Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety最新文献

Fat-soluble vitamins (FSVs), including vitamins A, D, E, and K, are essential micronutrients but exhibit poor water solubility, high sensitivity to light, heat, and oxidation, and consequently low bioavailability, which limits their effective utilization in functional food and nutraceutical systems. Recent advances show that binding or encapsulation of FSVs with food macromolecules—proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates—can markedly improve their physicochemical stability and gastrointestinal absorption. This review critically summarizes the molecular mechanisms underlying these interactions and explains how they alter the structural organization and delivery performance of FSVs. The major characterization techniques, including FTIR, fluorescence spectroscopy, NMR, calorimetry, and light-scattering analyses, are discussed to illustrate how they reveal binding modes and guide carrier design. Comparative analysis highlights that proteins provide specific hydrophobic pockets and hydrogen-bonding sites, lipids enable micellar solubilization and membrane transport, and carbohydrates such as cyclodextrins or polysaccharide matrices contribute to inclusion, protection, and controlled release. Collectively, these macromolecule-based strategies offer promising approaches to enhance the stability and bioavailability of FSVs in food and pharmaceutical formulations. Future directions include the development of environmentally responsive carriers, the investigation of microbiota-mediated metabolism of bound FSVs, and the integration of artificial intelligence-assisted design to accelerate the creation of intelligent and personalized vitamin delivery systems.

Contamination by foodborne pathogens has become a serious threat to human health and has caused significant economic losses. As a protective barrier, food packaging can protect food from bacteria, ultraviolet rays, and other external factors. Among these, antibacterial silver food packaging shows great potential for extending food shelf life and controlling foodborne pathogen contamination due to its excellent antibacterial and barrier properties. This paper offers a comprehensive review of recent progress in the application of antibacterial silver nanomaterials in food packaging. In addition to an overview of the various synthesis methods for antibacterial silver nanomaterials, the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and the synthesis of Ag-based nanomaterials are highlighted. Furthermore, two main antimicrobial mechanisms of AgNPs and the effects of AgNPs on the properties of packaging are also discussed in detail. Subsequently, we also explore the application of various types of antibacterial silver food packaging for vegetable, fruit, and meat preservation, with a focus on highlighting the potential of smart food packaging for food safety applications. Finally, the future prospects and development of silver-based nanomaterials for antibacterial food packaging are discussed, and the challenges that need to be addressed in the application of silver-based nanomaterials to ensure safety and reliability are outlined. Overall, antibacterial silver food packaging is emerging as a new and effective means of preserving food.

As plant-based diets gain momentum for health, environmental, and ethical reasons, the demand for plant-based protein foods is accelerating. However, a critical barrier to consumer acceptance lies in their flavor profiles, which are often perceived as off-putting due to complex interactions between plant proteins and flavor compounds. While individual interactions have been explored, an integrated understanding of their mechanisms and modulation remains limited. This review synthesizes current knowledge on plant protein–flavor interactions across molecular, physicochemical, and sensory levels. We examine the structural and functional diversity of plant proteins (legumes, cereals, nuts, seeds, and novel sources), categorize their interaction modes (non-covalent and covalent), and assess the impact of intrinsic (e.g. protein conformation, hydrophobicity) and extrinsic factors (e.g. pH, ionic strength, processing). Analytical models such as Scatchard and Hill equations, alongside QSAR and molecular docking approaches, are discussed. We further explore emerging strategies-physical, chemical, biological, and hybrid-for targeted flavor modulation. It is noted that plant protein-flavor interactions play a dual role: enabling flavor retention and protection, but also triggering off-flavors through irreversible binding or volatile entrapment. These interactions vary across protein types, flavors properties and processing conditions, requiring tailored strategies for optimization. For instance, enzymatic hydrolysis, micro-encapsulation, and data-driven protein engineering (leveraging computational tools to design proteins) offer promising solutions. Future progress hinges on combining sensory physiology with computational modeling and structural bioengineering to develop plant-based foods with improved flavor authenticity, stability, and consumer appeal.

Corn contains diverse bioactive compounds—peptides, polyphenols, carotenoids, polysaccharides, and phytosterols—that confer significant health benefits, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, and immunomodulatory, as well as the ability to regulate metabolism and modulate gut microbiota. However, their full potential in functional foods is hindered by an incomplete understanding of their molecular mechanisms, structure–activity relationships, and bioavailability. To facilitate the application of corn bioactive compounds in functional foods, this review summarizes their structure–activity relationships, elucidates their physiological functions via key signaling pathways, and highlights the importance of synergistic effects. Furthermore, it bridges insights from molecular mechanisms with practical applications in food science and technology, thereby underscoring the potential of corn and providing guidance for industrial applications. This work also systematically discusses key barriers—including molecular structure, food processing parameters, and physiological factors—that limit the bioavailability of corn bioactive compounds. By integrating advances in food science, nanoscience, genetic engineering, and nutrition, we systematically identify current research gaps and propose effective strategies to enhance the stability, bioavailability, and synergistic effects of these bioactive compounds. Moreover, translating laboratory findings into practical applications requires the establishment of standardized extraction methods, biologically relevant dynamic digestion models, and robust clinical trials, which are prerequisites for the effective utilization of corn bioactive compounds. This review outlines a framework for advancing corn as a valuable source for functional foods, offering globally applicable solutions to maximize health benefits, industrial utility, and sustainable, food-based disease prevention strategies.

Phytosterols are naturally occurring ingredients widely present in dietary sources, with over 250 types identified. Mounting studies have shown they possess various health-promoting benefits, such as lowering-cholesterol, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidation effects. With these advantages, they are regarded as important bioactive components that are allowed to be incorporated into foods. However, their characteristics of low absorption, rapid metabolism, and excretion significantly limit their practical efficacy. In addition, many delivery vehicles have been fabricated to solve these problems. Crucially, the structural diversity of phytosterols directly influences their physicochemical properties and bioactivities. More interestingly, their unique structures endow them with intrinsic capabilities, including self-assembly, emulsification, gelation, and liposome stabilization, enabling their use not only as nutraceuticals but also as functional agents. These properties also pave the way for the development of carrier-free delivery systems for phytosterols, potentially addressing their application issues. Despite this potential, these functional attributes remain underemphasized. Herein, we comprehensively introduced the structures, dietary and biosynthetic sources, absorption, metabolism, distribution, and bioactivities of phytosterols, with a particular focus on the structure–activity relationship. Furthermore, we highlighted their emerging roles as wall materials, emulsifiers, gelators, and liposome stabilizers, noting that they can position as both nutraceuticals and functional agents to expand their applications.

The development of gluten-free (GF) bakery items is a technological and nutritional challenge due to the absence of gluten, a significant structural protein in conventional bakery products. Plant-derived hydrocolloids have appeared as functional additives capable of substituting for the role of gluten by enhancing dough rheology, water-holding capacity, texture, and shelf life. This review comprehensively categorizes and evaluates major plant-based hydrocolloids such as xanthan gum, guar gum, psyllium, flaxseed, chia, and locust bean gum. Their individual and collective effects on dough behavior, crumb texture, and sensory attributes are examined. Further, emerging patterns in hybrid hydrocolloid systems, clean-label product development, and sustainable sources are discussed. Constraints such as cost, formulation complexity, and low consumer acceptance of certain gums are also taken into account. Comparative tables and case studies describe the functionality of each hydrocolloid, giving practical details on formulation strategies. Future research must be directed toward application-specific optimization, safety regulations, and sensory acceptability to optimize the functionality of GF baked foods.