Critical reviews in food science and nutrition最新文献

Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a condition that results from metabolic disorders. In addition to genetic factors, irregular and high-energy diets may also significantly contribute to its pathogenesis. Dietary habits can profoundly alter the composition of gut microbiota and metabolites. Metabolites can be absorbed into the blood and liver via the gut-liver axis in MASLD. Dietary polyphenols are important bioactive compounds in daily diets that can effectively promote human health. Dietary polyphenols have beneficial effects on MASLD of host, but their mechanism of action is still unclear, and clinical translation is difficult and also affected by individual differences. Accumulating evidence suggest that dietary polyphenols can effectively ameliorate MASLD via the gut-liver axis. In this review, the effects of dietary polyphenols on the gut-liver axis in MASLD models were systematically summarized. Dietary polyphenols can affect the gut microbiota and its metabolites, which can effectively restore the damaged gut barrier. Dietary polyphenols can regulate lipid metabolism, inflammation, autophagy, apoptosis-related signaling pathways, and key gene expression in the liver, thereby alleviating MASLD-induced liver damage. These findings broadens our understanding of how polyphenols improve metabolic disorders, and provides valuable insights for future studies of dietary polyphenols.

Ginger, a globally cultivated spice and medicinal herb, is renowned for its health benefits and distinctive flavor. As ginger's main pungent and bioactive components, 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol share similar physicochemical properties and can be obtained by extraction from ginger or chemical synthesis. After oral ingestion, the biological fate of 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol are influenced by processes including absorption, biotransformation, distribution, and excretion. Both compounds exert multiple health-promoting effects in vivo, such as anti-cancer properties, amelioration of neurological diseases, inhibition of ulcerative colitis, improvement of diabetes, and protection against heart injury. This review summarizes the latest findings on the chemical properties, in vivo metabolic fate, and bioactivities of 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol, providing a comprehensive understanding of their health-promoting effects and offering suggestions for their application in food and nutraceutical fields.

The prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, is rising worldwide. Among various potential contributors, low dietary fiber (DF) diet habit stands out as a substantial factor in this accelerating trend. Conversely, DF supplementation inhibits the manifestation of IBD pathology and promotes inflammatory remission. It's reported that DF plays a beneficial role in maintaining intestinal health in a variety of ways, including regulating the structure of the intestinal flora, promoting the production of beneficial metabolites, improving intestinal barrier function, modulating immune homeostasis, and so on. Given the inherent physiological benefits, as well as the natural targeting ability of DF to the colon, DF-derived nanoparticles (DF-NPs) have been extensively explored in the treatment of IBD through the integration of bioactives or drugs. In this comprehensive review, we initiate a discussion of common beneficial DFs and their physiological mechanisms for alleviating IBD. On this basis, we elaborate on the targeted drug delivery strategies and interventional approaches developed using DF-NPs, along with their associated clinical challenges. This investigative effort is crucial for understanding and leveraging DF-derived management strategies and fostering their potential to contribute positively to intestinal health and life quality.

An adequate choline intake is essential for infant health. Choline profiles in human milk, critical for setting adequate intake levels and developing infant formulas, varied markedly across studies. This study aimed to systematically review and analyze choline concentrations and compositions in human milk and explore influencing factors. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and CNKI were searched through August 16, 2025, for studies reporting total choline (TC) or water-soluble choline (WSC) concentrations in milk from healthy mothers within six months postpartum. Three-level meta-analytic models were used. Seventeen studies involving 1747 women were included. The primary analysis of seven studies reporting both TC and WSC showed a pooled TC concentration of 126.2 mg/L (95% CI: 103.7, 148.7), with WSC accounting for 83.3% (76.1%, 90.6%). The secondary analysis included ten additional studies reporting only WSC, estimating TC at 134.2 mg/L (122.6, 145.8), consistent with the primary analysis (p = 0.507). Across all studies, TC significantly increased from 71.5 mg/L in colostrum to 152.2 mg/L in transitional milk, then stabilized at 145.0 mg/L in mature milk. Although TC concentrations varied by assay methods and geographic regions, economic levels of countries demonstrated a significant influence. These findings could provide guidance for infant feeding.

Aroma is one of the most critical determinants of the sensory quality of fruit wines and directly influences consumer preference. As aroma analysis strategies evolve, aroma enhancement in fruit wines has become a key focus in winemaking. Therefore, it is essential to summarize the technological approaches employed in the aroma analysis and enhancement of fruit wine production. This review summaries the analytical techniques used for fruit wine aroma profiling and the principal volatile compounds identified in fruit wine and their formation mechanisms. Key factors influencing the aromatic characteristics of fruit wines are also analyzed, emphasizing the critical role of microbial communities in modulating aroma profiles. Significant differences in volatile compounds have been observed between fruit wines produced from different fruit varieties, ripeness levels, origins, and fermentation processes. Alcohols and esters are the primary contributors to the overall aroma, mainly generated through microbial metabolism. And a strong link between multi-microorganism fermentation and enhanced flavor formation has been demonstrated. Future research should focus on using multi-omics techniques to better understand the synergistic interactions between aroma compounds and microbial metabolism. This article can provide a theoretical basis for improving the production processes of fruit wine and enhancing the aroma quality.

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is an ancient grain and the fifth most produced cereal worldwide, and the most consumed cereal in the semi-arid regions of Africa and Asia, being a key grain for the diet of about 500 million people. It is rich in phenolic compounds (like flavonoids, 3-deoxyanthocyanidins, phenolic acids), resistant starch, and dietary fiber, which may beneficially influence intestinal health. This systematic review analyzed 22 in vivo studies to assess the effects of sorghum processing on bioactive compounds and their effects on intestinal health. Evidence suggests that sorghum modulates microbiota composition, enhances epithelial barrier integrity, improves intestinal morphology, and alters short-chain fatty acid production. These benefits appear to be influenced by sorghum genotype, grain fraction, and processing method, like refinement, extrusion, and fermentation, which affect the bioavailability of phenolics. Some studies indicated the effects of sorghum phenolics on anti-inflammatory and improved tight junction protein expression. Additionally, we emphasized the lack of complete information in several studies by not specifying genotypes, varieties, processing, and profiles of bioactive compounds of the sorghums used, hindering the understanding of the mechanisms involved in improving intestinal health. Overall, this review supports the potential of sorghum as functional food and ingredient for intestinal health promotion.

The discovery of flavonoid amination metabolism has raised research interest in this new biotransformation mechanism. In vitro studies have revealed that flavonoids with pyrogallol structures readily react with N-nucleophilic ammonia, where amination occurs at intermediate -OH position, such as the B ring C4'-OH of epigallocatechin gallate and myricetin, A ring C6-OH of baicalein. Flavonoids are also covalently bound with amino acid residue by Schiff base, Michael addition or Strecker degradation, which are further rearranged to generate -NH₂ substituted products. Amination transformation is mainly related to the interaction of flavonoids with amino acids, with the pathway occurring mainly in the liver and gut, where the intestinal microbiota promotes the formation of aminated metabolites. The introduction of -NH₂ not only preserves the basic activity of flavonoids, but it also has biological significance in ammonia detoxification. Furthermore, flavonoids serve as an anti-amyloidosis agent by amination, preventing the related diseases. Amination modification alters flavonoid polarity and spatial conformation, which facilitates their target interaction with enzymes (topoisomerase II), molecular docking confirming that they bind to amino acid residues in a pattern similar to that of Adriamycin. It is worth further exploring the biological effects induced by flavonoid amination, which may be a promising modification strategy.

The olive oil industry generates vast amounts of by-products, including olive pomace, olive mill wastewater, olive pits, and olive leaves, which pose serious environmental and economic challenges. However, these residues are rich in bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, dietary fibers, unsaturated fatty acids, and sugar derivatives, making them valuable resources for sustainable valorization. This review explores innovative biotechnological and probiotic-driven approaches to convert olive waste into high-value products, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 12 (Responsible consumption and production) and SDG 13 (Climate action). Probiotic fermentation has potential to enhance the nutritional and functional properties of olive by-products by biotransformation of phenolics, reducing bitterness, and improving bioavailability. Fermented olive wastes exhibit promising applications in functional foods, animal feed, natural preservatives, and nutraceuticals, offering antioxidant, antimicrobial, and gut health benefits. Additionally, microbial bioconversion enhances the extraction of valuable compounds while minimizing waste generation. This review highlights current advances, key challenges, and future perspectives for integrating probiotic and enzymatic valorization strategies into a circular bioeconomy, promoting sustainable industrial practices and environmental protection.

Digestion-resistant proteins, which are proteins that reduce or inhibit the digestive process of dietary nutrients, might be an emerging field to explore. Growing public interest in food composition and health has drawn attention to digestion-resistant proteins, yet their functional roles and mechanisms remain poorly understood. While consumers increasingly recognize the impact of dietary components like resistant starch, proteins that evade digestion have not been systematically studied. This review summarizes the current understanding of the various forms of digestion-resistant proteins found in natural food products, and addresses the challenges associated with elucidating their mechanisms of action. It is clarified that the dual mechanisms of their resistance to digestion could attribute either to intrinsic structural stability or through inhibiting digestive enzymes as protein-based inhibitors. Collectively, these proteins can serve diverse functions, including modulating nutrient absorption, influencing postprandial glycemic responses, and promoting gut health. Furthermore, there is an urgent need to consider potential safety concerns related to development of food products and therapeutics containing significant levels of resistant proteins and protein-based digestive enzyme inhibitors.

Edible insects have emerged as promising sources of bioactive materials with potential applications across various sectors, including the food, feed, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries. This review evaluates the potential of edible insects as eco-friendly and nutritionally superior materials by analyzing their key nutritional components. Focusing on drying methods, this study examines the advantages and disadvantages of different processing techniques to enhance usability and leverage their potential value. By reviewing previous studies on edible insects and their derivatives, this paper highlights factors influencing their bioactivities, such as their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic properties. Additionally, it identifies insects with superior efficacy for each bioactivity and proposes strategies to enhance consumer acceptance through optimized efficacy and product development. To facilitate the large-scale commercialization of edible insects, it is necessary to create the conditions required for industrial development, including the standardization of processing technologies, the establishment of appropriate legal systems, and efforts to improve public perception. By consolidating recent research findings, this review aims to provide a foundational understanding of the potential of edible insects as sustainable and bioactive materials, paving the way for their application in future research and development.