To address the problems of limited computational resources and large-scale variations in surface defects encountered in apple grading in orchards, an improved machine vision-based model for apple surface defect recognition was developed using You Only Look Once version 8 (YOLOv8), increasing the detection efficiency of apple surface defects and simultaneously ensuring the accuracy of the detection. A machine vision system was built in our laboratory to capture 5 500 images of Fuji apples, showing pedicel and calyx characteristics, six common surface defects (black spots, rot, mechanical damage, sunburn, brown spots, and cracks), and one type of environmental debris, which were annotated on the images. The replicated ghost next (RepGhostNeXt) and efficient quality-aware feature pyramid network (EffQAFPN) algorithm structures were introduced to improve the backbone feature extraction network and feature pyramid of the YOLOv8 model. Subsequently, five models were trained and compared: YOLOv8, YOLOv8n, YOLOv8 + EffQAFPN, YOLOv8 + RepGhostNeXt, and YOLOv8 + EffQAFPN + RepGhostNeXt. The focus was placed on comparing the accuracy and efficiency of the models in apple surface defect detection. Experimental results indicated that the YOLOv8 + EffQAFPN + RepGhostNeXt model exhibited the best overall detection performance with an overall recognition accuracy of 94.9% and an average frame rate of 7.81 frames per second (FPS). The model demonstrated efficient apple surface defect detection under limited computational resources, providing technical support for efficient and convenient apple grading in orchards.

The food safety regulation question answering (QA) task imposes high requirements on model accuracy, compliance, and interpretability. However, existing large language models (LLMs) face challenges in this domain, including imprecise knowledge retrieval, insufficient regulatory interpretation capabilities, and high computational costs. To address these issues, we proposed an intelligent question answering system based on the retrieval augmented generation (RAG) framework, with its core being the food safety regulation large language model (FSR-LLM). By optimizing database storage structures, retrieval strategies and the generator, FSR-LLM enhanced the quality and efficiency of food safety regulation QA. First, we constructed a food safety knowledge graph (KG) database to store regulatory provisions, food safety standards, and related data in a structured manner, improving the model’s capability to organize and utilize domain-specific knowledge. Additionally, we introduced an LLM-guided retrieval strategy, which enables intelligent query parsing and accurately extracts highly relevant information from the food safety regulation KG, reducing the retrieval of irrelevant or misleading contents. For the generator module, we fine-tuned Qwen-7B-Chat using low-rank adaptation (LoRA), ensuring better alignment with food safety QA tasks, while significantly reducing computational costs, allowing training on a single RTX 4090 GPU. Experimental results on the proposed dataset demonstrated that FSR-LLM outperformed baseline models in BLEU-4, Rouge-L, and accuracy, exhibiting higher precision and semantic coherence. This work provides a low-cost, high-performance, and scalable solution for intelligent food safety regulation.

Accurate analysis of fruit and vegetable quality is of great significance for ensuring food safety, improving consumer satisfaction, and promoting the sustainable development of the fruit and vegetable industry. Machine vision technology has been widely used in the fruit and vegetable industry in recent years. Traditional machine learning algorithms often have limitations when dealing with large amounts of complex image data generated by machine vision, and their performance cannot meet the actual needs. The integration of machine vision and deep learning algorithms enables efficient analysis and processing of complex fruit and vegetable images. The fruit and vegetable quality detection system based on machine vision and deep learning has achieved remarkable results in practical applications, providing strong technical support to the intelligent upgrading of the fruit and vegetable industry. This review summarizes recent progress on machine vision based on deep learning in fruit and vegetable quality analysis. It discusses the current challenges facing this field and future development trends with respect to the construction of public datasets, the development of lightweight models and 3D sensing devices, multimodal fusion, model interpretability, the development of portable and miniaturized devices, and the construction of a full-industry-chain intelligent fruit and vegetable management system empowered by the Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain technology. These efforts are expected to promote the technological upgrading and collaborative innovation of the fruit and vegetable industry.

Grain and oil safety is one of the important food safety issues and has received widespread attention worldwide. Therefore, rapid, accurate and efficient detection technologies are crucial for ensuring the safety of grains and oils. However, traditional detection methods for grains and oils have disadvantages such as long-time consumption, large subjective errors and poor real-time performance, which cannot meet consumers’ high requirements for food quality. The combination of computer vision and deep learning provides a rapid, efficient and non-destructive solution for grain and oil detection. This article introduces the basic principles of deep learning and computer vision and their advantages in food detection, focusing on the application of algorithms such as convolutional neural network (CNN), long short-term memory (LSTM), and generative adversarial network (GAN) in grain and oil detection. Meanwhile, it demonstrates the significant effects of these technologies in improving the detection accuracy and efficiency and summarizes recent progress in the application of computer vision and deep learning in non-destructive testing of grains, oils and their products. Finally, the limitations and future trends of computer vision and deep learning in the field of grain and oil safety are discussed from various aspects such as optimizing the robustness and interpretability of the model and developing lightweight models to adapt to the resource-constrained detection environment, aiming to promote the development of more efficient and accurate food detection technologies.

A rapid detection method for histamine was established based on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). In this method, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were used as the enhancing substrate and sodium chloride (NaCl) solution as the aggregating agent to effectively enhance the Raman characteristic peaks of histamine. The results indicated that the prepared AgNPs exhibited significant Raman enhancement, and the Raman characteristic peaks corresponding to the molecular structure of histamine were located at 640, 936, 997, 1 029, 1 097, 1 134, 1 257, 1 313, 1 425, and 1 563 cm-1, which could serve as quantitative indicators for histamine detection. Rapid and sensitive detection of histamine was achieved by optimizing the concentration factor of AgNPs, the amount of NaCl solution added, and detection format. Good linear relationship was observed between the Raman characteristic peak at 1 257 cm-1 and histamine concentration over the range of 10 to 1 000 mg/kg, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.21 mg/kg. Furthermore, the method was applied to detect three actual samples: fish, shrimp, and wine, and compared with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that the recovery of this method ranged from 95.95% to 106.26%, with a relative standard deviation (RSD) between 1.6% and 5.9%, indicating good accuracy and precision.

To study the mechanism by which ferrous sulfate (FeSO4) induces ferroptosis in Aspergillus flavus, its ferroptosis characteristics and microstructure were observed after being treated with different concentrations of FeSO4. The results showed that all tested concentrations of FeSO4 significantly inhibited the growth of A. flavus. Additionally, Fe treatment significantly increased the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the mycelium of A. flavus (P < 0.05), significantly decreased the levels of glutathione/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) (P < 0.05), and promoted lipid peroxidation in A. flavus spores. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that Fe disrupted the morphological structure of A. flavus, leading to significant changes in the permeability of the cell membrane and the release of cellular contents (nucleic acids and proteins) and ions (Ca2+, K+ and Mg2+). Transcriptomics analysis indicated that FeSO4 treatment affected metal ion homeostasis in A. flavus and down-regulated the gene expression related to GSH production. All above findings indicated that Fe could induce ferroptosis in A. flavus. Meanwhile, the synergistic mechanism of FeSO4 and Bacillus methylotrophicus BCN2 in inducing ferroptosis in A. flavu was studied. The results indicated that the combined treatment had stronger antifungal activity against A. flavus and its biofilm. The combined treatment significantly reduced the mitochondrial function of A. flavus, thereby leading to a decrease in the activities of ATPase and key enzymes in the tricarboxylic acid cycle. In addition, it significantly inhibited the growth of A. flavus inoculated in blueberries. This study provides a new idea for the effective prevention and control of A. flavus.

In this study, two types of riboflavin-sensitized titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanocomposite photocatalysts, TiO2@Rib and Rib@TiO2, were prepared using the rotary evaporation method and the adsorption method, respectively. Ultraviolet-visble spectroscopy (UV-Vis) analysis revealed that the sensitization effect of riboflavin extended the light absorption range of both composite photocatalysts from the ultraviolet region to the visible region. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and infrared spectroscopy analysis demonstrated that in TiO2@Rib, riboflavin was loaded in a non-aggregated form within the nanochannels, while in Rib@TiO2, riboflavin crystals were adsorbed on the surface of TiO2. Additionally, TiO2@Rib solution was stored for five days without exhibiting any significant precipitation, indicating its exceptional dispersion stability in water. Furthermore, TiO2@Rib demonstrated the highest generation capacity of singlet oxygen (1O2) and hydroxyl radicals (·OH). After 60 min of irradiation under a 450 nm blue LED matrix light source, the degradation rate of 1,3,6,8-tetrabromocarbazole, an emerging foodborne hazard, by TiO2@Rib was 56.41%, which was 1.64-fold higher than that of riboflavin. This study provides new insights and experimental evidence for optimizing the construction of low-toxicity, high-efficiency food pigment-sensitized TiO2 composite photocatalysts and their application in the photocatalytic degradation of emerging foodborne hazards in aquatic products.

In this study, we evaluated the effects of high CO2 exposure (at 3% for 48 h) followed by electron beam irradiation (EBI) (2 kGy) on the quality of fresh-cut apples and analyzed the underlying mechanism. Results showed that EBI accelerated tissue damage and nutrient loss despite sterilizing apples. Compared with EBI, the combined treatment significantly increased the hardness (35.1%) and crispness (31.8%) on day 10 of storage, inhibited browning, reduced ascorbic acid loss by 72.1%, and enhanced the scavenging activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical and 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical cation. Flavor analysis showed that the combined treatment effectively retained the characteristic esters such as ethyl butyrate and hexyl acetate, and inhibited the generation of undesirable flavor substances such as hexanal. Mechanistic studies indicated that the combined treatment exerted its effects through two pathways: it inhibited the activity of polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase (reducing their peak levels by 53.6% and 28.4%, respectively), activated phenylalanine ammonia-lyase activity (increasing it by 38.0%), and significantly increased the activity of antioxidant enzyme systems including glutathione reductase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase (by 1.2–1.7 times). Additionally, it inhibited malondialdehyde accumulation by 30.2% and the increase in relative conductivity by 26.7%. It also significantly reduced the rate of superoxide anion radical production and H2O2 content by 28.5% and 29.3%, respectively, thereby reducing oxidative damage and maintaining cell membrane integrity. In conclusion, the combined treatment mitigated oxidative damage to cells caused by EBI, thereby enhancing the quality of fresh-cut apples. The findings of this study provide a technical reference for the application of stress induction combined with physical cold sterilization in the processing of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables.

To address the problem that residual pectin methylesterase (PME) can cause turbidity loss and increased microbial safety risks in orange juice during high pressure processing (HPP), this study focused on the regulatory mechanism of HPP at different temperatures combined with microenvironment on PME and pectin methylesterase inhibitor (PMEI). Recombinant PMEI was prepared via molecular cloning, and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and molecular dynamics simulation were combined to systematically analyze the effects of multi-factor interactions on the enzyme activity and structure. The results showed that Ca2+ concentrations in the range of 0.1–0.5 mol/L could completely inhibit PME activity under HPP/25 ℃ treatment, while pectin concentration (0.1%–0.5%) had no significant regulatory effect on PME activity, but high pectin concentrations could cause physical interference. Under HPP/60 ℃ treatment at pH 7.0, PME activity was decreased by more than 95%, accompanied by changes in its secondary structure and a significant alteration in the polarity of the tryptophan microenvironment. At pH 7.0, the secondary structure of PMEI heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli (E.PMEI) transformed from α-helix to β-sheet, with its inhibitory activity remaining stable. In contrast, the relative content of α-helix structure in PMEI heterologously expressed in Pichia pastoris (P.PMEI) and its inhibitory activity increased under acidic conditions. At the molecular level, these findings clarified that HPP combined with pH adjustment could dynamically regulate the activities of PME and its inhibitor by specifically altering their conformations, providing a theoretical basis for the development of new food processing technologies that allow precise control of pectinase activity.

Fructose, valued for its intense sweetness and low cost, is widely used as a sweetener and serves as a key component in processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages. However, excessive fructose intake has been confirmed to be closely associated with the occurrence and progression of various metabolic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cancer, and even significantly increases the risk of mortality. Recent studies reveal a ‌dose-dependent dual-pathway mechanism‌ in fructose metabolism. At low doses, fructose is primarily transported via intestinal glucose transporter 5 (GLUT5) located on the apical membrane of intestinal epithelial cells and undergoes first-pass metabolism catalyzed by ketohexokinase-C (KHK-C) into fructose-1-phosphate (F1P), thereby greatly reducing the fructose load entering the systemic circulation. When its intake exceeds the threshold, fructose “spills over” and unmetabolized fructose enters the liver via the portal vein, significantly activating the de novo lipogenesis (DNL) pathway. This process upregulates sterol-regulatory element binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) and carbohydrate responsive element binding protein (ChREBP), enhancing lipid synthesis and ultimately inducing hepatic and systemic lipid accumulation, obesity, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), accompanied by insulin resistance. Mechanistic studies have shown that a high-fructose diet can reshape the composition of the gut microbiota, increasing the abundance of Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria, while significantly down-regulating the expression of tight junction proteins (occludin, claudin-1, and ZO-1), thereby compromising the intestinal mucosal barrier. This facilitates the translocation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and activates Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)-mediated systemic low-grade chronic inflammatory responses. Moreover, high fructose intake can increase the production of intermediates in purine metabolism, enhancing uric acid synthesis and impairing vascular endothelial function, thereby exacerbating the onset and progression of hyperuricemia. This review comprehensively delineates the mechanisms of fructose absorption and metabolism and its pathogenic role in metabolic disorders, aiming to offer novel theoretical insights and strategies for targeted interventions.

To investigate the effect of adding different levels of edible oil on the storage quality and volatile flavor of Longjing tea, we combined solid phase microextraction followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS) with partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and sensory evaluation to examine the volatile flavor compounds and sensory quality of Longjing tea prepared with the addition of edible oil at 0.5% and 3.0% and stored for 36 months at 15 ℃ and 60% relative humidity (RH) under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. The results showed that the addition of edible oil had a significant effect on the sensory characteristics such as stale aroma and taste during the storage of Longjing tea. After 36 months of storage, aerobically packaged Longjing tea with 3.0% edible oil had the highest stale aroma and taste values (both 3.0), and the tea infusion exhibited the highest yellowish darkness with b* value of 17.00 and L* value of 93.8. Furthermore, under both aerobic and anaerobic packaging conditions, (Z)-hexanoic acid 3-hexenyl ester, 4-methyl-3-penten-2-one, n-pentanol, 1-octen-3-ol, n-pentanal, and 2-methylbutanal were identified as key differential metabolites between Longjing tea with the addition of 0.5% and 3.0% tea oil. Propionaldehyde, 1-penten-3-ol, hexanoic acid, (Z)-2-pentenol, (E)-3-hexen-1-ol, 2-heptanone, methyl heptenone, n-hexanol, 1-octen-3-ol, nerol, linalool, dimethyl sulfide, isobutyraldehyde, and benzaldehyde were identified as key differential volatile components between Longjing tea stored under aerobic and anaerobic packaging conditions. This study provides a scientific basis for the rational use of edible oil in Longjing tea processing and the optimization of packaging and storage methods.

To investigate the material basis underlying the formation of the floral and honey-like aromas of Wuyi black, this study systematically analyzed the key aroma components in Wuyi black tea with floral and honey-like aromas using sensory evaluation, headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-olfactometry-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry (GC × GC-O-TOF-MS), and relative odor activity value (rOAV). Through sensory evaluation, six Wuyi black tea samples with typical floral and honey-like aroma were selected. Chromatographic analysis identified 331 volatile compounds, of which 41 were identified via olfactometry, including phenylacetaldehyde, neral, and linalool. Based on rOAV > 1, 32 key odor-active compounds were ultimately determined, such as linalool, linalool oxide I, and β-cyclocitral, which were recognized as core contributors to the characteristic floral and honey-like aromas of Wuyi black tea. This study provides a theoretical foundation for further studies on the formation mechanism and targeted processing regulation of floral and honey-like aromas in Wuyi black tea.

To investigate the effects of different storage conditions on the quality characteristics and in vitro glycolipid metabolism enzyme inhibitory activities of ‘Zhonghuang 1’ yellow leaf green tea (YLGT), the tea was stored for 12 months under the following conditions: at 25, 4, –­20 ℃ in sealed bags, at 25 ℃ in vacuum packs, at 25 ℃ in sealed bags after microwave pretreatment, or at 25 ℃ after pulsed light pretreatment. The sensory quality, moisture, tea polyphenol, free amino acid, total sugar, and water extract contents were measured before and after the storage period, and changes in the inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase, α-amylase, cholesterol esterase, and pancreatic lipase were evaluated. The results showed that the sensory quality and physicochemical components were preserved significantly better during storage at –­20 ℃ than at 25 ℃ (P < 0.05), whereas storage at 25 ℃ led to significant deterioration in quality indicators, along with the greatest reduction in enzyme inhibitory activities. The inhibitory activities against all glycolipid metabolism enzymes except pancreatic lipase were significantly higher at –­20 ℃ than at the other storage temperatures (P < 0.05). The pulsed light treatment group exhibited significantly higher pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity compared with the ­20 ℃ group (P < 0.05). Therefore, it is hypothesized that storage at –20 ℃ under vacuum packaging can more effectively maintain the quality of yellow leaf green tea and sugar and lipid metabolism.

To establish a quantifiable evaluation method for oat dough stickiness, this study utilized the Chen-Hoseney method. A texture analyzer equipped with an A/DSC probe was used to measure the textural properties. The influence of measurement conditions (including pre-test/test/post-test speed, applied/trigger force, return distance and contact time) on dough stickiness, cohesiveness/dough strength and work of adhesion. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method and the frequency analysis method were integrated to optimize the measurement parameters, and the universality and robustness of the established method were evaluated. The results indicated that post-test speed, applied force, return distance, and contact time had significant effects on the results of determination of oat dough stickiness. The optimal measurement parameters were determined as follows: pre-test and test speed 1.50 mm/s, post-test speed 8.00 mm/s, applied force 40 g, trigger force at 5.00 g, return distance 4.000 mm, and contact time 0.10 s. Furthermore, oat flours from 26 varieties were selected to validate the developed method. The coefficient of variation (CV) for the overall sample test exceeded 40%, and the CV for each individual sample was below 5%. These results indicated that the universality and reproducibility of this method were satisfactory. In conclusion, the proposed method can effectively reflect the stickiness characteristics of oat dough, thereby providing technical support for in-depth understanding of the formation mechanism of oat dough stickiness.

This study aimed to systematically investigate the effects of different salt ions on the formation of transglutaminase (TG) cross-linked soybean isolate protein (SPI) gels and the underlying mechanisms. Our results showed that treatments with 0.1 mol/L Na+, K+ and Mg2+ induced the formation of SPI gels with high gel strength and water-holding capacity (WHC), and the gel strength of the treated groups was 2.43, 1.51 and 2.32-fold higher than that of the control group, respectively. According to rheological analysis, the storage modulus (G’) and loss modulus (G”) of the salt ion-treated groups were significantly higher than those of the control group, which exhibited a slight frequency dependence. Molecular docking analysis showed that salt ions might directly affect the structure of TG cross-linked SPI to improve its gel properties. Specifically, the surface hydrophobicity and fluorescence intensity of the three treated groups remarkably decreased, while the absolute value of the zeta potential and average particle size increased significantly, indicating that different salt ions could promote the aggregation of protein molecules, causing the spatial structure to become more compact. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that the three salt ions could induce an increase in the content of β-folding in SPI gels and a decrease in the contents of α-helix and random coil, suggesting that the secondary structure tended to become ordered after treatment with salt ions. The results of low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed that salt ion treatments reduced the mobility of water in SPI gels, which was consistent with increasing the WHC. Besides, the microstructure of salt ion-treated SPI gels exhibited the morphological features of dense stacked aggregates. Therefore, Na+, K+ and Mg2+ have potential in enhancing the gel properties of TG cross-linked SPI gels during food processing.

Objective: To investigate the regulatory effect and underlying mechanism of tartary buckwheat-derived exosome-like nanovesicles (TELN) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory response and polarization in murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells. Methods: TELN were extracted from tartary buckwheat using size-exclusion chromatography and characterized. RAW264.7 macrophages were divided into a control, an LPS-treated group, and an LPS + TELN-treated group. Transcriptomic analysis was performed to identify the differences in gene expression between these groups. The secretion levels of the key inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-1β, and IL-10 in cell culture supernatants were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The mRNA expression of these cytokines was detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The impact of TELN on LPS-induced macrophage polarization was analyzed using flow cytometry and Western blot. Results: TELN exhibited a homogeneous size distribution with an average diameter of 145.8 nm and a concentration of (1.305 ± 0.074) × 1010 particles/mL. The transcriptomic analysis revealed significant upregulation of the genes encoding macrophage-derived chemotactic factors, ubiquitinated proteins, phosphorylated proteins, and immune/inflammatory regulators (e.g., S100A8) in the TELN-treated group. The ELISA results demonstrated that compared with the LPS group, TELN significantly reduced the levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β in supernatants by (75.6 ± 0.9)% (P < 0.000 1), (10.9 ± 0.2)% (P < 0.000 1), and (57.8 ± 6.8)% (P < 0.000 1), respectively, while elevating the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 by (69.7 ± 4.6)% (P < 0.000 1). The qPCR results confirmed that TELN significantly downregulated the mRNA expression of IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β and upregulated IL-10 mRNA expression at the transcriptional level. Flow cytometry and Western blot analyses consistently showed that TELN significantly suppressed the LPS-induced expression of the M1 polarization marker CD86. However, no detectable CD206 protein expression was observed, indicating that TELN did not promote M2 polarization. Conclusion: TELN exerts an anti-inflammatory effect by bidirectionally modulating cytokine secretion (effectively inhibiting the release of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β while significantly enhancing the level of anti-inflammatory IL-10) and suppressing M1 macrophage polarization. Particularly, TELN has a pronounced inhibitory effect on IL-6 expression, suggesting that its mechanism of action may be related to targeting signal pathways such as nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB). This study provides novel insights into the nutritional and immunomodulatory mechanisms of tartary buckwheat.

In this study, yak ghee was prepared from yak milk fat, obtained by centrifugal separation, and washed yak milk fat, separately, and the distribution patterns of milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) components in the aqueous phase, buttermilk, and whey during ghee processing were systematically analyzed. Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) was used to analyze protein composition, and solid-phase extraction, thin-layer chromatography, and gas chromatography were combined to comprehensively analyze the composition and distribution characteristics of lipids. The results showed that fat washing enriched the characteristic proteins of MFGM, significantly decreased the contents of polar lipids in yak milk fat and buttermilk (P < 0.05), but had no significant effect on the content of polar lipids in whey. The lipids in buttermilk and whey were different in terms of polar lipid/fat ratio, phospholipid composition (phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) was enriched in buttermilk, while sphingomyelin (SM) was enriched in whey), and unsaturation degree. This study revealed that the differential distribution of MFGM components between buttermilk and whey was mainly related to the physicochemical properties of fat globules.

The effects of different ratios of coconut oil-based diacylglycerol (CO-DAG) to cream on fat crystallization, emulsion properties, whipping properties and sensory quality in whipped cream were investigated. The results showed that the endothermic and exothermic peaks shifted to higher temperatures with increasing ratio of CO-DAG to cream, the solid fat content (SFC) increased, the peak area of β and β’ crystals increased, the whipping time and foaming capacity first increased and then decreased, the apparent viscosity and hardness increased, while the storage modulus remained greater than the loss modulus. At a CO-DAG/cream ratio of 6:4 (m/m), the foaming capacity reached 265.1% after whipping for 106 s. The SFC curve was relatively steep, the fat network structure was compact, the plasticity and stiffness after mounting were good, and the whipped cream just melted in the mouth, which was superior to commercial whipped creams with vegetable oils. The results of this study lay a theoretical foundation for the production of zero-trans fatty acid and low-calorie whipped cream with CO-DAG, and provide theoretical guidance for its industrial production and application.

To enhance the color discernibility and stability of mulberry anthocyanins (MA), this study investigated the delivery efficacy of soy protein isolate (SPI) and its self-assembled fibrillated form, soy protein isolate fibrils (SPF), as nanocarriers for MA. The results demonstrated that MA was mainly loaded on the hydrophobic sites of SPI and SPF through hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions, resulting in the formation of stable nanocomplexes. Fibrillation treatment significantly improved the loading efficiency (EE) of soy protein for MA (96.34% vs. 61.25%) and enhanced the color stability and naked-eye discernibility of MA. Compared with free MA, the color change of MA-loaded SPF increased from Grades 3 to 5 over the pH range of 2–8, indicating significantly improved visual discriminability (P < 0.05). Simultaneously, its thermal stability was enhanced by 32.90%, and the degradation rate of anthocyanins after 45 days of storage at 25 ℃ was decreased by 44.70%. Additionally, the color stability of MA was positively correlated with storage temperature. At 4 ℃, the degradation rate constant (k) of MA was reduced by 68.63% compared with that at 25 ℃, and the half-life (t1/2) was extended by 3.19 times. After loading onto SPI and SPF, the stability of MA was enhanced. The k values of the MA-SPI and MA-SPF complexes were only 75.00% and 41.25% of that of free MA, and the t1/2 values were 1.33 and 2.42 times higher than that of free MA, respectively. In conclusion, SPF serves as an excellent carrier for improving the color discernibility and stability of MA. The SPF-MA nanocomplex is expected to be applied as an excellent pH sensitive indicator in intelligent food packaging films.

To explore the changes in the stability and antioxidant activity of betalains in the presence of different amino acids, different amino acids were added into the pigment solution. The stabilities of betalains against light, temperature, pH, and metal ions were investigated based on their retention rate and the antioxidant activity was assessed by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical cation scavenging activity. The findings showed that serine (Ser), histidine (His), and phenylalanine (Phe) enhanced the thermal stability of betalains, with the most pronounced effect being observed at a concentration of 5‰. Under light conditions, the retention rate of betalains was 16.8% higher in the presence of His than with no added amino acid. At pH 5.0, the retention rate was increased by up to 20% in the presence of His. Addition of His significantly improved the stability of the pigment solution containing Ca2+. Additionally, Phe addition enhanced the stability of betalains against metal ions, acids, alkalis, and light. All three amino acids enhanced the scavenging ability of betalains against DPPH radical and ABTS radical cation and inhibited their oxidation reaction. These results indicated that different amino acids had different effects on the stability of betalains. To stabilize natural pigments, appropriate amino acids should be selected according to actual requirements.

To investigate the effects and mechanism of Rhodomyrtus tomentosa polysaccharides (RTP) on the starch properties of Eleocharis dulcis, this study examined the effects of adding different concentrations of RTP to E. dulcis starch (EDS) solution on the gelatinization characteristics, thermodynamic properties, gel properties, and water distribution. The results showed that as the concentration of RTP increased, the peak viscosity, breakdown value, retrogradation value, and gelatinization temperature of EDS decreased, while its thermal stability increased. Moreover, the gelatinization enthalpy reached its maximum level at 0.1% RTP concentration. Low concentration of RTP (0.05%) had no significant effect on the hardness, gel strength or viscosity of EDS gels, while 0.1%–0.2% RTP significantly enhanced the gel strength and chewiness. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) observation showed that RTP addition transformed the microstructure of EDS gels from disordered porous to honeycomb-like, and the pore wall became thicker with increasing RTP concentration. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) analysis showed that RTP addition resulted in an increase in the proportion of bound water and a decrease in the proportion of free water. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic (FT-IR) analysis showed that addition of 0.1% RTP caused changes in the vibration characteristics of functional groups in EDS. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results showed that addition of 0.1%–0.15% RTP promoted the crystallization of EDS, while addition of 0.2% RTP destroyed the crystalline structure. In conclusion, addition of an appropriate amount (0.1%) of RTP can improve the thermal stability and gel strength of EDS, while excess RTP could destroy its crystalline structure. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the application of R. tomentosa polysaccharides in E. dulcis starch-based foods.

In this study, we investigated the effect of heterologous overexpression of the phospholipase D gene from Streptomyces antibioticus (SaPLD) on lipid synthesis in Schizochytrium sp.. The results showed that heterologous expression of SaPLD inhibited the growth of Schizochytrium sp. at the late stage of fermentation, but significantly increased the total lipid production and the lipid content per cell. When the SaPLD-overexpressing strain was cultured under salt stress with 12 g/L sodium chloride, its final biomass recovered to the level of the wild-type strain, and lipid synthesis was further enhanced, indicating that salt stress could alleviate the cytotoxicity of PLD overexpression toward Schizochytrium sp.. Fatty acid analysis showed that the overexpression of SaPLD increased the proportion of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and decreased the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Specifically, the proportion of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) was decreased significantly while the synthesis of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) was promoted. The EPA production and EPA content per cell were increased by approximately 43% and 70%, respectively, compared with the wild-type strain. Phospholipidomics and gene transcription analyses revealed that SaPLD predominantly exerted a hydrolytic function in Schizochytrium sp.. Its overexpression enhanced the hydrolysis of phospholipids, promoted the production of phosphatidic acid, and thus increased the flux of triacylglycerol (TAG) synthesis via the Kennedy pathway. Therefore, it is inferred that EPA synthesis was positively correlated with the signaling pathway for SFA synthesis, while the decrease in DHA might be related to phospholipid hydrolytic metabolism induced by PLD. This study demonstrates that the regulation of phospholipid metabolism in Schizochytrium sp. affects cell growth and lipid synthesis and alters the preference for PUFAs synthesis, providing a new strategy for engineering Schizochytrium sp. to produce EPA.

Based on the core endogenous functional strains of high-temperature Daqu, a synthetic microbial community was constructed for solid-state fermentation. Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed to analyze the impact of temperature stress on the metabolism of volatile compounds in the synthetic microbial community. Metatranscriptomics was employed to study the temperature response mechanisms of key metabolic genes in the microbial community under thermal stress and to elucidate the dynamic regulation patterns of flavor-related genes in response to temperature variations. The findings demonstrated that fermentation temperature significantly regulated pyrazines, phenols, alcohols, and other compounds in the synthetic community. Under high-temperature stress, the microbial community redistributed metabolic resources through preserving core functions while eliminating redundant consumption. During fermentation at 40 ℃, the synergistic interactions of genomes in the synthetic community were more pronounced, and the expression profiles of the core functional genes were significantly shifted. In addition, the metabolic capacity for flavor compounds was enhanced and the expressions of the gudB and sucC genes were notably upregulated. Under thermal stress at 50 ℃, the community activated heat-shock response mechanisms, thereby triggering its functional redirection and dramatic upregulation of the pgm and tpiA genes. Among the metabolic pathways regulating differential volatile compounds, the biosynthesis of flavor substances exhibited a significant correlation with amino acid metabolism pathways, particularly the branched-chain amino acid and aromatic amino acid metabolism pathways. This study provides theoretical support for optimizing the temperature-controlled Qu-making process, enhancing the controllability of solid-state fermentation, and developing artificial microbial agents.

To investigate the effect of lactic acid bacterial fermentation on the release and functional activities of active substances in ginseng during in vitro simulated digestion, this study established an in vitro oral-gastric-intestinal digestion model. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to analyze the dynamic changes in total phenols, total flavonoids, polysaccharides, and monomeric ginsenosides during the digestion of ginseng fermented and not fermented with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum. Additionally, the antioxidant activity and hypoglycemic activity of the resulting digests were evaluated. The results indicated that lactic acid bacterial fermentation significantly promoted the release of active substances during in vitro simulated digestion. In the intestinal digestion stage, the release of total phenols from fermented ginseng reached (3.65 ± 0.11) mg/g, which increased 30.3% compared with non-fermented ginseng (P < 0.05). The release of total flavonoids from fermented group temporarily decreased during the gastric digestion stage, due to the acidic environment, but increased to (1.18 ± 0.04) mg/g in the subsequent intestinal digestion. Furthermore, compared with the non-fermented control, fermentation significantly increased the release of the rare ginsenosides F2, Rg3, CK, and Rh2 from (10.21 ± 0.19), (0.62 ± 0.13), (1.43 ± 0.16), and (0.38 ± 0.07) mg/g to (12.57 ± 0.07), (8.32 ± 0.54), (7.25 ± 0.21), and (1.81 ± 0.12) mg/g during the intestinal digestion stage, respectively. After intestinal digestion, the 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical cation scavenging capacity, ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), superoxide anion radical scavenging capacity, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity of fermented ginseng were (89.22 ± 3.04)%, 0.57 ± 0.01, (41.36 ± 0.96)%, and (83.81 ± 0.71)%, respectively, which were 21.8%, 15.2%, 141.3%, and 8.3% higher than those of the non-fermented control, respectively. Correlation analysis revealed that the contents of total phenols, polysaccharides, and rare ginsenosides (F2, Rg3 and CK) were positively correlated with antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities, while the prototype ginsenosides Rg1 and Re were negatively correlated with both activities. In conclusion, lactic acid bacterial fermentation transforms prototype ginsenosides in ginseng through enzymatic hydrolysis, synergizing with the digestive environment to further promote the release and transformation of active substances, significantly enhancing the bioavailability and functional activity of digestive products. This study provides a theoretical basis for developing high-value-added functional foods based on ginseng.

In this study, bioinformatics analysis, heterologous expression and enzymatic characterization of dextranase (StDex) from Streptococcus thermophilus LMG 18311 were conducted to expand the dextranase resource library and lay the foundation for further research on its thermostability mechanism and its application in functional foods. The bioinformatics analysis indicated that StDex contained 166 amino acids with a theoretical molecular mass of 18.60 kDa and an isoelectric point of 6.59. It was a stable hydrophilic protein with a stable low molecular mass. StDex belonged to the glycoside hydrolase (GH) 66 family. Homology modeling showed that its catalytic site characteristics were significantly different from those of other dextranases, indicating that this enzyme might have a unique hydrolysis mechanism. Heterologous soluble expression of StDex was achieved using the pET28a-SUMO vector. After purification by Ni-chelating affinity chromatography, the specific activity of the recombinant StDex reached 90.18 U/mg. The enzymatic characterization indicated that the optimal catalytic conditions for the recombinant StDex were 50 ℃ and pH 7.0. This enzyme retained more than 60% of its original activity after 1 h of incubation at 20–65 ℃, and retained more than 80% of its original activity after 1 h of incubation at pH 4.0–8.0. Dextran T20 was found to be the most suitable substrate for the enzyme, and its relative activities towards dextran T10, T40 and T70 all exceeded 70.36%; its relative activity towards soluble starch was 46.74%. Ca2+, Ba2+, and Fe3+ at concentrations of 1–5 mmol/L had no significant inhibitory effect on the activity of StDex. More than 88% of its activity remained after treatment with 10 mmol/L Ca2+, Fe3+, Ni2+ or Mn2+, and the addition of 0.1% sodium fluoride increased its activity by 14.53%. Compared with dextran T10, T20, T40 and T70, StDex had the smallest Km value of 5.40 μmol/L and the largest kcat/Km value of 90.44 L/(μmol·min) for dextran T500, indicating that it had a higher substrate affinity and catalytic efficiency for dextran with a higher molecular mass. The major products produced from the hydrolysis of dextran T20 and T500 by StDex were both isomaltooligosaccharides ranging from triose to heptaose, and their oligosaccharide products all exhibited high antioxidant activity. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for the application of StDex in the prevention and treatment of dental caries, the preparation of active oligosaccharides, and the development of functional foods.

To investigate the differences in functional quality traits and phenolic compounds among major prune cultivars (Prunus domestica L.) in Kashi, Xinjiang, four cultivars-Xinmei 1 (XM-1), Xinmei 2 (XM-2), red prune (R), and yellow prune (Y)-were analyzed for color parameters, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoids content (TFC), and total anthocyanins content (TAC). Untargeted metabolomics was performed by combining reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) and hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) coupled with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS). Differential phenolic compounds were identified by analysis of variance (ANOVA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and Pearson correlation analysis and their correlation with functional quality characteristics were investigated. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were observed among the four cultivars in functional quality traits; the yellow prune cultivar exhibited the highest TPC ((279.66 ± 6.29) mg/100 g) and TFC ((224.96 ± 12.68) mg/100 g), while Xinmei 2 had the highest TAC ((49.11 ± 2.10) mg/kg). A total of 119 phenolic compounds were identified, including 53 flavonoids and 19 cinnamic acid derivatives, with 7 polar phenolics (e.g., 2,6-dihydroxybenzoic acid) being uniquely detected by HILIC. PLS-DA revealed 44 differential compounds, and Pearson analysis indicated that 19 phenolics were significantly correlated with color indices, TPC, TFC, and TAC. Notably, catechin and procyanidin B2 in the yellow prune cultivar contributed to its high antioxidant capacity. The combination of RPLC/HILIC with UPLC-QTOF-MS can enhance the coverage of phenolic detection, and the identified differential phenolics provide theoretical support for the identification of prune cultivars and the development of functional prune products.

The combined use of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) was investigated for the reduction of zearalenone (ZEN) in corn kernels under different conditions, and the changes in the quality of corn after the treatment were detected in this study. Results showed that processing time and initial moisture content of corn had a significant effect on ZEN degradation. The degradation rate showed an upward trend with increasing processing time. Under suitable conditions of processing time (5–30 min) and moisture content (26.87%–35.23%), the degradation rate reached 20.30%–33.80%. The moisture content of corn decreased after the treatment, but there were no significant changes in protein content, fat acid value or color (P > 0.05). Basically, the germination rate did not change, but the germination potential increased significantly after 30 min of treatment (P < 0.05). There was no significant change in the apparent morphology of corn. In conclusion, UV-ACP treatment is effective in reducing ZEN in corn without adverse effects on corn quality, indicating great application potential.

The effects of ten drying methods (six cold-air drying methods, two hot-air drying methods, vacuum drying and freeze-drying) on the eating quality of traditional Yeji air-dried mutton (YADM), including texture, color, flavor and sensory attributes, were investigated. The results indicated that hot-air drying facilitated the formation of volatile compounds and free amino acids, but the dried product was too hard to chew. Freeze-drying provided maximum color preservation, but resulted in poor texture and sensory quality. Cold-air drying resulted in favorable texture properties, color and sensory quality. Furthermore, cold-air drying at 4 ℃ with an air velocity of 1.6 m/s and a relative humidity ranging from 60% to 80% resulted in superior eating quality of YADM. In conclusion, the suitable cold-air drying condition has the potential for application industrial drying of YADM.

To investigate the regulatory effect of exogenous dopamine on the quality of postharvest pak choi (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis), the present study was conducted to determine the surface color, chlorophyll content, the expression of chlorophyll metabolism-related genes, the content of antioxidants, and the activity and gene expression of antioxidant enzymes in pak choi treated postharvest with different concentrations of dopamine hydrochloride solution and stored at (20 ± 1) ℃ and 80%–90% relative humidity (RH). The results showed that 600 μmol/L dopamine treatment reduced the expression of chlorophyll metabolism-related genes (BrNYC1, BrNOL, BrSGR1/2, BrPAO, and BrRCCR), inhibited chlorophyll degradation in postharvest pak choi; and down-regulated the gene expression of respiratory burst oxidase homologs (BrRbohC, BrRbohD, BrRbohE, and BrRbohG) to different degrees, which effectively reduced the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) (18.6%) and superoxide anion radical (50.7%), and significantly increased the scavenging capacity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals (64.0%). Meanwhile, it differentially increased the gene expression of antioxidant enzymes (BrPOD, BrSOD, and BrCAT) to increase the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT). In addition, compared to the control group, the dopamine treatment increased the contents of ascorbic acid (7.4%) and total phenols (27.1%), thereby delaying the postharvest senescence of pak choi. The findings of this study revealed that dopamine maintains the postharvest quality of pak choi through the regulation of chlorophyll metabolism, reactive oxygen species (ROS) balance and the antioxidant system, which provides new strategies and ideas to improve the quality and prolong the shelf-life of postharvest leafy vegetables.

In order to reveal the differences in metabolites among Furong plum (Prunus salicina Lindl.) with different maturity periods and the changes in metabolites during low-temperature (4 ℃) storage, fruits picked at commercial maturity (F) or fresh-eating maturity (S) and stored at 4 ℃ for 0, 28, and 56 days (denoted as stages 0, 1, and 2, respectively) were studied by widely targeted metabolomics. The results showed that there were significant differences in metabolites among the experimental groups. A total of 103 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were detected between F0 and S0, with phenolic acids and flavonoids being the major ones, accounting for 52.43% of the total. Moreover, 28 shared DAMs were identified among F0, F1 and F2 and 38 among S0, S1 and S2. According to Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) metabolic pathway enrichment analysis, the major DAMs between F0 and S0, secondary metabolites including phenolic acids and flavonoids, were annotated into 4 significantly enriched metabolic pathways. The significantly enriched metabolic pathways at stages 0-1 or 1-2 were highly similar between the two maturities, while the major annotated significantly enriched metabolites at stages 0-1 were amino acids, their derivatives and organic acids, and those at stages 1-2 were organic acids, nucleotides and their derivatives. These results provide a scientific basis for investigating the quality and flavor formation of Furong plum, as well as the trend of metabolites during low temperature storage.

In response to the problem that it is difficult to accurately assess the maturity of Camellia oleifera fruits and traditional discrimination methods have limitations, this paper explored the feasibility of combining hyperspectral microscopy imaging (HMI) with grey level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) to assess its maturity. Samples were collected at different maturity stages. Microscopic images of fruit shell slices were collected for extraction of spectral and textural features. Principal component loading (PC Loading) and two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D-COS) were introduced to select characteristic wavelengths. Different classification models were developed. Results showed that the models fusing spectral and textural features performed better than did the single-feature models. The model developed using support vector machine (SVM) combined with quantum particle swarm optimization (QPSO) achieved the best classification accuracy (87.0%). In summary, the maturity of C. oleifera fruits was closely related to fruit shell microstructure, as well as texture changes in spectral images. This study also confirmed the feasibility and superiority of HMI combined with data fusion in maturity assessment.

In this study, using agar hydrogel as the matrix and gold-silver iodide dimer nanoparticles (Au-AgI NPs) as the recognition probe, a highly sensitive and visualized colorimetric hydrogel patch was successfully prepared for the rapid detection of cyanide ion (CN-) in liquor. Agar hydrogels, with their excellent softness and permeability, had a three-dimensional porous structure that could quickly adsorb Baijiu samples, causing CN- to react specifically with Au-AgI NPs to produce color changes. The color development mechanism was due to that fact that CN- underwent a metathesis reaction with AgI in Au-AgI NPs to generate Ag(CN)2-, resulting in etching of AgI and a change in the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of Au-AgI NPs and thereby causing the color of the hydrogel patch to change from blue-green to red. The concentration of CN- (c) within the range of 1-100 μmol/L had a good linear relationship with the red/(green + blue) ratio [R/(G + B)] of Au-AgI NPs hydrogel, which was fitted as follows: R/(G + B) = 0.006 53c + 0.163 75, with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.990. The detection limit (LOD) was as low as 0.633 μmol/L, and the response time was less than 20 s. This method was successfully applied to the detection of CN- in commercially available light-aroma and strong-aroma Baijiu, with spiked recovery rates ranging from 96.04% to 104.57%. The hydrogel patch enabled naked-eye identification of 40 μmol/L CN- in the Baijiu samples, and when combined with a smart phone, it allowed for rapid and accurate on-site quantitative analysis of CN-. This study provides an efficient and convenient new approach for the rapid screening of cyanide in Baijiu.

To systematically collect mineral data from Albas goat meat for feature analysis and authenticity discrimination modeling based on machine learning, this study collected a total of 149 samples of longissimus dorsi and biceps femoris muscle from Albas goats in Ordos City and goats and sheep from five surrounding counties or banners. The contents of 28 mineral elements in each sample were determined, and supervised cluster analysis and descriptive statistics were conducted. A model for evaluating the authenticity of Albas goat meat was established. The orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) model showed clear separation between Albas goats and other breeds, between goats and sheep, among the six production areas, and between grazing and confinement feeding. The effect of cluster analysis based on the selected characteristic elements was better than that of the 28 elements. The contents of Na, P, Zn, Cr and Sr in the muscle of Albas goats were the highest among the five goat and sheep breeds. The contents of 13 minerals such as Na, Ca and P were significantly higher in goat meat than in sheep meat. The contents of Se and Li in Albas goat meat from Wurenduxi Gacha, Otog Banner (a core production area) were the highest among the six core and non-core production areas. The contents of 14 minerals such as Na, Fe and Cu were significantly higher in the meat of grazing sheep and goats compared with their penned counterparts. The external validation of the OPLS-DA models based on the 28 mineral elements and the selected elements showed discrimination between Albas goat meat and the meat of other goat breeds as well as sheep with 100% accuracy, and revealed 95.71% and 90.0% accuracy in origin traceability, respectively, and discrimination between the meat of grazing goats and sheep and that of penned goats and sheep with 94.29% accuracy.

Food safety is the first line of defense for life and health. Biofilms are widely present in food processing environments, which can lead to cross-contamination of foods and increase the risk of foodborne diseases. High temperature treatment and chemical disinfectants have many drawbacks in removing biofilms. Low temperature plasma (LTP) technology, an emerging non-thermal processing technology, has the advantages of efficient sterilization and food quality preservation, which destroys biofilms through multiple targets and has a prominent inactivating effect. This article systematically reviews the formation mechanism, potential hazards and prevention strategies of foodborne pathogenic bacterial biofilms. It focuses on the latest progress on LTP technology in biofilm control, including its mechanism of action on bacteria and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), as well as its application to different food matrices and food contact surfaces. This paper summarizes the current limitations and future development potential of LTP, aiming to provide a reference for developing solutions for the prevention and control of biofilms in food processing.

Oil in water (O/W) protein-based emulsion gels and O/W protein-based bigels are two biphasic gel systems prepared from protein-based hydrogels. In recent years, these two gels have attracted much attention for their potential as fat substitutes in meat products and have been applied as new fat simulants to the processing of low-fat meat products. In this paper, the preparation, structure and mechanical properties of O/W protein-based emulsion gels and O/W protein-based bigels and their application as fat simulants in sausage products are systematically reviewed, revealing that they differ in the existing form of oil phase—the oil phase of O/W protein-based emulsion gels exhibits dispersed oil droplets, while that of O/W protein-based bigesl exists in the form of oleogel. This paper suggests that the gel types should be selected reasonably according to the types of sausage products in practice, which provides a good theoretical reference for the application of these two gels in low-fat sausage products.

Gastrodia elata Bl., a traditional Chinese medicinal and edible herb, is rich in active ingredients such as gastrodin, polysaccharides, p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, and parishin. It possesses various physiological activities, including neuroprotection, antioxidation, anti-cancer, and immunomodulation. This paper reviews the chemical structures and pharmacological effects of the major active ingredients of G. elata Bl., and the effects of harvesting, initial processing, drying, storage, and transportation on their stability. Then, optimization of initial processing parameters, integration of modern drying technologies, and improvement of storage, transportation and preservation strategies are proposed to maximize the retention of active ingredients in G. elata Bl., which provides theoretical support for the development and industrialization of G. elata Bl. in the fields of health foods and medicine.

Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) is a liver disease caused by long-term excessive drinking, including alcoholic fatty liver, hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. The pathogenesis of ALD is complex, involving oxidative stress, immune response, programmed cell death (apoptosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis and ferroptosis), mitochondrial dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum stress, complement system abnormality and enterohepatic axis homeostasis disorder. In-depth elucidation of these mechanisms may provide new ideas for ALD prevention and control. Currently, the clinical management of ALD relies on abstinence, pharmacotherapy, and liver transplantation, each of which has certain limitations. In contrast, nutritional intervention not only effectively delays the progression of ALD, but also reduces mortality in patients with severe forms of the disease, demonstrating significant potential for clinical application. This article comprehensively reviews recent advances in the pathogenesis of ALD and systematically examines the intervening roles of macronutrients, vitamins, trace elements, and bioactive compounds in ALD, aiming to provide a theoretical foundation for the application of nutritional strategies in the prevention and treatment of ALD.

Poria cocos, a medicinal and edible fungus, has great medicinal and edible value. P. cocos contains terpenoids, polysaccharides, sterols and other chemical components, endowing it with various biological functions such as anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective and kidney protective activities as well as therapeutic effects on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease treatment, regulatory effect on lipid metabolism, immune modulatory effect, and regulatory effects on the intestinal and nervous systems. In this paper, recent studies on the biological activity of P. cocos are systematically summarized in order to provide a deep understanding of its medicinal and nutritional effects, offering a basis for future research, development and application of P. cocos.

Edible polysaccharides have shown considerable promise in immune regulation, metabolic enhancement, and the prevention of chronic diseases, owing to their unique digestion and absorption profiles as well as their capacity to modulate the gut microbiota. However, the underlying “digestion-absorption-microbiota interaction” mechanism is not yet fully elucidated. Due to the complexity, high cost, and ethical considerations of human trials, human surrogate models have become a frontier research hotspot. This review systematically summarizes commonly used human surrogate models for studies on the digestion, absorption, and intestinal flora interaction of edible polysaccharides with respect to experimental protocols, current state of application, and recent advances. Furthermore, it critically analyzes the differences, advantages, limitations, and application in edible polysaccharide research of these models. These insights provide a new perspective and tool for nutritional research on edible polysaccharides and provide theoretical references for the development of functional foods and precise nutritional interventions based on edible polysaccharides, thereby promoting the standardized application of surrogate models in food science.

The issue of antibiotic residues in plant-derived agricultural products and their potential health risks have garnered increasing attention. This review systematically examines the distribution characteristics of antibiotic residues in common plant-derived products such as vegetables, fruits, and cereals, revealing significant variations among different categories of agricultural products. The problem of antibiotic residues in leafy vegetables is particularly prominent, primarily involving tetracyclines, quinolones, and sulfonamides. Through an in-depth analysis of the primary sources and potential health risks of antibiotics in plant-derived agricultural products, it has been found that the sources of antibiotic residues are complex and diverse. While the health risk of dietary intake of antibiotic residues remains controversial, the risk of antibiotic resistance warrants serious attention. Furthermore, this review compares and analyzes the differences in detection standards and maximum residue limits (MRLs) for antibiotics in plant-derived agricultural products across various countries and regions. Finally, it provides an outlook on future research directions, aiming to offer a scientific basis for the quality and safety regulation and the risk assessment of plant-derived agricultural products.

Alginate oligosaccharides (AOS), linear polymers which contain 2–10 sugar units, are made from the degradation of alginate. Studies have shown that AOS have diverse functional activities and thus have high potential for application in functional foods, biomedicine and green agriculture. The bioactivity of AOS is closely related to their molecular mass, ratio of mannuronic acid to guluronic acid residues and polydispersity. The emergence of physical, chemical, combined physical-chemical and biological techniques for the degradation of alginate provides a variety of alternative pathways for the controllable preparation of AOS, thus opening up a new perspective for the research and development of AOS. AOS can preserve the quality of fruit and vegetable by synergistically regulating the postharvest metabolism through multiple pathways. They significantly inhibit the postharvest deterioration of strawberries, kiwifruits, apples, peaches and pears, thereby extending the shelf life. Recent research shows that the preservation effects of AOS involves the regulation of the abscisic acid pathway, the activation of the jasmonic acid pathway, the inhibition of ethylene signals, the balancing of energy metabolism, the scavenging of free radicals and cellular structure protection. Therefore, this review summarizes recent advances in the structural regulation of AOS and the mechanism of their preservation effects on the postharvest quality of fruits and vegetables, and it analyzes the intrinsic relationship between the structural specificity of AOS and their preservation effect. This review hopes to provide a theoretical reference for the design and development of green biopreservatives based on AOS.