Food Science and Biotechnology最新文献

Growing evidence suggests that dietary herbs can prevent stroke by regulating the composition and structure of gut microbiota. The components of dietary herbs can also be metabolized or converted into bioactive molecules for treating stroke by gut microbiota, and exert therapeutic effects by inhibiting inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and other processes caused by stroke. A deep understanding of the mechanism of gut microbiota-mediated dietary herbal intervention in stroke is of great significance for the treatment and drug screening of stroke diseases. In this review, we summarise the complex bidirectional relationship between stroke and gut microbiota and provide a detailed introduction to the mechanism of the interaction between dietary herbs and gut microbiota in intervening in stroke. In addition, we also discuss the limitations of current research and potential directions in this field, hoping to provide ideas and references for the treatment and drug development of stroke diseases.

Graphical abstract

Dietary herbs and active ingredients can balance the intestinal microbiota disorders in stroke patients or models, and herbal ingredients can be converted into more easily absorbed active substances under the action of microorganisms, thereby exerting therapeutic effect on stroke diseases

Chitosan films containing cinnamon essential oil Pickering emulsions (CEO-PEs) stabilized by methyl tetrahydrophthalic anhydride esterified corn starch (MeCS) were prepared and characterized. The incorporation of CEO-PEs was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The cinnamon essential oil content affected the color of film significantly (p < 0.05), with higher concentrations resulting in a higher yellowness value. The films containing CEO-PEs had lower transparency and water vapor permeability. The antimicrobial activity of films against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was enhanced by incorporating CEO-PEs. When used for pork preservation, the films containing CEO-PEs were more effective in limiting lipid oxidation, proteins decomposition, as well as total microbial growth. All these effects were proportional to the cinnamon essential oil content in the films. These results suggested that chitosan/MeCS-stablized CEO-PEs composite film have great potential in pork packaging.

Oxidative stress in skeletal muscle can lead to muscle atrophy through reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced damage and cell death. tert-Butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP), an exogenous ROS generator, induces oxidative stress and cell death in various cells. Sinapine from cruciferous plants possesses beneficial effects, but its role in protecting skeletal muscle cells against ROS-induced cell death remains unclear. This study demonstrates that sinapine pretreatment significantly reduced TBHP-induced cell death and ROS accumulation in a dose-dependent manner. TBHP activated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways including Akt, p38, and JNK, and triggered autophagy. Sinapine suppressed the phosphorylation of Akt, MEK3/6, p38, MEK4, and JNK, and modulated key autophagy markers. Notably, the co-treatment of MAPK inhibitors attenuated TBHP-induced cell death and LC3B-II accumulation. These findings suggest that sinapine is a promising phytochemical for mitigating oxidative stress-mediated muscle injury, offering potential therapeutic strategies for maintaining skeletal muscle homeostasis and addressing muscle-related pathologies.

Food produced by cell culture has been approved in Singapore and the United States. Food safety evaluation systems of Singapore, the United States, Europe, and Korea were reviewed for producing cultured foods with new technologies. In Singapore, Europe, and Korea, safety evaluation of cultured meat is conducted by applying for such evaluation in the Novel Food system. In contrast, in the case of the United States, safety evaluation for cultured meat is conducted by the FDA and the USDA, considering it as an altered product of production methods, not a novel food. Required safety assessment data vary depending on whether the cultured meat is a novel food or a different food with a different production method. Accordingly, the current study presents differences between required documents according to the two distinct perspectives.

Macadamia nut oil (MO) fatty acids are mainly composed of oleic acid and palmitoleic acid, which have a variety of health benefits. This study established an ulcerative colitis (UC) mouse model using dextran sulfate sodium (DSS), and the ameliorative effects of MO on UC were investigated. The results revealed that MO supplementation mitigated weight loss and colon shortening, increased goblet cell counts, and alleviated histopathologic changes in UC mice. MO significantly increased the intestinal antioxidant levels in UC mice. Moreover, Nrf2 and Ho-1 mRNA and protein expression levels were significantly upregulated in UC mice following treatment with low- and high-dose MO. In contrast, expression levels of Keap1 were significantly downregulated. Lastly, MO inhibited the inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β) expression in UC mice. These results indicate that MO could enhance colonic antioxidant levels, induce apoptosis, and activate the Nrf2/Ho-1 pathway, thereby ameliorating the pathological injuries associated with UC.

Coffee is globally popular beverage, renowned for its taste and stimulating properties. This study aims to explore the impact of two different types of coffee, depending on extraction methods, on the gut microbiota. Fecal samples from healthy donors (n = 20) were cultured with or without coffee using in vitro fecal incubation. Both coffee-treated groups exhibited lower microbial diversity and greater structural differences in their communities compared to the control. Notably, the Bifidobacterium genus was overrepresented in the instant coffee (IC)-treated groups, whereas the Blautia genus was underrepresented in both coffee-treated groups. Additionally, genes for TCA cycle and vitamin B6 metabolism were more prevalent in coffee-treated groups than in the control. However, the precursor pathways leading to the TCA cycle differed between the DC- and IC-treated groups, reflecting the distinct chemical compositions of each coffee type. These findings demonstrate that extraction method of coffee significantly affects its impacts on gut microbial structure.

Identifying the species of king crab in processed products is crucial to prevent food fraud and harm to consumers. A rapid real-time PCR method was developed to identify three crab species (Chionoecetes japonicus, Chionoecetes opilio, and Paralithodes camtschaticus) in crab products within 30 min. The method involved direct DNA extraction and utilized species-specific primer sets targeting mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) and internal transcribed spacer (ITS1) for the three crab species. Specificity and sensitivity tests demonstrated consistent melting temperatures and cycle threshold values and a detection limit of 0.001 ng DNA. The ultrafast PCR successfully distinguished the three crab species in 24 commercial products, indicating its rapid, specific, and sensitive potential for on-site identification of crab species in commercial food products.

Anthocyanin is abundantly present in purple yam (Dioscorea alata L.) but it has instability and poor solubility in lipophilic system To overcome the challenges, a water-in-oil (W/O) based carrier system is needed to increase its solubility before being applied to food. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a stable W/O nanoemulsion formulation as a carrier for anthocyanin. The results showed that formula with a surfactant:water ratio of 5:1 was selected due to its low particle size and polydispersity index of 22.38 ± 0.86 nm and 0.31 ± 0.07, respectively. In addition, replacing 50% of water with anthocyanin produced a relatively stable anthocyanin with the lowest particle size of 18.31 ± 6.52 nm. The findings also showed that antioxidant activity tended not to differ significantly and had higher retention compared to extract solutions with concentrated anthocyanin. These results indicated that nanoemulsion could protect anthocyanins and had the potential to be used in the food and health industry.

Plant-based proteins have gained significant attention as alternatives to animal proteins due to health benefits and environmental sustainability. In response, various plant-based products have been developed. Proteins are crucial not only for nutrition but also for their technical functional properties in food processing, such as stabilization, emulsification, foaming, and gelling. These functional properties depend on protein structure, composition, and interactions with other food components. To enhance these properties, extensive research has focused on modifying plant protein structures through physical, chemical, and enzymatic methods. This review covers the mechanisms of protein modification by different processing methods and suggests the possibility of new synergistic effects through sequential double or triple modification techniques. These advances aim to improve the technological performance of plant proteins in various food applications as alternatives of animal proteins.

Millets have gained significant attention in recent days due to their potential as nutritious and bioactive-rich food sources. Beyond their macronutrient content such as carbohydrates, fats, protein and minerals, possess impressive array of bioactive compounds viz., polyphenols, flavonoids and antioxidants. Ferulic acid is predominantly found among all the millets followed by caffeic acid and soluble/bound fractions of whole grains contain flavonoids. Their prebiotic properties contribute to gut health by promoting growth of beneficial gut microbiota. Phenolic compounds contribute to their antioxidant, anticancer and antiviral properties. Millets are rich in dietary fibre (15–20%), which has water absorbing and bulking property thereby increases transit time of food in the gut and helps in reducing risk of inflammatory bowel disease and acts as detoxifying agent in the body. The bioavailability of minerals is however hindered by the antinutritional factors like tannins and phytates. This review focuses on the nutraceutical potential of millets by exploring its bioactive components and its enhancement through biofortification strategies which is essential for utilizing and harnessing their health-promoting properties for the benefit of global nutrition and well-being.