Foods最新文献

Regenerative agriculture approaches in livestock production may help produce animal protein that aligns with increasingly demanding sustainability criteria. This study compared commercially sourced beef from regenerative farming systems (RFS; n = 10; Longissimus lumborum, n = 5; Splenius capitis, n = 5) and intensive systems (IS; n = 6; Longissimus lumborum, n = 3; Splenius capitis, n = 3), evaluating the effects of production system (PS), muscle type (MT), and their interaction (MT × PS) on nutritional traits. IS chuck had higher polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and n-6 PUFA family (n-6 PUFA) contents (p < 0.05; 10.24 and 9.15 g fatty acids (FA)/100 g total FA, respectively), driven by C18:2 cis-9, trans-11, C20:4 n-6, and C18:2 n-6 contents. Consequently, IS chuck had a higher polyunsaturated FA and saturated FA ratio (P/S), peroxidability index (PI), n-6 PUFA family and n-3 PUFA family ratio (n-6/n-3), and hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio (h/H) values (p < 0.05; 0.13, 23.87, 9.33 and 0.32, respectively). By comparison, RFS chuck had the highest n-3 PUFA content (p < 0.05; 1.28 g FA/100 g total FA), primarily due to its higher C18:3 n-3 content, resulting in a lower n-6/n-3 ratio (3.95). RFS meat showed higher vitamin E and α-tocopherol (0.58 and 0.56 mg/100 g of meat, respectively), exceeding the ≥0.30 mg/100 g threshold proposed to limit lipid oxidation, unlike IS meat.

Crystal dumpling wrapper production is hampered by rapid surface dehydration, severe freeze-cracking propensity, and storage-induced retrogradation. Modulation of blended starch properties through functional additives was investigated. This study systematically evaluated the impact of hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate (HPDSP), trehalose (TRE), guar gum (GG), and composite phosphates (CP) on physicochemical and structural properties of wheat-potato starch composite gel. Concurrently, the effects of additives on the cracking rate of crystal dumplings and texture of wrappers were investigated. Analysis revealed that apparent viscosity was increased by all additives except CP. Different additives significantly improved the freeze-thaw stability of the composite gel during the first three cycles. GG maintained enhanced freeze-thaw stability throughout the entire freeze-thaw cycle (dehydration shrinkage rate: 2.69-40.55%). Multivariate analytical techniques (SEM, FTIR, XRD, DSC) collectively indicated that the additives effectively inhibited starch retrogradation, whilst HPDSP showed the strongest retrogradation inhibition. CP enhanced water-retention capacity and produced a softer blended gel (hardness at 21 days was 100.56 gf). Furthermore, additives significantly reduced the freezing cracking rate of crystal dumplings and improved the textural properties of dumpling wrappers.

This study investigated microwave pretreatment (0-900 W) of peanuts as a source modification strategy to reduce the stability of peanut oil body emulsions (POBEs) and improve aqueous enzymatic extraction. Results indicated that higher power treatment (≥540 W) significantly destabilized POBE. The optimal condition at 720 W increased POBE extraction yield and demulsification rate by 16.82% and 46.32%, respectively, compared with the control. This destabilization was attributed to marked changes in interfacial properties, including decreased apparent viscosity, lowered absolute ζ-potential (from 35.93 mV to 27.09 mV), increased particle size (from 1177.16 nm to 1976.98 nm), and the microstructure of droplet aggregation. Compositional analysis revealed that microwave treatment induced POBE reorganization, characterized by increased lipid and phospholipid contents alongside reduced moisture, solid, and protein levels. Further interfacial protein analysis revealed that exposure triggered protein conformational unfolding, hydrophobic group exposure, and subsequent aggregation, which weakened protein adsorption at the interface and reduced the mechanical strength of the interfacial film. These findings elucidate the mechanism of microwave-induced emulsion instability, providing a theoretical basis for enhancing oil extraction efficiency through raw material pretreatment.

This study was conducted to investigate and identify correlations among sensory and comprehensive consumer test results with rheological, textural, and tribological properties of milk chocolate in response to varying levels of particle size and emulsifier. To simulate realistic oral conditions, artificial saliva was incorporated into instrumental analyses. Rheological analysis revealed that increasing particle size and emulsifier concentration significantly reduced plastic viscosity, while emulsifier concentration alone increased yield stress due to structural reorganization within the fat phase. Tribological measurements demonstrated that larger particles increased friction in boundary and mixed lubrication regimes, whereas emulsifiers reduced friction in these regimes by enhancing fluid film formation. Under elastohydrodynamic conditions and with artificial saliva, friction was more influenced by the interaction between particle size and emulsifier level. Textural analysis showed that both parameters significantly influenced hardness, with saliva further softening the samples, especially those with higher emulsifier levels. Sensory evaluations indicated that emulsifiers enhanced flavor release and mouthfeel attributes, while smaller particles contributed to smoother texture and more balanced flavor perception. Consumer acceptance tests confirmed that samples with smaller particles and higher emulsifier levels received the highest scores in overall liking, taste, and texture. Instrumental parameters strongly correlated with key sensory attributes, with yield stress showing the highest positive associations with creaminess, smoothness, fat/milk flavor, and liking, while higher viscosity and friction were negatively linked to flavor release and mouthfeel. Instrumental hardness negatively correlated with cacao intensity and astringency, while saliva-induced softening was positively associated with sweetness and liking, highlighting the role of dynamic oral softening.

We studied the shelf life of fresh buffalo meat in polyamide/polyethylene (PA/PE) packaging during refrigerated storage for 14 days, when treated with cinnamon-clove (C-C) and nutmeg (Nut) powders, along with lavender essential oil (LEO). Microbiological (total viable count, Pseudomonas spp., Brochothrix thermosphacta, Enterobacteriaceae, and lactic acid bacteria), antibacterial (Salmonella Typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus), physicochemical and biochemical (pH, moisture, color, total fat, hemoglobin and heme iron, 2-thiobarbituric acid, mercaptans, antioxidant activity, and total phenolic content), and sensory (color, odor, texture, and taste) analyses were carried out. The results showed that C-C and Nut powder extracts exhibited significant (p < 0.05) antioxidant and antibacterial activity, higher than LEO; however, all treatments delayed lipid oxidation. Based primarily on sensory evaluation, the shelf life extension of buffalo meat was 2-3 days for LEO and Nut powder, and 4-6 days for C-C powder. Factor analysis indicated the critical days of refrigerated storage for the evolution of spoilage-related biochemical parameters.

(1) Background: Babassu (Attalea speciosa) mesocarp is a functional food rich in nutrients and phenolic compounds, offering antioxidant and metabolic benefits. However, its effects on lipid peroxidation and pro-oxidant enzymes remain poorly explored. (2) Methods: The antioxidant potential of a hydroalcoholic extract of babassu mesocarp (HEB) was assessed using DPPH radical scavenging and lipid peroxidation inhibition, measured by the TBARS assay. Cytotoxicity was assessed by the MTT assay. Molecular docking was conducted to investigate interactions between HEB-derived compounds and NADPH oxidase and xanthine oxidase. (3) Results: HEB showed dose-dependent antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ = 4.734 µg/mL) and effectively inhibited lipid peroxidation (IC₅₀ = 51.35 µg/mL), with no cytotoxic effects. In silico analyses suggested potential inhibition of pro-oxidant enzymes. (4) Conclusions: HEB exhibits a strong ability to inhibit lipid peroxidation and theoretical enzyme-inhibitory potential, supporting its use in functional foods and nutraceuticals.

Conventional immunochromatographic assays (ICAs) face limitations in sensitivity and dynamic range, hindering their application in on-site, class-specific screening of sulfonylurea (SU) adulteration in functional foods. To address this, a signal amplification strategy was developed by engineering high-density platinum nanozymes on a mesoporous metal-organic framework (PCN-224). The mesoporous architecture of PCN-224 facilitated high-density and stable loading of catalytically active Pt sites. The established PCN-224@Pt-based ICA achieved detection limits of 0.52-7.94 μg/kg in tea and 0.69-7.02 μg/kg in capsules, with linear ranges of 1.69-513.01 μg/kg and 2.05-716.47 μg/kg, respectively. Compared with traditional colloidal gold immunochromatographic assays (CG-ICAs), sensitivity was improved by up to 57-fold, while the linear detection range was expanded by over 5-fold relative to the previously reported PCN-224@PDA- ICA. The method demonstrated recovery rates of 81.8-119.8% and coefficients of variation between 2.5% and 11.4%. Validation against LC-MS/MS using 20 real samples showed excellent agreement (R² > 0.99). This work not only provides a sensitive and rapid tool for the surveillance of SU adulteration in functional foods but also establishes a generalizable nanozyme design strategy applicable to enhancing the performance of a wide range of ICA-based detection platforms.

Salt reduction is an important strategy for healthy diets. Our previous study developed low-sodium chickpea nang (LCHN) using potassium chloride, wheat gluten, inulin and L-lysine. However, consumers also value taste. The impact of this reformulation on oral processing characteristics remains unclear. This study collected chewing samples from 12 volunteers at five mastication stages (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) of regular chickpea nang (CHN) and LCHN, measuring chewing parameters, bolus moisture content, saliva addition amount, and flow rate. Results indicated that LCHN had a significantly shorter swallowing time (24.22 ± 3.63 s vs. 27.84 ± 6.01 s, p < 0.05, Cohen's d = 0.73), while the number of chews (Nc), chewing frequency (Fc), bolus moisture content, and saliva flow rate showed no inter-group differences across all mastication stages (p > 0.05). Bolus moisture content increased significantly with mastication progression in both groups (p < 0.05), whereas saliva addition amount and flow rate decreased significantly (p < 0.05). Additionally, higher chewing frequency correlated with increased saliva addition amount and reduced flow rate (p < 0.05). In CHN, the Nc positively correlated with chewing time (r = 0.452, p < 0.01) and frequency (r = 0.458, p < 0.01), whereas in LCHN it negatively correlated with time (r = -0.329, p < 0.05) and positively with frequency (r = 0.884, p < 0.01). These findings provide theoretical basis for low-sodium baked product development.