Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture最新文献

Background: Microgreens have emerged as a promising crop in vertical farming due to their high nutritional value and short growth cycles. Light spectrum and intensity are critical factors influencing biomass production and metabolic activity in plants, particularly in controlled environments such as vertical farming systems. This study aimed to evaluate the combined effects of light spectrum and intensity on the agronomic traits and metabolite profiles of green and purple radish (Raphanus sativus L.) microgreens.

Results: Three commercial LED spectra - NS12 (R:B = 1.9), Ph2.1 (R:B = 2.1) and AP673L (R:B = 5.5) - were tested at three intensities (100, 200, and 300 μmol m^-2 s ^-1) in a controlled vertical farming system. Growth parameters (yield, dry matter percentage (DMP), leaf area), photosynthetic pigments, sugars, organic acids, and glucosinolates were quantified. The highest R:B ratio (5.5) under the AP673L lamp at 300 μmol m^-2 s^-1 significantly enhanced yield and DMP in both cultivars, while the lowest R:B ratio observed in the NS12 lamp at the same intensity maximized sugar and organic acid accumulation in green microgreens. Glucosinolate content was spectrum- and cultivar-dependent: green radish accumulated higher levels under the lowest R:B ratio (NS12), whereas purple radish responded better to the R:B = 2.1 ratio under the Ph2.1 lamp at lower intensities.

Conclusion: These results demonstrate that optimal light strategies in vertical farming must be tailored to specific microgreen genotypes and light conditions to simultaneously maximize productivity and nutritional quality. © 2026 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: Meat adulteration poses significant food safety and economic fraud challenges, yet traditional detection methods are destructive, time-consuming and unsuitable for rapid screening. Meanwhile, despite advances in non-destructive and rapid hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technology, its predominant spectral-biased approach faces challenges in distinguishing chemically similar adulterants. Notably, unlike authentic meat formed through natural processes, adulterated meat undergoes artificial reconstruction, creating distinct tissue surface morphological differences. These inherent differences offer key insights for rapid adulteration detection. Accordingly, this study developed a novel non-destructive approach combining HSI with independent component analysis (ICA) to extract tissue surface features for beef adulteration detection. Two adulteration types were investigated: restructured minced meat and pork-substituted beef at adulteration levels of 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50%.

Results: For both adulteration types, ICA was employed to extract tissue surface features from hyperspectral images, with derivatives characterizing surface-change trends. Subsequently, k-nearest neighbor and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) were applied to classify authentic and restructured minced beef, with the LDA model achieving perfect discrimination (R²p = 1.0000, RMSEP = 0.0000). Meanwhile, for detecting pork-substituted beef, hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were employed. The OPLS-DA model significantly outperformed HCA and demonstrated excellent performance (AUC > 0.92 across all substitution ratios). Furthermore, the visualization successfully located pork-substituted regions and quantified substitution levels.

Conclusion: This tissue surface feature-based approach provides a rapid, accurate and non-destructive method for meat adulteration detection, offering significant potential for industrial implementation, particularly suited for high-throughput screening in meat processing facilities and quality assurance operations. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background: In this study, a comprehensive analysis was conducted on eight Lonicera caerulea cultivars from Heilongjiang Province, encompassing their appearance, edibility, nutritional and biochemical quality, and sensory quality. A quality evaluation model was subsequently established.

Results: With respect to its visual characteristics, the fruit morphology of Lonicera caerulea is characterized by an elongated or oval shape. By measuring the L* value (fruit lightness) and a* value (red-green bias of color-presenting substances in the fruit), it is indicated that the fruit exhibits an overall reddish tendency. In terms of edible quality, 'Lanjingling 2' exhibited the highest sugar content, while 'Wulan 1' showed the most favorable sugar-acid ratio. Electronic nose analysis showed similar aroma profiles for 'Benshanqie', 'Lanjingling 2', and 'Wulan 2', while 'Beilei' had a distinct flavor. Results from the electronic tongue indicated that 'Beilei' was notably acidic, whereas 'Lanjingling 1' and 'Benshanqie' had high umami and richness scores. A comparison of the nutritional and biochemical qualities of L. caerulea revealed significant disparities in their K and Fe contents. 'Benshanqie' showed the highest levels of total flavonoids and tannins. All cultivars demonstrated considerable ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activity, accompanied by high vitamin C content. In the sensory evaluation, 'Lanjingling 2' received the highest score. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis were employed to identify key quality indicators, while analytic hierarchy process was used to rank the overall performance of each cultivars. Notably, The systematic cluster analysis yielded six categories. The highest quality was offered by 'Lanjingling 2'.

Conclusion: This study signifies the inaugural implementation of integrated statistical methodologies for analysis of the quality characteristics of Russian L. caerulea introduced to China. The study provides novel insights into the formation of fruit quality and regional adaptation differences, offering an innovative approach to comprehensive fruit quality evaluation. Moreover, it provides a scientific foundation for the assessment of cultivars, the processes of breeding, and industrial utilization. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

The agri-food industry generates huge amounts of waste and byproducts (AFWBs), which threaten the environment if not properly managed. Biological approaches such as fermentation have been proven to be versatile routes for increasing the nutritional potential of AFWBs and production of value-added bioactive compounds. The present paper reviews the results of recent studies that have been conducted on the effect of fermentation of AFWBs from different origins and fermentation techniques on generation of bioactive compounds. The study focuses specifically on studies conducted from 2020 to present. Types of microorganisms used in fermentations, fermentation routes as well as challenges towards upscaling and commercialization strategies for fermentation of AFWBs are also reviewed in this paper. Studies have indicated the production of diverse bioactive compounds including bioactive peptides, phenolics, single-cell proteins, polyunsaturated fatty acids by fermentation of AFWBs with selected bacteria, filamentous fungi and yeasts. Filamentous fungi, especially Aspergillus niger strains, have been used as starter cultures for improving the polyphenolic potential of AFWBs by fermentation, while mainly yeasts have been utilized for single-cell protein production. Peptides such as bioactive peptides and amino acids have been produced by bacterial cultures such as lactic acid bacteria and Bacillus sp. using a variety of plant- or animal-based AFWBs. Lactic acid, citric acid, essential fatty acids and flavoring compounds were also among the compounds aimed for production from AFWBs. Although the scale-up and commercialization of fermentation processes have been studied for a long time, there are still many obstacles and challenges. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background: In our previous study, we developed enzymatic hydrolysates (HCPE) derived from Houttuynia cordata (HC) that exhibit Peyer's patch (PP)-mediated immune activity. In this study, HCPE was fractionated using gel permeation chromatography, and the active moiety responsible for intestinal immunostimulatory activity was identified through activity-guided fractionation based on PP-mediated assays.

Results: HCPE was fractionated on a Sephadex G-100 column into three distinct fractions - HCPE-I, -II, and -III - which differed in molecular weight and chemical properties. Among these, HCPE-I exhibited a potent PP-mediated immunostimulatory effect, significantly enhancing cytokine secretion and bone marrow cell proliferation. Furthermore, HCPE-I promoted mucin 2 expression in LS174T cells and enhanced tight junction integrity in Caco-2 cells. Based on various structural characterization analyses, HCPE-I was identified as a rhamnogalacturonan-I (RG-I) type polysaccharide with a molecular weight of 83.6 kDa, containing side chains composed of types I and II arabinogalactans and 1,5-arabinan.

Conclusion: These findings provide valuable insights into the potential applications of HC-derived polysaccharides as functional food ingredients or pharmaceutical agents for enhancing intestinal immune function. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to comprehensively investigate the immunological, biochemical, and physical aspects of intestinal immune modulation by an RG-I type polysaccharide derived from HC. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background: The development of printable food inks for 3D printing requires optimization of rheological and mechanical properties to balance extrusion ease with structural stability. Mashed potato (MP), a starch-based material, is commonly used as an edible ink but faces challenges such as weak gel strength and sensitivity to printing conditions. Incorporating oat flour (OF), rich in β-glucans, may enhance printability by improving ink rheology and texture, and health benefits.

Results: Viscosity assessments revealed that MP-OF blends maintained a stable viscosity plateau between 70 and 60 °C, an optimal printing window ensuring consistent flow. Ink formulations containing 50% OF exhibited optimized viscosity and shear-thinning behavior suitable for stable extrusion and structural fidelity during printing. Printability tests demonstrated that pure OF inks lacked sufficient mechanical strength for shape retention, whereas pure MP inks exhibited dimensional distortions. MP-OF blends, especially MP-OF50, achieved improved shape fidelity and enabled printing of complex geometries with high dimensional accuracy and structural stability over time. Texture profile analyses indicated that OF addition softened gels and enhanced cohesiveness and adhesiveness, with minimal impact on consumer liking and oral processing parameters.

Conclusion: MP-OF formulations, particularly with 50% OF substitution, provide a balanced rheological profile suitable for extrusion-based 3D food printing. These blends overcome mechanical limitations of pure MP, allowing fabrication of structurally stable, palatable, and potentially health-enhanced 3D-printed foods. This approach supports personalized nutrition and the use of accessible, home-friendly 3D printing technologies for novel food design. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background: Searching for natural phosphorylated peptides as thrombin inhibitors is a good strategy for coagulation intervention. Phosvitin is one of the most phosphorylated proteins and has an anticoagulant effect by inhibiting thrombin.

Results: The preparation of phosvitin hydrolysate was optimized by two-step enzymatic hydrolysis in this study, resulting in a significant enhancement of its thrombin inhibitory activity. After chromatography purification, the P4 fraction exhibiting the highest thrombin inhibitory activity was isolated. It significantly prolonged the thrombin time and the activated partial thromboplastin time, indicating inhibition of the endogenous and common coagulation pathways. pSSKpSSNpSpSK, identified from the P4 fraction, exhibited a high proportion among total peptides and strong thrombin affinity, primarily binding to exosite I of thrombin via electrostatic interactions. Polyphosphorylation of peptides played a critical role in thrombin inhibition. Additionally, pSSKpSSNpSpSK may interfere with blood coagulation through the lipid and atherosclerotic signaling pathway.

Conclusion: The present study successfully isolated polyphosphorylated peptides from phosvitin, demonstrating that their core components exert anticoagulant effects by inhibiting thrombin and interfering with signaling pathways, laying a promising theoretical foundation for developing anticoagulant functional foods. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background: This study investigates the relationship between spirituality and sustainable eating behaviours, addressing a gap in the Italian literature. Although food sustainability is often examined through economic, environmental or health-related lenses, recent research has highlighted the growing importance of ethical and spiritual values in shaping consumer choices. Spirituality, understood as a personal connection with nature, a sense of duty and inner balance, can motivate individuals to adopt more environmentally conscious dietary habits. Based on a modified Norm Activation Model and incorporating spiritual constructs, the research examines if (and how) spirituality aspects affect sustainable consumer behaviours. An online survey was administered to individuals responsible for household grocery decisions, using validated psychometric scales to assess environmental attitudes, ecological identity, spirituality and eating behaviours. Data were analysed through confirmatory factor analysis and hierarchical multiple regression.

Results: The findings demonstrate that spiritual dimensions, especially duty orientation and equanimity, positively affect personal norms, which significantly predict sustainable eating behaviours. Additionally, awareness of environmental consequences and a sense of personal responsibility emerged as key mediators.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that spirituality can serve as a powerful motivational driver for sustainability, supporting more ethical, mindful and low-impact food choices. Educational and policy interventions that recognize and engage with spiritual values may enhance their effectiveness in promoting sustainable food systems. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background: Replacing conventional plastics with biodegradable solutions that control moisture loss in fresh-cut produce is a strategic need. This study developed hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) and chitosan (CS) films plasticised with glycerol (Gly) and evaluated their use as sealing lids for fresh-cut mango.

Results: The selected monolayer formulation showed high optical clarity with limited transmittance at 560 nm, reduced water solubility and water-vapour permeability suited to moisture management. Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared analysis indicated HPMC-CS compatibility and scanning electron microscopy imaging showed a continuous surface. Applied at 9 °C for nine days, the HPMC/CS+Gly film reduced weight loss by about fivefold relative to unpackaged fruit and approached the performance of commercial poly(vinyl chloride) in limiting dehydration, while maintaining fruit colour (Lab*) and firmness during storage. Package headspace measurements were consistent with a performance profile focused on moisture control.

Conclusion: The HPMC/CS+Gly film is a promising biodegradable option for mitigating dehydration and preserving quality in fresh-cut mango, and it provides a robust platform for future optimisation of gas-barrier properties and, where appropriate, incorporation of active functionalities. © 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: Cardiovascular diseases, largely driven by hypertension, remain the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibition is a well-established therapeutic approach; however, synthetic inhibitors are frequently associated with adverse effects. Natural bioactive compounds, particularly those derived from olives, have been proposed as potential alternatives or complementary agents.

Results: This study evaluated the ACE-inhibitory potential of olive-derived triterpenic acids (oleanolic acid (OA) and maslinic acid (MA)) and phenolic compounds (hydroxytyrosol (HT), 3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol (DHPG), verbascoside (VER), luteolin (LUT), and comselogoside (COM)). Among the individual compounds, OA (half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) = 18.43 μmol L^-1) and MA (IC₅₀ = 25.66 μmol L^-1) exhibited the strongest ACE inhibition, acting through different mechanisms: OA as a competitive, MA as an uncompetitive, and COM as a non-competitive inhibitor. Notably, certain binary combinations revealed notable interactions, particularly HT:COM, which displayed strong synergistic inhibition at concentrations where individual components were inactive. In contrast, combinations such as COM:MA and COM:LUT demonstrated additive or antagonistic effects depending on molar ratios and concentration.

Conclusions: These findings highlight the potential of individual olive-derived compounds, especially OA and MA, as natural ACE inhibitors with distinct mechanisms of action. Moreover, specific synergistic interactions, such as HT:COM, represent promising candidates for the development of safer and more effective dietary interventions in hypertension management. © 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.