Through sensory experiments, 171 aroma and taste descriptors for four representative brands of Jiangxiangxing Baijiu were selected and a flavor wheel for Jiangxiangxing Baijiu was developed. The aroma and taste of the samples were described and evaluated by means of quantitative description analysis (QDA) and electronic tongue. Using principal component analysis (PCA), partial least square-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and analysis of variance (ANOVA), 14 descriptors such as Jiang-aroma, Chen-aroma, Qu-aroma, and grain-aroma were selected to distinguish different brands of Jiangxiangxing Baijiu, and five descriptors such as Jiang-aroma, Qu-aroma, softness, fullness and harmony were selected to distinguish different grades of Jiangxiangxing Baijiu. The findings of this study not only provide powerful scientific data support for the new national standard for Jiangxiangxing Baijiu, but also help improve the stability of Baijiu quality and innovation in the development and design of Baijiu body, thereby promoting technological progress and enhancing market competitiveness in the Jiangxiangxing Baijiu industry.

As the most widely used food flavor additive in the world, the production route of vanillin directly affects the flavor characteristics and market value of its products. Vanillin extracted from plants usually retains a variety of volatile compounds in vanilla pods, so it has rich flavor layers and complex aromas. In contrast, chemical synthesis lacks the flavor complexity of natural vanillin due to the limitations of raw materials and reaction conditions. In recent years, with the increase in consumer preference for natural foods, biosynthesis of vanillin has become a hot market concern due to its natural attributes and economy. By utilizing enzymes, genes and metabolic engineering, biosynthesis can effectively increase the yield of vanillin and has the capability to control the generation of by-products with natural characteristic flavors, which demonstrates a broad prospect for industrialization and flavor quality optimization. This review summarizes the major production methods of vanillin, analyzes the effects of different production methods on its flavor quality, and discusses the future development direction of vanillin, with a view to providing new technical support and ideas for the sustainable development of the vanillin industry.

Light-flavor baijiu is one of the four basic aroma types of baijiu, and the succession and metabolism of the microbial community during the fermentation process is closely related to physical and chemical factors. Fermentation temperature is one of the most important factors. In this study, the fermentation process of light-flavor baijiu at two different initial temperatures, (7.5 ± 1.0) and (15.5 ± 1.0) ℃, was analyzed using Illumina MiSeq sequencing and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that there were significant differences (P < 0.05) in the acidity of fermented grains at different initial temperatures; higher initial temperatures caused a more rapid increase in the relative abundance of Lactobacillus and Saccharomyces in the fermented grains. A total of 62 volatile compounds were detected in the fermented grains, and 12 compounds were identified as important contributors to the differences in the sensory quality of the raw baijiu. Lactobacillus and Saccharomyces were significantly positively correlated with ethyl acetate, ethyl lactate, ethyl 3-phenylpropionate, furfuryl alcohol, ethyl caprate, ethyl butyrate, isoamyl acetate, and isobutyl alcohol and were the key microorganisms contributing to the formation of differential compounds. The microbial community structure and volatile compound composition during the fermentation process of light-flavor baijiu can be effectively regulated by changing the initial fermentation temperature. This study is of great value in guiding the quality control and management strategies during the fermentation process.

In this study, fruit blocks of 10 mango varieties such as ‘Xiaotainong’ and ‘Guiqimang’ were rapidly frozen in liquid nitrogen. After thawing, their texture characteristics, taste characteristics, volatile flavor composition, total soluble solids (TSS) content, and total phenolic content were determined using a texture analyzer, an electron tongue, headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS), respectively, with the aim of exploring the freezing adaptability and application potential of different mango varieties and selecting mango varieties suitable for making frozen fruit blocks. The results showed significant differences in freezing adaptability and quality characteristics among varieties. ‘Xiaotainong’ and ‘Guiqimang’ mangoes exhibited high contents of TSS and total phenols as well as high sweetness levels. Conversely, ‘Daguifei’ mangoes had the highest juice loss rate, reflecting poor freezing adaptability and low palatability after thawing. The hardness, elasticity, and chewiness of ‘Xiaotainong’ ‘Guiqimang’ and ‘Daqingmang’ mangoes were outstanding after thawing, while ‘Daguifei’ and ‘Xiaoguifei’ mangoes had the poorest texture, showing severe softening after thawing. ‘Xiaotainong’ mangoes had the largest number and amount of volatile compounds, (280.96 ± 26.02) mg/kg, with terpenes being the predominant ones, contributing to its strong fruity aroma. The results of electronic tongue analysis and sensory evaluation corroborated that ‘Xiaotainong’ performed exceptionally well in terms of appearance, texture, taste, and aroma, being the most palatable variety. In conclusion, ‘Xiaotainong’ mangoes, with high sweetness, rich aroma, and excellent texture, is suitable for the development of frozen mango blocks for direct consumption or as an ingredient for premium foods. The findings provide theoretical support for the selection of mango varieties and the development of frozen mango products.

To investigate the molecular mechanism of ultrasound-induced phenolic synthesis in fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics analyses were carried out on fresh-cut red cabbage washed with and without the assistance of ultrasound at different storage periods. The results showed that at the early storage stage (day 2), 1 142 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the control and treatment groups, of which 689 were up-regulated and 453 were down-regulated. At the late storage stage (day 6), 1 166 DEGs were identified, with 480 of them being up-regulated genes and 686 being down-regulated. Bioinformatics analyses revealed that ultrasound significantly modulated metabolic pathways related to reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism, energy metabolism, signal transduction, and phenolic biosynthesis. It was further hypothesized that ultrasound washing disrupted ROS homeostasis in fresh-cut red cabbage, promoted ROS production and activated the ROS scavenging system during the initial storage period, thereby inducing phenolic synthesis. Ultrasonic stimulation may induce the expression of genes involved in the conversion of carbohydrate to phenolics by modulating the signal transduction system of fresh-cut red cabbage. Meanwhile, ultrasound washing enabled fresh-cut red cabbage to maintain high levels of energy charge during storage, thus providing energy for this series of reactions. In conclusion, this study provides a theoretical basis for further research on the molecular mechanism of phenolic biosynthesis in fresh-cut fruits and vegetables under ultrasound stress.

In this study, β-conglycinin (β-CG) was extracted and purified through alkali extraction and acid precipitation combined with tangential flow filtration (TFF), and rabbit anti-β-CG polyclonal antibodies were prepared. The antibody titer and specificity were detected by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western blot (WB), respectively. Checkerboard titration was used to determine optimal antigen coating concentration and antibody dilution. Results showed that the purified product consisted of 96.70% β-CG (α’, α, and β subunits) and 3.30% acidic subunits without 2S albumin or trypsin inhibitors. The prepared rabbit anti-β-CG polyclonal antibodies effectively bound to the purified β-CG with good specificity. The optimal antigen coating concentration and antibody dilution were determined to be 1 μg/mL and 1:9 000 (V/V), respectively. This study not only provides new insights for β-CG extraction and purification, but also lays a foundation for understanding the mechanism of action of hypoallergenic β-CG and developing hypoallergenic soybean protein products.

This study investigated the effects of adding different proportions of yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) pulp on the color and sensory properties of 3D-printed minced pork products. Also, the flavor characteristics of the products were analyzed using an electronic nose, an electronic tongue, and headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Increasing addition of yellow mealworm reduced the sensory scores for hardness, chewiness, color, flavor, taste, and overall acceptability. A total of 52 volatile flavor compounds were identified by GC-MS. Increasing level of yellow mealworm replacement resulted in a decrease in alcohol content and an increase in aldehyde and acid contents, which harmed the flavor of the 3D-printed product and led to an increase in the acidity. The decrease in hydrocarbon content contributed to the decrease in the response values of the W5C (short-chain alkanes and aromatic components) and W3S (long-chain alkanes) sensors in the electronic nose. In addition, the samples with added yellow mealworm had a darker color, possibly due to protein and fat oxidation. This study indicated that the 3D-printed product with less than 30% added had acceptable sensory and flavor qualities.

To investigate the effects of Ligustrum robustum (Rxob.) Blume polyphenols extract (LRE) on the quality of fried protein foods, the physicochemical indicators, textural properties, and volatile flavor components of fried protein foods with different concentrations of added LRE were measured. Furthermore, the underlying mechanism was elucidated by characterizing the microstructure, protein thermodynamic properties, and spatial conformation of fried foods. The results showed that LRE improved the color, increased the moisture content, reduced the oil content, enhanced the hardness and chewiness, and promoted the formation of characteristic flavor compounds in fried protein foods. Additionally, LRE strengthened the microscopic network structure of fried protein foods. Moreover, LRE enhanced the intermolecular interactions between myofibrillar proteins but weakened those between pea proteins. LRE improved the thermal stability of myofibrillar proteins while promoting the thermal denaturation of pea proteins, thereby regulating the quality attributes of fried protein foods.

In this study, we aimed to the effect of dietary selenium supplementation on the antioxidant capacity and quality of mutton during postmortem aging. Forty 18-month-old Erlangshan white cashmere goats in good condition with an average body mass of (41.20 ± 3.34) kg were randomly divided into a control group (fed a basal diet) and a selenium-rich yeast group (fed a basal diet + selenium-rich yeast (0.5 mg/kg)). The feeding experiment lasted for 90 days conducted and the longissimus dorsi muscle was taken after slaughter for the determination of selenium content. Meat quality and antioxidant properties were determined at 0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h postmortem. The results showed that dietary addition of selenium-rich yeast effectively enriched selenium in goat meat, and significantly reduced the shear force of goat meat during postmortem aging. Feeding selenium-rich yeast had no significant effect on the richness of volatile flavor substances in goat meat during postmortem aging, but it decreased the production rate of various flavor substance, resulting in a significant increase in the contents of 1-octen-3-ol at 96 h and a significant decrease in the contents of 1-heptanol from 0 to 96 h and 1-heptanol and 2-ethylhexanol, nonanal and octanal at 96 h compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Antioxidant enzyme activities were significantly higher in the selenium-rich yeast group than in the control group (P < 0.05); the carbonyl content was significantly lower than that of the control group at 48–96 h (P < 0.05), and the sulfhydryl content was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). Additionally, it was shown that the malondialdehyde (MDA) content, an indicator of the degree of fat oxidation, was significantly lower than that of the control group (P < 0.05).

To explore the effects of starter cultures with antioxidant activity on the quality of Cantonese sausage, this study used pork frozen at –20 ℃ for 0, 3, 6 and 9 months to make Cantonese sausages (denoted respectively as 0E, 3E, 6E and 9E ) employing a mixed-strain starter culture of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum L52, Pediococcus pentosaceus L256, Staphylococcus xylosus S56 and S. xylosus S236 (L52:L256:S56:S236 = 5:10:2:3, V/V), all having antioxidant potential. Uninoculated sausages were also produced as controls and designated as 0C, 3C, 6C and 9C, respectively. The changes of microbial counts, sensory quality and physicochemical indexes were analyzed during sausage processing. Results showed that prolonged freezing time inhibited the growth of some microorganisms in pork. At the middle stage of fermentation, the numbers of lactic acid bacteria and Staphylococcus were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group (P < 0.05). Prolonged freezing time of pork meat reduced the sensory quality of sausages, and the sensory quality of the experimental group was better than that of the control group. The overall sensory score of 9E (71.85 points) was significantly higher than that of 9C (59.60 points). The pH and water activity (aw) of the experimental group were lower than those of the control group. Prolonged freezing time of pork meat led to a higher degree of oxidation of sausages. After drying, the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) value, ‌carbonyl group value (CGV) and protein carbonyl content of 6E were 29.66%, 26.32% and 23.72% lower than those of 6C (P < 0.05), and the protein sulfhydryl content was 40.36% higher than that of 6C (P < 0.05). Compared with 6C, the intensity of the bands in the ranges of 18–27 and 27–55 kDa, corresponding respectively to sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar proteins, were significantly enhanced in 6E. The total content of biogenic amines was 25.15% lower in 3E than in 3C. The total content of ethyl esters was significantly higher in 9E (8.81 μg/kg) than in 9C (2.91 μg/kg) (P < 0.05). The results showed that the four-strain cocktail of lactic acid bacteria and Staphylococcus could improve the antioxidant activity, eating quality and safety of Cantonese sausages.

To explore the effect of mixed culture fermentation with non-Saccharomyces yeast (NS) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) on oenological parameters and aroma compounds, a model grape juice was sequentially inoculated with pairwise mixtures of indigenous Torulaspora delbrueckii, Metschnikowia pulcherrima and Hanseniaspora uvarum followed by S. cerevisiae. The fermentation kinetics and changes in the volatile profile were analyzed. The results demonstrated that sequential fermentations with single (TV, MV and HV) and mixed NS (TMV, HMV and HTV) followed by Vintage white (VW) all reduced the content of ethanol and titratable acidity while increasing glycerol levels compared with pure S. cerevisiae fermentation (VW). In addition, the contents of esters, volatile fatty acids, carbonyl compounds, and volatile phenols significantly increased as determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The contents of volatile compounds such as isoamyl alcohol, ethyl caprylate, ethyl decanoate, ethyl hexanoate, and octanoic acid were evidently higher in the mixed NS + VW than single NS + VW groups. Notably, the highest level of volatile compounds was observed in the HMV group. Orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) combined with odor activity value (OAV) showed that HMV fermented wine had more prominent banana-like, apple-like and floral aroma characteristics. Overall, co-fermentation with M. pulcherrima, H. uvarum, and S. cerevisiae promotes the accumulation of volatile compounds, indicating that these strains have the potential to be developed into multi-species starter cultures.

The aim of this study was to investigate the metabolite changes in Lacticaseibacillus paracasei Zhang ΔpglX, a DNA methyltransferase mutant, after successive passages and to explore the possible mechanism of metabolic regulation during the passage process. We monitored the morphological characteristics and changes in the carbohydrate-metabolizing capacity of this strain. The metabolites at different passages were characterized using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) combined with principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). The identification of significantly differential metabolites and the key metabolic pathways involving them was performed through Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database annotation. The phenotype of L. paracasei Zhang ΔpglX exhibited stable inheritance during successive passages, but the metabolic profile changed with increasing passage. The differential metabolites were mainly enriched in organic heterocyclic compounds, nucleosides, nucleotides and their analogs, lipids and lipid-like molecules, and the nucleotide metabolic pathway was the most dominant enriched pathway, which agreed with the results of differential metabolite enrichment analysis. These results suggested that L. paracasei Zhang ΔpglX could adapt to environmental changes by adjusting metabolic pathways, providing new insights into metabolic pathway changes in Lactobacillus during adaptive evolution.

In order to understand the microbial community composition and the evolution of volatile flavor substances during the fermentation process of grass carp with rice wine less and to explore the possibility of using rice wine mash instead of rice wine lees for the fermentation of grass carp, high-throughput sequencing technology was used for sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the bacterial and fungal communities in unfermented grass carp and three groups of air-dried fermented grass carp (made with lees fermented for 5 days, lees fermented for 2 days and mash fermented for 2 days, respectively), and gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) was used to analyze their volatile flavor substances. The results showed that the contents of moisture, alcohol and amino acid nitrogen increased with fermentation time, and the pH decreased. The mash fermentation group had the best performance in smell, color, taste and texture, with good overall acceptability. The dominant bacterial genera were Weissella, Citrobacter and Aeromonas in the early stage of fermentation. In the middle and late stages, the abundance of Pediococcus and Lactococcu increased, while the abundance of Citrobacter and Aeromonas decreased significantly. For all three fermented samples, the dominant fungal genus Pichia had an absolute advantage during the fermentation process. A total of 37 volatile flavor substances were detected in all samples, among which acetic acid ethyl ester, ethyl propanoate and 2-butanone, 3-hydroxy were the characteristic flavor substances of fermented grass carp with lees. Weissella, Lactococcu, Pichia and Saccharomyces cerevisiae had a significantly positive correlation with the production of various aroma substances. This study provides the basis for the screening of dominant strains and the optimization of the fermentation process of fermented grass carp.

To explore the changes in microbial community diversity and to analyze the function of the microbiota in breast milk during lactation, this study recruited 12 full-term lactating women. A total of 70 breast milk samples were collected from the 1st to 24th week after birth. The composition and dynamic changes of the breast milk microbiota were analyzed by metagenomic sequencing. Meanwhile, a comprehensive analysis of the function of the microbial community, antibiotic resistance genes, and bacteriophages was conducted. The results demonstrated that the diversity of the microbiota increased significantly in the 20th and 24th weeks, but did not significantly change from the 2nd to the 18th week. The relative abundances of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria significantly changed during the first six months. Genus-level analysis showed that the relative abundances of Staphylococcus and Streptococcus gradually decreased during the lactation period, while the relative abundance of Acinetobacter increased. The dominant species gradually shifted from Staphylococcus epidermidis and Streptococcus salivarius to Acinetobacter ursingii. During different lactation stages, 18 differential metabolic pathways were identified. In the early lactation stage, the major function of the microbiota was the catabolism of various components in breast milk, while in the later stage, it shifted towards amino acid synthesis. The diversity of antibiotic resistance genes increased significantly as the lactation period progressed, but their relative abundance did not significantly change. Additionally, bacteriophages showed a significant positive correlation with the relative abundances of 10 genera, including Acinetobacter and Agrobacterium. In summary, this study provides data support for future research on maternal-infant microecology and offers a reference for the development of infant products tailored to different stages of growth.

In order to fully understand the basic information of the UDP-glucosyltransferase gene (VvUGT) family in grapes and to select candidate UGT genes that regulate anthocyanin biosynthesis in Vitis amurensis, the bioinformatics analysis of the VvUGT family was carried out by genome-wide identification, physicochemical properties determination, phylogenetic evolution, chromosome location, gene structure and motif characterization of VvUGT, and the expression analysis of VvUGT was carried out based on the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database (GSE36128). The skins of three grape varieties (‘Zuoshanyi’ ‘Zuohongyi’ and ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’) with different genetic backgrounds were selected for analysis of their anthocyanin and VvUGT expression during the veraison period, and VvUGT involved in anthocyanin accumulation in Vitis amurensis was preliminarily selected. The results showed that the grape UGT family contained 230 members, which were divided into 16 groups (A–P). The protein members were mainly distributed in the chloroplast, nucleus and cytoplasm. The genes were distributed on 18 chromosomes except chr10. The number of introns in the genes in this family ranged from 1 to 6, and all genes contained PSPG structure. The expression of VvUGT in V. vinifera ‘Corvina’ was tissue specific and spatiotemporally specific. Anthocyanin contents and glycosylated anthocyanin composition were significantly different among the three grape varieties. Transcriptome analysis showed that the expression patterns of 85 VvUGT genes with high expression levels during the veraison process showed significant differences between varieties and growth periods. Correlation analysis suggested that Vitvi15g01073.t01, Vitvi15g01643.t01 and Vitvi17g00753.t01 (5GT) might play a critical role in the anthocyanin biosynthesis in V. amurensis. This study provides a theoretical basis for understanding the function of candidate genes in the anthocyanin synthesis of V. amurensis, and lays a foundation for the varietal improvement of V. amurensis varieties and the enhancement of the color stability of V. amurensis wine.

Glycerol monolaurate (GML) possesses excellent emulsifying and antibacterial properties as a functional food ingredient. To investigate its potential in the development of a dietary supplement for promoting osteogenesis and preventing osteoporosis, a growing rat model was used in this study. The effect of 750 mg/kg GML supplementation on bone growth and morphology in rats was assessed. The mechanism of action of GML in promoting bone growth in rats was explored by analysis of biochemical indexes, the intestinal microbiome and microbiota-related metabolites. The results showed that dietary supplementation of 750 mg/kg GML did not significantly affect the basal growth indexes such as body mass, food intake and organ coefficients, but significantly increased the bone growth indexes such as tibia length and index and enhanced the biomechanical properties of femur while not causing structural degeneration of cancellous or cortical bone. Dietary supplementation of GML significantly increased the serum bone metabolism indexes such as growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor 1 and transforming growth factor β1, which promote bone formation. Compared with the control group, GML treatment improved the composition of the intestinal flora, significantly increased the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Prevotellaceae_UCG-001, and increased the concentrations of fecal short-chain fatty acids such as acetic acid and propionic acid. In conclusion, GML can promote bone formation by increasing the levels of serum hormones and cytokines related to bone formation, or indirectly improve bone growth by improving the composition of the intestinal flora and promoting the production of fecal short-chain fatty acids. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis and application example for GML as a dietary supplement in the development of functional food for improving bone growth.

We investigated the role of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus HM126 in the prevention and alleviation of ovalbumin-induced allergic rhinitis (AR) in mice. We also analyzed the composition of the gut microbiota and the differences in metabolite profile using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and untargeted metabolomics, respectively. The results showed that the nasal symptoms of AR mice were significantly reduced and the nasal function was restored to normal after intervention with L. rhamnosus HM126. The correlation analysis between the gut flora and metabolome revealed that this strain could alleviate AR symptoms by modulating the relative abundance of the gut flora and inducing an increase in metabolites such as quinic acid, leptomycin b, ketoprofen, 18 alpha-glycyrrhetinic acid, and asiatic acid. This study suggested that L. rhamnosus HM126 can ameliorate allergic inflammatory response by regulating gut microbiota dysbiosis and producing immunomodulatory substances in mice, providing theoretical support for the alleviation of AR by probiotics.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of postbiotic, derived from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum IOB602 (LP602) on depression-like behaviors in mice induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). Specific pathogen-free (SPF) C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into five groups: control, CUMS model, placebo, postbiotic, and positive drug (fluoxetine). Following the establishment of CUMS model, all groups received a two-week gavage intervention. Initially, the anti-depressant effects of postbiotic LP602 were assessed by using behavioral tests. Subsequently, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to detect monoamine neurotransmitters and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA). Finally, 16S rDNA sequencing was utilized to analyze gut microbiota composition, gas chromatography (GC) was used to measure short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining and immunofluorescence techniques were employed to assess the function of the intestinal barrier. The results showed that postbiotic LP602 significantly increased the sucrose preference of CUMS mice and the time spent in the central area, while significantly reducing the immobility time in the forced swimming test (FST) and the tail suspension test (TST). Furthermore, the postbiotic significantly increased the levels of monoamine neurotransmitters including 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), dopamine (DA), and norepinephrine (NE) in the serum and hippocampus. Conversely, the serum levels of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and corticosterone (CORT) were significantly decreased by the postbiotic. Analysis of the gut microbiota revealed that postbiotic intervention modulated the structure and composition of the gut microbiota in mice under CUMS, notably increasing the relative abundance of Erysipelotrichaceae and Dubosiella and reducing the relative abundance of Firmicutes and Staphylococcaceae. Moreover, the concentrations of acetic acid, butyric acid, isobutyric acid, propionic acid, valeric acid, and isovaleric acid in the feces of mice were all significantly increased. Furthermore, the postbiotic mitigated small intestine damage and significantly enhanced the expression of the immunofluorescent protein ZO-1. Therefore, postbiotic LP602 effectively improved depression-like behaviors induced by CUMS in mice, possibly by increasing monoamine neurotransmitter levels, correcting the abnormal activation of the HPA, and regulating the gut microbiota.

The protective effect of edible grass jiaosu (EGJ) on alcohol-induced injury in HepG2 cells was evaluated in terms of cell viability, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. The effects of alcohol and EGJ on the metabolite profile of HepG2 cells were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and differential metabolites and related metabolic pathways were identified to explore the protective mechanism of EGJ against alcoholic injury in HepG2 cells from a metabolomic perspective. Results showed that EGJ significantly inhibited alcohol-induced cell death by enhancing ADH and SOD activities and reducing LDH leakage and MDA content. A total of 11 intracellular and 16 extracellular differential metabolites were identified by cell metabolomics, the key intracellular metabolites were L-alanine, L-norleucine, L-proline, glycine, L-threonine and L-valine, and the key extracellular metabolites were arabitol, D-galactopyranose, glycerol monostearate, butanedioic acid and octadecanoic acid. EGJ can protect against alcoholic injury in HepG2 cells by regulating amino acid metabolism and energy metabolism. The results provide a theoretical basis for the application of EGJ as an ingredient in functional foods with hepatoprotective activity.

In this study, HCT 116 colon cancer cells were used as a model to explore the effect of sulforaphane (SFN) on colon cancer cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and metastasis and further to uncover the potential mechanism of SFN on colon cancer cell invasion and metastasis. The results showed that SFN significantly inhibited the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of HCT 116 cells in a dose-dependent manner, and induced apoptosis. Furthermore, SFN inhibited the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of HCT 116 cells by up-regulating the relative expression of the epithelial marker E-cadherin and down-regulating the expression of the mesenchymal markers N-cadherin, the snail family of transcriptional repressors (Snail), vimentin and matrix metalloproteinase 9. In addition, SFN significantly reduced the expression levels of β-catenin protein and its downstream effector molecules cyclin D1 and c-myc, and effectively blocked the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway. SFN was able to effectively control the invasion and metastasis of colon cancer cells, and the mechanism may be related to the inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway and EMT. This finding provides a new perspective to better understand the anti-cancer mechanism of SFN and offers a potential strategy for the dietary treatment of colon cancer.

This study aimed to explore the intervention effects of coffee extracts with different roasting levels on lipid metabolism disorders and gut microbiota in high-fat diet mice. Specifically, 45 C57BL/6J male mice were randomly divided into five groups, which were fed a control diet (CON), a high-fat diet (HFD) alone and supplemented with lightly roasted (LC), moderately roasted (MC) and highly roasted (HC) coffee extracts, respectively for 9 weeks. After completion of the experimental period, changes in body mass and blood lipids were determined and the composition of the gut microbiota was identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The results demonstrated that highly roasted coffee showed significantly better ameliorative effects on obesity, dyslipidemia and inflammatory reactions compared with moderately and lowly roasted coffee (P < 0.05). The gut microbiota diversity analysis showed that highly roasted coffee significantly increased the ratio of relative abundance between Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes in HFD-fed mice and promoted the enrichment of probiotics such as Oscillospirales and Odoribacter. Meanwhile, it significantly increased the production of short-chain fatty acids (P < 0.05), compared with the high-fat diet-fed group. Additionally, highly roasted coffee was significantly more effective in up-regulating the mRNA expression of the colonic tight junction protein Claudin-1 than moderately and lowly roasted coffee (P < 0.05). In summary, highly roasted coffee had more significant intervention effects on obesity, and this may be attributed to the structural regulation of the gut microbiota.

Objective: To analyze the characteristics of Bifidobacterium animalis NX-6 and to explore its lipid-lowering mechanism in the model organism zebrafish using metabolomics. Methods: The growth curve of NX-6 was plotted, and the cell morphology was observed using field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Its tolerance to simulated gastrointestinal conditions was assessed. Its safety and potential benefits were evaluated at the genetic level through whole-genome sequencing. Untargeted and targeted metabolomics analysis was conducted based on liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to identify metabolites produced by NX-6, focusing on key lipid-lowering metabolites. Hyperlipidemia in zebrafish was induced by feeding a high-fat diet, and Oil Red O staining was used to observe lipid accumulation. This study evaluated the lipid-lowering effect and mechanism of NX-6 and its key metabolites. The hypolipidemic effect of the key metabolite indole-3-acetic acid was evaluated on hyperlipidemic zebrafish. Results: Compared with B. animalis BB12, B. animalis NX-6 demonstrated significantly higher tolerance to artificial gastrointestinal fluids. The genome of NX-6 lacked virulence genes but contained abundant lipid and tryptophan metabolism gene clusters. NX-6 significantly reduced total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in hyperlipidemic zebrafish (P < 0.001). Indole-3-carboxylic acid and 2-indole ketone were significantly increased in the fermentation supernatant of NX-6 compared with BS medium. Following NX-6 treatment, the content of indole-3-carboxylic acid in zebrafish significantly rose (P < 0.001). Indole-3-carboxylic acid notably decreased total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in hyperlipidemic zebrafish (P < 0.001). Conclusion: B. animalis NX-6 reduced lipid accumulation in hyperlipidemic zebrafish through its metabolite indole-3-carboxylic acid.

To explore the most suitable fixation method for the study of volatile organic compounds in fresh tea leaves, this study compared the effects of five fixation methods-steam fixation, hot air fixation, microwave fixation, vacuum freeze fixation, and liquid nitrogen fixation-on the volatile components of ‘Qiancha No.1’ tea shoots with one bud and two tender leaves as analyzed using headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). A total of 73 volatile organic compounds were identified, including 23 alcohols, 14 esters, 10 aldehydes, 15 alkenes, 4 ketones, and 7 others, with alcohols being the most abundant ones. A total of 16 volatile compounds were found to be common to the five fixed samples. Vacuum freeze fixation resulted in the highest number (43) and amount (112.93 mg/L) of volatile organic compounds, retaining higher alcohol contents. Liquid nitrogen fixation retained more esters, aldehydes, and alkenes, while steam fixation retained higher contents of other volatile organic compounds. Microwave fixed samples contained more alkenes. Hot air fixation was the least effective, retaining only 37 volatile organic compounds at the lowest concentration of 29.42 mg/L. Multivariate statistical analysis showed that while hot air and microwave fixed samples shared high similarity in volatile organic compounds, the other fixation methods resulted in significant differences in volatile organic compounds. A total of 25 volatile organic compounds, such as cedrene and 2-nonanone, were identified as markers to differentiate among these fixation methods. Vacuum freeze fixation was able to retain the volatile organic compounds in fresh tea leaves to a greater extent.

In this study, the effects of binary matrices (amino-4-hydroxybenzoic acid (AHB)/2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB), 3-hydroxycoumarin (3-HC)/DHB), ionic liquid matrices (N,N-dimethylaniline (DMA)/DHB, 2-(p-hydroxybenzene-azo)benzoic acid (HABA)/1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidine (TMG), 4-hydroxycoumaric acid (CA)/TMG, 2,4,6-trihydroxyacetophenone (THAP)/TMG, N-methylaniline (NMA)/DHB) and reactive matrices (3-hydrazylbenzoic acid (3-HBA)/DHB, 6-hydrazine niacin (HYNIC)/DHB, 2-hydrazopyridine (2-HPM)) on the analysis of maltooctaose, trigalacturonic acid and dextran T6 by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) were studied and compared with those of three solid matrices (DHB, THAP, α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid). The effects of various matrix solvents on the detection of maltoocatose as an oligosaccharide were studied. Meanwhile, the effects of solvent, reaction time and reaction temperature on the derivatization rate were addressed using reactive matrices. Results showed that all three matrices exhibited good detection performance for maltooctalose with good spectral reproducibility and increased peak intensity. Using the reactive substrates, the derivatization temperature was at least 65 ℃. 2-HPM had high derivatization efficiency, up to (96.28 ± 0.28)%, under all conditions, and using this reactive substrate, the derivatization reaction could be completed within a short period of time (15 min), but the derivatization rate was not high. While the signal-to-noise ratios of 3-HBA/DHB and HYNIC/DHB derived oligosaccharides were high, their derivatization rates were relatively low with a reaction time of at least 60 min. In addition, the concentration of oligosaccharides had a significant effect on the derivatization efficiency; when the concentration was less than 108 fmol/L, the derivatization signal was very low or undetected. The m/z signal of tri-galacturonic acid was significantly higher when using THAP and 3-HBA/DHB compared to other matrices. For dextran T6, both binary and ionic liquid matrices exhibited better detection performance, and AHB/DHB, 3-HC/DHB, THAP/TMG, and NMA/DHB could be used to detect a wider range of molecular mass, including polysaccharides with a polymerization degree of up to 36. The results of this study provide a reference for the analysis and identification of carbohydrates.

The total phenolic contents and in vitro antioxidant activities of the pericarps of three specialty small berries in northern China (Yanshan grape, Vitis yeshanensis J.X. Chen.; red bilberry, Vaccinium vitis-idaea Linn.; black nightshade, Solanum nigrum Linn.) were comparatively analyzed. Their anthocyanin characteristics were determined by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS). The results indicated that the total phenolic content of red bilberry was the highest, followed by Yanshan grape with black nightshade having the lowest value. But the antioxidant activity of black nightshade was significantly higher than red bilberry and Yanshan grape. A total of 61 anthocyanin compounds were identified. Yanshan grape contained the largest number of anthocyanins, and its total anthocyanin content was 17 and 52 times as high as those of red bilberry and black nightshade, respectively. The three small berry species shared common features in their anthocyanin compositions. They all contained monoglycosides and diglycosides of six anthocyanidins as well as acylated anthocyanins with the major glycosyl and acyl groups being hexosyl and p-coumaroyl, respectively. However, there were significant differences in the composition of anthocyanins among the three berry species. The major anthocyanins in Yanshan grape, red bilberry and black nightshade were malvidin (89.22%), cyanidin (93.48%) and petunidin (55.55%), respectively. The relative contents of trihydroxylated anthocyanins in Yanshan grape and black nightshade were 94.58% and 65.76% with high methylation levels (97.25% and 81.83%), respectively. The anthocyanin composition of red bilberry was dominated by diglycosided (93.73%) and non-methylated anthocyanins (94.63%). The acylation degree of anthocyanins was low (4.92% and 4.78%) in Yanshan grape and red bilberry, but high in black nightshade (81.48%). Hexose, pentose and rutinose residues were detected in red bilberry and black nightshade, while only hexose residues in Yanshan grape. Yanshan grape and black nightshade contained mainly anthocyanin diglycosides (86.91% and 85.67%), while red bilberry contained mainly anthocyanin monoglycoside (91.92%). In Yanshan grape, trace anthocyanin components were detected and tentatively identified as anthocyanin triglycosides. These results provide references for the application of Yanshan grape, red bilberry and black nightshade in fields such as food and medicine.

This study focused on the demand for salt reduction in meat product processing. Controlled experiments were designed to investigate variations in the sodium chloride (NaCl) content, moisture content, color parameters, water distribution, and cooking loss rate of pork under different curing methods. The aim was to evaluate the impact of ultrasonic-assisted low-sodium curing with yeast extract (YE) and trehalose on the curing efficiency and eating quality of pork. The results showed that the ultrasonic-assisted curing treatment significantly increased the diffusion rate of NaCl (P < 0.05). The treatment decreased the cooking loss to 22.61% (𝑃 < 0.05) while increasing the moisture content to 78.9%. In addition, the surface color became more vivid and bright red. The textural properties including hardness, resilience, and chewiness were significantly improved. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) analysis revealed the water distribution in pork muscle became more homogeneous. The pork sample subjected to this treatment had the highest score in sensory evaluation. Thus, ultrasonic-assisted treatment with yeast extract and trehalose effectively enhances the mass transfer of salt and moisture and significantly improves pork quality under sodium-reduced conditions.

In this study, we examined changes in the color, texture characteristics, nutrient composition and in vitro digestibility of kelp seedlings after hot water blanching. The results showed that after blanching, the L* value of kelp seedlings increased significantly, the b* and a* values decreased significantly, and the crispness, chewiness and resilience increased significantly. In addition, the contents of total sugar and fucoxanthin decreased significantly, while the contents of crude fiber and protein increased by 1.91 and 0.48 g/100 g, respectively. The in vitro intestinal digestibility of proteins in kelp seedings decreased significantly after hot water blanching, but the digestibility of fucoxanthin and total sugar increased. This study showed that hot water blanching improved the color, texture characteristics, crude fiber and protein contents of kelp seedlings, and promoted the digestion of fucoxanthin and total sugar, which provides a reference for the processing and utilization of kelp seedlings.

The enhancing effects of different pre-treatment techniques (addition of emulsifying salts, electrodialysis, and resin adsorption) on the stability of ultra-high temperature (UHT)-sterilized yak milk with standardized protein content was investigated by measurement of ethanol stability, protein precipitation rate, whey protein denaturation rate and turbidity stability index (TSI) as well as by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results showed that all three pre-treatment methods significantly improved the heat stability of UHT-sterilized yak milk. Compared with the standardized control group, whey protein denaturation rate decreased by 92.02% and 90.15%, soluble calcium content by 3.94% and 13.93%, and protein precipitation rate by 11.71% and 20.40% in the samples treated by resin and electrodialysis, with an average TSI of 2.94 and 1.33, respectively. Whey protein denaturation rate decreased by 84.69%, and protein precipitation rate increased 18.39% in the emulsifying salt-treated sample. The resin-treated group had the highest absolute value of the zeta potential (22.83 mV), closely followed by the electrodialysis group (19.57 mV), suggesting that electrodialysis also improved the heat stability of UHT-sterilized yak milk. FTIR analysis revealed that after UHT treatment, both resin and electrodialysis groups showed an increase in the relative content of α-helix and a decrease in the relative content of β-sheet. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that adjusting the salt balance of yak milk can enhance its UHT stability, providing important guidance for the processing of UHT yak milk.

To study the enhancing effect of dual-frequency ultrasound combined with vacuum drying on the drying of basa fish surimi, we evaluated the dehydration pattern, water status, microstructure and rheological properties of the surimi during vacuum drying under different ultrasound power-frequency combinations. The results showed that applying dual-frequency ultrasound shortened the drying time by 41.67%-85.42% and increased the average drying rate by 71.29%-585.16% compared with the control without ultrasound. The results of low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) illustrated that the content of free water decreased, and the decrease in free water was accelerated with increasing ultrasonic power, while the content of semi-bound water initially increased and subsequently decreased. The results of scanning electron microscope demonstrated that increasing ultrasonic power was beneficial to the formation of mass transfer microchannels in basa fish surimi, thereby reducing mass transfer resistance. Rheological characterization revealed that the surimi maintained the characteristics of pseudoplastic fluid and elastic fluid after double-frequency ultrasound combined with vacuum drying. In addition, the shear stress, apparent viscosity, storage modulus (G’) and loss modulus (G”) increased to different extents. This study can provide references for the application of dual-frequency ultrasound combined with vacuum drying.

In order to develop plant essential oil microcapsules and evaluate their application in the preservation of fruits and vegetables, microcapsules were prepared by spray-drying method using p-anisaldehyde as the core material and octenyl succinic anhydride-modified starch and chitosan as the wall material, and the effect of the microcapsules on the preservation of carrots was investigated. The results showed that p-anisaldehyde was successfully encapsulated. The emulsion added with 3.5 g of p-anisaldehyde had good dispersity with an encapsulation rate of 77.21%. The formed microcapsules were spherical with a smooth surface, and the thermal stability of anisaldehyde was improved after encapsulation. Further studies showed that fumigation with anisaldehyde microcapsules effectively inhibited the respiration intensity of carrots during storage, delayed the increase in L* and the decrease in a* and b*, slowed down the decrease in soluble solids content and the increase in mass loss, and maintained textural properties such as hardness. The fumigation treatment also increased the activities of peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in carrot tissues. In conclusion, the anisaldehyde microcapsules could effectively maintain the quality of carrots during postharvest storage.

In this study, the freezing and texture characteristics of Boletus edulis Bull.: Fr. by refrigerator slow freezing (RSF), immersion chilling and freezing (ICF) and liquid nitrogen spray quick-freezing (LNF) were evaluated. The results showed that the quick-frozen samples exhibited shorter time needed to pass through the zone of maximum ice crystal formation and denser ice crystal structure than the slowly frozen samples. The samples treated with LNF at −80 ℃ had the best water-holding capacity. The appearance of the quick-frozen samples was better than that of the slowly frozen samples. In particular, the appearance of the −80 ℃ LNF group was the best. After freezing treatment, both soluble protein and sugar contents tended to increase, while the polyphenol content was reduced. The contents of both soluble protein and sugar were significantly lower in each quick-frozen group than in the RSF group (P < 0.05), while the opposite was observed for the content of polyphenols (P < 0.05). After freezing treatment, the activity of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) significantly rose (P < 0.05), and the −80 ℃ LNF treatment group showed the strongest inhibitory effect against PPO. The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) significantly decreased (P < 0.05). The SOD activity (75.82 U/g) of the −100 ℃ LNF group was the closest to that of fresh samples. The samples treated with LNF at −80 ℃ exhibited the tightest binding with water. The microstructure of the slowly frozen samples was ruptured and shrunk with pores. In contrast, the microstructure of the quick-frozen samples was closer to that of fresh samples, and the sensory score was higher than that of the RSF group. In conclusion, LNF treatment can better maintain the quality of frozen B. edulis Bull.: Fr., and LNF at −80 ℃ is the most suitable freezing technology for B. edulis Bull.: Fr., which is expected to become a new choice for the preservation of this mushroom in the future.

In order to investigate the storage characteristics of Staphylococcus xylosus-fermented low-nitrite sausages under different storage durations and packaging methods, sausages were stored under vacuum skin packaging (VSP) or modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and evaluated for sensory, physicochemical (color, pH, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) content, types and contents of volatile organic compounds) and microbial indicators (total viable count (TVC), number of Lactobacillus, Staphylococcus, Escherichia coli, Brochothrix thermosphacta, and microbial communities) after 0, 7, 14 and 21 days. The results showed that both packaging methods effectively maintained the low pH environment of fermented sausages. MAP significantly slowed down the increase in TVB-N content (P < 0.05) and inhibited microbial growth (P < 0.05), while VSP was more effective in preserving the good color of sausages, and resulted in significantly higher contents of volatile organic compounds and sensory scores compared with MAP (P < 0.05). In summary, VSP is more favorable for maintaining the color and flavor of fermented sausages, while MAP is more effective in extending the shelf life.

This study investigated the deoxidizing and moisture-absorbing properties of gallnut tannin and applied it to the preservation of fresh macadamia nuts under refrigeration and room temperature conditions. To evaluate its efficacy, this study measured the changes in the physicochemical indexes of macadamia nuts. The results showed that gallnut tannin possessed good deoxidizing and moisture-absorbing properties. Under refrigeration and room temperature conditions, it significantly reduced the oxygen content within the package, maintained the whiteness of macadamia kernel, delayed the darkening, preserved high levels of compressive hardness, puncture hardness and moisture content (> 5%), thus ensuring the taste of fresh macadamia kernel. In addition, the tannin significantly inhibited the increase in acid value, peroxide value, and aflatoxin B1 content. It could be concluded that gallnut tannin could inhibit lipid oxidation and rancidity and the growth of Aspergillus flavus in fresh macadamia nuts by reducing the oxygen content within the package, thus preserving the quality and taste and extending the shelf life. The results of this study provide new ideas to solve the problem of preserving fresh macadamia nuts, contributing to fill the gap in the fresh macadamia nut industry.

This study investigated the effect of 1.0 μL/L 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatment at ambient temperature on the quality and key browning-related enzyme activities of fresh ‘Fengjiao’ Zanthoxylum bungeanum fruits during storage at (0.0 ± 0.5) ℃. The results showed that 1-MCP treatment effectively reduced the browning of fresh Z. bungeanum fruits during a storage period of 42 days, and maintained its color, anthocyanins, tingling substances and volatile oil, especially linalool, sabinene and 4-terpene alcohol. 1-MCP treatment increased the polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, but effectively inhibited the activities of peroxidase (POD) and phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL). In conclusion, 1-MCP treatment significantly slowed down the degradation of bioactive substances in fresh Z. bungeanum fruits during the storage period and effectively delayed fruit browning and preserved fruit quality through maintaining the integrity of cells or suppressing key browning-related enzymes including POD and PAL.

Objective: This study investigated the levels of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) and eight other N-nitrosamines in dried aquatic products, with a primary focus on assessing the carcinogenic risk of NDMA due to its significant carcinogenicity and dominance among N-nitrosamine contaminants. Methods: Homogenized samples were subjected to steam distillation, and dichloromethane was used to absorb the distillate. Liquid-liquid extraction was employed to purify and separate the target analytes. The concentrated extract was then quantitatively analyzed using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Through three 24-hour dietary recalls, a total of 26 933 volunteers from across the country were surveyed about average daily intake of dried aquatic products. Based on the survey results, the carcinogenic risk of NDMA exposure was assessed by the margin of exposure (MoE) method. Results: The limit of detection (LOD) for NDMA was 0.3 μg/kg. At a spiked level of 2.0 μg/kg, the recoveries of NDMA ranged from 96.9% to 100.1%, with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 1.56% (n = 4). The detection rate of NDMA in commercially available dried aquatic product samples was 77.8% (154/198), at concentrations ranging from 0.51 to 122 μg/kg with an average level of 5.23 μg/kg. Additionally, 28.8% of the samples exceeded the maximum allowable limit. The average intake of dried aquatic products among consumers of different age groups ranged from 4.05 to 32.43 g/d, with high consumption (P97.5) ranging from 16.67 to 66.67 g/d. Risk assessment indicated that the dietary exposure to NDMA in people of all age groups with average and high (P97.5) consumption levels of dried aquatic products were 0.46 and 3.65 ng/(kg mb·d), with MoE values of 6.1 × 104 and 7.7 × 103, respectively. Conclusion: The potential carcinogenic risk associated with NDMA intake from dried aquatic products is low for all respondents, and the same goes for average consumers across all age groups, who do not require any priority attention. However, NDMA intake poses a potential carcinogenic risk for heavy consumers (P97.5) across all age groups, who require priority attention.

Objective: To develop a TLC-SERS method for the simultaneous quantitative detection of four Sudan dyes in hot pepper products by the combined use of thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Methods: Silver nanoparticles were prepared by silver mirror reaction and loaded onto silica gel plates for TLC. The experimental conditions such as silver nanoparticle size, loading conditions, and droplet volume were optimized. Separation before detection was adopted as a strategy to simultaneously quantify four structurally similar Sudan red dyes in hot pepper products. Results: The characteristic peaks of Sudan red I-IV dyes showed a good linear relationship with their concentrations in the range of 1-200 mg/L, with determination coefficients (R2) of 0.996, 0.995, 0.993, and 0.992, respectively. When applied in practice, the proposed method exhibited a detection limit (LOD) of 1 mg/L for all four dyes. The recoveries of these dyes in hot pot base and chili products ranged from 89.8% to 96.2%, indicating good accuracy and reliability of this method. Conclusion: This method is low-cost, simple, fast, sensitive and accurate, and has good application prospects for the on-site detection of Sudan red I-IV dyes.

Aquatic products are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and high-quality proteins, which are very susceptible to spoilage during storage, so the development of new preservation technologies to extend the shelf life of aquatic products has become a hotspot in current research. Photodynamic inactivation (PDI) technology, as a new and efficient means of inactivating microorganisms, has shown great potential for application in the field of aquatic product preservation. In this article, we elaborate on the mechanism of PDI technology in the preservation of aquatic products, discuss the factors affecting the preservation effect of PDI on aquatic products, and introduce the methods for its evaluation. In addition, we present a systematic review of the application of PDI in the preservation of fish, crustaceans, shellfish and other aquatic products. On this basis, we provide an outlook on the development of new photosensitizers and the combined application of PDI technology with other preservation technologies, aiming to provide a basis for promoting the application and development of PDI technology in the field of aquatic product preservation.

With the continuous improvement of the evaluation system for health food technology, the existing evaluation methods are no longer able to meet the needs of future development. Therefore, it is particularly important to develop a more comprehensive and accurate evaluation system that combines advanced technological means with traditional evaluation models. Organoid technology, as a new biological means, can simulate the structure and function of human organs more realistically, improve the accuracy and reliability of experiments, and reduce the need for animal experiments. This paper explores the potential application of 3D organoid technology in health food research from the perspectives of toxicological evaluation, the absorption and metabolism of functional factors, the research and development of health foods for special populations, and the development of new evaluation models for functionalities. It also puts forward new considerations on the development direction of health food evaluation system. The aim is to provide a more accurate and physiologically relevant technical platform for the evaluation system of health foods, so as to promote the scientific research and development and strict supervision of health foods.

The problem of bacterial resistance poses a significant threat to human and animal health as well as public safety, making the discovery of effective new antimicrobial compounds an urgent priority. Traditional methods for screening antimicrobial activity are often time-consuming and labor-intensive, with limited accuracy and objectivity. As a branch of artificial intelligence, machine learning algorithms have demonstrated exceptional capabilities in processing large-scale data, feature extraction, and model optimization, leading to their increasing application in the screening of antimicrobial substances. This paper reviews commonly used machine learning models, such as random forests, support vector machines, and deep learning, in antimicrobial activity screening. It provides an in-depth exploration of machine learning applications in the discovery of antimicrobial peptides, essential oils, and polyphenols, aiming to offer valuable insights into the application of machine learning techniques for identifying antimicrobial compounds.

The increasing frequency of people using electronic products has led to an increase in the amount of time spent with the eyes, which in turn often results in a variety of eye discomforts such as soreness, dryness and blurriness, a condition known as visual fatigue. A growing body of studies suggest that visual fatigue can be effectively alleviated through dietary supplementation, particularly through supplementation of substances with both medicinal and culinary uses. At present, there are more and more health food products for relieving visual fatigue and improving eyesight available on the market, which indicates that those products are in great demand and has a good development prospect. Chrysanthemum, as one of the main ingredients of visual fatigue-relieving health foods, can effectively reduce visual fatigue caused by oxidative stress and inflammatory damage. This article analyzes the differences in the chemical structures and contents of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory components in different varieties of chrysanthemum. Through the national special food information query platform under the State Administration for Market Supervision, health food products containing chrysanthemum are summarized and analyzed. Moreover, we review recent progress in research on the safety of chrysanthemum and its application in relieving visual fatigue. We also put forward opinions and outlooks on future research with a view to providing a reference and theoretical foundation for the development of visual fatigue-relieving health foods mainly based on chrysanthemum in the future.

Glutamine peptides (Gln peptides) refer to bioactive peptides containing glutamine (Gln) monomers at the non-N-terminus. Gln peptides are mainly derived from wheat proteins, corn proteins and other plant proteins, with strong stability, easy digestion and a variety of biological activities. In recent years, the development and application of Gln peptides have attracted the attention of researchers at home and abroad. In this article, the preparation methods and structure analysis of Gln peptides are reviewed, with the aim of providing new ideas for the development of bioactive peptides with characteristic structures. In addition, this article summarizes the biological activities of Gln peptides such as protecting intestinal activity, alleviating depression, antioxidant, anti-fatigue and immunomodulatory effects in order to provide a new perspective for promoting human nutritional health and related disease intervention. Finally, this article concludes with an outlook on the future application prospects of Gln peptides in the food field, aiming to provide a theoretical reference for improving the nutritional value and enhancing the health benefits of Gln peptides.

Food safety liability insurance represents an integral component of the national food safety system, playing a vital role in food safety governance. However, its effective implementation confronts a fourfold challenge: 1) food enterprises exhibit reluctance to insure, driven by perceived cost-benefit imbalance and risk perception bias; 2) regulatory authorities face constraints arising from the tension between ensuring policy compliance and achieving enforcement efficiency; 3) insurance companies struggle with inadequate product supply and risk pricing challenges; 4) and consumers face difficulties in claiming rights. To address these issues, this study proposes a multi-dimensional innovation system integrating “precision governance-institutional optimization-collaborative governance”. At the enterprise level, a multi-dimensional risk assessment system should be established, alongside implementing differentiated insurance strategies and dynamic reputation management. At the regulatory level, the legal framework and coordinated regulatory mechanisms should be improved, and a fiscal-market collaborative premium-sharing mechanism should be established. Insurance companies need to promote product and service innovation, and optimize risk pricing and data-sharing mechanisms. At the level of consumer rights protection, the “insurance + mediation” mechanism and information sharing platforms should be innovated. Through the organic linkage of precision governance, institutional optimization, and collaborative governance, a risk co-governance pattern can be formed, thus promoting the transformation of food safety governance from a post-incident remediation model to a risk prevention and control model.