Zhiyuan Feng, Wang Yong, Ruixue Zhang, Mingliang Li, Meixia Pang, Xinru Zhang, Ying Wei, Guiju Sun
BACKGROUND
Corn peptides (CPs) are natural bioactive peptides with multiple beneficial effects. A previous study found that CPs enhanced endurance by activating the AMPK/PGC-1α signaling pathway and increasing intestinal probiotics involved in lipid metabolism, leading to the hypothesis that CPs may have anti-obesity effects.
RESULTS
The current study established an obesity model by feeding mice a high-fat diet (HFD) for 8 weeks, followed by CPs for 4 weeks. The results show that CPs effectively decreased bodyweight, epididymal fat weight, and liver fat accumulation in obese mice. They also show that CPs administration reduced lipid levels and metabolic disorders and ameliorated liver steatosis in HFD-fed obese mice. Corn peptides significantly increased the expression levels of PPARγ and PGC-1α proteins in subcutaneous inguinal white adipose tissue (iWAT), while those of SREBP1 and FAS were decreased. Corn proteins also increased the abundance of intestinal probiotic bacteria and reduced the harmful bacteria count, which may contribute to their anti-obesity effects. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database revealed significant differences in genes that were differentially expressed in response to treatment with CPs. Genes associated with various transporters, including ATP-binding cassette transporters, and with lipid metabolism were enriched. Those related to amino acid metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, insulin resistance, and atherosclerosis were downregulated. There were also significant changes in genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism.
Background: High-voltage electrostatic field (HVEF) is a physical postharvest handling technique, which is clean and safe technology for consumers and the environment and can be used to extend the postharvest shelf life of avocados. Therefore, the effects of a HVEF on cell wall modification related to mesocarp softening in avocados during storage were investigated, as well as physiological changes. Avocados were treated with 1 kV cm-1 for 120 min and then packed into carton boxes. Fruit without an HVEF served as the untreated control. The fruit were subsequently stored at room temperature (25 ± 2 °C) and 75 ± 5% relative humidity for 7 days.
Results: The results revealed that the HVEF had physiological affects by significantly delaying respiration rate and ethylene production. HVEF-treated fruit maintained fruit firmness (15.34 N), representing a 3.5-fold (approximately 352%) increase compared with control samples (3.39 N), and exhibited approximately 30% lower water-soluble pectin (WSP) content (0.41 vs. 0.56 g L-1) at 3 days after treatment. These changes were correlated with a negative relationship between firmness and WSP content. Additionally, the HVEF treatment significantly repressed the activities of key cell wall-degrading enzymes: pectin methyl esterase, polygalacturonase, and pectate lyase. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy - a molecular analysis technique - and principal component analysis - a statistical method for data interpretation - confirmed structural changes in the pectin. Furthermore, compared with the untreated control treatment, HVEF significantly maintained peel color and delayed a decrease in hue° value.
Background: Fresh chicken sausages are highly perishable and require preservation strategies to ensure quality and safety. Sodium nitrite is traditionally used to inhibit microbial growth and stabilize color; however, concerns regarding the formation of carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds have increased interest in natural alternatives. Celery extract, rich in natural nitrite and bioactive compounds, exhibits antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, making it a promising substitute.
Results: Sausages were prepared with celery extract, sodium nitrite, or no additive (control) and stored at 5 °C for 14 days. Physicochemical parameters (pH, moisture loss, cooking weight loss, water-holding capacity, and lipid oxidation) and color parameters (L*, a*, b*, and ΔE) were analyzed on days 1, 7, and 14. Two-way analysis of variance and principal component analysis revealed significant interactions between treatment and time (P < 0.05). Celery extract-treated sausages showed higher initial redness (a*) but greater total color change (ΔE = 8.56) than sodium nitrite (ΔE = 3.11). Lipid oxidation values ranged from 0.79 mg malondialdehyde (MDA) kg-1 (control, day 14) to 2.62 mg MDA kg-1 (nitrite, day 1). Microbiological analyses confirmed the absence of Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, and coliforms in all treatments.
Pamela Cristiele Oliveira Trindade, Bibiana Alves Dos Santos, Géssica Hollweg, Milena Padilha, Priscila Rossato Fracari, Sarita Correa Rosa, Alexandre José Cichoski, José Manuel Lorenzo, Paulo Ricardo de Matos, Márcio Vargas-Ramella, Paulo Cezar Bastianello Campagnol
Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate the technological and sensory feasibility of partially replacing pork fat with hydrated pea protein in canned pâtés, using different hydration levels. Six formulations were prepared: one Control (100% pork fat) and five treatments (G1:1, G1:2, G1:3, G1:4, and G1:5), in which 50% of the fat was replaced with hydrated pea protein at increasing protein-to-water ratios of 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, and 1:5, respectively.
Results: The reformulation led to an approximate 50% reduction in fat content and up to a 24% increase in protein content (P < 0.05). Formulations G1:3, G1:4, and G1:5 exhibited satisfactory technological performance. Additionally, these samples exhibited favorable sensory attributes, including a soft texture, good spreadability, a pleasant flavor, a homogeneous appearance, and a pink color, resulting in acceptance levels comparable to those of the Control (P > 0.05). Rheological analyses revealed lower flow resistance and reduced elastic modulus in these formulations (P < 0.05), contributing to improved spreadability. All samples maintained microbiological stability throughout 60 days of refrigerated storage (P > 0.05). Although the reformulated products showed increased thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values (P < 0.05), the levels remained low and did not compromise the sensory quality or safety of the product.
Tayah M Bolt, Margaret Riggs, Weiyi Sun, Shu Yu, Larry Lerno, Li Tian, Paul Gepts, Antonia Palkovic, Travis A Parker, Gail M Bornhorst, Christine H Diepenbrock
Background: Measuring bioaccessible nutrient levels during digestion in a physiologically relevant (dynamic) manner is a bottleneck in plant breeding and food product development. The first aim of this study was to develop and compare four simulated gastric digestion models paired with a static small-intestinal phase for use with small sample masses. The four gastric models tested included three dynamic models, which emulate peristaltic contractions with or without additional emulation of enzymatic secretion and flow of food, and one static model. The second aim was to examine bioaccessible nutrient levels in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) samples representing four genotype by growing environment combinations with differing seed coat coloration, patterning, and phenolic profiles.
Results: While the highest bioaccessible nutrient levels (starch and protein hydrolysis, total phenolics, and antioxidant power) were observed from more complex dynamic digestion models, even simple dynamic models showed higher values for these traits than a static digestion model. The use of in vitro models varying in complexity provided insight into nutrient bioaccessibility; for example, differences were observed during digestion between genotypes for protein hydrolysis and between environments for both total phenolics and protein hydrolysis, even in a higher-throughput digestion model.
Wenwen Li, Ke Yu, Lan Wang, Mengjiao Wang, Mingyue Liang, Lelei Wen
Background: Selecting high-quality commercial ingredients is crucial for success in arthropod mass-rearing and laboratory research, yet chemical labels often provide incomplete information for predicting in vivo performance. A gap exists for rapid, cost-effective functional assessment tools. This study proposes and validates a pragmatic bio-assay framework to address this need, using two commercial brown sugars (a common dietary supplement) with different labeled protein contents [high-protein brown sugar (HPBS), 28 g kg-1; low-protein brown sugar (LPBS), 7 g kg-1) as a case study.
Results: In starvation survival assays, wolf spider (Pardosa pseudoannulata) juveniles provided with the HPBS solution showed significantly prolonged survival compared to those on the LPBS solution. In life-cycle assays with fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster), flies reared on a HPBS-supplemented diet exhibited significantly higher cumulative fecundity and superior climbing ability compared to those on the LPBS diet. By contrast, no significant difference in total developmental time was observed among the dietary treatments.
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Lian Li, Yu Zhang, Lin Zhu, Mandlaa, Ziyu Sun, Zhongjun Chen
Background: Millet vinegar (MV), a type of vinegar obtained by the solid-state fermentation of millet grains, has a unique production process and flavor. This study investigated the dynamics of microbial succession and flavor compounds during MV fermentation.
Results: The analysis revealed that MV contains substantial concentrations of acetic acid, oxalic acid, and lactic acid, which were identified as the principal organic acids (OAs), as well as glutamic acid (Glu), alanine (Ala), and valine (Val), which were the principal free amino acids (FAAs). These compounds contributed substantially to the taste of MV. The ratio of essential to nonessential amino acids (AAs) was 74.09%, approaching the benchmark recommended by the World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Organization (WHO/FAO) for high-quality protein sources. Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, Pantoea, Staphylococcus, Massilia, and Candidatus phytoplasma emerged as the principal microbial groups positively correlated with lactic acid and oxalic acid accumulation in MV. Acetobacter, Wallemia, Saccharomyces, Xylaria, and Alternaria were found to contribute positively to the production of Glu, Ala, Val, and acetic acid. Finally, Bradyrhizobium and Mesorhizobium were found to be unique to MV.
Daria Lotito, Alessia Staropoli, Maria Isabella Prigigallo, Giuseppina Iacomino, Claudio Gigliotti, Giovanni Bubici, Sergio Bolletti-Censi, Matteo Lorito, Francesco Vinale
Background: The use of microorganisms and biostimulants is increasingly supported in agriculture because of their advantageous impact on plant disease management, growth enhancement and the synthesis of beneficial bioactive secondary metabolites (SMs). Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is an important crop and is consumed worldwide because it is an excellent source of natural compounds (i.e. beta-carotene and flavonoids) and minerals useful for human health. Although the positive effects of individual microbial applications are well-documented, the impact of microbial consortia is underexplored.
Results: In this study, the improvement of nutritional value of tomato (S. lycopersicum var. Heinz), by use of beneficial microorganisms, including selected strains of Streptomyces microflavus (S), Trichoderma harzianum (M10) and Trichoderma afroharzianum (T22), has been investigated. These microbes were applied on tomato plants, either as single inoculants or as microbial consortia. The effects were evaluated through statistical analysis of biological parameters. T22 treatments exhibited a significant increase in plant height (107.30 cm) compared to both control and M10-based treatments (104.30 and 102.80 cm, respectively). The similarities observed in plant height between S-treated plants (105.70 cm) and those treated with the combination of S and T22 (106.60 cm) highlight the potential beneficial effects of microbial consortia. Moreover, the berries were subjected to an untargeted metabolomic analysis by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-quadrupole-time of flight that led to the identification of eighteen metabolites, including tomatine and its derivatives solafloridine. Multivariate analysis demonstrated differences in berries metabolic profiles, depending on the treatment applied. Specifically, T22-based treatment increased the accumulation of most of the identified metabolites compared to untreated plants, whereas combined treatment S + T22 induced a major accumulation of solafloridine.
Background: Nitrite helps slow lipid oxidation and inhibits microbial growth; however, excessive consumption can lead to the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines, increasing cancer risk. Anthocyanins, as a natural antioxidant and colorant, shows promise as a nitrite alternative.
Results: Cantonese sausages were fortified with anthocyanins (C3G; 0, 50, 100 mg kg-1) and sodium nitrite (NaNO2; 0, 50, 100 mg kg-1), respectively, resulting in nine experimental groups, and the sausages were stored for 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) value, residual nitrite, microbial content, pH value, and color value analysis on days 1, 10, 20, and 30. Based on the results, anthocyanins demonstrated a certain effect on reducing lipid oxidation, residual nitrite levels, and the total number of colonies. C3G increased the a* value of sausages and resulted in the protection of the desired red color during ripening. The optimal combination found was 100 mg kg-1 C3G with 50 mg kg-1 NaNO2.
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