Biswas Debabrata

University of Maryland, College Park | UMD, UMCP, University of Maryland College Park · Dept. of Animal Sc.; Center for Food Safety and Security Systems

Due to consumer demand, many conventional poultry farms are now growing poultry without antibiotics or synthetic chemicals. In addition to this, pasture/organic poultry farms have increased significantly in the USA, and they are also antibiotic- and chemical-free. According to recent reports, both antibiotic-free conventional and pasture poultry fa...

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) outbreaks have been frequently linked to the consumption of produce. Furthermore, produce grown on organic farms possess a higher risk, as the farmers avoid antibiotics and chemicals. This study sets out to evaluate the effectiveness of advanced postharvest disinfection processes using berry pomace extracts...

Salmonella enterica (S. enterica) is the most common food and waterborne pathogen worldwide. The growing trend of antibiotic-resistant S. enterica poses severe healthcare threats. As an alternative antimicrobial agent, bacteriophage-encoded endolysins (endolysins) are a potential agent in controlling S. enterica infection. Endolysins are enzymes th...

Mixed crop livestock farming (MCLF) is a growing practice in organic farming where livestock and crops are grown near each other to promote environmental sustainability through recycling. However, MCLF livestock are reservoirs of many zoonotic pathogens, such as Staphylococcus spp., and can serve as sources of cross‐contamination for plant food pro...

The incidence of gastrointestinal illness attributable to Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (ST) remains a concern for public health worldwide, as it can progress into systemic infections mediated by the type-three secretion system (T3SS), which allows for adherence and invasion to intestinal epithelial cells. The current study evaluates the...

Shiga toxin (stx), produced by enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) or Shigella, causes hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in humans. EHEC-mediated illnesses are recommended to treat by immune supportive strategies, instead of antibiotic therapy. Widely used probiotic Lactobacillus casei produces many bioactive metabolites, i.e., conjugated linol...

Microbial ecology on integrated crop–livestock farms (ICLFs) can impact food safety through pathogen transfer between animals and crops. Recent reports of pathogen-contaminated products sold in local organic retail, roadside, and farmers markets highlight the need for assessment of the ecological patterns of bacterial pathogens. This study investig...

Simple Summary In this study, the utilization of citrus oil (CO) as a natural antimicrobial solution to address bacterial diseases in poultry farming was examined, with a focus on pullorum disease and fowl typhoid in wooden chips employed as floor materials. With a decline in antibiotic use in poultry leading to a resurgence of bacterial infections...

Certified organic production prohibits chemical fertilizer use but permits the application of biological soil amendments of animal origin (BSAAOs) to croplands for fertilizing soil. For fresh produce likely to be consumed uncooked, the United States Department of Agriculture National Organic Program (USDA-NOP) stipulates a 90-day withholding period...

Implementation of organic/pasture farming practices has been increasing in the USA regardless of official certification. These practices have created an increasingly growing demand for marketing safe products which are produced through these systems. Products from these farming systems have been reported to be at greater risk of transmitting foodbo...

Campylobacter is one of the most common foodborne bacterial pathogens causing illness, known as campylobacteriosis, in the United States. More than 70% of the campylobacteriosis cases have direct or indirect relation with poultry/poultry products. Currently, both conventional and organic/pasture poultry farmers are searching for sustainable alterna...

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (ST) remains a predominant zoonotic pathogen because of its colonization in poultry, survivability in the environment, and increasing antibiotic-resistance pattern. Plant-derived phenolics, gallic acid (GA), protocatechuic acid (PA), and vanillic acids (VA) have demonstrated antimicrobial activity in vitro; t...

The world population is growing rapidly and thus its demand for food is growing as well. To meet the demand of the ever-increasing number of consumers, the poultry industry and both of its main sectors-conventional and organic/cage-free farming-are expanding in parallel. Due to increasing demand of poultry products and higher mortality rate of chic...

Ruminants are the largest reservoir for all types of Escherichia coli, including the pathogenic ones, which can potentially be transmitted to humans via the food chain and environment. A longitudinal study was performed to estimate the prevalence and antibiotic-resistant pattern of pathogenic E. coli (pE.coli) strains in dairy farm environments. A...

Salmonella enterica (S. enterica) is the most common foodborne pathogen worldwide, leading to massive economic loss and a significant burden on the healthcare system. The primary source of S. enterica remains contaminated or undercooked poultry products. Considering the number of foodborne illnesses with multiple antibiotic resistant S. enterica, n...

Rumen is one of the richest microbial ecosystems naturally harboring many zoonotic pathogens. Controlling the colonization of cattle originated zoonotic pathogens in rumen, particularly enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), is critical in reducing foodborne enteric diseases in humans. In this study, we aimed to inhibit the growth of EHEC in a...

Salmonella enterica (SE) is a major foodborne bacterial pathogen in the United States, commonly found as the normal flora of various animals that is attributed to causing at least 1.2 million infections annually. Poultry plays a major role in disseminating SE through direct contact with live animals and consumption of contaminated products. Vaccina...

Probiotics in fermented foods or commercially available supplements benefit the host by providing metabolites and peptides. The production of these metabolites varies with the available substrates or prebiotics present in the system and their concentration. In this study, 0.5% peanut flour (PF) was used to stimulate the growth and production of met...

As a traditional agricultural system, integrated crop-livestock farms (ICLFs) involve the production of animals and crops in a shared environment. The ICLFs in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States practice sustainable manure aging or composting processes to provide an on-farm source of soil amendment for use as natural fertilizer and soil c...

Enhancing extracellular metabolic byproducts of probiotics is one of the promising strategies to improve overall host health as well as to control enteric infections caused by various foodborne pathogens. However, the underlying mechanism of action of those metabolites and their effective concentrations are yet to be established. In this study, we...

The excessive secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, uncontrolled cell proliferation, and dysbiosis in gut intestinal microbiota are involved in tumorigenesis and progression of colorectal cancer. Probiotics secrete various functional metabolites that maintain intestinal microflora balance and improve the host's gut health. This study defines the...

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium (ST) remains a major infectious agent in the USA, with an increasing antibiotic resistance pattern, which requires the development of novel antimicrobials capable of controlling ST. Polyphenolic compounds found in plant extracts are strong candidates as alternative antimicrobials, particularly phenolic acids...

In this study, the effect of sustainable probiotics on Campylobacter jejuni colonization and gut microbiome composition was evaluated using chicken as a model organism. Chickens were given Lactobacillus casei over-expressing myosin-cross-reactive antigen (LC + mcra ). LC + mcra can generate bioactive compounds in larger quantity including conjugate...

The human forearm skin microbiome ecosystem contains rich and diverse microbes, which are influenced by environmental exposures. The microbial representatives can be exchanged between human and environment, specifically animals, by which they share certain or similar epidermal microbes. Livestock and poultry are the microbial sources that are assoc...

Modulation of the gut microbiota with feed and/or feed additives has become a promising and important strategy for the improvement of animal/human health and performance in recent years. Indeed, host genetics, age, infection/inflammation, exposure to antibiotics, and diet are the main factors involved in the composition of the host intestinal micro...

The bioactive ingredients in commonly consumed foods include, but are not limited to, prebiotics, prebiotic‐like components, probiotics, and postbiotics. The bioactive ingredients in functional foods have also been associated with beneficial effects on human health. For example, they aid in shaping of gut microflora and promotion of immunity. These...

The growing threat of emergent multidrug-resistant enteric bacterial pathogens, and their adopted virulence properties are directing to find alternative antimicrobials and/or development of dietaries that can improve host gut health and/or defense. Recently, we found that modified Lactobacillus casei (Lc + CLA) with increased production of conjugat...

Organic farming, including integrated crop-livestock farms and backyard farming, is gaining popularity in the United States, and products from these farms are commonly sold at farmers' markets, local stores, and roadside stalls. Because organic farms avoid using antibiotics and chemicals and because they use composted animal waste and nonprofession...

This book provides a comprehensive examination of the role of gut microbiome/microflora in nutrition, metabolism, disease prevention and health issues, including farm animal health and food value, and human gastrointestinal health and immunity. Indigenous microbiotas, particularly the gut microflora/microbiome, are an essential component in the mod...

Probiotics are recognized for outcompeting pathogenic bacteria by competitive receptor-mediated colonization and secretion of functional metabolites which are antimicrobial against certain microbes as well as improving host’s gut health and immunity. Recently, we have constructed a bioactive Lactobacillus casei (LC) strain, LC+mcra, by inserting mc...

Background: Majority of enteric infections are foodborne and antimicrobials including antibiotics have been used for their control and treatment. However, probiotics or prebiotics or their combination offer a potential alternative intervention strategy for improving the host health and preventing foodborne pathogen colonization/infections in reser...

BACKGROUND Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is still a major foodborne bacterial infectious agent in the USA and causes both diarrheal disease and hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). As antibiotic therapy is not an option, appropriate antimicrobial or inhibitor against EHEC colonization/infections is urgently needed. OBJECTIVE Develop an app...

afety and Practice for Organic Food covers current food safety issues and trends. It provides detailed information on all organic and pasture practices including produce-only, farm-animal-only or integrated crop-livestock farming, as well as the impact of these practices on food safety and foodborne infections.

Development of phage-resistant probiotic particularly Lactobacillus is an alternative approach to enhance their beneficial effects as in animal feed supplements. In this study, we developed phage-resistant Lactobacillus plantarum (LP +PR ) mutant and compared their antimicrobial effects and probiotic potential against zoonotic bacterial pathogens i...

The presence of biomaterials and devices implanted into soft tissue is associated with development of a foreign body response (FBR), a chronic inflammatory condition that can ultimately lead to implant failure, which may cause harm to or death of the patient. Development of FBR includes activation of macrophages at the tissue-implant interface, gen...

Porphyromonas gingivalis (P.g), a major causative agent of periodontitis, has been linked to atherosclerosis, a chronic inflammatory vascular disease. Recent studies have suggested a link between periodontitis and arterial stiffness, a risk factor for atherosclerosis. However, the mechanisms by which P.g infection contributes to atherogenesis remai...

Current rising trend in the demand for white meat, particularly poultry and poultry products, is partly responsible for a significant number of foodborne infections or outbreaks worldwide. With the inadequacy of legislation alone to prevent foodborne disease outbreaks, a greater responsibility lies with the poultry industry for producing a microbio...

Campylobacter jejuni (CJ) is one of the predominant causative agents of acute gastroenteritis in the US and other developed countries. It causes campylobacteriosis through consumption of raw and undercooked poultry and poultry products. Probiotics and their metabolites such as conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) play crucial role in improving host hea...

Probiotics, particularly lactic acid bacteria, are biologic agents which limit the growth, virulence, and survival/colonization of various enteric bacterial pathogens and serve as potential alternatives to antibiotics. Mechanisms that contribute to this antimicrobial effect include producing bioactive metabolites/acids, increasing nutrient and rece...

Antibiotic resistance is attributed to the misuse or overuse of antibiotics in agriculture, and antibiotic resistance genes can also be transferred to bacteria under environmental stress. In this study, we report a unidirectional alteration in antibiotic resistance from susceptibility to increased resistance. Highly sensitive Salmonella enterica se...

Antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) are frequently used to enhance weight-gain in poultry production. However, there has been increasing concern over the impact of AGP on the emergence of antibiotic resistance in zoonotic bacterial pathogens in the microbial community of the poultry gut. In this study, we adopted mass-spectrophotometric, phylogeneti...

Probiotics, prebiotics, or a combination of these two referred to as synbiotics, have emerged as a promising natural and alternative approach to make the sustainable animal farming. Previously, we reported that in the presence of prebiotic like components such as peanut flour, Lactobacillus produced more metabolites and inhibited several enteric pa...

This study was designed to determine the effects of bioactive phenolics (BPE) extracted from blackberry (Rubus fruticosus) and blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) byproducts/pomaces on Campylobacter jejuni colonization in broiler cecum. We raised a total of 120 Cobb-500 broiler chicks in duplicate trials up to 3 weeks to determine the effect of BPE on...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that financial losses from foodborne illnesses, including medical costs and losses in productivity, range from $500 million to $2.3 billion annually. Most studies have investigated only major and mostly known foodborne pathogen prevalence, such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, pathogenic E...

The therapeutic roles of phenolic blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) and blackberry (Rubus fruticosus) pomace (commercial byproduct) extracts (BPE) and their mechanism of actions were evaluated against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Five major phenolic acids of BPE, e.g., protocatechuic, p. coumaric, vanillic, caffeic, and gallic...

Biofilm formation genes and primers for MRSA.

Campylobacter spp. are frequently isolated from dairy cows as commensal organisms. Sporadic Campylobacter infections in humans in the United States are generally attributed to poultry, but outbreaks are also commonly associated with dairy products, particularly unpasteurized or raw milk. Bulk tank milk samples and milk filters from US dairy operati...

Transmission and colonization of poultry pathogens and infectious diseases can be controlled, and the colonization of major zoonotic pathogens in the poultry can be minimized, through better farm safety management, phytosanitary measures and a pre-harvest Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system. Such safety management practice can...

As a major source of microbes and their numerous beneficial effects, the gut microflora/microbiome is intimately linked to human health and disease. The exclusion of enteric pathogens by these commensal microbes partially depends upon the production of bioactive compounds such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA...

Bovine mastitis is a costly disease in the dairy industry that does not always respond to antibiotic treatment. The major components of terpeneless, cold-pressed Valencia orange oil, citral, linalool, decanal, and valencene, were examined as potential alternative treatments for Staphylococcus aureus associated mastitis. The minimum inhibitory conce...

This study investigated the ecological distribution of zoonotic bacterial pathogen, Campylobacter, in mixed crop-livestock (MCL) farms compared to conventional farms and their products at pre- and post-harvest levels. A total of 222 Campylobacter isolates were identified. At pre-harvest level, a total of 1287 samples from seven MCL farms, four conv...

This experiment examined the effects of cold-pressed, terpeneless citrus-derived oil (CDO) on growth of Staphylococcus aureus, which a major cause of contagious bovine mastitis, and invasion of bovine mammary cells (MAC-T). To determine minimum inhibitory concentration, we used the broth dilution method, using CDO concentrations range from 0.0125 t...

Major concern in the Mixed Crop-Livestock (MCL) farms, in which livestock and vegetables grown closely in the same facility, is cross-contamination of zoonotic bacterial pathogens especially Salmonella. To investigate the distribution of Salmonella serovars in MCL and their products, a total of 1,287 pre-harvest samples from various farms and 1,377...

We investigated the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus and multidrug including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in poultry retail meat samples from the Maryland-Washington DC metro area. A total of 24 S. aureus isolates were recovered from 96 whole poultry carcass samples and the prevalence of S. aureus were 25.0%, 14.29%, and 33.3% in retai...

This study was designed to assess the role of bacteriophage P22 in the adhesion, invasion, intracellular survival of, and cellular immune response to Salmonella Typhimurium in intestinal epithelial INT-407 and chicken macrophage-like HD11 cells. The ability of S. Typhimurium to adhere, invade, and survive to INT-407 and HD11cells was evaluated unde...

This study was designed to characterize the role of P22 in the intracellular survival and pro-inflammatory responses in Salmonella-infected chicken macrophage-like HD11 cells. The intracellular survival of Salmonella Typhimurium was evaluated in the presence or absence of P22 at 24 h postinfection (hpi). The production of inflammatory mediators, in...

Fowl typhoid and pullorum disease, caused by Salmonella enterica serovars Gallinarum biovars Salmonella Gallinarum (S. Gallinarum) and Salmonella Pullorum (S. Pullorum), remain large threat to the organic poultry industry. These infections are serious threats to poultry health and overall flock viability especially at their early age. These avian p...

The development of antibiotic resistant pathogens has resulted from the use of sub-therapeutic concentrations of antibiotics delivered in poultry feed. Furthermore, there are a number of consumer concerns regarding the use of antibiotics in food animals including residue contamination of poultry products and antibiotic resistant bacterial pathogens...