Food Science and Biotechnology最新文献

Urban particulate matter (PM) significantly contributes to air pollution. Sargassum horneri was extracted using ethanol (SHE) and subsequently partitioned with n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and water. Antioxidant activities of fractions, including DPPH and ABTS⁺ radical, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radical scavenging activities, and metal chelating effects, were evaluated against oxidative damage induced by PM. Through fractionation of SHE, total phenolic and total flavonoid contents were increased from 17.53 to 31.91 mg GAE/g and 58.61 to 320.60 mg QE/g. The chloroform, ethyl acetate, and n-hexane fractions significantly enhanced antioxidant activities. Notably, the metal chelating effects of n-hexane, chloroform, and ethyl acetate fractions were substantial (93.29, 106.50, and 94.18%). PM-induced oxidation resulted in a decrease in antioxidant activity, with the chelating effect being most markedly reduced due to the presence of transitional metals. These results suggest that S. horneri can be utilized as a natural antioxidant, effectively mitigating oxidative damage by PM.

Functional food refers to food containing health-promoting additives or nutrients that support human wellness. The industry has grown rapidly due to increasing consumer interest in nutritious and functional products. Pigment-enriched functional foods have emerged as a novel concept in nutrition, offering neuroprotective, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects that help reduce the risk of chronic illnesses. Key innovations such as microencapsulation, nanosensors, nanoencapsulation, and nano delivery systems are transforming the food industry. Nanocarriers improve the targeted delivery of bioactive pigments and ingredients by crossing biological barriers efficiently. These technologies allow controlled nutrient release, precise ingredient delivery, and pollutant detection. Collaboration among researchers, food scientists, healthcare professionals, and policymakers is essential to translate scientific discoveries into real health benefits. This review highlights the potential of functional meals enriched with bio-pigments and explores how nanotechnology and microencapsulation are opening new avenues in therapeutic dietary strategies and personalized nutrition while addressing future health challenges.

The inhibitory effects of the active constituent isolated from Periploca sepium barks and its derivatives against α-glucosidase and α-amylase were studied. The active constituent was identified as 4-methoxy-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde by various spectral analyses. 4-Methoxy-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde was 5.44 times more effective at blocking α-amylase than acarbose, but it reduced its blocking ability against α-glucosidase by 0.57 times. The K_m values for α-glucosidase and α-amylase did not change with different amounts of 4-methoxy-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde, which is typical of non-competitive inhibition. To ascertain the structure–activity relationships, 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde and 3,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde demonstrated inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase. With regard to α-amylase, 2,4,5-trihydroxybenzaldehyde exhibited the most efficacious inhibitory effect, followed by 2,3,4-trihydroxybenzaldehyde, 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzaldehyde, and 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzaldehyde. The combination of benzaldehyde with hydroxyl, methyl, or methoxy groups suggests the potential for benzaldehyde to serve as a parent compound for the development of selective inhibitors. The results indicate that 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, 3,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, 2,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, 2,4,5-trihydroxybenzaldehyde, and 2,3,4-trihydroxybenzaldehyde may prove beneficial in alleviating diabetic pathological conditions.

Porous starch is prevalently utilized for loading and transporting biologically active substances and constitutes an inexpensive sorbent with an extensive range of applications. In this study, an innovative and high-efficient preparation approach for chestnut porous starch was executed by integrating plasma-activated water with hydrolysis (α-amylase and glucosidase). Under the optimized conditions (jet power and time, enzyme dosage and hydrolysis time), the obtained chestnut porous starch showed to possess a uniformly porous structure under the electron microscope. Compared with normal enzymatic hydrolysis, the oil absorption rate of the starch was significantly enhanced and reached 141.28% ± 0.86%. The optimal condition for the adsorption of curcumin using PECS was for 350 min, when Qe was maximized and the adsorption process conformed to pseudo-first-order kinetics. This study provides a novel and effective alternative route for the development of chestnut porous starch material, which can fulfill the requirements of subsequent in-depth research.

Autoimmune skin diseases, such as psoriasis are primarily characterized by excessive inflammation and skin barrier damage. The disrupted skin barrier is directly related to skin dryness. Luteolin, a flavonoid compound, has various biological activities such as antioxidant, anticancer, anti-aging, and anti-inflammatory. However, little has been known about the anti-psoriatic therapeutic function of luteolin. This study focused on the recovery of the skin barrier by luteolin through the regulation of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as well as anti-inflammatory activity, using TNF-α/IL-17A/IFN-γ-stimulated HaCaT cells. First, luteolin significantly inhibited the mRNA expression of antimicrobial peptides LL-37, human β-defensin-2 (hBD-2), S100A7, and S100A8 by regulating IκB/NF-κB signaling pathway through TRAF6/IκB. Moreover, luteolin increased the expression of filaggrin, loricrin and involucrin, which are essential of cornified envelope (CE) formation in epidermis. These results suggest anti-inflammatory luteolin has the function of restoring the disrupted skin barrier by regulating antimicrobial peptides and cornified envelope proteins.

Excessive antibiotic use can lead to gut microbiota dysbiosis, resulting in diarrhea. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Bifidobacterium animalis QC08 (QC08) on the antibiotic-induced diarrhea mouse model using lincomycin hydrochloride. Mice were divided into five groups: normal, diarrhea, a drug group, high-dose QC08 (QC08-H), low-dose QC08 (QC08-L). Compared with the diarrhea group, the QC08-H and QC08-L groups showed a decrease in serum serotonin, interleukin (IL)-17A, IL-6, and malondialdehyde levels, whereas total antioxidant capacity levels increased. In the colon and small intestine tissues of QC08-H and QC08-L treated mice, mRNA expression of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) was significantly downregulated, whereas expression of sodium–hydrogen exchanger 1 (NHE1) and NHE4 was upregulated compared to the AAD model group. Altogether, this in vivo study demonstrates the potential of QC08 in alleviating AAD in mice, providing valuable insights for understanding and potentially treating antibiotic-related gut issues.

Piperine, the primary bioactive compound in black pepper, was complexed with cyclic glucans, including cycloamylose (CA), α-cyclodextrin, and 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin, to investigate the complexation effects on its solubility, stability, bioavailability, and cellular antioxidant activity (CAA). The formation of inclusion complex (IC) significantly improved the phase solubility of piperine and enhanced its stability under ultraviolet light, heat, and acidic conditions. Additionally, IC increased the retention rate of piperine after in vitro digestion. Permeability analysis using a Caco-2 cell monolayer showed that IC samples, particularly CAIC, reduced the efflux ratio compared to free piperine by decreasing the apparent permeability coefficient from apical-to-basolateral (P_{app (B-A)}). Moreover, the enhanced cellular uptake capacity of piperine in IC contributed to a marked improvement in its CAA, CAIC showing the most pronounced effect. Therefore, inclusion complexation with cyclic glucans, especially CA, can be a practical strategy to overcome the lower solubility and bioavailability of free piperine in various industrial applications.

Soybean paste as one of the most extensively used traditional fermented condiments in our daily lives. The quality of soybean paste has been proven to be related to microbial metabolic activities. However, the effect of different raw materials on the microbial diversity of soybean paste under the same incubation conditions remains unclear. For this, we investigated variation of microbial communities in soybean paste manufactured with two different raw materials (Tartary buckwheat flour and wheat flour) analyzed by amplicon sequencing. The results showed that the dominant bacteria in the two soybean pastes were γ-proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria and Bacilli, the dominant fungal were Mucoromycetes, Tremellomycetes, Eurotiomycetes and Saccharomycetes. Bacterial diversity and abundance showed no significant difference in the two soybean pastes; fungal abundance showed no significant difference, whereas fungal diversity differed significantly (P < 0.05). Also, Bacterial abundance correlated positively with amino acid nitrogen (AAN) and total acidity (TA) in flour bean paste, while fungal diversity correlated negatively with AAN and TA in buckwheat bean paste. Collectively, raw materials have a significant effect on the microbial community of soybean paste. Besides, these results could provide valuable reference data for enhancing the quality and safety of soybean paste in manufacture.

Walnut green husk is the outermost green peel of walnut, which contains multiple natural ingredients with a variety of biological activities. In this study, an anti-tumor protein called Juglans regia L. husk protein (JRLHP) was isolated. Mass spectrometry and enzymatic activity analysis revealed that JRLHP was a β-glucosidase. JRLHP inhibited human hepatoma cancer cell growth and promoted apoptosis. JRLHP caused the decline of mitochondrial membrane potential and Bcl-2. Moreover, cytochrome c and Bax were elevated, and caspase-9 and caspase-3 were activated. JRLHP treatment led to excess reactive oxygen species (ROS). This was accompanied by increased p53 protein levels and the suppression of NF-κB pathway. NAC treatment reversed the effects of JRLHP on p53 and NF-κB pathway. Consequently, NAC also reduced the impacts of JRLHP on cell apoptosis and proteins related to apoptosis. Taken together, above results indicated that JRLHP induced HCC cell apoptosis by ROS-mediated p53 and NF-κB pathway.