Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture最新文献

Background: Apostichopus japonicus is a traditional medicinal and culinary species, with existing anti-aging research primarily focusing on its bioactive peptides. In contrast, the anti-aging potential of its major polysaccharide, fucoidan (Aj-FUC), remains largely unexplored. Since the intestine is a central target in the aging process and the primary site for polysaccharide interaction, this study investigates the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of Aj-FUC against d-galactose (d-Gal)-induced intestinal senescence in mice.

Results: Aj-FUC significantly improved intestinal function, including restoration of villus structure and colon length, as well as enhancement of motility, absorption, and digestive enzyme activity. Additionally, Aj-FUC ameliorated the senescence-associated secretory phenotype, reduced oxidative stress levels, and downregulated mRNA expression of P16, P21, and P53, showing strong anti-aging effects. Meanwhile, Aj-FUC increased mRNA and protein levels of tight junction proteins, indicating improved intestinal barrier function. Further research revealed that Aj-FUC activated the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and promoted the proliferation of intestinal stem cells (ISCs). Moreover, Aj-FUC remodeled the gut microbiota and enriched Lactobacillus, thereby promoting ISC growth.

Conclusion: Aj-FUC mitigates intestinal aging primarily by modulating the gut microbiota and subsequently promoting ISC-mediated epithelial renewal via the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. These findings highlight the promise of Aj-FUC as a marine-based prebiotic functional food ingredient for improving intestinal health during aging. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background: Theobroma cocoa is a cash crop found in all cocoa-producing countries. In the Republic of Congo, there are three main varieties: Criollo, Forastero, and Trinitario. Determining cocoa bean quality (i.e. fermentation level) is an important production and trade issue. This study aimed to (i) determine whether the variety and geographical origin of whole fermented dried cocoa beans could be distinguished using Raman spectrometry, hyperspectral imaging (HSI), and near-infrared spectrometry (NIRS) and (ii) assess whether these non-destructive methods could characterize bean fermentation level. The latter was determined using the cut test and the fermentation index.

Results: The main peaks of the Raman, HSI, and NIR spectra were associated with chemical compounds and groups when possible. Bean variety could be distinguished (accuracy = 98.2%, 91.4%, and 80.2% for Raman, HSI, and NIRS, respectively) as could bean geographical origin (accuracy = 99.4%, 97.3%, and 97.1% for Raman, HSI, and NIRS, respectively). All three methods yielded very good predictions of actual fermentation levels, determined using the cut test (accuracy: 97%); the most effective methods were HSI followed by Raman spectroscopy. All three methods could also yield very good predictions of fermentation index values using models containing a selection of 9-12 spectral bands (Raman: R² = 0.92, HSI: R² = 0.99, and NIRS: R² = 0.997; model errors < 0.04).

Conclusion: These non-destructive methods are thus demonstrably effective and versatile and could be used by industry to assess cocoa bean quality, and even authenticate beans, if a wider database is built. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background: Transportation is a major stressor in livestock production, adversely affecting animal welfare, physiological status, and meat quality. Oxidative stress and metabolic imbalances induced by transport conditions can lead to significant economic losses. The use of natural antioxidants has been proposed as a strategy to mitigate these negative effects. This study aimed to evaluate the effects associated with intramuscularly administered quercetin (QUE) and grape seed extract (GSE) prior to transport during the winter season on body weight, serum biochemical responses, oxidative stress markers, and meat quality parameters, including carcass pH and fatty acid profile in sheep subjected to road transport.

Results: Twenty-four 12-month-old Akkaraman sheep were randomly allocated to four groups (n = 6): control, GSE50 (50 mg kg^-1 grape seed extract), GSE100 (100 mg kg^-1 grape seed extract), and QUE100 (100 mg kg^-1 quercetin). Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels differed among groups, with lower values observed in antioxidant-treated animals; however, baseline variability may have contributed to post-transport differences. Transport led to significant body weight loss in all groups (P < 0.001), with the least reduction observed in the QUE100 group (P = 0.105 among groups). In contrast, carcass pH values showed minimal variation among groups, with differences not exceeding 0.22 units (P = 0.155), and fatty acid composition of longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle (P > 0.05 for all fatty acids) did not differ significantly among groups.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that natural bioactive compounds may be associated with improved physiological responses under transport-related stress conditions. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background: Assamese glutinous Bora rice (Oryza sativa L.) is widely used for various ethnic food preparations. However, its resistant starch (RS) content, which influences the glycemic index (GI), remains poorly characterized. This exploratory study examined nine popular cooking and eating quality (CEQ) traits in 21 Bora rice lines, and performed molecular characterization and expression profiling during grain development, emphasizing machine learning (ML)-based prediction of RS content.

Results: The endosperm of Bora rice lines contains 80% to 90% starch, predominantly amylopectin, with a lower proportion of RS. Low gelatinization temperature, shorter cooking times at boiling temperatures, and soft gel length are key physicochemical traits of this group. Oryza sativa L. 'Aghani Bora' requires 68 minutes to prepare fully at room temperature. This reflects its low gelatinization temperature and soft gel formation, which are characteristic of Bora rice. Glycemic index-linked polymorphic markers can support molecular breeding of Bora rice for low GI. GBSSI and SSIIa transcripts were downregulated in genotypes exhibiting low RS content. Significant correlations were observed among CEQ traits. The radial basis function network model for predicting RS content in Bora rice yielded a high R² (0.9155) and a low mean squared error (0.0690).

Conclusion: Amylose appears to have a critical role in determining most CEQ characteristics but has less influence on readiness to eat. Bora rice requires genetic improvement because its low RS content can lead to a high GI. The low-cost machine learning (ML) model developed in this study provides an effective tool for rapid prediction of RS content in rice and other starchy cereal crops. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Protein fractionation plays a crucial role in producing high-value protein ingredients, shaping nutritional quality, functionality, and sustainability outcomes. This review examines major fractionation techniques, including physical methods (sieving, air classification, electrostatic separation) and chemical approaches (isoelectric precipitation, alkaline extraction, aqueous fractionation), together with emerging hybrid strategies. Quantitatively, dry fractionation typically delivers 30-60% protein purity at ~0.5-1.0 MJ kg^-1 flour (excluding milling), while wet fractionation can achieve 70-95% purity but requires substantially more resources, including ~2-5 MJ kg^-1 water removed for drying. Hybrid routes offer intermediate or superior performance by combining high purity with lower energy and water use. Applications in bread, pasta, meat analogues, and dairy substitutes demonstrate the functional and nutritional advantages of these protein fractions. A structured database search with defined keywords and criteria ensured methodological transparency. The novelty of this review lies in integrating process efficiency, techno-functional performance, and sustainability metrics into a unified assessment framework, addressing gaps not fully covered in previous reviews. Collectively, these insights highlight the potential of optimized, hybridized fractionation methods to support sustainable and innovative food processing. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background: Unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) in algal oil are prone to oxidation, which leads to the formation of a fishy odor and may reduce product quality significantly. This study investigated the changes in the fishy odor during the oxidation of algal oil.

Results: The results show that the oxidation rate of oil accelerated significantly after 4 days, resulting in the intensification of the fishy odor. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were analyzed to identify the off-odor substances and 103 compounds were identified. Among these, (E, E)-2,4-hexadienal had the highest content (216.65 μg g^-1) and a variable importance in projection (VIP) of 5.39, playing a crucial role in the characterization of odor. Combined with odor activity value (OAV) analysis, hexanal, (E)-2-heptenal, (E, E)-2,4-hexadienal, (E, E)-2,4-heptadienal, 1-hepten-3-one, and 1-octen-3-ol were identified as the characteristic components of the fishy odor. Further research revealed that these odor constituents exhibited significant correlations with fatty acid composition. These compounds are derived primarily from the secondary metabolites generated during oxidation of long-chain UFAs in algal oil.

Conclusion: This study clarified the key substances and sources of fishy odor in algal oil. It provides an important basis for the development of odorless algal oil products. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Honey-bee products offer a broad spectrum of uses in food applications. Bee products, are regarded as excellent sources of high-quality nutrients, coming directly from nature with no need for artificial additives. This notion, in addition to their functional properties, makes them idealsuper foods or sources of supplements with beneficial effects on human health. This review covers the quality and safety aspects of daily usage of bee products, in addition to addressing the hazardous contaminants that may occur in bee products. Extensive studies on the applications of bee products in food preservation report their ability to extend the shelf life of food products due to their antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. Additionally, the levels of chemical contaminants in honey and bee products appear to be very low. Honey and bee products do not pose any threat to human health. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) is a global health issue with limited therapeutic options. Flavonoids, a diverse group of plant-derived compounds, have been shown to ameliorate ethanol-induced liver injury in both in vivo and in vitro ALD models, highlighting their potential as natural therapeutic agents for ALD. However, the clinical use of flavonoids is hindered by their generally poor solubility and low oral bioavailability. To overcome these challenges, several nanotechnology-based flavonoid formulations, including nanocrystals, liposomes, nanoemulsions, polymer particles, polymer micelles, and nanogels, have been developed. The efficacy of these flavonoid nanoformulations in the context of ALD remains largely unexplored. This review summarizes current knowledge of ALD, the protective effects of various flavonoids, and recent advances in flavonoid nanoformulations. It also discusses future research directions in this field. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background: Lutein, a valuable xanthophyll from Chlorella sorokiniana, is vital for ocular and metabolic health. However, lutein degradation under high light or suboptimal nutrient hampers productivity during the growth phase.

Results: This study optimized lutein yield via light modulation (4k-14k lux), intermittent high-intensity (patterned) exposure, and nutrient refinement. Light-dark cycling (18:6, 8k lux) improved the lutein to 65.48 mg L^-1 and increased biomass to 6.12 g L^-1. A patterned 14k lux photobioreactor yielded 69.14 mg L^-1 and 7.01 g L^-1 biomass. Temperature modulation (35 °C) and urea as a nitrogen source under a one-stage bioprocess further increased lutein to 72.45 and 82.60 mg L^-1 and biomass to 6.0-8.0 g L^-1. A two-stage process combining 10k lux light and macro- and micronutrient enrichment achieved a maximum lutein yield of 86.40 mg L^-1 with 8.31 g L^-1 biomass. Compared with the control (62.1 mg L^-1 lutein; 6.75 g L^-1 biomass), the optimized two-stage strategy enhanced lutein production by ~39.1%, while biomass increased by 23.1%, indicating a proportionally higher pigment-to-biomass productivity ratio.

Conclusion: From an economic perspective, the integrated strategy in a two-stage process can reduce costs by 28-32% of lutein, owing to improved nutrient utilization, enhanced energy efficiency in light modulation, and shorter cultivation time. The process thus demonstrates a favorable productivity-to-cost ratio, strengthening the economic feasibility of microalgal lutein production. Integrated light-nutrient strategies effectively enhance lutein production while minimizing degradation. This sustainable approach supports SDG 3 (health), SDG 9 (innovation), and SDG 13 (climate action), paving the way for a scalable microalgae lutein bioprocess. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Background: In order to investigate the primary factors influencing the germination of Euryale ferox seed, two varieties of E. ferox seed, thorny and thornless, were selected as test materials. After an accelerated germination test, the physicochemical components, enzyme activities, microstructure, and functional properties of the germinate and non-germinate seed kernels were analyzed and compared.

Results: The results indicated that the starch content from germinate seed kernels significantly decreased, whereas the α-amylase activity, protease activity, glucose content, soluble protein content, free amino acid content, and total phenol content all significantly increased (P < 0.05). Compared with non-germinate samples, a greater proportion of spherical aggregates in germinate seed kernels exhibited damage, presumably due to the hydrolytic action of endogenous enzymes. Rapid viscosity analysis demonstrated that germination significantly decreased the peak viscosity, final viscosity, and thermal stability of the seed kernels. In comparison with non-germinate seeds, germinate seed kernels exhibited a substantial enhancement in both solubility and swelling power. Additionally, the proportions of α-helix and β-turn decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in proteins from germinate seed kernels, while the proportions of antiparallel β-sheet, parallel β-sheet, and random coil significantly increased (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the short-range order of starch molecules in germinate seed kernels was reduced.

Conclusion: In summary, the activation and elevated activity of endogenous enzymes, particularly α-amylase and protease, are pivotal drivers of E. ferox seed germination. The process entails extensive component transformation and structural remodeling within the seed kernel, primarily mediated through enzymatic hydrolysis, which collectively determines germination potential. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.