Journal of Food Biochemistry最新文献

Cistanche deserticola Ma (CD) has historically been recognized for its dual role as a culinary and therapeutic parasitic herb, offering noteworthy medicinal and nutritional properties. Polysaccharides extracted and purified from CD have received an increasing great quantity of research attention due to their various pharmacological activities. In this study, using ultrasound combined with complex enzyme extraction, ethanol precipitation, DEAE-cellulose column (26 mm × 400 mm) chromatography, and Sephacryl S-400 HR column (26 mm × 1000 mm) chromatography, the heteropolysaccharides polysaccharide, named CDP-2, was separated and purified from the CDP. CDP-2 was a molecular weight of 65.60 kDa and consisted of Ara, Gal, Glc, Rha, Xyl, Man, Fuc, Gal-UA, Glc-UA, Man-UA, Gul-UA at a molar ratio of 39.05 : 23.17 : 16.29 : 11.10 : 1.79 : 1.22 : 0.47 : 3.28 : 2.48 : 0.62 : 0.55. The backbones of CDP-2 contained ⟶4)-α-D-Glcp-(1⟶, ⟶3,6)-β-D-Galp-(1⟶, and ⟶5)-α-L-Araf-(1⟶, with a minor component of ⟶3)-β-D-Galp-(1⟶. The side chains are mainly formed by α-L-Araf-(1⟶ or α-L-Rhap-(1⟶ linked to the O-6 position of residue ⟶3,6)-β-D-Galp-(1⟶. Biological assays revealed CDP-2’s efficacy in augmenting the proliferation of specific Bacteroides strains. Additionally, it was observed to facilitate the production of short-chain fatty acids by these bacterial strains. Cumulatively, these insights underscore the CDP-2’s prospective role in bolstering gastrointestinal health via fostering Bacteroides colonization.

Depression has become the leading cause of disability worldwide. Conventional serotonergic antidepressants fail to meet anticipated outcomes and increase the risk of drug dependency and side effects. Consequently, the significance of diet and nutrition in the prevention and management of depression and anxiety has increasingly received attention. Many years of clinical practice have shown that edible traditional Chinese medicines can relieve depression through their anti-inflammatory properties, potentially acting as a nutritional remedy for depression with a higher acceptance rate and safety. In this review, we elucidated how deficiency tonic medicines in edible traditional Chinese medicines and their ingredients modulate the immune response and gut microbiota to alleviate depression. This article can offer new insights into the antidepressant effect of daily dietary treatments.

Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels root (ASR) is a medicinal and edible traditional Chinese herb medicine. Understanding the varying efficacies in different ASR segments and their associated pharmacological mechanisms at the metabolome level has been a largely unexplored research area. This study integrates metabolomics, network pharmacology, and molecular docking to investigate the characteristics and mechanisms underlying hemostasis, blood enrichment, and blood circulation promotion in distinct ASR medicinal segments. The distinguishable metabolic spectra were visually presented for the head (ASRH), body (ASRB), and tail (ASRT) in ASR, highlighting the dominant metabolites in each. Furthermore, a network linking components, targeted proteins, signaling pathways, and diseases was constructed. The combined analysis of metabolomics and network pharmacology confirms that ASRT primarily enhances blood circulation, whereas ASRH and ASRB lean toward hemostasis and blood enrichment. The dominant ingredients of ASRT mainly influence signaling pathways of calcium, PI3K-Akt, and arachidonic acid metabolism by modulating targeted proteins like EGFR, SRC, AKT1, and HSP90AA1, thus enhancing hemodynamics. In contrast, the dominant ingredients of ASRH and ASRB regulate PI3K-Akt, IL-17, and JAK-STAT signaling pathways via proteins, such as CTNNB1, AKT1, SRC, and EP300, playing a role in hemostasis and blood enrichment. These results were subsequently validated by molecular docking. This study innovatively combines metabolomics, network pharmacology, and molecular docking to preliminarily reveal the mechanisms governing hemostasis, blood enrichment, and blood circulation improvement regulated through multiple components, targeted proteins, and pathways in different ASR segments. These findings offer valuable insights for future investigations into the efficacies of distinct ASR segments.

Air-dried beef is a traditional specialty dried meat product that has a rich history in Inner Mongolia. In-depth understanding of the characteristic flavor substances of air-dried meat in different regions can help branding of traditional air-dried meat products and sustainable development of the air-dried meat industry in Inner Mongolia. This study aims to investigate the characteristic flavors of air-dried beef from various regions of Inner Mongolia (Ordos, Xinlingol, and Chifeng) by using electronic nose and GC-MS combined with ROAV value and explore the impact of the vacuum tumbling curing process on the flavor of air-dried meat. The samples from each region were found to contain characteristic flavor substances such as alcohols, aldehydes, hydrocarbons, and oxygenates. There are five characteristic flavor substances unique to the Ordos region: 3-dodecanol (5.938), 4-methyl-5-decanol (32.686), 2,4-dimethyl-2-pentanol (4.139), methylheptenone (67.445), and 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine (4.256); three characteristic flavor substances unique to the Xilingol region: isovaleraldehyde (68.917), ethyl phenylacetate (3.746), and thymol (2.091); and two characteristic flavor substances unique to the Chifeng region: 2-heptanol (3.984) and 6-methyl-2-heptanone (6.191). Vacuum tumbling curing not only improved the pH (6.35) and L^∗ value (33.74) of air-dried meat but also increased the variety of flavor substances characteristic of air-dried meat, including trans-2-decenol (2.989), isopentanol (0.585), trans-2-nonenal (2.937), methyl decyl ketone (4.836), phenylacetic acid (4.262), and benzoic acid (0.554). In conclusion, the addition of vacuum tumbling curing process in the industrial production of air-dried beef products can increase the curing efficiency and improve the flavor of air-dried beef products.

Background. Bisphenol A (BPA) disrupts glucose homeostasis via inflammatory pathways in liver cells, affecting insulin sensitivity. This study examines sulforaphane (SFN), known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties, for counteracting BPA’s effects. Methods. We evaluated SFN’s impact on BPA-exposed C57/BL6J mice and HepG2 cells, focusing on metabolic parameters, insulin signaling, and inflammatory markers. Mice were treated with SFN (10 mg/kg) for six weeks, with assessments including body weight, serum glucose, insulin levels, and glucose tolerance. Molecular analyses in both models included gene expressions related to glucose metabolism, insulin and MAPK signaling pathways, and markers of inflammation and oxidative stress. Results. SFN reduced blood glucose and improved glucose tolerance of BPA-treated mice. In BPA-treated HepG2 cells, SFN significantly boosted glucose consumption in vitro. Moreover, SFN treatment enhanced the protein expression of phosphorylated-insulin receptor and phosphorylated-AKT and reversed glycolytic and gluconeogenic gene expression in HepG2 cells and mice liver. SFN also decreased phosphorylation levels of p38 and JNK and reduced inflammation and oxidative stress markers in vitro and in vivo. Conclusion. Our findings underscore SFN’s capacity to ameliorate BPA-induced glucose intolerance and insulin resistance by enhancing hepatic insulin signaling and metabolic functions. This action is likely mediated through SFN’s inhibitory effects on inflammatory and oxidative pathways. Consequently, SFN holds promise as an intervention for mitigating BPA-related metabolic disorders.

The present study aimed to systematically analyse the differences in metabolites, proteins, and the microbiota among white sufu (WS), red sufu (RS), and grey sufu (GS) by integrating multi-omics detection techniques. First, the various metabolites in sufu were identified through widely targeted metabolomics. Then, differential proteins in sufu were screened, and the principal functions of differential proteins were further mined using proteomic techniques. Finally, the microbiota in the sufu were analysed via 16S rRNA sequencing technology to observe differences in the microbial composition. The results showed that approximately 306 metabolites were present in the three kinds of sufu. Among them, there are 448 differential metabolites in RS and WS, 412 differential metabolites in WS and GS, and 517 differential metabolites in RS and GS. A total of 4663 proteins were identified. Among them, 448 differential proteins were found in RS and WS, 412 differential proteins were identified in WS and GS, and 517 differential proteins were detected in RS and GS. Approximately 77 types of microbes were distributed among three kinds of sufu. The population of WS is mainly distributed with 55.3% of protobacteria and 42.5% of Firmicutes. Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were the dominant microbial phyla common to the three kinds of sufu: the dominant bacteria in WS, RS, and GS were Enterobacter, Pantoea, and Kluyveromyces. The integrative crosstalk of multi-omics analysis illustrated that the metabolites, proteins, and microorganisms in sufu are closely interrelated and together produce unique amino acids in different kinds of sufu.

The medicinal plant Phyllanthus emblica Linn. has been recognized for its health-beneficial properties and has a long history of cultivation in ancient China and India. However, its effects and main mechanism in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced metabolic syndrome (MetS) have not been revealed yet. According to our findings, emblica fruit powder (EFP) through the freeze-drying process was able to modulate the composition of the intestinal microbiota, with a significant increase in the beneficial bacteria genera Lactobacillus and Turicibacter. In addition, fecal metabolite profiling revealed that 20 metabolites were deferentially expressed, which were mainly organic acids, amino acids, and their derivatives. They are primarily enriched in the biological process of lipid metabolism, including the metabolism process of cholic acid, glycerophospholipid, and α-linoleic acid. Subsequent qPCR testing of the liver tissue suggested that the regulatory effects of EFP in HFD mice may stem from its influence on the expression levels of over 20 key genes involved in host metabolic processes. In conclusion, EFP is able to alleviate the MetS caused by HFD, and this positive impact may be partially through the regulation of the “gut-liver axis.” Consequently, EFP holds potential as a functional food ingredient for the prevention and management of MetS.

Calaminthaincana, a medicinal plant traditionally used for its therapeutic properties, has been investigated for its phytochemical constituents and biological activities. Through a specific LC-MS/MS analysis method, the phytochemical constituents of Calamintha incana methanolic extract have been identified and quantified. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl method was used to measure the antioxidant properties. The antibacterial properties of this extract have been tested against four harmful bacteria using disc diffusion and the minimum inhibitory concentration methods. A colorimetric assay has evaluated the total phenolic and flavonoid content. The extract contained 34 compounds, with linolenic acid (11.2%) and myristic acid (10.3%) being the most abundant. Despite the low phenolic and flavonoid content, the extract exhibited antioxidant activity with an IC₅₀ of 96.8 ± 0.3 μg/mL. Moreover, the extract demonstrated potent antimicrobial properties against B. cereus and S. aureus, with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 11.8 and 21.5 μg/mL, respectively. These robust results underscore the potential of C. incana methanolic extract in the development of effective antibacterial agents.

To determine whether voluntary exercise is capable of improving liver and adipose tissue dysfunction caused by the high-fat diet (HFD) combined with dietary advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Young and middle-aged male C57BL/6J mice were divided into the control group, HFD group, HFD combined AGE group (HFD + AGE), and combined diet with exercise group (HFD + AGE + EX). For young mice, in the liver tissue, compared to the YCON group, RAGE from the YHFD + AGE group and SREBP1 from the YHFD + AGE and YHFD + AGE + EX groups were increased, while LXRα from the YHFD YHFD + AGE, and YHFD + AGE + EX groups was decreased. In epididymal fat, CLOCK from the YHFD group; RAGE, OST48, BMAL1, and Rev-Erbα from the YHFD + AGE group; RAGE, OST48, CLOCK, BMAL1, and Rev-Erbα from the YHFD + AGE + EX group; SIRT1 from the YHFD + AGE group; adiponectin from the YHFD group; and ATGL from the YHFD and YHFD + AGE groups were significantly lower, while p-HSLser660 from the YHFD + AGE group and p-Aktser473 from the YHFD + AGE + EX group were significantly higher than in the YCON group. Additionally, IL-10 and IL-1Ra mRNA expressions from the YHFD and YHFD + AGE group were significantly decreased, while IL-10 and IL-1Ra from the YHFD + AGE + EX group and TNF-α from the YHFD, YHFD + AGE, and YHFD + AGE + EX groups were significantly increased. For middle-aged mice, in the liver tissue, compared to the MACON group, CLOCK and Rev-Erbα from three intervention groups were increased, while p-Aktser473 from the MAHFD and MAHFD + AGE groups was decreased and PPARα from the MAHFD and MAHFD + AGE groups was decreased. In epididymal fat, compared to the MACON group, RAGE from the MAHFD + AGE group; p-Aktser473 from the MAHFD + AGE + EX group; and TNF-α gene expressions from three intervention groups were increased, while BMAL1 from the MAHFD + AGE and MAEX groups; PPARγ and IL-1Ra from the MAHFD + AGE group; SIRT1 from the MAHFD, MAHFD + AGE, and MAHFD + AGE + EX groups; adiponectin from the MAHFD group; and p-HSLser660, ATGL, and IL-10 from the MAHFD and MAHFD + AGE groups were decreased. In conclusion, HFD combined with AGE diet caused dysfunction in the liver and adipose glucolipid metabolism, especially in middle-aged mice, and voluntary exercise reversed metabolic abnormalities to some extent with different mechanisms involved for young and middle-aged mice.

Studies have demonstrated the potential therapeutic effects of Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) in various diseases. However, its effect on diabetic nephropathy (DN) and the underlying mechanisms are not clear. The expression of FUNDC1 in DN patients and high glucose-induced human renal tubular epithelial cell line (HK-2) with or without AS-IV was analyzed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay was used to quantify cell viability. The intracellular oxygen consumption rate was measured by using the seahorse energy analyzer, and the mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and mitochondrial Ca²⁺ levels were determined by flow cytometry. A mice model of diabetes was constructed and treated with different doses of AS-IV. Hematoxylin-eosin and Masson staining were used to examine the pathological changes in renal tissue. Creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and urinary protein were detected by the biochemical method. The results demonstrated increased FUNDC1 expression in patients with DN and high glucose-cultured HK-2 cells. FUNDC1 silencing inhibited high glucose-induced mitochondria-associated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane formation and mitochondrial dysfunction in HK-2 cells. Importantly, AS-IV treatment inhibited FUNDC1-induced mitochondria-associated ER membrane formation and mitochondrial dysfunction in HK-2 cells. AS-IV treatment also protected against renal injury and improved renal function in mice. AS-IV alleviates the progression of DN by inhibiting FUNDC1-dependent mitochondria-associated ER membrane.