Critical reviews in food science and nutrition最新文献

Food allergies have become one of the most pressing issues in food safety and public health globally along with their incidence increasing in recent years. The reliable recognition of allergens from different sources, especially food-hidden allergens, is essential for preventing and controlling food allergies. Recently, aptamers, as emerging recognition elements, have gained considerable attention in food allergy, especially in the detection of food allergens. This review systematically summarizes the latest progress in screening, identification, and application of aptamers against food allergens over the past five years. We first introduce a brief overview of food allergy and aptamers, followed by a detailed focus on the aptamers' research against different food allergens broadly based on the major categories of the Big-8 allergens: highlighting the newly screened aptamers and their applied systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) strategies, and emphasizing their practical applications including aptasensors, allergy inhibitors, or affinity adsorptions. Finally, the remaining challenges and future exploitations faced by aptamers in food allergens are comprehensively discussed and depicted. This review holds the promise of inspiring a broader range of researchers to gain an in-depth understanding of food allergy assisted by aptamer recognition and to facilitate improved biochemical analyses and successful application.

In order to provide a further overview of the bioactivities of food-derived umami peptides, the study reviewed the sources, preparation and screening, flavor presentation properties, functional properties and their recent progress in the food industry. Food-derived umami peptides could be extracted and prepared by enzymatic and fermentation techniques. Machine learning, molecular docking technology and peptidomics are efficient methods for screening and identifying umami peptides and exploring their flavor mechanisms. In addition to the flavor properties, some of the umami peptides have a variety of functional properties, including antioxidant, hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic properties. Therefore, these umami peptides could not only be used as raw materials for traditional seasonings, but also be developed for the field of functional foods. This review aims to comprehensively summarize the flavor properties and functional properties of umami peptides, providing new directions for the exploitation and utilization of umami peptides in the food industry.

Cannabidiol (CBD) in industrial hemp is a promising functional food ingredient with multifarious health benefits, including anticancer activity, antioxidant activity, anti-inflammatory properties, and anxiolytic effects. In recent years, the application of CBD in the food industry has been emerging and several CBD fortified products are available across the globe. Currently, the scientific information associated with CBD are segregated, and there is a lack of connectivity between their recent explorations. Therefore, in this review, the findings associated with CBD that are crucial for extending its food applications are comprehensively discussed. It begins by exploring the global regulatory landscape of CBD. Followingly, the factors that affect CBD production in the field, CBD isolation techniques from industrial hemp flowers, and their functional properties are comprehensively detailed. Importantly, this review examines reported delivery systems for enhancing the physicochemical properties and bioavailability of CBD, thus broadening its potential applications in the food industry. Overall, this review would connect the patches of CBD information available from the field to food and would be resourceful for food scientists, regulatory agencies, and hemp farmers.

Intelligent packaging (also called smart packaging) has garnered significant attention for its ability to monitor food quality and spoilage during storage, without compromising packaging integrity. Natural pigments are being explored as sensors of food properties in these applications, but they are often chemically unstable, which limits their widespread utilization for this purpose. Therefore, enhancing pigment stability is imperative. This review article discusses the different types of natural pigments used in intelligent packaging applications. It then highlights the origin of their chemical instability and the factors that impact it, before outlining potential strategies to improve their stability. Natural pigments used in intelligent packaging include phenolic-, quinone-, pyrrole-, polyene- and betalain-based molecules, which are characterized by their unique chemical structures, especially the presence of conjugated structures that selectively absorb visible light. The environmental conditions that trigger a color-change in each pigment are highlighted. Pigment stability can be enhanced through a variety of approaches, including molecular modifications, pigment encapsulation, and label matrix design. These approaches modify the microenvironment of the pigments, thereby increasing their stability. These pigment enhancement methods hold promise for the development of intelligent packaging materials that can be used in the food and other industries.

Artificial intelligence is an emerging technology which harbors a suite of mechanisms that have the potential to be leveraged for reaping value across multiple domains. Lately, there is an increased interest in embracing applications associated with Artificial Intelligence to positively contribute to food safety. These applications such as machine learning, computer vision, predictive analytics algorithms, sensor networks, robotic inspection systems, and supply chain optimization tools have been established to contribute to several domains of food safety such as early warning of outbreaks, risk prediction, detection and identification of food associated pathogens. Simultaneously, the ambition toward establishing a sustainable food system has motivated the adoption of cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence to strengthen food security. Given the myriad challenges confronting stakeholders in their endeavors to safeguard food security, Artificial Intelligence emerges as a promising tool capable of crafting holistic management strategies for food security. This entails maximizing crop yields, mitigating losses, and trimming operational expenses. AI models present notable benefits in efficiency, precision, uniformity, automation, pattern identification, accessibility, and scalability for food security endeavors. The escalation in the global trend for adopting alternative protein sources such as edible insects and microalgae as a sustainable food source reflects a growing recognition of the need for sustainable and resilient food systems to address the challenges of population growth, environmental degradation, and food insecurity. Artificial Intelligence offers a range of capabilities to enhance food safety in the production and consumption of alternative proteins like microalgae and edible insects, contributing to a sustainable and secure food system.

Highly prevalent comorbidities associated with metabolic syndrome, such as abdominal obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and insulin-resistance/Type 2 diabetes (IR/T2D) share alterations in gut microbiota composition as a potential triggering factor. Recent studies put the attention in the potential usage of postbiotics (inactivated probiotics) on these metabolic alterations. This review summarizes the current evidence regarding the efficacy of postbiotic administration in both, preclinical and clinical studies, for the management of obesity, NAFLD and IR/T2D. Data from preclinical studies (rodents) suggest that postbiotic administration effectively prevents obesity, whereas clinical studies corroborate these benefits also in overweight/obese subjects receiving inactivated bacteria. As for NAFLD, although preclinical studies indicate that postbiotic administration improves different liver markers, no data obtained in humans have been published so far since all the studies are ongoing clinical trials. Finally, while the administration of inactivated bacteria demonstrated to be a promising approach for the management of IR/T2D in rodents, data from clinical trials indicates that in humans, this approach is more effective on IR than in T2D. In conclusion, the available scientific data indicate that postbiotic administration not only is safer, but also as effective as probiotic administration for the management of obesity associated prevalent metabolic alterations.

Challenges still persist in the preparation of healthy foods through the structuring of liquid oils, and the encapsulation and delivery of functional components. However, protein-based aerogels (PAs) with unique nutritional and health properties as well as various kinds of tunable absorption properties hold promise for solving these problems. In this review, the methods and characteristics of aerogels prepared from various animal and plant proteins were reviewed. In addition, considering the satisfactory structure of amyloid and its outstanding gelation and absorption properties, we proposed accelerating the development of amyloid aerogels in the future. Then, the relationship between their microstructure (specific surface area, pore characteristics, and stability) and absorption properties was discussed. The methods of regulating the absorption properties of PA by hydrogel preparation process, drying technology and surface coating were also emphasized. Finally, we summarized the research advances in PAs for liquid oil structuring and functional ingredient delivery, and provided an outlook for PAs development. The selection of suitable proteins and effective regulation of absorption properties are crucial considerations for improving the applicability of PAs. This review serves as a theoretical reference for the development of healthy, multifunctional and practicable PAs and their products.

Flavonoids, a class of polyphenolic compounds, are widely distributed in plant-based foods and have been recognized for their potential to promote overall health and well-being. Flavonoids in fruits and vegetables offer various beneficial effects such as anti-aging, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory properties. Flavonoids have been extensively studied for their neuroprotective properties, which are attributed to their ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and interact with neural cells. Factors like gut microbiota composition, age, genetics, and diet can impact how well flavonoids are absorbed in the gut. The gut microbiota can enhance the absorption of flavonoids through enzymatic processes, making microbiota composition a key factor influenced by age, genetics, and diet. Flavonoids can modulate the gut microbiota through prebiotic and antimicrobial effects, affecting the production of beneficial microbial metabolites like short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as butyrate, which play a role in brain function and health. The gut microbiome also modulates the immune system, which is critical for preventing neuroinflammation. Additionally, flavonoids can benefit mental and psychological health by influencing anti-inflammatory signaling pathways in brain cells and increasing the absorption of tyrosine and tryptophan, precursors to neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, adrenaline, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). The flavonoid-gut microbiome axis is a complex and multifaceted relationship that has significant implications for neurological health. This review will explore how genetic and environmental factors can impact flavonoid absorption and the positive effects of flavonoids on brain health and the gut microbiota network.

Polyphenols are potent antioxidants with anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, and prebiotic effects. However, no meta-analysis of human studies has confirmed these properties in individuals with overweight or obesity and elucidated the underlying mechanisms. Hence, this work aimed to investigate the impact of polyphenols on gut microbiota composition, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and inflammatory markers in individuals with overweight or obesity from randomized controlled trials. Five databases were searched. The weighted mean differences were calculated using random effects DerSimonian-Laird model, with publication bias detected by Egger's test. Study quality and evidence certainty were assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool and GRADE guidelines, respectively. Our results indicated that an average daily intake of 452 mg phenolic content for a mean duration of 5 wks significantly reduced the abundance of Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, in individuals with overweight or obesity. While SCFAs production was not affected, lipopolysaccharides were significantly decreased, suggesting polyphenols can alleviate chronic inflammation in these individuals. The evidence was rated as high quality. Polyphenols hold the potential to enhance health and lower the risk of metabolic disorders in individuals with overweight or obesity through their prebiotic, anti-microbial, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Aptamer-based biosensors with a low cost and high specificity have been widely applied in diagnostics, food safety, and environmental monitoring. However, aptamer-based biosensors still suffer from insufficient specificity or affinity owing to the inherent constraints of the thermodynamic and kinetic binding properties of aptamers. Therefore, optimization technologies for various aptamers have been proposed to obtain high-affinity aptamers for constructing high-performance biosensors. In this review, emerging technologies for aptamer screening are summarized, followed by a focus on analyzing methods for aptamer optimization, including ligand truncation, mutation, splitting, elongation, chemical modification, and potential mechanisms. Portable aptamer-integrated optical and electrochemical devices applied to food safety point-of-care testing (POCT) platforms are reviewed to provide a reference for addressing the lack of convenience faced by aptasensors. Finally, future challenges and directions of aptamer optimization technology are discussed for further research and development in food safety detection.