Journal of Food Science最新文献

This study investigated the effect of a vacuum-gas substitution hot water extraction (HWE) process on Korean red ginseng (KRG) using a specially designed device. The yield, browning, antioxidant activity, and ginsenoside content of KRG extracted under oxygen-free conditions (OFC, dissolved oxygen: 0.47 mg/L) were compared with those extracted under oxygen conditions (OC, dissolved oxygen: 6.46 mg/L). No significant difference was observed in extraction yield between OFC and OC. OFC maintained higher color stability, while OC resulted in higher a^* and b^* values and an elevated browning index during extraction. Antioxidant activities (DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP) increased up to 60 min and remained high and stable until 180 min under OFC, whereas they significantly decreased under OC. Major ginsenosides (Rb1, Rb2, Rc, and Rg1) were more stable under OFC than under OC. To evaluate the effectiveness of the vacuum-gas substitution HWE process, the optimally extracted samples (90°C for 1 h) were further evaluated for up to 72 h at 25°C and 90°C under both conditions. Under OFC, antioxidant activities remained stable for 72 h at both 25°C and 90°C, whereas storage at 90°C under OC resulted in a progressive decline. Individual ginsenosides exhibited higher stability under OFC than under OC, particularly during storage at 90°C, where severe degradation occurred under OC but was prevented under OFC. Consequently, these results demonstrate that the vacuum-gas substitution HWE process is effective in suppressing oxidative degradation, thereby preserving antioxidant activity and ginsenoside stability during HWE.

This research conducts a systematic exploration of the impacts of three fixation methods-50-type electric heating tube roller fixation (CQ), mixed fixation (HC), and steam fixation (ZQ)-on the quality formation of green tea. By means of quantitative analysis of aroma components, catechins, free amino acids, and alkaloids, in combination with electronic tongue taste fingerprint and untargeted metabolomics analysis, it is discovered that distinct fixation methods exert significant influences on the volatile and non-volatile metabolite profiles of green tea. CQ notably elevated the content of total polyphenols and gallic acid to 3.57 mg/g, intensifying its bitter and astringent taste profile. In contrast, ZQ produced the brightest green infusion and yielded the highest electronic tongue response value for sweetness. HC achieved a superior balance, retaining the highest levels of key aroma compounds like linalool (1.42 mg/kg) and D-limonene, while also preserving the highest total free amino acid content (13,983.2 µg/g). Metabolomics analysis further disclosed that fixation methods affect metabolite composition by regulating pathways such as phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and caffeine metabolism. Molecular docking experiments verify that the disparity in binding affinity between key differential metabolites (e.g., Chrysophanol 8-(6-galloylglucoside)) and taste receptors (TRPM5, TAS2R14, T1R1/T1R3) serves as the material foundation for taste differentiation. This study provides a theoretical basis for the development of precision processing technologies and quality control of green tea. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: This study provides a decision-making framework for green tea producers to select fixation techniques based on desired sensory profiles. To enhance floral and citrus notes, mixed fixation (HC) is recommended. Steam fixation (ZQ) is ideal for preserving a bright green color and sweeter taste, suitable for premium-grade teas. Roller fixation (CQ) can be applied where a stronger, more astringent profile is targeted. These insights enable the precision manufacturing of green teas with customized flavor characteristics.

Oat milk is one of the most popular plant-based milk alternatives in today's market. The objective of this study was to identify the sensory drivers of like and dislike for oat milk. Twenty-eight commercial oat milks were collected in duplicate lots. A highly experienced trained panel (n = 7) identified and documented attributes and definitions for the oat milks. Ten representative oat milks were selected for consumer acceptance testing with oat milk consumers (n = 157). Each consumer evaluated the 10 oat milks across 2 days. External preference mapping and penalty lift analyses were then applied to identify drivers of like and dislike. By external preference mapping, opacity, sweet aromatic and cooked cereal flavors, viscosity, and residual mouthcoating were drivers of liking for oat milk consumers, whereas thin/watery texture and cardboard flavor were drivers of dislike. Two clusters of oat milk consumers were identified which differed primarily by degree of liking for all oat milks. The determination of a sensory lexicon specific for oat milks and drivers of liking and dislike can be used by product developers for formulating the ideal oat milk and to improve current products.

Conventional therapies for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are often associated with adverse effects, driving the search for natural alternatives with high safety profiles. This study evaluates the preventive and metabolic‑regulatory potential of D-threitol, a novel sugar alcohol synthesized by engineered Yarrowia lipolytica, in a high-fat diet and streptozotocin-induced T2DM mice model. In vitro, D-threitol acted as a competitive inhibitor of α-glucosidase. After eight weeks of oral administration (500 mg/kg/day), treated mice exhibited reduced weight gain and fat accumulation, improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, and better lipid profiles, along with attenuated tissue injury in the liver, kidney, and pancreas. Notably, D-threitol intervention significantly reshaped the gut microbiota, enhancing microbial diversity, enriching beneficial genera (e.g., Lactobacillus, Allobaculum), and restoring fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) levels, particularly acetate, propionate, and butyrate. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations demonstrated stable binding of D-threitol to α-glucosidase, supported by favorable binding energy and hydrogen‑bond formation. D-threitol shows promise as a safe dietary ingredient for the prevention and management of T2DM, mediated through dual mechanisms involving enzymatic inhibition and microbiota modulation.

Oula Tibetan sheep meat is rich in nutrients, but its tenderness is relatively poor. Therefore, exploring meat tenderization methods is crucial. Previous studies have indicated that reactive species generated by plasma promote mitochondrial dysfunction and induce apoptosis in tumor cells. However, the impacts of plasma treatment on mitochondrial pathway apoptosis and the tenderization of Oula Tibetan sheep meat have not been reported. This study aimed to explore the effects of cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) treatment on mitochondrial pathway apoptosis and meat tenderness of Tibetan sheep meat during postmortem aging. The results showed that after CAP treatment, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) content increased, pH value and ATP content decreased, resulting in an increase in mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) opening, a decrease in succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity, Cytochrome c (Cyt-c) reduction level and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and an increase in Caspase-3/9 activity, promoting the occurrence of mitochondrial pathway apoptosis. Meanwhile, myofibril fragmentation index(MFI) increased, shear force value decreased and the mitochondrial structure was obviously damaged. The results of the correlation analysis showed that the degree of mitochondrial damage was significantly positively correlated with the tenderization of the meat during postmortem aging. Therefore, CAP treatment promoted mitochondrial pathway apoptosis and muscle tenderization during postmortem aging of Tibetan sheep meat by increasing the content of ROS and NO and altering the intracellular environment of muscle cells, thereby intensifying mitochondrial damage. The study can provide a theoretical basis for CAP treatment to improve the tenderness of Tibetan sheep meat. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The results of this study indicate that CAP treatment can improve the tenderness of Tibetan sheep meat by promoting apoptosis in the mitochondrial pathway. Therefore, CAP treatment may be used as a nonthermal processing technology to effectively improve the tenderness of Tibetan sheep meat.

In this study, a potential waste management strategy was developed for the evaluation of marine and freshwater fish waste, which is chemically very similar. To this end, an unmet need has been addressed by converting by-products from rainbow trout, a cold-water fish, into functional and nutritious ingredients. The possibilities of recycling aquaculture processing wastes and using them as food supplements within the scope of green chemistry applications, sustainability, and safe product targets were investigated in three stages. In line with this objective, in the first stage, processing progression wastes were sorted, and in the second stage, some analyses of calcium, hydroxyapatite (HAP), collagen, and fat obtained from these wastes (bones, skin, and fillet trimmings) were carried out. In the third stage, gummy formulations using these mixtures were prepared and analyzed. Proximate analyses of the wastes obtained within the scope of this study were carried out, and the Ca content was determined as 12.8 g/mL as a result of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) readings of 36.1% crude oil, 18.3% crude protein, and 45% dry matter to be used for the study. The results of weight variability test, diameter-thickness measurement, moisture absorption and moisture loss capacity, elongation percentage determination, and disintegration test on selected gummies were found satisfactory. No significant difference was observed between starch-coated and uncoated gummies in terms of chewability; however, starch-coated gummies were easier to handle. The final and blank gummy pieces exhibited varying inhibition zones against different bacteria in the agar diffusion test. This study provides a model of a validated innovative product and solutions evaluated for quality, organoleptic, and safety, with high widespread impact and motivation for adoption. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: In the present study, the qualitative value of the raw material quality of aquatic product processing waste for different areas and its potential for use as primary/intermediate raw material for different sectors have been revealed. To this end, the process of converting components obtained from processing waste (oil, vitamins, collagen, and hydroxyapatite) into value-added products that can be modeled as human food has been examined. The results of this study can be used in single-source origin processes in functional food product modeling and can create significant awareness for consumers.

A trend of consuming sprouted nut butter is emerging due to its nutrient values. However, sprouted nuts have been involved in several enteric disease outbreaks. This study evaluated the inhibitory effect of an aqueous and ethanolic extract of a pomegranate peel against strains of Salmonella Tennessee and Enteritidis in sprouted nut butter. Raw, organic peanut and almond seeds inoculated with one of the Salmonella strains (1.16-1.97 log CFU/g) were sprouted in deionized water containing 10% of the aqueous or ethanolic extract for 24 h at 25°C. Sprouted nuts were rinsed with sterile deionized water and dried at 45°C for 12 h. Dried nuts were then ground with olive oil and sea salt. Salmonella population was determined after each preparation step. Data fit into the general linear model were analyzed using ANOVA. Fisher's LSD test was used to separate the means (α ≤ 0.05). The peanut samples treated with either ethanolic or aqueous extract had significantly (P ≤ 0.05) lower Salmonella Tennessee populations compared to the controls after sprouting (1.8-2.2 log CFU/g) and rinsing (1.4-1.6 log CFU/g). After drying and seasoning, significant differences in the populations of both Salmonella strains compared to their controls were only observed in sprouted peanut and almond seeds/butter containing ethanolic extract, with reductions reaching up to 3.2 log CFU/g. However, the extract could not eliminate Salmonella from sprouted nut butter. During the 3-week storage, Salmonella populations changed by < 1 log CFU/g across strains and extracts. Thus, additional antimicrobial intervention is needed. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Despite the nutritional values, sprouted nut butter could potentially pose a food safety risk to consumers. The product may have the potential to harbor a higher number of bacterial cells than the initial contamination level on the nut stock. The addition of pomegranate ethanolic extract in nut sprouting water could significantly lower bacterial population, but the use of this natural antimicrobial, plus drying sprouted nuts at 45°C and seasoning the nut homogenates with olive oil and salt, is inadequate in eliminating bacterial cells, as evidenced by the relatively high bacterial populations in nut butter products.

Previous studies have found that gut flora, immunity, and neuroinflammation play key roles in the pathogenesis of depression, and fatty acids are neuroprotective. The present study aimed to reveal the effects of capric acid intake (absorbed in the colon via resistant starch complex) on LPS-induced depression-like behavior and its underlying mechanisms. Male ICR mice were ingested with resistant starch-decanoic acid complex (RS-FA, 13 g/kg) for 50 consecutive days. The depression model was established by injecting LPS (0.5 mg/kg every two days for three injections). The results of behavioral tests showed that the mice pretreated with resistant starch capric acid complex had significantly shorter resting time in the tail suspension test (TST); the number of crossing grids and the number of standing in the open field test (OFT) were significantly increased. In addition, TNF-α levels in the serum of depressed mice were decreased; 5-HT levels in the hippocampus were increased. It had an ameliorative effect on the haphazard arrangement of colonic glandular cells caused by LPS, as well as nuclear condensation and eosinophilic degeneration of hippocampal neurons. 16S rRNA analysis revealed that pretreatment with resistant starch-capric acid complexes reversed depression-associated dysbiosis, restoring gut microbial composition to levels approaching those of the control group. Restores uniformity in the animal gut microbiota, increases beneficial bacterial populations, and demonstrates efficacy in elevating short-chain fatty acid levels. Furthermore, resistant starch-capric acid concurrently modulates the TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathway and the tryptophan metabolic pathway to regulate gut microbiota dysbiosis in depressed mice.

The purpose of this work is to isolate γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from traditional Chinese pickles and to evaluate their fermentation characteristics and functional effects in a mulberry leaf juice system. Six GABA-producing strains were isolated, comprising five Lactobacillus plantarum strains and one Enterococcus faecium strain. These strains demonstrated significant probiotic properties, exhibiting traits such as acid tolerance, bile salt resistance, in vitro gastrointestinal resistance, cell surface hydrophobicity, auto-aggregation, γ-hemolysis, and antibiotic sensitivity. The GABA content in fermented mulberry leaf juice ranged from 0.663 ± 0.007 to 0.879 ± 0.023 mg/mL, which was 9.61 to 12.74 times that of the initial content. Mulberry leaf juice's flavor, α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity, and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were all greatly improved by the LAB fermentation. A quality evaluation model for fermented mulberry leaf juice was developed using principal component analysis (PCA), identifying L. plantarum L10 as the optimal probiotic strain for fermentation.