Detection of septicemia in chicken livers by spectroscopy,

Unveiling the power of proteomics in advancing tropical animal health and production

Proteomics, the large-scale study of proteins in biological systems has emerged as a pivotal tool in the field of animal and veterinary sciences, mainly for investigating local and rustic breeds. Proteomics provides valuable insights into biological processes underlying animal growth, reproduction, health, and disease. In this review, we highlight the key proteomics technologies, methodologies, and their applications in domestic animals, particularly in the tropical context. We also discuss advances in proteomics research, including integration of multi-omics data, single-cell proteomics, and proteogenomics, all of which are promising for improving animal health, adaptation, welfare, and productivity. However, proteomics research in domestic animals faces challenges, such as sample preparation variation, data quality control, privacy and ethical considerations relating to animal welfare. We also provide recommendations for overcoming these challenges, emphasizing the importance of following best practices in sample preparation, data quality control, and ethical compliance. We therefore aim for this review to harness the full potential of proteomics in advancing our understanding of animal biology and ultimately improve animal health and productivity in local breeds of diverse animal species in a tropical context.

Hepatic Perisinusoidal Myofibroblast Proliferation and Systemic Inflammatory Response Precedes Sep/Tox Hepatitis in Broilers

Septicemia-toxemia (sep/tox) falls under U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) food safety Category 1 and is the most common and economically significant cause of broiler carcass condemnations. Hepatic lesions are considered a possible consequence of septicemia and associated bacterial contamination of the carcass. Thus, these lesions are considered an indicator of sep/tox (sep/tox hepatitis). This study was undertaken to analyze the histologic lesions preceding grossly visible liver lesions leading to condemnation because of sep/tox at the processing plant. Livers from carcasses of broilers condemned by USDA inspectors for sep/tox were used to establish microscopic and gross criteria of end-stage sep/tox hepatitis. Following the characterization of sep/tox hepatitis, broilers from a farm with a history of sep/tox condemnations were submitted for postmortem examination and bacteriologic investigation at four intervals during the final 20 days of production. Five healthy and five clinically ill chickens were submitted from four houses at 18, 25, 32, and 38 days of production (160 total). Microscopic lesions representing hepatic perisinusoidal myofibroblast proliferation (HPMP), periportal extramedullary granulopoiesis (PEMG), splenic follicular histiocytosis, and bone marrow cellularity (BMC) were graded subjectively for each bird, and subjective grading was evaluated with digital quantitative techniques. Perisinusoidal hepatic stellate cell morphology and progressive transformation of these cells into myofibroblasts was confirmed by immunohistochemistry for smooth muscle actin and desmin. Aerobic cultures of livers and gall bladders from sep/tox birds yielded no growth of bacteria associated with septicemia. Mild to severe HPMP was observed in all age groups, representing 28% of examined birds. Increases in inflammatory cells observed by PEMG and BMC were positively correlated with progressive HPMP and end-stage sep/tox hepatitis in broiler chickens.

Application of optical technologies in the US poultry slaughter facilities for the detection of poultry carcase condemnation

1. This article reviews the studies on optical technologies for automated poultry carcase inspection, discusses challenges and potential solutions in their real-time applications in poultry slaughter facilities. 2. Over the past few decades, extensive research has been underway to develop an optical technology-based machine vision system for automated inspection of poultry carcases and viscera. Such an automated technology will not only aid in carcase inspection to maximise food safety, but it will also support the U.S. New Poultry Inspection System's aim to foster innovation in poultry processing as well as increase line speed. 3. Many earlier studies based on visible and near-infrared spectroscopy showed promise, but could not be implemented successfully in an on-line poultry processing plant. Currently, multi- and hyper-spectral imaging-based machine vision systems have shown promising outcomes. 5. The critical hurdles for real-time application of automated imaging technology in poultry carcase inspection include high-speed processing lines, slaughter facilities environment and variation in broiler rearing practices. Therefore, further improvement in imaging and machine vision technologies based on physiochemical properties on poultry carcases, the establishment of more technology friendly inspection station, and an integrated data management for different rearing practices are essential to overcome those hurdles.

Organ Segmentation in Poultry Viscera Using RGB-D

We present a pattern recognition framework for semantic segmentation of visual structures, that is, multi-class labelling at pixel level, and apply it to the task of segmenting organs in the eviscerated viscera from slaughtered poultry in RGB-D images. This is a step towards replacing the current strenuous manual inspection at poultry processing plants. Features are extracted from feature maps such as activation maps from a convolutional neural network (CNN). A random forest classifier assigns class probabilities, which are further refined by utilizing context in a conditional random field. The presented method is compatible with both 2D and 3D features, which allows us to explore the value of adding 3D and CNN-derived features. The dataset consists of 604 RGB-D images showing 151 unique sets of eviscerated viscera from four different perspectives. A mean Jaccard index of 78.11 % is achieved across the four classes of organs by using features derived from 2D, 3D and a CNN, compared to 74.28 % using only basic 2D image features.

Advanced molecular diagnostic techniques for detection of food-borne pathogens: Current applications and future challenges

The elimination of disease-causing microbes from the food supply is a primary goal and this review deals with the overall techniques available for detection of food-borne pathogens. Now-a-days conventional methods are replaced by advanced methods like Biosensors, Nucleic Acid-based Tests (NAT), and different PCR-based techniques used in molecular biology to identify specific pathogens. Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus vulgaris, Escherichia coli, Campylobacter, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., Aspergillus spp., Fusarium spp., Penicillium spp., and pathogens are detected in contaminated food items that cause always diseases in human in any one or the other way. Identification of food-borne pathogens in a short period of time is still a challenge to the scientific field in general and food technology in particular. The low level of food contamination by major pathogens requires specific sensitive detection platforms and the present area of hot research looking forward to new nanomolecular techniques for nanomaterials, make them suitable for the development of assays with high sensitivity, response time, and portability. With the sound of these, we attempt to highlight a comprehensive overview about food-borne pathogen detection by rapid, sensitive, accurate, and cost affordable in situ analytical methods from conventional methods to recent molecular approaches for advanced food and microbiology research.

Presença de Escherichia coli em fígados de frangos provenientes de matadouros avícolas

A contínua intensificação da produção no setor avícola propicia condições favoráveis à ocorrência e à disseminação de alguns patógenos, como a Escherichia coli, que pode provocar infecções graves nos animais e no homem. O objetivo com este trabalho foi verificar a correlação existente entre a inspeção visual do fígado e a presença de Escherichia coli em fígados de frangos provenientes de matadouros avícolas. Para tanto, foram colhidas 62 amostras de fígados de frango, das quais 30 com aspecto macroscópico inalterado e 32 com alteração macroscópica, que originou o descarte da carcaça pela inspeção da linha B. Escherichia coli foi isolada em 45,5% dos fígados coletados. A bactéria foi isolada em 18 amostras de fígados com aspecto macroscópico inalterado e nove amostras de fígados provenientes de carcaças que foram descartadas. A colangio-hepatite foi a alteração inflamatória predominante em 16/27 fígados e considerada multifocal em 15/16. Detectou-se a predominância de heterófilos e mononucleares (12/27). Os critérios de condenação das carcaças foram inadequados, haja vista a elevada presença de Escherichia coli nas amostras de fígados oriundos de carcaças consideradas próprias para o consumo humano, o que ressalta as diferenças encontradas nas análises microbiológicas e visuais. Diante dos resultados obtidos, torna-se necessária a continuidade dos estudos, especialmente quanto o potencial zoonótico da Escherichia coli e sua presença nos alimentos prontos para consumo.

Nondestructive methods for quality evaluation of livestock products

The muscles derived from livestock are highly perishable. Rapid and nondestructive methods are essential for quality assurance of such products. Potential nondestructive methods, which can supplement or replace many of traditional time consuming destructive methods, include colour and computer image analysis, NIR spectroscopy, NMRI, electronic nose, ultrasound, X-ray imaging and biosensors. These methods are briefly described and the research work involving them for products derived from livestock is reviewed. These methods will be helpful in rapid screening of large number of samples, monitoring distribution networks, quick product recall and enhance traceability in the value chain of livestock products. With new developments in the areas of basic science related to these methods, colour, image processing, NIR spectroscopy, biosensors and ultrasonic analysis are expected to be widespread and cost effective for large scale meat quality evaluation in near future.

Competitive exclusion against Salmonella Enteritidis in layer chickens by yoghurt microbiota: impact on egg production, protection and yolk-antibody and cholesterol levels

AIMS

This work aims at studying the impact of competitive exclusion of Salmonella serotype Enteritidis infection in layer chickens, by microbiota of fresh and dried-modified yoghurt, on egg production and weight, protection against infection, and on yolk-antibody and cholesterol levels.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Four groups of 27-week-old layer chickens were included in this study. After an initial enrofloxacin treatment, groups 1 and 2 were administered fresh or dry yoghurt (respectively) for 14 days. Groups 1, 2 and 3 were challenged intraoesophageally with Salm. Enteritidis, on the sixth day of yoghurt administration, while group 4 was left unchallenged and without yoghurt administration. No significant difference in percent infectivity of visceral organs with Salm. Enteritidis was observed between the groups. The yoghurt administered groups showed an early significant antibody response in their yolk on the seventh day postchallenge (P < 0.05) and highest egg production and weight. Finally, the egg yolk cholesterol concentration was higher in Salm. Enteritidis-challenged groups than that observed in the unchallenged group.

CONCLUSIONS

The results point to the possible involvement of yoghurt administration in immunopotentiation and improvement of egg production and weight.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

These findings warrant further research that could improve immunity and production in layer chickens infected with Salm. Enteritidis.

Three-color mixing for classifying agricultural products for safety and quality

A three-color mixing application for food safety inspection is presented. It is shown that the chromaticness of the visual signal resulting from the three-color mixing achieved through our device is directly related to the three-band ratio of light intensity at three selected wavebands. An optical visual device using three-color mixing to implement the three-band ratio criterion is presented. Inspection through human vision assisted by an optical device that implements the three-band ratio criterion would offer flexibility and significant cost savings as compared to inspection with a multispectral machine vision system that implements the same criterion. Example applications of this optical three-color mixing technique are given for the inspection of chicken carcasses with various diseases and for apples with fecal contamination. With proper selection of the three narrow wavebands, discrimination by chromaticness that has a direct relation with the three-band ratio can work very well. In particular, compared with the previously presented two-color mixing application, the conditions of chicken carcasses were more easily identified using the three-color mixing application. The novel three-color mixing technique for visual inspection can be implemented on visual devices for a variety of applications, ranging from target detection to food safety inspection.

Two-color mixing for classifying agricultural products for safety and quality

We show that the chromaticness of the visual signal that results from the two-color mixing achieved through an optically enhanced binocular device is directly related to the band ratio of light intensity at the two selected wavebands. A technique that implements the band-ratio criterion in a visual device by using two-color mixing is presented here. The device will allow inspectors to identify targets visually in accordance with a two-wavelength band ratio. It is a method of inspection by human vision assisted by an optical device, which offers greater flexibility and better cost savings than a multispectral machine vision system that implements the band-ratio criterion. With proper selection of the two narrow wavebands, discrimination by chromaticness that is directly related to the band ratio can work well. An example application of this technique for the inspection of carcasses chickens of afficted with various diseases is given. An optimal pair of wavelengths of 454 and 578 nm was selected to optimize differences in saturation and hue in CIE LUV color space among different types of target. Another example application, for the detection of chilling injury in cucumbers, is given, here the selected wavelength pair was 504 and 652 nm. The novel two-color mixing technique for visual inspection can be included in visual devices for various applications, ranging from target detection to food safety inspection.

Two-wave-band color-mixing binoculars for the detection of wholesome and unwholesome chicken carcasses: a simulation

Visual inspection of wholesome and unwholesome chicken carcasses with a novel two-narrowband color-mixing technique for optically enhanced binoculars is simulated. From mean spectra of wholesome, airsacculitis (air-sac), cadaver, inflammatory process (IP), septicemia-toxemia (septox), and tumor chicken samples, 10 nm wave-band pairs are selected using color difference and chromaticness difference indices for simulation of multitarget and single-target detection. The color appearance simulation uses the CIECAM97s color appearance model. Results show that for multitarget detection, the wave-band pair of (454 nm, 578 nm) is able to differentiate all six chicken conditions. For single-target detection of wholesome, air-sac, cadaver, and tumor, the wave-band pairs of (449 nm, 571 nm), (441 nm, 576 nm), (458 nm, 576 nm), and (431 nm, 501 nm), respectively, easily distinguish the target condition from the other five conditions. For single-target detection of IP and septox, the wave-band pairs of (454 nm, 591 nm) and (454 nm, 590 nm), respectively, are able to differentiate the target conditions from wholesome and tumor conditions but have difficulty with the other chicken conditions. The two-color-mixing technique shows promise for use in small-scale processing plant environments to improve the visual inspection process.