The effect of partial fat substitution with olestra in different proportions (25%, 50% and 75%) on paste density, microstructure and rheological properties and physiochemical parameters, texture and sensory characteristics of snack cakes was studied. At a fat substitution level of 25%, only little differences in rheological properties of flour paste and the quality of snack cakes were observed compared with control group. Fat substitution at a level of 50% resulted in an obvious increase in paste density and a decrease in the number of gas bubbles and the specific volume of snack cakes. TPA showed that the hardness and chewiness of snack cakes could be markedly improved by fat substitution with olestra.

This study aimed to examine the effect of dietary supplementation with low molecular weight chitosan (LMWC) on common carp growth and digestive enzyme activities. Basal diet group was used as control and LMWC groups at increasing gradient concentrations (0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75% and 1.0%) were established. Body weight gain, feed coefficient and the activities of amylase, lipase and trypsin in the hepatopancreas and gut were analyzed after feeding for 30, 45 d and 60 d. When compared with control group, body weight gain and the activities of amylase, lipase and trypsin showed a gradual upward trend, whereas an opposite trend was observed for feed coefficient with increasing dietary LMWC supplementation and feeding time. After 45 d and 60 d of feeding, a more striking increase in body weight gain and the activities of amylase, lipase and trypsin was found for 0.75% LMWC group compared with control group and 0.25%, 0.50% and 1.0% LMWC groups. For 1.0% LMWC group, the increasing trend of body weight gain and digestive enzyme activities gradually slowed down with increasing feeding time. Dietary LMWC supplementation in different proportions had different effects on digestive enzyme activities in common carps and the optimal dosage was 0.75%.

The phase diagram of oleyl polyoxyethylene (20) ether/butyl acetate/water was determined at 25 ℃, and the influence of the biosurfactant sodium deoxycholate (NaDC) on the phase behavior and rheological properties of the system was investigated. Furthermore, the protection and in vitro release behavior of curcumin in the liquid crystals were studied. Hexagonal and cubic crystals were found in the ternary system. When adding NaDC, the area of hexagonal phase became smaller and the cubic phase disappeared. All investigated samples followed a shear-thinning behavior under steady shear. The cubic crystals showed high elasticity with tan δ values less than 0.1, while the hexagonal crystals demonstrated typical visco-elasticity with tan δ values between 0.47 and 0.54. The characteristic relaxation time of the hexagonal crystals increased after adding NaDC. Curcumin could be protected by the liquid crystals against sun light. Surcumin solved in the liquid crystals exhibited slow release behavior. Moreover, the protection effect was enhanced and the equilibrium time of release was extended in NaDC containing systems.

Four protein isolates including albumin, globulin, gliadin and glutenin were extracted from rice bran using the Osbron method and their functional properties were evaluated. Albumin, globulin, gliadin and glutenin accounted for 56.93%, 20.84%, 3.167% and 19.06% of total proteins in rice bran, respectively, and their isoelectric points were 4.0, 4.0, 5.0 and 4.6, respectively. Comparative evaluation of functional properties showed that albumin possessed the highest water-binding capacity but the weakest foaming capacity at the isoelectric point, and glutenin had the highest emulsibility. SDS-PAGE suggested that the subunit molecular weights were 95.43, 76.51 kD and 52.85 kD for albumin, 103.12 kD and 76.51 kD for globulin, 14 kD for gliadin, and 36.29, 20.00 kD and 14.00 kD for glutenin, respectively.

Low-field NMR was used to study the distribution and changes of constitutional water, immobilized water and free water during the production of fermented sausages and the effect of sorbitol on the three types of water. The activity of the three kinds of water descended gradually during fermentation and drying. Addition of sorbitol reduced the activity of immobilized water and free water. The activity of constitutional water also declined in the presence of a high level of sorbitol (10%). Addition of 12% sorbitol shortened the drying time from 25.8 h to 8.8 h when final water activity was controlled to be 0.87. The TPA results showed that sorbitol effectively improved the quality and taste of fermented sausages.

In this study, a copolymer was synthesized using suspension polymerization from ethylene glycol maleic rosinate acrylate (EGMRA) and acrylamide (AM), and its thermodynamic and kinetic characteristics for adsorbing puerarin and mechanism for controlling puerarin adsorption were analyzed. The prepared copolymer showed good adsorption performance towards puerarin. The optimum static adsorption conditions were obtained as follows: 40% ethanol as solvent for puerarin at a concentration of 6.0 mg/mL, adsorbent particle size 20—40 mesh, and equilibrium adsorption at a temperature between 25 ℃ and 50 ℃ with shaking at a speed of 80 r/min. Under these conditions, the equilibrium adsorption capacity (Qe) was 23.01 mg/g. A pseudo second-order equation that could well describe the adsorption process was established. Film diffusion and particle diffusion were found to be key steps in the adsorption system, and the diffusion coefficients were calculated using the Fick equation to be 5.22 × 10-8 cm2/s and 3.20 × 10-8 cm2/s, respectively.

Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy was used to investigate the antioxidant activity of four proanthocyanidin extracts from wine grape seeds (designated as GSP0, GSP1, GSP2 and GSP3, respectively) and compared with spectrophotometry as a control. GSP3 had the strongest DPPH radical scavenging activity as determined by both methods. After 30 min of reaction at concentrations below 40 mg/L, a positive correlation between scavenging rate and GSP3 concentration was observed. At concentrations above 40 mg/L, the DPPH radical scavenging activity of GSP3 tended to be stable. Higher scavenging rates were obtained for all four proanthocyanidin extracts using ESR than spectrophotometry. After 30 min of reaction, the DPPH radical scavenging rates of GSP0 and GSP3 at various concentrations were determined using ESR to be in the range of 35.99%—99% and 52.45%—99%, respectively, whereas those obtained using spectrophotometry were in the range of 7.06%—78% and 29%—95%, respectively.

In the present study, 10 Musalais samples from different producers in A’wati, Xinjiang were subjected to quantitative descriptive evaluation and multivariable statistical analysis. Besides, factors that influence the appearance, taste and aroma characteristics of Musalais were analyzed. The results of analysis of variance (ANOVA), average flavor wheel chart and principal component analysis indicated significant differences in sensory characteristics of different Musalais samples, which were dominated by a brown color and a good sweet-sour balance with a light bitterness, abundant aroma (prominent caramel and alcoholic aroma) and good representativeness. The traditional production procedure was the main factor underlying the basic color, body and typical aroma of Musalais, but grape variety and storage time were also important affecting factors. The traditional production procedure and Hetain Red grape ensured the quality of Musalaism, whereas the introduction of modern technologies and the use of other grape varieties had negative effects on the taste and aroma of Musalais. After storage for 1–2 years, the rough and bitter taste of fresh Musalais was improved and became mellow and full, and the fragrant aroma and long lingering aftertaste were attenuated and became light. In spite of this, ageing time did not notably affect the sensory quality of Musalais. Partial least square regression and cluster analysis suggested highly dispersive distribution of Musalais samples. This indicates that sensory characteristics of Musalais varies complicatedly and lack stability. 

The inhibitory effects of four pyrrolyl amino acids (P-Leu, P-Gly, P-Ala and P-Val) as precursors of Laba garlic pigment, in vitro synthesized by Paal-Knorr method, were examined against Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. All four pigment precursors had antibacterial activity in a dose-dependent manner, and Bacillus subtilis was more effectively inhibited by them than Escherichia coli. In addition, pigment precursors with different structures had different antibacterial activities.

Microbiological examination of foods involves sample preparation and subsequent homogenization. This paper addresses the effectiveness of Stomacher™, Pulsifier™, Bagmixer™ and Smasher™ instruments in terms of: 1) viable cell counts/g for 10 kinds of foods, 2) noise level of four instruments associated with human operation and decibel meter at 5 ft from each instrument, 3) convenience for cleaning instruments after use, and 4) ergonomics. Aliquots of 25 g for 10 kinds of foods were placed individually in a sample bag containing 224.5 mL of 0.1% peptone water plus 0.5 mL of Escherichia coli inoculum. Each food was homogenized for 60 s. Ease of cleaning and ergonomics when using Stomacher™ were determined as a reference. All 4 instruments revealed a similar performance regarding viable cell counts. As for noise level, Smasher™ and Bagmixer™ were the quietest, followed by Stomacher™ and Pulsifier™. Smasher™ ranked highest in ease of cleaning and ergonomics, followed by Bagmixer™, Stomacher™, and Pulsifier™.

Whole fish paste and bone paste from sliver carps were analyzed for basic chemical composition and their effects on gel properties of surimi were investigated. Meanwhile, we examined whether microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) could improve gel properties of surimi. Both pastes were rich in total ash content and had a protein content exceeding 12%. For each fish paste, two-stage heating (40 ℃, 1 h/90 ℃, 0.5 h) resulted in an increase in gel properties and water-holding capacity compared with one-stage heating (121 ℃, 0.5 h). Moreover, breaking strength and gel strength of two-stage heat-induced surimi gel initially increased and then decreased with increasing fish paste content. The proper amount of whole fish paste (10%) was higher than that of bone paste (5%). MTGase could enhance gel properties and water-holding capacity of surimi and was more effective in improving the water-holding capacity of surimi gel induced by one-stage heating compared with two-stage heating.

The structure and properties of starch extracted from Quercus fabric Hance were systematically studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, laser scattering spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), spectrophotometry and texture analysis and were compared with those of corn starch. The results indicated that Quercus fabric Hance starch had quite small granules with an average size of 3.15 μm. This starch contained 18.90% of amylase and had a gelatinization temperature ranging from 72.3 to 84.7 ℃. The X-ray pattern indicated that it belonged to crystal structure type A. The solubility and swelling power were bigger than those of corn starch. Quercus fabric Hance starch paste showed low transparency, strong retrogradation, poor freeze-thaw stability, small viscosity and high enzymatic hydrolyzability. Furthermore, texture analysis indicated its high gel strength and good texture and taste.

In this study, the ultrastructural morphology of starch granules from 25 kinds of crops was in situ observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and compared with starch granules extracted from potato and corn by the classical method. The classic extraction procedure had hardly any effect on the ultrastructural morphology of starch granules. In addition, spatial effects played a vital role in the morphological formation of starch granules in mature cereal grains with the exception of wheat, but had no impact on beans and root crops.

This work presents a reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) method for the determination of free amino acids in asparagus after precolumn derivatization. The effects of different colors, thicknesses and parts on free amino acid contents in asparagus were investigated by non-parametric tests. At least 15 free amino acids with were detected and their contents showed differences among three different parts of asparagus (bottom, middle and top). All investigated samples were highest in asparagine and glutamine, glutamic acid and aspartic acid were in the middle, the contents of cysteine, trytophan, leucine and isoleucine were the lowest, and methionine was not detected. Different colors, thicknesses and parts had significant effects on free amino acid contents in asparagus.

This study explored the effect of microwave sterilization on quality properties of stewed pork liver such as microbiological indexes, moisture content, texture, color and vitamin A content. After microwave sterilization, the moisture content and tenderness of stewed pork liver decreased, and the toughness increased. When the surface temperature reached 70 ℃, similar sterilization efficiency to that obtained by high temperature treatment was obtained. Moreover, after microwave sterilization, the color of stewed pork liver became dark, and vitamin A content declined, but only minor quality change was observed when compared with high temperature sterilization.

Ultra high pressure (UHP) (500 MPa, 20 min) was used for the treatment of kiwifruit juice from four species (yellow kiwifruit, green kiwifruit, Hongyang kiwifruit and Juxiang kiwifruit) for evaluating the content and antioxidant activity of polyphenols. Results indicated that UHP could significantly improve polyphenol (free phenol and bound phenol) contents (P＜0.05). Especially, the content of free phenol from yellow kiwifruits revealed an improvement of 78.68 μg/mL; the content of bound phenol from Juxiang kiwifruits revealed an improvement of 15.58 μg/mL. The antioxidant activities of four cultivars of kiwifruits were evaluated by DPPH radical scavenging method, reducing power method and ABTS radical scavenging method. Results indicated that antioxidant activity of free polyphenols was higher than that of bound polyphenols. Therefore, UHP treatment can improve the antioxidant activity of four kinds of kiwifruit pulp, but not significantly.

The antioxidant potential of pumpkin wine was evaluated by measuring its scavenging activity against DPPH, hydroxyl and superoxide anion radicals and analyzed for its correlation with the contents of VC, polyphenols and polysaccharides. Pumpkin wine had strong scavenging activity against DPPH, hydroxyl and superoxide anion radicals in a dose-dependent fashion, and its radical scavenging activity was better than that of pumpkin extract at the same dose. Meanwhile, our results suggested that VC, polyphenols and polysaccharides were the dominant antioxidant components in pumpkin wine.

The effect of salt on properties of yolk protein during salting was investigated. The soluble protein content was 1.95 g/100 g in fresh egg yolk (on a wet basis) and increased to 4.30 g/100 g after salting for 15 weeks. The sulfhydryl content of fresh egg yolk was 0.057 mmol/g protein, and reached a peak level of 0.102 mmol/g protein after 3 weeks of salting. DSC results showed that salting promoted the heat tolerance of egg yolk protein. The thermal transition temperature of fresh yolk protein was 79.06 ℃, and increased to 80 ℃ after 15 weeks of salting. SDS-PAGE showed that salt did not affect the structure of peptide chains. Salt could result in a significant change in the secondary structure of yolk protein. The major secondary structures of fresh egg yolk protein were α-helix and β-sheet, accounting for 74.67% of all secondary structures. After salting, parts of α-helix and β-sheet turned into T turn.

The antioxidant effects of α-tocopherol (TOH), ascorbyl palmitate (AP), quercetin (Qu) on structured lipid (SL) were investigated through oven oxidation at 60 ℃. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) revealed an obvious decrease, and the functional pinolenic acid decreased from 7.10% to 4.60% after 30 days of oven oxidation. AP and Qu could effectively protect PUFA from oxidation and significantly reduce the peroxide, acid, and TBARS values. AP and Qu showed a dose-dependent antioxidant capability. Compared to a low concentration (100 mg/kg), TOH at a high concentration (500 mg/kg) revealed a slight promotion effect on oxidation, thus increasing acid and TBARS values. Besides, not only chemical characteristics including fatty acid composition and acid, peroxide and TBARS values, but also the melting and crystal profiles of SL were affected by oxidation and added antioxidants.

Bamboo shoots (Dendrocalamus latiflorus) were analyzed for changes in main nutrients including protein, soluble sugar, cellulose, vitamin C and minerals during pickling by 4 different methods. The results showed that the contents of protein, soluble sugar, cellulose, vitamin C and minerals significantly changed during pickling. After 90 d of pickling, the contents of protein, soluble sugar, vitamin C and cellulose decreased by 87.01%, 98.17%, 71.29% and 39.27% for fermentative pickling, and 77.36%, 86.63%, 90.87% and 45.01% for non-fermentative pickling, respectively. However, the contents of calcium and potassium in pickled samples increased by 26.00% and 3.15%, respectively, while the contents of phosphorus, iron and zinc decreased by 94.31%, 62.53% and 29.17%, respectively, when compared to fresh samples.

In order to investigate the consumer preference of cheeses, six samples of different types of popular imported cheese in Nanning, Guangxi were tested for nutrient composition, texture and sensory characteristics. The relationship between cheese textural properties and sensory properties was also studied by simple correlation and canonical correlation analysis. The results showed that Cheddar with moderate water content, better flavor and excellent texture was preferred by most consumers. The correlation coefficient was higher than 0.7 for firmness, gumminess and texture, whereas other correlation coefficients were lower than 0.7, indicating that the relationship between cheese textural properties and sensory properties arises from an obvious correlation with chewiness, guminess and texture patterns.

The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of corn flour on textural properties of dough and Chinese steamed bread (CSB). Corn flour was added to wheat flour at ratios of 0:100, 5:100, 10:100, 15:100 and 20:100. Textural properties were studied using texture profile analysis, and the ultrastructure of gluten was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results revealed a significant difference in textural properties of dough at a ratio of 20:100 and no significant difference at levels lower than 20:100 was observed. Adding more corn flour led to a significant decrease in hardness and gumminess and an obvious increase in springiness; however, no significant change in cohesiveness, chewiness and adhesiveness was observed. As the hardening rate of CSB increased, the effect of corn flour on anti-retrogration became bad and corn flour could hinder the formation of gluten network. Therefore, addition of corn flour can alter the ultrastructure of gluten and textural properties of dough and CSB.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of cooking on general nutrients, fatty acid composition, and lipid oxidation in fat livers of ducks fed corn alone or in combination with fish oil or soybean oil. The results showed that cooking increased the contents of C12:0, total lipid and MDA, and decreased the contents of moisture and protein while no effect was observed on hepatin content in fat duck liver. After cooking, the contents of SFA, PUFA, n-6PUFA, n-3PUFA, EPA and DHA in livers of fish oil-fed ducks were significantly higher than those observed for soybean oil-fed ducks (P＜0.05) and extremely significantly higher than those observed for corn control (P＜0.01). The contents of SFA and MUFA decreased significantly (P＜0.05) with a concomitant increase in PUFA, n-6PUFA and n-3PUFA (P＜0.05) in duck livers of corn control after cooking, only minor changes in these fatty acids were observed for livers of soybean oil-fed ducks, whereas livers of fish oil-fed ducks showed an increase in the levels of these fatty acids, particularly a significant increase in n-6PUFA (P＜0.05). For each group of fat duck livers, cooking could cause a decrease in the levels of EPA and DHA, and corn control group and soybean oil group showed the biggest decrease in EPA and DHA, respectively. The above results suggest that fat livers of fish oil-fed ducks have the highest nutritional value.

Modified starches were prepared from native potato starch through introducing acetic ester groups and their structural characteristics were analyzed by FT-IR and SEM. Oxidized potato starch, potato starch acetate and oxidized potato starch acetate exhibited better transparency, adhesiveness and spreadability when compared to native potato starch. FT-IR analysis revealed the presence of characteristic absorption peak of carboxyl groups in oxidized potato starch and the formation of acetate groups in oxidized potato starch acetate. SEM observation showed the spherical or ellipsoidal shape and smooth surface of oxidized potato starch, no detectable change in the shape of potato starch acetate granules, but with poor regularity, and intact oxidized potato starch acetate granules with a low degree of substitution as a result of estertification on their rough surfaces.

Polysaccharides were extracted from Cordyceps militaris fruit bodies and modified using α-amylase for enhanced antioxidant activity. Response surface methodology was employed to optimize conditions for the enzymatic modification of polysaccharides based on DPPH radical scavenging activity. In addition, modified polysaccharides were tested for DPPH radical scavenging activity, ferrous ion chelating capacity and reducing power as well as triple-helical conformation. The optimized hydrolysis parameters were in decreasing order of their effects on DPPH radical scavenging activity of modified polysaccharides: enzyme dosage, temperature and pH and their optimal conditions were 259.5 U/g, 48.5 ℃ and 5.8, respectively. Under these conditions, the maximum predicted and experimental DPPH radical scavenging rates of modified polysaccharides were 81.4% and (81.6 ± 1.6)%. The results of the validation experiments showed good reproducibility and thus, the fitted prediction model is applicable in practice. The antioxidant tests showed that the EC50 values of modified polysaccharides for scavenging DPPH radical and chelating ferrous ions were 0.0247 mg/mL and 1.0120 mg/mL, respectively, which were 55.1% and 39.8% higher than before the modification, respectively. Meanwhile, the reducing power of polysaccharides significantly increased (P＜0.05) after the modification (P＜0.05), and the triple-helical conformation was well maintained but slightly damaged.

Native corn starch containing 30% moisture and octenyl succinate modified starch were treated by microwave for different periods of time to investigate the effect of microwave radiation on their physico-chemical properties. The moisture content of native starch and modified starch showed a downward trend with increasing microwave radiation time and reached normal levels after 4 min. Partial or even complete rupture on the surface of both starch granules was observed by SEM after microwave radiation. Moreover, their crystallinity basically remained stable before and after microwave radiation. Both starches and their gelatinization products were found to be pseudoplastic non-Newton fluids. Power law model could well fit shear force as a function of shear rate. The viscosity of native corn starch decreased, but octenyl succinate modified starch showed a trend to initially increase and then decrease with increasing microwave radiation time. The storage modulus of native corn starch initially increased and then decreased, and the loss modulus exhibited only minor changes, whereas an opposite changing trend to storage modulus was observed for loss factor. Octenyl succinate modified starch revealed only minor changes in viscoelasticity. For octenyl succinate modified starch, microwave radiation for a period of lower than 6 min resulted in only very minor changes in viscoelasticity when compared to control group (not receiving microwave radiation) and a decrease in storage and loss moduli but a significant increase in loss factor when compared to 6 min microwave radiation.

Infrared spectroscopy and electronic nose were used to detect functional groups in used edible oil. Infrared spectroscopic analysis showed that soybean oil revealed changes in some absorption peak areas due to the formation of aldehydes and ketone after thermal oxidation. The results of electronic nose detection demonstrated that no obvious changes in chemical components were observed at heating temperatures lower than 150 ℃ despite significant differences when compared with control group. The same results were obtained when the continuous heating time exceeded 3 h. Hence, both techniques allow the identification of quality changes of edible oil during high temperature heating.

The aim of this study was to extract, purify and identify nucleoside components of Cordyceps cicadae fruit bodies. Samples were extracted with 65% ethanol by ultrasonic-assisted extraction, and a supernatant was obtained from the resulting extract by centrifugation at 10000 r/min for 5 min and separated by RP-HPLC using 0—100% methanol as a mobile phase through gradient elution at a flow rate of 15 mL/min (1 mL injection volume, 260 nm detection wavelength). As a result, 6 final products were obtained and identified as cytosine, uridine, inosine,guanosine, adenosine and cordycepin, respectively, with a purify exceeding 95%. This study demonstrates that RP-HPLC is a feasible, simple and accurate technique for separating and preparing nucleoside components of Cordyceps cicadae fruit bodies.

The influence of microbial transglutaminase (MTG) on the rheological properties of dough and gluten was investigated by farinograph and extensograph measurement and HPLC analysis. When 5 U/g MTG was added to wheat flour, the dough stability time increased by 18%, the degree of softening decreased about 15%, and the farinograph index also ascended. Addition of 5 U/g MTG had more significant effects on extensograph properties, and the longer the standing time, the better extensograph properties were improved. In addition, the contents of ω5-gliadin and ωb-gliadin in flour suspension declined by 99% and 88%, respectively, as opposed to 42% and 25% observed when 10 U/g MTG was added. MTG could improve the quality of gluten by catalyzing the intermolecular and intramolecular interactions of various components and producing more macromolecular proteins. In conclusion, MTG is effective in improving the quality of flour and therefore has wide prospects for applications in baked foods.

Beef images were pretreated based on the hue component of the HSV color space, and an improved watershed algorithm was proposed to separate the rib-eye and beef marbling region from the images. Meanwhile, the correlations of characteristics parameters from U.S., Chinese and Japanese standard grading graphs were analyzed. Five characteristic parameters were selected for beef marbling distribution. A new automatic grading method based on improved watershed method and Hopfield network was proposed, and the results indicated that the accuracy of this method was 87.23%.

The effect of monoglycerides (MON) on paste rheological properties and gel syneresis and hardness of potato starch (PS) was investigated. In addition, thermal properties and gel microstructure of PS alone or with added MON were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Addition of MON caused a significant increase in the onset gelatinization temperature, temperature for maximum viscosity and gelatinization enthalpy of PS, and a significant decrease in the maximum viscosity of starch paste and gel syneresis after retrogradation (P＜0.05). Moreover, the gel structural compactness was significantly enhanced and as a result, the gel hardness after retrogradation was improved (P＜0.05).

To explore the mechanism of benzoic acid formation during production of traditional fermented douchi and discover the reason for natural existence of benzoic acid without adding it, changes in the contents of benzoic acid, phenylalanine and β-cinnamic acid and phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) activity were determined by HPLC at different stages of fermentation. After 2 days of incubation, the benzoic acid content of the koji was 2.43 mg/kg and then gradually increased with increasing incubation time, reaching 37.23 mg/kg after 215 days of post-fermentation. Similarly, the phenylalanine content of the starting raw material (soybean) was 4.89 mg/100 g and increased to 272.23 mg/100 g after 215 days of post-fermentation. β-cinnamic acid showed a high level during the koji making stage, resulting in an obvious increase in benzoic acid level, but gradually declined during the post-fermentation stage, without considerably increasing benzoic acid level. Moreover, the PAL activity, which catalyzes the transformation of phenylalanine into β-cinnamic acid, was stronger during the koji making stage, but gradually became weaker during the post-fermentation stage. The contents of benzoic acid and β-cinnamic acid increased and decreased, respectively, due to addition of β-cinnamic acid during the post-fermentation stage. Hence, we conclude that the mechanism of benzoic acid formation during production of traditional fermented douchi may partial hydrolysis of proteins into peptides in the staring raw material, subsequent PAL-catalyzed transformation of phenylalanine into β-cinnamic acid and final oxidization of β-cinnamic acid into benzoic acid under required conditions.

Agaricus bisporus MJ-0811 was cultured in a 5 L automatic fermenter to explore the effect of dissolved oxygen controlling conditions (stirring speed and aeration) on mycelial biomass, extracellular polysaccharide production, dissolved oxygen concentration, and residual glucose concentration. The results showed that stirring speed and aeration rate had significant impact on the growth of Agaricus bisporus MJ-0811 and the production of extracellular polysaccharides. The highest mycelial biomass (20.81 g/L) and extracellular polysaccharides (3.75 g/L) were obtained when Agaricus bisporus MJ-0811 was cultured for 5 d at 25 ℃ with a stirring speed of 160 r/min and an aeration rate of 0.9 vvm.

Five dominant bacteria causing the discoloration of red pepper fruits (Capsicum annuum L.) were isolated from red pepper fruits following the traditional bacterial isolation procedures. Meanwhile, they were identified based on morphological observation, physiological and biochemical properties, 16S rDNA sequences and BLAST homology alignment as two Bacillus subtilis strains, one Lysinibacillus sphaericus strain, one Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain, and one Bacillus pumilus strain, respectively.

Rapeseed protein was extracted from defatted rapeseeds and hydrolyzed by alcalase. Response surface methodology was employed to optimize enzymatic hydrolysis conditions based on degree of hydrolysis (DH) and rapeseed peptide yield. The optimum conditions for enzymatic preparation of rapeseed peptides were found to be hydrolysis at 55 ℃ and pH 8.45 for 180 min with a substrate concentration of 4.49% and an enzyme concentration of 5000 U/g protein. Under these conditions, the theoretical value of degree of hydrolysis was 15.00%, while the actual value was 14.71%.

The antibiotics related genes of antagonistic Bacillus amyloliquefaciens G1 against Aeromonas hydrophila isolated from sturgeons were amplified by PCR and sequenced. Meanwhile, the amino acid sequence, transmembrane heices, domains and secondary structure of their encoded products were determined. The results showed that only the gene essential for iturin synthetase was present in strain G1, which was naturally clustered with the iturin gene family from Bacillus sp. in GenBank, including iturin A, bacillomycin D, mycosubtilin, and showed 98% similarity to the iturin A gene sequences of B. subtilis strain MH25 and strain RB14. The amino acid sequence of the encoded product of the iturin synthetase gene exhibited high similarity to that of iturin, iturin A, bacillorin and bacillomycin D, and was close relative to the iturin A synthetase B of B. subtilis strain MH25 (GenBank accession No.ABY89499). In addition, no obvious transmembrane structure was present in the encoded product of the iturin synthetase gene of strain G1. However, both AMP-binding site and PP-binding site were present in its domains. Alpha helix, beta turn, random coil and extended strand were also present in its secondary structure.

Process parameters for the alcoholic fermentation of jujube juice prepared from Mu jujubes collected from Qingjian county such as initial solid content, yeast inoculum size, temperature and fermentation time were optimized using response surface methodology. Alcohol production was extremely significantly influenced by initial solid content, temperature and fermentation time (P＜0.01) and no significantly influenced by inoculum size (P＞0.05). Four process parameters were in descending order of their effects on alcohol production: fermentation time ＞ temperature ＞ initial solid content ＞ inoculum size. Their optimum conditions were determined to be 43 h, 31 ℃, 17% and 0.8%, respectively. Under these conditions, the alcohol concentration in fermented jujube juice was over 9.6%. The results of validation experiments demonstrated that the developed mathematical prediction model is applicable for practical production.

The mixed anhydride method was used to prepare artificial antigen through the conjugation between ractopamine (RAC) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) in the presence of 4-chloromethyl benzoic acid (CBA). The prepared artificial antigen was identified by IR, UV and SDS-PAGE. RAC-CBA was also conjugated with OVA to form a coating antigen. The affinity and inhibitory activity of the coating antigen were measured. This study suggests that CBA can be used to prepare artificial RAC antigens. Meanwhile, CBA conjugated with RAC to form coating agent improves the sensitivity of ELISA.

To screen the optimal strain for microbial preparation of ACE inhibitory peptides from soybean protein isolate (SPI), the effects of different strains including 5 Lactobacillus strains, 3 mould strains and 1 Bacillus subtilis strain on ACE inhibitory rate and peptide concentration were investigated. Lactobacillus bulgaricus was found to be the best of five 5 Lactobacillus strains for the preparation of ACE inhibitory peptides from SPI, providing an ACE inhibitory rate of 57.93% and a peptide concentration of 3.27 mg/mL. A. oryzae was the best mould, providing an ACE inhibitory rate of 41.23% and a peptide concentration of 2.17 mg/mL. Bacillus subtilis fermented SPI showed an ACE inhibitory rate of 45.02% and a peptide concentration of 2.25 mg/mL. Comparing the fermentation characteristics of 9 strains, Lactobacillus bulgaricus was an excellent strain for the preparation of ACE inhibitory peptides from SPI.

A protease-producing bacterial strain was isolated and screened from the intestine of Octopus vulgaris by detecting hydrolysis circle of protease and its activity and identified as QDV-3. The optimal fermentation conditions for protease production and its enzymatic properties were also investigated. The highest protease production was achieved when strain QDV-3 was cultured at 30 ℃ for 3.5 d under shaking conditions in a medium at pH 8.0 with fructose as the carbon source and peptone as the nitrogen source. Meanwhile, protease production was improved in the presence of Mn2+ and Ba2+. At least five proteases were identified by SDS-PAGE, with molecular weights between 32.4 kD and 124.2 kD. The optimal reaction temperature and pH for the fermentation supernatant were 50—60 ℃ and 9—11, respectively. The fermentation supernatant exhibited high thermal stability, and 95% of its initial activity was retained after 1 h incubation at 50 ℃.

Forty-seven endophytes were isolated from different parts (root, stem and leaf) of Glycyrrhiza inflate and potent 2 β-glucosidase-producing strains, designated as GF10 and GF19, were screened out of them. GF10 and GF19 were comparatively evaluated for their effectiveness in microbial transformation of flavonoid glucosides in Glycyrrhiza inflate into aglycones to obtain higher antioxidant activity. Both strains could increase the antioxidant activity of flavonoids, and the DPPH radical scavenging rates after fermentation with them were 71.67% and 65.94%, respectively, which were 246.57% and 218.86% higher than before fermentation (20.68%). HPLC analysis showed that the concentrations of liquiritin and isoliquiritin decreased to different extents after microbial transformation, whereas the concentrations of liquiritigenin and isoliquiritigenin significantly increased. Liquiritigenin was the most abundant among four flavonoids with a percentage of 29.18% after GF19 transformation, which was 181.12% higher than the original level (10.38%), while GF10 transformation made isoliquiritigenin the most dominant flavonoid and its percentage was increased from its original level (4.27%) to 8.64% by 102.34%.

Response surface methodology was used to optimize fermentation conditions for β-glucanase production by Mucor F-32. Quadratic regression analysis of the experimental data obtained was carried out using the software Design Expert 7.0. We established the optimum fermentation conditions as follows: fermentation temperature 30 ℃, fermentation time 81 h, inoculum size 7.2%, and initial pH 6.0. Under these conditions, the β-glucanase activity of fermentation broth was 15.8175 U/mL in validation experiments. The application of Mucor F-32 for malting Ganpi No.4 barley indicated a considerable improvement in malt solubility.

In order to study the spoilage mechanism of chilled meat, dominant spoilage bacteria in chilled pork were isolated using selective medium and sensory evaluation and identified and their spoilage capability was measured by inoculating each identified strain to sterilized pork, determining total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) value and bacterial population during storage at 4 ℃ and calculating TVB-N production factor (YTVB-N). Five strains of dominant spoilage bacteria, designated as P3, PS1, J4, P5 and S5, were obtained and identified as Acinetobacter guillouiae, Pseudomonas koreensis, Bacillus fusiformis, Enterobacter cloacae and Brochothrix thermosphacta, respectively. After 7 days of storage at 4 ℃, pork inoculated with each of them spoiled visibly. Strain PS1 provided significantly higher levels of TVB-N and YTVB-N than other spoilage bacteria. This indicates that Pseudomonas koreensis has potent spoilage capability in chilled pork.

Eight cholesterol-lowering lactic acid bacteria (LAB 1 through 8) isolated from pickles and yogurt were evaluated for probiotic potential based on their tolerance to low pH and bile salt and antagonistic activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Strain LAB 4 had excellent tolerance to low pH and bile salt and all 8 LAB strains had antagonistic activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Moreover, strain LAB 4 had synergic cholesterol-lowering effect with 0.0125% licorice root extract, 0.025% Chinese wolfberry extract or 0.025% milkvetch root extract.

Cross-linked oxalate decarboxylase aggregates (oxdc-CLEAs) for use as an enzyme preparation to relieve urinary oxalate stone disease were prepared by a carrier-free immobilization method. Crude enzyme solution was obtained from the induced expression of the genetically engineered strain E.coli BL21(DE3)/pET32a/YvrK, and oxalate decarboxylase was separated by adding 30% ethanol with a purification factor of 2.7 and an activity recovery of 91.2%. Cross-linked oxdc-CLEAs were further obtained after 2 h of cold treatment at 4 ℃ in the presence of 0.5 g/L bovine serum albumin (BSA) and 0.06% glutaraldehyde at pH 5, resulting in an activity recovery of 95.4%. Enzymatic characterization showed that cross-linked oxdc-CLEAs had improved tolerance to acid, heat and trypsin degradation when compared to free oxalate decarboxylase.

In this study, Juglans mandshurica Maxim protein, prepared in our laboratory using alkaline extraction and acid precipitation, was hydrolyzed with alcalase to prepare antihypertensive peptides. Operating parameters such as pH, temperature, hydrolysis time and enzyme dosage were optimized using response surface analysis based on degree of hydrolysis and ACE inhibitory rate. The optimum hydrolysis conditions for maximum ACE inhibitory rate (72.48%) were found to be hydrolysis at 56 ℃ and pH 8.2 for 4 h with an enzyme/substrate ratio of 5880 U/g. Under these conditions, the degree of hydrolysis was 29.03%.

In this study, bioactive peptides were enzymatically prepared from carp meat using alkaline protease. The optimum conditions for preparing bioactive peptides were found to be hydrolysis at 50 ℃ and pH 8.5 for 5 h with an enzyme dosage of 100 U/mL. Under these conditions, the maximum degree of hydrolysis was 15.22%. The resulting hydrolysate was separated by Sephadex G-50 column chromatography into two fractions: greater than 5000 D and smaller than 5000 D. Peptides with molecular weight smaller than 5000 D were mainly responsible for the anti-linolie acid peroxidation activity and radical scavenging activities against DPPH and superoxide anion radicals of the hydrolysate.

Wheat bran was fermented by Agrocybe chaxingu to prepare insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) and soluble dietary fiber (SDF). We comparatively investigated the in vitro effects of dietary fiber from fermented and non-fermented wheat bran on the growth of intestinal bacteria. After Agrocybe chaxingu fermentation, wheat bran IDF showed an increase in water holding capacity, oil binding capacity and swelling power by 8.85%, 23.70% and 15.21%, respectively. In addition, bile binding capacity was significantly improved. SDFs from fermentation supernatant and residue and non-fermented wheat bran had a proliferative effect on lactic acid bacteria, while SDF from fermentation supernatant inhibited E. coli but no significant effect on Staphylococcus aureus.

Aspergillus oryzae CICC-2336 was found to the best strain for the production of kojic acid followed by Huniang 3.811, AS 3.866, Yu3.811 and CICC-2337. A high-yield kojic acid-producing strain designated as N11 was obtained from the starting strain CICC-2336 by UV irradiation combined with N+ implantation. After the sixth passage, mutant N11 remained stable and its kojic acid production remained basically unchanged. The production of kojic acid was 24.12 g/L after 7 d of fermentation at 30 ℃ and a shaking speed of 180 r/min with an inoculum size of 15%, which was 101% higher than that of the starting strain.

An orthogonal array design was used to optimize conditions for the extraction of protease from Brazilian pine nuts. Boric acid-borate buffer was found to be the best solvent for the extraction of protease, and its optimum pH was 9.0. The optimum extraction time and solid-to-solvent ratio were 60 min and 1:8 (m/V), respectively. Pure protease was obtained from crude extract using salting out with ammonium sulfate followed by DEAE-Sepharose FF column chromatography. After purification, the specific activity of protease increased 8.61-fold and the activity recovery was 21.65%. As shown by SDS-PAGE, the molecular mass of the enzyme was 33 kD. Enzymatic characterization demonstrated that it was an alkaline and its optimum reaction pH and temperature were 9.0 and 50 ℃, respectively. In addition, Mn2+ had a strong activating effect on the enzyme, whereas Ca2+, Mg2+ and Cu2+ could inhibit its activity.

A cryoprotectant formulation consisting of sucrose, L-sodium glutamate and polyethylene glycol for Candida tropical was optimized using a response surface central composite design. By regression analysis of the experimental data obtained, the optimum cryoprotectant formulation was found to consist of 14.15 g/100 mL sucrose, 7.07 g/100 mL L-sodium glutamate and 1.01 g/100 mL polyethylene glycol. The predicted survival rate of Candida tropical with the addition of the optimized cryoprotectant formulation after freeze-drying was 81.46%, which was close to the actual value of 82.73%.

A bacteriocin-producing lactic acid bacteria strain was isolated from traditional dairy products in Inner Mongolia, and was identified as Lactococcus. lactis subsp. cremoris KLDS 4.0326. Bacteriocin produced by KLDS 4.0326 was partially purified and its characteristics were also preliminarily studied. The cell-free fermentation supernatant of strain KLDS 4.0326 with the exception of interferences from acidic products and hydrogen peroxide had potent inhibitory effects on both Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Salmonella). After treatment with trypsin, pepsin, papain or proteinase K, its inhibitory activity decreased, indicating that the antibacterial component was protein. This bacteriocin showed good thermal stability and stable antibacterial activity under acidic conditions, and had a broad antibacterial spectrum against various species of Gram-positive bacteria and Gram-negative bacteria.

The three-dimensional structure of β-1,3(4)-glucanase from Paecilomyces sp. FLH30 was constructed by means of homology modeling using the crystal structure of endo-β-1,3(4)-glucanase from Phanerochaete chrysosporium as a template, and its active site and side chains of surface amino acid residues were analyzed. Sepabeads EC-HA as a carrier of amino groups was used for the covalent immobilization of this enzyme and immobilization conditions were optimized. Meanwhile, enzymatic characteristics of free and immobilized β-1,3(4)-glucanase were compared. The best immobilization results were obtained under the conditions: enzyme/carrier mass ratio1.2:1, temperature 40—45 ℃, and immobilization time 8 h. Under these conditions, the protein binding rate was 91.7% and the activity recovery was 87.6%. The optimum temperature, thermal stability, pH stability and operational stability of immobilized glucanase were all improved when compared to free glucanase.

Objective: To screen Lactobacillus with bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity and to explore its hypolipidemic effect in hyperlipidemic rats. Methods: Agar plate assay and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used to detect and quantify bile salt hydrolase activity in Lactobacillus. Lactobacillus with excellent BSH activity was administrated by gavage to hyperlipidemic rats. Twenty-four male Wistar rats of similar body weight were divided into normal control, hyperlipidemia model and Lactobacillus treatment groups. The latter two groups were fed high fat diet. Three groups were administrated by gavage with 0.9% normal saline, skim milk and skim milk inoculated with Lactobacillus once daily for 21 consecutive days and fasted overnight after the last administration. On the following day, blood and livers were taken for the determination of serum lipid indicators. Besides, rat stools were collected during the last three days of administration and tested for TC, total bile acid (TBA) and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels. Results: Lactobacillus fermentum MGH13-1 showed excellent BSH activity. Serum of TC, TG and LDL-C levels and liver TC level were significantly lower, while fecal TC, TBA and SCFA levels were significantly higher in MGH13-1 treatment group, when compared to high fat model group (P ＜0.05). Conclusion: Lactobacillus MGH13-1 has a remarkable hypolipidemic effect in hyperlipidemic rats.

This study was undertaken to explore the anti-tumor activity of purple sweet potato juice and its apoptosis-inducing mechanism in HepG2 cells. The inhibitory effect of purple sweet potato juice at various concentrations on cell proliferation was examined by Alamar Blue assay. Cell apoptosis was determined by Hoechst 33258 fluorescence staining, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and agarose gel electrophoresis. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting analysis were used to detect the expression of apoptosis-related factors in HepG2 cells treated with purple sweet potato juice at different concentrations for 24 h and 48 h, respectively. The results showed that the cell proliferation was inhibited by purple sweet potato juice in a dose-dependent manner. Cell shrinkage and apoptotic bodies after treatment for 48 h in HepG2 cells were observed. Typical DNA ladders in apoptotic cells were also observed. In addition, purple sweet potato juice up-regulated Fas, FADD, Caspase-3, -8 and p53 mRNA and protein expression levels. Moreover, active fragments of Caspase-3, -8 and -9 showed a significant increase, especially Caspase-3. Therefore, purple sweet potato juice can inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells and induce the apoptosis of HepG2 cells through extrinsic apoptotic pathway and p53 may also play an important role in this pathway.

In this study, Staphylococcus aureus was isolated and identified from 505 food samples (including raw milk, raw meat, fruits, vegetables, aquatic products, frozen foods and soybean products) collected in Shanghai according to GB4789.10—2010. In addition, PCR was performed for further confirmation. Staphylococcus aureus was detected in 117 food samples, with a total detection rate of 23.2%. The highest detection rate (32.9%) of Staphylococcus aureus in raw meat was found followed by frozen foods (26.7%) and raw milk (26.3%). In addition, the detection rates of Staphylococcus aureus in fruits and vegetables, aquatic products and soy products were lower than 16%. These results revealed the basic distribution status of Staphylococcus aureus in some types of foods in Shanghai, which may provide clues for monitoring Staphylococcus aureus in food processing, controlling food poisoning and tracing pollution sources.

The effect of dietary ω6/ω3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratio on longissimus dorsi fatty acid composition of and serum antioxidant parameters were investigated in finishing pigs with body weight of approximately 70 kg. ω6/ω3 PUFA ratios of 26:1; 19:1; 12:1; 8:1; 6:1 and 3:1 were obtained by replacing corn oil with the same amount of linseed oil. Ninety finishing Duroc × Landrace × York shine pigs of similar body weight (approximately 70 kg) were divided randomly into 6 groups of 15 pigs (5 replicates in each group, 3 pigs per replicate). The contents of ω3 PUFAs such as ALA (C18:3), EPA (C20:5) in longissimus dorsi significantly increased (P＜0.05), and DHA (C22:6) content increased but not significantly (P＞0.05) as the dietary ω6/ω3 PUFA ratio decreased. However, the contents of ω6 PUFAs such as LA (C18:2), C20:4 and C22:4 significantly decreased (P＜0.05) and ω6/ω3 PUFA ratio in longissimus dorsi also showed a significant downward trend. In contrast, MDA content in porcine serum tended to gradually increase. There were no significant changes in serum GSH-Px or T-AOC activities (P＞0.05). A significantly higher level of serum SOD activity was obtained at an ω6/ω3 PUFA ratio of 19:1 compared to 12:1, 8:1, 6:1 and 3:1 (P＜0.05). These results indicated that dietary ω6/ω3 PUFA ratio could modify the fatty acid composition of pork longissimus dorsi and affect serum antioxidant parameters to a certain extent.

In this study, 75% ethanol extract from asparagus scraps obtained by ultrasonic-assisted extraction was analyzed for the contents of total saponins, total polysaccharides and free amino acids. Meanwhile, its in vitro effect on the normal and Con A-induced proliferation of mouse spleen lymphocytes was studied, and the effect of oral administration at doses of 25, 100 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg on immune functions in normal mice was also observed. The ethanol extract contained 18.20% total saponins, 14.86% total polysaccharides and 12.63% free amino acids. It had no influence on normal spleen lymphocytes in vitro, whereas the ConA-induced proliferation of spleen lymphocytes could be promoted at 25 mg/kg but suppressed at 400 mg/kg by it. Oral administration of this extract enhanced carbon clearance capacity in mice and the ConA-induced proliferation of spleen lymphocytes. Therefore, this asparagus extract has remarkable immunoenhancing functions.

The microflora variation and characteristics of Beijing roast duck at different stages of production were analyzed by the traditional selective culture and microflora systematic identification. The results indicated that lactic acid bacteria were the most dominant microorganisms during the entire process (3.41—5.97 (lg(CFU/g)) and influenced little by temperature followed by Pseudomonas spp. during the early stages (thawing and cleaning), which was greatly influenced by temperature, or Enterbacteriaceae spp., which reached the same order of magnitude as lactic acid bacteria (3.18 (lg(CFU/g)) and 5.96 (lg(CFU/g)), respectively) during the middle stages (skin blanching and natural air drying). The populations of various bacterial species declined to a level lower than 1.00 (lg(CFU/g)) during skin blanching and roasting. Bacterial growth was observed only at the stage of natural air drying during the whole production process, and the populations of various bacterial species ranged from 4.29 to 6.36 (lg(CFU/g)). Accordingly, temperature, humidity and drying time should be strictly controlled to ensure food safety. This study demonstrates that lactic acid bacteria, Pseudomonas spp. and Enterbacteriaceae spp. are dominant in Beijing roast duck during various stages of processing.

According to the principle of hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP), the distribution of microbial populations in workshop air environments and on operating workers’ hands, processing facilities and pork was tested to identify bleeding, evisceration, chilling, cutting and packaging as important contamination stages. The worst contamination was observed during the stages of deboning and cutting. Based on these observations, critical control points (CCPs) in the processing of chilled pork were established which focused on improving hygiene management to minimize initial microbial populations and ensure the quality and safety of products.

The effect of commercial processing on the natural microflora of chilled goose was studied. Common spoilage bacteria and pathogenic bacteria from workers’ hands, chopping boards, cutting tools, goose carcasses and workshop air environments and chilling water were cultured by traditional methods and counted. Meanwhile, changes in aerobic plate count during refrigerated storage were explored. Although air, chilling water and various contact surfaces were all potential sources of bacterial contamination for chilled goose, in general, various bacterial contaminants showed a downward trend during the whole processing process. Bacterial contamination of goose carcasses was maximized during the stage of evisceration but effectively reduced by spray rinsing and pre-chilling. The second stage of pre-chilling and packaging were main causes of secondary contamination of goose carcasses and as a result, the shelf life of chilled goose spoiled was only 7—9 days during refrigerated storage.

Objective: To evaluate the toxicological safety of glycosaminoglycan from Pinctada martensii (CPG) as a health food. Methods: Rat acute toxicity test, mouse bone marrow cell micronucleus test, mouse sperm aberration test, Ames test and 30-day rat feeding test were used. Results: Acute toxicity test showed that the acute oral maximum tolerated doses (MTD) of CPG to male and female rats were both more than 20.0 g/kg body weight, which were over 300 times higher than the recommended human dose, indicating that CPG was non-toxic. The results of genotoxicity tests, including mouse bone marrow cell micronucleus test, mouse sperm aberration test and Ames test, were all negative and without mutations. In addition, no obvious negative impact on body weight, the growth and development of visceral organs or blood biochemical indicators was observed during 30 days of feeding at doses of 2.50, 1.25 g/kg and 0.625 g/kg body weight. Conclusion: It is safe to eat CPG as a dietary supplement.

Allium chinense bulbs were extracted with pH 7.5 100 mmol/L Tris-HCl buffer solution and salted out with ammonium sulfate at different degrees of saturation to obtain total proteins. The antitumor activity of total protein extracts against mouse B16 melanoma cells and Meth-A cells was tested. Protein extracts obtained with 20%—80% saturated ammonium sulfate had potent cytotoxicity against both tumor cells and protein extract with the most potent cytotoxicity was obtained with 80% saturated ammonium sulfate, which mainly consisted of alliinase, heat shock protein, lectin, cysteine synthase and members of the tumor necrosis factor receptor super family as shown by LC-MS analysis.

Objective: To study the effect of buckwheat chaff extract (BCE) on serum glucose and lipid profiles in type 2 diabetic rats and the underlying mechanism. Methods: Type 2 diabetic rat models were established by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) and feeding high-fat diet and divided into model control group and BCE treatment group. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) and euglycemic clamp technique were used to examine whether type 2 diabetes was successfully induced. All rats were fasted for 12 h after the last administration and blood was taken and assayed for free fatty acids (FFA), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). Results: STZ and high-fat diet induced type 2 diabetes in rats. BCE inhibited the increase of FBG, FFA, TC, TG, ALT and AST in the type 2 diabetic rats to different extents but resulted in a significant increase in serum HDL-C level. Conclusion: BCE improves insulin resistance (IR) through affecting serum glucose and serum lipid profiles in type 2 diabetic rats.

The nutrient composition and edible quality of longissimus dorsi muscle from organic hilly black pigs aged different months (7, 8, 9 and 10) were analyzed to determine the optimal slaughter age of organic hilly black pigs. Water content, intramuscular fat, pH, meat color, tenderness, drip loss and cooking yield of longissimus dorsi muscle from organic hilly black pigs of different ages exhibited a significant difference (P＜0.05) or an extremely significant difference (P＜0.01). Water content of longissimus dorsi muscle from organic hilly black pigs aged at 7 months was 74.55% and gradually declined with increasing age, although protein content did not reveal an obvious difference (P＞0.05), and the maximum level of 19.56% was observed at the age of 8 months with an average of 18.63%. Intramuscular fat content showed an increasing trend with an extremely significant difference (P＜0.01) and the maximum level of 5.24% was observed at the age of ten months. At 45 min postmortem, the average brightness L1*, redness a1* and tenderness values of longissimus dorsi muscle across four different ages were 44.26, 7.49 and 57.05 N, respectively. These results suggest that longissimus dorsi muscle from organic hilly black pigs has shiny red color, is rich in proteins and minerals, and possess uniform and moderate intramuscular fat as well as excellent meat quality, and the optimal slaughter age was 8 months.

The immunoregulatory and anti-radiation effect of fermentation products (fermentation supernatant plus hot water extract of Morchella mycelia) from Morchella in mice was evaluated according to the Technical Standards for Testing & Assessment of Health Food (2003 version, Ministry of Health, People’s Republic of China) by mouse monocyte-macrophage function test, peripheral leukocyte count, DNA content of myeloma cells test and mouse bone marrow cell micronucleus test. Our results showed that these fermentation products can exert an immunoenhancing effect in mice and helped protect against radiation hazards and hence have great potential to be developed as immunoenhancing and anti-radiation products.

Objective: To determine the effects of Grifola frondosa polysaccharide, lentinan, Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide, Lycium barbarum polysaccharide and yeast glucan on the morphology, proliferation, cytotoxicity and IFN-γ secretion of human NK cells. Methods: Pure human NK cells, prepared by PBMC based ex vivo expansion, were treated with each polysaccharide at concentrations of 100 mg/L and 50 mg/L, respectively. The proliferation, cytotoxicity and IFN-γ secretion of NK cells were tested after 72 h treatments. Results: No significant changes in the proliferation of NK cells were observed between polysaccharide treatment groups and control group. However, increased cytotoxicity of NK cells could be observed for four polysaccharide treatment groups and some changes in cell morphology were also detected. The cytotoxicity of NK cells increased by 5.89% and 9.1% (P＜0.05) after treatment with 100 mg/L and 50 mg/L of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide, and increased by 5.7% and 6.9% (P＜0.05) after treatment with 50 mg/L of Grifola frondosa polysaccharide and Lycium barbarum polysaccharide, respectively. In addition, the IFN-γ secretion of NK cells increased by 255 pg/mL and 202 pg/mL (P＜0.05) separately after treatment with 50 mg/L of Grifola frondosa polysaccharide and lentinan. Conclusion: Grifola frondosa polysaccharide, Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide and Lycium barbarum polysaccharide enhances the cytotoxicity of NK cells, but not by promoting its proliferation. Grifola frondosa polysaccharide and lentinan promote the IFN-γ secretion to a certain extent in vitro and thus have immunoregulatory effects on NK cells.

Shrimp and its products have good delicious and are rich in nutrients, but they are allergenic foods for some people. In this paper, the research progress in the structure of major shrimp allergen protein (tropomyosin), epitope prediction and positioning, allergenicity testing and desensitization is reviewed. These investigations will provide some references for further studies on shrimp allergens and reduction of their allergencity.

Proteomics is the large-scale study of proteins, particularly their structures and functions. Environmental stress is able to induce the expression of different proteins in lactic acid bacteria as response. Proteome studies is helpful to understand the molecular mechanisms of stress response of lactic acid bacteria in order to adapt to or resist the stress.

Milk derived from cattle species has many nutrients composition and milk protein and milk fat is an important indicator to characterize the nutritional quality of milk. Their contents in milk and dairy products are influenced by many factors. This review focused on the effect of genetic, environment and management on composition and concentration of milk protein and milk fatty acids, as well as their characteristic contents and ratio so as to establish the key nutritional characteristics of milk and the dairy products.

As one of the key indexes of meat quality, beef tenderness is the focus of meat science for many years. The detection of beef tenderness is becoming one of the hottest research topics in recent years. In this paper, the technical characteristics of the spectra during the beef tenderness detection were based on the relationship between spectral information and beef internal compositions as well as beef external characteristics. Beef tenderness detection using NIR, Hyper-spectrum, multi-spectrum, visible spectrum and fluorescence spectrum at home and abroad over the past ten years was introduced. Their research progress, limits and potential applications were also discussed.

Hen’s egg is regarded as one of the eight major allergic foods by FAO, and the allergenicity can be reduced by proper processing, in which enzymatic hydrolysis is the most effective method. In this paper, four major allergens present in egg were described, and the impact of enzymatic hydrolysis on the structure and allergenicity of major allergens in egg were reviewed in detail. It offered the scientific basis for producing the hypoallergenic or non-allergenic egg products.

Semi-continuous fermentation technology is a typical operational model. In this article, we first introduced the application areas of semi-continuous fermentation, and then reviewed the classification and features of semi-continuous fermentation, its relation to continuous fermentation, and the cell recycling methods during cultivation. Finally, the prospects of semi-continuous fermentation technology were also discussed according to the recent progress on metabolic engineering and process optimization.