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Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli in broiler chicken livers: High prevalence and surface contamination, but low load in inner tissue
Get PDFThermophilic Campylobacter spp. are the main cause of gastrointestinal illness in humans through contaminated food. Poultry and poultry products are the main sources of Campylobacter infection. Epidemiological data on Campylobacter prevalence and load in broiler livers remain limited and its presence in this offal may be associated with the caecal load. Hence, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and levels of Campylobacter in chicken livers, both from the surface and inner tissue, compared with that of caeca, by sampling 56 flocks from two slaughterhouses in Spain. Three carcasses per flock were randomly collected during evisceration (n = 168 livers and caecal contents). Overall Campylobacter prevalence was 57.1 % in caecal samples, 77.9 % in surface liver samples and 35.7 % in the inner tissue liver. C. jejuni was the most common species in all sample types and coinfections with C. coli were more prevalent in livers than in the caeca samples. However, there was no relationship between Campylobacter species (C. jejuni, C. coli) and sample type (P > 0.05). The data highlights the role of chicken offal as a potential source of human campylobacteriosis, particularly because of the high Campylobacter load (>103 CFU/liver) in a high proportion of the surface liver samples (40.1 %). However, this high load was only detected in 6.6 % of the inner tissue livers. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis revealed a high genetic diversity with 107 different profiles among 473 genotyped Campylobacter isolates. Translocation of Campylobacter strains was demonstrated, with the same RFLP profile identified in isolates from the caeca and the inner liver tissue of the same carcass (14.9 %). Cross-contamination was also revealed, since the same RFLP profile was identified in isolates from the caeca and the surface of the liver from the same carcass (11.9 %). Targeted measures on broiler farms and slaughterhouses to reduce Campylobacter prevalence and cross-contamination in chicken offal will help to reduce the risk of campylobacteriosis for consumers.This study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (grant No. RTI2018-095081-B-I00) and the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (grant No, PID2021-128079OB-I00). A. M. P. was supported by a pre-doctoral fellowship FPI 2019 from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (PRE2019-087435). CERCA Programme from the Generalitat de Catalunya is also acknowledged. We thank the slaughterhouses, including bonÀrea, for providing the samples for this study.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
An ACE2-Fc decoy produced in glycoengineered plants neutralizes ancestral and newly emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and demonstrates therapeutic efficacy in hamsters
Get PDFNewly emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) continue to drive COVID-19 waves and are typically associated with immune escape and increased resistance to current therapeutics including monoclonal antibodies. By contrast, VOCs still display strong binding to the host cell receptor ACE2. Consistent with these properties, we have now found that a soluble ACE2-Fc decoy produced in glycoengineered plants effectively neutralizes different SARS-CoV-2 isolates and exhibits even increased potency against VOCs as compared to an ancestral virus strain. In a golden Syrian hamster model, therapeutic intranasal delivery of ACE2-Fc effectively reduced weight loss and SARS-CoV-2 replication in the lungs when administered 24 h post-inoculation. This protective effect was not observed upon treatment of the infected animals with a non-binding ACE2-Fc mutant, demonstrating that the plant-derived ACE2-Fc decoy interferes specifically with the attachment of the virus to host cells. The results obtained provide support for further development of decoy-based antiviral approaches by plant molecular pharming.We thank Ulrike Vavra, Katharina Wolf and David Niedermayer for assistance with ACE2-Fc purification and characterization and Vinny Kunnummel for plant propagation and maintenance. We are grateful to Florian Krammer for his advice on the design of the in vivo study. This work was supported by funds from BOKU University and a Transnational Access Grant provided by ISIDORe (funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 101046133) to Zatloukal Innovations GmbH. This research was funded in part by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) [W 1224/Grant https://doi.org/10.55776/W1224; P 31920/Grant https://doi.org/10.55776/P31920; P 35292/Grant https://doi.org/10.55776/P35292]. For open access purposes, the authors have applied a CC BY public copyright license to any accepted manuscript version arising from this submission. The SARS-CoV-2 variant hCoV-19/France/GE1973/2020, clade G, D614G (S) was supplied through the European Virus Archive goes Global (EVAg) platform, a project that has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 653316.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Panvariome and pangenome of 1,020 global peach accessions shed light on evolution patterns, hidden natural variations, and efficient gene discovery
Get PDFNatural variations are the foundation of crop improvement. However, genomic variability remains largely
understudied. Here, we present the full-spectrum integrated panvariome and pangenome of 1,020 peach
accessions, including 10.5 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms, insertions, deletions, duplications, inversions, translocations, copy-number variations, transposon-insertion polymorphisms, and presence–
absence variations, uncovering 70.6% novel variants and 3,289 novel genes. Analysis of the panvariome
recapitulated the global evolutionary history of the peach and identified several novel trait-causally rare
variants. We found that landraces and improved accessions encode more genes than the wild accessions,
implying gene gains during peach domestication and improvement. Analysis of global introgression patterns revealed their value in phenotype prediction and gene mining, and suggested that the most likely
wild progenitor of the domesticated peach is Prunus mira and that almond was involved in the origin of Prunus davidiana. Furthermore, we developed a novel panvariome-based one-step solution for association study, GWASPV, which was used to identify several trait-conferring genes and over 2,000 novel associations.. Collectively, our study reveals new insights into peach evolution and genomic variations, providing a novel method for plant gene mining and important targets for peach breeding.This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program (2023YFE0105400), National Natural Science Foundation of China (32341042), Central Public-Interest Scientific Institution Basal Research Fund (Y2022QC23), National Key Laboratory & Zhongyuan Research Center ‘Xinyi’ Project (ZYZX20240304), Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program (CAAS-ASTIP-2024-ZFRI-01), Natural Science Foundation of Henan (232300421042), and National Science and Technology Major Project of Yunan (202302AE090005-3).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Activity and behavior patterns of cattle, horses, and sheep grazing in mountainous areas using geolocation collars
Get PDFThe sustainability of extensive livestock systems is compromised. It is necessary to enhance our understanding of the activity and grazing behavior of different livestock species (cows, horses, and sheep) sharing the same mountainous areas. Nowadays, the observation and analysis of animal activity is greatly facilitated by remote tracking technology, especially in zones with difficult access. In this article, we proved that commercial geolocation collars can provide meaningful data on animal activity, behavior, and distribution, which can be used to model daily distances, activity patterns, grazing behavior, daily home range, and herd dispersal. Results revealed significant differences in activity between species, influenced by the season, altitude, and shepherding practices. Sheep traveled longer daily distances (2.85 km/d) and grazed at higher altitudes than cattle (1.68 km/d) and horses (1.65 km/d), aligning with their specific dietary requirements. Seasonal transhumance and summer conditions also influenced grazing patterns, with peak activity in June and higher altitudes in summer. Cows exhibited a bimodal daily activity pattern, while horses and sheep grazed more consistently throughout the day. Herd dispersal varied by species and season, with cows and horses less dispersed early in the grazing season due to abundant resources. Weather had minimal daily impact, though drier springs in 2022 and 2023 led to increased distances and home range sizes across all species, reflecting stress to find food. Individual variability accounted for much of the observed differences, underscoring the importance of considering individual-specific behaviors in grazing management. These findings highlight the need for species- and herd-customized strategies to promote sustainable livestock management in mountainous rangelands.We would like to thank the farmers and animals that participated in the study. The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This project was funded by the “Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación” of Spain, under the program for Ecological and Digital Transformation within the Spanish Plan for Transformation and Resilience and using Next Generation Funds of the EU (TED2021-129315B-C21). The first author of this paper has a PhD grant from the “Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación.”info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Epidemiology of Monilinia laxa, the causal agent of blossom blight in almond orchards within the Ebro Valley
No full textBACKGROUND: Almond blossom blight, caused by Monilinia spp., is a notable fungal disease associated with intensified cropmanagement practices. In this study, we aimed to investigate the epidemiology of Monilinia spp. on almonds in two orchardsin the Ebro Valley, with a focus on (i) primary inoculum sources through sampling of affected mummified fruiting structuresfrom trees and the ground before blooming; (ii) secondary inoculum sources postblooming; and (iii) disease dynamics through-out the season in relation to meteorological data.RESULTS: Monilinia laxa was the primary species affecting almonds in the Ebro Valley. Furthermore, early-stage mummifiedfruiting structures frequently adhered to branches (3.8 log conidia/mummified fruiting structure), whereas late-stage mummi-fied fruiting structures were predominantly found on the ground. Additionally, cankers present before blooming (6.0 × 102 and1.4 × 103 conidia/canker) served as primary inoculum sources. Inoculum incidence and concentration were significantly higherin late-stage fruits (50–100%, 8.5 × 103–2.5 × 105 conidia/plant organ) than those in flowers (20–30%, 2.0–4.0 × 103 conidia/plant organ) or those in postblooming cankers (1.0 × 102–1.8 × 10 3 conidia/canker). Infection dynamics of blossom blight inboth orchards peaked during the last third of April under favorable meteorological conditions, specifically within the 10 dayspreceding the assessments. Significant correlations were found between infections progression and meteorological parame-ters, including temperature, relative humidity, rainfall and leaf wetness.CONCLUSION: These findings provide critical insights into sustainable disease management practices and the optimal timing ofprotective measures against blossom blight.© 2025 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.This work was funded by FEADER and Generalitat de Catalunya through Operational Group ‘Operation 16.01.01 of Cooperation for Innovation of the Rural Development Program of Catalonia 2014-2020, ALMON and MONCONTROL projects’ and by funding received from the CERCA Programme and SGR-01477 (Generalitat de Catalunya). We would like to thank Crisol De Frutos Secos SAT, Borges Agricultural & Industrial Nuts SA, Union Corporacio Alimentaria, SCCL, Ocean Almond S.L., and Fruits Secs Les Garrigues SCCL for their technical support.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Comparative study of nutrient and antioxidant contents in by-products of peach and nectarine varieties
No full textThis study investigates the nutritional composition and antioxidant potential of industrial by-products derived from various cultivars of peaches (Prunus persica) and nectarines (Prunus persica var. nucipersica), specifically focusing on peels, kernels, and pulps, to evaluate their suitability as functional food ingredients. Ash analysis showed high levels across all by-products, with the highest content found in the peels (8.1–9.6%), followed by the kernels (7.5–8.2%) and the pulps (1.2–2.3%). Total dietary fiber (TDF) content in all matrices exceeded the threshold defined by Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 for the "source of fiber" claim, although none of the by-products can be qualified as "high protein" ingredients (protein content: 2.9–7.8%). Quantification of total phenolic content (TPC) identified kernels as the richest source (376–591 mg GAE 100 g−1), followed by peels (239–439 mg GAE 100 g−1) and pulps (117–265 mg GAE 100 g−1). Among the varieties studied, Sweet Dream, Nectatinto, and Royal Summer exhibited superior phenolic profiles. Antioxidant capacity, evaluated using ABTS•⁺, DPPH•, and FRAP assays, confirmed that kernels and, to a lesser extent peels from Sweet Dream and Royal Summer enhanced antioxidant activity. Direct radical scavenging assays (ABTS•+ and DPPH•) corroborated the trends observed with extract-based methods, highlighting nectarine variety Nectatinto as the variety with the most favourable antioxidant profile, followed by peach varieties Sweet Dream and Royal Summer. Stability processes showed that freeze-drying more effective than oven-drying in preserving phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity across all by-products and varieties. These findings underscore the potential of peach and nectarine by-products as valuable sources of bioactive compounds for incorporation into functional food formulations.The research study has received funding from MCIN/AEI/https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033 (Grants PID-2019-104269RR-C31 and PID2019-104269RR-C32). Authors also acknowledge to other projects that have contributed to the paper as the project ERASMUS + Accelerating Plant Based Food Entrepreneurship (Plant Power) 2024–1-SK01-KA220-VET-000245686 and Generalitat de Catalunya (CERCA Programme), and Departament de Recerca i Universitats (Grant 2021 SGR 01477-POSTHARVEST).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Effect of autochthonous live yeasts on survival, growth, digestive functionality, and innate immune response in cobia (Rachycentron canadum) larvae
No full textThe use of host-derived probiotic yeasts is a promising strategy to enhance larval performance, but their effects during and after supplementation remain poorly understood. This study evaluated the effects of three autochthonous yeast strains: Candida haemuloni C27, Debaryomyces hansenii C10, and D. hansenii C28, isolated from cobia (Rachycentron canadum). A well-known strain, D. hansenii CBS8339 (isolated from rainbow trout), was included for comparison. Larvae were fed for 14 days (2–15 days post-hatch, dph) with rotifers and Artemia metanauplii enriched with each yeast strain. A total of 75,000 larvae (2 dph; ∼3 mm) were randomly distributed into 15 tanks, with three replicates assigned to each of five groups: three groups received yeasts, one group was supplemented with D. hansenii CBS8339, and one control group received non-enriched live food. Digestive enzyme activity, larval growth, and yeast persistence in the gastrointestinal tract were assessed during (6 and 12 dph) and after (18 and 24 dph) supplementation. Survival and innate immune gene expression were evaluated at 24 dph. The results showed that all strains except D. hansenii C10 remained viable in the larval gut until 24 dph. Larvae fed C. haemuloni C27 and D. hansenii CBS8339 showed higher acid protease activity during supplementation. After supplementation, D. hansenii C28 enhanced the activity of eight out of nine digestive enzymes analyzed, while all yeast-fed groups showed increased α-amylase and lipase activity. C. haemuloni C27 upregulated il-1β and tnf-α expression. Survival was improved in larvae supplemented with C. haemuloni C27 and D. hansenii C28 (∼31 %) compared to the control (∼22 %). No differences in growth or intestinal histology were detected between treatments. These findings demonstrate that C. haemuloni C27 and D. hansenii C28 exert beneficial effects in cobia larvae by enhancing survival, digestive function, and immune response with lasting effects likely due to their persistence in the gut.This research was supported by ANID FONDECYT 1181499, ANID FONDEF ID17I10247, ANID FONDECYT Post-doctorate 3200998, CENAIM-ESPOL, CYTED LARVA-plus 117RT0521 and DACBIOL UJAT.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Effect of a pre-harvest treatment with Harvista™ on the nutraceutical quality and volatile compound profile of apples
No full textThe formulation of a pre-harvest treatment including the active ingredient 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP),
Harvista™ effectively delays fruit ripening. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Harvista on the ripening
process, nutraceutical properties, and aromatic composition of three apple varieties (‘Royal Gala’, ‘Golden Delicious’,
and ‘Rosy Glow’) at harvest, after 3 months of cold storage (0.5 ºC), and during a subsequent shelf-life of
7 d after cold storage (20 ºC). Three experimental groups were established: (i) control fruit (CT), (ii) fruit treated
with Harvista and harvested on the same day as the CT, (iii) fruit treated and then harvested at a starch index (SI)
of 7–8. Quality parameters, ethylene production, nutraceutical profile, and volatile compounds were analysed at
different sampling points.
The chlorophyll absorbance index (IAD), SI, firmness, total soluble solids (TSS), and Hue indicated that Harvista
was effective in delaying fruit ripening on the tree, thereby enhancing its storage potential. These characteristics
at harvest were well correlated with ethylene production. After cold storage and subsequent shelf life,
the treated fruit exhibited a reduced loss of firmness and better colour retention. The most significant effects
were observed in ’Rosy Glow’ apples, in which the treated groups remained less ripe throughout the study.
Globally analysing all of the conditions for the three varieties, the treatment did not negatively affect the concentration
of water-soluble vitamins, antioxidant capacity, vitamin C, or phenolic compounds. Similarly, the
volatile compounds were not adversely altered except for ‘Rosy Glow’, so the treated fruit presented a similar
profile to that of the CT fruit.
Pre-harvest application of Harvista appears to offer an effective treatment for extending the harvest window
and improving fruit preservation without compromising its nutraceutical properties.The authors would like to express their gratitude to Rohm & Haas Company for their financial support, which made the research presented in this manuscript possible.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
L'agricultura regenerativa: producció agrícola més adaptable als canvis
Get PDFL’agricultura regenerativa sorgeix de la necessitat de regenerar uns sistemes agraris que s’han malmès en un cert grau amb la intensificació i la utilització excessiva d’algunes pràctiques agràries no sostenibles ambientalment. Es fa especial èmfasi en tenir una cura especial de la salut del sòl, element bàsic per la producció agrícola, també en cultius extensius.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Visible near-infrared hyperspectral imaging as a tool to characterise chicken breasts with myopathies and their durability
Get PDFThe surgency of myopathies has posed challenges for the industry as well as researchers, making relevant the use of objective and non-destructive technologies to inspect and discriminate these disorders. In this context, hyperspectral imaging (HSI) provides special properties that allow for an accurate selection of the affected region(s). Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the feasibility of visible and near-infrared (VIS-NIR) HSI to (1) discriminate between myopathies and (2) assess their evolution during refrigerated storage. Hyperspectral images of 98 and 77 chicken breasts, for experiment (1) and (2), respectively, were analysed dividing the breast in 3 regions to precisely assign each one a myopathy or the absence of one. Support vector machine models were employed for classification. Differences between myoglobin content and water binding detected in the VIS-NIR range (386–1016 nm) were relevant enough to accurately discriminate between myopathies (76.1 % accuracy), especially spaghetti meat (94.0 % balanced accuracy). Discrimination was also successful for storage days, detecting spoilage through spectral myoglobin isoform fingerprints (99.3 % accuracy) in the short-wave NIR region (800–1015 nm). These findings suggest a potential industrial use of hyperspectral systems to sort chicken breasts based on myopathy presence by region, and to predict the evolution of their quality traits during refrigerated storage, ultimately tailoring the breast destination for each case and avoiding food waste.Part of this work was financed by the Operational Group DETRED-Miopaties through Operation 16.01.01 of Cooperation for Innovation under the Rural Development program of Catalonia 2014–2022 from the Generalitat de Catalunya.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio