Journal of Food Science最新文献

Corn glutelin hydrolysate (CGH) has demonstrated potential diverse biological activities; however, its application in the food industry is often limited by physicochemical properties (e.g., peptide instability, solubility, or essential amino acid deficiency). The Plastein reaction, a very safe chemical reaction, involving exogenous amino acids (AAs), shows promise in altering the functionality of CGH. In this study, CGH was modified via the Plastein reaction using histidine, cysteine, or tryptophan to generate CGH-His, CGH-Cys, and CGH-Trp. These modified products with superior antioxidant activity and functional characteristics were screened out, and their anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated via an LPS-induced retinal inflammation ARPE-19 cell model. The results indicated that the free amino group contents of all three AA-modified CGHs were significantly lower than those of their corresponding mixtures (P < 0.05). Among the modifiers, CGH-Trp exhibited a significantly enhanced DPPH radical scavenging rate (78.66%), hydroxyl radical scavenging rate (58.35%), ABTS radical scavenging rate (83.29%), and average particle size (381.67 nm) (P < 0.05), compared to unmodified CGH. Structural characterization analysis revealed that the incorporation of tryptophan led to peptide condensation and improved thermal stability. Furthermore, pre-treatment with 10 µg/mL of CGH-Trp significantly reduced the secretion of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β by 33.46%, 32.17%, and 44.49%, respectively, in ARPE-19 cells, compared to the LPS-induced group. This study confirms that the Plastein reaction promotes peptide condensation in CGH in the presence of exogenous amino acids and improves the characteristic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities, highlighting its potential as a preventive strategy for age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Characterization of water status in grains is essential for grain drying, storage, and handling. A state diagram of canola seeds was developed incorporating the freezing curve, glass transition line, and critical moisture content (MC) at which freezable water first appears using differential scanning calorimetry. Cooling and heating rates of 1, 2, 5, 10, and 20°C/min were tested, and 1°C/min was used to determine the freezing and melting parameters such as peak temperature, onset temperature, and enthalpy. Below 17.8% MCs, the freezing point varied, and the minimum was about −26°C, whereas, beyond 17.8% MC, the freezing point increased to −6.72 ± 0.18°C at 35.8% MC. The critical MC was about 16%. Below this threshold, all remaining water exists as unfreezable water. Multiple glass transitions were observed across all tested MCs, with the first glass transition becoming undetectable above 6.2% MCs. As MC increased, the temperatures of the second and third glass transitions decreased, reaching 63.46 ± 0.39°C and 73.38 ± 0.98°C, respectively, at 35.8% MC. The developed state diagram will be useful for understanding effects of MC and temperature on the water state, and it will offer guidance for drying, handling, and storage strategies for canola seeds.

Practical Applications

The state diagram aims to elucidate changes in water state as a function of MC and temperature, ultimately informing the selection of suitable conditions for handling and storage of canola. In addition, the state diagram will be used to determine the material state and knowledge about the material state is necessary for selecting suitable drying conditions.

Moringa oleifera leaves are a rich source of bioactive compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the efficient extraction of these compounds depends on optimized process conditions and suitable extraction techniques that ensure high yield with the compound's stability. Conventional extraction methods often expose compounds to heat and an oxidative environment, which can degrade sensitive molecules. To address this, this study evaluated the extraction efficiency of these bioactive compounds using a hydroethanolic solvent through vacuum-assisted extraction (VAE) method. For comparison purposes, the bed-stirred extraction (BSE) was also performed. A design of experiments was applied to optimize the process, identifying the solid-solvent ratio (1:150, g/mL) as a key factor for both extraction methods, with similar optimal ethanol concentrations of around 80% for BSE and VAE methods. VAE significantly increased the recovery of total phenolic and flavonoid compounds by 37% and 48%, respectively, and four times the vitamin content compared to BSE. This is due to the enhanced penetration of solvents and the protection of bioactive compounds from oxidation under vacuum conditions. VAE extracts exhibited stronger free radical scavenging in DPPH and ABTS assays (23 ± 1 and 28 ± 1 µg/mL, respectively), with IC₅₀ values up to 75% lower than BSE extracts, indicating higher oxidative stress reduction potential near the BHT reference. The VAE extract presented anti-inflammatory activity (measured by lipoxygenase inhibition assay), with an IC₅₀ of 52 ± 1 µg/mL near the acetylsalicylic acid (43.3 ± 2.4 µg/mL). The enhanced bioactivity of VAE extracts is attributed to their phytochemical profile, which has higher concentrations of phenolic compounds and vitamins.

Oxidative stress is a crucial pathological basis for diverse intestinal diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Previous studies show that Lactobacillus johnsonii RS-7 alleviates colitis in mice, but its effect on intestinal oxidative stress remains unclear. Considering this, the research aimed to explore the role and mechanism of this strain in alleviating oxidative damage in a colitis model. Colitis was induced in the mice using dextran sulfate sodium (DSS), and mice were subsequently randomly assigned to four groups. L. johnsonii RS-7 was evaluated for its effects on colon damage, oxidative stress, the Nrf2 pathway, and intestinal metabolites using histopathology, biochemical assays, qPCR, Western blotting, and non-targeted metabolomics. The results showed that L. johnsonii RS-7 significantly attenuated DSS-induced colonic tissue injury and reversed the DSS-associated decreases in serum CAT, T-SOD, GSH, and T-AOC levels (p < 0.05), along with an increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) (p < 0.05). Moreover, the strain significantly mitigated the down-regulation of antioxidant enzyme mRNA expression in colonic tissues (p < 0.05). Mechanistically, L. johnsonii RS-7 restored expression of Nrf2, NQO1, and HO-1 proteins in the colon and suppressed the up-regulation of Keap1. Non-targeted metabolomic analysis of intestinal contents further demonstrated that the strain significantly reduced levels of LPS 18:0 and triglycerides while concurrently increasing concentrations of DL-lysine and 5-hydroxylysine (p < 0.05). Correlation analysis indicated that LPS 18:0 and DL-lysine might be key metabolites regulating oxidative stress. The above results suggest that L. johnsonii RS-7 can alleviate colonic oxidative damage by regulating metabolites to activate the Nrf2 pathway, providing theoretical support for applying this strain to prevent intestinal diseases.

Food contamination poses a significant global health threat with carcinogenic potential, though the molecular pathways connecting contaminants to cancer remain poorly understood. This study sought to identify key molecular targets mediating the carcinogenic effects of nine prevalent dietary contaminants: glyphosate, perfluorooctane sulfonate, nitrosamines, pentabromodiphenyl ethers, methylmercury, dioxins, acrylamide, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, and aflatoxin. Using multiple online databases, we identified target genes associated with these contaminants and pan-cancer, then conducted protein–protein interaction (PPI) analysis and visualization on intersecting genes. Subsequent gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) functional enrichment analyses were performed to uncover potential mechanisms, with a focus on breast (BRCA), prostate (PRAD), and colon (COAD) carcinomas due to their significant pathway associations. Hub genes were prioritized through an integrative strategy combining topological algorithms in cytoscape (Centiscape, MCODE, and cytohubba's MCC), machine learning validation, and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Molecular docking simulations were conducted to examine interactions between contaminants and hub genes. The study identified 69 pan-cancer-intersected targets, with enrichment analyses revealing significant cancer-associated pathways. Hub gene prioritization pinpointed JUN in BRCA, CDC42 in COAD, and MAPK14 in PRAD as critical regulatory targets. Validation using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data confirmed statistically significant differential expression patterns (p < 0.05) for these targets across respective malignancies. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) outlined pathway activation profiles consistent with tumor progression mechanisms. Molecular docking simulations demonstrated strong binding affinities (binding energy ≤ −5.0 kcal/mol) between contaminants and structural domains of the identified hub targets, suggesting potential mechanistic links between these food contaminants and cancer development.

The demand for healthy foods has led to an increase in the consumption of fresh fruits, especially fresh-cut (FC) fruits. However, FC processing negatively affects fruit firmness, an important parameter for consumer acceptance. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness of the combined use of vacuum, calcium lactate, and pectin methylesterase (PME) to increase the shelf life and quality of FC strawberries. FC strawberry halves were subjected to vacuum infusion with water, PME (10UI), PME plus 1% calcium lactate, or 1% calcium lactate alone; FC strawberries without infusion were used as the control. Firmness, loss of fresh mass, anthocyanin, color, soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA) SSC/TA ratio, pH, visible spoilage and damage, visual quality, galacturonic acid content, degree of methylation, electrolyte efflux, PME activity, and respiration were measured initially and every 3 days for 9 days during 5°C storage. Vacuum infiltration of PME plus calcium lactate increased firmness by 90.7% for LCa + PME and 119.8% for LCa on Day 3, delayed weight loss to below 0.8% for all except PME treatments, maintained freshness and anthocyanin content, reduced electrolyte efflux by 38% compared to the control, and lowered respiration rates to 134.92 and 135.62 mg kg⁻¹ h⁻¹ CO₂ for LCa + PME and LCa, respectively, whereas the control reached 163.36 mg kg⁻¹ h⁻¹ CO₂. Additionally, it minimized fruit damage. Therefore, vacuum infusion of 1% Lca + PME provided promising applications in extending the shelf life of cut strawberries by up to 3 days.

Practical Applications

This research offers a practical solution for the fresh-cut fruit industry by improving the firmness and shelf life of strawberries through vacuum infusion with calcium lactate and PME. By maintaining texture, reducing weight loss, and slowing respiration, this method can help retailers provide fresher, higher-quality strawberries with an extended shelf life of up to 3 days. Consumers would benefit from better-tasting, longer-lasting fresh-cut fruit, reducing waste, and enhancing convenience.

The proteolytic and textural properties of semi-hard goat cheese ripened in a 50:50 mixture of extra virgin olive oil and refined sunflower oil were investigated. Five batches were divided into three groups: group 1 (control; 60 days air-ripened), group 2 (10 days air and 50 days oil-ripened), and group 3 (20 days air and 40 days oil-ripened). Samples were taken on days 0, 10, 20, 30, 45, and 60 to evaluate proteolysis (water-soluble nitrogen (WSN), trichloroacetic acid-soluble nitrogen (TCA-SN), residual caseins), texture (hardness, fracturability, strain at fracture, cohesiveness), moisture in non-fat substances (MNFS), and salt in moisture (S/M). Oil-ripening preserved MNFS and intensified proteolysis, reflected in the highest WSN and TCA-SN (23.10%; 11.50% total nitrogen (TN), respectively) and lowest residual α-casein (72.24%) in group 2 (p < 0.01). Due to air-ripening, control cheese had the highest S/M (5.20%) and lowest MNFS (47.94%), resulting in the slowest proteolysis as evidenced by the highest values of all residual caseins (p < 0.01). Textural changes mirrored proteolysis and moisture dynamics: the control cheese was the hardest (50.25 N) and most fracture-resistant (45.50 N), while oil-ripened cheeses, especially group 2, were softer (27.18 N) and more cohesive (0.12; p < 0.01). In group 3, prolonged air-ripening led to higher water loss (MNFS: 55.40%) and elevated S/M (3.53%) compared to group 2, resulting in moderate proteolysis. These results demonstrate that oil as a ripening medium can be used to modulate development of cheese texture and quality.

Practical Applications

Artisanal cheese plays a vital role in the modern diet, helping preserve tradition and promote economic development, especially in resource-limited areas like islands. Preserving cheese in oil extends its consumption to seasons without goat's milk production. The effects of such ripening conditions and the optimal time for immersion in oil are largely unexplored. This study's findings could interest dairy scientists and cheese makers, particularly as sustainability and food waste prevention gain importance, alongside the rising popularity of traditional cheese.

To improve the environmental sustainability and production efficiency of starch-based stabilizers in Pickering emulsions, quinoa starch (QS) was acidized using hydrochloric acid solutions and subsequently treated with microwave dry heating. The structural and emulsifying properties of the modified starch samples were analyzed. The combination of acidization and microwaving significantly reduced the particle size (to 132.85 nm) and molecular weight (Mn to 63.50 kDa) while increasing the contact angle (to 44.40° while increasing the contact angle (to 44.40ticle size (to 132.ze (to 132.h microw15 mL acid solution followed by 18 min microwaving (ATS15-M18) showed no visible creaming after 30 d of storage. Microstructure and droplet size distribution manifested that the emulsion emulsified by ATS15-M18 had the smallest average droplet size (35.24 µm) with dense droplet packing and no starch sedimentation. These indicate that microwaving combined with pre-acidizing is an efficient strategy for enhancing the emulsifying capacity of starch.

Practical Applications

This innovative method for preparing nanostarch is both efficient and sustainable. Pre-acidification aggravated the starch-chain degradation for microwave irradiation. Nanostarch produced in this work can effectively stabilize Pickering emulsions.