eFood最新文献

Extreme exploitation of petroleum fuels has raised concerns around global warming due to increased greenhouse gas emissions, which by the year 2040 are expected to rise by around 43 billion metric tons. Biofuels have gained popularity in recent years because of their renewable and environmentally friendly prospects. Second-generation biodiesel is generated from nonedible raw materials such as food waste, and is suggested to have lesser negative impacts on the environment and does not threaten food security. Edible fruit waste (7.65 kg/person) and edible vegetable waste (16 kg/person) is suggested to have highest contribution in the 38% of the global food waste. Annually, this corresponds to 15.78 m² of cropland usage, 1.358 kg CO₂ equivalent, 232.87 g of nitrogen usage, 3810.6 L of freshwater usage, and 38.544 g of phosphorus usage per person for agricultural production. FVW includes peels, seeds, crops, leaves, straw, stems, roots, or tubers. This waste can be utilized as feedstock for biofuel instead of burning, dumping, or landfilling, which leads to economic, environmental, and health issues such as water-borne diseases, respiratory diseases, and lung diseases. Converting lignocellulosic mass into green energy including biogas, bioethanol, and biohydrogen can help in agricultural waste management while also contributing to carbon-neutral model. Past studies have shown the potential of using fruit and vegetable waste in energy generation, jet fuels, and general diesel engines. This review focuses on the latest advances in biofuel production technology, with an emphasis on new pretreatments, production technologies, and recent works to improve biofuel production from lignocellulosic biomass.

Garlic is a horticultural product highly valued for its culinary and medicinal attributes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the composition of a garlic hydrophilic extract as well as the influence on redox biology, Alzheimer's Disease (AD) markers and aging, using Caenorhabditis elegans as experimental model. The extract was rich in sulfur compounds, highlighting the presence of other compounds like phenolics, and the antioxidant property was corroborated. Regarding AD markers, the acetylcholinesterase inhibitory capacity was demonstrated in vitro. Although the extract did not modify the amyloid β-induced paralysis degree, it was able to improve, in a dose-dependent manner, some locomotive parameters affected by the hyperphosphorylated tau protein in C. elegans. It could be related to the effect found on GFP-transgenic stains, mainly regarding to the increase in the gene expression of HSP-16.2. Moreover, an initial investigation into the aging process revealed that the extract successfully inhibited the accumulation of intracellular and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species in aged worms. These results provide valuable insights into the multifaceted impact of garlic extract, particularly in the context of aging and neurodegenerative processes. This study lays a foundation for further research avenues exploring the intricate molecular mechanisms underlying garlic effects and its translation into potential therapeutic interventions for age-related neurodegenerative conditions.

The preservation of grapes during storage and transportation has long been a challenge due to the presence of Botrytis cinerea. Studies have shown that chitosan and selenium are effective in preserving fruits and vegetables during storage. This study investigated the effect of selenium-chitosan (25 mg L⁻¹ selenium and 1.0% chitosan) treatment on Red Globe grapes' disease resistance during storage at 0°C. The results indicated that treatment with selenium-chitosan significantly reduced the decay rate of grapes from 41.79% to 4.93% at 60 days of storage. Additionally, the treatment increased the activities of POD and CAT and decreased the activity of PPO. The application of selenium-chitosan resulted in increased activity of PAL, C4H, and 4CL which was related to the phenylalanine pathway, leading to the accumulation of phenolic compounds and improved disease resistance in grapes. RT-qPCR analysis revealed that the upregulation of VvPAL, VvC4H, and Vv4CL was delayed in grapes treated with selenium-chitosan. Their expression levels were significantly lower than those of the control grapes, with reductions to 2.37%, 2.02% and 10.60 at 60 days of storage, respectively. After inoculation with Botrytis cinerea, grapes treated with selenium-chitosan effectively limited the growth of Botrytis cinerea mycelium. These results suggest that selenium-chitosan treatment significantly improves resistance to microbial infestation and limits fungal growth after exposure.

Terminalia arjuna, known as Arjuna, is a medicinal plant native to the Indian subcontinent. It has a rich history of traditional use and contains a wide range of phytoconstituents that contribute to its potential health benefits. The key phytoconstituents in Terminalia arjuna include polyphenols, triterpenoids, flavonoids, and tannins. The plant's bark is rich in polyphenols, particularly gallic acid and ellagic acid derivatives, which are powerful antioxidants. These antioxidants can protect cells from oxidative stress and may help prevent degenerative diseases. Additionally, Terminalia arjuna contains triterpenoids like arjunolic acid and arjunic acid, which have various therapeutic properties, including cardioprotective, anti-allergic, anti-cancer, and antibacterial effects. Flavonoids found in Terminalia arjuna, such as luteolin and quercetin, contribute to its potential cardiovascular benefits. These compounds have been studied for their positive effects on heart health. Tannins, including pyrocatechols and punicalagin, are also present in the bark and are known for their astringent properties, wound-healing abilities, and possible antimicrobial activity. This review highlights the Terminalia arjuna potential health benefits include cardioprotection, antioxidant effects, anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, hypolipidemic (lipid-lowering) effects, and potential anti-cancer and antibacterial actions.

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is one of the most important ready-to-eat vegetables widely consumed worldwide owing to its nutritional and health benefits. A total of 111 peaks were identified via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) with sugars represented the most abundant primary metabolite class detected in lettuce specially in sandy soil grown lettuce compared to that in mud soil. The highest sugar level was detected in iceberg lettuce grown in sand soil at 967.1 mg/g versus lowest in “Baladi” lettuce grown in mud soil at 48.2 mg/g. Glucose represented the major sugar at 733.4 mg in iceberg grown in sand soil (SC) compared to 94.7 mg/g in that grown in muddy soil (MC). Sucrose detected at 212-434 mg/g compared to traces in samples grown in muddy soil (MB and MC). Higher levels of amino acids were detected in green leaf lettuce in sandy soil (SC) at 130 mg/g, with L-proline as the major amino form. Iceberg lettuce grown in SC was discriminated from other samples with the aid of chemometric analysis due to its richness in sugars, while green leaf lettuce in SC was discriminated by its richness in amino acids, organic acids, and sugar alcohols.

T-2 toxin is a highly toxic type A trichothecene mycotoxin commonly found in feed, agricultural products like wheat, corn, and barley, as well as processed foods, presenting substantial health hazards to both humans and animals. In this study, a microbial consortium (designated as BJ) with stable and efficient T-2 toxin degradation activity was isolated from Chinese yeast balls, a traditional Chinese fermentation starter. The consortium was dominated by species of Wickerhamomyces, Pichia, and Pediococcus. This BJ consortium demonstrated the ability to degrade 99.2% of the T-2 toxin to HT-2 toxin, T-2 triol, and T-2 tetraol within 48 h, outperforming individual strains. Metagenomic sequencing and LC-MS/MS metabolic analysis elucidated the degradation pathway, which includes deacetylation and de-epoxidation of the epoxy group, with the cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP61 in Wickerhamomyces ciferrii playing a key role in detoxification. The study highlights the potential of the BJ consortium as a natural agent for T-2 toxin detoxification in the feed and food industry, though further research is warranted to assess its real-world application and safety.

Red yeast rice (RYR) has been extensively used as a natural food for thousands of years and still plays an important role in the world food industry. In this study, the protective effect and the mechanism of monaphilone B (MB) from RYR on alcoholic liver injury were investigated in mice. The results showed that MB effectively ameliorated alcohol-induced liver lipid metabolism (decreasing serum total cholesterol [TC], triglyceride [TG], low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C], and increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C]), oxidative stress (decreasing hepatic maleic dialdehyde [MDA] level, increasing catalase [CAT], superoxide dismutase [SOD], alcohol dehydrogenase [ADH] and glutathione [GSH] hepatic activities), and inflammatory response (decreasing hepatic lipopolysaccharide [LPS], tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α], Interferon-γ [IFN-γ] and interleukin 6 [IL-6]), repaired liver function (reducing serum alanine aminotransferase [ALT], aspartate aminotransferase [AST], and liver lactate dehydrogenase [LDH] activity). 16S amplicon sequencing showed that MB administration effectively modulated intestinal flora and its metabolism, which were highly correlated with the improvement of liver function and intestinal barrier function. Liver metabolomics analysis indicated that MB administration regulated 69 liver potential biomarkers involved in glycerophospholipid metabolism, nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, and so on. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot (WB) analysis revealed that MB administration modulated gene transcription and protein expression related to liver lipid metabolism and oxidative stress. These findings provide scientific evidence that MB has the biological activity to ameliorate alcohol-induced lipid metabolism disorders, liver oxidative stress, and enterobacterial dysbiosis.

In traditional Chinese medicine, Ramulus mori (Sangzhi) is used to lower blood sugar and treat diseases such as diabetes, and its therapeutic effects are attributed to an abundance of bioactive compounds. This study employed a comparative analysis of Ramulus mori (Sangzhi) from three geographical regions within China. The samples included Morus atropurpurea Roxb from Guangdong (GDS), Morus australis Poir from Jiangsu (JS), and Morus nigra Linn, which is native to Xinjiang (XJYS). The study discovered significant differences in total polyphenol and flavonoid content among various Ramulus mori (Sangzhi), with those from XJYS showing the highest levels. Utilizing UPLC-ESI-MS/MS technology, a total of 128 phenolic metabolites were identified, from which 17 differential metabolites were screened. In Comparison to GDS, JS, and XJYS exhibited 12 and 10 different metabolites, respectively, with 8 differential metabolites observed between JS and XJYS. Furthermore, XJYS exhibited a higher polyphenol and flavonoid content than the other two varieties. Additionally, some of the upregulated differential metabolites have been confirmed to possess a variety of pharmacological effects and health benefits. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis linked these to flavonoid biosynthesis, and qRT-PCR confirmed corresponding gene expression patterns. These findings provided a theoretical basis for the use of Ramulus mori (Sangzhi) in the pharmaceutical and food industries.

The whole genome sequences of A. dauci DSM 28700, A. fastidiosus KKP 3000 (guaiacol producers), and A. fastidiosus DSM 17978 (non-guaiacol producer) were firstly determined. Then, the presence of the guaiacol biosynthetic gene cluster in genome sequences of 7 guaiacol-producing and 16 non-guaiacol producing Alicyclobacillus strains was explored. Of the 7 Alicyclobacillus guaiacol producers investigated, a complete guaiacol biosynthetic gene cluster was found in A. fastidiosus K3000, A. acidiphilus NBRC 100859, A. dauci DSM 28700, A. suci VF-FSL-W10-0049 and FSL-W10-0048; only guaB, guaC, guaD, and guaE genes were found in A. herbarius DSM 13609, and guaA, guaB, guaC, guaD, and guaE genes were found in A. hesperidum subsp. aegles DSM 11985. There was no complete guaiacol gene cluster present in the tested 16 Alicyclobacillus non-guaiacol producers. The expression kinetics of genes in the guaiacol biosynthetic gene cluster under the conditions of producing and not producing guaiacol indicated that the expression of the 6 genes was closely related to the production of guaiacol in A. acidoterrestris. These findings will facilitate a deeper understanding of guaiacol production in Alicyclobacillus spp., which will contribute to develop effective control methods to minimize Alicyclobacillus-related spoilage in the fruit juice industry.

Nonthermal plasma (NTP) is a novel nonthermal technology with many potential applications in the food industry because of its promising effects on food decontamination, including mycotoxin decontamination. In this study, atmospheric NTP and plasma-activated water (PAW) were used to evaluate ochratoxin A (OTA) reduction and the quality of green coffee beans. Artificially contaminated green coffee beans were subjected to atmospheric NTP, PAW, atmospheric NTP-PAW, and PAW-atmospheric NTP treatments for 2 min, and OTA was then analyzed using liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry before and after each treatment. NTP-based treatments significantly reduced OTA concentration in green coffee beans by 37.66%–51.80%. The maximum reduction efficiency was found in PAW-atmospheric NTP treatment. Furthermore, no negative effects were observed in terms of color, caffeine content, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and DPPH scavenging activity, except for atmospheric NTP treatment, which exhibited distinct color changes. In addition, a minimal decrease in the aroma of green coffee beans was observed following atmospheric NTP and PAW treatments, whereas a minimal increase was observed when both treatments were combined. NTP-based treatments provide new approaches for mitigating mycotoxin in the food industry as well as important implications for the use of atmospheric NTP and PAW in the coffee industry.