Sarcopenia is a progressive, systemic skeletal muscle disorder associated with aging. With the increase in the global aging population, sarcopenia has become a significant health issue for the elderly. Studies have shown that natural bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and alkaloids, play an important role in alleviating the progression of sarcopenia by regulating protein homeostasis, improving mitochondrial function, inhibiting inflammation, and mitigating neuromuscular junction (NMJ) degeneration. However, due to the diversity of natural bioactive compounds and the complexity of their molecular mechanisms, their application still faces some challenges. Therefore, this article systematically reviews the literature on the pathogenesis of sarcopenia, the mechanism of action of natural bioactive compounds in alleviating sarcopenia, and their application for preventing this disease, aiming to provide scientific references for the development and application of natural bioactive compounds in the prevention and treatment of sarcopenia.

With the intensification of population aging, osteosarcopenia (OS) has emerged as a significant degenerative disease that poses a considerable threat to the health of the elderly. It is characterized by the synergistic deterioration of progressive reduction in skeletal muscle mass and decline in bone density, which significantly increases the risk of fall, fracture, and all-cause mortality. Hormonal disorders, chronic inflammation, and the lack of mechanical stress during the aging process collectively result in an imbalance in muscle and bone metabolism, primarily by affecting the secretion of muscle-derived and bone-derived factors as well as muscle-bone interactions. Exercise and nutritional interventions have proven to be effective strategies for the prevention and treatment of OS. Aerobic exercise delays muscle aging and increases bone density by activating signaling pathways such as insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), adenosine 5’-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and Wnt1/β-catenin. Resistance exercise improves and maintains bone metabolic homeostasis, and promotes muscle protein synthesis by regulating the Fos/Fosb, mitogen-activated protein kinase and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathways. Whole-body vibration training and blood flow restriction training have emerged as exercise modalities to promote muscle generation and bone mineralization by modulating the AMPK/UNC-51 like autophagy activating kinase 1 (ULK1), forkhead box protein O (FoxO)/ peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), and IGF-1/growth hormone (GH) signaling pathways. Nutritional intervention strategies have demonstrated that proteins and their derivatives, such as creatine, facilitate muscle synthesis through the mTORC1 signaling pathway. Additionally, vitamin D3 regulates bone metabolic balance via the retinoid X receptor (RXR)/VD receptor (VDR) signaling pathway, while calcium supplements and probiotics exert anti-inflammatory and bone-forming effects by modulating the gut-bone axis. This review systematically elucidates the synergistic mechanism of action of exercise and nutritional interventions in regulating muscle-bone metabolism, aiming to provide a theoretical basis and framework for the personalized prevention and treatment of OS and the development of precise nutritional strategies for this disease.

Casein phosphopeptide (CPP) is a bioactive phosphorylated peptide derived from the hydrolysis of cow’s milk casein, which has superior chelating properties. In this study, CPP was used as a carrier to prepare selenium-chelating CPP (CPP-Se) for use as a novel selenium supplement. The structure of CPP-Se was characterized by spectroscopy and thermodynamics. Molecular docking was used to simulate the binding interaction between Se and CPP and the immunoregulatory and anti-inflammatory activities of CPP-Se were studied in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage cells. The results showed that the Se content of CPP-Se prepared under peptide/selenium mass ratio of 2:1, 35.48 ℃ and pH 7.0 was 5 578.66 μg/g. Ultraviolet (UV) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) demonstrated that CPP chelated Se through carbonyl, carboxyl, and phosphate groups. Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy indicated that the proportion of β-sheet was higher in CPP-Se than in CPP. Thermogravimetric (TG) analysis indicated that CPP-Se was more stable than CPP. Furthermore, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) combined with molecular docking revealed that the chelating site between peptide and selenium was hydrogen bonds in glutamic acid and serine, with a distance of 2.6 Å and a binding energy of –7.53 kJ/mol, mainly driven by hydrophobic interactions. For the same selenium concentration, the safe range of CPP-Se for RAW264.7 macrophages was two times larger than that of sodium selenite, and CPP-Se increased the phagocytic capacity of macrophages by 25%. The inhibitory effect of CPP-Se on the secretion and release of NO, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages was more pronounced than that of sodium selenite. In summary, CPP-Se can be used as a new safe selenium supplement. This study provides new ideas for the widespread application of CPP.

To investigate the regulatory mechanisms of the degree of esterification and molecular mass on the emulsifying properties of pectin, this study analyzed the aggregation behavior, aggregate structure, interfacial properties, emulsifying properties, and the structure of the adsorption layer at the interface of pectins with different structures. The results showed that: 1) as the degree of esterification increased from 35% to 73%, the size of pectin aggregates decreased regularly from 1 950 to 1 443 nm, the polarity of hydrophobic microdomains in the aggregates decreased, the diffusion rate to the oil-water interface increased significantly, the amount of pectin adsorbed onto the interface increased from 54.4 to 95.9 ng/cm2, the interfacial adsorption layer thickness decreased from 76.9 to 43.6 nm, the equilibrium interfacial tension decreased from 24 to 18 mN/m, and the emulsifying performance was significantly improved; 2) as the molecular mass increased from 0.55 × 105 to 1.30 × 105 Da, the size of pectin aggregates increased from 1 195 to 1 443 nm, the diffusion rate to the oil-water interface decreased, the interfacial adsorption amount decreased from 127.3 to 95.9 ng/cm2, and both the interfacial and emulsifying properties deteriorated. However, since the internal hydrophobicity of the aggregates increased, the desorption of pectin from the interface was inhibited, thereby improving the emulsion stability during storage. The findings of this study provide a theoretical basis for the development and utilization of pectin emulsifiers.

To gain in-depth insight into the mechanisms and molecular pathways of physicochemical transformation in duck skin during high-temperature roasting, this study systematically analyzed the changes in hardness, toughness, chewiness, water distribution, and aroma characteristics in the skin of Beijing roast duck during the roasting process by texture profile analysis, low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) spectroscopy, headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS), molecular docking and dynamics simulation. The results showed that as roasting time was prolonged, the hardness, toughness and chewiness of duck skin significantly increased; the proportion of free water content decreased while the proportion of bound water increased; the aroma profile changed notably as well. Correlation analysis revealed that these changes were mainly associated with changes in sugar components. Specifically, glycosaminoglycan content showed a positive correlation with the volume ratio of duck skin and the content of bound collagen. Furthermore, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) identified the structural evolution of sulfate groups in glycosaminoglycans in duck skin during the roasting process. Computational modeling of the interaction between glycosaminoglycans with varying degrees of sulfation and collagen showed that structural modifications of glycosaminoglycans enhanced the number of their interaction sites with collagen, thereby promoting the formation of a thermally swollen cross-linked network.

In this study, metagenomics and metabolomics were combined to systematically analyze the effect of seasonal variation on microbial community succession and volatile compounds during the fermentation of Shanxi aged vinegar Daqu. The results indicated that spring Daqu exhibited the highest liquefying, saccharifying, and esterifying power, and protease activity, while pyrazines were more abundant in summer and autumn Daqu than in spring Daqu. In different seasons, the composition of the dominant microflora varied across various fermentation and storage stages from the first day of fermentation to Daqu stored for 3 months. Correlation analysis revealed that Saccharopolyspora, Klebsiella, Leuconostoc, Thermoactinomyces, Rhizopus, Lichtheimia, Syncephalastrum, Apophysomyces, Aspergillus and Mucor were closely related to the liquefying, saccharifying, fermenting and esterifying power and protease activity of Daqu; Bacillus and Lichtheimia showed significant positive correlations with pyrazine compounds. This study lays a theoretical foundation for enhancing the quality of vinegar Daqu.

Our laboratory had isolated a strain of non-Saccharomyces yeast with significant application potential from high-temperature Daqu, Lachancea thermotolerans Y-07. This study aimed to explore the interaction of L. thermotolerans Y-07 with Aspergillus oryzae M-08 and Saccharomyces cerevisiae BS-19 when used for mixed culture fermentation of Baijiu under gradient temperature conditions and to evaluate its impact on Baijiu quality. To this end, changes in biomass, sensory quality, organic acids and volatile flavor compounds were examined during the fermentation process. The results demonstrated that L. thermotolerans Y-07 produced β-phenylethanol, reduced the higher alcohol content, and significantly improved the sensory quality of Baijiu, indicating its positive role in Baijiu brewing. High-temperature conditions not only helped maintain yeast diversity during the fermentation process, but also enhanced aroma richness. The presence of S. cerevisiae BS-19 increased the biomass of L. thermotolerans Y-07 by 21.63%. Under high-temperature conditions, the presence of S. cerevisiae BS-19 facilitated the recovery and proliferation of L. thermotolerans Y-07. This study provides important insights into the mechanism of action of L. thermotolerans in Baijiu brewing and the influence of temperature on microbial interactions during the fermentation process.

This study aimed to explore the recombinant expression of κ-carrageenase Cgk483 from Photobacterium rosenbergii and its application in preparing carrageenan oligosaccharides, which were structurally characterized and evaluated for in vitro hypolipidemic effects. Through gene cloning and heterologous expression, the electrophoretically pure recombinant enzyme Cgk483 was successfully obtained, with a molecular mass of 35.89 kDa and its specific activity was 489.88 U/mg, which was approximately 10 times higher than that of the wild-type enzyme. Enzyme kinetics studies showed that the optimal reaction temperature and pH for Cgk483 were 40 ℃ and 8.0, respectively. It was stable at temperatures below 40 ℃ and within the pH range of 5.0–10.0. Fe2+, Na+, and Ba2+ were found to enhance the enzyme activity. Using the recombinant enzyme Cgk483, κ-carrageenan oligosaccharides consisting of disaccharide, tetrasaccharide and hexasaccharide were successfully prepared. Structural analysis indicated that the enzymatic hydrolysis did not disrupt the main chain but resulted in the exposure of hydroxyl and other groups, improving the solubility of κ-carrageenan oligosaccharides. In vitro hypolipidemic assay demonstrated that κ-carrageenan oligosaccharides significantly inhibited oxidized low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL)-induced foam cell formation in RAW264.7 macrophages, reducing lipid accumulation. This study provides a new idea for the efficient preparation of κ-carrageenan oligosaccharides for use in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis.

To investigate the microbial diversity and quality changes during the fermentation of Huizhou black rice wine, changes in the microbial community structure during the fermentation process were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing. Quality characteristics such as physicochemical indicators, contents of major bioactive substances and antioxidant activity were examined. Additionally, the volatile flavor substances were identified using solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS). The results showed that the diversity of bacterial community increased in Huizhou black rice wine during the fermentation process, and Weissella, Lactococcus, Levilactobacillus, Lacticaseibacillus and Lactiplantibacillus were the predominant genera, whose relative abundance were 32.03%, 16.48%, 10.19%, 7.24% and 3.58%, respectively. The contents of alcohol and total acids increased significantly, and consequently the pH, total sugar and reducing sugar contents decreased significantly throughout the fermentation process. At the end of fermentation, the contents of major active substances such as total phenols, total flavonoids, anthocyanosides and total free amino acids significantly increased to (537.72 ± 12.71), (270.16 ± 6.85), (507.76 ± 3.12), and (7 312.82 ± 97.31) mg/L, respectively. Both 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) cation radical and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity and reducing power were also significantly enhanced. It was found that the contents of total phenols, total flavonoids, anthocyanins and free amino acids in Huizhou black rice wine were significantly and positively correlated with its antioxidant activity. A total of 26 volatile components were identified, among which alcohols and esters were the major ones. This study provides the scientific basis for optimizing the fermentation process of Huizhou black rice wine to enhance its flavor quality.

This study used genomic resequencing to screen for insertion-deletion (InDel) markers that enable the identification of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and examined their application effectiveness in Cabernet Sauvignon wine authentication. The results showed that among 13 markers selected from the whole genome, 9 InDel markers (Del-1–6, In-1, and In-4–5) with polymorphism and good amplification effect were successfully developed and validated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Del-2–6, In-1, and In-5 were able to distinguish between Cabernet Sauvignon and Marceline grapes. It was found that Del-2, Del-4, Del-6 could be used to distinguish between Cabernet Sauvignon and Marceline wines. These results enrich the molecular markers of grapes, providing a theoretical basis for the application of InDel markers in genetic research such as grape resource genetic diversity, variety identification, and DNA fingerprinting.

In this study, the outer, middle and inner layers of fermented grains in the 5th round of stacking fermentation of sauce-flavor baijiu were analyzed for physicochemical factors, organic acid contents and microbial community structure by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and high-throughput sequencing technology. Moreover, the correlation of microbial community succession with physicochemical factors and organic acid contents was analyzed to reveal the key environmental factors affecting the microbial community in fermented grains. The results showed that during the 5th round of stacking fermentation, there were significant differences in the temperature and acidity among different layers of fermented grains (P < 0.05). With the prolongation of stacking time, the organic acid content in each layer of fermented grains generally showed an increasing trend, and at the late stage of stacking fermentation, the contents of all organic acids except fumaric acid significantly differed among the three layers (P < 0.05). The average content of lactic acid across all layers was the highest (34.910 mg/g), followed by formic acid, acetic acid, succinic acid, and malic acid, all of which were the main organic acids in the 5th round of stacking fermentation. Saccharomycopsis, Thermomyces, Aspergillus and Thermoascus were the dominant fungal genera in the early stage of stacking fermentation while Kazachstania, Pichia and Zygosaccharomyces were the dominant fungal genera in the middle and late stages. Kroppenstedtia and Virgibacillus were the dominant bacterial genera throughout the entire fermentation process. The structure of the fungal community varied greatly as stacking fermentation progressed, while the structure of the bacterial community remained stable. However, the microbial community was differentially distributed among the layers of fermented grains. Correlation analyses showed that starch, reducing sugar, lactic acid and formic acid were the key environmental factors affecting the microbial community in fermented grains. The interaction between organic acids and key microorganisms differed among different layers of fermented grains. This study provides a theoretical basis for the regulation of the stacking fermentation process of sauce-flavor baijiu and the production of high-quality baijiu.

Objective: To investigate the regulatory effect of equol (Eq) on the susceptibility to metabolic syndrome (MS) in the offspring of rats with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Methods: Twenty female SD rats were divided into two groups: the normal group, which was fed a normal diet, and the GDM group, which was fed a high-fat diet (HFD) combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. Each female rat was caged with a male to establish a normal pregnancy group and a GDM pregnancy group. The male offspring from the normal pregnancy group were randomly divided into two subgroups: blank control and MS model control. The male offspring from the GDM pregnancy group were randomly divided into five subgroups: MS model, low-, medium- and high-dose Eq (intragastric administration of 20, 40 and 80 mg/kg of Eq, respectively) and positive control (5 mg/kg of simvastatin). The blank control group was fed a normal diet, and the other groups were fed a HFD, with 8 rats in each group. The serum glucose and lipid metabolism indexes, oxidative stress and inflammation levels of GDM offspring rats were detected by commercial kits, and the degree of liver steatosis was observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Results: Compared with the MS group, Eq reduced the Lee’s index, final body mass and liver index of GDM offspring rats, and high-dose Eq decreased the Lee’s index by 13.9% (P < 0.01). Meanwhile, high-dose Eq significantly reduced serum triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels (P < 0.05), highly significantly increased serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels (P < 0.01), and significantly reduced serum fasting blood glucose (FBG) and fasting insulin (FINS) levels (P < 0.05). Furthermore, it highly significantly lowered serum malondialdehyde (MDA), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels and increased serum glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels (P < 0.01). Conclusion: GDM offspring are more susceptible to MS than the offspring of normal pregnant rats. Eq can significantly improve abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism in GDM offspring, enhance antioxidant capacity, alleviate inflammation, and reduce MS in multiple ways.

To investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of manuka honey, its impact on cell viability and the expression of genes involved in the nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling pathway in HepG2 and Caco-2 cells with inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was assessed by the CCK-8 method, microscopic observation, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results showed that LPS treatment at 1.00 and 2.00 μg/mL caused significant nuclear deformation and disruption of tight junctions in HepG2 and Caco-2 cells, respectively. Despite these morphological changes, cell viability did not decrease significantly. In addition, the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and cyclooxygenase (COX-2) was significant upregulated via the NF-κB signaling pathway. At concentrations above 20.00 mg/mL, manuka honey markedly inhibited cell viability, and manuka honey concentrations in the range of 2.50–20.00 mg/mL significantly inhibited the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines induced by LPS, the effect being most pronounced at 10.00 mg/mL, bringing cytokine expression back to levels close to the control group. This study suggests that manuka honey has a significant inhibitory effect on inflammatory responses and can effectively alleviate LPS-induced cellular inflammation, indicating its potential as an adjunctive therapeutic strategy. This study offers new insights for the clinical treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Purpose: The effect of natto on the behavioral ability and nutrient metabolism of aging mice was investigated from the perspectives of the liver, muscle and intestine. Methods: A mouse model of subacute aging was established by intraperitoneal injection of 500 mg/kg of D-galactose, and the mice were fed a diet supplemented with natto (2.5% m/m) for 10 weeks. Behavioral assays were performed, liver function was evaluated by serum biochemical analysis, histopathological analysis and immunohistochemistry, and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the expression of genes involved in signaling pathways. The intestinal flora diversity and intestinal metabolome were analyzed. Results: Natto significantly inhibited body mass loss, behavioral and memory impairment and organ tissue damage in aging mice, and significantly improved oxidative stress levels in the liver, kidney and skeletal muscle. Natto also significantly suppressed the abnormal elevation of the protein and gene expression of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and serine/threonine kinase 1 (Akt1) in the liver of aging mice. Meanwhile, natto changed the intestinal flora composition of aging mice mainly by increasing the relative abundance of Akkermansia, Bacteroides, Sutterella and Enterococcus, and decreasing the relative abundance of Streptococcus, Desulfovibrio and Roseburia, and it improved intestinal function by enriching the gene expression of carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid metabolism, cofactor and vitamin metabolism. Furthermore, non-targeted metabolomics analysis showed that ATP-binding cassette transporter and tryptophan metabolism were the major regulatory pathways for natto to alleviate the symptoms in aging mice. 5-Hydroxyindoleacetic acid and xanthurenic acid as well as the legume-specific flavonoid metabolites daidzein and glycitein, which were significantly enriched in the natto treatment group, were positively correlated with body mass and liver superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and negatively correlated with behavioral indexes, uric acid and liver malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Conclusion: Natto alleviates age-related liver and intestinal damage by inhibiting the liver PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, increasing the intestinal abundance of Akkermansia, Sutterella and Enterococcus, decreasing the abundance of Streptococcus and Desulfovibrio, elevating tryptophan and flavonoid metabolite levels, and enhancing nutrient absorption and energy metabolism. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the research and development of natto products suitable for the elderly.

In this study, antioxidant peptides were prepared from defatted pumpkin seeds and purified by ultrafiltration and reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). Their antioxidant activity analysis and structural characterization were carried out. Moreover, their protective effects against oxidative damage in Caco-2 cells were investigated. The results indicated that 41.83% of pumpkin seed peptides had molecular masses less than 1 000 Da. The peptides had significant in vitro antioxidant activity, scavenging (91.62 ± 0.48)% of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical at a concentration of 40 mg/mL. The purified antioxidant peptides (at concentrations ranging from 50 to 400 μg/mL) exhibited no cytotoxic effects. The antioxidant peptides significantly increased the survival rate of H2O2-stimulated Caco-2 cells while increasing the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). Additionally, the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were markedly reduced, demonstrating a good protective against H2O2-indued damage in Caco-2 cells. This study provides a reference for the comprehensive development and high-value utilization of pumpkin seeds and establishes a foundation for the application and development of pumpkin seed antioxidant peptides as a novel antioxidant agent.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the association of atopic dermatitis (AD) and anxiety/depression behaviors induced by AD with the intestinal microbiota. Additionally, it sought to evaluate the therapeutic potential of mannan oligosaccharide (MOS) in alleviating AD symptoms through the modulation of the gut microbiota and the enhancement of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production. Methods: Female Kunming mice were challenged with 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) to induce AD-like symptoms. MOS was administered orally daily for 14 days. On the 6th and 11th days post-modeling, the number of scratching bouts in mice was recorded. Following dissection, epidermal thickness, mast cell infiltration, and serum levels of inflammatory cytokines were measured. Meanwhile, cerebral levels of neurotransmitters, including 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE), were assessed. The abundance of intestinal microbiota and fecal concentrations of SCFAs were also analyzed. Results: MOS significantly reduced AD-like symptoms by reducing inflammatory cytokines, as reflected in a significant decrease in the number of scratching bouts, epidermal thickness, mast cells and inflammatory cytokine levels. MOS intervention up-regulated the expression of 5-HT and NE, and consequently alleviated anxiety and depression-like behaviors. Furthermore, compared with the AD group, MOS intervention increased the gut microbiota abundance of mice, especially beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and Klebsiella. At the same time, these beneficial bacteria significantly increased the fecal contents of SCFAs, especially propionic acid. Correlation analysis indicated that AD amelioration was positively correlated with fecal SCFAs levels and the proliferation of certain intestinal microbes. Conclusion: MOS intervention could offer a novel approach to managing AD and its psychological comorbidities.

To elucidate the differences in quality between egg yolks from different origins, this study employed metabolomics based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography (GC) to analyze the metabolite composition of egg yolks from Rongde Xiaohei chicken (RDY), a newly developed breed, and Beijing You chicken (BJY). The results indicated no significant differences between the two breeds in terms of egg shape index, eggshell strength, egg mass, Haugh unit, eggshell thickness, yolk mass, crude protein, or crude fat contents. A total of 293 differential metabolites were identified between RDY and BJY. The metabolite with the highest variable importance in projection (VIP) value was pepperolactam A (P < 0.05), suggesting its potential as a biomarker for distinguishing between the two egg yolks. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis revealed five significantly enriched metabolic pathways: glycerophospholipid metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism, α-linolenic acid metabolism, glycerolipid metabolism, and arachidonic acid metabolism. These pathways influenced the types and contents of fatty acids through metabolic pathway overlap, signal transduction, and energy metabolism. In the glycerolipid and glycerophospholipid metabolic pathways, the upregulation of 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (PA) promoted the accumulation of myristic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid, and neurogenic acid, whose contents were significantly higher in RDY than in BJY (P < 0.05). In contrast, the upregulation of PA in the glycerophospholipid pathway led to preferential utilization of stearic acid in phospholipid synthesis, thereby reducing its accumulation; with RDY exhibiting significantly lower levels of stearic acid than BJY (P < 0.05). Additionally, RDY contained significantly lower levels of linoleic acid than did BJY (P < 0.05). As a substrate in the linoleic acid metabolism pathway, the decreased content of linoleic acid led to downregulation of 9(S)-hydroxy-octadecadienoic acid (9(S)-HODE) in RDY. This study provides data support for the development of specialty egg brands and traceability systems in Hebei province.

To evaluate the impacts of different extraction methods on the properties of ginger essential oil, this study investigated the yield, physicochemical properties, thermodynamic characteristics, and functional group composition of ginger essential oil extracted by four techniques: steam distillation (SD), ultrasound-assisted steam distillation, enzymatic hydrolysis combined with steam distillation and ultrasound-enzyme synergistic assisted steam distillation (UEASD). In addition, the chemical composition, antioxidant and antibacterial activity of the extracted oils were evaluated. The results indicated that UEASD significantly increased the yield of ginger essential oil compared with the other methods (P < 0.05) and improved the physicochemical and thermodynamic properties. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis revealed that ginger essential oil mainly contained terpenes, alcohols, ketones and aldehydes. Gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) identified 85 compounds, with the essential oil extracted by UEASD being rich in terpenes (48.16%), ketones (13.16%), and aldehydes (2.63%). Moreover, the UEASD-extracted oil exhibited strong scavenging capacity against 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) cation radical, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, and hydroxyl radical, with half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 1.84, 1.20, and 2.26 mg/mL, respectively, which was higher than that of the positive control VE. The essential oil was effective against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Penicillium citrinum. This study provides a scientific basis and technical support for the development of high-quality, value-added ginger essential oil products.

To investigate the changes in biochemical components during the processing of Wuyi rock tea, this study compared the flavor characteristics of Wuyi rock tea made from three major oolong tea varieties (‘Rougui’, ‘Shuixian’ and ‘Dahongpao’) and a major variety of Wuyi rock tea (‘Baijiguan’). Moreover, the metabolite composition of tea samples at different production stages was analyzed by non-targeted metabolomics based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS) and headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-single quadrupole mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-SQMS) combined with chemometric analysis. The results indicated that the physicochemical properties of the raw materials (tea varieties) played a crucial role in the formation of the flavor of Wuyi rock tea. The tumbling and roasting stages during tea processing significantly drove the variations in the number and abundance of differential metabolites. L-lysine, L-tryptophan, indole, and methyl jasmonate, involved in plant stress responses, played a mediatory role in regulating the metabolites during the tumbling process. This stage significantly promoted the accumulation of bitter compounds such as chrysin, apigenin, and L-tryptophan, while markedly increasing the levels of sweet components such as L-threonine, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, and L-fucose. A series of volatile compounds that contributed to the floral, fruity and green aroma characteristics of the tumbled samples were generated during this process, including (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, (E)-nerolidol, phenylacetaldehyde, jasmine lactone, methyl jasmonate, and indole. High-temperature roasting significantly altered the contents of various taste components in tea samples, while causing a significant loss of aroma components such as cyclohexanol, phenylacetaldehyde, phenylacetic acid, and indole. These findings offer valuable insights into the mechanism behind the formation of the flavor of Wuyi rock tea and its processing control.

This study investigated the effects of different extraction methods, namely steam distillation (SD), simultaneous distillation extraction (SDE), supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), solid-phase microextraction (SPME), and dynamic headspace (DHS) on the composition and flavor characteristics of volatile components in Indocalamus latifolia leaves. The volatile components were systematically analyzed using a combination of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), principal component analysis (PCA) and relative odor activity value (ROAV). The results demonstrated that different extraction methods significantly influenced the composition and relative content of volatile compounds in broad-leaved I. latifolius leaves. A total of 84 volatile components were identified, mainly including aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, esters and alkanes. Among these methods, DHS and SPME resulted in the highest enrichment of heat-sensitive aldehydes (64.17% and 42.82%, respectively) and alcohols (26.40% and 29.25%, respectively), while SFE showed the highest selectivity to alkanes (56.50%) and terpenoids (20.97%). The results of PCA revealed that the first (PC1, 32.16%) and second (PC2, 26.03%) principal components were capable of effectively discriminating the specificity of different extraction methods. Based on ROAV, β-ionone was identified as the key shared flavor compound, which played the predominant role in the overall flavor profile. In conjunction with other critical flavor substances such as 3-hexen-1-ol (leaf alcohol), 1-octen-3-ol, and β-cyclocitral, it contributed to the rich and distinctive flavor characteristics of broad-leaved I. latifolius leaves. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the high-value utilization of I. latifolius leaves in the food and medicinal industries.

To investigate the differences in nutritional quality and flavor characteristics among Morchella esculenta from four different regions (Qilihe and Gaolan, Lanzhou; Xihe and Chengxian, Longnan) in Gansu province, this study used ultraviolet (UV)-visible spectrophotometry, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to quantify polysaccharides, polyphenols, vitamins and minerals. Free amino acids were determined using an amino acid analyzer and other non-volatile flavor substances such as soluble sugars, 5’-nucleotides and organic acids using HPLC. In total, 47 volatile aroma components (including alcohols, aldehydes and ketones) were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively by gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS), and principal component analysis and cluster analysis were used for differentiation and clustering of M. esculenta. The results showed that there were significant differences in the nutritional quality and flavor characteristics of M. esculenta from different regions of Gansu. The crude polysaccharide (20.48%) and total phenol (20.25 mg/g) contents of M. esculenta from Qilihe were significantly higher than those from the other regions. The soluble sugar (74.48 μg/g) and organic acid (58 770.72 μg/g) contents of M. esculenta from Xihe were higher than those from the other regions, while the contents of vitamins (21 044.01 μg/g), mineral elements (40 392.52 mg/kg), amino acids (30 318.78 mg/kg) and nucleotides (13 561.98 μg/g) in M. esculenta from Chengxian were significantly higher than those of the other regions. Aldehydes, ketones and alcohols were the major aroma compounds of M. esculenta, 1-octen-3-one, 2-methylbutyraldehyde and ethyl 2-methylpentanoate being identified as the key aroma substances. The four production regions were clustered into three classes by principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis: class I, Qilihe and Gaolan, which have similar climates; class II, Xihe and Chengxian, which share similar ecological environment; class III, Gaolan, Xihe and Chengxian, which share similar soil characteristics. These results of this study provide a theoretical basis for expanding the planting area of M. esculenta.

To investigate the differences in aroma among five high-fragrance black teas (Tieguanyin, Jinguanyin, Jinmudan, Huangdan and Meizhan), an electronic nose, headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) and sensory evaluation were used to investigate their key aroma components. The sensory evaluation results showed that all black teas had obvious aroma characteristics. Jinmudan black tea had a prominent fruity and floral aroma with a faint milky note. Jinguanyin black tea had a rich floral aroma with elegant fragrance. Tieguanyin black tea had a tender, sweet and milky aroma. Huangdan black tea had a sweet aroma with floral notes. Meizhan black tea had an obvious fresh and sweet aroma. Orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) performed on the electronic nose data showed a clear separation among different black teas. By HS-SPME-GC-MS, a total of 834 aroma components were identified, and 272 differential aroma compounds were selected using the cutoff of variable importance in projection (VIP) > 1 with a P value < 0.05. According to odor activity value (OAV) and relative odor activity value (ROAV), benzenemethanethiol, 3-mercapto-3-methylbutyl formate, dimethyl trisulfur compounds, 3-octen-2-one, (Z)-6-nonenal and 2-thiophenemethanethiol were identified as key aroma components in the five black teas, which contributed to their clean, sweet, floral and fruity aroma characteristics. Among them, 1-(2-thienyl)-ethanone, 3-octen-2-one and 3-mercapto-3-methylbutyl formate were important volatile substances to discriminate between different black teas. The findings of this study help to elucidate the aroma characteristics of different varieties of black tea and also provide a scientific basis for the research and development of high-fragrance black tea.

To investigate the effects of different screw configurations on the physicochemical properties and reconstitutability of extruded corn flour, this study set up different screw configurations by varying the number of kneading element groups, the distance between the kneading elements and the die head (kneading-die distance), and the kneading element spacing. The specific mechanical energy was taken to reflect the shear strength of the screw. The paste, hydration, textural properties and microstructure of extruded corn flour were measured as well as its reconstitutability. The results showed that different screw configurations caused changes in specific mechanical energy; compared with that of non-extruded corn flour (NCF), the specific mechanical energy of extruded corn flour was elevated with increasing number of kneading elements and with decreasing kneading-die distance or kneading element spacing, and the starch and water molecules in extruded corn flour formed a highly porous gel structure. When two sets of kneading elements were used and the kneading element spacing was 5 L/D (G6), the peak pasting viscosity and gel hardness of corn flour decreased by 57% and 64.94%, respectively. The relative crystallinity of starch decreased by 62.76%, the water absorption index and water solubility index increased by 1.83 and 2.10 folds, respectively and the agglomeration rate of extruded corn flour decreased by 77.91%, indicating significantly improved reconstitution stability. Correlation analysis showed that the specific mechanical energy of extruded corn flour was significantly and positively correlated with the content of amylose, stability coefficient, water absorption index and water solubility index, but significantly and negatively correlated with the relative crystallinity, agglomeration rate and centrifugal sedimentation rate. The relative crystallinity was significantly and negatively correlated with the water absorption index, water solubility index and stability coefficient, but significantly and positively correlated with the agglomeration rate and centrifugal sedimentation rate. In conclusion, increasing the number of kneading elements and decreasing the element spacing can effectively enhance the physicochemical properties and reconstitutability of extruded corn flour, providing a theoretical basis for the selection of screw configuration for improved reconstitutability of extruded corn flour.

In this study, oleoresin was extracted from Zanthoxylum bungeanum produced in Hanyuan, Sichuan by supercritical CO2 extraction. The effect of three process parameters (temperature, pressure and extraction time) on the yield, total phenol, total flavonoid and tingling compound (sanshools) contents of oleoresin was examined. The compositions of volatile flavor compounds and tingling compounds were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Flavor contributions were quantitatively evaluated based on odor activity values (OAVs) and aroma character impact (ACI) values and validated by aroma sensory evaluation. The results showed that the highest yield of oleoresin of (15.98 ± 1.05)% was obtained after 120 min of extraction under medium/high-temperature and high-pressure conditions (40 ℃/50 ℃, 30 MPa), and the retention rate of tingling compounds in the oleoresin was as high as (94.82 ± 1.12)%. Low-temperature and low-pressure conditions (30 ℃, 10 MPa) resulted in the maximum retention rates of total phenolics and flavonoids ((79.70 ± 1.35)% and (83.41 ± 1.14)%, respectively). In addition, a total of 43 volatile compounds were identified in the oleoresin, among which linalool and linalyl acetate were the key aroma components, being significantly regulated by temperature gradient. Among the five identified sanshools, the proportion of hydroxy-α-sanshool was 60.66%–75.30%, which was the key tingling component of Z. bungeanum. This study provides a theoretical basis for the targeted preparation and quality control of Z. bungeanum oleoresin through process-composition-flavor multi-dimensional analysis, which has important guiding significance for the development of the Z. bungeanum deep processing industry.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of extrusion cooking at different temperatures on the physicochemical properties of Poria cocos, in order to provide a scientific basis for the extrusion cooking of P. cocos and its related products. The physicochemical properties and chemical composition of raw and extruded P. cocos at 60 (PJ60), 80 (PJ80), 100 (PJ100), 120 (PJ120), and 140 ℃ (PJ140) were analyzed. The results indicated that extrusion cooking temperature significantly influenced the particle size, water solubility index (WSI), water absorption index (WAI), and dispersibility of P. cocos powder. The WSI, WAI and dispersibility of P. cocos powder extruded at low temperatures (60–80 ℃) were superior to those at high temperatures (> 100 ℃). However, extrusion cooking caused the color of P. cocos powder to become darker. Compared with untreated P. cocos, low-temperature extrusion cooking (60–80 ℃) significantly increased the content of water-soluble polysaccharides, with PJ60 having the highest value. Total triterpenoid content was significantly higher in all extrusion-cooked samples than in P0, with the highest value being observed in PJ60, and so it was with ethanol-soluble extract content. A total of 38 triterpenoids were detected across the ethanol extracts from all P. cocos samples. The relative total content of triterpenoids common to all samples was the highest in PJ80, and the relative contents of the major terpenoids such as dehydroporinic acid and dehydrotuberic acid were higher in PJ60 and PJ80. Additionally, extrusion cooking produced new triterpenoid compounds, including dehydroeburicoic acid monoacetate, poricoic acid AE, and 25-methoxyporicoic acid A. Extrusion cooking increased the contents of the major volatile components in P. cocos. Furthermore, the contents of off-flavor components were reduced, while the contents of aroma components such as nonanal and phenylacetaldehyde were increased. In summary, low-temperature extrusion cooking (60–80 ℃) effectively improved the contents of water-soluble total polysaccharides, total triterpenoids and ethanol-soluble extract of P. cocos, which may be attributed to the fact that extrusion cooking enhanced WSI, WAI, and dispersibility of P. cocos. In contrast, high-temperature extrusion cooking (> 100 ℃) led to a decrease in the contents of water-soluble total polysaccharides, total triterpenoids and ethanol-soluble extract, indicating that high-temperature processing caused losses of these components. On the other hand, low extrusion cooking temperatures (60–80 ℃) enhanced the dissolution rate of active components from P. cocos with reduced processing losses, thereby preserving its efficacy as a functional food ingredient in extruded foods.

This study investigated the effects of inoculation with different bioprotective bacteria on the bacterial counts, physicochemical properties, flavor characteristics and sensory evaluation of vacuum-packed Harbin red sausages during storage. Compared with the uninoculated control and Latilactobacillus sakei B2, a commercial bioprotective bacterium, single and mixed (1:1) inoculations with two bioprotective bacterial strains isolated in our laboratory, Pediococcus acidilactici L1 and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum HG1-1, significantly inhibited the growth of the spoilage bacteria Acinetobacter and Staphylococcus (P < 0.05), conferring the sausage superior color and texture characteristics, delaying lipid oxidation, and thereby making the product have higher flavor scores and overall acceptability at the end of storage. The electronic tongue and electronic nose results revealed that Harbin red sausages inoculated with single and mixed cultures of P. acidilactici L1 and L. plantarum HG1-1 had the most similar odor and taste characteristics at the end of storage. Overall, both single and mixed inoculations with P. acidilactici L1 and L. plantarum HG1-1 showed superior bioprotective effects on vacuum-packed Harbin red sausages compared with commercial L. sakei B2, with the mixed inoculation treatment being the most effective.

This study investigated the changes in the color and key lipid oxidation products of beef M. longissimus dorsi steaks from fattened cattle during chilled storage under high-oxygen modified atmosphere packaging (HiOx-MAP) under the premise of excluding the influence of microbial growth, and it analyzed the correlation between them. The results showed that the color stability of beef steaks gradually decreased, and both the metmyoglobin reducing capacity and oxygen consumption rate significantly declined with storage time. Moreover, the degree of lipid peroxidation and the types and contents of lipid peroxidation products all markedly increased. A total of 27 lipid oxidation products were identified, mainly including aldehydes such as hexanal, nonanal, heptanal, (E)-2-octenal, (E)-2-nonenal and ketones like 3-hydroxybutanone and 2,3-octanedione. There was a strong correlation (P < 0.001) between the increase in the contents of lipid oxidation products and the decline in color stability during storage. The absolute values of the correlation coefficients between the contents of 2,3-octanedione, 1-hexanol, benzaldehyde, 3-hexen-2-one, (E,E)-2,4-nonadienal, and (E,E)-2,4-decadienal and the color parameter a* were equal to or above 0.95. A model describing the relationship between the a* value and lipid oxidation products was established using stepwise regression analysis. This study provides a theoretical basis for controlling the color of raw beef.

This study examined the effects of combined treatment with chitosan (CTS), nisin and melatonin (MT) on the quality, softening and antioxidant properties of “Hongbeibei” small-fruited tomatoes. Water treatment served as the control. Three experimental groups were established: 1.5% CTS, 1.5% CTS + 0.4 g/L nisin, and 1.5% CTS + 0.4 g/L nisin + 150 μmol/L MT. Following treatment, the tomatoes were stored at (25.0 ± 0.5) ℃ for up to 10 days. During this period, fruit quality, color, decay incidence, mass loss rate, sensory score, texture, softening, and antioxidant properties were evaluated every two days. The findings revealed that compared with CTS alone, its combination with nisin and nisin + MT significantly reduced the mass loss and decay incidence of tomatoes, while maintaining higher sensory scores. All three treatments effectively delayed the reduction in fruit hardness. Notably, both CTS and its combination with nisin + MT significantly enhanced fruit elasticity (on day 1) and adhesiveness (on day 4) during the early storage period and delayed the decline in the brightness L* value. The CTS + nisin treatment maintained fruit color by inhibiting the rise of a* and b* values. In addition, the combined treatment delayed cell wall degradation through a dual regulatory mechanism, not only reducing the rate of protopectin‌ decomposition (94.01% lower on the 8th day compared with the control), but also inhibiting the accumulation of soluble pectin. The CTS + nisin + MT treatment resulted in a higher accumulation of protopectin during the late period (on day 6) compared with the control. Both CTS alone and its combination with nisin postponed the peak time of total phenol content, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging rate and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) to the 6th day. The CTS + nisin + MT treatment provided better maintenance of antioxidant activity during the late storage period (on day 10), resulted in 11.8% and 11.5% increase in total phenol content and DPPH radical scavenging rate respectively, compared with the CTS + nisin treatment. Meanwhile, the CTS treatment maintained a higher FRAP in the late period. The CTS + nisin treatment delayed the peak time of titratable acid to the 6th day, CTS + nisin + MT treatment enhanced its content at the 10th day, resulting in 9- and 2.36-fold increase in the value of titratable acid relative to CTS alone at the 6th and 10th day, respectively. Moreover, both combined treatments deferred the peak time of VC to the 10th day, with the CTS + nisin + MT treatment exhibiting a 70.9% increase in the VC peak over CTS alone. To summarize, combined treatment with CTS, nisin and MT provided better maintenance of the quality of “Hongbeibei” small-fruited tomatoes, which provides a theoretical basis for the development of preservative coatings with good controlled-release effects for fresh fruits.

To investigate the effect of ultra-fast prerigor freezing on beef quality, beef was subjected to conventional chilling (CC, chilling at 4 ℃), ultra-fast chilling (UFC, chilling at –30 ℃ until the internal temperature dropped to 12 ℃) or ultra-fast freezing (UFF, freezing at –30 ℃ until the internal temperature dropped to –10 ℃) and then stored at (0 ± 2) ℃ until 24 h postmortem. Beef tenderness, water-holding capacity (WHC) and other quality characteristics were measured. The results showed that UFF was more effective in improving beef tenderness during storage when compared with CC and UFC. UFF maintained a higher pH environment by slowing down the decrease in pH, thereby promoting the early degradation of myofibrillar proteins (desmin, troponin-T, and μ-calpain), disrupting myofiber structure, and resulting in elevated myofibril fragmentation index (MFI). These changes had a positive effect in improving muscle tenderness. Meanwhile, UFF reduced the cooking loss but increased the storage loss of beef. Overall, prerigor UFF treatment can improve the tenderness of beef.

This study explored the effects of different storage temperatures (0, 10 and 25 ℃) on the nutritional quality, senescence-related physiological indicators (color, mass loss rate, soluble sugar, vitamin C (VC) and chlorophyll) and safety indicators (nitrate, nitrite, ammonium nitrogen, and nitrate reductase) of rape. The results showed that during storage at 0 ℃, the sensory quality of rape was well maintained, water loss was slowed down, the decomposition of chlorophyll was inhibited, and the decline in VC content was delayed. Compared with those stored at 10 and 25 ℃, the nitrite content of rape stored at 0 ℃ remained at a level lower than the limit stipulated by the Chinese national standard (4 mg/kg). Low temperatures maintained the physiological quality of rape and inhibited the proliferation of microorganisms, so that nitrogen metabolism was at a relatively stable stage, ensuring the relative stability of nitrate reductase, nitrate, nitrite and ammonium nitrogen levels.

This study examined four rice varieties, ‘Yongyou 15’, ‘Yongyou 1540’, ‘Yongyou 538’, and ‘Yongyou 7860’. The effects of high-nitrogen and low-oxygen packaging, vacuum packaging, and conventional packaging on the quality and flavor compounds of rice were compared during 18 months of storage. The results showed that high-nitrogen and low-oxygen packaging was the most effective in delaying the increases in electrical conductivity and fatty acid contents and the decreases in moisture and protein contents and inhibiting the peroxidation of membrane lipids in rice. Both high-nitrogen and low-oxygen packaging and vacuum packaging significantly inhibited the accumulation of aroma-active aldehydes, ketones, and acids. After the storage period, the contents of all volatile components except aldehydes and acids decreased, suggesting losses of flavor compounds in rice. In summary, high-nitrogen and low-oxygen packaging and vacuum packaging are superior to conventional packaging. These findings provide a scientific basis for selecting the optimal packaging method for ‘Yongyou’ rice varieties.

Microfluidics, an emerging interdisciplinary technology, shows great potential in food research due to its precise fluid control in microchannels. Compared with conventional methods, it offers advantages such as higher throughput, faster speed, cheaper cost, and more convenient, and outperforms in detecting foodborne pathogens, pesticide/veterinary residues and allergens and in preparing emulsions. Microfluidic technology mainly includes continuous flow microfluidics (CMF), droplet microfluidics (DMF), and spinning microfluidics (SMF), among which CMF and DMF are applied most extensively. This article summarizes the latest advances in the application of CMF for food safety testing, composition analysis and smart packaging, and the application of DMF for targeted enzyme/strain screening and emulsion preparation for the encapsulation and delivery of bioactives. While some technologies are still in the laboratory stage, ongoing interdisciplinary innovations will enhance food safety, quality control and nutrition, thus driving transformative solutions for the food industry.

Meat quality is closely related to consumer experience and the benefits of deep processing enterprises, and it is influenced by diverse and complex factors. Recently, the impact of ubiquitination on meat quality has attracted increasing attention, and multiple studies have confirmed its crucial role in meat quality. This paper reviews the literature on the effect of ubiquitination on postmortem muscle energy metabolism, and discusses the potential mechanisms through which ubiquitination affects meat tenderness, color, water-holding capacity, and fat content. Furthermore, it highlights the regulatory mechanisms of protein ubiquitination on meat tenderness in terms of the ubiquitin-proteasome system and the apoptotic pathway. This review is anticipated to enhance the understanding the mechanism through which ubiquitination affects meat quality, thereby laying a theoretical foundation for regulating meat quality through ubiquitination.

Huangjiu, as a traditional fermented beverage in China, is rich in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and non-volatile compounds (NVCs). VOCs include alcohols, esters, aldehydes, and ketones, which contribute to the unique flavor of Huangjiu. NVCs include carbohydrates, peptides, organic acids and phenols, which are the basis for the health benefits of Huangjiu. The chemical composition of Huangjiu is quite complex, which significantly contribute to the flavor, stability and health benefits of Huangjiu. Metabolomic analysis provides an effective method for high-throughput identification of complex metabolites in Huangjiu, which helps to reveal the diversity and difference of NVCs in Huangjiu, as well as their changes during the brewing process. Moreover, the combination of metabolomics with big data, artificial intelligence, network pharmacology and other interdisciplinary technologies has helped to excavate and improve a large amount of information on bioactive components of Huangjiu, which has become a powerful tool for studying the functional components of Huangjiu. This article provides an overview of the development of metabolomics and its application in analyzing NVCs of Huangjiu, discusses the integration and development potential of multiple technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data into metabolomics, and highlights the importance of metabolomic technology in analyzing Huangjiu NVCs and evaluating their potential health effects. Furthermore, the article summarizes the composition characteristics, formation pathways, detection methods and biological activity of major NVCs in Huangjiu, and provides an outlook on future research directions. It is expected to provide a theoretical basis for improving the quality of Huangjiu, developing its functional components, inheriting and innovating Huangjiu culture.

As an important link in the fishery industry chain, the efficiency and quality of live fish transportation are crucial. However, traditional transportation methods suffer from high labor intensity, low efficiency, and heavy reliance on human expertise. The development of artificial intelligence (AI) provides innovative technological solutions to address these challenges. Studies indicate that AI-driven technologies can significantly enhance transportation efficiency, reduce costs, and mitigate fish stress responses, thereby improving transportation quality. Nevertheless, AI applications in live fish transportation still face various challenges, such as data processing in complex environments, sensor stability and cost issues, and real-time algorithm requirements. This paper reviews the potential applications of AI in live fish transportation, including monitoring and classification of fish stress responses, real-time water quality regulation based on machine vision and intelligent sensors, route optimization algorithms, and application scenarios of autonomous driving technology. This paper aims to provide theoretical support and practical references for the application and promotion of AI technology in live fish transportation.

With the increasing prevalence of metabolic diseases associated with high-starch diets, how to effectively regulate the rate of starch digestion has become a hot research topic in the field of food science and nutrition. As a class of natural functional components, exogenous proteins have been shown to play important roles in inhibiting starch digestion. This paper reviews recent progress in research on the inhibition of starch digestion by exogenous proteins, focusing on the properties of proteins from different sources, the effect of protein pretreatment on their digestive properties, and their potential inhibitory mechanisms, involving the protein network barrier effect, protein-starch interactions, and inhibition of starch-like enzyme activities. Finally, it discusses the prospects and challenges for the application of inhibition of starch digestive properties by adding proteins in the development of functional foods and health management. The aim of this paper is to provide theoretical support for the devment of functional foods and to offer scientific references for the public in healthy dietary regulation.

In recent years, with the increasing attention paid to the nutrition and functions of food, the demand for visual evaluation technologies for food and its nutritional components has become increasingly urgent. Zebrafish, with its advantages such as small size, fast reproduction rate, high homology with human genes, easy breeding and observation, has been widely applied as an animal model for the visual evaluation of food and its nutritional components. This review systematically discusses the application of zebrafish in the visual functional evaluation of food in multiple fields including cardiovascular protection, liver protection, neuroprotection, regulation of bone development, immune enhancement, anti-inflammatory effect, antioxidant effect, regulation of glucose metabolism, and skin beautification. Meanwhile, it outlines the application of cutting-edge multidisciplinary technologies such as gene editing, high-throughput screening and big data analysis in the functional evaluation of foods using zebrafish, and discusses future prospects for zebrafish in the functional evaluation of food and its nutritional components.

Myofibrillar protein is a salt-soluble protein that determines the quality of muscle, and its heat-induced gel properties directly affect the quality of emulsified and minced meat products. Meat researchers worldwide have been interested in the factors affecting the gel properties of myofibrillar protein. Structural and functional modification of myofibrillar proteins can improve the functional properties of myofibrillar protein gels. Currently, the main strategies for modifying myofibrillar proteins include addition of exogenous substances and physical treatments. However, a comprehensive summary of the effects of different treatments on the structure and function of myofibrillar proteins is lacking. Therefore, this review focuses on the various factors that affect and improve the gel properties of myofibrillar proteins and their mechanisms of action in terms of the environment in which the proteins exist, physical modification techniques and exogenous additives, clarifying that different environments in which myofibrillar proteins exist and physical modification techniques affect their gel properties by altering their conformation and that exogenous additives affect their gel properties by binding to the proteins to form aggregates. This review provides a theoretical reference for enhancing the quality of gelled meat products.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bilayer vesicles secreted by almost all cells at the nanometer to micrometer scale, and they carry various active molecules such as proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids. As signaling molecules, EVs can deliver contents containing biological information to target cells to make them exert their specific functions. Milk contains various beneficial bioactive molecules, among which milk-derived EVs (M-EVs) are regarded as an ideal source of EVs due to their high bioavailability, low immunogenicity, digestive tolerance, and commercial production performance. Additionally, M-EVs can endure harsh acidic conditions in the stomach and degradation scenarios in the intestine, and cross the biological barriers to reach their target tissues, making them ideal carriers for the targeted delivery of health-promoting or therapeutic bioactive substances. However, due to the complexity of milk components, further research is needed to clarify the relationship between specific components and functions of M-EVs and standardize their extraction process, thereby promoting the application of M-EVs. This article provides an overview of the formation pathways, compositional characteristics, extraction, and delivery methods of M-EVs. In addition, the advantages and challenges of M-EVs as natural nanocarriers for active substances are discussed and the prospects of M-EV research are deciphered. The review aims to provide a new direction for developing new functional foods based on M-EVs as an oral drug delivery system.

Erythritol is a natural four-carbon sugar alcohol with extensive application value in fields such as foods, pharmaceuticals, and chemical engineering. Currently, its industrial production primarily relies on microbial fermentation using renewable carbon sources as substrates. Yarrowia lipolytica is primarily used as starter culture for the production of erythritol. However, existing erythritol-producing strains commonly suffer from insufficient yield, poor environmental tolerance, and high production costs, which severely constrain the expansion of the scale of the erythritol industry. On this basis, this article focuses on three aspects: breeding strategies for erythritol-producing strains, novel tools and systems biology strategies, and enhancing strain tolerance to environmental stress, aiming to provide a theoretical foundation and technical references for the rational design of high erythritol-producing strains for the industrial production of erythritol.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a common chronic intestinal inflammatory disorder, primarily including ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD), with a complex pathogenesis involving multiple interacting factors. In recent years, intervention with tea and its active components in IBD and their action mechanisms have garnered considerable research attention. Research indicates that tea and its functional components can alleviate colitis through multiple pathways, including regulating inflammatory factors and related signaling pathways, modulating immune function, repairing the intestinal barrier, and regulating the gut microbiota and metabolites. This review summarizes recent progress on the role of tea in mitigating colitis, with a focus on its action mechanism, aiming to provide new insights and scientific evidence for the prevention and treatment of IBD.

As a traditional fermented food with profound historical and cultural heritage, Beijing Douzhi carries rich cultural connotations. However, the unique rancid and beany off-flavor of Douzhi leads to strong sensory controversy, which restricts its market promotion. This paper deeply explores the material basis for the unique flavor of Beijing Douzhi, its flavor components and flavor formation mechanism, and microbial species used for its production. It systematically summarizes the influences of different processing techniques, starter cultures and food additives on the flavor of Douzhi. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive theoretical basis for the precise regulation of the flavor of Douzhi, promote the modernization and development of the Douzhi industry, and facilitate the inheritance and innovation of traditional foods in the new era.