The effect and mechanism of ultra high pressure (UHP) processing (100–400 MPa for 10 min) on the waterholding capacity (WHC) and hardness of chicken breast myosin gel containing 0.6% (m/m) resistant corn starch (RCS) (M-RCS) were investigated. The results showed that UHP at 100–400 MPa could significantly increase the WHC of M-RCS gels and decrease the gel hardness in a pressure-dependent manner (P < 0.05). UHP could significantly increase the hydrophobic groups and reactive sulfhydryl contents of M-RCS system (P < 0.05), thereby reducing storage modulus (G’), changing viscoelasticity tanδ and shortening the transverse relaxation time T22 and T23 (P < 0.05) to result in a higher WHC value and a lower hardness of the gel. UHP treatment is beneficial to the development of low-fat and high-fiber meat products.

The effect of two different preparation methods, namely HCl/KOH and rapid visco analyzer (RVA), on thermal properties and digestibility properties of wheat starch-oleic acid inclusion complexes was studied by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analyzer and X-ray diffraction. The results indicated that different preparation methods affected thermal properties and digestibility properties of wheat starch-oleic acid inclusion complexes. The crystal types of wheat starch-oleic acid inclusion complexes prepared by both methods were type-V. Wheat starch-oleic acid inclusion complexes prepared by RVA method revealed an increase in complex index, glass transition temperature, thermal decomposition stability, ordered degree of short-range structure of particle surface, and the contents of slowly digestive starch and resistant starch and a decrease in relative crystallinity, onset temperature, gelatinization enthalpy, the content of rapidly digestive starch, hydrolysis degree, relative digestibility and predicted glycemic index compared with those prepared by HCl/KOH method. These two samples had a medium glycemic index.

In this paper, VC was entrapped as a model functional food ingredient into thermally induced whey protein isolate (WPI) gels and then subjected to static release experiments and kinetic analysis in order to investigate the influence of release medium (phosphate buffer) pH and concentration, temperature and drug loading on VC release characteristics and to establish a kinetic model to describe the release process. The results showed that the change in the cumulative release rate of vitamin C from whey protein gels was different from that of sucrose, with the former observed to not follow the Korsmeyer Peppas model X = Ktn instead follow the modified model presented in this study X = Ktne-k’t with a correlation coefficient R2 in the range of 0.95–0.99. The release rate of vitamin C increased with the increase in pH value, temperature and buffer concentration, and decreased with the increase in drug loading. Whey protein isolate gels could respond to the environment, and the release process of ascorbic acid was influenced by pH, temperature, drug loading, medium concentration and other factors. Thus the VC release from the carrier could be controlled by adjusting release medium pH and concentration, temperature and drug loading.

The effect of the amount of added lysophospholipids on emulsifying properties of soy protein isolate (SPI)-lysophospholipid emulsion system was explored by determining the interfacial protein adsorption, interfacial tension, emulsifying activity, emulsion stability, particle size distribution, and zeta potential and by observing the microstructure and distribution of emulsion droplets under optical microscopy. The results showed that with increasing addition of lysophospholipids, the emulsifying characteristics were increased at first and then decreased. Among five samples, the emulsion with 10% lysophospholipids added presented the best emulsifying properties, suggesting that the proper addition of lysophospholipids could promote the interaction between soybean protein isolate and lysophospholipids, thereby reducing the interfacial tension, forming a stable interfacial film at the water-oil interface, and finally forming a stable emulsion.

Three-dimensional imaging technology is a low-cost, portable and online screening tool for optical non-destructive testing, which allows the obtainment of the space information of samples. Three-dimensional biospeckle was applied in the prediction of beef texture to minimize the detection time and reduce the limitations of its application. The images of samples were acquired at two different angles, pre-proccessed by generalized difference (GD), and fused by gray template matching, wavelet transform, and contrast modulation fusion separately. A temporal history of speckle patterns viz. inertia moment was used as the speckle activity to establish a prediction model for beef texture. The traditional camera calibration method was used and the internal and external parameters of the camera were established. In-depth information from the images was extracted based on the similar triangle principle. The results showed that three-dimensional biospeckle could enable better prediction of beef texture. Among three image fusion methods, wavelet transform provided the best prediction performance, with correlation coefficients of 0.944 4 and 0.928 8 for the prediction of hardness and chewiness, respectively.

The effect of buckwheat polyphenols on the structure of rice bran proteins was studied by Raman spectroscopy in this research. Our results demonstrated that with increasing addition of buckwheat polyphenols, the secondary structures of rice bran proteins revealed a gradual decrease in α-helix content, an initial increase followed by a decrease in β-sheet content, an initial decrease and then an increase in β-turn content, and a gradual increase in random coil content. Furthermore, both tyrosine and tryptophan residues tended to be exposed at first and then transformed to a buried state. The addition of buckwheat polyphenols could lead to a configurational transformation of the disulfide bonds from gauche-gauche-trans and trans-gauche-trans to gauche-gauche-gauche. Therefore, the interaction between buckwheat polyphenols and rice bran proteins could partially damage the disulfide bonds in rice bran proteins and thereby enhance the structural stability of rice bran proteins.

Sodium sulfate salting out was employed to selectively recover soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI) from soybean whey waste. The recovery conditions were optimized, and the physicochemical and interfacial properties of STI were evaluated. The results indicated that the yield of STI was 20.54% under optimal conditions: concentration of soybean whey to a solid content of 13%, adjustment to pH 4, and addition of 9 g/100 mL sodium sulfate. The main component of STI was Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (KTI, 20.1 kD) as indicated by SDS-PAGE analysis. The trypsin inhibitor activity towards Nα-benzoyl-DL-arginine 4-nitroanilide hydrochloride (BAPNA) of STI was 2 135.00 TIU/mg at pH 7. It was stable in a broad pH range from 2.0 to 11.0 and at a temperature up to 80 ℃. The inhibitory activity (73.19%) was still maintained at a high level after heating at 80 ℃ for 30 min. The FTIR and CD spectra showed that the structure of STI was highly similar to that of the commercial KTI (Sigma T9128). The dynamic surface tension and surface dilatational parameters of STI showed that the STI molecules could be quickly adsorbed to the interface to form a high elastic network and hence favorable foaming capacity and foaming stability. These findings suggest that the salting out method could be used as an effective strategy to prepare high-purity STI from soybean whey, and STI would emerge as a promising molecule for functional foods and medical applications because it exhibits excellent temperature and pH stability and high bioactivity.

Tuna samples were divided into four groups depending on storage temperature: 0, 4 and 15 ℃ without any pretreatment, as well as storage at 4 ℃ with ginger essential oil pretreatment. The contents of biogenic amines (putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, tyramine), trans urocanic acid and volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), K value, and total bacterial counts were determined at regular intervals during storage to evaluate the effects of different storage temperatures and biological antioxidant (BA) on the formation of biogenic amines in tuna and to explore the relationship between histamine and trans urocanic acid contents. The results showed that storage temperature had a great influence on the formation of biogenic amines in tuna, and the contents of biogenic amines in tuna stored at 0 ℃ were much lower than at higher temperatures. The contents of histamine, tyramine putrescine and cadaverine in samples stored at 0 ℃ for six days were 28.25, 5.47, 14.84 and 17.05 mg/kg, respectively, while after storage at 15 ℃ for six days they were 135.4, 14.63, 29.49 and 41.55 mg/kg, respectively. Histamine was the major biogenic amine in tuna, while tyramine remained at a low level throughout the storage period, and it was 16.24 mg/kg even after storage for seven days at 15 ℃. The biological antioxidant treatment could inhibit the formation of biogenic amines and microbial growth, and it could also delay protein degradation and ATP breakdown. Correlation analysis and regression analysis showed that there were high correlations of putrescine, cadaverine, histamine and tyramine with TVB-N value, K value and total viable count (TVC) with Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.804–0.981, and significant relationships between biogenic amines and TVC and TVB-N values. In contrast, there was a low correlation between trans urocanic acid and histamine with a Pearson correlation coefficient of only 0.630 for storage 4 ℃.

Two antioxidant peptides obtained in our previous work, Gln-Trp-Phe-Met (QWFM, 652.78) and Lys-Trp-Phe-Met (KWFM, 610.78), were used to explore the effect of pulsed electric field (PEF) on their fluorescence intensity. The results showed that the fluorescence intensity of both antioxidant peptides, which differed by N-terminal amino acid residues, especially QWFM, was changed after PEF treatment. The most significant change in fluorescence intensity of QWFM was observed at electric pulse frequency of 1 800 Hz and field intensity of 15 kV/cm. The fluorescence intensity of antioxidant peptides decreased as time elapsed after PEF treatment. The circular dichroism (CD) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra showed changed hydrogen bonds maintaining the β-sheet in QWFM and thus reduced β-sheet content. These results suggested that the chemical structure of antioxidant peptides and consequently their properties could be changed by PEF, which will provide a theoretical foundation for further exploitation and utilization of antioxidant peptides.

In this work, the enzymatic hydrolysate of pine nut gluten produced with alkaline protease was isolated and purified by ultrafiltration, Sephadex G-25, Sephadex G-15 and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The structural characteristics of the purified fractions were identified by Q Exactive hybrid quadrupole-Orbitrap mass spectrometry, and de novo sequencing was performed based on the mass spectral data. Two antioxidant peptides were obtained with amino acid sequence of Glu-Leu-Leu-Lys-Leu-His (ELLKLH) and Glu-Lys-Asp-Phe-His-Leu (EKDFHL), respectively. After solid-phase synthesis, the purity of the peptides was 99.67% and 95.15%, respectively. The results of antioxidant activities showed that the DPPH free radical scavenging rates of ELLKLH and EKDFHL at a concentration of 1 000 μmol/mL were 38.26% and 29.54%, respectively, and the iron ion chelating rates were 56.44% and 48.66%, respectively.

The kinetic parameters for thermal decomposition of alliin in aqueous solution were determined in order to explore its thermal stability. The activation energy and pre-exponential factor were separately determined as 80.5 kJ/mol and 1.27 × 107. By analysis of the thermal decomposition products using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), it was found that as the temperature rose, the content of diallyl disulfide kept decreasing from 91.59% to 53.62%, the content of diallyl trisulfide firstly increased and then decreased and the content of diallyl thioether kept increasing, illustrating that high temperature could promote the fracture and rearrangement of sulfur and ether compounds. By mass spectrometry (GC) and the 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine method, the presence of S-allyl-L-cysteine sodium and pyruvic acid was detected in the liquid phase products. At the B3LYP/3-21+G(d,p) level, the structures of the reactants and products were optimized, and the transition state during alliin decomposition was calculated theoretically. By also investigating the decomposition kinetics and thermal decomposition products, it was inferred that alliin could form a five-membered ring intermediate during the decomposition process. Afterwards, hyposulfurous acid and pyruvic acid were generated via Cope elimination reaction.Diallyl disulfide and diallyl trisulfide were formed from hyposulfurous acid through further reaction.

The dielectric loss factor ?’’ spectrum and relative dielectric constant ?’ spectrum of jujube fruits from three different varieties, Lingwu Changzao, Dongzao, and Tuanzao, were measured with an LCR meter at 55 selected frequency points in the frequency range of 1–1 000 kHz. Effective information from the dielectric spectra was extracted by principal component analysis (PCA) and genetic algorithm (GA). Models for variety identification of jujube fruits were established using partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and support vector machine (SVM), respectively. The results indicated that both the frequency and varieties had a significant influence on the dielectric parameters of jujube fruits. The model built using the effective information extracted by PCA and GA was better than that established the original spectra, and the SVM model was better than the PLS-DA and LDA models. The PCA-SVM model based on dielectric loss factor ?’’ was better than the GA-SVM model based on relative dielectric constant ?’, with the former model giving 100% correct discrimination for prediction set. Therefore, the PCA-SVM model based on dielectric loss factor ?’’ spectrum was optimal for variety identification of jujube fruits.

The objective of this study was to use ultrasound treatment to improve the emulsion stability of pre-emulsified soybean oil with sodium caseinate. The effect of ultrasound irradiation at 20 kHz and 450 W for different times (0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 min) on pH, conductivity, creaming index, mean droplet diameters and size distribution and viscosity of preemulsified soybean oil was investigated. Our results illustrated that there was no significant difference in pH or conductivity among all treatment groups (P > 0.05). All treatment groups showed no significant difference in terms of creaming index at 0 h of storage (P > 0.05); however, they were significantly lower than the control at 12, 24 and 36 h (P < 0.05). With prolonged ultrasound irradiation, D4,3, D3,2 and D50 of soybean oil emulsion droplets decreased, and viscosity at a shear rate of 0.1 s-1 increased significantly (P < 0.05). These findings showed that the application of ultrasound treatment to pre-emulsified soybean oil with sodium caseinate could extend the storage period, reduce the particle size, increase the viscosity, and thus improve the emulsion stability.

Alpinetin (Alp), a main active component of Alpinia katsumadai, was used to study the mechanism underlying its interaction with hemoglobin (BHG) by fluorescence polarization, synchronous fluorescence, 3D fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy combined with molecular modeling technique under physiological conditions. The data from the overlapping spectra confirmed that the interaction between Alp and BHG could be matched with the non-radioactive energy transfer theory. Various binding constants (5.880 × 104, 4.337 × 104 and 4.935 × 104 L/mol for quenching mechanism; 3.239 × 103, 5.225 × 103 and 7.692 × 103 L/mol for sensitization effect) and thermodynamic parameters (ΔS: 182.073 J/(mol·K), ΔH: 34.320 kJ/mol, ΔG: −20.119 (299 K), −21.940 (309 K) and −23.760 kJ/mol (319 K)) for Alp-BHG systems were hereby obtained under different temperatures (299, 309 and 319 K) based on different action mechanisms. Molecular docking was performed to reveal the binding of Alp moiety to the hydrophobic cavity of BHG and the acting force was mainly a hydrophobic interaction. The low anisotropy values suggested that there was shorter relaxation time and Alp molecules were observed in a motionally unrestricted environment introduced by BHG. The synchronous fluorescence and absorption spectra showed that the addition of Alp impacted the microenvironment around BHG in aqueous solution. The 2D and 3D fluorescence spectroscopy of Alp-BHG system indicated that Alp strongly quenched the intrinsic fluorescence of BHG causing a conformational change of the protein. The results indicated that the interaction between Alp and BHG was strong, implying that Alp may be stored and transferred by BHG in some degree. In addition, the effects of common ions on the constants of alpinetin-BHG complex were also discussed, indicating an increasing trend for binding constants in the present of different metal ions.

In this research, we studied the chelating activity of Decapterus maruadsi muscle hydrolyzed by three different proteases, trypsin, papain and alcalase, towards Ca2+, Fe2+ and Zn2+. The results showed that the hydrolysates produced by trypsin (DH = 23.14%) had the highest chelating activity towards Fe2+ and Zn2+ with chelating rates of 96.63% and 94.28%, respectively. The hydrolysates by papain (DH = 22.0%) had the highest Ca2+ chelating activity with a chelating rate of 96.78%. It was also shown that both enzymatic hydrolysates had good antioxidant activity. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of the trypsin and papain hydrolysates for 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity were 3.74 and 3.64 mg/mL, respectively. In addition, the amino acid sequence analysis showed that the hydrolysates with higher contents of Glu, Asp and Lys had higher mineral ion chelating activity.

No or very low amylose is one of the major quality attributes in waxy wheat that distinguishes it from common wheat and greatly affects the food-making quality. In the present study, the flour of ‘Jinuo 1’ waxy wheat, was blended with the flour of common wheat cultivars, ‘Jimai 20’ and ‘Jimai 22’, in four different proportions to investigate the effect of waxy flour on quality characteristics of common wheat flour as well as on improving its noodle-making quality. The results showed that the setback value of starch from ‘Jinuo 1’ wheat flour was 449 cP, which was significantly lower than that of ‘Jimai 20’ and ‘Jimai 22’ wheat flour, grain hardness was 64.89, grain protein content was 16.14% on a dry basis, gluten index was 66.08%, and dough stability time was 2.0 min. Meanwhile, the color of fresh dough sheet varied little with ΔE* values of 3.83 and 5.29 at 2 and 24 h, respectively. For the flour blends from ‘Jinuo 1’ and ‘Jimai 20’ cultivars, with increasing ratio of waxy flour to common wheat flour, the setback value of starch and gluten index decreased, water absorption increased, dough stability time shorten, the ΔE* value of dough sheet at 2 and 24 h decreased gradually, and both palatability and smoothness were improved. For the flour blends from ‘Jinuo 1’ and ‘Jimai 22’ cultivars, the quality traits including flour protein content, gluten index and water absorption increased, the setback value of starch decreased, the ΔE* value of dough sheet at 2 and 4 h decreased gradually, and the noodle-making quality as well as the noodle taste quality including palatability and smoothness improved with increasing percentage of waxy flour. In conclusion, the addition of waxy wheat flour to common wheat flour could result in improved flour quality and starch characteristics and in turn improved noodle quality. The optimum amount of added waxy wheat flour was 20%–40%.

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of special-purpose chicken fat shortening for baking, the consumer acceptance of bread was analyzed by sensory evaluation and solid phase micro-extraction-gas chromatographic-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS), and staling properties during storage were examined by texture analyzer (TA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and direct drying with soybean oil and commercial palm oil shortening as control. The results showed that the specific volume and overall sensory acceptance of bread were improved by chicken fat shortening significantly, giving a higher sensory score. Meanwhile, the diversity of flavor compounds was increased by chicken fat shortening, and the relative contents of all classes of flavor compounds were also changed. Moreover, the hardness, aging enthalpy and moisture migration of bread during storage were reduced by chicken fat shortening, as well as stalling rate.

The effects of plant growth regulator, leaf removal, wounding, bagging and harvest time on the fatty acid composition of wine grapes were studied. The experimental treatments were conducted using Cabernet Sauvignon (Vitis vinifera L.) and Chardonnay (Vitis vinifera L.). Our results showed that 16 fatty acids were detected in grape skins. The unsaturated fatty acids mainly consisted of linoleic acid, oleic acid and palmitoleic acid; however, no linolenic acid was detected. In addition, the saturated fatty acids mainly consisted of palmitic acid, stearic acid, behenic acid and arachidic acid. Abscisic acid (ABA), methyl jasmonate (MeJA), light intensity, wounding and harvest time potentially affected the content of linoleic acid. In the berry skins of both varieties, we found a positive relationship among some fatty acids, but large differences were observed between the two varieties. In the skin of Chardonnay grapes, significantly more fatty acids with a positive relationship between each other compared with Cabernet Sauvignon, and what is more, there was a stronger relationship between saturated fatty acids than between unsaturated ones. These results could be helpful for vineyard management and for improving the quality of grapes in terms of fatty acid composition.

This study was done with the objective to analyze the surface hydrophobicity, amino acid composition, zeta potential and particle size distribution of soybean protein isolates (SPIs) prepared from different soybean varieties and to explore the relationship between surface hydrophobicity and zeta potential as well as particle size distribution of SPI. The surface hydrophobicity of SPIs from different varieties was in the decreasing order: Dongnong 46 > Wandou 24 > Heinong 46 > Wuxing 4 > Zhonghuang 13 > Ji NF 58. The different varieties had a significant effect on the zeta potential and particle size distribution of SPI. Correlation analysis indicated no significant correlation between surface hydrophobicity and amino acid composition. Surface hydrophobicity was positively correlated with absolute value of zeta potential and negatively correlated with particle size. With increasing absolute value of zeta potential, the aggregation of protein molecules was decreased due to repulsive interaction of more like electric charges on their surface, making the protein solution more stable and at the same time reducing the size of the protein particles. As a result, more hydrophobic groups were exposed on the surface of the proteins due to decreased involution degree of hydrophobic groups, thereby leading to an increase in surface hydrophobicity.

This experiment studied the effect of ultra high pressure treatment on the yields of total antioxidants, phenol, anthocyanins and VC extracted from Lonicera caerulea fruits and the total antioxidant activity of Lonicera caerulea extracts, and also explored the relationship between cellular microstructure and the extraction yield of total antioxidants. Our results showed that the highest yield of total antioxidants of 85.20 mg/g fresh fruit weight was obtained using an extraction pressure of 300 MPa. The lyophilized extracts obtained at 300, 400 and 0 MPa had the highest contents of total phenols, anthocyanins and VC, which were 136.48, 4.12 and 27.14 μg/mg, respectively. The total antioxidants extracted at 400 MPa possessed the highest antioxidant capacity as indicated by the highest 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt radical (ABTS+·) scavenging capacity (0.37 mmol/L), ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP, 0.84 mmol/L) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) scavenging capacity (91.5%). Transmission electron microscopy images showed that 400 MPa treatment caused huge damage to the cellular structure of Lonicera caerulea, which could be helpful for the extraction of antioxidants. Significant differences in anthocyanins and VC were observed among some of the groups tested but not among the others. This experiment has proved that ultrahigh pressure processing can promote disruption of Lonicera caerulea fruit cells, being helpful for enhanced solvent extraction and activity of antioxidants.

Kiwifruit pectin (KP), named as KP1 and KP2, were prepared by hot-air drying and freeze drying, respectively, the pH of which were 3.16 and 3.39 and both of which contained mainly D-galacturonic acid (D-GA). Using carboxy methyl cellulose-Na (CMC-Na) as control, the effects of four factors including pH, pectin concentration, temperature and shear rate on rheological properties of KP solution were explored by MCR301 rotary rheometer. The results showed the viscosity of both KP1 and KP2 solutions was low, approximately 1.0 mPa·s, and it was little impacted by pH and KP concentration. The observed logarithmic relationship between pectin viscosity (lnη) and reciprocal temperature (1/T) indicated that the viscosity of both pectin solutions went down with the increase in temperature in the range of 10–30 ℃, similar to CMC-Na. However, the viscosity and fluidity of KP1 and KP2 solutions failed to completely follow the Arrhenius equation in the range of 40–50 ℃, which may be due to the lower activation energy (Ea) of 10.075 kJ/mol for KP1 and 4.510 kJ/mol for KP2, and consequently lower temperature sensitivity. The relationship between viscosity and shear rate for the pectin solutions was fitted with a power law equation. Both flow indexes n were less than 1. The non-Newtonian fluid properties of KP1 and KP2 could be explained by the Power Law equation. Therefore, both of them exhibited a typical shear thinning phenomenon and ductility, which can be attributed to non-Newtonian fluid. But KP was a low viscosity pectin, so the Arrhenius equation could not effectively explain the relationship of its viscosity and temperature.

In this work, in comparison to corn peptide (CP), we investigated the change in structural characteristics and antioxidant activity in vivo of corn peptide-Zn (CP-Zn) complex. The structures of CP and CP-Zn were investigated through amino acid analysis, ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy. CP and CP-Zn (50, 150, 250 mg/(kg·d)) at different doses were administered intragastrically to mice. Two days later, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in serum and liver were measured to evaluate antioxidant activity in vivo of CP and CP-Zn. The results showed a significant change in amino acid content, and UV and FT-IR spectra between CP and CP-Zn. Zn2+ was coordinated with the –COOH, –NH2 and C＝O groups of corn peptide. Compared with the control group, high-dose CP and high- and middle-dose CP-Zn could reduce MDA level (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), and improve SOD (P < 0.01) and GSH-Px activity (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) in serum and liver. The antioxidant activity of CP-Zn was better than that of CP.

In order to select the suitable deep frying conditions for goose meat, the effect of deep frying on its physicochemical properties, texture and microstructure was analyzed by using conventional methods. The results showed that with increasing frying temperature and frying time, the loss rate of goose meat rose gradually. Frying at 135 ℃ for 5 min resulted in a 12.87% higher loss rate than frying at 120 ℃ for 2.5 min (P < 0.05). The pH of goose meat generally increased, and a similar trend was observed for shear force. For samples deep-fried at 120 and 135 ℃ for 5 min, the shear force values were 40.432 and 55.783 N, respectively (P < 0.05). After deep frying, L* value decreased, while a* and b* value significantly increased (P < 0.05); the a* and b* values of goose meat fried at 135 ℃ for 5 min increased by 27.85% and 32.95% when compared with frying at 135 ℃ for 2.5 min, respectively. Additionally, hardness and chewiness generally increased, whereas springiness, cohesiveness, gumminess and resilience became smaller. After deep frying at 120 ℃ for 3.5 min, a few granules in the perimysium were observed. The perimysium was seriously deformed and partially dissolved during deep frying at 125 ℃ for 3.5 min. The structure of muscle cells became very blurry after deep frying at 135 ℃ for 5 min. Therefore, frying at 130 ℃ for 3 min was the optimal frying method for goose meat. Under these conditions, the deep-fried goose meat had a loss rate of 38.24%, a shear force value of 41.897 N, a golden color and a good texture.

Total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and total proanthocyanin content (TAC) were determined in blueberry flowers, tender stems, tender leaves and old leaves. Antioxidant activities of acidified methanol extracts from different parts of blueberry were evaluated by ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and hydrolxyl, DPPH and ABTS+ free radicals scavenging capacity assays. Results indicated that tender leaves contained the highest level of TPC (43.77 mg gallic acid/g md), which was increased by 3.45, 1.42 and 1.12 folds as compared to flowers, tender stems and old leaves, respectively. Old leaves contained the highest levels of TFC (68.01 mg rutin/g md) and TAC (23.29 mg catechinic acid/g md), which were 2.57 and 4.61, 1.79 and 1.23, and 1.03 and 1.98 folds higher than those in flowers, tender stems, and tender leaves, respectively. The FRAP activity of the extract from old leaves was the highest, followed by tender stems, flowers, and tender leaves. The hydroxyl radical scavenging activity was in the following order: tender stems > tender leaves > flowers > old leaves. Both the DPPH radical scavenging capability and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were in the following order: tender stems > tender leaves > old leaves > flowers > VC. In summary, the DPPH radical scavenging was the strongest of the antioxidant activities for all the blueberry extracts, followed by TAC, and their antioxidant activities were the weakest in terms of hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity and FRAP activity.

In order to find the best processing technique for ‘Shaancha 1’ green tea, new shoots with one bud and two leaves from the clonal tea cultivar ‘Shaancha 1’ harvested in spring were processed into flat-shaped, curl-shaped, needle-shaped, orchid -shaped, and pan-fired green tea, respectively and the tea samples were subjected to sensory evaluation, chemical component analysis, aroma component analysis and antioxidant capacity assay. The results showed that orchid-shaped tea had a water extract content of 46.24% with amino acids, caffeine, tea polyphenols and chlorophyll accounting for 4.22%, 4.54% and 21.52% of the total amount, respectively, demonstrating a well-balanced chemical composition, and it possessed the lowest ratio of polyphenols to amino acids and highest chlorophyll content of 2.15 mg/g. The content of the major aroma compounds in orchid-shaped tea was highest, up to 21.69%, and its sensory quality was best. Thus, orchid-shaped tea was the optimal processing technique for green tea from new shoots with one bud and two leaves of the ‘Shaancha 1’ cultivar, followed by flat-shaped tea in terms of sensory quality and the content of the major aroma compounds. On the other hand, flat-shaped tea had the highest retention rate of polyphenols and strongest antioxidant capacity and also had a well-balanced chemical composition. Therefore, flat-shaped tea is also an alternative processing technique for ‘Shaancha 1’ green tea.

Purpose: To explore the role and molecular mechanism of proteins secreted by L. acidophilus CICC6005 in promoting intestinal health and to reveal that this topic is well worth further investigation. Methods: This experiment determined extracellular proteins secreted by L. acidophilus CICC6005 to inhibit the proliferation of HT-29 cells and further explored the pathway by which the extracellular proteins 67 and 37 ku inhibited tumor proliferation. In the present study, HT-29 cells were used as target cells to evaluate the expression levels of the critical target protein p38, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (ERK), phosphorylated p38 (p-p38), phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase (p-JNK), phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK), phosphorylated protein kinase B (p-AKT), phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) in the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) and (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-protein kinase B) PI3K-AKT signaling pathways through Western blotting in order to explore the molecular mechanism by which that the extracellular proteins from L. acidophilus CICC6005 regulated the proliferation of colon cancer cells. Results: Exposure of HT-29 cells to different concentrations of 67 and 37 ku extracellular proteins from L. acidophilus CICC6005 could significantly inhibit the expression of p-ERK1/2, p-p38, p-AKT and PI3K in a dosedependent manner for both signaling pathways but not the expression of p-JNK, ERK1/2, p38 and JNK. Conclusion: The extracellular proteins 37 and 67 ku from L. acidophilus CICC6005 could inhibit the proliferation of HT-29 cells, and the mechanism might be related to the activation level of the critical proteins involved in the MAPK and PI3K-AKT pathways. Consumption of extracellular proteins from L. acidophilus could help to maintain intestinal health.

Objective: This study was focused on the protective effect of curcumin on cellular oxidative damage and cell apoptosis induced by Cu2＋ in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells transfected by human amyloid-β precursor protein (APP) (SH-SY5Y-APP695). Methods: SH-SY5Y-APP695 cells were treated with 50 μmol/L Cu2＋ at 37 ℃ for 24 h with or without curcumin pre-protection. Cell viability was detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8). Extracellular lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondrial membrane potential were determined by commercial assay kits. The enzymatic activities of caspase-3, caspase-8 and caspase-9 were assessed. Phosphorylation levels of NF-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) at Ser-40 (pSer40-Nrf2) and HO-1 were detected by Western blot analysis. Results: Compared with the control group, Cu2＋ administration led to decreased cell viability and mitochondrial membrane potential, increased levels of LDH, intracellular ROS and caspase-3, caspase-8 and caspase-9 activities, and elevated levels of pSer40-Nrf2 and HO-1. Conversely, curcumin increased cell viability and mitochondrial membrane potential, decreased the levels of LDH and intracellular ROS, significantly mitigated caspase-9 and caspase-3 activities, and reduced the expression levels pSer40-Nrf2 and HO-1. Conclusion: Curcumin can attenuate Cu2＋-induced cellular oxidative damage and cell apoptosis.

Objective: To investigate the protective effect of Ganoderma atrum polysaccharides (GAP) against oxidative injury induced by acrylamide (AA) in intestinal epithelial cells (IEC)-6. Methods: The MTT assay was used to evaluate the proliferation of IEC-6. After cultivation, the cells and culture medium were collected for determining the activities of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malondialdelyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reduced glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx). Results: GAP had no toxic effect on the cultured IEC-6 at the tested concentrations. Compared with the AA-treated group, GAP significantly attenuated AA-induced oxidative damage and increased cell viability by decreasing LDH activity and MDA content, and increasing SOD and GSH-Px activities in IEC-6 line. Conclusion: These results suggested that GAP showed a protective effect against AA-induced oxidative damage in IEC-6 through inhibiting lipid peroxidation, and increasing antioxidant system activity.

The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and flow cytometry were used to analyze the proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis of human gastric cancer SGC7901 cells in the presence of chive extract. Results showed that 75% ethanol extract from chive (CEE) had the highest antitumor activity among different solvent extracts. There was a significant difference in the antitumor activities of chive extracts from different cultivars of the same geographic origin (P < 0.05). The 75% ethanol extract from chive cultivar No. 3 had the highest antitumor activity with IC50 values at 24, 48 and 72 h of (0.88 ± 0.07), (0.45 ± 0.08), and (0.21 ± 0.03) mg/mL, respectively. The proportion of S-phase cells significantly (P < 0.05) increased after treatment with this chive extract at 1.0 or 2.0 mg/mL for 48 h, indicating that CEE may inhibit cell transformation from S phase to G2 phase. CEE could also induce S phase arrest. Meanwhile, the apoptosis rate in the experimental group increased significantly (P < 0.05) in a dose-dependent manner when compared to the control group. Taken collectively, it is concluded that CEE is a promising natural anti-gastric cancer compound with potential applications in functional food industry for its effective inhibition on cell proliferation and cell cycle, and its promotion on cell apoptosis.

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of peptides produced by enzymatic hydrolysis of tuna pancreatic proteins on body weight, fasting serum insulin (FINS), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and serum lipid levels of db/db diabetic mice for the purpose of providing theoretic evidence for the development of new healthy foods from tuna pancreas. Methods: Ten male Db/m mice were used as blank control group. A total of 30 male leptin gene knockout db/db mice were divided into model control group, positive drug control group and experimental group. The mice in the experimental group were gavaged with the peptides derived from tuna pancreatic proteins. After 10 weeks, the body weight, FINS, HbA1c, and serum lipid biochemical indexes in all groups of mice were examined. The gene expression levels in the kidney were evaluated using gene chip technology. Results: In comparison with the control group, the experimental group demonstrated a significant decrease in body weight, FINS, HbA1c, serum total cholesterol, triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and an obvious increase in high-density lipoproteincholesterol. The gene expression levels in experimental group were also significantly different from those in the control group. A total of 678 differentially expressed genes were found, 161 of which were up-regulated and 517 of which were down-regulated. Conclusion: The peptides derived from tuna pancreatic proteins by enzymatic hydrolysis can effectively control body weight, FINS, HbA1c and serum lipid levels in db/db diabetic mice, likely by decreasing the expression of aldosterone synthase gene (CYP11B1).

Objective: This study aimed to explore the regulatory effect and mechanism of intragastric administration of L-theanine on antioxidant capacity and the mRNA expression of antioxidant enzymes in the heart, liver, spleen and kidney tissues of rats. Methods: Sixty-four Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into control group (CON), low-dose group (LT), middle-dose group (MT) and high-dose group (HT) (with 16 animals in each group, half male and half female), which were lavaged daily with L-theanine solution at doses of 0, 50, 200 and 400 mg/kg, respectively for 14 consecutive days. After the last administration, the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO), the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), catalase (CAT) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS), and the mRNA expression of SOD1, SOD2, SOD3 and GPX genes were determined in rat visceral tissues. Results: L-Theanine administration influenced the content of NO and the activities of SOD, CAT and NOS in the rat heart. The HT group presented the lowest NO content in the heart tissue among the four groups tested, and increased the activities of SOD and CAT to the highest levels. The NO content in the rat kidney was also impacted by L-theanine administration, and it was the lowest in the HT group. However, no significant effects were observed on the contents of MDA and NO, or the activities of SOD, CAT, GPX and NOS in rat liver, spleen, kidney and heart tissues except the above parameters. The mRNA expression of SOD1 in the liver, and SOD1, SOD3 and GPX1 in the spleen were significantly inhibited in the LT group, the mRNA expression of SOD2 in the spleen was up-regulated in the HT group, and the mRNA expression of SOD1, SOD2, SOD3 and GPX1 in the heart were increased significantly at all doses of L-theanine. Conclusion: L-Theanine administration could enhance antioxidant capacity in the heart, via a mechanism associated with increased SOD activity due to up-regulated mRNA expression of SOD2. At the same time, the effect of L-theanine administration on antioxidant capacity in rat visceral tissues was gender-dependent.

In this study, we examined whether ferulic acid (FA) could protect against PM2.5-induced mitochondrial damage in A549 cells and explored the underlying mechanism. The cells were treated with PM2.5 (240 μg/mL) with and without the addition of 80 mmol/L FA. The contents of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were determined by flow cytometry using MitoSOX Red specific probe. Apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry with Annexin-V/PI method. Mitochondrial membrane potential was detected by flow cytometry with JC-1 staining. The activity of mitochondrial membrane channel pore was tested by mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) kit. The expression of caspase-3, caspase-9, manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), and peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor-γ-coactivator-1α (FGC-1α) were detected by Western blotting. The results showed that, compared with the blank control group, the level of ROS and the expression of caspase-3 and caspase-9 in mitochondria, as well as the apoptosis rate of A549 cells induced by PM2.5 were increased. The membrane potential and the activity of mPTP in mitochondria of A549 cells induced by PM2.5 were decreased as well as the expression of PGC-1α and MnSOD. The pre-treatment of FA could prevent the increased mitochondrial ROS, apoptosis rate and expression of caspase-3 and caspase-9, and the decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, mPTP activity, and expression of PGC-1α and MnSOD caused by PM2.5. Therefore, FA had a significant protective effect on PM2.5-induced mitochondrial damage in A549 cells.

The aim of the present study was to examine the antitumor and immunoenhancing effects of two polysaccharides (POP II and POP III) isolated and purified from Portulace oleracea L. in Lewis lung tumor-bearing mice. The mice subcutaneously implanted with Lewis lung tumor cells on their toes were intraperitoneally injected with each polysaccharide at doses of 100 and 50 mg/kg (body weight) for 10 days, respectively. Meanwhile, cyclophosphamide (CTX) was used as antitumor positive control, and Coriolus versicolor polysaccharopeptide was used as immunoenhancing positive control, and the same volume of normal saline was used as negative control. The results showed that the tumor growth inhibition rates of POP II were 35.10% and 41.01%, while those of POP III were 36.91% and 45.11% at the low and high doses, respectively. Both treatment groups were significantly different from the negative control (P < 0.05). Moreover, POP II and POP III exhibited a stimulating effect on the cytotoxicity of natural killer (NK) cells with a significant difference when compared with the negative control (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, both of them could accelerate the conversion of lymphocytes with a stimulation index of 1.27–1.33, showing significant differences when compared with the negative control (P < 0.05). In a word, POP II and POP III can improve thymus index and spleen index in normal mice and thus play a significant role in antitumor and immunoenhancing functions.

The purpose of this study was to assess the antioxidant and antitumor activities of Portulaca oleracea L. seed oil (PSO) in vitro and its application to delay rancidity of horse oil. We determined the reducing power of PSO and its scavenging effects on hydroxyl radicals (·OH) and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals and assessed its stability during horse oil storage with its addition. The results showed that PSO had remarkable, dose-dependent antioxidant activity, and could effectively prevent lipid oxidation in horse oil. We treated cervical cancer HeLa cells, human esophageal carcinoma Eca-109 cells and human breast adenocarcinoma MCF-7 cells with PSO using non-neoplastic monkey kidney Vero cells as control. The results indicated that PSO significantly inhibited tumor cell proliferation in a time-and dosedependent manner. Our findings suggest that PSO can be a substitute for synthetic antioxidants in food preservation and may be potentially useful as a food or cosmetic ingredient.

To investigate the effect of dietary porous starch on lipid metabolism in ovariectomized rats, 24 mature female SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups according to body weight: Sham-operated group and two bilaterally ovariectomized (OVX) groups. From one week after the operation onwards, the rats from each group were given the corresponding diet. The contents of triglyceride (TG) and cholesterol in plasma and liver, neutral sterols and bile acids in feces, and microorganisms and short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in cecal contents were determined after 4 weeks of feeding. Results indicated that triglyceride (TG) and TG/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio in plasma, total cholesterol (TC), TG and total fat in liver, and abdominal fat deposition were significantly reduced by dietary substitution of porous starch (P < 0.05). The excretion of neutral sterols and bile acids in feces were increased significantly (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, porous starch also promoted the proliferation of probiotic microorganisms, and increased the concentration of SCFAs. In conclusion, porous starch may decrease the risk of suffering hyperlipidemia due to the lack of estrogen.

The preservative effect of collagen-chitosan blend film modified by tea polyphenols on the quality of Epinephelus coioides was evaluated. The samples from the blank control group, collagen-chitosan blend film group (T1) and blend film group modified by tea polyphenols (T2) were stored at 4 ℃ for 20 days. The K value, actomyosin content, total sulfhydryl content (–SH), Ca2+-ATPase activity, pH, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) value, thiobarbityric acid (TBA) value, total viable count (TVC), and sensory evaluation were measured during storage. The results indicated that total sulfhydryl content, actomyosin content, Ca2+-ATPase activity and sensory evaluation in T1 and T2 treatments were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those in the blank control group, while a significant decrease in K value, pH, TVB-N, and TVC was observed (P < 0.05), indicating that the preservative effect of T2 was superior to that of T1. Furthermore, the difference in TBA was not significant (P > 0.05) among these groups. T2 treatment slowed down the degradation of actomyosin, blocked the reduction of –SH content and Ca2+-ATPase activity, and inhibited the increase of TVB-N and TVC as well as the growth of total bacterial counts. These observations suggested that the blend film modified by tea polyphenols could effectively retard the spoilage of Epinephelus coioides at 4 ℃, being advantageous in preservation.

In order to explore the effect of rice bran rancidity on the antioxidant activity of enzymatic hydrolysates of rice bran proteins (RBP), the oxidation degrees of crude rice bran oil (RBO) and RBP prepared from rice bran samples with different storage times were investigated as well as the antioxidant activity of alcalase hydrolysates of RBP. The results indicated that storage of rice bran could lead to hydrolysis and oxidation of RBO as well as oxidation of RBP, and the disulfide and non-disulfide covalent bonds participated in the formation of oxidation aggregates of RBP. As storage time of rice bran increased, the degree of hydrolysis (DH) of RBP firstly increased until reaching the maximum value on the third day of storage and then decreased. The free radical scavenging capacity against 2,2’-azinobis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radicals (ABTS+·), 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals, superoxide (O2-·), radicals hydroxyl (·OH), as well as metal-chelating capacity of RBP hydrolysates showed the same trend. These results indicated that shortterm storage of rice bran resulted in increased DH of RBP and antioxidant activity of their hydrolysates, whereas long-term storage reduced the DH of RBP and the antioxidant activity of their hydrolysates.

In order to determine a more suitable method for mutton preservation, the effects of superchilling and icetemperature combined with modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) were comparatively explored on mutton quality. This experiment examined changes in pH, total volatile base-nitrogen (TVB-N), total bacterial count (TBC) and drip loss rate of mutton subjected to ordinary packaging and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP, 75% O2 + 25% CO2) during storage under superchilling (−3 ℃) and ice-temperature (−1 ℃) conditions. The results showed that compared with ice temperature storage, superchilling allowed better control of TBC and TVB-N in MAP packaged mutton and delayed the increase in pH, but it resulted in a four–five-fold increase in drip loss rate. At the same storage temperature, MAP treatment maintained mutton color better, inhibited bacterial growth and prolonged the shelf life by 10 days during storage compared with ordinary packaging. Taken together, the quality of MAP packaged mutton was maintained best, for up to 40 days, during superchilling storage. After this storage period, TBC was 5.79 (lg(CFU/g)), which was within the range of the national standard (≤6 (lg(CFU/g))), TVB-N value was 14.47 mg/100 g, which met the requirement for first-grade fresh meat according to the national standard (≤15 mg/100 g), and pH was 5.84, which met the requirement for first-grade fresh meat according to National Standard (pH 5.18-6.12).

In the present study, neutral electrolytic water was used to reduce bacterial counts and enhance the preservation of chilled fresh grass carp meat. Changes in the quality, texture and myofibrillar structure of the fish meat were determined during storage at 4 ℃. The results showed that neutral electrolyzed water could reduce the changes in the numbers of total bacteria and Pseudomona, pH, TVB-N and TBA in the fish meat during storage, and hence prolong the shelf-life period by 4 days. Meanwhile, neutral electrolyzed water could significantly reduce the degradation of fish myofibrils and in turn alleviate the changes in textural characteristics such as hardness, elasticity and resilience when compared with the control and bactericideⅠ. On the 6th day of storage, hardness, elasticity and resilience of the fish meat treated with natural electrolyzed water were 1.23, 2.13 and 1.83 folds higher, respectively, when compared with the control samples. Moreover, the myofibrillar structure of the sample treated with natural electrolyzed water was longer and arranged more regularly. Therefore, natural electrolyzed water treatment can effectively alleviate the changes in the quality and texture of grass carp meat during chilled storage. This finding will provide a theoretical reference for the development of preservation technologies for fresh fish.

Cadmium causes damage to a wide range of organs and biological systems such as liver, kidney, bone, immune system and reproductive system. Flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds widely present in many plants, which have been shown to prevent or mitigate cadmium-induced damage in the body. This review focuses on recent advances in understanding the protective effects and molecular mechanisms of flavonoids against cadmium toxicity. We hope that this review will provide useful references for the prevention of cadmium toxicity and the mechanistic exploration of nutrition intervention strategies.

With the improvement of living standards, long-term consumption of high calorie diet and physical inactivity result in storage of excess energy in the body in the form of fat, leading to obesity. Obesity has been officially listed as a chronic disease by the World Health Organization (WTO) in 1997. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) regulate the proliferation and differentiation of adipocytes by binding themselves with the trans-acting element of the target gene. Understanding the structural features, expression characteristics and mechanism of PPARs is of important theoretical significance and practical value for the control of obesity and related diseases. This article reviews the protein structure, gene expression and ligand activation of PPARγ, the interaction between different types of PPARs, and the role of PPARγ in lipid metabolism and the differentiation of adipocytes by natural ligands. Strategies for the prevention of obesity are put forward based on adipocyte proliferation regulation by PPARg.

Hypertension is a considerable public health problem worldwide. Angiotensin-Ⅰ converting enzyme (dipeptidylcarboxypeptidase, EC 3.4.15.1, ACE) plays a critical role in regulating blood pressure through the renninangiotensin system (RAS) and kallikrein-kinnin system (KKS). Recently, numerous studies aimed at alleviating hypertension have focused on the generation and isolation of ACE-inhibitory peptides from various food sources. A number of studies have reported the structure-activity relationship of food protein-derived antihypertensive peptides, especially the effect of the primary structure on the potency. Compared with synthetic chemical drugs, ACE inhibitory peptides derived from food proteins are considered to be safer and milder. Nowadays, one of the most widely used techniques to liberate ACE inhibitory peptides is enzymatic hydrolysis. This technique involves one or more proteases at the optimum temperature and pH conditions. In this review, in order to provide a theoretical guidance for the preparation of high-quality ACE inhibitory peptides, we review recent reports on the structure-activity relationship and enzymatic preparation of ACE inhibitory peptides.

With the extensive application of Lactobacilli for the dairy industry, phage contamination has posed an increasingly serious threat to the final products. Currently, phage research has evolved from the morphological to the molecular level. The full-length genomic sequences of many phages have been acquired. Genomic studies have contributed to revealing the infective mechanisms of phages and in turn exploring the key functional genes. In this paper, the genomic characteristics, functional genomics and comparative genomics of the major Lactobacillus phages published were analyzed, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for further exploration of phages.

The market demand is directly affected by food freshness and the post-harvest spoilage of raw fresh foods, which causes incalculable economic losses and therefore motivates the development of preservation technologies. High voltage electric field (HVEF) is a safe and environment-friendly technology for food processing. HVEF is one of the most promising technologies to preserve raw fresh foods that requires very small energy consumption with no heat effect and only a small temperature increase in the processed foods and causes little effect on the quality of the foods themselves. This manuscript outlines the basic principle of HVEF and provides a systematic elucidation of its mechanism for preserving fruits and vegetables, aquatic products and meat products with respect to membrane potential, enzyme activities and microstructure. Furthermore, future research prospects are discussed.

Magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) is a new sample pretreatment method, which has been continuously developed in recent years. The use of magnetic functional materials as MSPE adsorbent has gained extensive attention because of their unique physical and chemical properties. This article summarizes the applications of magnetic functional materials in the detection of pesticides, veterinary drugs, synthetic dyestuffs, and other toxic and harmful substance residues in foods since 2010, with the aim of providing references for the popularization and application of new food safety detection techniques.

Objective: To analyze the application and distribution of raw materials and functional ingredients (or indicator ingredients) for registered health foods in China during 2006 to 2015, as well as the distribution, diversity and aggregation of health claims for the health products for the purpose of providing basic data for the development of health foods. Methods: A retrospective investigation was made for systematic survey and analysis of the information about registered health foods in China during 2006 to 2015 published on the website of the China Food and Drug Administration and for establishment of a database for statistical analysis. Results: From 2006 to 2015, a total of 7 882 domestic health foods were registered and approved. The proportion of health claims for enhancing immunity, assisting in blood lipid reduction, increasing bone density and alleviating eyestrain rose significantly (P < 0.05), while the proportion of health claims for alleviating physical fatigue, assisting in blood sugar reduction and removing chloasma dropped significantly (P < 0.05). Additionally, wolfberry fruits, Radix Astragali, ginseng, Poria cocos and Semen Cassiae were used significantly less frequently as raw material for registered health foods during 2011–2015, whereas collagen, glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate and coenzyme Q10 were used significantly more frequently (P < 0.05). During 2006–2015, total saponins, total flavonoids and crude polysaccharides as functional components of health foods (excluding nutrient supplements) were most frequently used. While vitamin E, chromium picolinate, total amino acids and 10-hydroxy-2-decanoic acid were used significantly less frequently in health foods (P < 0.05), the application of protein, calcium, glucosamine, anthocyanins or procyanidins, adenosine and coenzyme Q10 was significantly more frequent in health foods (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The development trend of domestic health foods was favorable, but the sources of raw materials and health claims were concentrated too much. Furthermore, there was a poor match between the health claims and raw materials as well as functional components of some health foods. Hence, more related health claims are needed urgently.

With increasing efforts in toxicological studies and increasing public concerns about food safety, natural antioxidants will tend to replace synthetic ones in the future, which are currently used widely in the market. Besides natural antioxidants with good liposolubility, modification of some poorly liposoluble antioxidants also shows improved liposolubility and enhanced antioxidant activity for practical application. With the aim to provide a reference for their further exploitation and utilization, this article reviews recent progress in studying several typical liposoluble and modified liposoluble natural antioxidants. Furthermore, their prospects for future applications are discussed.

Mango is an important cash crop in the tropical area of China. Mango flesh contains a wide range of functional components; however, consumption of mango fruits can result in hypersensitivity reactions which vary in terms of severity from person to person. This article presents a brief description of hypersensitivity reactions after eating mango fruits, such as contact dermatitis, oral allergy syndrome and cross-reactivity. Meanwhile, two distinct pathways for the development of hypersensitivity reactions after eating mango fruits are elucidated in detail, including allergens, different types of reactions and immune pathways in human body. Nine major allergen genes in mango fruits have been analyzed according to the Allergome database (http://www.allergome.org/). The structural domains of two of the major allergenic proteins, namely profilin and chitinase, have been determined. By evaluating the cross-reactivity of mango allergens, it was found that the amino acid sequences of allergens from different species share high homology, which determines the same IgE sensitization. This paper will provide new ideas and theoretical bases for selecting plants with reduced allergenicity and therefore preventing and treating allergic symptoms at the molecular level.

As we entered the 21st Century, the subject of food science and technology has developed rapidly and food science and information science have developed an increasingly close relationship. The aim of this paper is to analyze the quantity and quality of published research papers in the field of food science using bibliometric methods and to give a visual comparison of the disciplinary competitiveness of some countries and representative research institutions in food science. The results showed that from 2010 to 2014, China published the second largest number (17 054) of papers in food science included in Scopus in the world with just 4.6 citations, on an average basis, for each paper, slightly lower than the world average. In spite of the great achievement in terms of the number of publications, there is still a significant gap in terms of the average number of citations per paper and top 10% most cited papers as indicators of the quality of papers between China and the traditional research powers in the world. By analyzing the quantity and quality of papers published by them, Chinese representative organizations enjoyed a high influence and reputation in the international academic field, but the development of food science was unbalanced in different areas of China. By observing the hot topics for researchers worldwide and development trends in the field of food science, China developed 101 research directions with distinctive competencies (DC) from 2010 to 2014. These DC showed the competitive advantages of the main interdisciplinary subjects of food science in China, which would provide references for food science researchers.