Food Chemistry: X最新文献

Rice bran (RB) and wheat bran (WB) are rich in bioactives but poorly utilized due to limited bioaccessibility. Here, a fungal fermentation strategy was developed to valorize RB-WB blends. A novel fermented product (FRBWB) was obtained via Grifola frondosa (G. frondosa) fermentation, with conditions optimized for bioactive enrichment. After 13 days of fermentation, polysaccharide, polyphenol, and soluble protein contents increased from 86.56 to 126.93 mg/g, 1.38 to 1.67 mg/g, and 53.69 to 93.06 mg/g, respectively (P < 0.05), accompanied by marked improvements in water-holding capacity and solubility. The process altered substrate's microstructure, resulting in a looser, more porous surface. Untargeted metabolomics identified 445 differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) between FRBWB and the unfermented control (RBWB), among which ferulic acid methyl ester showed the highest upregulation. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations suggested a stable interaction between ferulic acid methyl ester and lignin peroxidase, dominated by van der Waals forces, electrostatic interactions, and hydrogen bonding (ΔE_MMPBSA = -79.73 ± 1.47 kJ/mol), which may help rationalize the observed enhancement of phenolic release. Functionally, FRBWB exhibited significantly enhanced in vitro antioxidant activity and conferred superior protection against AAPH-induced oxidative stress in zebrafish embryos, improving survival (92% at 50 μg/mL), hatching rate (87.69%), and reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS), apoptosis, and lipid peroxidation (P < 0.05). Overall, this study suggests that G. frondosa fermentation represents a sustainable strategy for upgrading RB-WB by-products into functional food ingredients with potential antioxidant benefits.

Health concerns related to saturated fats intake have encouraged efforts to reduce or replace animal fat in meat products. Direct substitution of saturated fats with liquid vegetable oils often compromises texture and processing stability. Emulsion gels (EGs) can structure liquid oils into solid-like fats. Due to its emulsifying capacity, almond protein isolate (API) was combined with κ-carrageenan (KC) to reinforce the gel matrix, and the API/KC EGs remain unexplored as pork fat replacers in meat products. EGs (6% w/v API, 20% v/v sunflower oil, 0-6% w/v KC) were prepared and characterized. The 6% KC group (AEG6) showed a dense microstructure, enhanced gel strength, improved thermal stability and oil-binding capacity, and the highest viscoelasticity. Replacing 50% pork fat with AEG6 maintained instrumental texture and sensory scores were comparable to conventional frankfurters. Overall, API/KC EGs effectively replace pork fat in low-fat frankfurters, owing to the emulsifying role of API.

Food-derived bioactive peptides show great potential for functional foods, given their structural adaptability and safety. Crassostrea gigas contains abundant bioactive proteins, but the immunomodulatory mechanism of their peptides remains unclear. In this research, 29 new peptides were identified from papain-hydrolyzed oyster extracts using LC-MS/MS, and target peptide SWDNFLQR with high activity potential was obtained through bioinformatics screening and chemically synthesized. The immunomodulatory properties of SWDNFLQR were assessed through the RAW264.7 cells model and iTRAQ quantitative proteomics. SWDNFLQR enhanced proliferation, phagocytosis, and secretion of NO, TNF-α, and IL-6. It activates Toll-like receptors and the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, modulating key proteins Fn1 and Prkacb. Notably, higher concentrations of SWDNFLQR specifically inhibited NF-κB pathway activation, indicating its dual immunomodulatory role in stimulating immune responses and mitigating excessive inflammation. This positions SWDNFLQR as a valuable component for the formulation of anti-inflammatory and immune-regulating functional foods.

22 Cabernet Sauvignon wines from 10 representative Chinese wine regions are collected, which wines contain plant aromas? GC × GC-QTOFMS/O analysis identified a total of 11 compounds with plant aroma characteristics, the average concentration of plant aroma-active compounds in the wine samples from the G2 (the second group region with cooler climate) (450 μg/L) was significantly higher than that in the G1 (the first group) (95 μg/L), and the average intensities of four out of the five plant aroma attributes in the wines of G2, namely green pepper, grass, mint, and eucalyptus, were higher than those in G1, plant aromas contributed to the sensory style of 95% of the wine samples analyzed. This systematic analysis of the distribution characteristics and intensity differences of plant aromas in typical Chinese wine regions provides theoretical support for exploring the regional features of Chinese wine, improving product quality and enhancing market competitiveness.

This study evaluated ultrasound-assisted processing for improving the physicochemical, functional, and sensory properties of camel milk chocolate formulated with freeze-dried camel milk powder, a system traditionally constrained by intensive refining and tempering due to camel milk's atypical fat-protein organization. Ultrasound applied during manufacture showed that moderate treatment preserved proximate composition while significantly reducing water activity and increasing antioxidant activity. Structural modifications were pronounced, including more than a twofold improvement in shape retention index, enhanced color uniformity and whiteness index, improved microstructural homogeneity, and reduced apparent viscosity. FTIR analysis revealed subtle shifts in amide I and II regions, indicating ultrasound-induced conformational rearrangements and strengthened molecular interactions among milk proteins, cocoa solids, and fat phases. Collectively, these findings establish ultrasound-assisted processing as an effective strategy to enhance structural, functional, and sensory quality of camel milk chocolate while reducing dependence on cumbersome thermal refining and tempering operations.

Herein, diacylglycerol (DAG) was prepared from Swida wilsoniana fruit oil by a two-step enzymatic process, and the quality of crude Swida wilsoniana fruit oil (Crude oil), refined Swida wilsoniana fruit oil (Refined oil), DAG oil derived from crude oil (Crude oil-DAG), and DAG oil derived from refined oil (Refined oil-DAG) were compared and evaluated. The results showed that Lipozyme® RM IM enzyme exhibited the best hydrolysis effect in the hydrolysis reaction, while Novozym® 435 enzyme had a lower reaction energy barrier and a faster esterification catalytic rate in the esterification reaction, yielding a DAG content of up to 72.99%. Quality analysis showed that the physical and chemical indicators of the four oils all met the national standards, refining and enzymatic reactions can affect the tocopherol content, oxidative stability and flavor components of oils. The tocopherol content and oxidative stability in the crude oil were the best, and the volatile flavor substances of the crude oil and its DAG were richer. The research confirmed that the crude Swida wilsoniana fruit oil is an ideal raw material for the preparation of DAG, and the obtained DAG has excellent comprehensive quality.

Micellar casein (MC), a key protein derived from milk, is extensively utilized in the food sector. Nevertheless, the practical application of MC powder is constrained by its inadequate rehydration performance. This study investigated the effect of electrostatic spray drying (ESD) on the rehydration properties of MC powder, as well as compared its performance with those of freeze drying (FD) and spray drying (SD). ESD powder showed a quick dissolution and dissolved nearly 96% within 16 h, showing a higher stability of MC solution without sediment. In contrast, FD and SD powders showed lower solubility (85% and 75%). ESD-produced MC powder exhibited higher κ-casein and faster water erosion, leading to rapid size reduction (< 200 nm) upon rehydration minimal hydrophobic exposure, and improved hydration efficiency. This study demonstrates that ESD can effectively improve the hydration properties of MC, establishing a theoretical foundation for industrial manufacturing processes of high quality MC powder.

This study integrated metabolomics, electronic tongue, and molecular docking to investigate how a multi-stage steam-drying process influences the flavor characteristics of pomelo black tea. Results showed that continuous steam-drying can significantly reduce bitterness and umami, and it could also promote the hydrolysis of flavonoid glycosides such as naringenin and the accumulation of organic acids such as linolenic acid, thereby increasing acidity while reducing bitterness. Volatile component analysis indicated that heat-sensitive terpenes such as γ-terpinene was significantly reduced due to oxidative degradation. Aldehydes and esters, including undecanal and neryl acetate, might compensate for this loss of aroma through thermal conversion. This research also found that hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions were key to the binding of aroma compounds to olfactory receptors. Overall, this study provides molecular- and sensory-level evidence linking moist heat processing to coordinated changes in taste- and aroma-related compounds in pomelo black tea.

Rapid, non-invasive monitoring technologies represent an advancement beyond labor-intensive assays for assessing biomass and bioactives in microalgal production. This study established an integrated Raman spectroscopy and machine learning framework for quantification of Phaeodactylum tricornutum biomass and fucoxanthin yield. Workflow combined spectral processing with multiple feature selection strategies and machine learning algorithms. Deep networks demonstrated superior biomass prediction accuracy on full-spectrum (coefficient of determination R² = 0.968; root mean squared error RMSE = 0.045 g L^-1; relative prediction deviation RPD = 5.598), while kernel methods achieved robust fucoxanthin quantification through sparse, regularized features (R² = 0.949, RMSE = 1.112 mg L^-1, RPD = 4.408). Direct application of laboratory-trained models to pilot-scale photobioreactors was inaccurate due to domain shifts. Transfer learning effectively mitigated these shifts, restoring accuracy with minimal calibration efforts (10-20%). This work presents an industrially viable analytical tool for quality control and process optimization of microalgae-derived bioproducts.

Oxidative stability during bottle aging strongly affects white wine sensory quality and shelf life. This study evaluated accelerated oxidative aging methods to produce graded oxidation and to align sensory oxidation with physicochemical markers. Two approaches were tested: ultrasonic irradiation and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) addition. Ultrasound did not reproduce typical oxidative evolution and generated off-flavors. In contrast, controlled H₂O₂ addition reliably induced oxidation consistent with natural aging, supported by colorimetric (CIELAB), antioxidant (DPPH), and sensory analyses (REDOX scale, RATA). Applied to several Chardonnay wines, the protocol revealed matrix-dependent oxidation responses. Sensory oxidation scores correlated strongly with antioxidant capacity (Ec20) and browning (ΔE), indicating good method robustness. Overall, the H₂O₂-based protocol offers a rapid, practical framework to induce and grade oxidation-related sensory profiles while linking them to antioxidant and color metrics, enabling controlled comparison of oxidative stability across wines.