Journal of Food Biochemistry最新文献

The geographical traceability of food products is crucial for quality assurance and consumer confidence. The chemical profile and taste quality of hulless barley vary considerably across different production areas, making the determination of its geographical origin and the identification of relevant geographical biomarkers essential. In this study, the quality traits, volatile compounds, and metabolites of 20 hulless barley cultivars from four primary producing areas were investigated. Multivariate analysis showed that there were significant differences in hulless barley from different regions (p < 0.05). The orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) models exhibited good performance in terms of origin discrimination, identifying 27 volatiles and 86 metabolites that could be used as candidate markers for separation. Redundancy analysis (RDA) and correlation matrix analysis revealed that numerous candidate markers were closely related to soil chemical and climate parameters. The results demonstrate that quality traits, volatile compounds, and metabolites can be used to effectively distinguish the geographical origins of hulless barley, thereby confirming that there is a robust link between metabolite expression and environmental factors. This work highlights that chemical profiling, combined with chemometric techniques (the application of statistical and mathematical methods to chemical data), provides a valuable tool for the geographical discrimination of hulless barley.

Cinnamon bark oil (CBO) is a natural plant bioactive molecule with antioxidant and antimicrobial activities because of its chemical instability and poor solubility in water, which limits its industrial applications. Herein, CBO-loaded Pickering emulsion was produced using zein, the stabilizer, and arabic gum (AG) was used to modify the emulsifying ability of CBO. The stability, chromatic aberration, pH, particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), and zeta (ζ) potential of the CBO-loaded Pickering emulsion were investigated. The results showed that the Zein-AG-CBO Pickering emulsion exhibited better stability at an added AG concentration of 0.8% (w/v) than the free CBO. The CBO-loaded Pickering emulsion retained its antioxidant and antimicrobial capacity and exhibited higher functional potential than the free CBO. The findings demonstrated the potential of Zein-0.8%AG-CBO Pickering emulsion as a kind of promising alternative for the delivery of antimicrobial essential oils in the food, active packaging material, and other related industries.

Background. Phytochemicals are compounds that are naturally found in plants and are known to have various health benefits. However, phytochemicals are structurally complex, inherently unstable, and have low bioavailability. Unfortunately, research on phytochemicals lags behind that of essential nutrients. This paper focuses on a bibliometric analysis to understand citation patterns in phytochemical research related to chronic diseases. It examines the current state of research, research focal points, and anticipated trends in the field. Methods. We analyzed published literature on phytochemicals and chronic diseases using the Web of Science database. Our search included only English-language publications until April 1, 2023. Visual Metrics software was used to examine data on countries, institutions, authors, journals, and citations. Results. For this study, a total of 2,297 articles were retrieved from 2008 to the present, with a significant increase in citations starting in 2017. China was found to be the leading country in paper production, while the United States had the highest H-index, placing both at the forefront of research in this field. King Saud University published the most, and Liu RH emerged as the most influential author. The analysis showed limited collaboration between institutions across different countries. Molecules were the primary source for phytochemical-related papers. The top 20 keywords highlighted flavonoids and their association with cardiovascular diseases, indicating them as prominent themes in recent phytochemical research with the potential to remain relevant. Conclusions. The study highlights the increasing interest in phytochemical research related to chronic diseases. It provides a thorough review and analysis of the present situation, the latest research topics, and academic trends in this field. This information is precious for researchers and healthcare professionals. It helps them to comprehend significant literature and keep up-to-date with the latest advancements in the field, eventually leading to progress in this field.

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.