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Biology
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Microbial Contamination and Food Safety (Volume II)
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Microbial Contamination and Food Safety (Volume II)

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 June 2024 | Viewed by 3306

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Joana Barbosa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Universidade Católica Portuguesa, CBQF-Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina–Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Rua Diogo Botelho 1327, 4169-005 Porto, Portugal
Interests: food microbiology; food safety; food quality; food biotechnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Microbial contamination is one of the food chain's main challenges, from farm to fork/plate. According to the WHO, consuming contaminated food kills 420,000 people yearly and can cause more than 200 harmful diseases. Furthermore, microbial contamination of foods causes a huge economic impact due to product losses, increased insurance costs and consumer confidence loss. Since microbial contamination can occur at any step of the food chain, implementing effective food safety strategies is needed throughout production, postharvest handling, processing, distribution, and consumer handling to control and eliminate potential microbial hazards.

This Special Issue will collect comprehensive manuscripts dedicated to topics focused on food safety strategies, models that predict microbial behaviour, and the monitoring and prevention/elimination of microbial contamination along the farm-to-fork/consumer chain. Papers that present new approaches and innovative technologies are welcome for submission.

Dr. Joana Barbosa
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biology is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • food contamination
  • food safety practices
  • microbial inactivation
  • microbial safety
  • microbiological hazards

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 3365 KiB  
Article
Phytochemical Profiles and Biological Activities of Plant Extracts from Aromatic Plants Cultivated in Cyprus
by Antonios Chrysargyris, Jovana D. Petrovic, Ekaterina-Michaela Tomou, Kalia Kyriakou, Panayiota Xylia, Andria Kotsoni, Vasiliki Gkretsi, Panagiota Miltiadous, Helen Skaltsa, Marina D. Soković and Nikolaos Tzortzakis
Biology 2024, 13(1), 45; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13010045 - 15 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1729
Abstract
Medicinal and aromatic plants’ properties, still an interesting research area, are attributed to the presence of various specialized products that possess important pharmacological activities. In the present study, six medicinal/aromatic plants (Sideritis cypria, Origanum dubium, Melissa officinalis, Mentha piperita [...] Read more.
Medicinal and aromatic plants’ properties, still an interesting research area, are attributed to the presence of various specialized products that possess important pharmacological activities. In the present study, six medicinal/aromatic plants (Sideritis cypria, Origanum dubium, Melissa officinalis, Mentha piperita, Thymus capitatus, and Salvia fruticosa) were evaluated for their phytochemical and nutritive composition, as well as their biological activities, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic properties. The results obtained indicate that M. piperita was rich in proteins and minerals such as N and Mg, while S. cypria accumulated more K, Na, P, and Ca. The highest content of phenols and flavonoids was observed in M. piperita, followed by O. dubium and T. capitatus, which eventually influenced their high antioxidant capacity. NMR screening revealed the presence of (i) triterpenoids and hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives in M. officinalis; (ii) terpenoids, flavonoids, and phenolic acid derivatives in S. fruticosa; (iii) flavonoids and phenolic acid derivatives in M. piperita; (iv) phenolic monoterpenes in O. dubium and T. capitatus; and (v) terpenoids, flavones, and phenylethanoid glycosides in S. cypria. The results of the antimicrobial activity showed that the tested samples overall had quite good antimicrobial potential. High antibacterial activity was found in O. dubium and T. capitatus, while O. dubium and S. cypria exhibited great antifungal activities. The studied species also had an important effect on the viability of female-derived and colon cancer cells. In particular, in colon cancer cells, the extracts from T. capitatus, M. officinalis, M. piperita, and S. fruticosa exhibited a stronger effect on cell viability in the more metastatic cell line at significantly lower concentrations, indicating an important therapeutic potential in targeting highly metastatic tumors. This finding is worth further investigation. The present study unveiled interesting phytochemical profiles and biological properties of the six medicinal/aromatic plants, which should be further explored, contributing to green chemistry and the possible creation of natural health products for humans’ health/nutrition and additives in cosmetics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Contamination and Food Safety (Volume II))
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Review

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20 pages, 337 KiB  
Review
Assessing Antimicrobial Efficacy on Plastics and Other Non-Porous Surfaces: A Closer Look at Studies Using the ISO 22196:2011 Standard
by Teresa Bento de Carvalho, Joana Bastos Barbosa and Paula Teixeira
Biology 2024, 13(1), 59; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology13010059 - 20 Jan 2024
Viewed by 1242
Abstract
The survival and spread of foodborne and nosocomial-associated bacteria through high-touch surfaces or contamination-prone sites, in either healthcare, domestic or food industry settings, are not always prevented by the employment of sanitary hygiene protocols. Antimicrobial surface coatings have emerged as a solution to [...] Read more.
The survival and spread of foodborne and nosocomial-associated bacteria through high-touch surfaces or contamination-prone sites, in either healthcare, domestic or food industry settings, are not always prevented by the employment of sanitary hygiene protocols. Antimicrobial surface coatings have emerged as a solution to eradicate pathogenic bacteria and prevent future infections and even outbreaks. Standardised antimicrobial testing methods play a crucial role in validating the effectiveness of these materials and enabling their application in real-life settings, providing reliable results that allow for comparison between antimicrobial surfaces while assuring end-use product safety. This review provides an insight into the studies using ISO 22196, which is considered the gold standard for antimicrobial surface coatings and examines the current state of the art in antimicrobial testing methods. It primarily focuses on identifying pitfalls and how even small variations in methods can lead to different results, affecting the assessment of the antimicrobial activity of a particular product. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Microbial Contamination and Food Safety (Volume II))
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