The formation of 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) was investigated in thermal reaction model systems consisting of one of six monosaccharides, sodium chloride and deionized water. Temperature had the most significant influence on 3-MCPD formation from the “glucose + sodium chloride” model system, followed by sodium chloride concentration, reaction time and glucose concentration. In addition, 3-MCPD could be formed from all six monosaccharides. The highest amount (30.604 μg/kg) of 3-MCPD was formed from the “ribose + sodium chloride” model system and the lowest amount (2.498 6 μg/kg) from the “fructose + sodium chloride” model system under the same reaction conditions. 5-Hydroxymethyl furfural was the most abundant volatile compound detected from the “glucose + sodium chloride” model system, followed by furfural and 2,5-dimethyl acetyl furan. According to these results and the literature, the formation mechanism of 3-MCPD was discussed herein, and 3-epoxy-1-propanol (glycidol) was suggested to be as the key intermediate.

Chitosan, pectin and sodium alginate are all natural polysaccharides that are biocompatible and biodegradable. Chitosan-alginate hydrogel and pectin-alginate hydrogel were prepared by using CaCl2 as the cross-linking agent. The effect of CaCl2 concentration, the mass ratios of chitosan to sodium alginate and pectin to sodium alginate and cross-linking temperature on swelling properties of hydrogels in simulated gastrointestinal environments (gastric, small intestinal and colonic buffer solutions at pH 1.2, 6.8 and 7.4, respectively) were investigated. The results showed that swelling ratio of hydrogels prepared by cross-linking of chitosan or pectin and sodium alginate at a mass ratio of 1.25:1 with 0.09 mol/L CaCl2 added at 60 ℃ was low at pH 1.2 and high at pH 6.8 and 7.4, suggesting that the hydrogels had significant pH-sensitivity. In addition, the hydrogels had good textural properties.

The effect of zinc ions in rinsing solution on gel properties of silver carp surimi including gel strength, waterholding capacity, cooking loss percentage, whiteness, texture properties, moisture distribution, microstructure, and protein molecular mass distribution was investigated. It turned out that rinsing with zinc solution greatly improved the properties of surimi gel compared with water and 0.15% (m/m) NaCl solution. The highest deformation (8.47 mm), gel strength (2 325.90 g·mm) and chewiness (2 752.12 g·mm) were observed at a zinc concentration of 6 μmol/L. Breaking force of surimi gel rinsed with 6 μmol/L zinc ion was 274.74 g, which was increased by 14.95% compared with the control rinsed with water. In addition, the maximum water-holding capacity was obtained (83.13%), accompanied by the minimum cooking loss percentage and transverse relaxation time (T23) (9.39% and 45.47 ms, respectively) and increased whiteness. Zinc ions led to cross-linking of myosin heavy chain into large aggregates, making the gel microstructure more compact and even.

The present work was done to investigate the effect of rolling on the structure and physicochemical properties of potato starch. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), rapid visco analyzer (RVA), and polarizing microscope (PLM) were adopted to reveal the mechanochemical effect of rolling on potato starch. The results showed that rolling treatment had different mechanochemical effects on the amorphous and crystalline regions of starch granules, leading to apparent changes in starch properties. This led us to infer that typical loading, aggregation and agglomeration effects occurred in starch granules.

The effects of sodium alginate (SA), chondroitin sulfate (CS), hyaluronic acid (HA) and chitosan (CTS) on the self-assembly of type I collagen from tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) skin were investigated. It was found that collagen selfassembly showed a two-phase kinetic process (nucleation and growth) in the presence of SA, CS, HA and CTS, but their effects on the kinetic parameters were different. SA did not show any significant effect on the rate constant in the nucleation phase of collagen self-assembly, but prolonged the nucleation time. CTS raised the rate constant and shorten the nucleation time. HA did not display any marked impact on the nucleation phase, nor did CS. In addition, CS had no notable effect on the growth phase. Scanning electron microscopic observations suggested that fiber bundles were formed by the lateral aggregation of fibrils in the presence of SA, CS and HA, the diameter being in the descending order of CS > SA > HA, while CTS had no similar effect.

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of different feeding systems (stall feeding and grazing) on muscle fiber types of longissimus doris from Sunit sheep by ATPase histochemical staining and real-time polymerase chain reaction. The results showed that the diameters and cross-sectional areas of type Ⅰ and ⅡB muscle fibers in longissimus doris from grazing sheep were significantly lower than those from stall-fed sheep (P < 0.05). The number and area percentages of type Ⅰ and type ⅡA, and MyHCⅠ and MyHCⅡa gene expression in grazing sheep were significantly higher than those in stall-fed sheep (P < 0.05), but the expression of type ⅡB and MyHCⅡb genes present the opposite trend.

In order to develop an economical and efficient approach to prepare purified numb-taste compounds from Zanthoxylum bungeanum, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) were synthesized by bulk polymerization, using the numb-taste components of Zanthoxylumas bungeanum as the template molecule and methylacrylic acid (MAA) as the functional monomer in this work, and they were used to develop a solid phase extraction (SPE) column. The experimental results of adsorption kinetics showed that the adsorption of the numb-taste components on MIPs could reach equilibrium in 12 h and the recognition factor (α) was 3.05. The adsorption isothermal curves of MIPs and non-molecularly imprinted polymers (NIPs) showed that the adsorption quantity of the numb-taste components into the cavity formed by MIPs was higher than into that formed by NIPs. Two distinct binding sites were observed between the imprinted polymer and the template (the numb-taste components). The dissociation constants (Kd) for the binding sites were 1.172 × 10-2 and 3.585 × 10-2 mg/mL, and the apparent maximum adsorption capacity (Qmax) were 11.133 and 15.802 mg/g, respectively. The numb-taste compounds with 94.09% purity from Zanthoxylumas bungeanum were obtained using the MIP-based SPE column developed.

Dense phase carbon dioxide (DPCD) is a promising non-thermal food processing technology, which can induce protein denaturation and self-assembly to form gel. In order to clarify the mechanism of myosin gelation induced by DPCD, the effects of pressure, temperature and treatment time on the turbidity and solubility of Litopenaeus vannamei myosin solution were explored. The results showed that DPCD treatment at pressure below 10 MPa and 25 ℃ for 5 min could increase the turbidity of myosin solution and decrease the solubility of myosin significantly (P < 0.05), but the two parameters were little changed with the increase in pressure, temperature or treatment time. Considering turbidity and solubility, DPCD treatment for over 20 min at pressures above 10 MPa and temperatures above 40 ℃ was suitable to induce myosin gelation. These results provide basic data for clarifying the mechanism of DPCD-induced myosin gelation.

Listeria monocytogenes (LM) is a zoonotic food-borne pathogen with strong virulence. It has a high lethality due to the host barrier penetrability and intracellular parasitism. Hence, consumption of foods contaminated with LM causes food safety problems. In this study, LM strains with the deletion of the gene encoding the important virulence factors such as internalin A (InlA) and internalin B (InlB) and human colon Caco-2 and liver HepG2 cells were used to investigate the effect of inlA and inlB gene deletion on the ability of LM to invade host cells and induce cell apoptosis. The results showed that inlA and inlB deletion significantly reduced the ability of LM to invade host cells and induce cell apoptosis (P < 0.05) and resulted in a decrease of over 50% in invasion rate and a decrease of 30%–50% in the proportion of apoptotic cells compared with the wild-type strain. Therefore, inlA and inlB were confirmed to play an important role in host invasion and cell apoptosis induction by LM, which is helpful to intensively study the nosogenesis of LM and the molecular mechanisms by which LM causes host immunoreaction and induces cell apoptosis.

In order to study the effect of different grain sizes of potato flour on the quality of wheat based composite noodles which were made from wheat flour with potato flours of different grain sizes added. The results showed that with the decrease in grain size of potato flour, the water absorption of noodles during cooking decreased first, reaching a minimum value at 150 mesh grain size, and then increased. However, the opposite trend was noted for starch dissolution rate, elasticity and chewiness exhibited an initial increase and a sequential decrease, and then with maximum values being observed at 150 mesh grain size. Hardness also first increased until reaching a maximum at 100 mesh grain size, and then decreased. In addition, porosity decreased first and then increased, while the content of bound water increased first and then decreased, reaching minimum and maximum values respectively at 200 mesh grain size. In the grain size range tested in this study, the effective diffusion coefficient of water in noodles was in the range of 1.92 × 10-9-2.62 × 10-9 m2/s. The addition of potato flour with grain size equal to or slightly smaller than that of wheat flour is better for improving the quality of noodles.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of ultrasonic field on the relative molecular mass of starch. We examined the changes in the relative molecular mass of potato starch as affected by different ultrasonic treatment conditions and different concentrations of starch paste by gel permeation chromatography. The results showed that the number-average relative molecular mass (Mn), weight-average relative molecular mass (MW) and peak-average relative molecular mass (Mp) of potato starch paste were decreased by ultrasonic treatment, indicating that the degradation of starch molecules was increased with irradiation time and decreased with ultrasonic intensity. The effect of ultrasonic field on the starch paste was increased with the decrease in starch paste concentration. The initial stage of the ultrasonic degradation of the starch paste was a random process and then the relative molecular mass distribution became wider. However, the middle stage was a non-random process and the relative molecular mass distribution became narrower. The relative molecular mass distribution tended to a limit valu e in the final stage.

The effect of different colorants on the color and flavor of traditional Chinese cured meat products was studied by sensory evaluation, color analysis, volatile flavor analysis and electronic nose analysis. The results showed that different colorants had significant impacts on the color and flavor of traditional Chinese cured meat meats. Apple polyphenols contributed to better overall sensory quality and color compared with the control (with sodium nitrite) and blank (no sodium nitrite) groups and other colorants. Meanwhile, more volatile flavor substances were detected in the sample with apple polyphenols in larger quantity (89.81%) as determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In particular, the contents of esters and ketones responsible for the characteristic flavor were relatively higher. Cured meat products could be more effectively distinguished using electronic nose combined with principal component analysis (PCA) than with linear discriminant analysis (LDA).

China possesses abundant resources of mutton sheep breeds. The nutritional and physicochemical qualities of mutton vary different among breeds and the quality of raw mutton determines the quality of smoked mutton. The differences in physicochemical and nutritional characteristics of longissimus dorsi muscles from different sheep breeds were investigated, and we also evaluated their suitability for producing smoked mutton. Seven quality indicators of raw mutton (water content, protein content, fat content, pH24 h, L*, a* and b* values) and nine quality indicators of smoked mutton (smoking loss, shear force, hardness, elasticity, cohesiveness, chewiness, epidermis L*, a* and b* values) were analyzed. The relationship between the qualities of raw meat and smoked meat was analyzed by multivariate statistical analysis. The results showed that water content was significantly positively correlated with smoking loss (P < 0.01), and protein content was significantly positively correlated with cohesiveness (P < 0.01), while fat content was significantly negatively correlated with elasticity (P < 0.01). Protein content (A), fat content (B), pH24 h (C), and b* (D) were chosen key variables to evaluate the suitability of mutton longissimus dorsi for producing smoked mutton. As a result, a prediction model to estimate the overall quality (Y) of smoked mutton was fitted as follows: Y = 0.190 9A + 0.355 5B + 0.234 3C + 0.219 3D.

The impact of ultrasonic pretreatment on processing properties of micellar casein concentrate (MCC) was investigated in this work. Microfiltered casein protein retentates were subjected to ultrasonic pretreatment for 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 5.0 min with ultrasonic power of 600 W prior to spray drying. The results showed that the conductivity, solubility, emulsibility and gelling property of MCC solution increased significantly as the treatment time prolonged (P < 0.05), but no significant pH change was found (P > 0.05). Moreover, the compressibility and flow index of MCC decreased significantly after ultrasonic treatment (P < 0.05). Additionally, after ultrasonic treatment for 0.5 min, the basic flowability energy of MCC attained the minimum value, and after ultrasonic treatment for 1 min, the specific energy attained the maximum value. It can be speculated that these changes in functional properties of MCC could promote its application in the food industry.

In this study our objective was to measure and compare the internal and external quality of Korla fragrant pear grown in different habitats. Comprehensive comparative analysis was performed based on the weighted average of reasonable satisfaction with multiple quality attributes. The results showed that there were regional differences in the fruit quality of Korla fragrant pear. The weighted average of reasonable satisfaction with Korla fragrant pear from Korla city and Yuli county of Bayingolin, and Alaer city of Aksu was higher. The fruit quality of Korla fragrant pear followed the descending order: Korla city, Alar city, Yuli county and Tumshuq city.

The present study was conducted to improve the membrane properties of silver carp skin gelatin and dissect the mechanism involved by examination of protein structure. The gel strength, viscosity and mechanical properties of silver carp skin gelatin extracted by three extraction methods (acid extraction, hot water extraction and enzymatic extraction) were comparatively studied. Then the enzymatically prepared gelatin was modified with transglutaminase (TG), and the amino acid composition was determined and compared with that of a commercial product and that of the unmodified gelatin. At the same time, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and infrared (IR) spectroscopy were employed to estimate the secondary and tertiary structure, and IR spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were employed to examine the change of protein structure before and after TG addition. The results showed that the enzymatically prepared gelatin had the highest viscosity and strongest gel strength. Its membrane had the strongest mechanical properties and lowest water vapor permeability. Furthermore, after TG modification, its tensile strength and elongation at break were increased significantly to levels equivalent to those of type A pigskin gelatin membrane, accompanied by a decrease in water vapor permeability. CD and IR spectra showed that, compared with the samples prepared by two other methods, the enzymatically obtained gelatin had higher α-helix content and lower random coil content and thus retained more hydrogen bonds between gelatin chains. After TG modification, the –NH2 group in gelatin was changed to –NH–, consequently improving the interaction between peptide chains. The results of AFM showed that the surface microstructure of the modified gelatin membrane was more even and compact. A positive correlation existed between the α-helix content and mechanical properties of the gelatin membrane. In conclusion, pepsin-assisted extraction combined with TG modification is an effective method to improve the membrane properties of gelatin.

Tilapia skin was pretreated with 0.006 mol/L phosphoric acid at a solid to liquid ratio of 50 g/L for 3 h at 4 ℃ to facilitate the separation of dermis and epidermis. The dermis was treated with 0.035 mol/L acetic acid at a solid to liquid ratio of 100 (g/L) for 6 h at 4 ℃ to fully swell it, washed and extruded to obtain collagen. The results showed that tilapia dermis collagen contained 7.9% of hydroxyproline, and the collagen yield was as high as 27.6% (on a dry basis). The collagen mainly consisted of α1, α2 and β polypeptide chains according to sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis, with maximum UV absorbance at 230 nm, complying with the characteristics of type Ⅰ collagen. The attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectrum proved the presence of the triple-helix structure of collagen. The thermal denaturation temperature and shrinkage temperature of the collagen were 29.2 ℃ and 55.0 ℃, respectively. The study provides an alternative approach to the extraction of high-quality collagen and consequently efficient utilization of fish processing byproducts.

The aim of this paper is to investigate the effects of harvest date on the overall quality of two japonica rice varieties, and to analyze the relationships among various physicochemical properties for the purpose of providing fundamental data for the optimization of paddy field management and the improvement of rice processing quality. Methods: The cultivars Nanjing 5055 and Nanjing 9108 were harvested at 6-day intervals from 36 to 66 days after heading (DAH). Thousand-grain weight, appearance quality, milling characteristics, rapid viscosity analyzer (RVA) profile and cooking quality of rice grains were measured. Moreover, One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation analysis, and principal component analysis were conducted on the data obtained. The thousand-grain weights and starch contents of two japonica rice varieties harvested at 48-54 DAH were significantly higher than those harvested at other dates, respectively (P < 0.05). The surface brightness (L*) values of two milled japonica rice varieties gradually increased and then did not change significantly (P > 0.05), and the a* and b* values decreased little by little. Both brown rice rate and head rice rate increased to peak values at 54 DAH for Nanjing 5055 and at 48 DAH for Nanjing 9108, and decreased slightly afterwards. The peak viscosity and breakdown values of rice RVA profiles versus harvest date showed V-shaped curves, and followed a highly significantly positive correlation with each other (P < 0.01) while the opposite trend was observed for setback and pasting temperature. Resilience and peak time did not significantly vary with harvest date (P > 0.05). For the two varieties, the hardness value of cooked rice decreased to the minimum values at 48-54 DAH, which was highly significantly positively correlated with breakdown (P < 0.01), and highly significantly negatively correlated with setback (P < 0.01). Gumminess gradually decreased, which was highly significantly influenced by harvest date (P < 0.01). Principal component analysis showed that the overall quality of these rice varieties could be described by processing quality and nutritional contents, rice cooking performance and cooked rice palatability. The quality of the japonica rice varieties was greatly influenced by harvest date. The suitable harvest time could not only increase the appearance quality and head rice rate, but also improve the starch gelatinization properties and cooking quality of japonica rice. Under the experimental conditions of this study, the optimal harvest time was 48-54 DAH for Nanjing 5055, and 54-60 DAH for Nanjing 9108.

Alkylresorcinols from wheat bran have inhibitory activities on α-glucosidase, demonstrating the potential to control postprandial hyperglycemia. However, the molecular mechanisms have not been clarified yet. 5-n-Heneicosylresorcinol is the most abundant alkylresorcinol homologue in wheat bran. In this context, fluorescence spectroscopy and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy along with molecular docking technique were used to study the molecular mechanisms for the inhibition of 5-n-heneicosylresocinol on α-glucosidase. The results showed the intrinsic fluorescence of α-glucosidase was quenched by 5-n-heneicosylresocinol through a static quenching procedure. The binding constants at 298, 304 and 310 K were 149.8, 46.2 and 20.3 L/mol, respectively. The interaction between 5-n-heneicosylresocinol and α-glucosidase changed the secondary structure of α-glucosidase, as indicated by decreased α-helix content and increased contents of β-sheet, β-turn and random coil. Hydrogen bonds were formed between the 3–OH group on the benzene ring of 5-n-heneicosylresocinol and the –COOH group on Tyr158 in α-glucosidase, between the hydrogen atom of the 5–OH group on the benzene ring and the hydrogen atom of the –NH2 group on Lys156, and between the oxygen atom of the 5–OH group on the benzene ring and the oxygen atom of the –COOH group on Leu313. Hydrophobic interaction between the alkyl chain of 5-n-heneicosylresocinol and hydrophobic amino acid residues in α-glucosidase such as Phe159, Pro312, Phe314 and Asn415 was another important force to maintain the stability of the complex.

Quick-frozen deep-fried dough sticks were made from aluminum-free deep-fried dough stick premix and the effects of pre-cooling time, pre-cooling temperature and freezing temperature on the physical characteristics (temperature variations, water content variations, and texture properties) and sensory evaluation were investigated in this study. The aim was to determine the optimal quick-freezing conditions. The results showed that with the increase in pre-cooling time and the decrease in pre-cooling and freezing temperature, the temperatures of the crust and core of deep-fried dough sticks were reduced gradually, and the cooling rates were accelerated gradually. In addition, the reduction in water content in the crust and core was increased with the increase in pre-cooling time and the decrease in pre-cooling temperature, but the reduction in water content was decreased after quick-freezing. Meanwhile, texture properties and sensory quality were improved with the increase in pre-cooling time and the decrease in pre-cooling and freezing temperature. Thus, pre-cooling at 0 ℃ for 45 min and freezing at –30 ℃ for 30 min were the optimal conditions for the production of quick-frozen deep-fried dough sticks.

Hazelnuts contain a variety of bioactive components, but the contents of bioactive components in hazelnuts vary depending on the variety and part. In the present study, eight cold-resistant varieties of flat European hazelnut were tested for the contents of bioactive components such as total polyphenols, total flavonoids, tannins and proanthocyanidins in shell, skin and kernel. The antioxidant activities of total polyphenols from hazelnut skin were determined. The results indicated that contents of bioactive components in skin were significantly higher than in shell and kernel (P < 0.05). Among the 8 varieties, the seed coat of the variety 7# had the highest contents of total phenolics and proanthocyanidins (185.76 and 77.28 mg/g, respectively), while the highest contents of total flavonoids and tannins (29.96 and 39.10 mg/g, respectively) were found in the seed coat of the variety 6#. Moreover, total phenolics were significantly more abundant than three other bioactives in hazelnut skin (P < 0.05). The antioxidant activity of seed coat polyphenols from 7# was better than that of any other variety. The percentage of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity of total phenols from the skin of 7# was 87.70%, the ferric reducing power was 0.450, the percentage of superoxide anion radical scavenging activity was 53.1%, and the percentage of lipid peroxidation inhibition was 82.0%. The scavenging capacity against superoxide anion and DPPH radicals, the lipid peroxidation inhibition capacity, and the ferric reducing power of total phenolics from hazelnut skin were all positively correlated with total phenolics content with correlation coefficients of 0.843, 0.793, 0.695 and 0.620, respectively.

The antioxidant activity, in terms of scavenging capacity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH), 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) cation radical (ABTS+·) and superoxide anion radical and total antioxidant capacity (TAC, as measured by the ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) method) of alcohol-soluble and water-soluble flavonoids from Fengtou ginger rhizomes was determined and compared with that of VC and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). The results showed that the DPPH radical scavenging activity of the water-soluble flavonoids was better than that of BHT and the alcohol-soluble flavonoids, but weaker than that of VC, and the half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50) of the water-soluble and alcohol-soluble flavonoids were 585.75 and 1 013.45 μg/mL, respectively. In terms of ABTS+· and superoxide anion radical scavenging activity and TAC, the antioxidant effect of the alcohol-soluble flavonoids was better than that of VC, BHT and the water-soluble flavonoids. The IC50 values of the water-soluble and alcohol-soluble flavonoids for scavenging ABTS+· were 87.54 and 21.90 μg/mL, respectively, and the IC50 values for scavenging superoxide anion radical were 26.56 and 22.29 μg/mL, respectively. In the FRAP assay, the Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC1 000) of the water-soluble and alcohol-soluble flavonoids were 45.78 and 36.42 μg/mL, respectively. Overall, the antioxidant capacity of the flavonoids from Fengtou ginger rhizomes had different antioxidant activities in different model systems.

This study evaluated the effect of salt addition (0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0% and 2.5%) on quality characteristics of ready-to-eat restructured beef products. Restructured beef was prepared from beef trimmings with different amounts of added salt and the quality characteristics such as texture properties, bind strength, color, water activity, relaxation time T2 and microstructure were examined and compared. Results showed that with increasing salt addition, the water activity of the products significantly reduced, and the bind strength and texture properties were significantly improved (P < 0.05), but the color became darker. In addition, with the increase in salt concentration, the proportion of immobilized water increased and the proportion of free water decreased gradually, as determined by low-field nuclear magnetic resonance, suggesting enhanced water retention in products. Scanning electron microscopic results showed that a more compact gel structure was formed after salt addition, which might contribute to the increase in water-holding capacity and bind strength of the product. Addition of 1.5% salt resulted in best quality products with moderate salty taste. Overall, the suitable amount of salt added to ready-to-eat restructured beef products was 1.5%.

The antimicrobial activity, minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) of flavonoids extracted from Sedum aizoon L. on three spoilage bacteria isolated from chilled meat were investigated by double-tube dilution method and the Oxford-cup method. The effect of the flavonoids at different concentrations on pork preservation was also examined. The results showed that the flavonoids displayed different inhibitory effects on the tested bacteria and had the strongest antimicrobial activity against Aeromonas with MIC and MBC 0.675 and 2.5 mg/mL, respectively, followed by against Pseudomonad with MIC and MBC of 1.25 and 5 mg/mL, and lactic acid bacteria with MIC and MBC of 1.25 and 10 mg/mL, respectively. Based on the total number of colonies and color, 2 mg/mL of the flavonoids was determined to be appropriate for the preservation of pork. The texture, pH, water-holding capacity, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) and 2-thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values in flavonoids-treated group were better than those in the control group during storage at 4 ℃.

Inhibitory activities of four proanthocyanidins from different botanical sources against α-amylase and α-glucosidase were studied by using high-throughput starch turbidity method (HtST). Then the interaction between proanthocyanidins and common cereal flours and starches were researched for the purpose of providing a theoretical basis for further development of hypoglycemic staple foods. The results showed that proanthocyanidins from grape seeds and sorghum possessed higher inhibitory activities against α-amylase and α-glucosidase than those from cranberry and apple. Binding of proanthocyanidins to the main food components affected the inhibitory activity of proanthocyanidins. The results indicated that glutinous rice, bulk rice, sorghum could bind grape seed proanthocyanidins and reduce the inhibitory activity of proanthocyanidins against α-amylase and α-glucosidase. However, corn starch, tapioca starch, potato flour, commercial edible starch, rice flour, sago, millet, corn flake, sweet potato flour, black rice, and black bean almost had no binding interaction with grape seed proanthocyanidins, and thus they were ideal food materials to maintain or enhance the inhibitory activity of proanthocyanidins against carbohydrate digestive enzymes.

In this research, sea buckthorn seed extracts (SBSE) were obtained by the extraction of sea buckthorn seed residues using ethanol. SBSE were separated into two fractions of different polarities: the upper ethyl acetate phase and the bottom aqueous phase. The crude extract and its fractions were tested for bioactive components, chemical and cellular antioxidant properties including scavenging capacity against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical and hydroxyl radicals and catalase activity, and their effects on reactive oxygen (ROS), matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and type Ⅰ collagen (COLⅠ) contents in the culture supernatants of human skin fibroblast cells were examined. The results showed that flavonoids, proanthocyanidins and total phenolics were the major bioactive compounds in the crude extract and its fractions. All these samples could strongly scavenge DPPH free radical. The two fractions but not the crude extract showed potent hydroxyl radical scavenging activity. All three samples in the concentration range of 0.05–5.00 mg/mL showed no strong cytotoxicity to human skin fibroblast cells and the cell viability was above 80% in the presence of each sample. Stimulation with the samples significantly increased catalase activity and reduced ROS content, and the crude extract showed the strongest catalase activity and lowest ROS level among these samples. Furthermore, cellular MMP-1 contents were significantly decreased by SBSE, and COLⅠ contents were increased to the maximum. Therefore, SBSE had potential anti-aging effect.

Objective: To study the effect of honeysuckle leaf flavonoids on the antioxidant defense system in various tissues of aging mice. Methods: An aging mouse model was established by subcutaneous injection of D-galactose in the neck and back, and the aging mice were gavaged with different doses (50, 100 and 200 mg/(kg·d)) of honeysuckle leaf flavonoids. Changes in body weight were observed over the 30-day administration period, and liver, brain, kidney, spleen and heart indexes and the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) and the activities of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and catalase (CAT) in the liver, brain, kidney, heart and serum of mice were assessed. Results: Compared with the control group, the body weight and organ indexes of mice in the model group decreased significantly, T-AOC, SOD, GSH-Px and CAT activities and GSH content in the serum and organs decreased, and MDA content increased, with significant differences being observed for most of these parameters (P < 0.05), indicating successful construction of aging mice model. Compared with the model group, body weight, organ indexes and T-AOC, SOD, GSH-Px and CAT activities as well as GSH content in the serum and organ tissues were improved for all dose groups; on the other hand, MDA content was decreased. The most significant effect was obtained at the high dose. Conclusion: Honeysuckle leaf flavonoids can effectively improve the antioxidant defense capacity of aging mice through a mechanism related to the increased activities of antioxidant enzymes and the reduced contents of protective substances and lipid peroxide.

Objective: To study the effect of oligomericgrape seed proanthocyanidin (O-GSP) combined with cisplatin (CDDP) on antioxidant defense systems, cell apoptosis and apoptosis-related protein expression in human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549. Methods: The cells were divided into control, CDDP (5 mg/L), O-GSP (4 mg/L), and O-GSP (4 mg/L) + CDDP (5 mg/L) groups. Malondialdehyde (MDA) content was measured by thiobarbituric acid method. Glutathione (GSH) content was determined by nitrobenzoic acid method. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was examined by xanthine oxidase method. Flow cytometry was used to detect the intracellular ROS content and apoptosis rate. The expression of apoptosis-related proteins such as Bcl-2, Bax and caspase-3 were detected by Western blot. Results: CDDP resulted in a significant increase of MDA and ROS in A549 cells (P < 0.05) and a significant reduction of GSH content and SOD activity (P < 0.05), but O-GSP had no significant effect on the levels of intracellular MDA, GSH and SOD (P > 0.05). Compared with the CDDP group, the levels of MDA, GSH and SOD in the O-GSP + CDDP group were not significantly changed (P > 0.05), while the content of ROS was significantly reduced (P < 0.05). CDDP, O-GSP and their combination could significantly promote cell apoptosis (P < 0.05). The combination of CDDP and O-GSP could increase Bax level and the ratio of Bax to Bcl-2, decrease Bcl-2 expression (P < 0.05), and activate caspase-3. Conclusion: Oligomeric grape seed proanthocyanidins combined with cisplatin can promote the apoptosis of A549 cells, and the apoptosis mechanism was not significantly related to the antioxidant activity of oligomeric grape seed proanthocyanidins but related to the expression of apoptosis-related genes.

To investigate the inhibitory effect of Taraxacum glycoprotein on lipopolysaccharide-induced (LPS-induced) inflammation in RAW264.7 cells and elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism, an in vitro model of inflammation in RAW264.7 macrophages stimulated by LPS was established. The proliferation of RAW264.7 cells were detected by 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) method and the secretion of nitric oxide (NO) was detected by Griess reagent method. The inhibitory effect of Taraxacum glycoprotein on the mRNA expression of LPS-induced inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in RAW264.7 cells was examined using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and the effect of Taraxacum glycoprotein on the secretion levels of LPS-induced inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α and IL-6 was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay as well as the effect on its upstream signaling proteins including P-IκB-α and IκB-α by Western blot. Results: Taraxacum glycoprotein could significantly inhibit the secretion of NO, the mRNA expression of IL-6, TNF-α and iNOS and the secretion of IL-6 and TNF-α (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, respectively). Taraxacum glycoprotein resulted in a significant up-regulation of IκB-α protein expression (P < 0.001) and a significant down-regulation of P-IκB-α in a concentration-dependent manner (P < 0.05). The percentage inhibition of TNF-α secretion was 28.6%, 65.4% and 89.3%, and the percentage inhibition of IL-6 secretion was 32.3%, 54.1% and 85.7%, respectively, at concentrations of 250, 500 and 1 000 μg/mL. Conclusion: The nuclear factor-kappa B signal transduction pathway is indirectly inhibited by dandelion glycoprotein, and it has a significant anti-inflammatory effect in vitro in a dose-dependent manner.

Fucoidan (F) from Sargassum henslowianum C. Agardh was extracted by ultrasonic-assisted hot water extraction and the extract was deproteinized by Sevag method and purified by DEAE C-52 anion exchange column chromatography. The chemical compositions of the crude (F) and purified (F1) fucoidan were analyzed and their monosaccharide compositions were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Meanwhile, antithrombotic activity was evaluated by thrombolysis test in vitro, pulmonary embolism test and hemorrhage test in mice. The results showed that the contents of total saccharide, fucose and SO4 2- in F1 were increased and F1 was composed of more monosaccharides when compared with F. The bleeding time of low, middle and high dose of F1 were higher than each dose of F, and their effects at high dose were significantly higher than that of urokinase (P＜0.05, P＜0.01). Both F and F1 could reduce the mortality of pulmonary embolism model mice, and there was a extremely significant difference between high-dose F1 and the model group (P < 0.01). F and F1 could significantly prolong the bleeding time (P < 0.05, P ＜ 0.01). Compared to the heparin sodium control group, all dose groups showed a extremely significant difference (P < 0.01) and were significantly less effective in prolonging the bleeding time. These findings led to the conclusion that the crude and purified fucoidan from Sargassum henslowianum C. Agardh have good antithrombotic activity and cause little risk of bleeding and the antithrombotic effect of F1 is better than that of F.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of two metallothioneins from yeast (MT-1 and MT-2) with self-owned intellectual property right on mercury elimination and liver damage repair in mice with chronic mercury poisoning. Methods: A mouse model of chronic mercury poisoning was established by giving the mice free access to deionized water containing mercuric chloride, and then the mice were orally administered with MT or dimercaptopropansulfonate sodium (DMPS) for 28 days. Body weight, liver index, blood and liver mercury levels, blood physiological and biochemical indicators and liver function were measured after the last administration. Results: Compared with the model group, the body weights of mice administered with MT were increased, the liver indexes and blood mercury and liver mercury levels were decreased significantly (P < 0.05), and white blood cell (WBC), red blood cell (RBC), platelet (PLT) and hemoglobin (HGB) levels were restored to different extents in a dose-dependent manner. Compared with the model group, the levels of serum ALT and AST in mice administered with MT were decreased. Based on these findings together with pathological examination, we found that MT could repair damaged liver tissues of mice with chronic mercury poisoning, restore liver cell edema to normal morphology, and reduce intercellular inflammatory infiltration and the effect was dose-dependent. Conclusions: Both metallothioneins from yeast have good efficacy in eliminating mercury and repairing damaged liver tissues in mice with chronic mercury poisoning, and MT-1 was superior to MT-2 and DMPS.

As a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, Schisandra chinensis has been widely concerned among researchers and studied for its functions such as protecting the liver and soothing the nerves in recent years. In this paper, two purified polysaccharides from Schisandra chinensis with different molecular weights, designated Sp1 (>100 ku) and Sp2 (10–100 ku), were obtained by ultrafiltration, and a macrophage cell line RAW264.7 was incubated in the presence of each polysaccharide at different concentrations. The immunomodulatory effect of the two polysaccharides was evaluated based on the proliferation activity of cultured splenocytes as determined by MTT assay, neutral red phagocytosis, NO production and cytokines (interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)) expression levels in comparison with the lipopolysaccharide treatment group. The results showed that the immunomodulatory activity of Sp2 at 500.00 μg/mL was strong, and Sp2 could promote the phagocytosis of macrophages, NO production, and the secretion of IL-1β and TNF-α. But the activity of Sp1 was weak.

In this study, the in vitro anticancer activity of alkaloids extracted from Ba lotus seeds was determined to confirm its physiological activity. 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT), 4’,6-diamidino- 2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) methods were used to determine the potential of the alkaloids for inhibiting the proliferation and inducing the apoptosis of human hepatoma HepG2 cells in vitro. The alkaloids from Ba lotus seeds could inhibit the proliferation of HepG2 cells, but had no toxicity to normal liver cells L02. From morphological observation, it was shown that the alkaloids at higher concentrations could induce more significant apoptosis in cancer cells and lead to cell death. Meanwhile, the alkaloids could up-regulate the mRNA expression levels of Bax, caspase-3, caspase-8, caspase-9, p53 and p21, and down-regulate the mRNA expression levels of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL in HepG2 cells, thereby promoting apoptosis in cancer cells. Therefore, the alkaloids from Ba lotus seeds are a class of bioactive components with excellent anticancer effect in vitro.

This experiment was conducted to study the inhibitory effect of three plant essential oils (eugenol, citral and carvacrol) on Colletorichum acutatum by means of in vitro fumigation and the effect of the strongest inhibitor, eugenol, on the ratio of exosmosis, intracellular nucleic acid and protein contents of C. acutatum. After wounding and artificial inoculation with C. acutatum, loquat fruits underwent eugenol fumigation at 0.5, 1.0, 2.5 and 5.0 μL/L. Disease incidence and lesion diameter were recorded and the effect of this treatment on the fruit quality was also studied. Results showed that all three essential oils demonstrates inhibitory activities in vitro against C. acutatum. Eugenol could inhibit the growth of C. acutatum completely at a concentration of 48 μL/L and cause the leakage of cytoplasm. Compared with the control group, 1 μL/L eugenol could significantly reduce anthracnose incidence to 66.67% and average lesion diameter to 6.41 mm after 6-day storage. Moreover, percentage water loss and vitamin C loss were significantly inhibited (P < 0.05), while no significant changes were observed in firmness, color, soluble solid content, titratable acid or ascorbic acid in loquat fruits (P > 0.05).

In order to explore chilling tolerance in cucumber fruits and provide a theoretical basis for the safe transportation of cucumber fruits, in the present study, a quadratic regression orthogonal rotation combination design was used to determine the critical value of chilling injury in cucumber fruits, which was expressed as the percentage of electrolyte leakage as calculated from electric conductivity. A regression equation describing the percentage of electrolyte leakage (Y) as a function of storage temperature (x1) and time (x2) was developed as follows: Y = 17.279 244 + 0.996 139x1 + 3.617 484x2 ? 0.142 947x1 2 ? 0.136 832x2 2. The critical value of chilling injury in cucumber fruits was determined to be 17.28% using the model and this value was experimentally confirmed.

The synergistic effect of cortex mouton (CM) extract, a quorum sensing inhibitor, combined with tea polyphenols (TPs) on the quality of turbot fillets during cold storage were investigated in this paper. The results showed that the combined treatment of CM extract and TPs could slow down sensory quality deterioration of turbot fillets and significantly decrease total viable count, pH, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) content, thiobarbituric acid (TBA) content and K-value as a freshness indicator compared with individual treatments and the control (P < 0.05). In addition, the combined treatment extended the shelf life by about 9, 6–7 and 2–3 days compared with the control and individual CM extract and TPs, respectively while having no significant effect on the color. Therefore, the combined treatment of CM extract and TPs could synergistically act to effectively slow down the deterioration of refrigerated turbot, and maintain the quality of fish muscle.

Postharvest kiwifruits (Actinidia Chinensis ‘Huayou’) were dipped in 5 mmol/L oxalic acid (OA) solution for 10 min at room temperature and then stored at (0.0 ± 0.5) ℃ and 90%–95% relative humidity (RH) for 90 days. The results showed that pre-storage application of OA apparently alleviated chilling injury, and inhibited ethylene production and respiratory rate. OA significantly decreased lipoxygenase (LOX) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and increased ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity and glutathione reductase (GR) activity. Compared with control, OA treatment maintained higher percentage of fruits and lower water loss after storage. These results suggested that pre-storage application of OA contributes to alleviating chilling injury and improving chilling resistance.

The effect of storage temperature on the rheological properties, water-holding capacity (WHC) and water distribution of chicken breast myofibrillar protein gel was investigated. Chicken breast was stored at refrigeration (4 ℃) and freezing-point temperature (?0.7 ℃). Gel strength was measured by a dynamic rheometer, WHC was determined by centrifugation, and the change of moisture status was analyzed by using low field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR). The results showed that with increasing storage time, the gel strength and WHC of chicken myofibrillar proteins displayed a declining trend for both storage temperatures, but significantly higher values of the parameters were achieved during freezing-point storage (P < 0.05). LF-NMR results indicated that the decreased proportion of immobilized water and the increased proportion of free water were related to the reduction in WHC, and more significant changes in the proportions of immobilized water and free water ratio were found during freezing-point storage (P < 0.05). Therefore, the gel strength and WHC of heat-induced chicken myofibrillar protein gels were better maintained during freezing-point storage, thereby maintaining better quality.

Severe skin browning of ‘Huangguan’ pears usually occurs during long-term cold storage. In order to develop a new technique to solve this problem, the effect of dipping treatment with 3 or 20 mmol/L H2O2 on cellular antioxidant defense systems, skin browning and fruit quality during postharvest cold storage of ‘Huangguan’ pear fruits. The results showed that compared with control (without H2O2 treatment), the treatment with 20 mmol/L H2O2 reduced markedly skin browning spot index, decreased polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity and polyphenol contents especially chlorogenic acid, arbutin and catechins, increased peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity as well as DPPH radical scavenging capacity, decreased MDA content, and maintained higher firmness, titratable acid (TA), acid-to-sugar ratio, and total soluble solids (TSS) content, thereby resulting in better overall sensory quality during cold storage and shelf life. In sum, the treatment with 20 mmol/L H2O2 could reduce skin browning of ‘Huangguan’ pear during long-term storage through inducing antioxidant defense, inhibiting PPO activity , and reducing polyphenol contentss.

This study aimed to investigate the physiological mechanism behind the resistance of apples to postharvest gray mold. ‘Qinguan’ and ‘Fuji’ apple fruits were wounded and inoculated with Botrytis cinerea Pers. The changes in compounds and enzyme activities related to the disease resistance in flesh tissue were measured during subsequent storage. The results indicated that disease incidence and lesion diameters in ‘Qinguan’ apples were significantly less than those in ‘Fuji’ apples after inoculation (P < 0.05). Moreover, the activities of phenylalanine solution ammonia lyase (PAL), peroxidase (POD), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), chitinase (CHI) and β-1,3-glucanase (GLU) in the pulp of resistant varieties were higher than in susceptible varieties, facilitating the accumulation of flavonoids and lignin, reducing membrane lipid peroxidation, decreasing the production of malondialdehyde (MDA) and consequently increasing the disease resistance of fruits. However, the total phenolic content of ‘Qinguan’ apples was lower than that of ‘Fuji’ apples. These results provide a theoretical guidance for identifying the resistance of apples to postharvest gray mold and for screening resistant varieties.

Foods for special medical purposes (FSMP) are a class of specially formulated foods that play a significant role in nutritional supply and disease control for the nutritional management of patients. This review introduces the development of FSMP in China and the Chinese standards for FSMP. The application and the basis for the formulation of FSMP in various diseases are outlined. Problems existing in the Chinese FSMP industry are analyzed and discussed including insufficient supply and backward processing technology. In conclusion, this review provides a theoretical basis for the development of FSMP in China.

The study on allergens offers a foundation for preventing and treating food allergy, which is a serious health and safety issue all over the world. As the era of big data is coming, it is possible to study allergens by using high-throughput omics approaches, which facilitates the emergence and development of allergomics. Allergomics is a discipline that studies allergome-a collection of allergens with high throughput, wide coverage and excellent rapidity and sensitivity, which can provide the basis for personalized allergen avoidance and allergy immunotherapy. In the present review, the principle of allergomics and the current methods used in allergomics studies are summarized. In addition, the advantages and limitations of these approaches are discussed, and the future prospects of allergomics are proposed, which will provide guidance for the application and development of allergomics, especially in the field of food safety.

As a rapid, non-destructive, simple and efficient analytical technique, infrared spectroscopy has been widely used in wine quality analysis and qualitative identification. The combined use of chemometrics and infrared spectroscopy enables the multi-component detection and classification of various physical and chemical components of complex samples, and therefore allows qualitative or quantitative analysis of unknown samples. In this article, a brief overview of near- and midinfrared spectroscopy is presented. We also provide a systematic review of recent progress in the application of infrared spectroscopy in the qualitative classification and identification of different wines produced from diverse varieties, origins, vintages and aging methods. Moreover, problems existing in wine quality analysis are summarized and the future directions and research priorities for the application of infrared spectroscopy in wine quality analysis are proposed.

Edible mushrooms are macrofungi containing a variety of bioactive substances, and they are widely distributed in nature. A great number of studies show that bioactive proteins from edible mushrooms play a crucial role in immune regulation, and anti-tumor and anti-bacterial effects. Especially, the immune regulatory mechanism of edible fungi has attracted wide attention from researchers. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) signaling pathways can transfer extracellular signal to the immune system and activate mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling pathways. In this paper, we review the immunomodulatory effects of bioactive proteins such as fungal immunoregulatory proteins, lectins, ribosomal-inactivating proteins and glycopeptides in edible fungi, and elaborate the mechanism of action of these proteins to regulate the immune system through TLRs signaling pathways. The aim of this review is to summarize the upto- date studies on bioactive proteins in edible mushrooms and provide a reference for the development of health products or pharmaceuticals from edible fungi.

The antibiotic resistance of pathogens in animal foods poses a tremendous threat to human health. In this review, we elaborate the present status of understanding of the antibiotic resistance of pathogens in animal-derived foods. A systematic analysis of the mechanism and factors influencing the antibiotic resistance acquisition of pathogens in animalderived foods is given. Meanwhile, we review the current methods and technologies used to prevent and monitor the emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens in animal-derived foods.

Pesticide residues, mycotoxins, veterinary drug residues and other organic contaminants in foods are important factors that can be detrimental to food safety. Therefore, establishing an efficient extraction and purification method for the determination of organic contaminants in foods is of great significance to ensure food safety. This paper gives a brief overview of the quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe (QuEChERS) method and its application in the determination of organic contaminants in foods. Meanwhile problems existing in the application of QuEChERS are discussed, and a general principle for the optimization of QuEChERS was proposed. Finally, we conclude with our perspectives on the future trends of QuEChERS in the determination of organic contaminants in foods.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have a series of features such as large specific surface area, good thermal stability, adjustable aperture size, uniform pore size distribution, and controllable surface modification. In this paper, we present a brief overview of recent studies on MOFs with focus on their advantages in use as a separation medium, and their applications in the analysis of phosphopeptides, antibiotics, food additives and pesticide residues in foods, the separation of organic pollutants, gas adsorption and sensing. In the future, MOFs derived oxides will be used as a stationary phase for the chromatographic separation of biological macromolecules and magnetic MOFs will be used for the separation and extraction of proteins. MOFs will have a bright application prospect in the analysis of food and biological samples.

Objective: This study aimed to analyze food safety risks along the entire food supply chain for the purpose of providing a theoretical basis and technical support to formulate an emergency management strategy. Methods: Based on the data from 2005 through 2014 in China, a food safety risk assessment system is established according to the catastrophe theory in this article. Results: Overall, the past decade has saw a slow reduction in food safety risks; however, for three selected steps of the food supply chain, especially agricultural production and food production and consumption, food safety risks have continuously fluctuated during this decade and tended to rise over the last two years of this period. Conclusion: Improving the legal and regulatory system for food safety, promoting the transformation of decentralized agricultural business model to large-scale production mode, and establishing a compulsory liability insurance system for food safety are key factors to reduce food safety risks and emergencies.

Milk and colostrum are recognized as an important source of natural bioactive substances with high nutritional and functional values. Casein and whey protein are the major proteins in milk and together with numerous bioactive peptides derived from them play significant physiological roles in young animals and human beings, and their biological properties have been of increasing research interest. The functions of several major bioactive milk proteins are summarized in this review.