Food Chemistry: X最新文献

The combination of protein and polyphenol is an effective approach to improve the stability of protein emulsions. The lactoferrin (LF)-(−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) covalent complex (LF-EGCG) was first prepared by alkali-induced reaction, then the structure and physicochemical properties between LF-EGCG and non-covalent complex (LF + EGCG) were compared, and finally the stability of complexes to fish oil high internal Pickering emulsions (HIPPEs) was tested. Results showed that LF-EGCG had stronger antioxidant activity, higher thermal stability, and better surface wettability than LF + EGCG. Meanwhile, the complexes showed no cytotoxicity within the tested concentration range (12.5–200 μg/mL). The HIPPEs stabilized with LF-EGCG possessed smaller droplet size, higher ζ-potential, and more uniform oil/water proton distribution. Covalent treatment also enhanced the storage, thermal, freeze-thaw and physical stability of LF HIPPEs. Furthermore, due to the higher antioxidant activity and denser microstructure, LF-EGCG HIPPE can more effectively inhibit the oxidation of fish oil.

Gallic acid (GA) is widely used in beverages, food, and other fields as antioxidant. However, GA is slightly toxic and the accumulation of GA is harmful to human body. Therefore, it's vital to develop simple and sensitive detection methods for GA. In this work, a novel ratiometric fluorescent nanoprobe (named CoOOH/OPD/SiNPs) for the GA detection in different foods was designed and prepared. The fluorescence of silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) at 443 nm would be quenched by cobalt oxyhydroxide (CoOOH) nanoflakes. o-phenylenediamine (OPD) would be oxidized to 2,3-diaminophenazine (DAP) by CoOOH nanoflakes that have peroxidase-like activity, which produces a new fluorescent peak at 556 nm. Meanwhile, SiNPs' fluorescence would be quenched through DAP due to inner filter effect (IFE). With the addition of GA, the reductive decomposition of CoOOH decreased DAP level, causing IFE being restrained. The concentration of GA indicates an excellent linear relationship with fluorescence ratio (F₄₄₃/F₅₅₆) in range of 0.4–12 μM (R² = 0.9937) with 0.16 μM detection limit. This nanoprobe is applied to GA detection in water, tea leaves, fruits and nut fruits, which would be expected to act as a portable device for complex substances analysis.

The excessive presence of Cu²⁺ could be harmful to human health. Therefore, a ratiometric fluorescence sensor based on multicolor fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) was developed for Cu²⁺ detection. The blue and yellow carbon dots (B-CDs/Y-CDs) were synthesized by one-step hydrothermal method. After adding Cu²⁺, it is captured by the amino groups of B-CDs to form complexes, resulting in a strong fluorescence quenching via photoinduced electron transfer (PET). Meanwhile, the amino groups from Y-CDs also binds with Cu²⁺ that inhibit the internal PET thus enhancing the fluorescence of Y-CDs. The sensor has the merits in rapid, visual, and selective with a low limit of detection (LOD) at 2.29 nM. Furthermore, an intelligent device composed of portable optical detector and smartphone is constructed, which realizes the visual point-of-care testing (POCT) of Cu²⁺ with a LOD of 7.51 nM. The strategy provides an accessible approach for monitoring heavy metal pollution and food safety.

Arginine (Arg), a safe basic amino acid, modulates interprotein interactions and impacts the processing characteristics of myofibrillar proteins (MP) in meat products, as numerous studies have demonstrated. This study aimed to explore the effects of varying concentrations of Arg (0.025, 0.050, 0.100, 0.200 %) on the physicochemical properties and gel behavior of yak MP. Utilizing yak MP as the substrate, we assessed and analyzed the physicochemical attributes and gel performance of the MP-Arg composite system. The findings revealed that Arg facilitates MP unfolding and internal group exposure, effectively mitigating oxidative tertiary structure alterations. Arg exerts potent antioxidant activity on MP, augmenting their water-holding capacity, which ameliorates gel properties. In this experiment, 0.05 % Arg maximally inhibited oxidative damage to MP, with protection being concentration-dependent. Collectively, these findings suggest that Arg effectively inhibits the oxidative degradation of MP structure and promotes the formation of enhanced gel characteristics.

To explore the changes in water status and protein characteristics of Tibetan pork (TP) under modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) with different oxygen concentrations compared to Duroc×Landrace×Yorkshire pork (DLY), the water holding capacity (WHC), water distribution, protein oxidation, and conformation of both types were determined. Results indicate that under MAP, TP pork and DLY pork exhibited higher water retention and lower protein oxidation compared to air packaging. However, with increased oxygen concentration in the MAP, protein oxidation intensified, leading to reduced WHC in the pork. Compared to DLY pork, TP pork in different packaging conditions maintained the integrity of protein secondary and tertiary structures, reducing protein cross-linking aggregation. The lower content of P₃ in the two-dimensional relaxation spectra, shorter T₁ and T₂ relaxation times, and higher proton density suggest better water retention properties in Tibetan pork. These findings support the development of long-distance preservation and transportation technologies for TP pork.

Three different emulsions of myofibrillar protein (MP), soy protein isolate (SPI) and egg white protein isolate (EPI) were individually mixed with MP sol to form composite gels. N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) was used as a sulfhydryl group blocker to evaluate the effects of sulfhydryl and disulfide bonds on the properties of different protein–emulsion composite gels. The results show that the disulfide bond contents in the MP (SPI, EPI) emulsion composite gel decreased from the initial 2.4 ± 0.1, (2.3 ± 0.2, 1.8 ± 0.4) mol/kg to 0.6 ± 0.1, (0.5 ± 0.3, 0.7 ± 0.1) mol/kg with the NEM content increased. In addition, the microstructure showed that the interfacial protein membrane of the emulsion globules were broken in different degrees, indicating that the interaction between the emulsion and the gel matrix was weakened. Meanwhile, gel strength, water distribution and elastic modulus of the composite gels were reduced with NEM contents increased.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), toxic persistent pollutants, result in adverse impacts to human being health. Among the variety contaminant remediation approaches, nanotechnology was found promising in terms of its efficiency and exceptional size-dependent properties. Nanomaterials also possess high particular surface area, rapid dissolution characteristics, high sorption, magnetic -properties and quantum confinement. Nanoparticles (NPs) have been employed as sorbents in the assessment of PAHs, including carbon NPs, mesoporous silica NPs, metallic species, metal oxides, as well as magnetic and magnetized NPs. Magnetic nanocomposites have demonstrated high efficiency (>99 %) in removing PAHs from food products. Similarly, a magnetic chitosan/molybdenum disulfide nanocomposite exhibited excellent adsorption capacities for PAHs in milk samples. Present research was conducted on multiple academic platforms, including Google Scholar, Science Direct, Elsevier, Springer, Scopus, and PubMed from 2017 to 2024. Various combinations of keywords, such as “PAHs,” “extraction,” “removal,” and “nanomaterials,” were used in the search. The aim of this manuscript is to reviews the application of nanotechnologies for the elimination and extraction of PAHs from contaminated food products. The findings of this study offer novel insights into efficient and cost-saving approach and suggest the potential of NPs as promising agents for preconcentration and remediation of PAHs from variety food samples. Also, the obtained results will pave the way for future explorations that will lead to the achievement of maximum efficiency for the analysis and extraction of materials in more diverse matrices. Therefore, it is suggested to investigate the potential of various nanomaterials regarding various matrices in future.

Steam explosion was found to be the most effective preparation method for donkey bone powder, compared with non-treatment, autoclave and steam processing. And the effect of steam-exploded donkey bone powder (SEDBP) on the quality characteristics of whole wheat cookies was evaluated. Compared with untreated powder, particle size of SEDBP was reduced by 55.60 %, while oil- and water-holding capacity, water solubility and ABTS radical-scavenging rate significantly increased by 13.94 %, 26.86 %, 298.26 % and 91.47 %, respectively. Steam explosion enhanced protein digestibility from 32.17 % to 71.43 %, increased the Ca²⁺ release rate from 37.47 % to 47.82 %, and increased the release of 11 amino acids during digestion. SEDBP reduced the solvent retention capacity of flour blends and improved the color, hardness and spread ratio of whole wheat cookies. Cookies with 30 % SEDBP addition had better flavor, texture and scored the highest on overall acceptability. The results will help expand animal bone applications and develop nutrition-fortified foods.

Atemoya (Annona cherimola × Annona squamosa) is a specialty crop in Taiwan. Thermal treatment induces bitterness, complicating seasonal production adjustments and surplus reduction. In this research, sensory-guided separation, metabolomics, and orthogonal partial least squares discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA) are used for identifying the bitterness in atemoya which originates from catechins, epicatechin trimers, and proanthocyanidins. Different thermal treatments (65 °C, 75 °C, and 85 °C) revealed that the glucose and fructose contents in atemoya significantly decreased, while total phenols, flavonoids, and tannins significantly increased. The concentration of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) increased from 23.16 ng/g in untreated samples to 400.71 ng/g (AP-65), 1208.59 ng/g (AP-75), and 2838.51 ng/g (AP-85). However, these levels are below the 5-HMF bitterness threshold of 3780 ng/g. Combining mass spectrometry analysis with sensory evaluation, OPLS-DA revealed that atemoya treated at 65 °C, 75 °C, and 85 °C exhibited significant bitterness, with the main bitter components being proanthocyanidin dimers and trimers.