Critical reviews in food science and nutrition最新文献

Cheese, a widely consumed dairy product globally, derives its commercial value primarily from its flavor and textural characteristics that crucially determine consumer acceptance. The quality of cheese including flavor and texture is intricately related to the enzymatic activities of microorganisms during the fermentation process. Among these enzymes, lipases play a pivotal role by hydrolyzing milk fat to generate free fatty acids, which serve as precursors for the formation of key flavor compounds, thereby significantly enhancing the sensory attributes of cheese. Compared to lipases sourced from animals or plants, microbial lipases offer distinct advantages, including lower production costs, broader substrate specificity, and greater adaptability to genetic modification, making them more suitable for large-scale cheese production. Recent advancements in biotechnology have enabled the optimization of microbial lipase applications in cheese manufacturing through various innovative approaches. This review comprehensively examines the impact of microbial lipase on cheese quality, particularly in terms of texture and flavor development. Additionally, it summarizes current strategies for enhancing the efficacy of microbial lipase in cheese production, providing valuable insights for the advancement of enzyme-modified cheese industry.

Food allergies constitute a significant and escalating global public health issue. Over the past decade, efforts have intensified to prevent and treat these allergies, including exploring new anti-allergic agents and natural bioactive compounds with minimal side effects. Despite progress, consensus on effective strategies remains elusive. This study undertakes a comprehensive review and discussion of current anti-allergic medications, natural bioactive ingredients, and innovative nano/micro-carriers, focusing on four key mechanisms: binding to allergen epitopes, modulating gut microbiota, restoring intestinal epithelial integrity, and regulating immune responses. Many natural compounds show effectiveness through multiple pathways. Advances in nanotechnology have improved delivery systems such as nanoparticles and sporopollenin exine capsules, enhancing targeted delivery and efficacy. Given the distinct cellular and molecular targets of these anti-allergic agents, investigating synergies between natural and synthetic drugs is essential. For instance, combine traditional anti-allergic drugs with glucocorticoids to quickly relieve initial symptoms; then, use natural agents like probiotics for immune regulation, reducing treatment time and recurrence risk. This review lays the foundation for a scientific framework to guide the future development of combination therapy models in clinical applications.

Allergic diseases, such as allergic rhinitis, asthma, and atopic dermatitis, are IgE-mediated conditions closely linked to Th2 cells. Their increasing prevalence has posed significant global health and economic challenges. Conventional anti-allergic drugs, though effective, often lead to side effects like sedation and dependency, driving the search for safer, plant-derived alternatives. Ellagitannins, a class of phenolic compounds abundant in many plants, and their metabolites (e.g., ellagic acid, gallic acid) have demonstrated promising anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the impact of their structural variability on bioavailability and biological activity remains unclear. To date, no comprehensive review has been conducted on the effects of different ellagitannin structures and their metabolism on anti-allergic biological activities. This study proposes a novel classification method for ellagitannins based on their in vivo digestion and absorption, provides a comprehensive review of their metabolic pathways and influencing factors, and, for the first time, explores the anti-allergic activities and mechanisms of ellagitannins and their metabolites. These findings lay a foundation for future research into the structural characteristics and anti-allergic functional activities of ellagitannins.

Nutrition epidemiological models involve many analytic decisions, such as defining exposures, selecting which covariates to include, or configuring variables in different ways. We explored the impact of analytical decisions on conclusions in nutrition epidemiology using self-reported beef intake and incident coronary heart disease as a case study. We used REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) data, and selected covariates and their configurations from published literature to recapitulate common models used to assess associations between meat intake and health outcomes. Three model sets were designed: sets one and two used continuous and quintile-defined beef intakes, respectively, each with ∼500,000 randomly sampled specifications. Set three models directly emulated published covariate combinations. Few models (<1%) were statistically significant at p < 0.05. More hazard ratio (HR) point estimates were >1 when beef was polychotomized via quintiles (95% of models) vs. continuous intake (79% of models). Including covariates for race or multivitamin use shifted HRs toward the null with similar confidence interval widths. Models emulating existing published associations were all above HR of 1. For our case study, exposure configuration and exposure inclusion resulted in substantially different HR distributions, illustrating how analytical decisions can affect nutrition-related exposure/outcome associations. The finding of few statistically significant models does not prove, but may suggest, minimal association between beef and CHD. Singular assessments of nutritional epidemiology questions should therefore be interpreted with caution. Modeling many analytical approaches may better establish and investigate the uncertainty of nutritional epidemiology questions and provisional answers.

Cultivated meat offers a promising solution to meet global demand for animal protein and addressing ethical concerns of conventional meat production. However, there are still gaps in replicating the sensory qualities and nutritional content of traditional meat products. Following PRISMA guidelines, this review synthesizes studies on the physicochemical, technological, and sensory parameters of cultivated meat. A thorough search of peer-reviewed literature from 2012 to May 2024 was conducted across three databases, 33 articles were selected from an initial pool of 714 studies, which were systematically screened and evaluated for eligibility. Technological advancements have improved muscle tissue formation and color development, with the use of scaffolds and cell types like myoblasts and satellite cells playing a significant role. However, most proof-of-concepts still fall short of replicating the textural properties, such as hardness and cohesiveness, found in conventional meat. While some studies achieved comparable cooking loss and color outcomes, texture remains softer, with incomplete muscle cell differentiation and weak structural integrity. Furthermore, cultivated meat prototypes often show lower protein content and lack sufficient lipid incorporation, affecting both flavor and mouthfeel. Despite these challenges, promising results in specific studies suggest that advancements in scaffold engineering and cell culture techniques could improve sensory quality.

Three-dimensional food printing (3DFP) involves the creation of edible products by structuring materials using 3D printing technology. 3DFP has garnered significant attention due to its vast potential in the food industry, offering advantages in food customization, precision, creativity, and reducing waste during food production. The key components of 3DFP include food ink materials, fabrication processes, and sensing and control technologies. This review provides an in-depth examination of these elements. First, it summarizes key considerations regarding material characteristics, and discusses both basic and advanced materials for 3DFP. Next, it explores fabrication processes, including their underlying principles, and highlights advanced 3DFP fabrication methods for producing high-quality printed food products. It also introduces sensing, monitoring, and control strategies to enhance real-time process precision and stability. The review concludes with a discussion on the future directions and prospects of intelligent 3DFP systems.

Avocados are sources of Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), vitamins, minerals, fiber, phytosterols, and polyphenols. However, their effects on the lipid profiles remain unclear. This meta-analysis assessed the effect of avocado consumption on lipid levels in adults. A systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar (up to May 24, 2024) included only randomized controlled trials. Two independent investigators screened and extracted the data. Results showed a significant reduction in total cholesterol (TC) (weighted mean difference (WMD): -6.97 mg/dL, 95% CI: -8.29, -5.65) and low-density lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C) ((WMD): -6.16 mg/dL, 95% CI: -9.87, -2.44) in avocado groups vs. controls. A nonlinear dose-response analysis found an inverse association between higher avocado intake (>250 g/day) and LDL-C levels as well as between longer consumption (>23 weeks) and TC reduction. Similarly, a dose of 140-235 g/day for 4.8-9 weeks showed a significant association with triglyceride (TG) levels. Avocado consumption had no significant effect on high-density lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C triglyceride (TG) levels. Further studies are required to confirm its role in the regulation of lipid profiles.

The food industry is increasingly interested in postbiotics/parabiotics because of their ability to preserve and enhance functional food production. These substances contain several bioactive compounds with immune system-regulating, antimicrobial, antioxidant, prebiotic, and anticancer properties. Despite its potential benefits, incorporating postbiotics/parabiotics into food poses various obstacles that must be overcome. These include technical barriers in production, lack of uniform definitions and regulations, regulatory obstacles, limited consumer awareness and acceptance, quality control challenges, determining the most effective dosage, and cost considerations. This review discusses these challenges and the research progress that has been achieved to address these drawbacks. As research in this field continues to advance, addressing these challenges will be crucial to unlock the full potential of postbiotics/parabiotics in the food industry.

Food hazards cause severe human illness and death worldwide every year. DNA walker possesses ingenious design and adaptable function. The structural advantage enables the DNA walker to accurately identify molecules and perform efficient mechanical movement. This feature provides a potential platform for food analysis. However, some reviews are roughly classified according to the structure of the walker, and some are only classified according to the biosensors used in analysis. Different from these, this review is the first time to show how DNA walkers achieve signal amplification in the analysis process according to the classification of major food hazard factors. Various examples of the application of DNA walkers in food safety, including the detection of pathogens, mycotoxins, and other hazard factors, will be covered. To better comprehend the functions of DNA walkers, we firstly and innovatively propose a "wagon model", and simplify the integration of key driving forces to classify DNA walkers. Furthermore, this review broadens the application of DNA walker and provides a more powerful molecular tool for food analysis. The in-depth direction should focus on improving the operational efficiency and sensitivity of the DNA walker, enhance the anti-background interference ability, and on-site detection capabilities for food safety analysis.

Background: Milk extracellular vesicles (mEVs) are emerging as important mediators in gut pathology and cancer management. These stable nanoscale vesicles contain bioactive cargos including microRNAs, proteins, and lipids that facilitate intercellular communication and offer therapeutic opportunities.

Scope and approach: This review examines mEVs' role in gut health and cancer therapy, synthesizing recent evidence from 2021 to 2025 across various milk sources (camel, bovine, equine, ovine, human).

Key findings and conclusions: mEVs significantly enhance intestinal health by strengthening epithelial barriers, modulating immune responses, and improving gut microbiota composition. In colitis models, they reduce inflammation, improve intestinal integrity, and restore microbial balance. Additionally, mEVs show promising cancer treatment applications, functioning as natural anticancer agents and efficient drug delivery vehicles. Their biocompatibility, tumor-targeting capabilities, and ability to enhance therapeutic efficacy while reducing toxicity address key limitations of conventional therapies. mEVs represent a promising frontier in preventive and therapeutic interventions for gastrointestinal disorders and cancer, positioning them as valuable candidates for future clinical applications in food-based therapeutics and precision medicine.