Food Science and Biotechnology最新文献

This study examined the encapsulation of royal jelly (RJ) in lecithin-based liposomes and chitosan-coated secondary liposomes to improve its stability, bioaccessibility, and antioxidant capacity. Although RJ contains valuable bioactive compounds, its oral bioavailability is limited due to its instability in the gastrointestinal tract.  The formation of a secondary liposome matrix increased the liposome size and shifted the zeta potential from negative (~ –21 mV) to positive  values (+ 44.2 to + 32.2 mV), confirming successful chitosan coating. Encapsulation efficiency ranged from 48.00 to 62.61% depending on RJ concentration. Simulated gastrointestinal digestion (INFOGEST protocol) showed enhanced phenolic (50.99–62.79%) and flavonoid (128.69–172.12%) bioaccessibility. When incorporated into kefir, RJ-loaded liposomes led to higher bioaccessible phenolic (TPC: 516.86) and flavonoid (TFC: 322.50) contents compared to plain kefir or kefir containing free RJ. Furthermore, Caco-2 cell assays demonstrated improved phenolic absorption (TPC: 51.17%) and antioxidant bioavailability (CUPRAC: 141.46%). Overall, liposomal encapsulation effectively protected RJ bioactives during digestion and enhanced their functional performance in a dairy matrix.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of hydrocolloid combinations and milling methods on the quality of gluten-free bread (GFB) prepared with rice flours from different rice varieties. Physicochemical and microstructural analyses were conducted to assess the impact of flour type and formulation on the quality properties of GFB. Dry-milled rice flour, characterized by moderately damaged starch (3.63%) and lower amylose content (14.95%), was found to result in GFB with delayed retrogradation during 4 days of storage compared with wet-milled rice flour. The use of hydrocolloids, particularly the combination of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and propylene glycol alginate (PGA), further improved crumb texture, moisture retention, and structural integrity. Of the tested rice flours, “Baromi2” DR showed a more favorable starch composition and baking performance, supporting its suitability for gluten-free product applications. These findings confirmed the importance of selecting appropriate milling techniques and functional hydrocolloids to optimize GFB quality and market potential.

Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) has a high protein content. In this study, protein was extracted from Spirulina powder, after which Maillard reaction products (MRPs) were produced via reactions with glucose or xylose. The incorporation of MRPs significantly increased (p < 0.05) the water-holding capacity and reduced cooking loss of the patties. In addition, smaller reductions in thickness and diameter were observed, indicating an improvement in patty quality. Moisture, crude ash, crude fat, and crude protein contents significantly decreased in the MRP-supplemented patties (p < 0.05). Significantly higher levels of volatile compounds related to meat and fat notes, particularly (E)-2-heptenal, heptanal, octanal, and 1-octen-3-ol, were detected in the patties supplemented with MRPs (p < 0.05). Acetic acid, octanoic acid, 2-pentylfuran, and 3-octen-2-one, which have undesirable effects, were significantly reduced (p < 0.05). This study highlights the potential of Spirulina-based MRPs to improve the nutritional quality and volatile profile of plant-based patties.

This study evaluated protein hydrolysates derived from Turkmen melon seeds (TMSPH), produced using Protamex, as bioactive components in a polyethylene (PL)–nanoclay (NC) edible nanocomposite coating for extending the shelf life of button mushrooms. Five treatments were examined: uncoated control, PL, PL-NC, and PL-NC enriched with 0.5% and 1% TMSPH. Mushrooms were stored at 4 °C for 16 days, and physicochemical, microbial, and sensory attributes were evaluated. Incorporation of TMSPH significantly (p < 0.05) reduced weight loss, preserved texture, limited browning, and suppressed microbial growth. Notably, the PL–NC coating containing 1% TMSPH reduced weight loss by approximately 12% and decreased total microbial counts by about 4.4 log CFU/g compared with the control on day 16. Sensory evaluation showed that 1% TMSPH achieved the highest overall acceptability. These findings indicate that TMSPH-enriched PL–NC coatings offer a natural and effective strategy for improving the postharvest quality and marketability of button mushrooms.

Among functional lipids, oleoylglycerols including 1,2-diolein and 2-monoolein are known for their beneficial activities such as fatty acid metabolism, insulin secretion promotion, antioxidant, and anti-arrhythmic sclerosing activity. To produce these oleoylglycerols through the lipase reaction, cutinase from Fusarium graminearum (FGC) were recombinantly expressed and the properties of the enzyme were analyzed. The enzyme exhibited optimal activity under weak alkaline conditions (pH 8–9) and low temperatures (2–10 °C) for triolein in the water–isooctane biphasic system. The product of the lipase reaction with FGC at a low temperature was analyzed by HPLC, revealing that FGC appeared as sn-1(3) regiospecific lipase and only 2-monoolein was produced in monoolein isomers with 15.7 ± 3.83% conversion at 15% hydrolysis of triolein. These results showed that the FGC can be used to produce 1,2-diolein and 2-monoolein and further suggest its potential as a versatile enzyme in lipid modification in low-temperature environments.

Surimi-based fish cakes are valued for their high protein content but face challenges in cross-contamination and limited shelf-life during batch processing. This study introduces the first ambient-stable fish cake snack produced via a continuous extrusion-retort process, enhancing microbial safety and shelf stability. Response surface methodology (RSM) and a Box-Behnken design (BBD) were used to optimize moisture content (0–16%), thermal processing time (5–30 min), and extruder’s rotor speed (30–50 revolutions per minute, rpm) to improve texture and strength. The resulting snacks showed breaking force (614.17–1341.7 N), hardness (202.9–410 N), elasticity (104.59–113.92%), and tensile strength (326.7–1465.8 kPa). In addition, sensory evaluation showed superior chewiness, elasticity, texture, and preference over conventional products, confirming that improvements in physical properties to enhanced consumer preference. This work establishes a novel process framework for continuous manufacturing of shelf-stable surimi-based snacks, offering enhanced process control and product quality through extrusion technology and RSM-driven parameter modeling.

Graphical abstract

A magnetic extraction/recovery platform for carotenoids was developed using casein-functionalized, chitosan-coated MnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles (Cas@CSMNP). Nanoparticles were prepared by coprecipitation followed by hydrothermal treatment and characterized by XRD, FTIR, DLS, TGA, TEM, and magnetometry, confirming a spinel core and successful casein coating. A design-of-experiments approach identified conditions that maximized casein immobilization (80 mg g⁻¹ at 40 °C) consistent with favorable kinetic/isotherm fits. The results of assays with β-carotene standards and Rhodotorula toruloides extracts showed rapid uptake, with 73.1% and 84.2% adsorption, respectively, after 1 h at 30 °C. Cell-viability assays (1132 SK, RAW 264.7) indicated > 90% viability at 50–100 µg mL⁻¹. Cas@CSMNP integrates protein affinity with magnetic separability under ethanol-compatible conditions, providing a practical, potentially solvent-saving route for selective recovery of carotenoids from yeast extracts and a foundation for future evaluation of desorption and reuse.

Graphical Abstract

This study evaluated the antioxidant activities of decolorized rosemary powder (DRP) and non-decolorized rosemary powder (nRP) and assessed the quality characteristics of pork patties with these additives at different pH levels during refrigerated storage. DRP increased redness and decreased yellowness compared to nRP. There was no difference in ABTS scavenging activity, reducing power, or total phenolic content, but DRP showed higher ion-chelating ability than nRP at all concentrations (p < 0.05). Rosemary addition did not affect the pH of pork patties. Patties with DRP were lighter, redder, and less yellow than those with nRP. Lipid oxidation progressed faster in patties without antioxidants at low pH, whereas TBARS and POV values were lower in patties with DRP and nRP than in the control (p < 0.05). These results suggest that DRP can retard lipid oxidation in pork patties without affecting their color.

This research evaluated the potential mechanisms of ASX on EIMD. The network pharmacology, machine learning, and transcription sequencing were applied to explore the targets of ASX improving EIMD, which were then validated by molecular dynamics simulation and experiments. Twenty five key targets were screened after topological network analysis and mainly enriched in the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, NF-κB signaling pathway, and Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction. Through machine learning algorithms, four candidate targets, including CCL2, NFE2L2, TLR4, and TGFB1, were acquired. Combined with transcriptome sequencing results, CCL2 and TLR4 were finally identified as core targets for ASX to improve EIMD. Molecular dynamics simulation confirmed the strong binding affinity of ASX-CCL2 and ASX-TLR4 complexes. Besides, RT-PCR and Western blot revealed that the mRNA and protein expression of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB/CCL2/CCR2 pathway in the EIMD model were significantly down-regulated after ASX intervention. ASX might effectively attenuate muscle damage during exercise through the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB/CCL2/CCR2 pathway.

The selective determination of tryptophan in pasteurized milk is an indicator of quality, as its presence indicates that the process has been carried out at the correct temperatures. Tryptophan analysis is costly for industries, but the use of a sensor would reduce both costs and analysis times. A sensor using l-tryptophan dehydrogenase (TrpDH) was optimized, with the system immobilized using an electrode to quantify the tryptophan content in industrial milk. The stability of the enzyme was studied at a controlled temperature of 4 °C, and it was observed that it maintained 90% of its activity during the first 65.5 days. The pH range was studied between 6 and 10.5, with 7 being the value with the maximum activity observed. The linear range was between 0.01 and 0.1 mM with an R² = 0.9918. The voltage used for quantification was − 50 mV. The optimum temperature of the enzyme was found to be 37 °C. The system showed high specificity K_M = 0.033 mM and good sensitivity of 0.01 mM. It was very stable, and the membranes could be reused up to 11 times without loss of activity. The methodology is considered to have low environmental impact and shows good correlation with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).