Anti-HAV Polyclonal antibody

In this work, novel active edible films having antiviral activity were developed through the solvent casting method. Emulsified edible films were prepared by adding lipids into alginate films in order to improve their water vapour permeability. In addition, two natural extracts rich in phenolic compounds, specifically a green tea extract (GTE) and a grape seed extract (GSE) were used as active agents. Interestingly, incorporating GTE or GSE within the biopolymer matrix, the films exhibited significant antiviral activity against murine norovirus (MNV) and hepatitis A virus (HAV) since similar to 2 log reduction were recorded for the 0.75 g extract/g alginate in the film, being GTE more efficient than GSE. Furthermore, the incorporation of phenolic compounds imparted antioxidant capacity to the active films, showing 14.79 +/- 0.25 and 3.50 +/- 0.25 mM Trolox. g extract in the film(-1) for 0.75 GTE and 0.75 GSE films, respectively. It was also found that water barrier efficiency improved upon addition of the highest amount of GTE or GSE (1:0.75 alginate:extract ratio) which was ascribed to molecular interactions between the films' components, as demonstrated by infrared spectroscopy assays. These results reveal the potential of these active films, mainly the ones containing GTE, to improve food quality and safety. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The apparent international rise in foodborne virus outbreaks attributed to fresh produce and the increasing importance of fresh produce in the Australian diet has led to the requirement to gather information to inform the development of risk management strategies. A prevalence survey for norovirus (NoV) and hepatitis A virus (HAV) in fresh Australian produce (leafy greens, strawberries and blueberries) at retail was undertaken during 2013-2014 and data used to develop a risk profile. The prevalence of HAV in berries and leafy greens was estimated to be < 2%, with no virus detected in produce during the yearlong survey. The prevalence of NoV in fresh strawberries and blueberries was also estimated to be < 2% with no virus detected in berries, whilst for leafy greens the NoV prevalence was 2.2%. Prevalence of a bacterial hygiene indicator, Escherichia coli, was also investigated and found to range from < 1% in berries to 10.7% in leafy greens. None of the NoV positive leafy green samples tested positive for E. coli, indicating it is a poor indicator for viral risk. The risk was evaluated using standard codex procedures and the Risk Ranger tool. Taking all data into account, including the hazard dose and severity, probability of exposure, probability of infective dose and available epidemiological data, the risk of HAV and NoV foodborne illness associated with fresh Australian berries (strawberries and blueberries) sold as packaged product was deemed to be low. The risk of foodborne illness from HAV associated with leafy greens was also deemed to be low, but higher than that for fresh berries, due mainly to the potential for recontamination post-processing if sold loose. The risk of foodborne illness from NoV associated with leafy greens was deemed to be low/moderate. Despite the prevalence of NoV in leafy greens being low and the inability to discriminate between infective and non-infective virus using PCR based methodologies, the fact that NoV was detected resulted in a higher risk associated with this pathogen-product pairing; compounded by the higher prevalence of NoV within the community compared to HAV, and the potential for leafy greens to become contaminated following processing if sold loose.