Food frontiers最新文献

The discovery of new natural sources has brought increased attention to the development of functional foods. The hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida Bge.) fruit is an underutilized fruit due to its benefits for human health and good taste. It contains a variety of bioactive ingredients, contributing to its multiple beneficial functions and applications. This review summarized and discussed the main bioactive ingredients, beneficial functions based on in vitro, in vivo, and human studies, and different applications of the hawthorn fruit according to the updated literature in the past 3 years. Hawthorn berries contain phenolic acids, flavonoids, proanthocyanidins, pectin, and many other bioactive components, which have a variety of beneficial functions, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antidiabetic, intestinal protection, cardiovascular protection, hepatoprotection, anti-cancer, and neuroprotection. Its potential molecular mechanism and different food-related applications such as hawthorn wine and antioxidant drink are discussed in detail in this review. Additionally, hawthorn berries are shown to be safe when consumed within the proper dosage. Collectively, this updated review indicates that the hawthorn fruit can be a new dietary source of bioactive ingredients with multiple beneficial functions and can be affordably developed into functional and medicinal foods for the prevention and management of certain chronic diseases.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of tea green leafhopper damage on the sensory quality and metabolite composition of Oriental Beauty by using tea leaves from different varieties of tea plants and processing factories. The results indicated that tea green leafhopper damage could reduce bitterness and increase the level of fruity aroma, which was related to the content changes of catechin components and alcohol substances. Furthermore, the tea green leafhopper salivary treatment experiment revealed that the decrease of catechin content and increase of theaflavin content were mainly influenced by the action of saliva and mechanical injury, and changes in volatile components such as linalool oxidation were responsible for the alteration in aroma. These findings provide a theoretical reference for the aroma formation and quality improvement of Oriental Beauty.

Pu'er crude tea (PCT), the initial raw material for making Pu'er tea, is favored because of unique flavor and health effects. Emotional response is helpful to explain consumers’ choice of different flavors of tea. This study aims to clarify the key floral volatiles of PCT and their emotional impact on people. Twenty-nine compounds were identified as the key volatiles from 237 volatiles, which formed the flowery aroma of PCT. Linalool, geraniol, nonanal, and methyl salicylate were more abundant in the PCT, they evoked the top five emotions (mild, wild, aggressive, tame, bored). Methyl salicylate contributed most to the wild emotion in the two mixed samples (B10 and B14), and it may contribute positively to the health effects of tea, such as refreshing and anti-inflammatory. This study provided a preliminary research idea for exploring the relationship between tea aroma and human emotions and its potential role in human health.

Cocoa powder is an important dietary source of flavanols that modulate elevated blood pressure (BP). This study aimed to investigate the acute effects of cocoa beverage co-consumption with a high-fat-high-salt meal (HFHSM) on postprandial systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and heart rate in older adults living with uncontrolled hypertension. The study was a randomized crossover trial and involved older adults (aged 52.50 ± 9.36 years) (n = 28) living with hypertension. Participants, following an overnight fast, consumed either an HFHSM and cocoa beverage comprising 15 g cocoa powder in 250 mL water (HFHSM + CB; intervention) or HFHSM and 250 mL water (HFHSM + W; control). Resting SBP, DBP, and the heart rate of participants were measured at baseline (−5 min and 0 min) and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 min following the consumption of either HFHSM + CB or HFHSM + W using an automated BP monitor. Repeated measures linear mixed model was used to compare the effect of cocoa beverage and water on postprandial outcomes over a 2-h period. A significant reduction (−3.8 ± 0.6 mmHg, p < .05) in resting SBP was observed postprandially following the intake of the HFHSM + CB over the 120-min period compared to the HFHSM + W. The effect was more prominent during the 90- and 120-min time points of the trial duration. No significant change in the DBP and heart rate following the consumption of HFHSM + CB compared to the HFHSM + W was observed. Cocoa beverage co-consumption with HFHSM improved postprandial SBP in older adults living with hypertension.

Ulcerative colitis is intricately linked to intestinal oxidative stress and dysbiosis of the gut microbiota. Lonicera japonica Thunb. (LJ) is a traditional edible and medical flower in China, and chlorogenic acid (CGA) is one of its characteristic components. However, it remains unclear whether gut microbiota plays a role in the therapeutic effects of LJ and GCA on colitis. Here, we first observed that oral administration of LJ and CGA for 3 weeks dramatically promoted the growth of Lactobacillus and fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production in healthy mice. Subsequently, the alleviating effects of LJ and CGA on colitis were explored with a dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis mice model. The intervention of LJ and CGA notably alleviated inflammation, intestinal barrier impairment, and oxidative stress in colitis and led to a significant elevation in Lactobacillus and fecal SCFAs. Eventually, the key role of gut microbiota and their metabolites on the therapeutic effects was validated by performing fecal microbiota transplantation and sterile fecal suspensions transplantation from LJ and CGA-treated healthy mice to colitis mice. Our findings demonstrated that consumption of LJ and CGA could benefit the host both in healthy condition and colitis. The beneficial effects were attributed to the improvement of the endogenous antioxidant system and promotion of the probiotic Lactobacillus and SCFAs production. Our study highlighted the great potential of LJ and CGA to be consumed as functional foods and provided novel mechanisms by which they alleviated colitis.

Increasing evidence shows that food has significance beyond traditional perception (providing nutrition and energy) in maintaining normal life activities. It is indicated that the sense of taste plays a crucial part in regulating human life activities. Taste is one of the basic physiological sensations in mammals, and it is the fundamental guarantee for them to perceive, select, and ingest nutrients in order to survive. With the advances in electrophysiology, molecular biology, and structural biology, studies on the intracellular and extracellular transduction mechanisms of taste have made great progress and gradually revealed the indispensable role of taste receptors in the regulation and maintenance of normal physiological activities. Up to now, how food regulates life activities through the taste pathway remains unclear. Thus, this review comprehensively and systematically summarizes the current study about the sense of taste, the function of taste receptors, the taste–structure relationship of gustatory molecules, the cross-talking between distinctive tastes, and the role of the gut–organ axis in the realization of taste. Moreover, we also provide forward-looking perspectives on taste research to afford a scientific basis for revealing the scientific connotation of taste receptors regulating body health.

This study explores the differentiation of sugar and molasses produced from sugar beet and cane, which are susceptible to fraudulent labeling due to differing production costs. The research aimed to authenticate these products by botanical origin using novel analytical techniques. Utilizing ethanol isotopic measurement–isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) for non-exchangeable hydrogen stable isotopes alongside carbon stable isotopes analysis through elemental analyzer–IRMS, the study accurately identified the origin of various sugar and molasses samples, pinpointed mislabeled goods, and determined the source of products with previously unknown provenance. These methods were also effective in revealing sugar and molasses adulteration and quantifying the extent of such fraud. The combined isotope analyses demonstrated their potential as robust tools for combating misrepresentation and adulteration in the sugar industry.

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.