Food Bioengineering最新文献

This study aimed to develop a biocatalyst derived from triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) malt germinated for 5–8 days, by extracting α-amylase, β-amylase, and amyloglucosidase through aqueous methods, purifying them using aqueous two-phase systems (ATPSs), and co-immobilizing the enzymes on a gelatin support cross-linked with CaCl₂. After 7 days of germination, the enzyme extracts showed maximum activities of 549.6 CU/g for α-amylase, 54.8 BU/g for β-amylase, and 0.11 U/g for amyloglucosidase. The type 3 ATPS (30% ethanol/18% citrate) enabled recovery yields of 97% for α-amylase and 68.6% for β-amylase, with purification factors of 2.8 and 1.1, respectively. The purified enzymes exhibited optimal catalytic activity at 70°C and pH 5–6 (α-amylase) and at 60°C and pH 6–7 (β-amylase). Kinetic parameters indicated high substrate affinity (K_m < 200 mg/mL), with improved values after immobilization (α-amylase: K_m 118.2 mg/mL, V_max 15.6 mg/min; β-amylase: K_m 101.9 mg/mL, V_max 23.1 mg/min). The cross-linked gelatin support demonstrated a water absorption capacity of 469% and a solubility of 61% after 24 h, with immobilization efficiencies exceeding 100%. In barley wort mashing trials, the immobilized enzyme consortium increased the release of reducing sugars by 11.8 g/L in the first cycle and maintained an additional 5.8 g/L after five reuse cycles. These findings demonstrate the potential of a robust, stable, and reusable biocatalyst for industrial applications in brewing processes and starch hydrolysis.

The immunomodulatory activity of plant polysaccharides has attracted researchers' attention. However, the understanding of immunomodulatory-related molecular mechanisms of PAP1b (a new polysaccharide extracted from arecanut) is still limited. The LPS (1 μg/mL) for positive control and PAP1b (10 μg/mL) were added to RAW264.7 cells for immunomodulatory research. Activating the expression of RAW264.7 cells, PAP1b seemed to perform better in terms of sequestering NO and inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6), according to immunomodulatory experiments. In transcriptomics and untargeted metabolomics analysis, the findings of the KEGG and GO enrichment analysis showed that the higher gene expression of PAP1b's immunologic activity was Tnf, Irf9, Nfkbia, Stat1, and Ptgs2. When PAP1b was administered to RAW264.7 cells, the C-type lectin receptor signaling pathway was more prevalent in the metabolites of the treated group than in the control. These findings could provide a better understanding of the immune activity of arecanut polysaccharides.

Flavonoids are small bioactive molecules commonly found in plant-derived foods, exhibiting antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, gut microbiota-regulating, and hypolipidemic properties. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has emerged as a major public health problem worldwide. Previous studies link hepatocyte mitochondrial dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and gut microbiota dysbiosis to NAFLD onset and progression. In recent years, research on the relationship between flavonoid compounds and NAFLD has revealed that flavonoids can potentially alleviate mitochondrial dysfunction, modulate the ER stress response, and regulate the composition of gut microbiota, thereby inhibiting the progression of NAFLD. This review synthesizes evidence from 127 studies (2010–2023), demonstrating that flavonoid structural modifications (e.g., glycosylation) enhance bioavailability by 40%–60%, offering a promising dietary strategy against NAFLD. Despite these advances, further clinical trials are needed to validate the efficacy of flavonoid modifications, and challenges such as scalability and long-term safety remain to be addressed. This review attempts to summarize the types and sources of flavonoids for the prevention and treatment of NAFLD, focusing on the roles and mechanisms by which flavonoids regulate and ameliorate NAFLD via the mitochondria, ER, and gut microbiota and corresponding metabolites. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of flavonoid modifications and their mechanistic roles in NAFLD, offering novel insights for developing targeted dietary and therapeutic strategies. As flavonoids have low solubility and bioavailability of flavonoids, this review also outlines methods to modify flavonoids to improve their efficacy in the treatment of NAFLD.

The gut microbiome plays a central role in maintaining host health, influencing immunity, metabolism, epithelial integrity, and the gut–brain axis. Dysbiosis of this complex microbial ecosystem is implicated in a variety of chronic diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, metabolic syndrome, and neurological disorders. Nutraceuticals such as prebiotics, polyphenols, probiotics, postbiotics, bioactive peptides, and micronutrients—hold promise for restoring microbial homeostasis and supporting gut health. However, their clinical utility is limited by poor stability, premature degradation in the upper gastrointestinal tract, and variability in microbiome composition. Recent advances in microbiome-responsive delivery systems have addressed these challenges by engineering smart platforms that synchronize bioactive release with the unique biochemical signals of the gut, including pH gradients, microbial enzymes, redox cues, and fermentation-driven changes. These innovative systems, incorporating pH-sensitive hydrogels, enzyme- and redox-responsive nanogels, hybrid polymer carriers, synbiotic co-encapsulation, functional food matrices, and edible coatings, enhance nutraceutical stability, bioavailability, and site-specific action. Preclinical and emerging clinical evidence demonstrates their potential to modulate the microbiome, attenuate inflammation, and promote mucosal healing. Despite encouraging progress, translational hurdles—such as limited human trials, regulatory uncertainties, and interindividual variability—must still be overcome. This review comprehensively explores the design principles, mechanisms, applications, and future perspectives of microbiome-responsive nutraceutical interfaces, highlighting their transformative potential in advancing personalized gut health interventions.

This study aimed to evaluate the vaginal probiotic properties of certain lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains isolated from fermented foods. Initially, 9 strains with a survival rate exceeding 1% under acidic conditions (pH 4.5) were selected from 43 LAB strains. The antimicrobial activity against Gardnerella vaginalis of these strains was further evaluated, along with their cell surface hydrophobicity, auto-aggregation ability, co-aggregation with G. vaginalis, and biofilm formation capacity. Subsequently, 3 strains, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum X7021, X7022, and 17-17, were identified as promising vaginal probiotic candidates through principal component analysis (PCA) and clustered heat map analysis. Analysis of antimicrobial compounds revealed that these strains produced lactic acid, acetic acid, and hydrogen peroxide. PCR and RT-PCR experiments confirmed the presence of bacteriocin genes and their partial transcription. This study highlights that LAB strains derived from foods represent a promising resource for the development of vaginal probiotics.

The SpyTag/SpyCatcher system is a modular protein assembly tool based on isopeptide bond-mediated covalent conjugation, distinguished by mild reaction conditions, rapid ligation rate, and independence from exogenous enzymes or chemical reagents. Owing to its high efficiency, orthogonality, and stability, it has exhibited multi-dimensional application value in the food sector, enabling the enhancement of enzyme stability and reusability in food enzyme engineering, efficient product synthesis and metabolic optimization in microbial fermentation, high-sensitivity recognition of mycotoxins in detection, as well as toxin degradation and antimicrobial film construction in preservation packaging. Despite challenges such as large-scale production and safety evaluation, future advancements through molecular design optimization and interdisciplinary technology integration are expected to accelerate the development of the food industry, providing revolutionary solutions for green processing and food safety.

Gelatin is a thermoplastic biopolymer with excellent film-forming properties that make it suitable for food packaging applications. However, gelatin films still have limitations owing to their high water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) and limited flexibility. Incorporating ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) into gelatin films is expected to improve the water vapor barrier and enhance the flexibility without significantly changing the rheological properties of the composite solution. This study aimed to determine the impact of adding ZnO-NPs on the rheological properties of a nanocomposite solution and the mechanical properties of the resulting gelatin film. ZnO-NPs were successfully fabricated using a top-down approach, with the smallest particle size achieved through a combination of calcination at 100°C for 3 h, ultrasonication at 70% power for 1 h, and the addition of 0.1% w/v gelatin as a capping agent. Gelatin-based composite solutions containing the smallest particle size of ZnO-NPs at concentrations of 0%, 1.25%, and 2.50% w/w were prepared and cast into films. Rheological analysis showed dilatant (shear-thickening) behavior, and the addition of ZnO-NPs had no significant effects on the rheological parameters, indicating that the addition of ZnO-NPs at concentrations of up to 2.50% w/w did not alter the flow properties of the composite solutions. The gelatin films were rigid and slightly yellow. Increasing the amount of ZnO-NPs reduced the tensile strength and Young's modulus, while the elongation at break peaked at 1.25% w/w. A reduction in the WVTR was observed, which is advantageous because it improves the moisture barrier properties of bioplastics, thereby enhancing food preservation.

As a new type of prebiotic, the Maillard reaction products of protein - oligosaccharide conjugates have emerged as a promising material for probiotic encapsulation and improve host health. However, the regulatory mechanisms of these conjugates on gut microbiota remain insufficiently explored. This study developed a probiotic microcapsule wall material through wet-heating conjugation of soy protein isolate (SPI) and galactooligosaccharide (GOS). Lactobacillus acidophilus was successfully encapsulated using emulsification technology. Physicochemical characterization (pH, intermediate products, browning intensity, and glycation degree) validated the formation of SPI-GOS conjugates. Subsequently, this study further investigated the impact of the Maillard-reaction-based microcapsule on human intestinal flora. The SGM microcapsule can significantly regulate the composition of intestinal flora. The in vitro digestion model demonstrated that the SGM microcapsules could increase the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria (Bifidobacterium in Actinobacteriota and Prevotella in the Firmicutes) and reduce the relative abundance of harmful bacteria (Desulfovibrio and Escherichia-Shigella in the Proteobacteria, Eggerthella, and Actinomyces in the Actinobacteriota). Functional prediction analysis indicated that SGM microcapsules could improve the metabolic and biosynthetic functions of the intestinal microbiota. This Maillard-derived SPI-GOS microencapsulation system establishes a novel synbiotic paradigm synergistically combining prebiotic conjugates and probiotics. The findings provide guidance for developing functional foods targeting gut microbiota modulation, with significant implications for dietary intervention strategies in metabolic health management.

The recent focus on sweet potatoes [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam] and their leaves have made them intriguing subjects for research. They contain bioactive compounds showing potential health benefits in vitro and in vivo studies. Therefore, utilizing green extraction techniques for these bioactive compounds could enhance the commercial potential of different parts of sweet potatoes. A variety of conventional solvent extraction methods, as well as environmentally friendly (green) extraction techniques, have been utilized for the isolation of bioactive compounds from sweet potato and its leaves. However, the methods for extracting bioactive compounds from various parts of sweet potatoes must be more thoroughly documented in the literature. This review aims to provide the latest information about the extraction techniques, safety, nutritional value, bioactive compounds, and potential health benefits of different parts of sweet potatoes and their application in the food and pharmaceutical industries. From conservative methods to ground-breaking technologies, each extraction procedure presents unique compensations and challenges, thereby influencing the landscape of sweet potato leaves research and its applications in health, nutrition, medicine, and manufacturing.

This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent research developments in nanocellulose with respect to postharvest horticulture. Proper postharvest handling of horticultural crops is essential for preserving the quality and extending the shelf life of fruits, vegetables, and ornamentals; however, significant losses due to spoilage, damage, and environmental stress remain a persistent challenge. Nanocellulose, a biodegradable and high-strength nanomaterial, has attracted increasing attention for its application in composite coatings and sustainable packaging, offering improved produce protection and freshness. It has also demonstrated potential in sensor-based technologies for real-time monitoring of fruit quality and as a substrate for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) in pesticide residue detection. This review deals with the compilation from fundamental concepts to recent innovations in nanocellulose, focusing on its functionality in postharvest systems. Problems and challenges in the field, including high production costs, limited scalability, suboptimal material properties (e.g., water resistance and mechanical strength) and limited applications in ornamental crops, are also presented. Furthermore, future research directions are discussed, emphasizing greener extraction methods, improved material performance, economic feasibility, consumer acceptance, and the expansion of nanocellulose use in smart packaging and ornamental horticulture. By addressing these barriers, nanocellulose can emerge as a transformative and sustainable solution in postharvest management.