Journal of Food Biochemistry最新文献

Camelina oil, rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and α-linolenic acid, exhibits a high susceptibility to oxidative degradation, which compromises its shelf life. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of green tea (GE) and lemongrass (LE) extracts at concentrations of 200 and 500 ppm, compared to 200 ppm BHT, in stabilizing camelina oil at 37°C over 30 days. Gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID) analysis revealed that PUFAs comprised 52.50% of the total fatty acids in camelina oil, with α-linolenic acid representing the predominant component, accounting for 32.06% of the total fatty acids. In DPPH assays, GE and LE exhibited IC₅₀ values of 37.15 μg/mL and 51.49 μg/mL, respectively, compared to 22.92 μg/mL for BHT. In FRAP tests, GE and LE showed ferric-reducing powers of 1.93 and 1.09 mg FeSO₄ eq/mg dry weight, respectively, while BHT achieved 6.20 mg FeSO₄ eq/mg dry weight. Hydrolytic stability, as indicated by acid value, improved by 34% with GE at 200 ppm and by 31% with LE at 200 ppm versus a 39% reduction with BHT at 200 ppm. Primary oxidation (peroxide value) was inhibited by 35% (GE at 200 ppm) and 30% (LE at 200 ppm) versus 39% for BHT at 200 ppm. Secondary oxidation (anisidine value) and total oxidation (TOTOX) showed similar trends, with GE at 200 ppm and LE at 200 ppm reducing TOTOX by 24% and 20%, respectively, versus 28% for BHT at 200 ppm. Rancimat oxidative induction time decreased by 64.2% in the control group, while BHT, GE, and LE at 200 ppm reduced this decrease to 27.2%, 37.0%, and 29.6%, respectively. No additional benefit was observed at 500 ppm, indicating a saturation threshold. These results demonstrate that, at optimized concentrations, GE and LE extracts provide substantial protection against oxidation, comparable to BHT, and can be considered as promising clean-label additives for improving the oxidative stability and shelf life of edible oils in industrial applications.

Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a critical role in ovarian aging and the associated decline in female fertility. Nicotinamide riboside (NR), a vitamin B3 derivative and dietary NAD⁺ precursor, has shown antiaging potential, yet its molecular mechanisms in ovarian function are not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of NR on oocyte maturation, mitochondrial membrane potential, and mitochondrial distribution in aged mice. Using network pharmacology and protein–protein interaction analyses, we identified 54 potential NR-related targets involved in ovarian aging, with CASP3, PTGS2, PARP1, REN, and ACE highlighted as central hub genes. Molecular docking and 100-nanosecond molecular dynamics simulations confirmed stable and energetically favorable binding between NR and these targets, particularly PTGS2 and ACE, suggesting strong regulatory potential. To further place these targets in a physiological context, we reanalyzed publicly available human ovarian single-cell RNA sequencing data and observed age-associated remodeling of ACE, REN, PTGS2, and PARP1 expression across granulosa, theca/stromal, and endothelial cell populations, supporting their relevance within the ovarian microenvironment. NR treatment significantly enhanced the maturation rate and mitochondrial function of aged oocytes, indicating its ability to restore mitochondrial health and modulate key aging-related pathways. These findings provide mechanistic insights into NR’s protective role in reproductive aging and support its potential as a nutritional intervention to promote female reproductive longevity.

Quercetin, a polyphenolic compound prevalent in many fruits, vegetables, and other dietary sources, has attracted considerable interest due to its extensive health benefits. This review examines its diverse biological properties, particularly its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The study integrates recent scientific findings to elucidate the mechanisms by which quercetin modulates cellular pathways, thereby contributing to the prevention and management of chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders. It studies quercetin’s role in immune modulation, highlighting its potential to enhance immune responses to viral infections and allergic reactions. It also explores the safety, bioavailability, and dosage considerations of quercetin supplementation, along with the application of nanoformulations, offering valuable insights for both consumers and healthcare professionals. Finally, the growing number of patents filed for quercetin and its derivatives highlights their substantial therapeutic potential across various applications, including anticancer, antiviral, and cardioprotective treatments.

Amomum is a diverse genus whose metabolites are dominated by volatile compounds; however, differences in metabolism levels between fresh and dried fruits remain unclear. Our results indicated that metabolite differences between fresh and dried fruits were expressed in relative content rather than in species. Using a traditional machine learning model analysis, we observed that the characteristic metabolites distinguishing fresh and dried fruits differed across the two states. A total of 63 differential metabolites were identified and subsequently evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activity. Through public database screening and threshold analysis, 27 core anti-inflammatory targets were identified. These targets were involved in the inflammatory therapeutic mechanism of Amomum by coordinating pathways, such as chemical carcinogenesis–receptor activation, lipid and atherosclerosis, and pathways in cancer. Furthermore, molecular docking results showed that the binding energies of two core targets with seven key metabolites were less than −3.2, indicating stable interactions. Finally, nonvolatile compounds from fresh and dried fruits were characterized via Fourier transform near-infrared spectroscopy. The established projections to least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) model exhibited a strong capacity to differentiate dried fruits, achieving 100% accuracy in both the training and test sets. The partial least squares regression model was also effective in predicting the content of anti-inflammatory compounds in Amomum plants, with an optimal residual predictive deviation value of 2.86.

The growing demand for sustainable food sources has led to increasing interest in edible insects such as house cricket (Acheta domesticus) as functional ingredients. This study evaluated the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant potential of cricket powder–enriched (10%) durum wheat pasta subjected to a simulated gastrointestinal digestion followed by the application of bioaccessible fraction (BF) to a Caco-2 intestinal inflammation model. Differentiated Caco-2 cells were pretreated for 24 h with BF (diluted 1/30, v/v) before lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation (10 μg/mL, 24 h). Bioactivity was evaluated by assessing inflammatory and oxidative stress markers, including nitric oxide (NO), reactive oxygen species (ROS), pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6 and IL-8), and NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation. Intestinal barrier integrity was assessed via transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER). Pretreatment with the BF from cricket-enriched pasta significantly reduced LPS-induced NO (15.7%) and ROS (27.3%) levels, inhibited IL-6 (39.6%) and IL-8 (52.1%) secretion, and blocked NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation (54.7%), indicating an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity. In contrast, BF from conventional wheat (100%) pasta showed no significant protective effects. However, neither pasta type improved LPS-induced barrier disruption, with TEER values remaining at approximately 250 Ω·cm² compared to 522.5 Ω·cm² in the control. LC-MS/MS analysis identified nine low-molecular-weight cricket-derived peptides. Subsequent molecular docking simulations demonstrated their capacity to interact with oxidative stress (Keap-1, MPO, and iNOS) and inflammation-related (NF-κB and its p65 subunit) targets, with several peptides showing superior binding affinities compared to positive controls (e.g., GGGSGLGGGGGLGGGSG to iNOS: −9.2 vs. −6.8 kcal/mol; GGGIGGGSGLGGG to Keap-1: −6.3 vs. −0.3 kcal/mol; SPQQPGQGQQPGQGQ to p65: −6.4 vs. −5.7 kcal/mol; and PQQPQLPFPQQPQ to NF-κB: −6.0 vs. −6.6 kcal/mol). These findings suggest cricket-enriched pasta may support intestinal health, although further in vivo research is needed.

Amino acids play a fundamental role in plant metabolism, acting as building blocks for proteins and participating in stress responses as osmolytes and signaling molecules. Carrots (Daucus carota) are widely consumed root vegetables rich in bioactive compounds, including amino acids, which contribute to their nutritional value. Postharvest conditions, such as wounding and water stress, can alter metabolic pathways, affecting amino acid composition. While previous studies have shown that wounding stress increases phenolic compound accumulation in carrots, little is known about the effects of wounding and water stress on free amino acid (f-AA) metabolism. This study investigates the impact of these stressors, individually and in combination, on the amino acid profile of carrots. Our results indicate that wounding stress significantly decreases most f-AA levels, suggesting a disruption in biosynthesis. In contrast, water stress led to a time-dependent increase in several amino acids, including proline, alanine, and leucine, with a total f-AA increase of up to 40% after 48 h. When carrots were subjected to both wounding and water stress (double stress [DS]), the negative effects of wounding stress on amino acid content were partially mitigated. Notably, arginine showed the most substantial recovery under DS conditions, while lysine remained unaffected. These findings suggest that postharvest stress conditions can significantly modulate amino acid metabolism in carrots. While wounding stress negatively impacts amino acid levels, water stress enhances their accumulation. Understanding these metabolic responses could provide insights for improving postharvest strategies to enhance carrot nutritional quality.

Mild thermo-pressurized extraction (mTPE) has been considered a potential extraction method for extracting phenolic compounds from plants. The alcoholic extract of Elsholtzia ciliata (ELC) leaves obtained by mTPE was analyzed for chlorogenic acids (CGAs), total polyphenol content (TPC), and the ability to resist microbial growth on food of ELC leaf extract (ELCE). The quantification of CGA and other phenolic components was performed using UPLC, thereby ensuring reliable determination of CGA content in the extract. Under suitable conditions of temperature (70°C), time (30 min), ethanol at 60%, material-to-solvent ratio at 1/20, pH 5.6, and mild pressure (24 psi), the TPC, CGA, and antioxidant activity by DPPH were 28.05 ± 0.55 mgGAE/g dry weight, 7.90 ± 0.07 mg/g dry weight, and 320.22 ± 2.28 μmol TE/g, respectively. The extract also exhibited antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi using agar diffusion and dilution methods. Notably, the fungi Penicillium chrysogenum and Gram-positive bacteria were more sensitive to ELC extract. Therefore, the mTPE method shows promise for recovering bioactive compounds from ELC leaves.

The unicellular green alga Chromochloris zofingiensis has emerged as a promising candidate for large-scale astaxanthin production, owing to its exceptional capacity for ultrahigh-cell-density growth under heterotrophic conditions. However, the commercial viability of C. zofingiensis is constrained by its inherently low intracellular astaxanthin content. Existing strategies to enhance astaxanthin accumulation typically rely on adding exogenous inducers during fermentation, which increases both overall production costs and waste generation. To address this limitation, this study proposed a more effective, inducer-free, two-stage culture strategy by shifting pH from the optimal growth pH to a stress pH during the high-cell-density heterotrophic cultivation process to induce the accumulation of astaxanthin. The results indicated that all stress pH conditions unfavorable for cell proliferation promoted the synthesis of astaxanthin. The highest astaxanthin content of 2.72 mg g⁻¹ dry cell weight (DCW) was obtained under a high alkaline stress pH of 10.0, whereas the highest astaxanthin yield of 464.8 mg L⁻¹ was achieved at the low acidic stress pH of 4.0, which were the reported highest astaxanthin content and yield of C. zofingiensis under heterotrophic cultivation, respectively. Comparative transcriptomic analysis revealed that multiple signal transduction pathways were activated by enhanced cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels under pH stress. Notably, the high alkaline pH of 10.0 particularly enhanced the upregulation of genes associated with β-carotene biosynthesis and the astaxanthin synthesis pathway. This study established an effective, inducer-free strategy for enhancing astaxanthin production in C. zofingiensis fermentation and provided valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying pH-induced astaxanthin accumulation.

Lead (Pb) exposure is a major environmental cause of male infertility, impairing sperm quality and testicular function. This study aimed to determine the optimal concentrations of the bioactive polyphenolic compounds (–)-catechin (catechin), (–)-epicatechin (EC), and 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (3,4-DHB) for improving sperm function in Pb-exposed male rats. Pb-exposed rats were administered either each compound individually or combination regimens at low or high doses. Outcomes assessed included blood Pb levels, androgen receptor (AR) expression, sperm count, motility, and testicular histology. The high-dose combination produced the most prominent improvements, including increased AR expression, enhanced spermatogenesis, and improved sperm count and motility. These findings suggest that the high-dose combination may serve as a promising candidate for further investigation as a therapy for Pb-induced male infertility.

Scolymus hispanicus L. extracts exhibited significant bioactive properties. The dichloromethane extract was rich in polyphenols and flavonoids, while phytochemical screening revealed coumarins, sterols, triterpenes, tannins, and carbohydrates. Volatile profiling by HS-SPME-GC-MS identified 27 compounds, with α-pinene (30.9%) as the dominant component, followed by 2(4H)-benzofuranone, dodecane derivatives, octanoic acid, lauric acid, and limonene. Antidenaturation assays showed that the n-hexane extract effectively inhibited protein denaturation, surpassing aspirin, likely due to α-pinene and limonene. Dichloromethane extract displayed strong antibacterial activity against five pathogenic bacterial strains, including three Gram-positive species. Antifungal tests indicated Candida albicans was sensitive, while Saccharomyces cerevisiae was resistant; Fusarium sp. and Botrytis sp. showed reduced growth at higher extract concentrations. Molecular docking of 32 volatile compounds against bacterial dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and fungal lanosterol 14α-demethylase (CYP51) revealed strong binding affinities for compounds such as hexadecene, 1,2-epoxy, and hexahydrofarnesyl acetone, consistent with the observed antimicrobial activity. These results demonstrate the potential of S. hispanicus L. extracts as promising sources of novel antimicrobial agents.