The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of starch, flaxseed gum (FG), storage temperature and their interaction on the water-holding capacity (WHC), texture profile and sensory quality of sausage and to explore the underlying mechanism using factorial design. The results revealed that, the WHC measured after 45 days of storage was significantly decreased with increasing amount of starch (P < 0.05), while it was significantly increased with increasing amount of starch and temperature (P < 0.05). The interaction between starch and storage temperature had a significant influence on the WHC (P < 0.05). Texture profile analysis (TPA) indicated that different mixing ratios of starch and FG had different effects on the hardness and chewiness, but resulted in increased springiness. The rise in storage temperature led to an increase in the hardness and chewiness and a decrease in the springiness. The interaction between starch and FG could significantly decrease the hardness and chewiness while springiness decreased significantly due to the interaction between starch and storage temperature. From the results of sensory evaluation, the sensory quality of sausage, which was closely related to the interaction between starch and FG, could be improved by adding less starch and more FG, and lowering storage temperature.

In this work, we explored the effect of enzymatic hydrolysis time for preparing lysophospholipid on the interaction between soybean protein isolate (SPI) and lysophospholipid (LP) and the emulsifying properties of an SPI-LP composite emulsion system. Fluorescence quenching, binding sites and constant and interaction forces between SPI and LP were investigated based on the Stern-Volmer and Van’t Hoff equations by fluorescence spectroscopy. Furthermore, the emulsifying activity and stability were determined, and the microstructural change of emulsion was observed. The results showed that as the hydrolysis time by phospholipase A1 was prolonged, the interaction between SPI and LP first increased and then decreased, and so did the emulsifying properties, which suggested that the interaction had some effects on the emulsifying properties. Among five hydrolysis times tested, 4 h hydrolysis demonstrated the strongest interaction between SPI and LP and the best emulsifying properties indicating that lysophospholipid produced by moderate hydrolysis showed improved interaction with SPI to form a stable interfacial film at the water-oil interface for stable composite emulsion.

In order to provide a theoretical basis for controlling Vibrio parahaemolyticus by using lipopeptides combined with tea polyphenols, the synergistic antimicrobial effect of lipopeptides and tea polyphenols against V. parahaemolyticus was assessed through checkerboard microtiter tests, and the underlying mechanism was studied by determining the change in cell membrane integrity, protein synthesis and phosphorus metabolism. The results showed that the combination of lipopeptides and tea polyphenols displayed strong synergistic antibacterial effect against V. parahaemolyticus with a fractional inhibitory concentration index of 0.19, resulting a notable increase in the membrane permeability and further inhibition of the synthesis of some proteins. Phosphorus metabolism was entirely inhibited when treated by 1/16 MIC lipopeptides combined with 1/8 MIC tea polyphenols when compared with the group treated by 1/16 MIC lipopeptides or 1/8 MIC tea polyphenols alone. In conclusion, there was a notable synergistic antimicrobial effect of lipopeptides and tea polyphenols against V. parahaemolyticus, which was achieved by destroying the cell membrane integrity and thus resulting in inhibition of protein synthesis and normal cell metabolism.

The effect of high temperature cooking in water and acetic acid solution on the hardness of pork bones was studied under the conditions of 120 ℃ and different cooking times (40, 50, 60, 70 and 80 min) in water, and different acetic acid concentrations (0.0%, 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8% and 1.0%, V/V) and 80 min in acetic acid solution. The protein content of raw and cooked pork bones were determined by the Kjeldahl method, and calcium and phosphorus contents as well as the amount of calcium and phosphorus release by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The microstructure of comminuted bones was examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the structure of chemical components in bone powder samples was characterized by infrared spectroscopy. It was found that high temperature cooking resulted in a decrease in bone hardness, which decreased from (16 445 ± 867) to (10 995 ± 546) g with increasing the cooking time from 40 to 80 min, and from (10 995 ± 546) to (6 003 ± 153) g with increasing the acetic acid concentration from 0.0% to 1.0%. After cooking in water, the protein content in pork bone decreased by 7.4% to (28.5 ± 2.3) g/100 g, the apparent contents of calcium and phosphorus increased by 11.8% and 8.9% to (210.0 ± 8.2) and (96.0 ± 4.0) mg/g, respectively, and the amounts of calcium and phosphorus released were (0.57 ± 0.04) and (0.17 ± 0.01) mg/g, respectively. After cooking in acetic acid solution, the protein content decreased by 10.0% to (25.9 ± 0.9) g/100 g, the apparent contents of calcium and phosphorus increased by 18.3% and 14.8% to (230.0 ± 6.4) and (100.0 ± 2.3) mg/g, respectively, and the amounts of calcium and phosphorus released were (1.73 ± 0.01) and (0.75 ± 0.01) mg/g, respectively. Cooked pork bone was easily ground, especially the one cooked in acetic acid. The mid infrared absorption spectrum of cooked pork bone was simpler than that of the untreated one, with the former being similar to synthesized hydroxyapatite. Thus, the chemical components of pork bone were changed after cooking. We concluded that high temperature cooking in both water and acetic acid solution can change the contents of protein, calcium and phosphorus in pork bone, leading to a significant decrease in hardness (P < 0.05).

In this study, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography was used to separate and purify six polyphenol fractions from adlay. The Folin-Ciocalteu method was used for the determination of the total phenolic content in each fraction. Three different antioxidant assays namely, oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), peroxyl radical scavenging capacity (PSC) and cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) were carried out to evaluate antioxidant capacity of six fractions. Among these, three fractions (Ⅱ, Ⅲ and V) with the strongest antioxidant activity were purified by semi-preparative HPLC to obtain four polyphenol compounds, whose antioxidant activity was investigated. The results indicated that polyphenols were mainly distributed in fraction Ⅱ, Ⅲ and V, with total phenolic contents of (30.56 ± 2.25), (17.40 ± 2.76) and (25.18 ± 1.10) mg GAE/100 g md. It was also found that bound phenolic compounds accounted for more than one third of the total phenolics in adlay. The purified phenolics were identified as N1,N5-double (p-coumaroyl) spermine, p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid and rutin, with N1,N5-double (p-coumaroyl) spermine being the major free phenolic compound and ferulic acid being the major bound one, which also existed in a small quantity in the bound form. All these phenolics were the main active compounds responsible for the strong antioxidant activity of polyphenols from adlay.

Proanthocyanidins (PCs) are a broad superfamily of bioactive substances, which belong to a class of flavonoids. However, because of their instability against wet, sunlight or high temperature, their application in food, medicine, and health products is restricted. In this paper, purified apoferritin (AFt) and PCs were prepared and used to prepare apoferritinproanthocyanidins complex (AFt-PCs). The interaction of AFt with PCs was studied by using fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Meanwhile, the stability of free PCs and PCs in AFt-PCs under different conditions of light and temperature was compared. It was found that PCs significantly quenched the fluorescence of AFt, and the binding number n of PCs to AFt through the model fitting was 0.07:1 (PCs/AFt, m/m), with an apparent binding constant K of (2.03 ± 0.08) ×104 L/mol. PCs did not change the secondary structure of AFt to a significant extent. TEM results exhibited a certain degree of polymerization of Aft by the induction of PCs. In addition, the stability of PCs in AFt-PCs against light and temperature was higher than that of free PCs. This work provided a method to explore the multicomponent interaction in food and to improve the stability of PCs.

The gelation capacity, rheological properties, structural characteristics, swelling capacity and color of hydrogels obtained from three wheat bran arabinoxylans (WBAX, W9023, W58, W27s) from different wheat cultivars (Zhengmai 9023, Aizhang 58 and Zhoumai 27) were studied. W9023 and W58 gels (Q9023, Q58) were prepared by oxidative crosslinking with laccase at a substrate concentration of 3 g/100 mL. The gelation time of Q9023 and Q58 were 9 and 19 min, respectively. WBAXs presented typical Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra of arabinoxylans. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed that Q9023 presented a smooth surface topography, while Q58 presented a ridge structure. According to these results, Q9023 showed the most stable structure and good controlled release capability as well as a light color. The study can provide a reference for the modification of arabinoxylan hydrogel in the future.

Purpose: To investigate the factors influencing the formation of fluorescent advanced glycation end products (AGEs) in soymilk model system. Methods: The concentration of fluorescent AGEs was detected by fluorescence spectrometry (λex/λem = 340 nm/465 nm). The factors investigated included processing conditions (boiling time, sugar type, sugar concentration and soybean oil concentration), storage conditions (temperature and time) and flavonoids (quercetin, rutin, genistein, luteolin and catechins). Results: The effect of different sugars on fluorescent AGEs formation was in the increasing order: xylitol < sucrose < fructose syrup < glucose < fructose. Boiling time, sugar concentration and soybean oil concentration showed a positive correlation with fluorescent AGEs. During storage, the formation of fluorescent AGEs increased with increasing temperature and time. Flavonoids could effectively inhibit the formation of fluorescent AGEs during the processing and storage of soybean milk, especially at a concentration of 2 mmol/L. Conclusion: By changing some conditions, such as boiling time, sugar type, sugar concentration, fat concentration, storage condition and using an appropriate amount of AGEs inhibitors, the regulation of the formation of AGEs is feasible.

In order to improve the drying rate vt and the quality of dried vegetables, in our previous work, single material thickness (h), material thickness (δ), drying temperature (T), power density (g) and radiation distance (L) were selected as factors affecting infrared radiation thin layer drying of carrot slices and optimized by one-factor-at-a-time method and orthogonal array design, and the analysis of variance showed that h value had a significant effect on the experimental results. In an effort to further explore the effect of h value on moisture migration during infrared thin layer drying, this study examined the transverse relaxation time (T2x), peak area (A2x) and peak ratio (S2x) as a function of single material thickness (h) and 4 other factors by low-filed nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR). The mobility of free water dropped by over 60% in the middle stage of drying at each h value, with the moisture content tending to be zero and immobilized and bound water increasing not more than three times and three to six times, respectively. After 120 min of drying, the percentage of free water in the total peak area of water decreased to below 15% at each h value, while the percentage of bound water rose to above 65%, and the percentage of immobilized water showed two peaks. The effective water diffusion coefficient (Deff) was reduced by up to 30% with increasing h value. The Page model provided good prediction of changes in moisture ratio during infrared thin layer drying. Results from this study can provide a theoretical reference to further explore infrared drying of agricultural crops and to develop crop drying equipment.

In order to study the effect of liposomes on gastric oxidative stress and the lipolysis kinetics of liposomes during gastric and small intestinal digestion, an in vitro infant gastrointestinal system was established, with its adult counterpart as control. Results showed that the average diameter of liposomes was significantly decreased and the negative zeta potential was increased after digestion. The oxidation degree of liposomal membrane, which was characterized by thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), significantly increased after gastric digestion. Free fatty acids were released continuously during stimulated intestinal digestion, and the rate of lipolysis in the infant gastrointestinal system (38%) was obviously higher than that in the adult one (80%). The release profiles fitted first-order kinetics. Moreover, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) showed that the peaks of characteristic groups in phospholipids (C=O, P=O and ?CH2) changed after digestion, and the liposomal membrane in the infant gastrointestinal system was damaged less seriously than in the adult one. This study can provide a theoretical guidance for liposomes as a nutrient carrier in infant formula.

The rheological and gel properties of low acyl gellan (LA) and pectin mixtures were studied using a rheometer and a texture analyzer. The effect of different ions (potassium and calcium), different ion concentrations (0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 20, 40 mmol/L) and different LA-to-pectin ratios (100:0, 75:25, 50:50 and 25:75) on mixed gels was investigated. The results showed that calcium ion had a greater effect on failure stress than potassium ion. Failure stress increased with increasing calcium or potassium ion up to the critical level, and then it decreased with further increase in ion concentration. Failure stress of mixed gels increased with decreasing proportion of gellan gum. The strongest interaction occurred when the ratio of LA to pectin was 75 to 25. The viscosity of mixtures decreased with increasing shearing rate. At a content shearing rate, the viscosity was enhanced with increasing LA ratio. Ion type and concentration had identical effects on the viscosity and texture of LA-pectin mixtures. The viscosity was decreased with increasing temperature. For each investigated temperature, the maximum viscosity was observed at a ratio of 75:25. The dynamic rheological results revealed that the storage modulus of mixed gels was greater than the loss modulus, and both of them rose with the increase in LA ratio, indicating that the viscosity and elasticity of mixed systems increased with increasing LA ratio.

Protein isolates from bran (B-pro) and perisperm (S-pro) of sand rice seeds (Agriophyllum squarrosum) were obtained by alkali extraction/isoelectric precipitation, and their physicochemical and functional properties were evaluated in this study. The results indicated that albumin was higer in the bran, and globulin was higer in the perisperm. The protein contents of B-pro and S-pro were 94.33% (md) and 91.80% (md), respectively and the color of S-pro was more brighter and whiter. Both B-pro and S-pro were rich in essential amino acids and the content of lysine in S-pro was higher than that in B-pro. The functional properties of the two protein isolates were greatly pH dependent like other plant proteins. In general, most of the functional properties of S-pro were superior to those of B-pro at different pH values. Compared to soybean protein isolate (SPI) and egg protein (EP), B-pro and S-pro showed better oil-holding capacity and foaming capacity at pH 7.0, but poorer solubility, water-holding capacity and emulsification capacity.

This investigation was aimed to study the effect of different drying methods namely, vacuum drying, vacuumfreeze drying and combined hot air-microwave drying on the quality of bayberry powder as indicated by moisture content, solubility, fluidity, color, aroma components, and the contents of VC, anthocyanins and total phenols. Results indicated that bayberry powder produced by vacuum-freeze drying had the lowest moisture content (3.68%), the best solubility (57.68%), fluidity (34.25 °) and color (a* is 24.48), the least loss of characteristic aroma components, and the highest content of VC, anthocyanin and polyphenols (103.51, 122.81 and 144.59 mg/100 g), followed sequentially by combined hot air-microwave and vacuum drying. Taking into consideration of product quality and drying efficiency and cost, combined hot air-microwave drying was selected as the most suitable method for potential applications in the bayberry powder processing industry.

The aim of this research was to explore the effects of different soaking methods namely, hot water soaking, and soaking in water at ambient temperature after ultrasonic and microwave pretreatments, and chemical and enzymatic pretreatments on the water adsorption percentage and volume expansion percentage of mung bean. At the same time, the internal microstructure of mung bean was observed by microstructure electron microscope and kinetic studies on the water absorption were carried out. The results showed that the water absorption percentage of mung bean increased reaching saturation as immersion time and temperature increased, but the saturated water absorption percentage was significantly reduced with increasing immersion time. The saturated water absorption percentages and expansion percentages with different soaking treatments were different. The water absorption kinetic equations for four soaking treatments were as follows: 1) hot water soaking at different temperatures: y20 = 0.056x + 0.002 (R2 = 0.945, 20 ℃), y40 = 0.235x + 0.085 (R2 = 0.978, 40 ℃), and y60 = 1.057x + 0.332 (R2 = 0.983, 60 ℃); 2) ultrasonic and microwave treatment: yu = 0.182x + 0.001 (R2 = 0.988, ultrasonic treatment), and ym = 0.116x + 0.081 (R2 = 0.982, microwave); 3) chemical treatment: ya = 0.029x + 0.051 (R2 = 0.963, acetic acid), ysb = 0.036x + 0.027 (R2 = 0.838, sodium bicarbonate), ysc = 0.057x + 0.054 (R2 = 0.957, sodium carbonate); 4) enzymatic treatment: yc = 0.122x + 0.051 (R2 = 0.999, cellulase), yh = 0.101x + 0.103 (R2 = 0.854, hemicellulase), and yp = 0.098x + 0.002 (R2 = 0.990, pectase). The results of kinetic studies showed that both physical and chemical treatments could increase the water absorption percentage of mung bean, and ultrasonic and enzymatic treatments could significantly shorten the soaking time.

This research aimed to investigate the effect of pulsed electric field (PEF) pretreatment combined with glycation on the allergenicity and functional properties of β-lactoglobulin (β-Lg). After being subjected to PEF treatment at different electric intensities, β-Lg solution was added with galactose at a ratio of 1:2 and then they were allowed to react at pH 7.4 and 60 ℃ for 3 h. The results showed that glycation after PEF pretreatment significantly reduced the free amino group content of β-Lg and decreased the allergenicity. The lowest allergenicity of β-LG was observed by PEF pretreatment at 15 kV/cm for 90 μs, accompanied by a significant improvement in the solubility, emulsifying property, emulsion stability and antioxidant activity (P < 0.05). Therefore, glycation combined with PEF pretreatment will have potential application for producing β-Lg with low allergenicity and favorable functional properties.

The effects of air, O2, N2, O3 and CO2 as drying media on the quality of dehydrated carrots were evaluated. The use of nitrogen as a drying medium nitrogen significantly reduced the drying time, thereby saving energy by 16.10% when compared with air. Nitrogen enhanced the rehydration capacity of carrots, and improved the retention of carotenoids (70.2%) and VC (42.1%) by 8.9% and 13.7% in comparison with air, respectively. Moreover, the overall sensory quality of nitrogen-dehydrated carrots was the best among all drying media. Therefore, nitrogen drying provided better dehydrated carrots than other drying media.

In order to improve the quality consistency of Qula, the dried residue of naturally fermented skim yak milk, in pastoral areas of China, a comprehensive quality evaluation was conducted for Qula samples collected from some major producing areas in the country. A total of 95 Qula samples from 8 producing areas were analyzed for nutritional composition, antioxidant properties, color values and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF). The appropriate indicators to evaluate the quality of Qula were screened by principal component analysis (PCA) and the samples were classified by cluster analysis. At the same time, analysis of variance was used to comprehensively evaluate the quality of Qula samples. The results showed that majority indicators were extremely significant (P < 0.01) and significant (P < 0.05) correlation. The first and second principal components (PC1 and PC2) identified by PCA, accounting for 72.846% and 13.763% of the total variance, were interpreted as a ‘color component’ and a ‘nutritional quality component’, respectively. The PC1 loading factors for color L*, a* and b* values and 5-HMF content were all higher than 0.9, suggesting that the color could be considered the major indicator of Qula quality. Cluster analysis suggested that these Qula samples were classified into four categories, showing good consistency with the result from principal component analysis. There were extremely significant differences between four categories of Qula samples in terms of quality indicators (P < 0.01). Approximately 14.74% of Qula samples were bad in quality, 69.47% good and 15.79% excellent.

Five different pretreatment methods, i.e. blanching combined with ultrasonic impregnation, blanching combined with cooking with seasonings, steaming combined with ultrasonic impregnation, blanching combined with vacuum imoregnation and cellulase pretreatment, followed by vacuum freeze-drying, were applied to produce Lentinus edodes chips. Sensory properties (moisture content, color and texture) and microstructure of Lentinus edodes chips were examined. The results showed that compared with four other pretreatment methods, Lentinus edodes chips subjected to cellulase pretreatment, contributing to the formation of porous structure, had moisture content of 3.59%, ΔE of 107.35 ± 2.16, hardness of 718.20 g, crispness of 0.92 mm, and sensory evaluation score of 8.1 ± 0.2, suggesting the best sensory quality.

In this paper, the effect of different freezing methods including slow fridge freezing at ?20 ℃, and rapid freezing at ?20, ?40 and ?60 ℃ and in liquid nitrogen, on biochemical characteristics of freshwater crabs were evaluated in terms of muscle pH and malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and Ca2+-ATPase activity, total sulfhydryl content, and surface hydrophobicity of myofibrillar protein. The results showed that during storage at ?20 ℃, pH, Ca2+-ATPase activity and total sulfhydryl content decreased, MDA content increased firstly and then decreased, and surface hydrophobicity increased continuously. All tested parameters changed more slowly or less significantly in rapidly frozen group than in the slowly frozen one. Freezing at ?60 ℃ and in liquid nitrogen were significantly better than at ?20 ℃ and ?40 ℃. Moreover, there was no significant difference in freezing between ?60 ℃ and in liquid nitrogen.

In the present study, Asp endoproteinase (AspN) was used to induce whey protein isolate (WPI) for preparing protein nanofibrils (PNFs) at 37 ℃. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscope (AFM), tricine-SDS-PAGE, thioflavin T fluorescence spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy and laser scattering were used for the characterization of PNFs and its formation process. The results showed that the PNFs was milky white in color, and peptides with a molecular weight of 5 kD were the building blocks for PNFs. The major secondary structure in PNFs was β-fold, which played a role in its stability, and the average particle size of PNFs was positively proportional to hydrolysis time. The enzymatic preparation of PNFs, overcoming the problem of browning, is expected to expand its application in food industry.

This study investigated the application of combinations of different amounts (0.0%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0% and 2.5%) of porcine fibrinogen with 2.0% plasma protein, 0.3% compound phosphate, 0.5% NaCl, and 4.0% water as a binder in restructured beef. The effects of fibrinogen concentration on the color parameters (L*, a* and b*), water activity and thawing loss of restructured beef were studied, and the binding strength was measured with a texture analyzer as a function of fibrinogen concentration and binding time. Besides, the mobility of water molecules during the binding process was examined by low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR). The microscopic structure of restructured beef made with tansglutaminase (TG) and fibrinogen as a binder was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that increasing the fibrinogen concentration could slightly reduce water activity without statistical significance (P > 0.05), significantly decrease thawing loss (P < 0.05), significantly increase color a* value (P < 0.05), and lower color L* value. The binding strength significantly increased with increasing binding time in the tested range (P < 0.05). At the same time, the results of LF-NMR showed that fibrinogen could increase the mobility and binding of water molecules in restructured beef. SEM examination showed that fibrinogen provided more compact microstructure of restructured beef than TG. Therefore, fibrinogen can be used as a binder in restructured beef.

The aim of this study was to investigate the emulsifying properties and antioxidant stability of laccase (LAC)- mediated cross-linked products of rice protein (RP) and ferulic acid (FA). RP emulsion showed marked phase separation at pH 5 and 3, while only partial aggregation was observed at pH 7 and 9, suggesting even lower stability in the acidic pH range than in the basic pH range. The particle size and creaming index of cross-linked RP/FA/LAC emulsion were less than those of RP emulsion at pH 5, 7 and 9, but higher at pH 3, suggesting that emulsion stability of crossed RP/FA/LAC emulsion was improved at pH 5, 7 and 9, but was unstable at pH 3. Moreover, the contents of hydroperoxide (11.12 mmol/kg), TBARS (0.73 mmol/kg) and hexanal (0.986 mg/L) in RP emulsion were significantly higher than those in cross-linked RP/FA/LAC emulsion (3.59 mmol/kg, 0.23 mmol/kg and 0.191 mg/L, respectively), suggesting that RP/FA/LAC cross-linking had better oxidative stability at the emulsion interface. Enzymatic cross-linking between RP and FA will have potential application in emulsion system for food processing.

This study investigated the change of texture profile analysis (TPA) parameters such as hardness, resilience, and cohesiveness of moon cakes stuffed with purple sweet potato during the softening (chilling) process after baking, and also examined their correlations with sensory evaluation. The results showed that all the TPA parameters increased firstly and then decreased during 72 h of post-baking softening. The TPA parameters of moon cakes stuffed with 50% purple sweet potato and 50% lotus seed paste (sample 1) reached their peaks at 24 h of post-baking softening, while the peaks of TPA parameters attained at 48 h for those stuffed with 100% purple sweet potato (sample 2). Overall, the TPA parameters of the first sample were lower than those of the second sample. Sensory evaluation at 12, 24, 48 and 72 h of post-baking softening showed that the sensory scores were the highest at 72 h, which were extremly significantly negatively correlated with the TPA parameters (P ≤ 0.01). Therefore, the post-baking softening process could help improve the sensory quality of purple sweet potato moon cakes, while TPA parameters such as hardness, resilience and cohesiveness could be applied to objectively evaluate the sensory quality of purple sweet potato moon cakes.

The antibacterial effects of the volatile oils extracted with absolute ethanol from lemon flowers (Citrus limon), tea tree leaves (Melaleuca alternifolia) and spearmint leaves (Mentha spicata L.) against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonellas enteritidis and Listeria monocytogenes were investigated in this study, and their active ingredients were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Meanwhile, the antibacterial mechanism was evaluated by determining the electric conductivity of bacterial suspensions and observing bacterial cells by scanning electron spectroscopy (SEM). The active ingredients were identified as cinene (65.50%) in lemon oil, 1,8-cineole (48.67%) in tea tree oil, and cinene (16.33%) and L(-)-carvone (35.67%) in spearmint oil. Among these, spearmint oil and its L(-)-carvone had the broadest antibacterial spectrum and strongest antibacterial activity. SEM examination showed that the bacterial cells were crumpled and ruptured after active ingredient treatment, demonstrating these substances could effectively suppress bacterial growth and reproduction by changing cell membrane permeability.

Superfine grinding of dried apple slices was conducted for different times (1, 3, 5, 10, 20 and 30 min) after rough grinding. The effect of superfine grinding time on physicochemical properties and microstructure of apple powder was determined. For this purpose, the particle size and structure of apple powder were determined by laser particle size analyzer and scanning electron microscope. The results showed that after superfine grinding, the particle size of apple powder became smaller, and the size distribution became more uniform. Compared with rough grinding, the swelling capacity, water solubility, water-holding capacity and cation exchange capacity of superfine apple powder increased, and the bulk density decreased (P < 0.05). With the increase in superfine grinding time, the water-holding capacity increased gradually (P < 0.05), the bulk density and swelling capacity did not significantly change (P > 0.05), and the water solubility and cation exchange capacity first increased and then remained almost unchanged. This experiment may provide useful data for the utilization and deep processing of apple.

The protective effects of fucose were studied on immunological liver injury in mice induced by Bacillus calmetteguerin (BCG) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Thirty mice were divided into five groups randomly. On the first day, all mice were injected with BCG through tail vein except those in the normal group. Fucose-treated groups were daily administered by gavage at doses of 20 and 100 mg/(kg·d) from the second day, and the positive control group was administered with 0.1 mg/(kg·d) DXM. The normal and model groups synchronously were treated with distilled water at the same amount for 14 days. Two hours after the last gavage, all mice were injected with LPS through tail vein except those in the normal group. The live and spleen indexes of mice were computed. The activities of ALT, AST, SOD and CAT in serum were determined by commercial kits according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The contents of MDA, NO, TNF-α and IL-1β in serum were detected as well. The liver was sliced and pathological examination was implemented via light microscope. The contents of NF-κB and IκBα in liver tissue after nuclear plasma separation were detected through Western blot. In the high-dose fucose group, the increase in liver and spleen indexes were greatly controlled in comparison with the model group, and the activities of ALT, AST and the contents of MDA, NO, TNF-α, IL-1β and NF-κB were reduced, while the activities of SOD and CAT and the content of IκBα were improved (P < 0.05). The hepatopathy of mice was reversed according to the pathological section, which was roughly comparable to the normal group. Immunological liver injury induced by BCG adjuvant can be alleviated or suppressed by fucose via the NF-κB/IκBα pathway.

Gas chromatography-time of flight-mass spectrometry (GC-TOF-MS) was employed for serum metabolite profiling of rats in the control group (NC), type 2 diabetic model group (DM) and Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP group) treatment groups. Principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were used for clustering serum metabolite profiles and finding potential biomarkers. The results demonstrated that the three groups were successfully separated and serum alanine and thymidine were decreased in the DM group as compared to the NC group. One-month intervention with LBP could increase the levels of alanine and thymidine in serum of type 2 diabetic rats, which may be associated with their amino acid and nucleotide metabolism. These results can provide a reference for further study of the hypoglycemic mechanism of LBP.

Objective: To explore the in vivo anti-inflammatory activity of a water-soluble polysaccharide purified from Ganoderma atrum, named PSG-1, and its effect on mannose receptor (MR) expression. Methods: In the present study, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) via intraperitoneal injection was applied to establish a mouse model of inflammation. Mice were randomly divided into five groups: control group, LPS group, high-dose PSG-1 (100 mg/(kg·d)) + LPS group, mediumdose PSG-1 (50 mg/(kg·d)) + LPS group and low-dose PSG-1 (25 mg/(kg·d)) + LPS group. MR expression, phagocytosis and the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in macrophages were analyzed by flow cytometry. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in serum were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: Compared with the control group, MR expression on the macrophage surface was decreased in the LPS group. In contrast, MR expression on the macrophage surface was significantly increased in the PSG-1 + LPS group in comparison with the LPS group (P < 0.01). Macrophage phagocytosis and the level of ROS in the LPS group were higher than in the control group, which were significantly decreased after administration of PSG-1 (P＜0.05, P＜0.01). After mice were administrated with LPS, the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 were significantly increased in serum in comparison with the control group (P < 0.01). Compared with the LPS group, the expression level of TNF-α was significantly decreased after administration of high-dose PSG-1 (P < 0.05), but the expression levels of IL-1β and IL-6 did not significantly change. Conclusion: PSG-1 had an anti-inflammatory effect, being able to partly suppress inflammation induced by LPS in vivo, by promoting MR expression on the peritoneal macrophage surface in mice and suppressing macrophage polarization to M1 phenotype.

Objective: This research was aimed to establish a hypertensive damage model in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) induced by angiotensin (Ang) Ⅱ. Methods: HUVECs were induced with different concentrations (0.01, 0.10, 1.00 and 10.00 μmol/L) of Ang Ⅱ for different times (3, 6, 9, 12 and 24 h), respectively. The injury degree of HUVECs was evaluated by cellular morphology, viability, function, microstructure, and apoptosis. The optimal concentration and time were obtained by using variance analysis and multiple comparison tests. Results: Ang Ⅱ induced injury in HUVECs in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The optimal Ang Ⅱ concentration and induction time were respectively 1.00 μmol/L, and 12 h. After 12 h induction by 1 μmol/L Ang Ⅱ induced, the cell viability was 44.85%, nitric monoxide (NO) content was 43.57 μmol/L, total nitric oxide synthase (TNOS) activity was 6.99 U/mg pro, endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) activity was 1.89 U/mg pro, malonaldehyde (MDA) content was 7.46 nmol/mL, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was 27.29 U/mg pro, and apoptosis percentage was 41.5%. The microstructure showed that the nuclear membrane shrivel and nucleolus disappeared, and a large number of air bubbles appeared inside the cytoplasm. Small and swollen mitochondria, only a small number of expanded rough endoplasmic reticula, partial loss of ribosome, and endoplasmic reticulum expansion were observed, but the cells did not collapse, and still maintained their normal structure. Conclusion: Induction with 1.00 μmol/L Ang Ⅱ for 12 h allows successful establishment of a hypertensive damage model in HUVECs.

This research was designed to investigate the potential anti-atherogenic effect of urolithin A on macrophage polarization and the formation of macrophage derived-foam cells as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms. It was found that urolithin A could mediate the mRNA expression of different marker genes in M1-type and natural macrophages, indicating its ability to inhibit the polarization of macrophage cell line (RAW264.7) into pro-inflammatory M1-type macrophage and to promote the polarization of macrophage cells into M2 type. The results of oil red O staining revealed that urolithin A inhibited the formation of foam cells derived from macrophages. Real time PCR showed that urolithin A also markedly decreased the expression of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase and fatty acid synthase at the transcriptional level. Besides, urolithin A was capable of up-regulating the mRNA expression of the ATP-binding cassette transporters A1 and G1, which was positively associated with macrophage cholesterol efflux. In summary, the findings confirmed the essential role urolithin A plays in macrophage polarization, and further demonstrated the potential molecular mechanisms of urolithin A in preventing foam cell formation and cholesterol synthesis, which are of great significance in investigating and understanding the anti-atherogenic effect of urolithin A in the future.

The protective effect of Meretrix meretrix oligopeptide (MMO) on CCl4-induced acute liver injury in mice was examined. MMO, with the potential to repair damaged liver, was enzymatically extracted and purified by ultrafiltration and Sephadex G-25 column chromatography, and its amino acid sequence was determined to be Gln-Leu-Asn-Trp-Asp. Then, an acute liver injury model was established by intraperitoneal injection of CCl4 into mice. The liver index of mice was measured, the activities of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), γ-glutamyltransferase (γ-GT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were determined, and serum triglyceride (TG) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured. Liver tissue samples from mice were stained with hematoxylin-eosin (HE) to observe the effect of MMO on liver histopathology. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the protein expression of TNF-α and NF-κB in hepatic tissue. The results showed that the MMO group exhibited a decrease in liver index, a reduction in serum ALT, AST and γ-GT activities (by up to 47.16%), an elevation in serum SOD activity, and a decline in serum TG and MDA levels (by up to 31.88% and 28.83%) compared with the model group, all these changes being statistically significant. Mouse liver tissue stained with HE revealed a notable improvement in liver histology. The protein expression of TNF-α and NF-κB in hepatic tissue was significantly decreased by administration of MMO. Therefore, MMO can effectively protect against acute liver injury induced by CCl4 in mice.

Objective: To study the anti-aging effect and mechanism of purple yam polysaccharide (PYP) on D-galactose induced aging model rats. Methods: The aging rat model was established by D-galactose injection for 45 days and administered simultaneously with PYP at 20, 100 and 500 mg/(kg·d), and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities and glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents in brain and liver tissues were detected after the administration. The expression of p53 and p21 protein was evaluated using Western blot. Results: PYP at 100 mg/(kg·d) could improve T-AOC, GSH-Px and GSH contents in liver and brain tissues of D-galactose induced aging rats, decrease the production of MDA, and down-regulate the expression of p53 and p21 protein. Conclusion: Purple yam polysaccharide has a significant effect on defending against liver and brain aging in rats via a mechanism related to p53/p21 signaling pathways.

C57BL/6 mice challenged with streptozotocin (STZ) were used as an animal model of diabetes mellitus (DM) to study the protective effect of lycopene (Lyc) on functions of endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) to evaluate its potential in the prevention and treatment of DM vascular complications. The results showed that a significant difference in the number of EPCs derived from peripheral blood was observed between diabetic and normal mice. The migration ability, tube formation ability and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein expression level of bone marrow-derived EPCs in diabetic mice were obviously lower than those in normal mice. STZ accelerated oxidative stress and the onset of EPCs senescence. Based on our results, long-term administration with 30 mg/kg Lyc significantly relieved oxidative stress and the senescence of EPCs, and increased the VEGF protein expression level, migration ability and tube formation ability of EPCs when compared with the model group. Lycopene, as a food phytochemical, has the potential to be used in the prevention and treatment of DM vascular complications.

In this paper, we determined the amino acid composition of proteins from 29 varieties of walnut collected from 6 major producing provinces such as Xinjiang and Yunnan in China. Fuzzy pattern recognition method was applied to calculate the degree of closeness (DC) between walnut protein and model protein (whole egg protein). The nutritional value of walnut protein was evaluated by score of ratio coefficient of amino acid (SRC). According to DC and SRC values, the 29 varieties of walnut were classified by hierarchical cluster analysis. The results showed that the total amino acid content of walnut protein was 343.22?985.99 mg/g protein, with essential amino acids accounting for 30%?41% of the total amino acids. The ratio coefficient of amino acids was 67.02?87.98. The first limiting amino acid in walnut protein was lysine. Among the investigated varieties, Wen185, Hetian Xiaohetao, Xinzaofeng, Liaohe 1, Xilin 1 and Xilin 3 had the highest nutritional value. The classification results were significant at greater than 0.05 level, being reasonable.

The hypolipidemic activity of the seed oil and procyanidins of Rosa davurica Pall. was investigated by animal tests. Kunming male mice fed a high fat diet were used as a hyperlipidemic animal model. After oral administration for 5 weeks, serum and liver homogenate were collected for the measurement of parameters of interest. Compared with the hyperlipidemic model group, both drugs had no significant effect on body weight and visceral organ indexes in mice. The proanthocyanidins at middle (100 mg/kg) and high doses (200 mg/kg) could significantly reduce serum LDL-C, TC and TG (P < 0.05), significantly improve liver superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels (P < 0.05), and significantly decrease liver MDA level. The oil at low dose (80 mg/kg) could evidently reduce serum TG levels in hyperlipidemic mice (P < 0.05) and significantly increase in liver CAT activity (P < 0.05). Therefore, the seed oil at low dose and the procyanidins at middle and high doses play a role in reducing blood lipids in hyperlipidemic mice.

This study attempted to explore the repairing effect of kidney bean sprout polyphenols on D-galactose-induced oxidation and kidney injury in mice. For this purpose, a mouse model of oxidative injury was established by intraperitoneal injection of D-galactose solution, and the mice were gavaged with three different doses of kidney bean sprout polyphenols (20, 40, 60 mg/(kg·d)) or VC for 28 continuous days and then they were sacrificed after administration for the measurement of body weight, kidney coefficient, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, and malondialdehyde (MDA), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (CR) concentrations in serum as well as the histopathological examination of kidney section using HE staining. It turned out that all the treatment groups exhibited an elevation in body weight and kidney coefficient compared with the model control group, but no significant difference was observed among the treatment groups (P > 0.05). The middle-dose and high-dose groups showed a significant increase in serum GSH-Px activity (P < 0.05) and a significant reduction in MDA concentration (P < 0.05), which was not observed for the low-dose group. The administration of kidney bean sprout polyphenols resulted in a significant increase in serum SOD activity and a significant decline in BUN (as an indicator of kidney function) and CR levels except at the low dose compared with the model control group (P < 0.05). Histopathological observation showed that the kidney of mice in the model control group was severely damaged, as indicated by enlarged glomeruli and glomerular cysts together with interstitial bleeding and inflammatory cell infiltration. The enlarged glomeruli and glomerular cysts were restored to normal morphology by kidney bean sprout polyphenols, which also mitigated interstitial bleeding and inflammatory cell infiltration. Taken together, kidney bean sprout polyphenols could dose-dependently repair oxidative stress and renal injury in mice.

Prodigiosin is a natural pigment that has the capability of inhibiting tumor cell proliferation in vitro, microbial growth, and exhibits anti-malaria and immunosuppression properties, thereby having a huge application potential. The application of prodigiosin in the food industry is limited due to the lack of knowledge about its acute oral toxicity and genetic toxicity. In the present study, according to the food safety national standards, the acute oral toxicity test of prodigiosin was performed in mice, and the genetic toxicity was assessed by mammalian erythrocyte micronucleus test, sperm malformation test and bacterial reverse mutation test. The results showed that acute oral medial lethal dose (LD50) of prodigiosin was greater than 10 g/kg BW. All three genetic toxicity tests gave negative results. In acute oral toxicity test, prodigiosin was found to be non-toxic to mice. Prodigiosin had no toxicity to normal cells and the reproductive system of animals.

Fermented rice-chili, a fermented product produced by lactic acid bacteria in southwest China, is produced by anaerobic fermentation of a mixture of crushed fresh red chili, rice flour, salt and other ingredients for a certain time. Chili, rich in polyphenols, may release bound polyphenols during fermentation. Thus, antioxidant activity of fermented rice-chili in cells and its effect on lipid peroxidation in the liver of mice were studied. Results showed total reducing power and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) of fermented rice-chili reached their maximum value at 15 and 60 d, respectively. 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity of fermented rice-chili at 15 d was higher but not significantly than at 60 d (P > 0.05). However, fermented rice-chili at 15 d showed significantly lower (P < 0.05) inhibitory effect on lipid peroxidation in the liver than at 60 d. Fermented rice-chili at 60 d had significantly lower (P < 0.05) carbonyl content than the control + AAPH group, and its percentage inhibition against bovine serum albumin (BSA) oxidation was 2.38 times as high as that at 15 d. For hemolysis delay time, the sample at 15 d declined faster than that at 60 d with the difference being not significant, and the longest hemolysis delay time was achieved at 0.5 mg/mL. Polyphenol content and percentage inhibition against BSA oxidation were positively correlated (P < 0.01). The antioxidant capacity of fermented rice-chili in cells could be increased by increasing fermentation time, but polyphenol content was not enough to estimate the cellular antioxidant capacity. These data suggest that chemical antioxidant tests in vitro alone are not enough to evaluate antioxidant capacity, and comprehensive evaluation of food antioxidant properties using a cell model can give more objective judgment.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of Lactobacillus paracasei L9 on the content of intestinal short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in healthy mice. Methods: Fifty three-week-old BALB/c male mice were randomly divided into 5 groups: high dose, medium dose, low dose, positive control and negative control groups. After continuous administration at a dose of 0.2 mL/day per mouse for 21 days, mouse feces were collected, and the cecal contents were also examined after sacrificing the mice on day 21. The changes in SCFAs concentrations of samples were analyzed by gas chromatography, and RTPCR was used to analyze the changes in the intestinal flora. Results: The concentration of short-chain fatty acids including acetic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid increased significantly (P < 0.05), when compared with those observed before administration. The counts of Bifidobaceterium spp. and Lactobacillus and the expression level of butyryl-CoA:acetate CoA-transferase gene (CoAT) were increased significantly (P < 0.05) in feces of mice on day 21. For the cecal contents, Bifidobaceterium spp. count and the expression level of CoAT in low-dose and high-dose groups showed a significant difference (P < 0.05) those in normal saline group. Conclusion: Lactobacillus paracasei L9 can adjust the intestinal flora and promote the production of short chain fatty acids in the intestine of healthy mice. Compared with commercial strain Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota, L9 has a better effect on promoting the yield of propionic acid and butyric acid and hte growth of Bifidobaceterium spp. in the intestine.

Acidic electrolyzed water (AEW) ice has been developed in recent years as a new food preservation technology. To investigate the effect of electrolyzed water ice on preserving the quality of small yellow croaker, changes in enzyme activities and total viable bacterial counts were assayed periodically during seven days of storage. The results showed that compared with traditional tap water (TW) ice, AEW ice displayed inhibitory activity (P < 0.05) toward cathepsin D and lipase, although it did not present positive effects on inhibiting acid phosphatase and cathepsin B. Conventional plate count enumeration and polymerase chain reaction-denatured gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) indicated that AEW ice had the capability of inhibiting the growth of bacteria on raw fish, and the maximum reduction in bacterial population reached 0.34 (lg(CFU/g)) on the 7th day. Therefore, AEW ice has a broad application prospect and can be more useful than TW ice for preserving seafood.

This study was an attempt to examine the viability of pre-cooling before freezing of tilapia fillets. Fresh tilapia fillets were soaked in ice water prior to frozen storage at different temperatures, which served as a treatment group, and those directly frozen were used as a control group. The pH, color, drip loss after thawing, total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N) and texture parameters of the fillets were measured at regular intervals during frozen storage to evaluate the effect of pre-cooling on the quality of frozen fish fillets. The results showed that the pH of fish fillets frozen at ?7 ℃ was more influenced by pre-cooking than at other freezing temperatures, and it decreased from day 10 to 20 of storage at ?7 ℃ but began to increase again at other freezing temperatures. Both color L* and a* values decreased continuously during the storage process, and the decrease was smaller at lower storage temperature. These color parameters were increased by pre-cooling as compared to control. In addition, post-thaw exudative moisture loss was higher at lower freezing temperature, reaching its maximum value on day 30 of storage, 7.47% and 6.82% at ?18 and ?7 ℃, respectively. The TVB-N value of frozen fish fillets at ?4 and ?7 ℃ was more significantly affected by pre-cooling during the first 20 days of storage, but no significant difference was observed later. There was a big difference between the TVB-N values with and without pre-cooling on day 30 of storage ?18 ℃, which were 8.04 and 9.87 mg/100 g, respectively. An increased difference in chewiness between the treatment and control groups was observed during the first 20 days of frozen storage at lower temperature, which tended later to be consistent. No significant difference in hardness was noted at the same temperatures but there was a significant difference in elasticity between the two groups at ?4 ℃ (P > 0.05), but not at other temperatures (P < 0.05). However, cohesiveness was changed irregularly. In conclusion, pre-cooling treatment can improve some quality attributes of frozen talipia fillets, thereby maintaining their quality.

In order to study the relationship between the quality change and water migration of Trichiurus haumela during cold storage, low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) was used to analyze changes in different states of water in fish tissue. The transverse relaxation time (T2) spectrum showed that with increasing storage time, T22 gradually reduced and T23 increased, suggesting that a significant amount of water within myofibrils was moved outwards and lost, resulting in reduced water-holding capacity of fish muscle, and gradual quality deterioration. This is consistent with the results of traditional physical and chemical analysis. In addition, T22 and T23 had a high significant correlation with water-holding capacity, water content and cooking loss (P < 0.01), being significantly correlated with sensory evaluation and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) (P < 0.05). Therefore, LF-NMR technique could be used to detect the quality change of Trichiurus haumela during cold storage.

In this paper, we investigated the impact of different concentrations (0%, 1%, 5% and 10% based on gelatin mass) of nano vegetable carbon black added into 40 mg/mL gelatin solution on physicochemical properties and UV resistance of the formed film. The results showed that nano vegetable carbon black could result in a more compact microstructure of gelatin film. More importantly, the addition of these nanoparticles led to a significant increase in the tensile strength of the film, reaching a maximum value of 49.555 MPa, but a reduction in elongation at break. Moreover, these nanoparticles improved the water vapor and oxygen barrier properties of gelatin film. Also, the composite film showed an increased light and UV resistance property. In conclusion, the nano vegetable carbon black-gelatin composite film will have potential applications in edible packaging field.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are important probiotic microorganisms used in food fermentation industry. Molecularbiological manipulation of these microorganisms has great potential for the development of food industry and human health.Based on the characteristics of lactic acid bacteria and the development of molecular biology, this review aims at the basicprinciples of a food-grade vector system for LAB, the components of a food-grade plasmid, the strategies to construct andtransform a food-grade plasmid, and recent applications of food-grade plasmids. This review highlights that food-grademolecular biology could have a major positive impact on further development and application of LAB.

Protein misfolding and aggregation can cause a series of diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s diseases and type 2 diabetes by inducing the formation of toxic oligomer and amyloid fiber. In this article, recent in vivo and in vitro studies in this regard are summarized. We also review the literature on the inhibitory effects and mechanisms of functional components such as catechins and theaflavins in tea on protein aggregation as well as their effects in preventing and treating several typical protein misfolding diseases.

Vinegar is a kind of acidic seasoning traditionally produced by fermentation. It not only has unique flavor, but also contains rich nutrients and various functional factors. Antioxidant components of traditional vinegar, such as polyphenols, flavonoids and melanoidins, may resist oxidative stress in the body. These components also have therapeutic effects such as preventing cardiovascular diseases, protecting liver, delaying aging and inhibiting tumor. Recently, due to its health benefits, vinegar has become the subject of great interest for many researchers. In this paper, the recent studies of traditional vinegar for its antioxidant effect and major active components are reviewed, which will provide a guidance for further studies on the antioxidant mechanisms of traditional vinegar, and provide references for the development of new health vinegar.

Fermented sausage is a typical representative of fermented meat products due to its widespread distribution and high output. The product is popular with consumers due to its unique flavor. In recent years, improving the safety, sensory quality and health benefits of fermented sausage has become the core of research, while starter culture, processing parameters improvement, and the development of low-fat and low-salt fermented sausage can provide important strategies to improve the quality of fermented sausage. In this paper, we review recent studies focused on functional starter cultures, starter culture combinations, enzymes and new technologies in the production of fermented sausage and the development of new low-fat and low-salt products, and we also discuss the prospects for future research, which will provide a reference for research on fermented sausage.

The bacterial pathogen Vibrio parahaemolyticus (VP) can pollute a variety of foods, especially seafoods. Foodborne VP has surged as the primary pathogen in food safety incidents in China. Compared to traditional cultural methods and modern molecular techhniques, specific antigen-antibody recognition-based immunological identification and subtyping strategies exhibit superiority in efficiency, specificity, on-field applicability and simplicity of pre-treatment. In this paper, the category and preparation methods of anti-VP antibodies at present are outlined. Furthermore, we review the current applications of immunological methods such as immunomagnetic separation (IMS), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunochromatographic assay (ICA), immunosensor and immunomicroscopy in the detection of foodborne VP, which will provide useful references for rapid detection of VP.

Growing importance has been attached to the function of food risk communication in various countries in the world. Inefficient food safety risk communication not only could not help the public out with any queries, but also deteriorate the public trust towards the government, industries and even experts in the long term. The work of food risk communication has just started in China. How to establish an efficient food risk communication mechanism has become a key issue to be solved urgently for helping the public understand food risks, improving the credibility of food safety supervision, ensuring the long-term healthy development of food industry and even maintaining social stability. In this paper, we make a review on theoretical studies of the functional evaluation of food risk communication as well as the potential suggestions and guidelines from the practical experiences of other countries to food risk communication in China.