Food frontiers最新文献

Emerging research has shown that lactic acid bacteria in the intestines of newborns play a beneficial role in the growth, immune function, and metabolism of infants after birth. In this study, four strains of Lactobacillus were isolated from fecal samples of newborns, and a safe Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ZFM518 (ZFM518) strain was obtained after the screening, which showed excellent antibacterial activity and adhesion potential. The strain exhibited excellent ability to survive in acidic environments, simulated gastric juice, and simulated intestinal environments, respectively. ZFM518 had a bacteriostatic zone of 31.12 ± 0.33 mm against Staphylococcus aureus, a hydrophobic rate of 76.97% ± 3.35%, and a survival activity of 96.54% ± 0.14% under a simulated intestinal fluid environment. Moreover, ZFM518 can produce up to 161.11 ± 9.67 ng/mL of folate. A genome-wide investigation of ZFM518 revealed that the majority of its genes were involved in the metabolism of amino acids, carbohydrates, adhesion, immunological defense, and antibacterial activity. In addition, only one antibiotic resistance gene of the antimicrobial peptide was annotated. These results indicate that ZFM518 is a new strain with a strong comprehensive ability and probiotic potential. This study can provide practical support for screening potential probiotics from infant feces and provide a theoretical basis for developing probiotic resources.

The escalating global cancer burden underscores the urgent need for more effective therapeutic strategies. Phytochemicals, naturally occurring compounds in plants, have garnered attention for their potential in cancer chemoprevention and chemotherapy. Their ability to modulate molecular mechanisms and influence cell signaling pathways offers a promising avenue for cancer management. This review aims to synthesize current knowledge on phytochemicals’ chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic potential, focusing on their molecular mechanisms of action and impacts on cell signaling pathways involved in cancer. A systematic literature search was conducted across major databases, including PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The search strategy uses Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and free-text terms using Boolean operators to capture relevant studies. Inclusion criteria targeted original research and reviews on the effects of phytochemicals in cancer, with a specific focus on molecular mechanisms. Phytochemicals, including flavonoids, polyphenols, and terpenoids, demonstrated significant anticancer properties by inducing cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and autophagy. They modulate critical cell signaling pathways, such as cyclooxygenase-2, nuclear factor kappa B, and various growth factor-related pathways, and rectify epigenetic alterations, contributing to their chemopreventive and therapeutic effects. Phytochemicals represent a valuable resource for developing novel cancer prevention and treatment strategies; their actions on molecular mechanisms and cell signaling pathways underscore their potential in cancer prevention and combat. Further research is warranted to translate these findings into clinical applications, optimizing phytochemical-based interventions for cancer management.

Lycium ruthenicum fruit (LRF) is a potential source of natural colorant in a wide pH range due to richness in monoacylated anthocyanin petanin. However, the yield of LRF largely lags behind the market demand in food industry. In this study, overexpressing LrAN2 (LrAN2OE), an anthocyanin activator in LRF, produced excessive acylated anthocyanins including petanin in L. ruthenicum callus (LRC). Physiological analysis indicates that LrAN2OE extensively orchestrate the redox homeostasis, including antioxidant enzymes system and antioxidants with low molecular weight. KEGG enrichment analysis indicates that LrAN2 hierarchically orchestrate the acylated anthocyanin biosynthesis in LRC at multi-omics level, such as small RNAome, transcriptome, and metabolome. The anthocyanin yield of LrAN2OE callus cultured by 5% sucrose or glucose is significantly enhanced. Furthermore, the anthocyanin yield approach to 96.23 mg/g dry weight, approximately 3.5 folds of that in LRF, when LrAN2OE suspension cells are cultured in liquid MS medium supplement with 5% sucrose and 100 mM NaCl. Notably, anthocyanins extracted from LrAN2OE callus are stable in pH 1.0–2.0, pH 7.0, and pH 9.0, showing red or blue color within 30 days at 4°C. Our findings suggest that LrAN2 is perfect gene resource for metabolic engineering of acylated anthocyanins in LRC, a promising chassis producing acylated anthocyanins. Taken together, LRC metabolically engineered by LrAN2 is a potential source of natural food color, which facilitates to make up the shortfall of LRF as source of natural colorant in future food industry.

Fresh-cut pineapple is highly popular with consumers, but it is also susceptible to quality deterioration during storage or shelf life. This study aimed to explore the effects of caffeic acid on the quality of fresh-cut pineapple, specifically in relation to epigenetic regulation. The application of caffeic acid efficiently maintained fruit quality of pineapple slices stored at 4°C. Interestingly, caffeic acid treatment resulted in the increased accumulation of flavonoids in fresh-cut pineapple. Moreover, the expression of several flavonoids biosynthesis-related genes (AcPAL, AcF3’H, AcCHI, AcCHS2, Ac4CL, and AcFLS) was upregulated by caffeic acid. Furthermore, caffeic acid increased the methylation levels of H3K4me3, a gene-activated epigenetic marker, at the loci of AcF3’H, AcCHI, AcCHS2, Ac4CL, and AcFLS. Overall, these findings suggest that the treatment with caffeic acid leads to increased levels of H3K4me3 and activates the expression of flavonoids biosynthesis-related genes, thereby promoting the accumulation of flavonoids and maintaining the quality of pineapple slices.

Maintaining freshness and quality is crucial in the meat industry, as lipid oxidation can lead to undesirable odors, flavors, and potential health risks. Traditional methods for assessing meat freshness often involve time-consuming and destructive techniques, highlighting the need for rapid, noninvasive approaches. Recent advancements in spectroscopic and chromogenic sensor array technologies have opened up new avenues for monitoring meat quality parameters, offering the potential for real-time, accurate, and cost-effective solutions. As thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) value is a classic indicator of meat lipid oxidation, this study investigated the data fusion of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) and paper chromogenic array (PCA) for monitoring ground beef TBARS. A standardized PCA was fabricated by photolithography with nine chemoresponsive dyes. Changes in ground beef volatile organic compounds during storage were captured in the shifts of PCA color patterns. Nippy, an open-source Python module, was used for automated NIR spectra preprocessing. The optimal preprocessing pipeline was found by 10-fold cross-validation in machine learning model development. Among optimized models, partial least square regression showed the best performance in coefficient of determination (R²) of .9477, root mean squared error of prediction of 0.0545 mg malondialdehyde/kg meat, and residual prediction deviation of 4.3717. The promising result of this study indicated the potential for NIR and PCA combinations to monitor TBARS values for ground beef freshness assessment.

Microplastics (MPs) have emerged as a significant food-related risk factor, posing potential threats to human health through dietary intake and the food chain. This review comprehensively analyses the impact of MPs as a novel food safety risk factor on human health (in particular on the gastrointestinal route). Furthermore, we explore the potential mechanisms by which dietary fibers (DFs) may alleviate the health risks associated with MPs. The impact of DFs on human health is intricately linked to factors such as their size, concentration, and composition. We characterize current knowledge and highlight gaps. Although DFs may be a potential strategy to reduce the impact of MPs on organism health, more in-depth studies are needed to determine their practical effects and application prospects. In particular, research on MPs that actively reduce intake in vivo remains relatively limited and needs to receive more attention from the scientific community.

Traditionally, Eriocheir sinensis elicits wide distribution, easy accessibility, and unique taste, but the low comprehensive utilization restricts its application. The present study aimed to extract and identify peptides from the defective E. sinensis and analyze the umami mechanism of crab peptides. Virtual hydrolysis showed that protein hydrolysate prepared by the dual enzyme combination (papain and alkaline protease) had high hydrolysis degrees and umami fragments, which was consistent with the actual hydrolysis results. The three strong-flavoring crab peptides (AADESERM, SDEERMDAL, and EERAESGES) were screened by umami prediction and amino acid sequence analysis, and the umami profiles with thresholds ranged 0.0625–0.250 mg/mL determined by sensory evaluation and electronic tongue. The AADESERM had the highest umami enhancement effect. Besides, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation revealed that all the three crab peptides bound stably to the active cavity of T1R1. Asp147, His71, Ala302, Cys106, and Lys379 were the crucial binding sites for umami presentation. This study was accurately identifying umami crab peptides from defective E. sinensis based on pre-virtual hydrolysis. It will reduce the wastage of crab resources and further provide support for the high-value utilization.

The depletion of the ozone layer creates a gate for non-visible spectra to impact the Earth's surface and interfere with fruit and vegetable growth and developments by affecting their morphology and physiology. The potential contribution of visible light to photosynthetic activity has received significant attention, particularly blue and red/far-red light in the visible spectrum. However, plants are also inevitably exposed to relatively high doses of non-visible spectra, including ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) radiation. This review examines the literature on the impact of such non-visible spectra on fruit and vegetable growth and development. The accumulation of radiation-absorbing compounds is a primary mechanism of acclimation to changing radiation levels. Anthocyanins are compounds that exhibit high sensitivity to UV and IR radiation as well as temperature variations, playing a crucial protective role against detrimental radiation in plants. Current research helps to elucidate the involvement of low and high temperatures in the control of UVB-induced anthocyanin accumulation. Different UV radiation types have been shown to affect fruit and vegetable growth and pigment content differentially. Recent studies have also revealed that IR radiation increases anthocyanin content. Furthermore, specific non-visible spectra mitigate the inhibitory effect of high and low temperature stress on anthocyanin accumulation in fruits and vegetables. These findings have important implications for the horticultural industry, as they suggest that the application of specific of non-visible light spectra could be a promising approach to increasing the nutritional value and marketability of fruits and vegetables.

The study was focused on the therapeutic potential of schaftoside (SS), a key bioactive compound found in Plumula nelumbinis, in the context of “Shanghuo,” an excessive internal heat condition induced by the overconsumption of capsaicin. “Shanghuo” in traditional Chinese medicine is characterized by symptoms like skin and mucous membrane redness, swelling, fever, and discomfort. It is commonly used to describe symptoms such as intense thirst, constipation, and a rapid or surging pulse. In modern medicine, it is associated with various factors, including dietary irritants, stress, gut microbiota imbalances, and immunological issues. The concept of Yin–Yang balance is pivotal in the theory of traditional Chinese medicine. Yin embodies elements of stability and inhibition, whereas Yang is indicative of vitality and assertiveness. Excessive capsaicin intake can also trigger “Shanghuo” symptoms by disrupting the body's balance of “Yin and Yang.” In the present study, we isolated SS from P. nelumbinis and performed in vitro antioxidant assays. SS exhibited a concentration-dependent increase in antioxidant activity, indicating its potential to combat oxidative stress. In animal experiments, rats exposed to a high dose of capsaicin showed elevated levels of inflammatory markers and reduced antioxidant levels. SS effectively mitigated these imbalances, restored antioxidant enzyme activity, and reduced inflammation. Furthermore, capsaicin-treated rats showed decreased energy metabolism and altered gut microbiota. SS treatment enhanced energy metabolism and increased the abundance of intestinal flora, highlighting its potential to restore metabolic balance. In conclusion, SS from P. nelumbinis shows promise in alleviating “Shanghuo” induced by excessive capsaicin intake.

Cornus kousa fruit (CKF) has been utilized as anti-obesity supplementation in East Asia, including Korea, and gut microbiota (GM) might have synergistic effects on obesity (OB) via its interplay. We aimed to decode molecule(s), mechanism(s), and target(s) on interplay between CKF and GM via network pharmacology analysis. The final targets were analyzed by protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks and a bubble plot. The GM interacted with significant targets identified by the gutMGene database. The relationships among CKF or GM, signaling pathways, targets, and molecules (CGSTM) were plotted by R package. Finally, molecular docking assay and density functional theory (DFT) were performed to validate its affinity. The final targets (22) were selected on OB-responded targets, indicating that interleukin-6 (IL6) was the most crucial protein-coding target on PPI networks. A bubble plot and CGSTM networks suggested that the advanced glycation end-receptor for advanced glycation end products signaling pathway in diabetic complications is inhibited by CKF and peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathway is activated by GM. As the most stable conformers, IL6-equol complex was attributed to GM, and PPAR alpha-linoleic acid, PPAR delta-stearic acid, and fatty acid–binding protein 4-dimethyl 2,3-bis(1,3-dimethylindol-2-yl) fumarate complex were attributed to CKF. Noticeably, stearic acid was removed by DFT analysis; all other three molecules were proposed as good electron donators with the higher electronegativity compared with a standard drug (Orlistat). This study shows that integrated pharmacological analysis can enable to decode the unknown relationships between CKF and GM. Overall, this study reveals that the combination of CKF and favorable GM might exert dual therapeutic effects on OB.