Food Science and Biotechnology最新文献

Beige adipocytes, crucial for thermogenesis, offer a potential therapeutic strategy for obesity. This study investigated the anti-obesity effects of nonanoic acid (NoA), medium-chain fatty acids, and cholecystokinin-8 (CCK-8) on beige adipogenesis in C3H10T1/2 mesenchymal stem cells (C3H10T1/2 MSCs). We observed a significant increase in cholecystokinin B receptor expression in beige adipocytes compared to preadipocytes. The co-treatment with NoA and CCK-8 enhanced beige adipocyte differentiation and lipid accumulation. Moreover, the co-treatment with NoA and CCK-8 upregulated the mRNA expression of thermogenic genes and increased mitochondrial activity more effectively than individual treatment. Specifically, NoA and CCK-8 co-treatment also elevated the protein expression of uncoupling protein 1 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma coactivator-1 alpha. These findings suggest that the additive effect of NoA and CCK-8 promotes the beiging/browning of body fat in beige adipogenesis, potentially serving as an effective approach in the prevention and treatment of obesity and insulin resistance.

Recently, there has been increased interest in colored foods because their unique pigments in fruits and vegetables originate from phytochemicals with antioxidant, anticancer, and antibacterial properties. Consequently, various colored cherry tomatoes have been developed. This study analyzed the lycopene, ascorbic acid, polyphenol, and antioxidant content and activity of 12 cultivars of colored cherry tomatoes harvested in Korea. The red colored cherry tomato cultivars ‘DOTORI RED TY’, ‘KT RED TY’, and ‘BLACK JOY200’ showed significantly higher levels of lycopene, a major antioxidant compound in tomato. Total flavonoid analysis showed that ‘DOTORI RED TY’, ‘TY Item’, and ‘TY Sispen’ had significantly higher concentrations, and a similar trend was observed in total phenolics. The major polyphenols in cherry tomatoes were identified as chlorogenic acid, rutin, and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate, with ‘TY Sispen’ showing significantly higher contents of chlorogenic acid and rutin, while ‘DOTORI RED TY’ exhibited higher levels of (-)-epigallocatechin gallate.

In this study, we optimized gluco-oligosaccharide production using Weissella cibaria YRK005 through a semi-continuous fermentation. The Plackett–Burman design identified sucrose and maltose concentrations and fermentation temperature as key factors. Optimization using response surface methodology with a central composite design identified optimal conditions as 14.7% w/v sucrose, 13.5% w/v maltose, and 30 °C, predicting a relative peak area (RPA) of 115.6. Comparative analysis of the anaerobic and aerobic batch fermentation showed higher productivity under the aerobic conditions (25.5 RPA/h) than under the anaerobic conditions (23.7 RPA/h). The aerobic semi-continuous fermentation, with media replenishment every 7 h, achieved 39.2 RPA/h in one-cycle fermentation, exceeding the 27.2 RPA/h in two-cycle fermentation. These results highlight the importance of fermentation conditions in enhancing gluco-oligosaccharide production and suggests that the aerobic semi-continuous fermentation is a promising strategy for industrial applications to increase efficiency and reduce costs.

Despite the increasing global demand for functional foods, the challenges associated with bioactive natural food products due to their complex composition remain. Bioactive natural products can potentially interfere with physiological activity regulation and lead to undesired side effects. This finding emphasizes the need for machine learning (ML)-based food safety predictions focused on intrinsic toxicity. This review explores various strategies involved in current methods of model selection and validation techniques used in predictive analysis, highlighting their strengths, limitations, and progress. Future studies should focus on testing compound combinations using top-down or bottom-up approaches with appropriate models to advance in silico toxicity modeling of bioactive natural products.

With the increasing proportion of the global aging population, aging mechanisms and anti-aging strategies become hot topics. Nonetheless, the safety of non-natural anti-aging active molecule and the changes in physiological function that occur during aging have not been clarified. There is therefore a need to develop safer pharmaceutical interventions for anti-aging. Numerous types of research have shown that food-derived biomolecules are of great interest due to their unique contribution to anti-aging safety issues and the prevention of degenerative diseases. Among these, polyphenolic organic compounds are widely used in anti-aging research for their ability to mitigate the physiological functional changes that occur during aging. The mechanisms include the free radical theory, immune aging theory, cellular autophagy theory, epigenetic modification theory, gut microbial effects on aging theory, telomere shortening theory, etc. This review elucidates the mechanisms underlying the anti-aging effects of polyphenols found in food-derived bioactive molecules, while also addressing the challenges associated with anti-aging pharmaceuticals. The review concludes by offering insights into the current landscape of anti-aging active molecule research, aiming to serve as a valuable resource for further scholarly inquiry.

This study investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of OJlipo1, a lipocalin-like protein derived from Oenanthe javanica. Through cloning and expressing OJlipo1 in E. coli, and subsequent rigorous characterization including amino acid analysis and mass spectrometry, its potential against inflammation was evaluated. Studies on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells highlighted its capability to suppress nitric oxide synthase and cyclooxygenase-2 expression, as well as its interference with nuclear factor kappa B and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways, which are essential for toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling. Utilizing TAK242, a TLR4 pathway inhibitor, reinforced OJlipo1’s specific targeting mechanism. These findings underscore OJlipo1’s significant anti-inflammatory potential, aligning with the traditional uses of O. javanica, and suggest new therapeutic avenues, especially for diseases associated with TLR4 dysregulation. This validates the traditional application of O. javanica in inflammation and positions OJlipo1 as a promising therapeutic candidate, enriching our understanding of its molecular underpinnings and therapeutic prospects.

This study analyzed the sensorial flavor characteristics and volatile Maillard reaction products of Tenebrio molitor mealworm based-reaction flavors (M-RFs) optimized in our previous study; it also explored the main contributors to M-RFs with a desirable beef broth-like flavor. Seven flavor characteristics (i.e., sweet, sour, meaty, sulfur-like, boiled soy sauce-like, baked potato-like, and dried shrimp-like flavors) were profiled in the M-RFs by sensory evaluation; when the baked potato-like, boiled soy sauce-like, sweet, and meaty flavor attributes were intensified, the M-RFs had beef broth-like flavor. Also, pyrazines, pyrroles, and pyrans were strongly associated with them in the partial least-squares regression plot. Those M-RFs were reacted with a small amount of cysteine and a large amount of methionine compared to other M-RFs and it was revealed that cysteine and methionine significantly influenced the desirable beef broth-like flavor characteristics of M-RFs.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic gastrointestinal condition with increasing global prevalence. Current therapies are limited, leading to exploration of novel treatments like Pu-erh tea, a fermented tea recognized for its health benefits. This study shows that long-term consumption of Pu-erh tea significantly reduces IBD symptoms in DSS-induced mice by moderating inflammation and enhancing oxidative responses in the colon. Pu-erh tea notably increases the abundance of specific gut microbiota, particularly enhancing Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, and Proteobacteria phyla, and raising levels of Lactobacillus and Muribaculaceae genera. Key species such as Lactobacillus johnsonii, Lactobacillus reuteri, and Lactobacillus murinus also showed increased abundance. Additionally, Pu-erh tea helps restore the integrity of the intestinal barrier. These findings highlight the potential of Pu-erh tea as a complementary dietary strategy for IBD, potentially improving disease management and patient outcomes through its effects on the intestinal microbiota and mucosal barrier.

Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) are globally renowned shellfish. In South Korea, oysters are commonly packaged with filling water in polyethylene bags. Previous studies have proposed various freshness and quality parameters for oysters, including pH, volatile basic nitrogen content, glycogen content, and viable cell count. We aimed to identify the objective indicators of oyster freshness during storage and distribution using metabolomic analysis and multivariate statistical techniques. Packaged oyster samples were analyzed for metabolites using gas chromatography-mass-spectrometry during 9-days storage at 5 °C or 15 °C. Additionally, the pH, turbidity, and soluble protein content of the filling water were measured. Multivariate statistical analyses, including principal component analysis, partial least squares discriminant analysis, and orthogonal projections to latent structure-discriminant analysis revealed statistically significant results, demonstrating metabolite clustering based on storage duration. In conclusion, this study introduced crucial freshness indicators for stored or distributed oysters by utilizing metabolomic analysis and multivariate statistical techniques.

Kluyveromyces marxianus was engineered to mitigate carbon catabolite repression to efficient co-fermenting mixed sugars, which are primary components of cellulosic biomass. Kluyveromyces marxianus KDH1 produced ethanol with 0.42 ± 0.01 g/g yield, and 0.67 ± 0.00 g/L·h productivity for 48 h. RNA sequencing-based transcriptomic analysis showed that genes from the glycolysis pathway, gluconeogenesis pathway, and the citric acid cycle were primarily upregulated when K. marxianus KDH1 fermented mixed sugars. Furthermore, critical genes from the gluconeogenesis pathway, such as fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, were upregulated by 331.72 and 47.15-fold, respectively. Citrate synthase and malate dehydrogenase, associated with the citric acid cycle, were upregulated by 2284.62 and 7.69-fold, respectively. Enzymatic assays of fructose 1, 6-bisphosphatase indicated that K. marxianus KDH1 showed 1.87-fold higher enzymatic activity than that of the parental strain. These results provide novel information on mixed sugar co-fermentation and a new glucose fermentation process that bypasses the glycolysis pathway.