No abstract

Meat and meat products have been implicated in outbreaks of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in most parts of the world. A total of 75 samples including 25 samples each of frozen chicken breast fillets, frozen chicken legs and minced frozen beef were randomly collected from retail supermarkets in Assiut, Egypt. In addition, 28 stool cultures collected from hospitalized children admitted in Assiut Pediatric University Hospital with history of diarrhea or fever. All were screened for the presence of E. coli especially E. coli O157:H7. E. coli was detected in 7 (28%), 9 (36%), 7 (28%) and 2 (7.14%) of chicken frozen fillet, chicken frozen leg, minced frozen beef and children stool samples, respectively. Two strains of E. coli O157:H7 were isolated one from each of chicken frozen fillet and chicken frozen leg samples, while it could not be detected in any of minced frozen beef or children stool samples. The two isolated strains were tested for antibiotic resistance. They were found to be resistant to seven antimicrobial agents (cephalexin, doxycycline, erythromycin, nalidixic acid, penicillin G, polymyxin B and rifampicin). The public health significance of this pathogen and consumer's safety were discussed.

No abstract

The present study was designed to evaluate the activities of six phenolic compounds. Their activities against the potential foodborne pathogen S. Typhimurium were assessed using macro dilution and spectrophotometric methods. Their activities were in the order of thymol > benzoic acid > coumarin > cinnamic acid > curcumine > gallic acid. Thymol was bactericidal at a concentration of 0.08 mg /ml. With exception of curcumine, other phenolics revealed bactericidal effect in concentration varied from 1.25 to 10.00 mg/ml. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MICs) values by spectrophotometric method were significantly different compared to visual method in some antimicrobial assays. Coating fish with solutions of thymol or chitosan nanoparticle (CNPs) significantly reduced salmonella population. The nanostructured thymol CNPs capsule controlled the release of thymol and the effect in fish matrix continued significant during cold storage without adverse effect on pH value. The tested phenolics have the potential to be used in development of food coating technology. Also the formulated nanocapsule is promising in controlling the hazard of S. Typhimurium in fish.