Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture最新文献

Background: Puffed corn flour (PCF) is produced by the milling of corn flour, followed by extrusion, puffing, drying and grinding processes. PCF possesses extensive potential applications in the food industry, serving as a raw material to produce diverse expanded foods. Nonetheless, PCF presents certain issues, including inadequate protein content and suboptimal flushing characteristics. A multitude of studies indicate that physical alteration and the incorporation of exogenous protein positively affect the modifications in the physical and chemical properties of starch. This study examined the impact of incorporating exogenous protein alongside dry heat treatment (DHT) on the microstructure, physical and chemical properties and in vitro digestion of PCF.

Results: Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results demonstrated that DHT augmented the hydrogen bond strength of the samples while exerting a negligible effect on the overall structure. Furthermore, via DHT, the incorporation of soybean protein isolate (SPI), whey protein isolate (WPI) and egg white protein (EWP) enhanced the water solubility index of the samples by 8.77%, 19.39% and 22.02%, respectively; the resistant starch content increased by 18.12%, 13.28% and 15.56%, respectively. Nonetheless, DHT resulted in a decrease in sample particle size and the formation of additional cracks and pores on the surface of PCF.

Conclusion: The flushing properties of PCF were enhanced by DHT technology and the incorporation of exogenous proteins. The optimal treatment temperature for the EWP group was 90 °C; for the SPI group, it was 80 °C; and for the WPI group, it was 100 °C. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background: Elevated levels of tropospheric ozone (O₃) pose a significant threat to plant health and productivity. Developing ozone-tolerant varieties is crucial for mitigating these environmental stresses. This study investigates the effects of ascorbic acid (AA) and silicic acid (SA) treatments on 12 different mung bean varieties under elevated O₃ conditions.

Results: A controlled pot experiment was conducted with four treatments: ambient O₃ (40-45 ppb), elevated O₃ (120 ppb), elevated O₃ with silicic acid (0.1 mmol L^-1), and high O₃ with ascorbic acid (10 mmol L^-1). High O₃ stress negatively impacted growth attributes across all mung bean cultivars. However, both AA and SA treatments significantly alleviated O₃-induced growth reductions. Under O₃ stress, osmotic potential, water potential, relative water content, turgor potential, sugars, pod number, amino acids, 100-seed weight, and grain carbohydrates all decreased. In contrast, antioxidant enzymes (ascorbate peroxidase, peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase), flavonoids, tannins, and grain protein content increased.

Conclusion: The NIAB Mung 20-21, NIAB Mung 2006, and NIAB Mung varieties exhibited O₃ resistance. Silicic acid proved to be more effective than ascorbic acid in mitigating O₃ damage, though a combination of both treatments was the most beneficial for enhancing plant resilience under elevated O₃ conditions. © 2025 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Background: Riboflavin, a water-soluble vitamin, is not synthesized in the human body. Hence, developing riboflavin carriers that can be retained in the gastrointestinal system for longer periods can facilitate riboflavin supplementation.

Results: The present study aimed to prepare a soy protein isolate (SPI)-κ-carrageenan composite gel-mediated riboflavin delivery model. Additionally, the effects of different concentrations of κ-carrageenan on the micromorphology, gel strength and rheological properties of SPI gels were investigated. The results showed that incorporating high- concentration of κ-carrageenan (0.4 g kg^-1) effectively enhanced the interactions among SPI aggregates, increasing the gel frontal strength to 128.65 g and water-holding capacity up to 81.67%. Additionally, κ-carrageenan incorporation enhanced the gel network structure, reduced gel porosity and increased the density of the gel network structure. Compared with SPI gels, SPI-κ-carrageenan composite gel facilitated the targeted release and in vivo degradation of riboflavin, at the same time as delaying the biodegradation of riboflavin in stored gels.

Conclusion: Altogether, the findings of the present study provide insights into SPI-κ-carrageenan composite gels regarding gel properties and interaction mechanisms, as well as a strategy for the slow release of riboflavin in the gastrointestinal tract. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background: Citrus fruits are an important source of dietary fiber. However, on the one hand, traditional preparation methods of citrus fiber rely on chemical hydrolysis, resulting in unavoidable environmental contamination and nutrients loss. On the other hand, citrus fiber usually requires modification due to its low soluble dietary fiber content. Therefore, we explored green preparation methods of citrus fiber, and evaluated the impact of high-speed homogenization alone or combined with cellulase hydrolysis, Trichoderma viride or Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation on the physicochemical, structural and functional properties of dietary fiber derived from navel orange peel.

Results: Cellulase-hydrolyzed navel orange peel dietary fiber (NOPDF) had better water solubility and oil holding capacity but lower thermal stability. In contrast, T. viride-fermented NOPDF demonstrated the best thermal stability and glucose adsorption (4.62 ± 0.06 mmol g^-1 dried weight), along with the highest soluble dietary fiber yield (2.27 g kg^-1 dried weight), the best soluble dietary fiber/total dietary fiber ratio (29.64 ± 0.17%), water holding capacity (12.48 ± 0.44 g g^-1 dried weight), swelling capacity (12.10 ± 0.24 g g^-1 dried weight) and the darkest color. Lactobacillus plantarum-fermented NOPDF exhibited the best fillibility (tap density, 0.68 ± 0.01 g mL^-1 dried weight) and strongest in vitro prebiotic activity and antioxidant properties (total phenolic content, 5.81 ± 0.26 mg gallic acid equivalents 100 g^-1 dried weight; DPPH^• scavenging capacity, 2.21 ± 0.01 mg Trolox equivalents g^-1 dried weight).

Conclusion: Both modification methods of T. viride or L. plantarum fermentation could significantly improve the physicochemical, structural and functional properties of NOPDF, and offer a valuable approach for utilizing navel orange peel in the functional food industry. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background: Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs), comprising a novel selenium element with higher bioactivity, easily aggregate into large black monomeric selenium particles. In the present study, polysaccharides from the seeds of Plantago asiatica L. (PLP) was used as a template and morphology/particle size modifier to synthesize selenium nanoparticles. The preparation process of SeNPs stabilized by PLP was optimized, and its antioxidant and immunological activities were investigated.

Results: The optimal preparation conditions of PLP-SeNPs were a reaction temperature of 60°C, a reaction time of 1.5 h, a PLP concentration of 0.04 mg · mL^-1 and a Na₂SeO₃/Vc molar ratio of 1:5. Stable spherical PLP-SeNPs with a particle size of 78.39 ± 2.15 nm were prepared through this process. The PLP-SeNPs complex at a concentration of 32 μg · mL^-1 demonstrated scavenging activities against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals, hydroxyl radicals and 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethyl-benzothiazolin-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt radicals of up to 49.49 ± 2.58%, 60.99 ± 2.49% and 42.07 ± 1.76%, respectively. The PLP-SeNPs complex significantly increased the activation of RAW264.7 cells through improving phagocytosis, reactive oxygen species levels, and the secretion of tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-10.

Conclusion: The present study lays a theoretical foundation for the development of food-borne SeNPs and the exploration of their application in functional foods, which will help to promote the high-value utilization of P. asiatica L., and also has an important guiding significance for the healthy development of selenium-enriched functional food industry. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background: Pu-erh tea, a dark tea from China, is classified into raw and ripened types. Both have significant anti-obesity effects. Polyphenols are among their major bioactive components. This study aimed to explore the anti-obesity properties and mechanisms of raw (R-TP) and ripened (F-TP) Pu-erh tea polyphenols.

Results: The results showed that R-TP and F-TP significantly reduced body weight, improved insulin resistance, and enhanced glucose and lipid metabolism in high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. Mild differences were observed in their impact on fat metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and inflammation levels. Both R-TP and F-TP were able to restore the disrupted intestinal flora caused by HFD treatment, returning them to a composition and levels similar to those of normal mice. Interestingly, the gut microbiota of all the mice could be reclassified into three enterotypes (enterotype Type-1, Type-2, and Type-HFD). Lactobacillaceae predominated in Type-1. Lactobacillaceae, Muribaculaceae, and Lachnospiraceae were the most common in Type-2. Type-HFD was primarily composed of Atopobiaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Lactobacillaceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Erysipelotrichaceae. The small differences in the effects of R-TP and F-TP may be due to variations in enterotypes.

Conclusion: These findings indicate that R-TP and F-TP can alleviate obesity by regulating the enterotype of gut microbiota, suggesting that they possess the potential for application in the treatment of obesity and the development of anti-obesity agents. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background: Obesity can lead to many diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cancer and cardiovascular diseases, which seriously affect people's quality of life and health.

Aims of the study: To investigate the main components and potential of n-butanol extract from Citrus aurantium L. var. amara Engl to reduce lipid accumulation and to explore its modulatory effects on the gut microbiota.

Methods: The main components of n-butanol extract were analyzed using liquid chromatography quadrupole trap mass spectrometry (LC-QTRAP-MS) and a high-fat diet-induced obese mouse model was established to analyze its effects on the determination of gene expression levels and intestinal microbiota using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and 16S rRNA gene sequence method.

Results: The n-butanol extract mainly consists of 15 components, and it could significantly inhibit weight gain, reduce liver coefficient and improve oxidative damage. By regulating the expression of related genes, it inhibited hepatic steatosis and hypertrophy of epididymal tissue. The n-butanol extract increased the diversity of intestinal microbiota, improved the composition and structure of the flora, and reversed the high-fat diet-induced disturbance of intestinal microbiota in mice.

Conclusion: These results indicated that the n-butanol extract of C. aurantium could inhibit lipid accumulation and provide a more comprehensive basis for the development and utilization of C. aurantium in anti-obesity activity. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background: Partially replacing NaCl with KCl under ultrasound can improve muscle quality and reduce oxidative degeneration of myofibrillar proteins in semi-dried large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea). Myosin, the most important protein in myofibrillar protein, plays an important role in muscle quality. Hence, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of replacing NaCl with KCl on the physicochemical properties of myosin derived from large yellow croaker under ultrasound. Furthermore, the application potential of ultrasound to low sodium salt products was evaluated.

Results: The results showed that ultrasound treatment reduced the aggregation and particle size of myosin. By contrast, at high salt concentrations, myosin oxidation was inhibited and protein aggregation increased. This led to an increase in particle size and a decrease in stability and surface hydrophobicity of myosin. Interestingly, KCl increased myosin solubility and promoted protein unfolding, the excess of which exposed some active sites, leading to oxidative destruction of the proteins. In the present study, the chromophore and surface hydrophobic groups of myosin were exposed as a result of the KCl-mediated unfolding of the α-helices of myosin after the partial replacement of NaCl with KCl. This improved the structural stability of myosin and reduced its oxidative damage.

Conclusion: The findings of the present study show that the presence of NaCl and KCl in the system was more conducive to protecting the key role of myosin in the muscle tissue compared with NaCl alone. Additionally, the study provides insights into the mechanism of K⁺ and Na⁺ action on myosin under ultrasound, along with a theoretical basis for the application of ultrasound in low sodium salt products. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background: Silkworm pupae (SP), the pupal stage of an edible insect, have strong potential in the food, medicine, and cosmetic industries. Sex sorting is essential to enhance nutritional content and genetic traits in SP crossbreeding but it remains labor intensive and time consuming. An intelligent method is needed urgently to improve efficiency and productivity.

Results: To address the problem, an automatic SP sex-separation system was developed based on computer vision and deep learning. Specifically, based on gonad features, a novel real-time SP sex identification model with cascaded spatial channel attention (CSCA) and G-GhostNet (GPU-Ghost Network) was developed, which can capture regions of interest and achieve feature diversity efficiently. A new loss function was proposed to reduce model complexity and avoid overfitting in the training. In comparison with benchmark methods on the test set, the new model achieved superior performance with an accuracy of 96.48%. The experimental sorting accuracy for SP reached 95.59%, validating the effectiveness of the novel gender-separation strategy.

Conclusion: This research presents a practical method for online SP gender separation, potentially aiding the production of high-quality SP. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Innovative technologies can convert food waste into an economic opportunity. A potential approach to be discussed in this review article is combining microalgae cultivation with catalytic metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and chitosan platforms. Due to the high availability of nutrients and organic content, food waste can be classified as one of the most promising feedstocks for bioprocessing. MOFs are known for high surface area, modulable porosity, and the property to adsorb molecules thus being recently used as efficient catalysts in the related valorization of food wastes. Chitosan is a natural polyelectrolyte copolymer exhibiting excellent biological properties, making it an attractive platform to fabricate diverse biomedical materials. The most recent research proposes another use of food waste - as a resource in producing high-value materials. In particular, studies concentrate on designing chitosan and molecular porous MOF platforms with microalgae as applications for food waste valorization. One important approach would be to tailor the synthetic properties and functionalities of chitosan-based MOFs allowing them to be efficiently utilized. The facile catalytic chitosan-based MOF platform strategy established herein provides a new way to combine with microalgae cultivation for converting organic waste into desirable biomass. This review delivers a future-oriented idea regarding how chitosan-based MOF and microalgae can be co-participated in food waste harvesting followed by perspective challenges and future. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.