Food Science & Nutrition最新文献

Acorus gramineus (sweet flag), a medicinal plant, especially its rhizome, shows strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects; however, its efficacy in treating intestinal inflammation and obesity is still unexplored. In this study, we investigated the prebiotic activity of sweet flag rhizome extract (SRE) and its preventive effects against high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and colonic inflammation. The prebiotic activity was assessed based on the prebiotic activity scores of four probiotic strains. SRE was administered to mice fed an HFD for 8 weeks, and obesity- and inflammation-related biomarkers were analyzed. The results showed that SRE was utilized as effectively as inulin by the probiotic strains, suggesting that SRE has the potential to influence the gut. Additionally, the administration of 100 mg/kg SRE mitigated colonic inflammation by restraining gut permeability, endotoxemia, and colonic shortening, and improved gut barrier function by restoring zonula occludens-1 protein expression. SRE ameliorated obesity-related symptoms by suppressing weight gain, glucose intolerance, serum lipid biomarkers, and liver damage. Altogether, this study highlights the protective effects of SRE against obesity and intestinal inflammation and provides data for the further application of SRE as a prebiotic.

Global climate change requires a paradigm change in diets, especially in affluent countries, with a reduction of animal-based food, including children. This will have direct consequences for Vitamin B12 supply as animal-based foods are the only food source. We examined these potential consequences using the German food based dietary guidelines for infants, children, and adults in Germany as the basis for the model calculation. The guidelines for 4 representative age groups were examined, representing exclusive milk feeding (2 months), complementary feeding (8 months), and mixed family diet (children: 4–6 years, adolescents: 11–14 years). For each age group (except 2 months), the contribution of animal-based food groups (milk/dairy, meat, fish, eggs) to the total daily intake of vitamin B12 was calculated based on 7-day menus with recipes for all meals. This allowed us to assess the potential Vitamin B12 deficits due to food group exclusion. Even in the guidelines diets, including exclusive breastfeeding, the vitamin B12 intakes just reached the reference values in all age groups. In infants on complementary feeding and also later in children and adolescents, cow's milk was by far the most important source of vitamin B12. Among the other animal-based foods, meat (16.9%–23.0%) ranked first, followed by fish (11.0%–16.5%), and eggs (8.1%). In our analysis of the German food-based guidelines for infant, child, and adolescent diets, the increased planetary health due to reduction of milk intake turned out severely to compromise vitamin B12 intake. In children, a reduction in the consumption of animal foods to improve the health of the planet must be weighed against the risk of inadequate intake of individual nutrients.

Traditionally fermented sufu is popular because of its flavor, abundance of nutrients, and long shelf life. However, traditional sufu is difficult to produce via industrial processes because of dominant microorganism attenuation during fermentation. Herein, specific protease-producing strains were isolated from traditional sufu. After strain identification, mutation, and domestication, the strains were applied in fermentation. The taste, texture, and nutrient and flavor components of the fermentation products were investigated via organoleptic, textural HPLC and HS-GC-IMS analyses. Results revealed that Bacillus subtilis (DF1) and the derived strains DF1v and DF1vd had increased protease activity relative to other strains. When these strains were applied for sufu fermentation, the production period significantly shortened to 6–8 days for pehtzes and to 20–26 days for postripening. The nutrient and flavor compound composition of both sufu pehtzes and products improved, including increases in water-soluble proteins, amino acids, and substances with beany and umami aromas and decreases in nonbeneficial biogenic amines and moldy odor-imparting substances. Among the strains, DF1vd showed the greatest benefits in sufu-assisted fermentation. In summary, a modified Bacillus subtilis strain (DF1vd) producing protease was isolated, which improved the nutrient profile and flavor of sufu and shortened the production period.

Yan, Q., Zhang, T., O'Connor, C., Barlow, J. W., Walsh, J., Scalabrino, G., Xu, F., & Sheridan, H. (2023). The biological responses of vitamin K2: A comprehensive review. Food Science & Nutrition, 11, 1634–1656. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.3213.

In the last paragraph of section 2.7 (Coronavirus disease), there are errors in the units in the following text: “…based on recommended adequate daily doses of 90 mg (female > 19 years old)/120 mg (male > 19 years old) (NIH, 2021).”

This should have read: “…based on the recommended adequate daily doses of 90 μg (female > 19 years old)/120 μg (male > 19 years old) (NIH, 2021).”

We apologize for this error.

Alternative flours can reveal beneficial health effects. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the effects of dietary fibers (DFs) of coconut and carob flours on colonic microbiota compositions and function. Coconut flour DFs were found to be dominated by mannose-containing polysaccharides by gas chromatography (GC)/MS and spectrophotometer, whereas glucose and uronic acid were the main monosaccharide moieties in carob flour DFs. In vitro fecal fermentation analysis revealed that coconut flour DFs result in the generation of microbial butyrate as much as inulin does, which is known to be a butyrogenic prebiotic, but at a slower rate. Supportingly, coconut flour DFs promoted butyrate-producing bacteria including Roseburia and Coprococcus, whereas carob flour DFs stimulated Prevotella-related OTUs. In addition, higher microbial diversity was achieved at the end of the fermentation of coconut flour DFs by the fecal microbiota. This study clearly shows that alternative flours have distinct functionalities in terms of colonic microbiota composition and function, and coconut flour could be used as an alternative flour for the development of functional food products targeting colonic health.

Sweet corn (Zea mays L. saccharata) is gaining global popularity as a staple crop and a vegetable due to its high nutritional value. However, information on grain magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) status and their response to phosphorus (P) fertilization in sweet corn is still insufficient. In the current study, we combined the genotype evaluation and P gradient experiments to investigate how P supply influences the spatio-temporal variation of grain mineral nutrition (Mg and Ca) and their bioavailabilities in sweet corn. Increasing P decreased grain Ca by 16.7%, from 0.18 to 0.15 g kg⁻¹, but increased phytic acid phosphorus (PAP) concentration by 7.4%. Optimal P levels increased grain Mg concentration by 14.7%, from 1.36 to a peak of 1.56 g kg⁻¹; however, excessive P reduced it by 3.8% to 1.50 g kg⁻¹. Spatially, optimal P increased the grain Mg concentration across all cob positions and in the germ, with the largest variation observed at the upside position (Coefficient of variation (cv) = 11.88%). Conversely, high P decreased Mg concentration in middle-cob grains and the germ. High P also reduced Ca in the upper/middle-cob grain and in both germ and endosperm. P consistently increased grain PAP but reduced Mg and Ca bioavailability across all growth stages, all grain fractions, and the middle/bottom cob positions. Notably, PAP showed the largest variation at the late growth stage in bottom cob grains (CV = 8.75%). Mg and Ca bioavailabilities exhibited significant variations, primarily in upper grains during the early filling stage, with CVs reaching 14.5% and 43.23%, respectively. Temporally, early grain growth stage was more sensitive to P-induced changes in Mg, Ca and their bioavailabilities, while later growth stage was more responsive to grain PAP alterations. These findings suggest that reducing P input can be advantageous for achieving high Mg and Ca biofortified sweet corn grain.

The increasing demand for sustainable food packaging has driven the development of films based on biopolymers. However, enhancing their functional properties remains a challenge. In the current study, potato starch–pectin (PSP) composite films were fabricated and enriched with juniper berry essential oil (JBEO) to improve their physicochemical properties. The effects of incorporating different concentrations of JBEO (0.1%–1% v/v) on various properties of PSP-based films were evaluated, including surface color, transparency, barrier properties, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal analysis (TGA and DTA), antioxidant activity, and antimicrobial effectiveness. Increasing the level of JBEO led to a significant decrease in the moisture content, film transparency, and mechanical attributes, while an increase in thickness, water permeability, and film elongation was observed. SEM analysis also revealed morphological properties such as some spherical, bubble-like configuration and cracks on the surface due to an increase in JBEO concentration. TGA and DTA revealed lower weight loss in the initial cycles due to the addition of JBEO, and the thermal stability of the films improved. The antioxidant assays revealed a concentration-dependent increase in the radical scavenging capacity of the films from 11.31% to 17.28% for DPPH and from 3.06% to 25.53% for ABTS. Moreover, significant antibacterial and antifungal activity of the bioactive films was observed against P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and C. albicans. These findings suggest that JBEO enhances the functional properties of PSP films, making them suitable for active food packaging applications.

Peganum harmala, a member of the Zygophyllaceae family, is known for its diverse biological activities, including anti-inflammatory properties. The mechanisms through which P. harmala polysaccharide (LTP) induces autophagy, however, remain largely unexplored. This study aims to elucidate the role of LTP in autophagy induction and its efficacy in mitigating inflammation within macrophages. Autophagosome formation was evaluated using GFP-LC3 vectors, and LC3-II levels induced by LTP were analyzed through laser scanning confocal microscopy. Western blotting assessed the expression of autophagy-related proteins and the phosphorylation state of p70S6K in NRK cells, treated both with and without LTP, alongside autophagy inducers and inhibitors. Additionally, RAW264.7 cells were treated with 1 μg/mL lipopolysaccharides (LPS), followed by Western blotting and ELISA assays to quantify inflammatory markers. The study's outcomes demonstrate that LTP facilitates an increase in autophagic activity, as evidenced by the enhanced expression of LC3-II and reduced levels of p62 in both NRK and RAW264.7 macrophages. This effect is mediated through the activation of the AMPK-mTOR signaling pathway, without inhibiting the autophagosome–lysosome fusion process. In vitro experiments with RAW264.7 cells treated with 1 μg/mL LPS showed that LTP markedly decreased the levels of TNF-α and IL-6. Our findings indicate that LTP effectively reduces inflammation in LPS-stimulated macrophages by promoting autophagy via an mTOR-dependent mechanism.

As natural furocoumarins, psoralen and its isomer isopsoralen are widely distributed in various fruits including Ficus carica L., vegetables including celery, and medicinal herbs including Psoralea corylifolia L. Although psoralen and isopsoralen have been used as dietary supplements because of their bioactivities such as antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties; however, the potential mechanisms underlying the antioxidant activities of these two furocoumarins still need to be explored. Hence, the aims of this work were to examine the activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) by psoralen and isopsoralen, as well as the binding interaction of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) with these two furocoumarins. Interestingly, both psoralen and isopsoralen induced Nrf2 nuclear translocation in a dose-dependent manner in HEK293T cells. These two furanocoumarins also activated antioxidant response element (ARE)-driven luciferase activity. The mRNA expression of GCLM, HO-1, and NQO1 genes was significantly upregulated by treatment of HEK293T cells with psoralen and isopsoralen, respectively. Similarly, the expression of proteins can be promoted. Both psoralen and isopsoralen were located in the top of the central pocket of the Keap1 Kelch domain, suggesting that they were natural ligands of Keap1. In conclusion, both psoralen and isopsoralen activate Nrf2 through interaction with Keap1, thereby serving as natural antioxidants.

Lycopene is a natural plant extract widely studied for its powerful antioxidant and neuroprotective effects. Emerging evidence suggests that it also possesses potential antidepressant properties. Compared to commonly used clinical antidepressants, lycopene offers higher safety; however, its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, this study aims to explore the mechanisms through which lycopene exerts its antidepressant effects. We employed the chronic social defeat stress (CSDS) model to induce depressive-like behaviors in mice, followed by lycopene treatment (20 mg/kg). Based on previous research, we focused on synaptic plasticity by examining the expression of synaptic proteins in the hippocampus to uncover potential mechanisms. The results showed that CSDS induced synaptic plasticity impairments in the hippocampus but lycopene treatment significantly improved these synaptic deficits and reversed the depressive-like behaviors induced by CSDS. Moreover, lycopene treatment upregulated the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and reduced the activity of BDNF–TrkB/pTrkB pathway in the hippocampus. These molecular changes were consistent with changes in synaptic-related proteins, suggesting that lycopene may enhance synaptic plasticity via the BDNF–TrkB/pTrkB signaling pathway. This study explored the mechanisms underlying depressive-like behaviors induced by CSDS in mice and provided preclinical evidence that lycopene may serve as a potential antidepressant. It offers an effective avenue for the development of novel antidepressant therapies.