This article is intended as a summary of official NSFC (National Natural Science Foundation of China) data on the application, appraisal and funding of projects in the filed of food science in 2011. Differences in the number of applied projects, application agents, applicants, age, etc are compared among the general program, fund for young scholars and fund for less developed regions in this field during 2010-2011 and statistical analysis is performed on the results of peer review of project innovation. Meanwhile, some problems existing in project application are briefly discussed. All these efforts will help relevant administrative personnel and applicants in understanding the current domestic situation of food science research and grasping the development trend and direction of food science, thus providing guidance on the application of 2012 annual NSFC-funded projects.

In this study, acid-soluble collagen (ASC) and pepsin-soluble collagen (PSC) were extracted from grass carp scale and molecularly characterized. Meanwhile, a preliminary investigation into their self-assembly behavior in vitro was carried out along with a comparison with porcine skin collagen(PC). ASC, PSC and porcine skin collagen were all type Ⅰcollagens and showed a high similarity in molecular weight and secondary structure but a difference in amino acid composition. The results of turbidity tests indicated that all the collagens exhibited behavior in vitro under the appropriate temperature and pH. The process of self-assembly consisted of lag, rapid rise and plateau phases and their occurrence times were affected by medium pH. Under the same conditions, the self-assembly degree of porcine skin collagen was highest, followed by PSC and ASC. Environmental temperature, collagen concentration and thermal denaturation temperature had different effects on the self-assembly behavior in vitro of PSC.

An investigation into the molecular mechanisms of interaction between angiotensinⅠ-converting enzyme (ACE) and each of four typical ACE-inhibitory peptides derived from milk proteins, KVLPVP (Lys-Val-Leu-Pro-Val-Pro), YKVPQL (Tyr-Lys-Val-Pro-Gln-Leu), VYPFPG (Val-Tyr-Pro-Phe-Pro-Gly), and IASGQP (Ile-Ala-Ser-Gly-Gln-Pro) was carried out using the flexible molecule docking technology to determine the action sites, types of intermolecular force and interaction energy between them. It was shown that hydrogen bond, hydrophobic, hydrophilic and electrostatic interactions and coordinate bond (Zn2+) existed between the active pockets of ACE and each of the studied ACE-inhibitory peptides, which were together responsible for maintaining the conformational stability of the complexes. The key amino acid residues in the active pockets were His 353, Ala 354, Ser 355, Ala 356, Glu 384, Glu 411, Pro 519, Arg 522 and Tyr 523 and the key groups in the small peptides N-terminal amino groups, carbonyl groups of peptide bonds, C-terminal carboxyl groups. The ACE-inhibitory peptides could be ranked in increasing order of interaction energy between ACE and each of them as follows: KVLPVP, YKVPQL, VYPFPG, and IASGQP. As a consequence, their binding with ACE decreased and the IC50 values increased in the same order.

The effects of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) (600 MPa, 0－10 min) on microorganism inactivation and quality of strawberry nectar were investigated. HHP treatment for 4 min was sufficient to inactivate total aerobic bacteria, molds and yeasts in strawberry nectar without significantly influencing the total soluble solid, pH, titratable acidity, color, total phenols and antioxidant activity of strawberry nectar (P ＞ 0.05). However, the contents of vitamin C and anthocyanins in HHP-treated strawberry nectar were significantly decreased by 9.2% and 20.6% respectively. Moreover, the esters in strawberry nectar were significantly decreased and the alcohols increased (P ＜ 0.05) after HHP treatment, but the aroma quality of strawberry nectar was better retained.

This paper is concerned with the influences of cross-linking (with epichlorohydrin) alone, esterification (with succinic anhydride) alone, and different sequences of their combinations on mechanical and optical properties of corn starch-based films. The results showed that with increasing cross-linking degree, the tensile strength (TS) of the films gradually increased, whereas the elongation at break (E) and transmittance gradually declined. Likewise, increasing esterificaiton degree led to a stepwise increase in the E value and transmittance of corn starch-based films and a decline in the TS value. In addition, different sequence combinations of cross-linking and esterification and amounts of modification agents had obvious influence on mechanical and optical properties of corn starch-based films. This study demonstrates that reasonable modifications can effectively improve properties of corn starch-based films for applications.

The effect of different sequence combinations of dynamic high-pressure microfluidization (DHPM) and transglutaminase (TGase) cross-linking on gel properties of soybean protein isolate (SPI) was investigated in the present study. The results showed that with increasing DHPM pressure and treatment number, gel strength of SPI samples that had been cross-linked by TGase tended to at first rise and then fall. Similarly, gel strength of SPI samples that had been treated by DHPM also revealed a trend to at first rise and then fall with increasing temperature and hydrolysis time but kept rising with increasing substrate concentration and TGase/substration ratio.

According to national standard methods, meat quality characteristics including eating quality, nutritional quality and technological quality of Beijing black pigs were determined to analyze the difference between the meat of the pig breed and common pork. The results showed that the color score of black pigs,meat was 5.85 ± 1.63, the cooked meat percentage(75.79 ± 1.85)%, and the shear force (5638 ± 64.20) N. The contents of mineral elements such as Ca, Mg, Zn and Cu were 16.9, 85.9, 11 mg/kg and 0.35 mg/kg, respectively. The saturated fatty acids (C14:0, C16:0, C18:0 and C20:0) and unsaturated fatty acids were 42.24% and 46.64%, respectively. The essential, non-essential, and total amino acids were 9.42, 12.82 g/100 g and 22.23 g/100 g, respectively. In addition, the EAA/TAA and EAA/NEAA were 42.35% and 73.46%, respectively. In conclusion, the color of black pigs, meat is redder than that of common pork. The meat of the pig breed with good cooked meat percentage and shear force as well as rich in mineral elements, vitamin, amino acids and fatty acids, has great potential for the exploitation of meat with high economic value.

The contents of total soluble solids (TSS), reducing sugar, vitamin C and proteins as well as the activities of peroxidase (POD) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) in three kinds of waxy corns with different maturities were determined by SPME/GC-MS to evaluate the effect of maturity on the quality and flavor of waxy corn. The results revealed a significant difference in the quality and flavor of waxy corn with different maturities. Quality index exhibited a fluctuated change and the contents of aroma components exhibited a decreasing trend due to increasing maturity. Totally 46 volatile compounds in Yutiannuo, 33 in Yukenuo, and 47 in Yunuo 3000 were detected. The major aroma components were terpenes and alcohols, altogether accounting for more than 50%. The maximum content of volatile compounds was detected in the fourth maturity period.

This study was performed to investigate the effect of different additives such as chitosan, carboxymethyl chitosan, polyethylene pyrrole (PVPP) and gelatin on the contents of tannins, VC and flavonoids and SOD activity in Rosa roxburghii Tratt. (Cili pear) juice. Besides, the effect on the thermal stability of VC and flavonoids and SOD activity in the juice was also examined. The results indicated that chitosan had an excellent tannin removal effect with a removal rate of 66.40% when added to Cili pear juice at a concentration of 0.4 g/100mL. At the same concentration, carboxymethyl chitosan addition resulted in a removal rate of 52.40%. The tannin removal rates resulting from 0.5 g/100mL PVPP addition and 0.8 g/100mL gelatin addition were 61.30% and 54.40%, respectively. Moreover, chitosan improved the retention rates of VC and flavonoids, which were 96.86% and 97.55%, respectively at the concentration of 0.7 g/100mL, but had no significant effect on SOD activity (P ＞ 0.05). When each additive was added at the optimized concentrations individually, heating at 45 ℃ for 6 h resulted in an increase in the retention rates of VC and flavonoids and SOD activity than at the same temperature for 50 h and at 100 ℃ for 30 min. Further, carboxymethyl chitosan showed a better retention of VC in Cili pear juice after heating at 45 ℃ for 6 h than other three additives, reaching 72.88% (P ＜ 0.05). The retention rates of flavonoids and SOD activity of chitosan treatment group were 96.44% and 78.26% (P＜ 0.05), respectively, and of SOD activity of carboxymethyl chitosan treatment group 78.95% (P＜ 0.05).

Two neutral polysaccharides (GDPs-1 and GDPs-2) and one acidic polysaccharide (GDPs-3) were separated and purified from water-soluble crude polysaccharide from the leaves of Gynura davaricata (L.) DC. by D315 resin column and subsequent Sephadex G-25 gel column chromatography. GPC analysis showed that the average molecular weights of GDPs-1, GDPs-2 and GDPs-3 were 1.06 × 104, 4.17 × 103 D, and 3.74 × 103 D with a purity of 94.08%, 92.3% and 99.8%, respectively. Infrared spectra preliminarily confirmed that the purified fractions were polysaccharides. GDPs-1 was characterized as α- and β-configuration, and GDPs-2 and GDPs-3 asα-configuration. Nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) results further proved that the polysaccharides contained only α-configuration. In conclusion, all these investigations can provide reference data for further studies on structural characterization and bioactivity of Gynura davaricata polysaccharides.

In this paper, we report the results of experiments intended to reveal the effect of germination on functional properties of soybean protein isolate (SPI). SPI from germinated soybean seeds at different stages of germination was prepared using the method of alkaline extraction and subsequent acid precipitation, and then determined for functional properties. Our results showed that solubility, foaming properties, emulsifying properties and water-holding capacity of SPI extracted from germinated soybean seeds were all better than those of SPI extracted from non-germinated ones. Furthermore, SPI from germinated soybean seeds with 1 cm long sprouts was observed to have the best functional properties. The results from SDS-PAGE indicated that most hydrophobic amino acids of 7S globulin were exposed on the surface due to being easily hydrolyzed by endogenous protease, improving functional properties of SPI.

The scavenging activities of 9 common flavonoid compounds against reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), superoxide anion ion radicals (O2－ ·) and peroxynitrite radicals (ONOO－ ·) were assayed in vitro. Also, their first-order dissociation constants were determined spectrophotonmtrically. Of the investigated flavonoid compounds, flavonols had the strongest scavenging activity against three kinds of ROS, and flavanones and isoflavones had no obvious scavenging effect on them. A significant negative correlation was achieved between the scavenging activities against O2－ · and ONOO－ ·and first-order dissociation constants of the investigated flavonoids.

The total gypenoside contents of Gynostemma pentagynum Z. P. Wang in three habitats such as Wulingyuan, Jishou and Baojing were determined. The results showed that the differences between the highest and lowest contents of total gypenosides in the stems and leaves of the plant from the different habitats were 17.3 folds and 14.2 folds, respectively. For each habitat, the contents of total gypenosides in the stems and leaves revealed an increasing trend with prolonged seasonal growth period. In addition, the contents of total gypenosides in the leaves of G. pentagynum Z. P. Wang were higher than those in the stems during different growth periods.

Water-soluble proteins were extracted from tartary buckwheat grains by salting out with ammonium sulfate and purified by DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow chromatography. Optimal conditions for the salting out and DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow chromatographic separation of water-soluble proteins were determined. The results of experiments on bile salt adsorption in vitro demonstrated that the obtained water-soluble proteins had hypolipidemic effect. Besides, the best results of the elution of water-soluble proteins from DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow column were achieved using pH 6.5, 10 mmol/L phosphate buffer as eluent at a flow rate of 1.0 mL/min and room temperature. Peak 3 was shown to have the best bile salt adsorption ability among three separation peaks obtained.

Our previously reported work has shown that one-step enzymatic hydrolysis with neutral and alkaline proteases allows the preparation of highly antioxidant goat,s milk casein hydrolysates. In this study, hydrolysis conditions for the preparation of goat,s milk casein hydrolysates by the method were optimized using uniform design based on radical scavenging activities against hydroxyl and DPPH free radicals. The results showed that hydrolysis for 24 h at 45 ℃, pH 7.5 and 60 g/kg substrate concentration with 4000 U/g neutral protease and 250 U/g alkaline protease proved optimal. The EC50 concentrations of the obtained hydrolysate for scavenging hydroxyl and ABTS+ · and chelating Fe2+ were 3.59, 158.72 times and 5.44 times higher than those of goat,s s milk casein, respectively. Moreover, this hydrolysate revealed stronger inhibitory effect on lipid peroxidation in linoleic acid model system and was equivalent to VE. The scavenging activities against hydroxyl, DPPH, superoxide anion and ABTS+ could not replace each other.

In order to reveal the effect of pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment on trehalose activity in waste brewing yeast cells, trehalose yield was determined under varying conditions of electric field intensity, pulse number and post-treatment standing time. The data obtained showed that PEF treatment at 0－50 kV/cm and 0－10 pulses decreased trehalose yield from brewing yeast cells at pH 3.0 and that trehalose yield from waste brewing yeast cells exhibited a gradual decrease when the post-treatment standing time was over 2 h, indicating that pulsed electric field activates trehalose, leading to the degradation of trehalose in brewing yeast cells.

An alpha-galactooligosaccharides (α-GOS) sample with a purity of 85%, as determined by HPLC, was prepared from chickpea (Cicer arietimun L.) seeds by ethanol extraction and activated carbon-celite column chromatographic purification. Its thermal stability, acid stability and Maillard reactivity were investigated. The results showed that the sample had good stability at high temperature. After 30 min of heating at 100 ℃, the residual rate of α-GOS was 94.27%, while that of sucrose was lower. Chickpea α-GOS also showed good stability under acidic conditions. At pH 3.0, the residual rate was 94.95%. In addition, the Maillard reaction degree of chickpeaα-GOS was lower than that of glucose. Under the same conditions, the browning level of chickpeaα-GOS after 3 h of reaction was 70.65% of that of glucose.

The stability of hypocrellin from the liquid-cultured mycelia of a strain of anamorph (ZH-5-1) from Shiraia bambusicola was evaluated based on changes in the spectrophotometric absorbance of hypocrellin solutions. The anti-tumor activity was tested by Resazurin assay using CHO, HeLa, HL-60 and A-549 cells. The results showed that the hypocrellin was stable in acidic condition and had good thermal and light stability. Commonly used oxidant H2O2 and reducing agent Na2SO3 had no obvious effect on hypocrellin stability. The stability of the hypocrellin could not be influenced by low concentrations of metal ions, but among all the tested metal ions, Mn2+, Cu2+ and Fe2+ had more destructive effect. The hypocrellin inhibited the growth of all the four tested tumor cells. Hypocrellin inhibition on the growth of CHO, HL-60, and A-549 cells was in dose-dependent manner with an IC50 of 0.47, 0.11 mg/mL and 0.22 mg/mL, respectively. In conclusion, mycelium hypocrellin of strain ZH-5-1 is a stable natural product with anti-tumor activity and thus will have potentially promising applications in practice.

The dilute sodium hydroxide-catalyzed synthesis of maltitol dodecenyl succinate from maltitol and dodecenly succinic anhydride was investigated with respect to anhydride solvents, drop-by-by addition rate of anhydride, reaction time and maltitol-to-anhydride molar ratio. The maximum product yield of 89.7% was obtained under the optimal reaction conditions: acetone was used to solve dodecenyl succinate; the time required to complete anhydride addition drop by drop was 1.5 h; and the whole reaction duration was 5 h at 35 ℃ and a maltitol-to-anhydride molar ratio of 2:1. Infrared spectral and mass spectrometric analyses revealed that the surface tension of 1 mg/mL aqueous solution of the synthesized maltitol dodecenyl succinate was 31.9 × 10-3 N/m, the foaming capacity 50%, the emulsification capacity 100% and the HLB 15.1.

The effects of different heating methods such as steaming, hot-water heating and microwave heating on gel properties of silver carp surimi were investigated in this paper. Using fractal analysis, the correlation between fish surimi gel characteristics and microstructure was also explored. The results showed that: (1) heating methods had a significant effect on microstructure and texture of fish surimi (P ≤ 0.05) and microwave heating could provide more uniform and compact structure; (2) heating methods had a significant effect on fractal dimension and pore diameter (P≤ 0.05), and the fractal dimension for silver carp surimi was determined to be 2.7－2.9 and the average pore diameter ranges from 0.1 to 0.3 μm; (3) larger fractal dimension and smaller pore equivalent diameter could provide higher hardness, chewiness, gel strength, breaking force, deformation and water retention. Therefore, fractal dimension and pore equivalent diameter can well reflect the microstructure of surimi.

Objective: To clarify the flavonoids and their antioxidant activities from the flowers of Mucuna sempervirens. Methods: High-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) and preparative HPLC were used to separate and purify the flavonoids. Their structural characterization was performed based on their physicochemical properties and spectral analysis. The antioxidant activities were evaluated by DPPH radical scavenging assay. Results: Eight compounds were isolated from the flowers of M. sempervirens, and identified as cyanidin3-O-6＇＇-O-α-rhamnopyranosyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (I), cyanidin3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (II), quercetin-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (III), dihydroquercetin (IV), kaempferol (V), 6-C-β-L-arabinopyranosyl-8-C-β-D-glucopyranosyl apigeni (VI), kaempferol-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-6)-β-D-galactopyranoside (VII), and kaempferol-3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-4)-β-D-glucopyranoside (VIII), respectively. The flavonoids I through V were the major antioxidant components with a dose-effect relationship. The flavonoids VI through VIII revealed lower antioxidant capacity. Conclusion: This study provides an insight into the flavonoid composition and their antioxidant activities in the flowers of Mucuna sempervirens.

A new ligand containing 1-phenyl-3-methyl-4-benzoyl-5-pyrazolone and α-alanine and its Ni (II) complex was synthesized by refluxing reaction. Their coordination structure and physicochemical properties were characterized using elemental analyzer, IR spectroscopy and UV spectroscopy, their antibacterial activity against Eschetichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was studied, and their toxicology and teratogenicity of the complex was tested towards KM white mice. The results indicated that the ligand in a keto-form structure could be turned into an enol-form structure after coordination. Both the ligand and its complex had certain antibacterial activity. However, the bacterial activity of the complex was obviously stronger than that of the ligand. Acute toxicity test showed that the complex was non-toxic. Moreover, micronucleus and teratogenicity tests were negative, suggesting that the complex is safe for mammals. Therefore, it is safe and feasible as a new antibacterial agent.

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of repeated freeze-thawing treatment on the antioxidant capacity of phycobiliprotein from Nostoc sphaeroides Ku ting. Phycobiliproteins extracted from Nostoc sphaeroides Ku ting with and without repeated freeze-thawing treatment were dissolved separately in double distilled water and pH 7.3, 50 mol/L dipotassium phosphate-sodium hydroxide buffer, resulting in four different samples: RFTPW, RFTPP, NRFTPW and NRFTPP, respectively. The antioxidant activity of the four samples was comparatively assessed by ABTS+ radical scavenging assay, FRAP assay and inhibition assay against erythrocyte hemolysis and lipid peroxidation both induced by H2O2. RFTPP was found to have greater inhibitory effects against ABTS+ radicals, erythrocyte hemolysis and lipid peroxidation than other three samples. Moreover, its ferric reducing activity was stronger. These results may be due to an increase in the dissolved phycobiliprotein caused by repeated freeze-thawing treatment, altering the ratio between phycocyanin and phycoerythrin.

In this study, an extension of our previous work in which we prepared a liquid smoke flavoring from hickory shells by high temperature pyrolysis, detarring, fractionation, extraction, and so on, the effect of adding the flavoring on sensory characteristics, texture and storage stability of low temperature sausage was investigated. The results showed that sensory evaluation of sausage was significantly improved by adding the flavoring at the dose of 0.2%. However, the flavoring had a negative effect on the texture of sausage, and 0.4% addition led to a significant reduction in the hardness, springiness and cohesiveness (P ＜ 0.05). In addition, the flavoring decreased the peroxide value significantly (P＜0.05), inhibited microbial growth (P＜0.05), and enhanced the storage stability.

Total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and total proanthocyanin content (TAC) were determined in the whole berries, juice and pomace of strawberry, blackberry and blueberry. Meanwhile, their total antioxidant capacity (trolox equivalent antioxdant capacity, TEAC) was analyzed by an improved ABTS+ radical scavenging assay. The results showed that blueberry contained the highest levels of TPC, TFC and TAC, which were 9.44 mg gallic acid/100g dry , 36.08 mg rutin/g and 24.38 catechin mg/g, respectively. Blueberry also possessed the strongest total antioxidant capacity with a TEAC (trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity) value at 14.98 mmol Trolox /100 g. In contrast, strawberry contained the lowest levels of TPC, TFC and TAC as well as the lowest total antioxidant capacity. For all the three varieties of berries, the pomace contained the most TPC, TFC and TAC and revealed the highest level of TEAC, followed by the whole berry and juice. In addition, a significant linear correlation between TPC and TEAC was observed with a correlation coefficient (r)of 0.9704, suggesting that phenolic compounds in berries were mostly responsible for their antioxidant activity.

During the germination process of chickpeas at 22 ℃ for 1－6 days, the changes in the contents of starch, soluble sugars, proteins, amino acids and antinutritional factors including total phenolic compounds and phytic acid were determined. Our results showed that during the germination process, the content of starch revealed a decreasing trend from the initial 42.60% to 30.45% on the 6th day. The content of soluble sugars decreased quickly from the initial 11.56% to 6.06% on the 2nd day, and then increased slowly to 7.80% on the 6th day. The content of protein increased from the initial 20.92% to 25.71% on the 6th day. Aspartic acid, glutamic acid and arginine were found to be the major amino acids in chickpeas with a low content of sulfur-containing amino acids such as methionine and cystine. During the germination process, the contents of aspartic acid, phenylalanine and tyrosine exhibited a significant increase, while methionine and cystine decreased remarkably. The content of total phenolics decreased from the initial 0.78‰ to 0.55‰ on the 6th day, and the content of phytic acid declined from the initial 1.29% to 0.67% on the 6th day. In conclusion, the germination of chickpea can result in a remarkable change of nutritional composition, and an obvious decrease of total phenolics and phytic acid, promoting the bioavailability of chickpeas.

The quality changes of a cultivar of Stizolobium cochinchinensis from Guangdong during the growth process were investigated to determine its appropriate harvest time. The results indicated that during the growth period (49 days) under investigation, whole bean moisture decreased progressively, crude protein content showed an increasing trend, the contents of free amino acids, crude fiber and soluble sugar first increased to the maximum values at 36 days after the full blossom period and then decreased, and the contents of crude fat, VC and L-dopa tended to first decrease and then increased. Crude protein content decreased, and soluble sugar content first decreased and then increased in the pod of the bean. In addition, the changing patterns of other nutrients investigated were substantially similar to those of the whole bean. At 36－44 days after the full blossom period, the bean was found be plump and highly nutritional, thus being suitable to be harvested.

Pomegranate is one of the major sources of polyphenoles and anthocyanins, which reveal high antioxidant activity. The contents of total anthocyanins and total polyphenols in pomegranate from 5 main varieties in China were determined, and their antioxidant activity was assessed by DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays, FRAP assay, ferrous ion-chelating assay.. The contents of total anthocyanins and total polyphenols were in the range of 3.54－13.89 mg/100 g and 38.89－68.28 mg/100 g fresh pomegranate arils, respectively. The scavenging rates against DPPH and ABTS radicals were 24.30%－45.73% and 58.02%－83.40%, respectively, the results of FRAP assay 0.38－0.78, and the results of ferrous ion-chelating assay 14.73%－70.60%. Of the cultivars investigated, Kashen red seed sour pomegranate had the most powerful antioxidant activity followed by Yu pomegranate.

One-factor-at-a-time combined with orthogonal array design method was used to investigate the effects of the main process parameters for the hydrolysis of porcine skin by alcalase on degree of hydrolysis and superoxide anion radical scavenging activity of porcine skin hydrolysates. The optimal hydrolysis conditions for maximizing superoxide anion radical scavenging activity of porcine skin hydrolysates were 4 h hydrolysis at pH 7.5, 55 ℃, an enzyme/substrate ratio of 6000 U/g and a substrate concentration. Under these conditions, the degree of hydrolysis of collagen proteins in porcine skin was 9.55%, and the superoxide anion radical scavenging activity of the obtained hydrolysates 60.11%. At diluted concentrations between 10 mg/mL and 50 mg/mL, the maximum DPPH radical scavenging rate of the hydrolysates was 95.06% with an IC50 of 3.89 mg/mL, and the maximum superoxide radical scavenging rate 65.89% with an IC50 of 16.43 mg/mL. Therefore, the collagen hydrolysates have excellent free radical scavenging capacities.

Kefir is a fermentation starter composed of Lactobacillus, Saccharomycetes, acetic acid bacteria and other microorganisms. Its fermentation products such as acids and alcohols can function to increase aroma and remove unpleasant odor. In the present study, the application of kefir to deodorize silver carp surimi was optimized using one-factor-at-a-time combined with orthogonal array design method based on gel strength of fish surimi and sensory score for fishy smell. The optimal conditions for deodorizing silver carp surimi by kefir were achieved by 60 min culture of kefir inoculated at a level of 2.0 g/100 mL at 26 ℃. Under the optimal deodorization conditions, the fishy smell value of silver carp surimi was 1.1 with a very light fishy smell. In addition, the gel strength and whiteness were 316.45 g ·cm and 62.65, respectively, similar to 317.46 g ·cm and 61.85 of the control. Therefore, it is feasible to deodorize silver carp surimi by kefir fermentation.

The effects of natural drying and hot-air drying on the composition of phenolic compounds in jujube and their antioxidant activity were investigated. The contents of total phenolics, total flavonoids and procyanidins, DPPH radical scavenging capacity and total antioxidant capacity were determined in dried jujube. The results showed that the content of phenolic acids revealed a significant decrease in dried jujube; no obvious change in the content of total flavonoids was observed during the drying of jujube; however, the content of procyanidins exhibited a significant increase after drying. The antioxidant activity of jujube was not correlated with the contents of total flavonoids or procyanidins, but highly correlated with the content of phenolic acids. In addition, hot-air drying and natural drying did not result in an obvious difference in the antioxidant activity of jujube. Due to the advantages of shorter drying time and dried products with strong aroma, hot-air drying is a recommended drying style for jujube.

A strain of yeast named as strain G0901 was isolated from romaine lettuce stem by streak plate method. Morphological characteristics, physiological and biochemical tests and 26S rDNA D1PD2 region sequence analysis revealed that it belonged to the species Wickerhamomyces anomalus. The major volatile compounds produced by the strain were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to be alkenes and alcohols, including limonene, myrcene, sabinene, α-pinene, ocimene, 3-methyl-1-butanol, phenylethyl alcohol and 2-octanol. The relative content of limonene was 20%, which has been found present in other aroma-producing microorganisms at lower levels. Thus, strain G0901 holds promise for efficient limonene production by microbial fermentation.

In this study, small yellow croaker meat was hydrolyzed by trypsin (PTN 6.0S) to prepare angiotensin-I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptides with high activity. Using one-factor-at-a-time method and response surface analysis (RSA), the optimal hydrolysis conditions for maximum ACE inhibitory rate of hydrolysates were determined as follows: pH 7.0, 50 ℃, 16.5 h hydrolysis time, 5.6 g/100 mL substrate concentration, and 9‰ enzyme/substrate ratio. The ACE inhibitory rate of the hydrolysate obtained under these conditions was determined by RP-HPLC to be 87.36%.

Objective: To explore the effect of pH, culture time and culture temperature on polypeptide accumulation in soybean during germination. Methods: Culture conditions optimization for maximizing polypeptide accumulation was performed using response surface methodology based on Box-Behnken experimental design. Results: All the investigated conditions were found to significantly affect the content of polypeptides during the germination process of soybean. Conclusion: The optimal conditions for the accumulation of polypeptides in germinated soybean were achieved after 6 days of culture at 29.0 ℃ in 5 mmol/L, pH 5.2 CBS buffer. The optimized culture resulted in a polypeptide content of 159.38 mg/g soybean, revealing a 3.83-fold increase in compared with non-germinated soybeans.

To investigate the physiological response of S. thermophilus grx02 to ciprofloxacin, the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of ciprofloxacin on S. thermophilus grx02 was determined. The growth curve and pH changes of S. thermophilus grx02 in MRS broth supplemented with 0, 1/2 MIC, 1/10 MIC and 1/50 MIC ciprofloxacin were determined. In addition to this, morphological observations under light microscope and transmittance electron microscope (TEM) were conducted, and key enzyme activities involved in intracellular lactose metabolism were assayed in the presence of ciprofloxacin. The results showed that the MIC of ciprofloxacin on S. thermophilus grx02 was 3.89μg/mL. The growth and acid production rate of S. thermophilus grx02 decreased significantly after addition of 1/2 MIC ciprofloxacin. The bacteria became semi-oval and the capsules became thin and compact after addition of different sub-MIC concentrations of ciprofloxacin. The activity of β-galactosidase and lactate dehydrogenase decreased obviously after addition of 1/2 MIC ciprofloxacin. After addition of 1/50 MIC ciprofloxacian, the β-galactosidase activity decreased but lactate dehydrogenase activity increased. In conclusion, our results showed that, under the stress of ciprofloxacin, S. thermophilus turned on some stress response system to inhibit cell division and lead to complex changes in the physiological mechanism.

Plackett-Burman design was adopted to screen 3 main factors out of 15 ones affecting the activity of β-galactosidase produced by Lactobacillus acidophilus CICC6075. Based on a Box-Behnken design involving 15 experiments of 3 variables at 3 levels, the interactive effects among the screened factors were analyzed by response surface methodology. Results showed that the most significant effects on the fermentation process were contributed by the factors of yeast extract powder, citric acid triamine and fermentation temperature. Their optimal values are determined as follows: temperature 36 ℃, yeast extract powder 6.22 g/L, and citric acid triamine 2.35 g/L. Under these conditions, the maximum enzyme activity reached 3.98 U/L, which was closed to the predicted value of 3.95 U/L and rudely 3 times higher than before optimization.

In the present study, silkworm pupae protein hydrolysates at different degree of hydrolysis were prepared with alcalase, papain, trypsin, and bromelain, respectively and their scavenging activity against DPPH, superoxide anion and hydroxyl free radicals and antihypertensive activity were comparatively determined, with the result that hydrolyzing silkworm pupae protein by alcalase to a degree of hydrolysis (DH) of 20% yielded a hydrolysate with better antixodiant and antihypertensive activities. Three main process conditions for the hydrolysis of silkworm pupae protein by alcalase, including temperature, pH and enzyme dosage were further optimized using response surface methodology. The results of response surface analysis indicated that temperature and enzyme dosage had a significant interactive effect on the hydrolysis of silkworm pupae protein and that the optimal hydrolysis conditions for achieving 20% DH and minimizing costs were 51.0 ℃, pH 9.05 and 0.38% enzyme/substrate ratio. Under these conditions, the experimental DH was 20.53%, with an error of less than 5% as compared with the predictive value, and the DPPH radical scavenging rate and ACE inhibitory rate of the obtained hydrolysate were 51.2% and 50.3%, respectively.

A total of 123 typical strains of actinomycetes were isolated from the air in fermentation workshop and Qu workshop, pit mud and fermented grains in several distilleries of Luzhou-flavor multiple-grains using modified Gogan-I medium. Their phylogenetic analysis was carried out based on 16S rRNA gene sequence. The results showed that the 123 strains belonged to 3 genera (Streptomyces, Massilia and Nocardiopsis), with Streptomyces being the dominant one (121 strains, accounting for 98.4% of the total isolated 123 strains). The 16S rRNA sequence similarity of the isolated 121 Streptomyces strains to those of the 26 typical strains published in Genbank was more than 98%, among which 45 strains were most closely related to the typical strains S. violascens ISP 5183T and distributed in 4 sample plots. Among the 4 sample plots, the richness index and diversity index was the highest in pit mud, and the dominance index was the highest in fermented grains. The similarity index among 4 sample plots was low and special species of actinomycetes existed in every plots.

Liquid whole duck egg was hydrolyzed by a special-purpose commercial multi-enzyme complex for the hydrolysis of animal proteins and then used to make duck egg sauce with the additions of soybean powder and wheat flour by koji fermentation. Mixed cultures containing Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger were employed for koji making. The koji-making conditions were optimized using orthogonal array design and neutral protease activity was measured during the process. The optimal koji-making conditions were determined to be: 30% (m/m) duck egg hydrolysate, 3:1 Aspergillus oryzae to Aspergillus niger ratio, and cultivation at 30 ℃ for 48 h. Under these conditions, the protease activity reached 1465.81 U/g dry material.

The existence ofβ-carotene in the fermentation broth of Rhodotorula was identified by HPLC, and its in vitro cleavage into retinol also known as vitamin A byβ-carotene 15,15＇-monooxygenase from chicken intestinal mucosa was studied. The optimum reaction conditions for converting 123 mg/Lβ-carotene concentrate were determined to be: pH 8.0, 3.5 mmol/L deoxycholate, 0.5 mmol/L d-α-tocopherol and 0.25 g/100 mL Tween-40. Under the optimum conditions, 7 h incubation of 2.58 nmol/(mg ·h )β-carotene 15,15＇-monooxygenase in 37 ℃ water bath with shaking produced 40.1 mg/L retinol, with a conversion yield of 32.6%.

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) was extracted from blueberry leaves with phosphate buffered saline (PBS), and then purified sequentially by selective thermal denaturation, dialysis, and Sephadex G-75 column chromatography. Purified protein with high SOD activity was finally lyophilized. The SDS-PSGE of purified protein showed two bands at 32 kD and 42 kD, respectively. UV scanning showed that the enzyme had two absorption peaks at 258 nm and 280 nm, respectively. Atomic absorption indicated that the enzyme contained Zn, Mn, and Fe. In summary, blueberry leaves contain three different types of SOD: Fe-SOD, Mn-SOD, and Cu/Zn-SOD.

PVA and sodium alginate were mixed to entrap Candida tropicalis cells. The effect of PVA concentration on phosphate tolerance, mechanical strength, morphology and xylitol production of the immobilized cell pellets was discussed. The results indicated that increasing PVA concentration could effectively improve phosphate tolerance of the immobilized cell pellets. All the cell pellets had good mechanical strength before fermentation, which dramatically decreased at lower PVA concentrations but showed good stability at the PVA concentration of 60 g/L, even after fermentation. Transmission scanning microscopic observations showed obvious rupture and holes as well as the resulting free cells on the surface of the immobilized cell pellets. The amount of free cells did not exhibit a decrease with increasing mechanical strength. Instead, the smallest amount of free cells was observed when PVA concentration was 50 g/L. Therefore, PVA concentration could greatly affect the distribution, morphology and xylitol production of Candida tropicalis cells. When PVA concentration was lower, mounting cells could be observed on the surface and in the center of the pellets in full round or oval shape. Increasing PVA concentration resulted in a decrease of the cell amount in the center of the pellets. When PVA concentration was higher than 60 g/L, the cells were mainly located in the outer layer with the aggregation and partially deformed cells in the caves. Xylose consumption and xylitol accumulation were also significantly affected by PVA concentration. When PVA concentration was in the range of 40－60 g/L, the yield of xylitol from xylose could reach up to 0.6 g/g in a slow xylose consumption manner.

Objective: The fermentation conditions for producing exopolysaccharides (EPS) by Lactobacillus plantarum 70810 were optimized. Methods: Plackett-Burman (PB) design was carried out to screen three major factors out of 14 ones that affect the production of EPS from Lactobacillus plantarum 70810. Further, the screened factors were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). Results: The production of EPS was significantly affected by sucrose concentration, inoculation amount and fermentation temperature. The optimal fermentation conditions were identified as sucrose concentration of 34 g/L, inoculation amount of 5% and fermentation temperature of 31 ℃, resulting in an EPS yield of 425.16 mg/L. Conclusion: It is feasible to apply PB design and RSM to optimize the fermentation conditions for the production of exopolysaccharides by Lactobacillus plantarum 70810.

In this study, the contents of total acids and amino nitrogen during the fermentation process of soybean paste at various salt contents and fermentation temperatures were investigated so as to find the optimal salt content and temperature. The results showed that 10% salt could effectively inhibit the growth of spoilage bacteria and shorten the fermentation period. Aside from this, the effect of stepwise temperature settings on soybean paste fermentation was evaluated in terms of changes in pH, total acids, tasty amino acids and key flavor compounds. It was found that fermentation for 20 days at 40 ℃ at first and then 30 days at 30 ℃ resulted in excellent product quality and the shortest fermentation period of only 50 days.

In this study, Bacillus subtilis was cultivated in a 5-liter fermentor to produce byγ-PGA by two different fermentation processes: batch fermentation and fed-batch fermentation. The results showed that increasing the agitation speed from 150 to 250 r/min could bring the yield ofγ-PGA to 30.86 g/L from 11.30 g/L in batch fermentation under ventilation conditions. Ventilation conditions and agitation at 250 r/min were also used in the fed-batch fermentation, and 50 mL of 200 g/L glucose was fed at a time when glucose concentration in fermentation broth was lower than 20 g/L, increasing the yield of γ-PGA to 52.20 g/L.

This study was performed to compare physicochemical properties of fermented sausages made using the traditional natural fermentation process alone and in combination of the additions of bromelain and transglutaminase together (modified process I) or both of them plus ZnSO4 (modified process II) as an inhibitor of bromelain. The results showed that: 1) with prolonged fermentation time, water content and pH of all the kinds of sausages prepared by different processes revealed a decrease trend; the contents of protein, TVB-N, amino nitrogen, fat and POV value exhibited a gradual increase trend; 2) the content of total protein in the two modified processes was lower than that the traditional process, whereas the TVB-N and amino nitrogen contents were higher than those in the traditional process; 3) the pH and protein content in the modified process II were higher than those in the modified process I, while the TVB-N and amino nitrogen contents were relatively lower; 4) no significant difference in the POV values of fermented sausages prepared using the three processes was observed.

Ginseng rice wine was developed based on the saccharification of steamed glutinous rice by liqueur koji and then fermentation by both red koji and cultured yeast from honeyberries with the addition of ginseng root powder. In order to achieve maximum overall sensory score for taste, aroma, color and undesired odor, the amounts of liqueur koji, red koji and cultured yeast from honeyberries were optimized using orthogonal array design. Meanwhile, the ginsenosides in the wine and fermentation substrates for it as a control were analyzed using 1H-NMR, UV and HPLC. The results indicated that cultured yeast from honeyberries and liqueur koji had a significant effect on the quality of the wine. The optimal fermentation conditions were achieved by adding 0.3 g/100 g liqueur koji to steamed glutinous rice for saccharification and then adding 25 g/100 mL ginseng root powder to saccharification liquid for fermentation by red koji and cultured yeast from honeyberries inoculated at 13 g/100 mL and 7 mL/100 mL, respectively. After the fermentation, six new peaks were observed and 3 original peaks were disappeared in HPLC. Totally 11 new absorption peaks were observed in the UV spectrum in the range of 280－320 nm. The integration of relative peak height in 9 chemical shift zones revealed obvious changes, suggesting the conversion of ginsenosides as a result of the fermentation.

Both internal and external bacteria floras in fresh chilled pork were analyzed and identified using selective medium, and their changes during the whole storage period of 8 days were also studied. Brochothrix thermosphact, Pseudomonas, Lactic acid bacteria, two strains of Enterobacteriaceae and a Staphylococcus were identified. B. thermosphact was the dominating spoilage bacteria of pallet packaged chilled pork. During the whole storage, Pseudomonas and Enterobacteriaceae had obvious growth and the microbes inside pork revealed faster growth than that of outside part.

A strain capable of producing γ-amino butyric acid (GABA), named as LpL-0212, was screened from pickled cabbage by a previously reported method for isolating and screening lactic acid bacteria. The strain was identified as Enterococcus faecium according to morphological observations, physiological and biochemical experiments, 16S rRNA sequence analysis, and atpA gene sequence analysis. Using quantitative thin layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography, the content of GABA was determined to be 102.37 μmol/L in the fermentation broth obtained after 24 h culture of the strain in TYG medium containing 2% monosodium glutamate.

The inoculated fermentation of potherb mustard by Leuconostoc mesenteroides (LM) alone, Lactobacillus plantarum (LP) alone and both of them and the natural fermentation were compared to understand the effect of inoculated fermentation on the quality of potherb mustard. Sensory characteristics and physicochemical properties were measured on naturally fermented and inoculated fermented potherb mustard. Meanwhile, their volatile composition was analyzed by steam distillation extraction coupled with GC-MS. The results showed that pure LM fermentation and LP fermentation was superior to natural fermentation. The highest relative contents of aldehydes and esters and the highest total volatiles content were determined in LP fermentation. In addition, the least loss of vitamin C and the strongest desalting capacity were observed. Therefore, LP fermentation is superior to the other two fermentation processes.

Inoculated fermentation, curing and air drying involved in the processing of fermented air-dried goose from whole goose carcass were optimized by one-factor-at-a-time and orthogonal array design method. The optimal fermentation conditions were determined as follows: fermentation for 36 h at 25 ℃ with an inoculum size of 1.5 × 107 CFU/g. The optimized product showed a pH of 5.23 and a shear force of 13.68 N. The sensory scores for its color, taste and smell, swallowing, chewiness and overall acceptability were 5.3, 5.9, 5.7, 5.9 and 5.9, respectively, Therefore, a high consumer acceptance was achieved.

In this study, the extraction of cell-envelope proteinase (CEP) from Lactobacillus acidophilus was optimized. A comparison of ultrasonic treatment, Ca2+-free treatment and lysozyme lysis for their effectiveness in Lactobacillus acidophilus cell disruption was performed to determine lysozyme lysis as the best method among the three. Further, process conditions optimization for CEP extraction from Lactobacillus acidophilus by lysozyme lysis was carried out using orthogonal array design based on one-factor-at-a-time experiments. The best extraction results were obtained by 3 h incubation at 37 ℃ of Lactobacillus acidophilus cells in pH 7.8 lysozyme lysis buffer containing 50 mmol/L Tris-HCl, 100 mmol/L NaCl, 1% TritonX-100 and 1.5 mg/mL lysozyme and then centrifugation at 4500 r/min and 4 ℃ for 20 min, and the resulting supernatant was collected as CEP. In addition, lysozyme concentration had the largest impact on extraction efficiency of CEP followed by pH, Tirton X-100 concentration and incubation time.

The methanol-induced expression of thermostableα-amylase in a recombinant Pichia pastoris strain with the thermostableα-amylase gene of Bacillus licheniformis that had been constructed in our previous work was investigated during shake flask cultivation. A 4-variable linear regression design was used to explore the effects of 4 main cultivation conditions such as induction time, methanol amount, pH and inoculation amount on the expressed activity of thermostableα-amylase. A regression model describing the relationship between them was established. It was found that the optimal fermentation conditions were 96 h cultivation at an inoculation amount of 150 mL/100mL and a shake speed of 200 r/min in the presence of 0.5% methanol, resulting in a thermostableα-amylase activity of 217.2 U/mL.

In order to breed a high-yield surfactin-producing strain, Bacillus subtilis fmbJ224 was used as the start strain and mutagenized sequentially with lithium chloride (LiCl), nitrosoguanidine (NTG), ethyl methane sulphonate (EMS) and streptomycin. The preliminary and secondary screening results showed that strain LN2-3 had high ability to produce surfactin, with a yield of 239.2 mg/L, which revealed a 44.56-fold increase compared with the original strain. Meanwhile, the strain had good genetic stability. This study demonstrates that the mutation rate of the original strain could be raised greatly by the combined use of LiCl and NTG.

Objective: To study the protective effect of polysaccharides from Pleurotus cornucopiae (PCNP) on CCl4-induced acute liver injury in mice. Methods: The mice were randomly divided into normal control group and CCl4-induced acute liver injury model group, bifendate treatment group (positive control, at 150 mg/(kg ·d)) and PCNP treatment group (400 mg/(kg ·d)). The administration of bifendate and PCNP was performed by gavage once a day for 30 days. After the last administration, the model, bifendate treatment and PCNP treatment groups were intragastrically given 1% CCl4 in salad oil solution at the dosage of 80 mg/kg to induce acute liver injury. At 24 h after the administration of CCl4, all the mice were sacrificed to assay antioxidant activities in the blood and liver. Meanwhile, hepatic histopathological changes were also examined. Results: The contents of MDA in the liver and serum AST, ALT and ALP activities revealed an obvious decrease in the PCNP treatment group when compared to the model group, while the contents of GSH and SOD activity in the liver exhibited an obvious increase. Conclusion: PCNP can improve pathological liver injury distinctly and protect against CCl4-induced acute liver injury in mice.

Objective: To evaluate the antioxidant and analgesic activities of total flavonoids from the root bark of Morus alba. Methods: The antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH and hydroxyl free radical scavenging assays using VC as reference standard, and the analgesia activity by acetic acid-induced writhing response, formaldehyde-induced feet-licking response, and heat-induced pain threshold in mice. Results: The total flavonoids had obvious scavenging activity in vitro against DPPH and hydroxyl free radicals. These compounds resulted in a notable decrease in acetic acid-induced writhing number and feet-licking number induced by heat or formaldehyde and consequently had alleviating effect on pain in mice induced by chemicals and inflammatory reaction. Conclusion: Total flavonoids from the root bark of Morus alba have obvious antioxidant and analgesic activities.

To investigate the antioxidant activity of polysaccharide isolated from Fritillaria ussuriensis Maxim (FUP-1) on senescent mice induced by D-galactose, mice were induced senescence by consecutive injection of D-galactose (500mg/kg/d)) once daily for 7 weeks and fed Vitamin E and different doses of F. ussuriensis polysaccharide. Antioxidant activity in liver and serum, and anti-aging activity in brain were measured. The results showed that the F. ussuriensis polysaccharide could significantly improve general appearance of the aging model mice. In comparison with the aging model group, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in serum, total anti-oxidative capacity (T-AOC) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities in liver of the two FUP-1 groups were increased and the malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in liver were decreased. FUP-1 treatment significantly decreased monoamine oxidase (MAO) activities of brain in D-galactose treated mice. In conclusion, FUP-1 has antioxidant activity on aging model mice and the mechanism may be related to the enhancement of activity of antioxidases and the reduction of lipid peroxidation.

In this study, we examined the protective effects of low-molecular-weight soybean polypeptides (LMWSPs) against gastric mucosal injury in mice induced by water-immersion restraint stress (WIRS) and anhydrous alcohol, respectively. A total of 60 clean male IRC mice were randomly assigned into 6 groups: normal group, model control group, positive drug control group (ranitidine ＋ VE), and high-, medium- and low-dosage LMWSP groups (administered at the dosages of 7.5, 5.0 g/(kg ·d) and 2.5 g/(kg ·d) once daily for 10 consecutive days, respectively). After the last administration, all the mice were killed to observe ulcer index and assay malondialdehyde (MDA) content in the liver, alanine transaminase (ALT) in the serum, and the levels of MDA and SOD in the gastric mucosa. The results showed that WIRS-induced and anhydrous alcohol-induced gastric mucosal injury models were set up in mice successfully. UI was significantly decreased in the high- and medium-dosage LMWSP and positive drug control groups compared with the model control groups (P ＜0.01) and the UI-reducing effect of LMWSPs was better at the high dosage and consequently followed a dose-dependent pattern. Meanwhile, both dosages of LMWSPs markedly decreased ALT activity in the liver and serum of mice with WIRS-induced gastric mucosal injury, and increased SOD activity and reduced MDA level in mouse gastric mucosa with anhydrous alcohol-induced injury. Based on these findings, we conclude that LMWSPs can function to protect against gastric mucosal injury in mice.

Objective: To determine the proliferation inhibitory and apoptosis-inducing effects of cinnamaldehyde on HL-60 cells. Methods: The proliferation inhibitory effect was evaluated using trypan-blue staining and MTT assay, and the apoptosis-inducing effect using flow cytometry, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Results: Cinnamaldehyde had an oblivious inhibitory effect on the proliferation of HL-60 cells with dependence upon its concentration and treatment time and the LC50, median lethal concentration was 34.87 μg/mL. The rate of apoptosis in HL-60 cells was 32.6 % after being treated with cinnamaldehyde at the dose of 20 μg/mL. for 16 h. Typical apoptotic morphological changes in the cells was observed under fluorescence microscopy, SEM and TEM. Conclusion: cinnamaldehyde cna notably inhibit the proliferation and induce the apoptosis of HL-60 cells.

In order to exploit the resource of Osmunda japonica Thunb, the composition of nutrients in wild and cultivated Osmunda japonica Thunb were comparatively analyzed by routine analytical analysis, ICP semi-quantitative analysis and automatic amino acid analyzer. A significant difference in the contents of chlorophyll and polysaccharides between both species was observed (P ＝0.006 and 0.002, respectively). The content of crude protein had a little difference between both species. In addition, the content of amino acids revealed irregular variations between both species. Moreover, a variety of mineral elements such as Fe, Zn, Mn and Cu in Osmunda japonica Thunb were detected. The contents of K and P elements in wild Osmunda japonica Thunb were higher than those in cultivated species, while the content of S was the opposite.

Objective: To observe the enhancing effect of eating General Nutritional Supplement (GNS, a complete nutritional formulated cereal-based food) for one month on the physical condition, nutritional status, immune function and physical fitness of human subjects. Methods: A total of 80 volunteers were randomly divided into of 2 groups of 40 ones each: GNS group (taking GNS after mixing it with boiling water at breakfast every day for 1 month, 30 g per person at a time ) and control group (taking placebo instead of GNS in the same way). Before and after the eating period of 1 month, all the subjects were asked to receive physical measurement, the determination of serum minerals, vitamin nutrition status and immune function, and physical fitness tests. Results: Body fat was reduced, muscle tissue, the contents of calcium, zinc and selenium in the blood and the nutritional status of vitamins B1, B2 and C were increased, and humoral and cellular immune functions and physical fitness were enhanced in GNS group when compared to the control group. Conclusion: Eating GNS for 1 month can enhance the physical condition, nutritional status and immune function and physical fitness of human.

In order to explore the effect of high fat diet on mouse intestinal flora, the composition of intestinal flora in mice fed high fat diet as the obesity model and normal diet as the control were analyzed by conventional cultivation method and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The results indicated that the obesity model group had a significantly heavier body weight than the control group (P ＜ 0.01). The change trend of intestinal microflora evaluated by FISH was consistent with that determined by conventional cultivation method; however, the number of bacteria determined by FISH was obviously higher than that from conventional cultivation method. The numbers of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and Enterococcus revealed an obvious decrease (P ＜ 0.01), and the number of Enterobacteriaceae revealed an obvious increase (P ＜ 0.05) in the obesity group compared with the control group. Therefore, high fat diet can greatly alter the structure of intestinal flora, resulting in a low-grade inflammation and induce the development of obesity.

Lactoferrin is a kind of iron-binding glycoprotein with various physiological functions in mammals. Multiple biological activities of lactoferrin depend on its target cells and the presence of specific receptor on its surface. In this paper, the structural characteristics and physiological functions of mammalian lactoferrin receptors are reviewed. Meanwhile, the specific properties of human and mouse small intestinal lactoferrin receptors and their functions, such as facilitating intestinal iron absorption and modulating immune functions are discussed as well.

Magnetic solid phase extraction (MSPE) is widely used for sample pre-treatment in recent years. MSPE has become a promising alternative to the conventional solid phase extraction and has a broad prospect for applications in the field of analysis due to its simplicity, short extraction time, low consumption of organic solvents and automation. In this paper, MSPE is specifically introduced, and its applications in the field of analysis that have been reported over the past 10 years are reviewed.

Frozen storage is a widely used method for the preservation of surimi products. However, protein denaturation may occur during frozen storage. Protein conformation change can result in changes in its physico-chemical and gel properties such as a reduction of salt-soluble protein content, Ca2+-ATPase activity, sulfhydryl group content, breaking force, deformation capability and water-holding capacity as well as an increase of hydrophobicity and disulfide bond content of surimi gels. The addition of cryoprotectants can mitigate protein frozen denaturation. Here, we review recent research progress in the mechanisms of protein denaturation during frozen storage and the effects of several cryoprotectants on physico-chemical and gel properties of frozen surimi.

Bifidobacteria, a representative class of probiotics in the human intestine, have been being a hot field for intensive study for their nutritional, antibacterial, immunomodulatory, anticancer, antitumor and other physiological regulatory functions. Gut-associated diseases include inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diarrhea, colon cancer, rectal cancer, et al. The aetiology of these diseases is currently not well understood. Traditional medications for these diseases are not only unsatisfactory, but have side effects as well. This paper reviews mainly domestic and international advances in recent research on the physiological regulatory function of Bifidobacterium and its role in modulating and improving gut-associated diseases.

With the continuous improvement of living standards, increasing intake of high fat and the breakage of lipid metabolic balance in the body have become one of the reasons that lead to the rapid increase of hyperlipidemia. Thus, hypolipidemic functional foods have become of increasing concern. A wide variety of such foods have been developed, which can be classified by main functional ingredients as polysaccharides, dietary fiber, vitamins, saponins, steroids, alkaloids, proteins and peptides, amino acids, flavonoids, phenols, un-saturated fatty acids, and so on. This paper is intended to review the current progress in the research and development of functional foods with blood lipid lowering, triglyceride reducing or antioxidant properties, with the purpose to provide reference for future study of hypolipidemic nutraceuticals and foods.

With the deepening of chloropropanol research and continuous technological advances for its determination, more and more foods have been detected high levels of chloropropanol. In recent years, 3-chloro-1,2-propanediol (3-MCPD) esters have also been detected in fats and oils. Studies have clarified that the majority of 3-MCPD-esters in fats and oils is formed during the process of refining, involving deodorization as the key to 3-MCPD-ester formation and final content in fats and oils. Assuming 100% conversion of 3-MCPD-esters into 3-MCPD, the yield of 3-MCPD in fats and oils will be far more than the maximum tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 2μg/kg body weight. This paper reviews the source of 3-MCPD-esters in fats and oils, factors influencing its formation, and recent technological advances for their determination. Also, future trends of 3-MCPD research are forecasted.

Five years have passed since Japan issued the Positive List System. Based on previous related studies, we here analyze the data on China,s food exports to Japan over the past decade which could be divided into three stages according to trade volume. Meanwhile, the reasons for changes in the trade volume of each stage are discussed. In conclusion, the Positive List System had some negative effects on our food exports to Japan initially, but those effects are fading now. This is a normal performance of green barrier,s timeliness. It also reflects Chinese advancements in treating the system.

In this paper, we first briefly review the major issues concerning pork meat quality, and then discuss in detail the influence of pre-slaughter factors, such as fasting, transport and resting on pork quality, meat safety, and animal welfare. Inconsistent reports indicate that more efforts are needed to optimize the relationship of meat yield and quality with animal welfare.

The metabolic syndrome (MS) is a cluster of metabolic abnormalities leading to cardiovascular diseases and type-2 diabetes, which are caused by dietary disorder and unhealthy lifestyle. The prevalence of these diseases which are becoming a global epidemic has been shown to increase with increasing age. NAD+-dependent sirtuin deacetylases can regulate cellular and organism metabolism, and play a distinct role in the regulation of metabolic syndrome. This paper focuses on the elucidation of the regulatory roles of resveratrol on the mediation of metabolic syndrome by SIRT1 and the roles of other SIRT family proteins on metabolic regulation at the molecular level with the purpose of providing scientific references for the development of resveratrol-based functional foods. In addition, sirtuin deacetylases can be as attractive targets for therapeutic intervention of metabolic syndrome and cancer caused by metabolic dysregulation.

Edible fungi are rich in nutritional and functional components with extensive applications in the pharmacological field. Nowadays, edible fungi have gained increasing attention. More and more mushroom products are coming into the market. In this paper, the technological development for the preservation and processing of edible fungi in the past several years is summarized and the future direction is forecasted.