chickens; turkeys; poultry diseases; disease control; on-farm food safety; bacterial diseases of animals; bacteriophages; poultry products; food safety; human food chain; foodborne illness; bacterial contamination; microbial contamination; food pathogens; escherichia coli; escherichia; enterobacteriaceae; salmonella; campylobacter jejuni; campylobacter; campylobacter group; staphylococcus aureus; staphylococcus; staphylococcaceae; listeria monocytogenes; listeria; bacillus/staphylococcus group; bordetell avium; bordetella; alcaligenaceae; clostridia; immunity; animal stress; septicemia; osteomyelitis; respiratory tract diseases; gallus gallus; meleagris; airsacculitis; pathogen control; pathogen shedding |
Institution: | USDA/ARS - Southern Plains Area |
Food Safety Categories: | On-Farm Food Safety Sanitation and Pathogen Control Contaminants and Contamination
|
Back to Top | New Search |
|
|
Ameliorating Livestock Losses from Abortifacient and Teratogenic Plants |
Objective: | Identify abortifacient toxins in pine needles and broom snakeweed and determine metabolism and clearance times. Describe the pathophysiologic, endocrine, immunologic, and morphologic changes associated with the abortions, and define mechanisms. Describe their physiologic activity, toxicokinetics, and mechanisms of action of teratogenic plants. Determine plant, animal, environmental and management factors influencing consumption of these plants and develop management strategies that will reduce losses. |
More Info: | Unknown alkaloids will be isolated and characterized from larkspur species using large scale extraction followed by acid/base extraction to yield a crude alkaloid fraction. HPLC will be used to purify alkaloids for toxicity testing. Development of new analytical methods for larkspur alkaloids will continue. Immunogenic alkaloid-protein conjugates will be synthesized and immunized into animals. The resulting antibodies will be characterized, and if suitable, will be developed into ELISA detection systems. Immunogenic conjugates will be tested in animals as vaccines to determine if immunization alters larkspur toxicity. Rates of toxic metabolism and clearance will be determined using extracts and purified alkaloids. Diagnostic procedures will be enhanced. Treatment of intoxicated animals using cholinergic drugs will continue. Field and pen studies will evaluate plant, animal, and environmental factors influencing larkspur consumption and toxicity. Management options such as sheep grazing, aversive conditioning. |
Agency: | United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) |
|
Type: | Appropriated |
Start Date: | 2001 |
End Date: | 2006 |
Project Number: | 5428-31320-003-00D |
Keywords: | beef cattle; sheep; poisoning; poisonous plants; abortion (animals); teratogenicity; retained placenta; abortifacients; conifer needles; fetotoxicity; reproductive toxicology; endometritis; dystocia; agalactia; piperidines; quinolizidine alkaloids; isocupressic acid toxicity testing; analytical methods; immunologic techniques; vaccines; cholinergic agents; animal health; gutierrezia sarothrae; pinus ponderosa; tsuga; juniperus |
Institution: | USDA/ARS - Northern Plains Area |
Food Safety Categories: | On-Farm Food Safety
|
|
|
Analysis of GI Community Shifts in Response to Dietary Fiber |
Objective: | In this one year study we will establish through the use of available sequence data, and experimental manipulations of diets, the major bacterial members of the porcine cecum and colon increasing in response to cellulose in the diet and compare these to bacterial 16S rRNS gene sequences found in the human gut.
Thorough literature review to evaluate know factors influencing gut microflora, generate community patterns based on 16SrRNA gene T-RFLP analysis and establish key members of the porcine microbial community increasing in abundance in repsonse to fiber in the diet and design DNA microarray for the purpose of efficient analysis of the GO microbial community. |
Agency: | United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) |
|
Type: | Reimbursable |
Start Date: | 2003 |
End Date: | 2004 |
Project Number: | 3625-32000-056-01R |
Keywords: | microbial ecology; gastrointestinal system; swine; intestinal microorganisms; enteropathogens; microarray technology; on-farm food safety; animal nutrition; animal feeding; nutrition research; Salmonella; Escherichia coli; Campylobacter; cecum; colon |
Institution: | USDA/ARS - Midwest Area |
Food Safety Categories: | On-Farm Food Safety Pathogen Biology
|
|
|
Antibiotic Resistance to Enteric Bacteria in Poultry or Food Producing Animals |
Objective: | Using bacterial genomic and physiology determine conditions leading to the acquisition, retention, and transfer of antibiotic resistance organisms in cattle and swine. Use this information (1) to develop models that are useful to the regulatory agencies in their risk assessments of antibiotic usage in animals, and (2) to help develop practical recommendations to prevent the development and transfer of resistance and prolong the usefulness of antibiotics in both animals and humans. |
More Info: | Resistance to antibiotic drugs is generally agreed to be an increasing public health problem, and it is believed to originate at least in part from antibiotic use in food producing animals. Cattle and swine, particularly newborn animals, are subject to many diseases, including those caused by toxigenic E. coli, Campylobactor, and Salmonella species, which require treatment with antibiotics. These pathogens may become antibiotic resistance and subsequently be transferred to the meat products when the animals are slaughtered. This is one source of antibiotic resistant organisms to humans, and it can compromise the effectiveness of any antibiotic treatment in humans that may be necessary. We need to understand how antibiotic resistance develops in order to help develop recommendations that will permit antibiotics to continue to be used where necessary and remain effective, and very importantly not compromise the public health. |
Agency: | United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) |
|
Type: | Appropriated |
Start Date: | 2000 |
End Date: | 2001 |
Project Number: | 6202-42000-013-00 |
Keywords: | animal pathogens; animal production; swine; cattle; drug resistance; animal health; meat products; antibiotic resistance; Escherichia coli; Campylobacter; Salmonella; slaughter; models and support systems; laws and regulations; risk assessment; antibiotics |
Institution: | USDA/ARS - Southern Plains Area |
Food Safety Categories: | On-Farm Food Safety Pathogen Biology
|
|
|
Antibiotic Usage and Risk Factors for Antimicrobial Resistance in Pork Production |
Objective: | We propose a cross-sectional epidemiological study to determine if a dose-response relationship in antibiotic resistance exists among Esherichia coli, Salmonella, and Campylobacter isolated from swine operations that make regular use of antibiotics and organic farms that use virtually no antibiotics. We will also compare management variables and measures of production efficiency between organic and conventional farms. |
More Info: | Antibiotic use in farm animals has been implicated as contributing to the alarming increase in antibiotic resistance in bacteria that are pathogenic to humans. Many countries, including the United States, are seriously considering imposing complete bans on the use of antibiotics in farm animals. The livestock industry is concerned that such bans will lead to an enormous increase in the cost of food production due to an increase in disease and a reduced growth efficiency. It needs to be determined if a reduction in the use of antibiotics used for food animals could eventually help reverse the trend toward ever increasing rates of antimicrobial resistance.
The long-term objectives for our research are to
- Determine the occurrence of Salmonella spp. (including Salmonella typhimurium DT104) and Campylobacter spp. (including Campylobacter jejuni and coli) on organic (no use of antibiotics) and conventional farms in Midwestern farms producing slaughter pigs,
- Understand the epidemiological features of shedding and prevalence of these bacteria,
- Understand the importance of antibiotic use as a determinant of antibiotic susceptibility,
- Identify risk factors related to increased antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter spp., and those management factors used to replace the need for antibiotics,
- Investigate production efficiency in organic farms as compared to conventional farms, and 6) educate the swine production industry regarding the need for prudent use of antmicrobials.
A total of 70 conveniently selected swine herds (35 organic farms and 35 conventional farms) will be used for this study. To be included in the study, farms must market at least 2000 slaughter pigs per annum. Organic farms must have adhered to the rules and regulations of their organic association such that no antibiotics were used on the farm for at least 3 years. Each herd will be visited once in the summer and once in the winter. At each visit, 15 randomly identified pigs will be selected for sampling from the group of pigs that is closest to go to slaughter. These older pigs have had the greatest potential exposure to antibiotics. Also, the older animals are closer to enter the human food chain where they can expose people to foodborne pathogens. Data will be collected from all farms regarding management factors such as nutrition, disease control methods, physical facilities, farm personnel, animal isolation and quarantine, reproduction, animal density, and measures of herd productivity and efficiency. Questions will focus on those procedures and practices which are used to replace the need for antimicrobials. Once received in the laboratory, samples will be processed in accordance with standard diagnostic microbiological procedures for each animal species. Fecal samples will be enriched in Tetrathionate broth and then plated onto Brilliant Green and XLT4 agar plates. Fecal samples will also be inoculated into Campy medium and incubated under micro-aerophilic conditions. The bacteria will be identified using conventional identification schemes. The identification scheme used will be Gram stain dependent and may include, but not be limited to, Gram staining, catalase, coagulase, API 20E, API 20NE, TSI, MIO, and Urea. Once the bacteria have been identified, they will be sub-cultured for in vitro susceptibility testing using the broth microbroth dilution as described in the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) M31-T document. Once the testing is complete, multiple colonies from fresh subcultures will be suspended in sterile defibrinated sheep blood and frozen at -70 degrees Celsius. In vitro antimicrobial susceptibility testing for Salmonella and E. coli will be determined using a broth dilution breakpoint method in which the antimicrobials are prepared commercially in a microtitre plate format (Sensititre Ltd, Crawley, UK). In vitro susceptibility testing for Campylobacter will be determined using the 'Etest' for Antimicrobial Resistance Testing' (AB Biodisk North America Inc., New Jersey, U.S.A.).
Microbial and clinical data show that increasing bacterial resistance is making it more difficult to treat serious bacterial infections in both animals and humans. Reports suggest that the use of antibacterial agents in animals is a cause of this problem. This study is designed to determine an association between the use of antimicrobial agents in swine production and the presence of antimicrobial resistance in human foodborne pathogens isolated from slaughter pigs. |
Agency: | United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) |
|
Type: | Grant |
Start Date: | 2000 |
End Date: | 2004 |
Project Number: | MICL08246 |
Keywords: | antibiotic resistance; risk factors; pork; antibiotics; bacterial infections; antimicrobial agents; food animals; animal production; Salmonella; Campylobacter; Escherichia coli; swine; organic production; dose response; animal health; human health; epidemiology; on-farm research; conventional farms; organic farms |
Institution: | Michigan State University |
Food Safety Categories: | On-Farm Food Safety Human Health and Epidemiology
|
|
|
Antimicrobial Drug Use and the Development of Resistant Enteric Bacteria in Dairy Cattle |
Objective: | - Determine the effect of antimicrobial therapy for treatment of clinical and subclinical mastitis on the development of antimicrobial resistance in Enterobacteriaceae present in feces of dairy cattle.
- Develop and apply prudent antimicrobial-use guidelines specific for clincial and subclinical mastitis therapy in dairy cattle populations.
- Disseminate thes guidelines and supporting information to dairy producers adn veterinarians serving dairy herd clients.
|
More Info: | Antimicrobial drugs are commonly used in food animal production for the treatment of disease adn the enhancement of animal production. Recently, this use has been implicated as a potential cause for emergence of antimicrobial-restistant bacteria of public health concern.
The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of antimicrobial treatment on the development of resistance in bacteria present in cattle, develop and apply prudent antimicrobial-use guidelines specific for dairy cattle and to disseminate these guidelines to dairy producers and their veterinarians.
- Use prospective longitudinal monitoring of dairy cattle populations to investigate the impact of standard antimicrobial use practices in dairy herds on the development of antimicrobial resistance of enteric bacteria in dairy cattle populations.
- Collaborate with dairy producers and their herd veterinarians who are active participants in the study to interpret the research results and develop appropriate and practical prudent antimicrobial-use guidelines for dairy cattle populations.
|
Agency: | United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) |
|
Type: | Grant |
Start Date: | 2000 |
End Date: | 2004 |
Project Number: | OHOV-2000-05417 |
Keywords: | antimicrobial agents; antibiotic resistance; animal pathogenic bacteria; dairy cattle; animal production; veterinary drugs; animal health; guidelines; good agricultural practices; antimicrobial use guidelines |
Institution: | Ohio State University |
Food Safety Categories: | On-Farm Food Safety
|
Back to Top | New Search |
|
Select All |
Deselect All Records |
View Selected
|
Previous | Next |