Food frontiers最新文献

Functional foods, such as fermented bamboo shoots, have a long history of consumption among the ethnic communities in northeast India. These locally fermented bamboo shoots contain a wealth of beneficial microbes and metabolites that can help combat metabolic syndromes like obesity. However, the precise effects and mechanism behind fermented bamboo shoot products and their anti-obesity properties remain unknown. This study aims to explore the different types of fermented bamboo shoot products to determine their potential anti-obesity effects as well as to analyze their microbial diversity and metabolite profiles. Using both culture-dependent and culture-independent methods, we found a high abundance of lactic acid bacteria from the Firmicutes and Proteobacteria phyla in the sample. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) based untargeted metabolite profiling detected several aroma-active compounds, bioactive metabolites, short-chain fatty acids, and essential amino acids in the samples. The water extract derived from a particular type of fermented bamboo shoot, Melye-amiley, was found to significantly reduce intracellular lipid accumulation in cultured 3T3-L1 cells. In addition, this extract increased the expression of lipolytic (hormone-sensitive lipase, lipoprotein lipase, and adipose triglyceride lipase) and browning regulator genes (uncoupling protein [UCP1], PRDM16, and PGC1-alpha). By activating the AMPK signaling pathway, the water extract from Melye-amiley also upregulated thermogenic protein expression and promoted mitochondrial biogenesis and fatty acid β-oxidation. These findings suggest that fermented bamboo shoot extract has promising anti-obesity effects by boosting energy expenditure in white adipocytes. Future research is necessary to identify the active ingredient(s) that may lead to new therapies to treat obesity.

The study explored the sociocultural influences on sugar consumption in three distinct countries: New Zealand, France, and Singapore. It employed the theory of planned behavior (TPB) alongside consumer perception and acceptance factors, such as sugar consciousness, product labeling, sugar substitution with sweeteners, and perceived flavor, to investigate participants’ behaviors regarding various yogurt types. Data was gathered through web surveys in each country, analyzed through partial least squares (PLS)–confirmatory factor analysis to create country-specific conceptual frameworks, and then validated using PLS-path modeling to assess the correlations between TPB and consumer perception constructs. The results indicated that perceived behavioral control positively influenced intentions to reduce sugar intake in participants from New Zealand and Singapore. Sugar consciousness exhibited a positive correlation with behavioral intentions across all three countries, suggesting heightened awareness of sugar intake motivates individuals to cut back. Notably, the presence of labels and claims showed negative correlation with perceived flavor, among the participants from New Zealand and France, suggesting that food researchers must navigate a delicate balance between labels and flavor to successfully design and market sugar-reduced products. Further analysis, PLS-multigroup analysis revealed significant difference in the impact of subjective norms on attitude between participants from different countries. Singaporeans placed stronger value on others’ approval for consuming less sugar-sweetened yogurt, whereas French and New Zealand participants had a more neutral stance. This study's novelty lies in its comprehensive exploration of sociocultural factors, integration of TPB with consumer perception constructs, and tailoring of analysis to each country's cultural context, thereby enhancing our understanding of multicultural sugar consumption patterns.

People with diabetes mellitus (DM) and hyperglycemia are linked with cancer risk. Diabetes and cancer have been corroborated by high morbidity and mortality rates. Studies revealed that elevated levels of insulin secretions trigger insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) production. Moreover, IGF-1 is a key regulator involved in promoting cancer cell progression and is linked with DM. Cancer drug resistance and ototoxic effects can adversely affect the health and lifespan of an individual. However, naturally derived bioactive compounds are gaining attention for their nontoxic properties and specific behavior. Likewise, probiotics have also been regarded as safe and successful alternatives to treat DM-linked cancers. The present review aims to highlight the therapeutic potential and feasible functions of probiotics to mitigate or inhibit DM-associated cancers. Meanwhile, the intracellular signaling cascades involved in promoting DM-linked cancer are enumerated for future prospective research. However, metabolomics interactions and protein–protein interactions are to be discussed for deeper insights into affirmative principles in diabetic-linked cancers. Drug discovery and innovative preclinical evaluation need further adjuvant and immune-enhancement therapies. Furthermore, the results of the in silico assessment could provide scientific excellence of IGF-1 in diabetes and cancer. Overall, this review summarizes the mechanistic insights and therapeutic targets for diabetes-associated cancer.

Circadian rhythm disorder (CRD) is closely associated with hair regression and shedding, but whether this risk can be transmitted to the offspring is unknown. Whether Pu-erh tea, with alleviating effects of CRD-mediated syndrome, can act on the transmission of alopecia risk to offspring is also unproven. Here, we obtained CRD parental mice offspring and found that CRD-mediated alopecia risk can be transmitted to offspring, especially male offspring. Parental consumption of Pu-erh tea, especially in females or both parents, reduced the risk of CRD-mediated alopecia transmitted to offspring by inhibiting subcutaneous fat accumulation (downregulation of Rab18, fat-specific protein 27 (Fsp27), and perilipin 1 (Plin1)), reducing oxidative stress and inflammation in skin tissue (NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4)/ nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB)), balancing androgen and hair growth factor release (hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1)), and restoring hair follicle DNA repair function (upregulation of Ku70, 8-Oxoguanine DNA glycosylase 1 (OGG1), and Rad51). Transcriptomic analysis further clarified that the mechanism stemmed from the upregulation of gene expression in pathways such as the Wnt, Hippo, and other signaling pathways.

Cronobacter sakazakii clonal complex 4 (CC4) is strongly associated with neonatal meningitis. However, C. sakazakii CC4-specific pathogenicity traits have not been determined. In this study, the comparative genomic analysis of 144 genomes of C. sakazakii CC4 strains and 376 non-CC4 C. sakazakii strains was undertaken. Twenty-four CC4 strains were previously undescribed clinical and nonclinical strains that had been collected from various regions in China (2006–2017). The remaining genomes were of multiple sequence types of C. sakazakii strains, which had been isolated worldwide (1973–2021). The pan-genome of C. sakazakii comprised 32,332 genes, of which 2.58% (832 genes) constituted the core genome. More C. sakazakii CC4 strains have a complete cusABCFR efflux system with a significant difference compared with non-CC4 strains, and the ibeB-homologous cusC gene in the cusABCFR efflux system is probably associated with the invasion of human brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMEC). In addition, the isolates with K2:CA2 capsule or type IV pili-associated genes associated with neonatal meningitis were statistically more present in CC4 strains than non-CC4 strains (p < .0001). The thorough description of VirB/VirD4 gene cluster for the type IV secretion system and the impB/impF and vasL/vasJ gene clusters for the type VI secretion system in C. sakazakii were provided. Overall, the specific and diverse virulence factors and genes may have led to C. sakazakii CC4 clone increasing its ability to invade human BMEC and leading to neonatal meningitis. Our findings should facilitate the development of novel strategies to prevent, diagnose, and treat C. sakazakii CC4 infections.

Lactiplantibacillus plantarum is selective for carbohydrate utilization, which is primarily regulated by the catabolic control protein A (ccpA). To investigate the impact of carbohydrate metabolism on the in vivo colonization of L. plantarum AR113, we constructed a ccpA knockout strain (AR113ΔccpA). In vitro assays showed that AR113ΔccpA had a 0.34 decrease in maximum biomass, and a 2.63 h increase in hysteresis time compared to AR113. In a single administration, there was no significant difference in the number of AR113 and AR113ΔccpA in the mucus layers, and the number of AR113 was approximately 34-times higher than AR113ΔccpA at 48 h in the intestinal lumen. Notably, the knockout of the ccpA gene did not affect the colonization time of AR113 in the intestine during continuous administration. Therefore, the present work demonstrated that the ccpA did not play a crucial role in the in vivo colonization time of AR113 and provided valuable insights into the role of carbohydrate metabolism in bacterial colonization time in vivo.

Phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (PGK1) and pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) have been identified as the postmortem meat quality biomarkers. However, the precise molecular mechanism through which they affect and regulate the development of meat quality remains unclear. In this work, the high- and low-activity groups (n = 10) were selected from 60 lamb muscles at 24 h postmortem based on the activity levels of PGK1 and PKM2. The metabolomic, proteomic, and transcriptomic analyses combined with deeply integrated multi-omics analysis were used to elucidate the mechanisms by which PGK1 and PKM2 characterize meat quality. The results indicated that glycolysis played a crucial role in regulating PGK1 and PKM2 activity at the metabolome, proteome, and transcriptome levels. In glycolysis pathway, we identified several key components closely related to PGK1 and PKM2 activity, including differential metabolites (adenosine triphosphate, adenosine diphosphate, glucose-6-phosphate, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, fructose-6-phosphate, dihydroxyacetone phosphate, 3-phosphoglycerate, NAD⁺ nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, lactate, and pyruvate), different abundance proteins (lactate dehydrogenase B and fructose bisphosphate aldolase B), and differentially expressed genes (hexokinase and fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase 1). It was concluded that PGK1 and PKM2 may affect the formation of meat quality by regulating these critical substrates. Additionally, PGK1 and PKM2 could also affect the tricarboxylic acid cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, and muscle contraction in postmortem and then influence meat quality. This integrative omics study offers valuable insight into unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying postmortem meat quality development.

Polysaccharides are widely used as quality improvers for meat products. However, the mechanisms of how different ionic polysaccharides regulate the gelling properties of myofibrillar protein (MP) are still unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the contribution of different ionic polysaccharides to MP gelation and its mechanism. The enhancement of hydrogen bond, hydrophobic interaction, and disulfide bond between carboxymethyl cellulose sodium (CMC-Na, anionic polysaccharide) and MP made them bind tightly, which contributes to the improvement of gel strength, water-holding capacity, and viscoelasticity. Konjac glucomannan (neutral polysaccharide) mainly relied on physical filling to support the gel network and improve the gel characteristics. The electrostatic attraction between cationic polysaccharides and MP enhanced the binding between them. However, due to the large structure of chitosan (cationic polysaccharide) sugar chain, it can only attach to the surface of protein, which limits the interaction between them. These findings will provide guidance for the application of polysaccharides as food quality improvers or fat substitutes and the design of new low-fat restructured meat products.

Beverages with nutritional functional properties constitute one of the fastest-growing segments in the food industry. Beverages produced with berries as raw materials, owing to their richness in various beneficial substances (such as fiber, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive phytochemicals), have emerged as integral components of nutritional functional beverages. In this review, we summarize the bioactive polyphenols present in berry beverages and discuss the potential properties of berries from an antidiabetic perspective. The application and impact of new technologies in the processing and production of berry beverages are also explored. Additionally, the review addresses the challenges and prospects faced by industrial development in berry beverage production. Our objective is to provide valuable information for food researchers and the berry beverage production industry, facilitating the production of highly nutritious drinks that appeal to consumers.

Patulin (PAT) is a common mycotoxin in moldy fruits that causes gastrointestinal injury if accidentally ingested. Some studies have reported the symptoms of intestinal injury caused by PAT. However, the effects of PAT on the gut microbiota and gut metabolism remain to be investigated, which is important for clarifying the toxicological mechanisms. Thus, C57/BL6J mice were gavaged once with 0, 1, 4, and 16 mg/kg body weight PAT, and the small intestinal and colonic contents were collected. The 16S rRNA sequencing and targeted and untargeted metabolomics were applied to assess the alterations in microbiota and metabolism, respectively. The results showed that Mycoplasma, Dubosiella, and Enterorhabdus were jointly affected by acute PAT exposure in the small intestinal and colonic contents. Some inflammation-related bacteria, such as Mycoplasma in the small intestine and Mycoplasma, Alistipes, Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group, and Candidatus_saccharimona in the colon, increased with increasing doses of PAT. In metabolic results, amino acids decreased and bile acids elevated in both intestinal contents; lipids increased in the small intestinal contents but decreased in the colonic contents. PAT mainly affected host amino acid and lipid metabolism; it also downregulated microbial tryptophan metabolism and short-chain fatty acid levels (mainly in the colon), which could be explained by the decrease of Bacteroides and Lactobacillus. These influences in microbial abundances and metabolic levels persisted after PAT and its products were cleared. These results fill a gap in the effects of PAT on the gut microbiota and provide a theoretical basis for elucidating the toxic mechanism of mycotoxins.