Critical reviews in food science and nutrition最新文献

Mangrove plants represent an interesting source of bioactive molecules that may be valuable for human use and especially for applications in the food sector. Phenolic compounds, ubiquitous in mangrove plants, are of considerable interest due to their antioxidant properties and other potential beneficial effects. This contribution aimed at gathering and emphasizing all recent works performed to unravel their antioxidant activities and use in food to improve food quality and extend shelf life. Food industries and food technologists may express a huge interest in their exploitation and valorization. Indeed, their addition and/or incorporation in food would allow to control off-flavor development, retard the formation of toxic oxidation products such as primary and secondary oxidation substances, maintain and improve nutritional quality, and to improve the shelf-life of foods. Based on the safety concerns and limitations on the use of synthetic antioxidants, their replacement with natural antioxidants provides a viable alternative.

Probiotics are beneficial microorganisms that support host health. They are extensively used in food, healthcare and pharmaceutical industries. Accurate viability assessment is imperative not only to ensure product quality and efficacy but also to meet consumer expectations. This review provides a systematic analysis of probiotic history, international regulatory standards and functional characteristics across strains. It provides a comprehensive overview of probiotic enumeration techniques, which range from traditional culture methods to modern emerging technologies that drive current research and applications. By critically evaluating the strengths and limitations of these methods, this review explores future directions for probiotic enumeration, offering valuable insights for quality control in probiotic products and supporting advancements in related scientific research.

Zinc and copper are essential trace elements that regulate immunity and inflammation, with antiviral effects that may help combat respiratory viruses like SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19. These effects include reducing cytokine storms and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, zinc and copper uptake is limited by homeostasis mechanisms, reducing their effectiveness. Sodium copper chlorophyllin (SCC) and sodium zinc chlorophyllin (SZC), nontoxic chlorophyll derivatives, may overcome these limitations by delivering higher intracellular levels of these metals. Evidence suggests SCC and SZC exhibit antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses by inhibiting viral entry, replication, and release from infected cells. Animal studies show that SCC can lower viral loads and reduce ARDS-like symptoms. Additionally, SCC and SZC may suppress proinflammatory cytokines, potentially preventing or reducing the severity of cytokine storms. This review highlights the antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects of zinc and copper, explores the therapeutic potential of SCC and SZC in viral respiratory infections, and discusses future research directions to optimize these treatments.

Prebiotics, particularly non-digestible carbohydrates (NDCs), are increasingly recognized for their role in modulating immune responses in the gut, lungs, and urinary tract. This review systematically evaluates evidence from human studies on the effects of NDCs and prebiotics on immune markers, infection risk and severity, inflammation, and vaccine responses. Prebiotics such as inulin, galactooligosaccharides (GOS), and fructooligosaccharides (FOS) positively influence gut microbiota by promoting beneficial species like Bifidobacteria. They also enhance the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) like butyrate, which interact with immune cells via G-protein-coupled receptors, inducing anti-inflammatory effects. In addition to microbiota-mediated mechanisms, NDCs and prebiotics may directly affect immune and epithelial cells by interacting with pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), enhancing gut barrier function, and modulating immunity. A systematic review of human studies showed that prebiotics, including GOS, FOS, and 2'-fucosyllactose (2FL), reduced infections and increased IgA in healthy infants, while yeast β-glucan reduced respiratory infection symptoms in healthy adults. Yeast β-glucan and GOS supplementation resulted in improvements in NK cell activity. Some effects on vaccine efficacy were noted in young adults, but the overall impact of NDCs and prebiotics on vaccination and systemic inflammation was inconsistent. Further research is needed to clarify the mechanisms involved and to optimize health applications.

The utilization of sensors, biosensors, electronic tongues and noses, as well as those techniques gathered under the family of vibrational spectroscopy are contributing with the so-called digital revolution in food sciences, from farm to fork, through food safety applications. These applications require the incorporation of data analytics in the form of chemometrics, machine learning and AI tools. This paper rather to provide with information about the advantages and opportunities of AI applications in the field of food sciences, it focusses on discussing the different issues that can conspire with the implementation and utilization of AI methods and techniques, in combination with sensing technologies and instrumental methods. The scientific literature has provided with a vast number of examples on the growing trend on the utilization of AI and ML methods and techniques, in food science applications. The incorporation of both AI, and ML methods has aided to the development of mathematical models that are helping to better explain not only food composition, but also the food system. However, no matter the type of AI and ML method or technique utilized, there are issues of importance that are not well understood or considered during their application. They can include among other issues, the selection of samples and sampling protocols, the lack of understanding of the physical effects of sample presentation on the collected signal, the utilization of few samples during model development, the issues associated with model overfitting as well as the lack of validation of the models.

Gut health is intricately linked to energy homeostasis, stress resistance, inflammation, and longevity. Methionine (Met) intake significantly influences gut health, with both supplementation and restriction showing distinct effects. While appropriate Met supplementation offers benefits, excessive intake can be harmful, whereas Met restriction appears to improve overall health of the body, especially the gut. This review synthesizes research on Met's role in gut health, highlighting its metabolism, interactions with the intestinal microbiota, and effects on oxidative stress, inflammation, and permeability in the intestine. The possible reason for Met intake influences the risk of metabolic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cognitive impairment, thus influencing lifespan was explored, which is potentially via gut health. In addition, strategies for achieving precision nutrition of Met, including dietary adjustments, production of Met-specific foods, bioengineering plant strains, and methioninase supplementation, were proposed. These insights aim to deepen the understanding of Met's effects on gut health and guide interventions for improving health outcomes.

Staphylococcus aureus is an important zoonotic pathogen associated with severe infections in both humans and animals. Food contaminated with staphylococcal enterotoxins can lead to food poisoning, characterized by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. This review examines a broad spectrum of S. aureus and its enterotoxins in food, with particular attention to the implications for public health. While the review includes a focus on methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in foodborne illnesses, it also discusses other challenges posed by this pathogen, including antimicrobial resistance and its role in food contamination. The review highlights strategies for prevention and control, such as hygiene practices, temperature management, and advancements in detection technologies. Furthermore, innovations in natural antimicrobial agents and thermal/non-thermal technologies are improving food safety without compromising quality. Despite advancements, challenges remain in combating S. aureus contamination. Ongoing research focuses on developing new technologies to deactivate the pathogen and its toxins. In conclusion, addressing these challenges requires sustained efforts to enhance food safety protocols, alongside identifying future research needs in technology development.

Post-harvest diseases pose a considerable threat to food safety and quality, and there is an urgent need for strong strategies to prevent and control them. In order to manage postharvest diseases of fruits and vegetables more efficiently, this review first describes various biocontrol agents (BCAs), including bacterial, fungal, and viral entities, and their basic principles in biocontrol. It then discusses the role of nontraditional chemical approaches, such as chemoinducers, plant extracts, essential oils, microbial metabolites, volatile compounds, and nanotechnology-based approaches, in postharvest diseases of fruits and vegetables. In addition, how nontraditional chemical methods can be utilized to enhance the effectiveness of BCAs is highlighted. The combination of nontraditional chemical methods and BCAs provides an innovative and effective strategy for preventing and controlling postharvest diseases. By utilizing the synergistic effects of various BCAs and nontraditional chemical methods, researchers have made significant progress in disease management. Notably, nanotechnology offers promising new avenues for the preparation and delivery of BCAs. Prospects for this research include the development of complex BCAs, international collaboration in the field of sustainable agriculture, and addressing regulatory challenges.

Research and clinical experience in nutrition have emphasized the merits of some dietary patterns, e.g., the Mediterranean diet, to obtain health-related benefits. This has also been the case of specific foods such as yogurt which has been tested using different approaches and under various conditions. As described in this paper, there is a quasi-consensus among population studies about the protective relationship of regular yogurt consumption with incidence of overweight and type 2 diabetes. This is concordant with laboratory-based experimentation and clinical trials showing that yogurt consumption induces favorable effects on many key components of metabolic homeostasis and energy balance. The benefits of yogurt consumption also seem to be partly explained by its status of fermented food which involves the influence of yogurt on the gut microbiota and the reciprocal role of some bacterial-derived molecules on metabolic regulation. In clinical nutrition, novel education approaches benefit from the versatility of yogurt and its high nutrient density to promote healthy eating behaviors and habits as well as cardiometabolic benefits. In summary, yogurt, especially plain yogurt, should be part of healthy eating habits because of its high nutritional value, its flexible food matrix, its beneficial bacterial components, and its versatility under usual feeding conditions.

Kojibiose, a rare disaccharide featuring a unique α-1,2-glycosidic linkage, exhibits functional properties such as significant sweetness, prebiotic activity, and iron absorption enhancement. It acts as an α-glucosidase I inhibitor, highlighting its potential in the food and pharmaceutical sectors. While natural extraction and chemical synthesis are limited by scalability and environmental concerns, enzymatic synthesis stands out as an alternative, offering high efficiency, specificity, and sustainability. Current enzymatic systems, including sucrose phosphorylase, kojibiose phosphorylase, and dextransucrase, combined with β-galactosidase or α-glucosidase, have shown considerable progress. Protein engineering of sucrose phosphorylase has further improved catalytic efficiency and thermostability. However, enzymatic synthesis still faces challenges, including low catalytic efficiency, instability, and high substrate costs, which impede large-scale production. Moreover, incomplete safety evaluations, unclear regulatory standards, and the absence of uniform quality specifications hinder compliant application. This review systematically outlines the structural features, physicochemical properties, and enzymatic synthesis strategies of kojibiose, with an emphasis on the role of protein engineering in scaling up production. It also evaluates its functional applications in health promotion, food quality improvement, and therapeutic uses. Finally, interdisciplinary innovations are proposed to establish technical standards and scalable bioprocesses, aiming to overcome current barriers and realize the commercial potential of sustainable kojibiose production.