Food frontiers最新文献

Theabrownin (TB), which is derived from Pu-erh tea and previously recognized as an intestinal farnesoid X receptor (FXR) antagonist, is known to have favorable effects on metabolic diseases such as hyperlipidemia and obesity. However, the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of TB in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) require further exploration. This study aimed to use an NAFLD mouse model to evaluate changes in hepatic steatosis via the intestinal FXR–ceramide (Cer) axis following treatment with TB. The results indicated that TB alleviated hepatic steatosis and reduced total Cer levels in NAFLD mice. In particular, the levels of Cer(d18:1/16:0) in the intestine and liver were significantly reduced, which is considered to play a vital role in aggravating NAFLD. Furthermore, the transcriptional expression of Cer synthetase was markedly downregulated following treatment with TB or FXR antagonist, but this expression was reversed following treatment with a specific intestinal FXR agonist. These results indicate that TB alleviates NAFLD by reducing Cer levels via the inhibition of the intestinal FXR–Cer synthetase pathway.

Resveratrol is a nonflavonoid polyphenolic compound with a chemical structure consisting of two aromatic rings linked by a methylene bridge. It exists in two primary isomers and has a broad range of desirable biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, cardioprotective, and antitumor activities. Some antioxidant properties of resveratrol are known with certainty, such as its potential to positively impact cardiovascular health, inflammation, and the metabolism. On the other hand, many uncertainties and controversies plague its efficacy, including issues related to its bioavailability, dosing, human clinical trial results, interactions with other food components and drugs, and individual variability. In brief, although promising results have been observed in in vitro and in vivo studies, the translation of these findings to human health remains uncertain. Many human clinical trials on resveratrol are ongoing or have proven inconclusive, making it challenging to definitively determine its efficacy for specific health conditions and its dose and duration of treatment. Resveratrol may interact with medications and have varying effects on individuals. In conclusion, it is essential to approach resveratrol with a balanced perspective, consulting with healthcare professionals, and considering the evolving scientific evidence when making decisions regarding its clinical use.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), often likened to a “tumor-like disease,” proves more lethal than several malignancies. Although prior studies have demonstrated the lung-protective efficacy of ginsenosides, the precise mechanism underlying their alleviative effect on IPF remains elusive. In this study, we validated the efficacy of the ginsenoside Rh4 in alleviating IPF and delved into the underlying mechanisms. Our data showed that Rh4 intervention significantly reduced mortality and hydroxyproline (HYP) content in mice. It also alleviated the pathological process of IPF by ameliorating phenomena such as alveolar wall thickening induced by IPF. In addition, in vitro cellular experiments confirmed that ginsenoside Rh4 was effective in alleviating transforming growth factor-β1-induced IPF model. Further analysis showed that ginsenoside Rh4 significantly reduced collagen fiber production and deposition while inhibiting the coagulation cascade signaling pathway. In addition, ginsenoside Rh4 inhibited the epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT) pathway by promoting the CXCR3-CXCL9 axis, which ultimately alleviated IPF. In conclusion, our data strongly suggest that ginsenoside Rh4 has the potential to be an innovative prophylactic drug against IPF.

Drying, an age-old method of food preservation, involves the concurrent exchange of heat and mass, resulting in reduced moisture content. The current study is based on experimental approach to evaluate the impact of combined microwave and solar drying on the drying kinetics and the energy efficiency of truffle drying. This study explores the impact of a 4-min microwave pretreatment on the solar drying of truffle slices. The findings demonstrate that microwave treatment significantly reduces the time required for solar drying. When compared to solar drying without pretreatment, microwave treatment leads to a reduction in drying time ranging from 23.07% to 70.37% at temperatures between 50 and 80°C. The Midilli–Kucuk model is employed to elucidate the experimental results, revealing strong fits with high correlation coefficients and low standard error values. Microwave pretreatment enhances the drying rate of truffle slices, resulting in a higher effective moisture diffusivity compared to untreated slices. The activation energy for drying also decreases from 76.37 to 25.25 kJ/mol after microwave pretreatment. An energy analysis of the drying process underscores that elevating the drying air temperature reduces energy consumption. Furthermore, the proposed microwave pretreatment influences the energy efficiency of the drying process.

The conventional techniques for protein extraction from biomass are not fully aligned with sustainability goals, so it is important to look for some alternate solutions. By simultaneously extracting both soluble and insoluble proteins, deep eutectic solvents (DESs) offer a viable method for valorizing protein-rich biomass from a variety of sources. Notably, the molecular crowding effects of DESs may have helped unfolded proteins acquire compact and stable conformations, facilitating solubilization and effective extraction. However, there is still a lack of information regarding how DESs interact with proteins and affect the structure and properties of the recovered proteins. To enable their widespread usage as a sustainable method for extracting dietary proteins, the safety of DES-extracted proteins must also be addressed. In this paper, we review the state of the science in DES-mediated protein extraction, focusing on the extraction mechanism and the interactions between DESs and proteins. Additionally, important aspects of DES-mediated protein extraction that could affect the structure, technofunctional, nutritional characteristics, and safety of extracted protein are explored. DES-based protein extraction could be helpful to valorize different biomasses for the production of food proteins due to the specific features.

High-intensity ultrasonic (HIU) treatment has been used to improve and modify the functional properties of food. HIU potentially inactivates microorganisms in food and modifies the physicochemical properties via the cavitation effect. This study evaluated the combination of different HIU power intensities, temperatures, and times for their effects on diluted liquid egg yolks’ physicochemical properties and rheological and flow behavior. The results showed that Salmonella enteritidis and Escherichia coli in the diluted liquid egg yolks were significantly destroyed as HIU power was increased, and complete destroyed conditions were achieved at 210 W, 60°C for 6 or 9 min. Moreover, the emulsifying activity index of the diluted liquid egg yolks increased significantly at 45 and 60°C under the 75 W HIU treatment, whereas the maximum emulsifying stability index was obtained at 30°C, 210 W for 9 min. Yolk viscosity was positively correlated with HIU power intensity and temperature; the same trend was observed for flow behavior and shear stress. The fluid dynamics of the storage modulus (G′) for the 150 and 210 W HIU treatments increased significantly following the increase in temperature to 45 and 60°C, and G′ > loss modulus (G″). However, free hydrogen sulfide group content also increased significantly after the HIU treatment. Thus, this study revealed that the HIU treatment effectively destroyed the bacteria population in the diluted liquid egg yolk while maintaining or improving the emulsification properties. Moreover, the diluted liquid egg yolk flow parameters apply to egg yolk product manufacturing processes.

Functional peptides constitute a class of small molecular peptide chains with specific functions in biology and are typically composed of various amino acids. The chemical-synthesis methods for preparation of functional peptides can bring high toxicity to the human body. Therefore, there is a growing need to explore alternative, safter sources to obtain bioactive peptides. Food-derived bioactive peptides (FBPs) stand out as an ideal substitution offering safety and accessibility that can be used in health products and pharmaceuticals to elicit their effects. Presently, the extraction, purification, functional properties, and bioavailability of FBPs have been poorly summarized. This review aims to address this gap by summarizing key aspects of FBPs, covering their source, methods of preparation, extraction, isolation, purification, and identification. Additionally, the review explores the functional characteristics and mechanism underlying FBPs. Emphasis is placed on strategies to enhance the stability and bioaccessibility of FBPs, crucial for their successful application in the food and medical industries. Existing research findings suggest that adopting appropriate methods can extract FBPs with high yield and purity. FBPs exhibit both in vitro and in vivo biological activities regulating relevant pathways, showcasing their potential in the medical field. In the quest for improved stability, the application of nanomaterials emerges as a promising strategy. These advancements collectively hint at a bright future for FBPs in both food and medical matrices. As the field progresses, further exploration and refinement of extraction techniques, functional properties, and bioavailability will contribute to unlocking the full potential of FBPs in various applications.

A fast, simple, and sensitive analytic method was proposed for the simultaneous quantification of aflatoxins (AFTs) and capsaicinoids in vegetable oils by immunomagnetic sorbent coupled with ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The immunomagnetic solid phase extraction (IMSPE) sorbents were synthesized with the monoclonal antibodies via cyanogen bromide magnetic sorbents, which could modify the surface magnetic sorbents under mild synthetic condition. The IMSPE procedure had the following aspects such as ease manipulation, easy disperse, quick isolation, eco-friendly, and cost-effective. The major conditions of IMSPE procedure were systemically studied, and the optimized pretreatment was accomplished in 15 min avoding complicated condition or sophisticated equipment. Excellent linearities were achieved by the correlation (R²) more than 0.9983. The limits of quantifications of all analytes ranged from 0.03 to 0.20 µg kg⁻¹, and the recoveries were satisfactory ranging from 75.7% to 124.0% with the intra-day and inter-day precisions less than 10.1%. Additionally, the proposed method was used to analyze AFTs and capsaicinoids in retail oil samples. Overall, 25% of soybean and peanut oils and 12.5% of corn and blended oil were detected with AFTs, and no capsaicinoid was found. The content of AFTs was under the MRLs set by EU and China regulation for food quality and safety. The validated results indicated that this method could be utilized for a rapid, efficient, and accurate quantification of AFTs and capsaicinoids in complex lipid-based matrix.

The cover image is based on the Review Article Recent trends in the application of films and coatings based on starch, cellulose, chitin, chitosan, xanthan, gellan, pullulan, Arabic gum, alginate, pectin, and carrageenan in food packaging by Hadis Rostamabadi et al., https://doi.org/10.1002/fft2.342.

The cover image is based on the Research Article Comparative genomics and fermentation flavor characterization of five selected lactic acid bacteria provide predictions for flavor biosynthesis metabolic pathways in fermented muskmelon puree by Lin Yuan et al., https://doi.org/10.1002/fft2.328.