Pub Date : 2026-02-05DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.148249
Xi Gui, Kaijun Huang, Siyan Huang, Lan Wu, Rong Zeng, Zibo Song, Xiaosong Hu, Junjie Yi, Chuanqi Chu
Pepino (Solanum muricatum) juice is a nutrient-rich beverage, yet it's limited by poor shelf stability and thermal pasteurization-induced quality loss. So, we developed a novel continuous high-pressure processing (HPP) system and evaluated its effects on the nutritional quality, flavor, and shelf stability of pepino juice. Our results demonstrated that HPP-500 showed superior color stability (ΔE increase <25%) and achieved >90% PPO and > 88% POD inactivation (p < 0.05), while retaining higher phenolics (4.44 ± 0.02 mg GAE/mL) and flavonoids (10.17 ± 0.54 mg RE/mL), and enhancing DPPH (10.22%) and ABTS (7.42%) radical scavenging capacity (p < 0.05) during 28-day storage. Electronic nose and tongue assessments further confirmed markedly flavor retention under HPP-500 (p < 0.05). HS-SPME/GC–MS and UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-HRMS revealed a richer profile of volatile and bioactive metabolites, notably phenolic acids, terpenoids, and alkaloids. These findings highlight the industrial potential of continuous HPP in enhancing juice quality and shelf-life.
{"title":"Superior quality retention of pepino (Solanum muricatum) juice using a novel continuous high-pressure processing technology: Flavoromics and untargeted metabolomics approach","authors":"Xi Gui, Kaijun Huang, Siyan Huang, Lan Wu, Rong Zeng, Zibo Song, Xiaosong Hu, Junjie Yi, Chuanqi Chu","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.148249","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.148249","url":null,"abstract":"Pepino (<em>Solanum muricatum</em>) juice is a nutrient-rich beverage, yet it's limited by poor shelf stability and thermal pasteurization-induced quality loss. So, we developed a novel continuous high-pressure processing (HPP) system and evaluated its effects on the nutritional quality, flavor, and shelf stability of pepino juice. Our results demonstrated that HPP-500 showed superior color stability (<em>ΔE</em> increase <25%) and achieved >90% PPO and > 88% POD inactivation (<em>p</em> < 0.05), while retaining higher phenolics (4.44 ± 0.02 mg GAE/mL) and flavonoids (10.17 ± 0.54 mg RE/mL), and enhancing DPPH (10.22%) and ABTS (7.42%) radical scavenging capacity (<em>p</em> < 0.05) during 28-day storage. Electronic nose and tongue assessments further confirmed markedly flavor retention under HPP-500 (<em>p</em> < 0.05). HS-SPME/GC–MS and UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap-HRMS revealed a richer profile of volatile and bioactive metabolites, notably phenolic acids, terpenoids, and alkaloids. These findings highlight the industrial potential of continuous HPP in enhancing juice quality and shelf-life.","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146116229","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
To evaluate the effects of whey protein peptide-ferrous chelate (WPP-Fe) on iron deficiency anemia (IDA), this study investigated its influence on iron metabolism, oxidative stress, and gut microbiota in IDA mice. The results showed that medium-dose WPP-Fe (2.0 mg Fe/kg BW) exhibited superior efficacy compared with ferrous chloride (FeCl₂) and ferrous gluconate (Fe-gluc). WPP-Fe significantly increased hemoglobin levels (156.35 ± 3.75 g/L) and iron bioavailability (331.9 ± 43.88%), while alleviating oxidative stress through regulation of inflammatory cytokines and enhancement of antioxidant capacity. Notably, gut microbiota analysis further revealed that WPP-Fe increased the Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio and enriched Ileibacterium, a genus positively associated with hemoglobin levels, indicating a potential link between iron supplementation and gut microbial regulation. In summary, WPP-Fe exerts synergistic effects to enhance iron supplementation and alleviate IDA-related disturbances, supporting its potential as a novel functional iron source for nutritional and functional food applications.
{"title":"Evaluation of iron supplementation effects of whey protein peptide-ferrous chelate: enhancing bioavailability and antioxidant capacity, promoting gut microbiota balance","authors":"Yanan Xu, Yumei Wu, Haiyue Zhang, Zezhen Ma, Guangqing Mu, Fang Qian","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.148248","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.148248","url":null,"abstract":"To evaluate the effects of whey protein peptide-ferrous chelate (WPP-Fe) on iron deficiency anemia (IDA), this study investigated its influence on iron metabolism, oxidative stress, and gut microbiota in IDA mice. The results showed that medium-dose WPP-Fe (2.0 mg Fe/kg BW) exhibited superior efficacy compared with ferrous chloride (FeCl₂) and ferrous gluconate (Fe-gluc). WPP-Fe significantly increased hemoglobin levels (156.35 ± 3.75 g/L) and iron bioavailability (331.9 ± 43.88%), while alleviating oxidative stress through regulation of inflammatory cytokines and enhancement of antioxidant capacity. Notably, gut microbiota analysis further revealed that WPP-Fe increased the Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio and enriched <em>Ileibacterium</em>, a genus positively associated with hemoglobin levels, indicating a potential link between iron supplementation and gut microbial regulation. In summary, WPP-Fe exerts synergistic effects to enhance iron supplementation and alleviate IDA-related disturbances, supporting its potential as a novel functional iron source for nutritional and functional food applications.","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"90 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146116230","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-05DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.148312
Ruican Wang, Ying Zhang, Haoxin Cui, Wenhui Fu, Dongfei Tan, Qisijing Liu, Xuemeng Ji, Liye Zhu, Shuo Wang
Keratin-rich pig hoof waste remains underutilized due to poor solubility and limited bioavailability. This study aimed to evaluate structural, functional, and bioactive properties of hydrolyzed pig hoof keratin (HPHK) obtained via commercial protease hydrolysis of native keratin (PHK). PHK and HPHK were compared for amino acid profile, molecular weight (SDS-PAGE, SEC), thermal stability (TGA), and structure (FTIR), with further assessment of functionalities and bioactivities. Hydrolysis reduced β-sheet content and molecular weight (~13 3.1 kDa), improving solubility and digestibility. HPHK exhibited excellent oil-holding (>4 g/g) and foaming (>200%) capacities but poor emulsification. Antioxidant (IC50 ~ 1 mg/mL) and ACE-inhibitory (IC50 ~ 8 mg/mL) activities were confirmed by in vitro and in silico analyses. Acid, heat, and simulated digestion contributed to reduced bioactivity. These findings highlight HPHK's potential as a functional and bioactive ingredient and underscores the need to optimize hydrolysis condition for desired functionalities and bioactivity.
Severe wasting is treated with ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), wherein the protein content primarily comes from milk and peanuts. As these ingredients are the main drivers of RUTF's cost, global initiatives seek alternatives using locally available, sustainable ingredients to reduce cost and increase coverage. To compensate for reduced/removed dairy protein, current practice is to add amino acids to meet Codex protein quality requirements. In this meta-analysis re-evaluation, we compared RUTF formulations with <50% dairy protein, with or without amino acid fortification, against standard milk–peanut RUTF for the outcome of weight gain. Growth outcomes were similar between fortified and unfortified RUTFs when compared to standard RUTF. These findings suggest that elevating protein quality scores by adding amino acids may be insufficient to ensure clinical efficacy in novel RUTF formulations. Additionally, the findings suggest that Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) compliance alone may not guarantee clinical efficacy. Future formulation efforts should address digestibility, antinutritional factors, and increasing total protein content to achieve effective, sustainable novel RUTF formulations.
{"title":"Evaluating amino acid fortification in low-dairy ready-to-use therapeutic food formulations: Insights from a meta-analysis re-evaluation","authors":"Melkamu Berhane, Alemayehu Teklu Toni, Gerard Bryan Gonzales","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.148316","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.148316","url":null,"abstract":"Severe wasting is treated with ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), wherein the protein content primarily comes from milk and peanuts. As these ingredients are the main drivers of RUTF's cost, global initiatives seek alternatives using locally available, sustainable ingredients to reduce cost and increase coverage. To compensate for reduced/removed dairy protein, current practice is to add amino acids to meet Codex protein quality requirements. In this meta-analysis re-evaluation, we compared RUTF formulations with <50% dairy protein, with or without amino acid fortification, against standard milk–peanut RUTF for the outcome of weight gain. Growth outcomes were similar between fortified and unfortified RUTFs when compared to standard RUTF. These findings suggest that elevating protein quality scores by adding amino acids may be insufficient to ensure clinical efficacy in novel RUTF formulations. Additionally, the findings suggest that Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) compliance alone may not guarantee clinical efficacy. Future formulation efforts should address digestibility, antinutritional factors, and increasing total protein content to achieve effective, sustainable novel RUTF formulations.","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146116235","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-04DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.148238
Jefferson V. Pastuña-Fasso, Melanie Ochoa-Ocampo, Thomas Garzón, Edison Gonzales, Nina Espinosa de los Monteros-Silva, Zulay Niño-Ruíz, Karel Dieguez-Santana, Noroska G.S. Mogollón
{"title":"Influence of plant age and sunlight exposure on the volatile profile and metabolomic pathways of Ilex guayusa leaves used in the traditional Amazonian beverage","authors":"Jefferson V. Pastuña-Fasso, Melanie Ochoa-Ocampo, Thomas Garzón, Edison Gonzales, Nina Espinosa de los Monteros-Silva, Zulay Niño-Ruíz, Karel Dieguez-Santana, Noroska G.S. Mogollón","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.148238","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.148238","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"43 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146110744","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-04DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.148309
Yi Zhong, Jian Zhang, Qiyue Zhao, Sivakumar Manickam, Yue Wu, Yongbin Han, Shichang Shao, Yang Tao
This study investigated the fermentation of blueberry slurry by Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and Limosilactobacillus fermentum, focusing on three fractions: soluble components in the juice, soluble components adhered to the pomace, and insoluble components within the pomace. Soluble components including sugars, organic acids and phenolics were consistently retained on the blueberry pomace throughout fermentation. Meanwhile, lactic acid fermentation induced irregular changes in the pectin composition of the extracted blueberry cell wall materials (B-CWM) and weakened B-CWM's ability to adsorb free phenolics. After 30-min adsorption in fresh blueberry juice, the adsorption capacity of B-CWM extracted from blueberry pomace fermented by both strains for 48 h were declined by over 50%, compared to unfermented B-CWM. Moreover, significant correlations between microbial activities and pomace physicochemical properties suggest the certain influence of blueberry pomace on the lactic acid fermentation process. These findings provide new insight into how fruit pomace modulates microbial fermentation and phenolic retention.
{"title":"Fermentation of blueberry slurry by lactobacilli strains: Investigation on soluble and insoluble fractions","authors":"Yi Zhong, Jian Zhang, Qiyue Zhao, Sivakumar Manickam, Yue Wu, Yongbin Han, Shichang Shao, Yang Tao","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.148309","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.148309","url":null,"abstract":"This study investigated the fermentation of blueberry slurry by <em>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</em> and <em>Limosilactobacillus fermentum</em>, focusing on three fractions: soluble components in the juice, soluble components adhered to the pomace, and insoluble components within the pomace. Soluble components including sugars, organic acids and phenolics were consistently retained on the blueberry pomace throughout fermentation. Meanwhile, lactic acid fermentation induced irregular changes in the pectin composition of the extracted blueberry cell wall materials (B-CWM) and weakened B-CWM's ability to adsorb free phenolics. After 30-min adsorption in fresh blueberry juice, the adsorption capacity of B-CWM extracted from blueberry pomace fermented by both strains for 48 h were declined by over 50%, compared to unfermented B-CWM. Moreover, significant correlations between microbial activities and pomace physicochemical properties suggest the certain influence of blueberry pomace on the lactic acid fermentation process. These findings provide new insight into how fruit pomace modulates microbial fermentation and phenolic retention.","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"398 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146116233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-04DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.148278
Chih-Chieh Lin, Meng-Jui Lin, Ju-Hua Chou, Pei-Yin Lin, Ting-Jang Lu
The digestibility and glycemic response of isomalto-oligosaccharides are determined by their glycosidic linkage and chain length. However, linkage-resolved profiling beyond tetrasaccharides remains limited. Herein, forty structures from disaccharides to hexasaccharides in eight commercial materials were characterized using porous graphitic carbon liquid chromatography–Orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry. Linkage profiles were dominated by α-1 → 6 and α-1 → 4, displaying a chain-length-dependent shift. Generally, α-1 → 4 linkages accounted for ~10% of total linkages in disaccharides, rising to ~80% in hexasaccharides. In one sample, α-1 → 4 linkages were 1.6-fold more abundant than α-1 → 6. With contents of 62.5–81.5%, no product met the European Food Safety Authority description for isomaltose plus trisaccharide–nonasaccharide content (≥90% dry basis). Even in products labeled “total isomalto-oligosaccharides ≥90% (dry basis),” α-1 → 6 linkages accounted for only ~50% of glycosidic linkages. This suggests the need for linkage-resolved isomalto-oligosaccharide labeling frameworks that extend beyond total content claims to more precisely reflect the digestibility and glycemic impact.
{"title":"Linkage-resolved profiling of isomalto-oligosaccharides using porous graphitic carbon liquid chromatography–orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry","authors":"Chih-Chieh Lin, Meng-Jui Lin, Ju-Hua Chou, Pei-Yin Lin, Ting-Jang Lu","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.148278","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.148278","url":null,"abstract":"The digestibility and glycemic response of isomalto-oligosaccharides are determined by their glycosidic linkage and chain length. However, linkage-resolved profiling beyond tetrasaccharides remains limited. Herein, forty structures from disaccharides to hexasaccharides in eight commercial materials were characterized using porous graphitic carbon liquid chromatography–Orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry. Linkage profiles were dominated by α-1 → 6 and α-1 → 4, displaying a chain-length-dependent shift. Generally, α-1 → 4 linkages accounted for ~10% of total linkages in disaccharides, rising to ~80% in hexasaccharides. In one sample, α-1 → 4 linkages were 1.6-fold more abundant than α-1 → 6. With contents of 62.5–81.5%, no product met the European Food Safety Authority description for isomaltose plus trisaccharide–nonasaccharide content (≥90% dry basis). Even in products labeled “total isomalto-oligosaccharides ≥90% (dry basis),” α-1 → 6 linkages accounted for only ~50% of glycosidic linkages. This suggests the need for linkage-resolved isomalto-oligosaccharide labeling frameworks that extend beyond total content claims to more precisely reflect the digestibility and glycemic impact.","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146110734","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aquatic products are a vital nutrient source in human diet. Xanthine (XA), a key product of purine nucleotide metabolism, is closely linked to the freshness of aquatic products. Herein, we report a bimetallic metal-organic framework (MOF), EuFe-MOF, that exhibits excellent peroxidase (POD)-like activity and red fluorescence. EuFe-MOF can catalyze H₂O₂ to oxidize 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine into blue ox-TMB. The catalytic mechanism is verified as oxygen vacancies and hydroxyl radicals via electron paramagnetic resonance spectra and inhibition experiments. Notably, the ox-TMB can further quench EuFe-MOF fluorescence through inner filter effect. Subsequently, combining with xanthine oxidase (XOD) catalyzing XA oxidation to generate H₂O₂, an XOD/EuFe-MOF POD-mimetic cascade based colorimetric/fluorescence dual-modal XA sensor was constructed. The limits of detection (3σ/S) for the colorimetric and fluorescence modes were 2.0 μM and 0.6 μM XA, respectively. The as-proposed sensor was applied to detect XA in aquatic products satisfactorily. The results obtained by the sensing platform were well consistent with those by high-performance liquid chromatography. This study provides a promising self-calibrated analytical approach for XA detection and possible freshness evaluation of aquatic products.
{"title":"EuFe-MOF exhibiting excellent peroxidase-like activity and red fluorescence for colorimetric/fluorescence dual-modal sensor to detect xanthine in aquatic products","authors":"Zihan Bian, Pei Liu, Guangze Sun, Huan Liu, Ziting Lin, Aihua Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.148293","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.148293","url":null,"abstract":"Aquatic products are a vital nutrient source in human diet. Xanthine (XA), a key product of purine nucleotide metabolism, is closely linked to the freshness of aquatic products. Herein, we report a bimetallic metal-organic framework (MOF), EuFe-MOF, that exhibits excellent peroxidase (POD)-like activity and red fluorescence. EuFe-MOF can catalyze H₂O₂ to oxidize 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine into blue ox-TMB. The catalytic mechanism is verified as oxygen vacancies and hydroxyl radicals via electron paramagnetic resonance spectra and inhibition experiments. Notably, the ox-TMB can further quench EuFe-MOF fluorescence through inner filter effect. Subsequently, combining with xanthine oxidase (XOD) catalyzing XA oxidation to generate H₂O₂, an XOD/EuFe-MOF POD-mimetic cascade based colorimetric/fluorescence dual-modal XA sensor was constructed. The limits of detection (3σ/S) for the colorimetric and fluorescence modes were 2.0 μM and 0.6 μM XA, respectively. The as-proposed sensor was applied to detect XA in aquatic products satisfactorily. The results obtained by the sensing platform were well consistent with those by high-performance liquid chromatography. This study provides a promising self-calibrated analytical approach for XA detection and possible freshness evaluation of aquatic products.","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"176 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2026-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146110733","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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