Food Science of Animal Resources最新文献

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB), widely used as probiotics in the food industry, are typically freeze-dried to extend shelf life, although this process often compromises cell viability. While individual stress treatments have been shown to enhance bacterial survival, the potential of combined stresses remains underexplored. In this study, we investigated the effect of acid-cold cross-stress adaptation on the freeze-drying tolerance of LAB. The results demonstrated that cross-stress pretreatment significantly improved survival rates, fermentation performance, and storage stability. Specifically, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus exhibited a 1.65-fold increase in survival and 20% higher viability after 21 days of storage. Mechanistic analysis revealed that this strategy preserved cell membrane integrity, elevated lactate dehydrogenase and ATPase activity, and increased the unsaturated-to-saturated fatty acid ratio. These findings highlight the synergistic benefits of multi-stress conditioning and provide a promising strategy for improving the industrial preservation of probiotic cultures.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s44463-025-00007-y.

Matzhu is a novel natural raw food rich in flavonoids, polysaccharides, and other bioactive compounds; however, its potential applications in the food industry remain largely underexplored. Milk supplemented with 0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% (w/v) Matzhu was fermented using Lacticaseibacillus casei LC2W. The survival of bacteria and the antioxidant activity in the resulting fermented dairy products were assessed during storage and following simulated gastrointestinal digestion in vitro. Notably, the inclusion of Matzhu significantly enhanced the viable counts of L. casei LC2W throughout the 21-day storage period, as well as after simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Furthermore, DPPH⁺ scavenging activity of the four groups (L₀, L_0.5, L₁, and L_1.5) were 20.87%, 31.26%, 36.17%, and 40.94%, respectively. ABTS⁺ scavenging activity also increased, following a similar trend. These results suggest that dairy products treated with Matzhu exhibited markedly increased antioxidant activity compared with those without Matzhu treatment (p < 0.05). Untargeted metabolomic analysis identified 1269 differentially expressed metabolites across 14 classes, including unsaturated fatty acids, flavonoids, amino acids, and their derivatives. These metabolites predominantly participate in linoleic acid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, flavonoid and flavonol biosynthesis pathways, and ABC transport mechanisms. Consequently, Matzhu improves the functionality of fermented dairy products by promoting the proliferation of L. casei LC2W, enhancing their antioxidant properties, and influencing the production of various beneficial metabolites. In conclusion, integrating Matzhu with probiotics in fermented dairy products presents an exemplary model offering numerous potential health benefits.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s44463-025-00005-0.

Integration of advanced technologies from the Fourth Industrial Revolution is accelerating the growth of the food technology sector. Rising global meat consumption driven by population growth raises concerns about food security, environmental impact, and animal ethics, increasing interest in alternative protein sources. Among these, Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis larvae have drawn attention due to their high nutritional value and functional properties such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects. Compared with conventional livestock, they offer enhanced sustainability, efficient resource use, and high-quality protein and micronutrient content. In the Republic of Korea, Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis larvae are approved as food ingredients and are increasingly applied to processed products. Incorporating these larvae into meat products, particularly chicken-based items like sausages and patties, has shown improvements in nutritional and functional quality. Unlike general reviews of edible insects, this study focuses specifically on their potential in poultry-based applications, offering a novel perspective. This targeted approach highlights their advantages as functional ingredients in health-oriented meat alternatives. Despite promising attributes, challenges such as consumer acceptance, regulatory clarity, and mass production remain. Future research should aim to optimize rearing and processing technologies and develop public education strategies to facilitate adoption. Overall, Protaetia brevitarsis seulensis larvae represent a promising alternative protein that could support sustainable food systems while reducing the environmental footprint of livestock production.

Kefir is a trending and highly valued fermented beverage known for its beneficial microbes and giving a wide spectrum of health benefits. It includes milk kefir and water kefir which have gained separate attention. Although milk kefir is more heard of than water kefir, it is essential to understand both in greater details in terms of similarities and differences. The key health benefits such as probiotics, protection in the gastrointestinal tract, control of glucose level, antioxidant, antimutagenic, anticarcinogenic, regulating cholesterol, antimicrobial and improving lactose digestion are discussed and supported with recent in-vivo or in-vitro scientific evidences. This review addresses the gap of individual focus of each kefir by direct comparison of its microbial diversity, processing and physicochemical qualities. It provides updated information on lactic acid bacteria by species from advanced techniques of metagenomic analysis and also highlights the potential of kefiran, exopolysaccharides of milk kefir grains in food, biopharmaceutical and packaging industries.

The industrialization of cultured meat requires not only the mass production of cells but also the development of alternative materials to serum, which is the most expensive of the required media constituents. Through a literature review, this paper investigates the potential of spinach-derived phytoecdysteroids (PEs) as a substitute for fetal bovine serum (FBS). PEs are analogs of ecdysteroids, insect-molting hormones synthesized by many plant species to defend against insects. PEs have been shown to stimulate protein synthesis in mammalian skeletal muscle, primarily through Akt activation, leading to increased muscle mass and fiber size. And PEs also inhibit collagenolytic enzyme activity, which may contribute to improved cell culture efficiency. Therefore, PEs may be utilized as a partial replacement of FBS for cultured meat production or as a material to increase cell culture efficiency. However, the in vivo effects of PEs on muscle protein synthesis may be limited by factors such as bioavailability and metabolic half-life, and further studies are needed.

This study compared the physicochemical, structural, and antioxidant properties of premium soft ice creams (14-16% fat) made from Jersey milk (JIC) and Holstein milk (HIC). Both JIC and HIC were successfully formulated with over 14% fat content. Although most nutritional components showed no significant differences, JIC contained a higher level of saturated fat. Despite the lower viscosity of the Jersey milk mix (JM), and similar overrun values in both samples, JIC exhibited a slower melting rate, greater melting resistance, and larger, more irregular air cells than HIC. Color analysis revealed an increase in lightness after freezing, with JIC maintaining a relatively darker tone. Antioxidant activity, as assessed by the ABTS assay, was higher in casein isolates from Jersey milk; however, this trend was reversed in the final ice cream products, likely due to protein modifications and the formation of Maillard reaction products during processing. Overall, the results suggest that Jersey milk contributes to improved melting resistance and structural quality, making it a suitable raw material for producing high-fat premium ice cream.

This review provides an understanding of spoilage factors of meat, the spoilage bacteria, the spoilage mode of major spoilage bacteria, and alterations due to spoilage. pH and water activity of meat, packaging atmosphere, and storage temperature affect the growth and activity of spoilage bacteria. The spoilage bacteria cause the production of various compounds. Volatile compounds such as volatile basic nitrogen [ammonia (NH₃) and amines (RNH₂)], alcohols (ROH), aldehydes (RCHO), ketones (RCOR'), and sulfur (S) compounds are generated by decomposition from glycogen, proteins and lipids in meat with various enzymatic (decarboxylase, phosphoketolase, alcohol dehydrogenase, lipoxygenase, acetate kinase, etc.) reactions of Brochothrix thermosphacta, Carnobacterium, Enterobacteriaceae, lactic acid bacteria, Pseudomonas, etc. During the spoilage process, some metabolic activities of bacteria lead to organoleptic alterations in meat. Some bacteria form slime, produce odor-causing substances, or cause color changes during meat spoilage. The information reviewed in this paper may help readers better understand meat spoilage by bacteria; other causes responsible for spoilage are not covered in this paper.

Meat tenderness is key to consumer acceptance but is challenged by goat meat's leanness and high connective tissue content. A promising solution is the in-pack combination of ultrasonication (US) and sous-vide (SV) technologies to enhance tenderness while ensuring product safety. This study investigates the individual and combined effects of US and SV on biochemical and molecular changes in goat meat during the first 48 h post-mortem, focusing on glycolysis, proteolysis, apoptosis, and water retention, compared to an untreated control (C). At 48 h post-mortem, US + SV resulted in the fastest pH decrease (p < 0.05), correlating with glycogen and ATP depletion and lactate accumulation, indicating accelerated glycolysis and hastened rigor mortis. Both US and SV individually enhanced sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar protein degradation, as shown by increased solubility and myofibrillar fragment index (MFI), and their combination had a synergistic effect on proteolysis. Only US + SV promoted collagen degradation (p < 0.05). US alone accelerated ATP degradation, whereas SV had no significant effect (p > 0.05), suggesting minimal impact on energy metabolism. SV enhanced US-driven proteolysis, likely by stabilizing proteolytic enzyme activity to function effectively in catalyzing the breakdown of proteins. Gene expression analysis confirmed that US + SV and US induced early apoptosis and proteolysis, particularly within the first 12 h, which corresponded to lower Warner-Bratzler Shear Force (WBSF) values, indicating improved meat tenderness. Despite higher weight loss, US + SV improved cooking loss compared to C (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that US + SV accelerates proteolysis and enhances meat tenderness, providing valuable insights for the meat industry in optimizing post-mortem processing techniques.