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Highlights • Bioconversion of mogrosides in yeast and in lactic acid bacteria. • Various microbes produce different mogroside bioconversion patterns. • DbExg1 and ScExg1 function differently with respect to mogroside hydrolysis. • D. bruxellensis is unique to bioconvert the mogroside V into siamenoside I. Abstract In response to growing concerns about the consumption of artificial sweeteners, the demand for natural sweeteners has recently increased. Mogroside V is a common natural sweetener extracted from the fruit of Siraitia grosvenorii , but its taste should be improved for marketability. Here, we screened various microbes for the ability to perform selective hydrolysis of glycosidic bonds in mogroside V, converting it to siamenoside I, which has a higher sweetening power and better taste than other mogrosides. Dekkera bruxellensis showed the most promising results in the screen, and the Exg1 gene (coding for a β -glucosidase) of D. bruxellensis was cloned and purified. We then used HPLC-MS/MS to assess the β -glucosidase activity of purified enzymes on p -nitrophenyl β- glucoside and mogroside V. The results demonstrated that D. bruxellensis had a unique enzyme that can selectively hydrolyze mogrol glycosides and promote the conversion of the natural sweetener mogroside V to siamenoside I. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A rapid and reliable competitive immunoassay for hapten detection is developed. • The functionalized magnetic beads and gold nanoparticles as probes were used. • The color change could be observed by the naked eye without any equipment. • The detection limit was 2 pmol and could be completed within 15 min. • It is useful for the detection of other haptens in food and abused drugs in urine. Abstract Haptens are small molecules with low molecular weight that include biotin and many toxins in food. In this study, we used biotin as a model molecule for hapten detection. In this competitive immunoassay anti-biotin antibody-modified magnetic beads (Ab-MBs) and biotinylated thiol-DNA gold nanoparticles (biotin-GNPs) were used. The assay contains three reactions, the mixing of the sample and Ab-MBs, the capture of biotin-GNPs by Ab-MBs and the magnetic attraction. When biotin molecules were absent, the solution was transparent because biotin-GNPs bound to Ab-MBs which were caught by an external magnetic field. When biotin was present, the supernatant was red because the Ab-MBs bound to the analytes and the gold nanoparticles were still in solution. It was possible to complete all the operating steps in 15 min. The limit of detection (LOD) was 2 pmol. This rapid competitive-immunoassay has potential for application in detection of other haptens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antibacterial effects of tea polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a common phytochemical with a number of potential health benefits, are well known. However, the mechanism of its bactericidal action remains unclear. Using E. coli as a model organism, it is argued here that H 2 O 2 synthesis by EGCG is not attributed to its inhibitory effects. In contrast, the bactericidal action of EGCG was a result of increased intracellular reactive oxygen species and blunted adaptive oxidative stress response in E. coli due to the co-administration of antioxidant N- acetylcysteine, and not on account of exogenous catalase. Furthermore, we noted a synergistic bactericidal effect for EGCG when combined with paraquat. However, under anaerobic conditions, the inhibitory effect of EGCG was prevented. In conclusion, EGCG caused an increase in endogenous oxidative stress in E. coli , thereby inhibiting its growth, and hence the use of EGCG as a prooxidant is supported by this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study developed a proteome reference map of Myrica rubra fruits at the green, pink and red stages during ripening using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). Forty-six differentially expressed proteins were detected in the gel, of which 43 were successfully identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight/time-of-flight mass spectrometry and protein database searching. We found that malic enzyme related to the decrease of organic acid acidity was up-regulated. The high abundance of pyruvate decarboxylase and alcohol dehydrogenase may contribute to fruit peculiar fragrant characteristics. Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, chalcone synthase 11, UDP-glucose:flavonoid 3-O-glucosyltransferase, and anthocyanidin synthase, enzymes involved in the anthocyanin metabolic pathway, were all up-regulated. The physiological data agree with fruit proteome results. These findings provided insights into the metabolic processes and regulatory mechanisms during Chinese bayberry fruit ripening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, three chemically sulfated polysaccharides (S-PSG) with different degree of sulfate substitution (DS) were derived from Ganoderma atrum . FT-IR and 13 C NMR spectra indicated that the substitution was predominantly on C-6 position compared with the C-2 position. The antioxidant and immunomodulatory activities of S-PSG were further examined to determine the relationship between its structure and bioactivity. The results showed that compared with the native polysaccharide, the S-PSG-2 with moderate DS and molecular weight exhibited the highest immunomodulatory activity by increasing the macrophage phagocytosis capacity and TNF-α production. The DPPH radical scavenging activity was also greatly enhanced by S-PSG in all the groups compared with PSG. However, the reducing power and the antioxidant activities in β-carotene–linoleic acid assay were decreased. These results indicated that except for the DS, some other structural characteristics such as molecular weight, substitution position and chain conformation were also important factors affecting their bioactivities. And the S-PSG-2 we derived could be served as immunomodulator and free-radical inhibitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• mAb 8F5 binds to a 36 kDa thermal stable protein in fish. • The 36 kDa antigenic protein was identified to be fish tropomyosin. • EDDLVALQKK is the fish-specific epitope on tropomyosin bound by mAb 8F5. • Tropomyosin can be a suitable marker protein for immunodetection of fish. • mAb 8F5 may protect fish allergic individuals by detecting fish in cooked foodstuff. The 36 kDa antigenic protein of a fish-specific monoclonal antibody (mAb), 8F5, previously developed to detect fish in foodstuffs to protect fish allergic individuals, was characterized to establish its identity and to identify the fish-specific epitope. We hypothesized that this antigenic protein is tropomyosin based on its thermal stability and molecular weight. Western blot showed that both the 36 kDa protein and fish tropomyosin were recognized by mAb 8F5, and their molecular weight migration in urea gel electrophoresis was identical. In addition to matching the amino acid composition profile, this 36 kDa protein's sequences precisely correspond to those in fish tropomyosin fragments. Further analysis revealed the sequence of the fish-specific epitope bound by mAb 8F5 to be EDDLVALQKK. These results confirm that the 36 kDa protein is indeed tropomyosin and will be a suitable biomarker for the immunodetection of fish in cooked food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, the oligosaccharides from Chinese yam were prepared by hydrolysis with hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), which can cleave the glycosidic bonds in polysaccharides. The hydrolysis conditions were optimised by using a central composite design (CCD) as follows: reaction time 4.02 h, temperature 84.35 °C, and H 2 O 2 concentration 2.46%, under which the yield of Chinese yam derived oligosaccharides (CYOs) reached 11.73%, which was consistent with the predicted yield by analysis of the results of CCD (11.89%). The CYOs products were partially characterised by chemical component and Fourier transform infrared spectrum. The CYOs scavenged hydroxyl radical by 89.05% at the concentration of 100 μg/mL, indicating that the CYOs may be a viable option for use as a food antioxidant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Acetyled and carboxymethylated derivatives of polysaccharide were prepared. [•] Their antioxidant and immunomodating activities were studied and compared. [•] The acetyled derivative with proper DS was superior to other derivatives. [•] The bioactivities are affected by the types of substitution groups and their DS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] LC–MS3 completely eliminated chromatographic interference. [•] Acetonitrile is an important protein precipitant and extraction solvent. [•] Simple, rapid and efficient workflow enabled high sample throughput. [•] Food fraud control achieved by applying LC–MS3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Polylysine-alginate (PL/Alg) complex was fabricated via electrostatic interaction. • PL/Alg complex was applied to microencapsulate Ovalbumin and Bovine serum albumin. • The protein-loaded microcapsules had favourable sustained-release profile in vitro. Overcoming harsh gastric environment is still a challenging to bioactive proteins, microencapsulation provides one strategy in designing this protection barrier. In this work, bovine serum albumin and ovalbumin were chosen as model proteins, while polylysine-alginate complex was fabricated for microencapsulation purpose. Both of the protein-loaded microcapsules had regular internal microstructures. The model protein's embedding increased the thermal stability of the microcapsules. Both of the protein-loaded microcapsules had a slow release rate in simulated gastric fluids (pH 3.0), while a sustained release profile in simulated intestinal fluids (pH 6.4), indicating an excellent tolerance to the acidic gastric environment. The microencapsulation process was mild and had no influence on the protein's molecular weight, while a slight peak shifting occurred in the secondary structure of the released proteins. The developed microcapsules could be explored as a kind of vehicle for bioactive proteins applied in functional foods, health care products and medical formulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 115 kinds of VOCs were identified and most of them were accumulated during the pile fermentation. • Most of alcohols and acids decreased while esters and pyrazines increased during fermentation. • Hexanol, hexanal and 2-pentylfuran might be responsible for the odors of unfermented black beans. • Esters and pyrazine (e.g. ethyl acetate) contributed to the aroma of matured Douchi. The present study investigates volatile organic compound (VOC) compositional changes in Liuyang Douchi during fermentation via a HS-GC-IMS and HS-SPME-GC-MS combination approach. A total of 115 VOCs were identified from Douchi, most of which were accumulated during pile fermentation. Notably, most alcohols and acids decreased with fermentation, while esters, ketones, pyrazines, and phenols accumulated during pile fermentation. Depending on the VOCs identified by GC-IMS/MS, the different fermentation stages of Douchi could be facilely distinguished. Of these, 49 VOCs were regarded as the marker VOCs of Douchi in different fermentation stage: hexanol, hexanal, and propanoic acid was the marker VOCs of the black beans before fermentation and contributing beany and grassy odors; 1-octen-3-ol and 3-octanone supplying a mushroom aroma to the Douchi fermented for 3–9 days; and esters and pyrazine, especially ethyl acetate and 2,6-dimethylpyrazine, contributing the cocoa, fruity, and nutty aromas of matured Douchi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Kaempferol is a polyphenol antioxidant found in fruits and vegetables. Many studies have described the beneficial effects of dietary kaempferol in reducing the risk of chronic diseases, especially cancer. Epidemiological studies have shown an inverse relationship between kaempferol intake and cancer. Kaempferol may help by augmenting the body’s antioxidant defence against free radicals, which promote the development of cancer. At the molecular level, kaempferol has been reported to modulate a number of key elements in cellular signal transduction pathways linked to apoptosis, angiogenesis, inflammation, and metastasis. Significantly, kaempferol inhibits cancer cell growth and angiogenesis and induces cancer cell apoptosis, but on the other hand, kaempferol appears to preserve normal cell viability, in some cases exerting a protective effect. The aim of this review is to synthesize information concerning the extraction of kaempferol, as well as to provide insights into the molecular basis of its potential chemo-preventative activities, with an emphasis on its ability to control intracellular signaling cascades that regulate the aforementioned processes. Chemoprevention using nanotechnology to improve the bioavailability of kaempferol is also discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Two chemometrics, the partial least-squares (PLS) and radial basis function (RBF) network were performed to develop a quantification method for total polysaccharides and triterpenoids in Ganoderma lucidum and Ganoderma atrum from different origins based on near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIR). The influences of spectral window and spectral pre-treatments were initially studied in the construction of PLS model. The best result was obtained when the standard normal transformation (SNV) +1st derivative spectrum over 4100–7750cm−1 was used for the modelling. Then based on each principle, both of the two models were optimised respectively. The final results with high determination coefficient (R 2) (higher than 0.973, 0.989 for PLS and RBF, respectively) and low root mean square errors of prediction (RMSEP) (low to 0.1109 and 0.01298 for polysaccharides and triterpenoids, respectively) confirm the good predictability of the two models. The overall results show that NIR spectroscopy combined with chemometrics can be efficiently utilised for accurate analysis of routine chemical compositions in G. lucidum and G. atrum. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A hypercholesterolemic diet has been associated with the hepatic abnormalities and the pathological processes of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). To investigate the effects of taurine on the hepatic abnormality in SLE, NZB/W F1 mice were used as an animal model by receiving control, cholesterol, or cholesterol+taurine diets, respectively. Reductions (P <0.05) of liver-to-body weight ratio, lipid deposit, mean arterial pressure, serum total cholesterol (TC), triacylglycerol (TAG), AST, ALT and hepatic CRP levels were detected in the cholesterol+taurine group as compared to those of the cholesterol group. In addition, stress-related molecules in livers, including HSP70, HSP90, MMP9 and iNOS, were also lower (P <0.05) in the cholesterol+taurine group compared to the cholesterol group. These findings demonstrated the protective effects of taurine on the hepatic abnormality in NZB/W F1 mice fed a hypercholesterolemic diet and may suggest taurine as a dietary supplementation for SLE patients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The purposes of this study were to investigate the antioxidative activity and the stability of dioscorin of various yam cultivars (Mingchien (MC), Tainung No. 2 (TN2) and Keelung (KL)) under the influences of varying pH. Total phenolic contents from all yam varieties were the highest at pH 5, but gradually decreased with elevated pH. The DPPH-scavenging effects of all yam varieties under acidic pH environments were superior to those at other pH, and paralleled the trend of total phenolic content. The ferrous ion chelating capacity was found to be the highest for all yams at pH 8. No dioscorin protein could be extracted at pH 4. At pH 5–10, a single dioscorin protein band with molecular weight of 31kDa was observed and appeared between the fraction numbers of 25–40. The relative protein surface hydrophobicity (RSo) of all yams was influenced by pH. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A water-soluble protein-bound polysaccharide was extracted from the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma atrum and isolated by gel-filtration chromatography. Its primary structural features and molecular weight were characterized by infrared spectrometry, gas chromatography, size exclusion chromatography, amino acid analyzer and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The data obtained indicated that the glycoprotein contains 10.1% of protein and 17 general amino acids and it is rich in glutamic acid, asparagic acid, alanine, glycine, threonine, and serine. It was mainly composed of mannose, galactose and glucose in a molar ratio of 1:1.28:4.91, with an average molecular weight of about 1013kDa. The existence of an O-glycosidic linkage in PSG-1 (polysaccharide1) was demonstrated by a β-elimination reaction. The antioxidant activity of the purified polysaccharides was evaluated in vitro by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay, self-oxidation of 1,2,3-phentriol assay. Those various antioxidant activities were compared to standard antioxidants vitamin C and BHT. It was found that the scavenging effects of the purified polysaccharides increased with measuring concentration. The results indicated that the purified polysaccharides showed strong DPPH free radical and superoxide anion radical scavenging activities. This study suggested that the purified polysaccharides could potentially be used as natural antioxidants. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The purposes of this study were to investigate the effects of different heating temperatures on the antioxidative activity of yams and on the stability of dioscorin of various yam cultivars (Mingchien, Tainung No. 2 and Keelung). Results from crude yam extracts of all varieties showed decreases in total phenolic and dioscorin contents, DPPH radical-scavenging effect, and ferrous ion chelating capacity with increasing heating temperatures. Following separation and purification, only one protein band with the same molecular weight of 31kDa (dioscorin) was consistently electrophoresized from three peaks of 25–45 fraction numbers from all yam varieties. Fraction numbers of peaks were reduced and peak area narrowed with increasing heating temperatures and no protein could be extracted at temperatures above 80°C. The dioscorin protein surface hydrophobicity declined with increasing heating temperatures. Significant correlation of dioscorin content with DPPH -scavenging effect was noted for all yam species. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study was aimed to evaluate the kinetic properties and capacities of 95% ethanolic (GE95), 50% ethanolic (GE50) and water (GWE) extracts from Graptopetalum paraguayense for their potential to inhibit mushroom tyrosinase activity. The results showed that GE95, GE50 and GWE showed potent inhibitory effects on l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-Dopa) oxidation catalyzed by tyrosinase. It was found that the tyrosinase inhibitory activities of all the extracts increased with the increase of their concentrations. The inhibition kinetics, analyzed by Lineweaver–Burk plots, revealed that G. paraguayense extracts showed a mixed-type inhibition for mushroom tyrosinase when l-Dopa was used as substrate. A comparison of the IC50 and Ki values showed that GE95 exhibited the most effective inhibition of tyrosinase among the extracts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Effect of HHP on SAC formation in aged garlic was explored. • HHP enhances γ-GTP activity and induces structural damage to promote SAC formation. • Fifteen min HHP treatment at 300 MPa yielded the highest amount of SAC. • HHP increases the SAC content in aged garlic from 0.76 to 4.91 mg/g dry weight. S -allyl-(L)-cysteine (SAC) is a bioactive compound within garlic. Its level is low since SAC formation is impeded by the cellular structure of garlic. This study investigates the effect of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) pretreatment on SAC formation in garlic aged at 40 °C for 10 days. Results showed that HHP could enhance γ-glutamyltransferase (γ-GTP) activity, damage the cellular structure of garlic and increase SAC content in aged garlic by about 7–10 times, depending on the processing parameters. HHP processing at 300 MPa for 15 min provided the optimal conditions for enhancing γ-GTP activity (45%) and promoting SAC formation (from 0.51 ± 0.01 to 5.60 ± 0.22 mg/g dry weight). It was also found that HHP could induce the greening and browning of aged garlic. As such, we consider that HHP technology is a promising technique to produce aged black garlic products with higher amounts of bioactive compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Sandwich ELISA detected 32 mollusks species without nonspecific cross-reactions. • Mollusk species tested included cephalopods, gastropods, and bivalves. • ELISA detected raw and heated mollusk samples up to 0.1 ppm with acceptable CV. • Sandwich ELISA detected mollusks in commercially prepared products. Mollusks are a major allergenic food under the food allergen regulations of many countries and must be declared on food products to reduce the risk of allergic reactions. However, a reliable immunoassay for detecting edible mollusks (cephalopods, gastropods, and bivalves) has not been reported. In this study, the developed sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (sELISA) detected 32 edible mollusk species in raw and heated without cross-reaction with non-mollusk species. The detection limits of the assay were 0.1 ppm for heated mollusks and 0.1–0.5 ppm for raw mollusks, depending on the mollusk species tested. The inter-assay and intra-assay coefficients of variation (CVs) were ≤14.83 and ≤8.11, respectively. The assay detected steamed, boiled, baked, fried, and autoclaved mollusk samples and all commercial mollusk products tested. In this study, we developed a mollusk-specific sELISA to protect people allergic to mollusks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • 1H NMR combined with PLS was used to predict the fatty acid composition in camellia oil. • Outlier removal, LVs selection and data preprocessing were explored for model optimization. • Reliability of the PLS model was verified by response permutation test and CV-ANOVA. • This method showed a high accuracy for fatty acid compound determination. Abstract A rapid method for the determination of fatty acid (FA) composition in camellia oils was developed based on the 1H NMR technique combined with partial least squares (PLS) method. Outliers detection, LVs optimization and data pre-processing selection were explored during the model building process. The results showed the optimal models for predicting the content of C18:1, C18:2, C18:3, saturated, unsaturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated FA were achieved by Pareto scaling (Par) pretreatment, with correlation coefficient (R 2) above 0.99, the root mean square error of estimation and prediction (RMSEE, RMSEP) lower than 0.954 and 0.947, respectively. Mean-centering (Ctr) was more suitable for the model of C16:0 and C18:0 with the best performance indicators (R 2 ≥ 0.945, RMSEE ≤ 0.377, RMSEP ≤ 0.212). This study indicated that 1H NMR has the potential to be applied as a rapid and routine method for the analysis of FA composition in camellia oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The five biological methods were used to prepare soluble dietary fiber (SDF). • The highest SDF yield was obtained by Aspergillus niger -enzyme hydrolysis. • The SDF with porous structure was found by Aspergillus niger treatment. • Aspergillus niger -enzyme hydrolysis improved hypoglycemic ability of SDF. • The SDF showed highest nitrite binding capacity by Aspergillus niger treatment. The effects of enzyme hydrolysis treatment, Aspergillus niger fermentation treatment, Trichoderma reesei fermentation treatment, Aspergillus niger -enzyme hydrolysis treatment and Trichoderma reesei -enzyme hydrolysis treatment on structural properties and adsorption capacities of soluble dietary fiber from Mesona chinensis Benth residues were evaluated and compared. The Aspergillus niger -enzyme hydrolysis treatment sample possessed more diverse structure, lower crystallinity and thermal stability than other modified samples. Meanwhile, it also observed the highest soluble dietary fiber yield (20.76 ± 0.31 %), water-holding capacity and glucose adsorption capacity (38.03 ± 0.28 mg/g). The Aspergillus niger fermentation treatment sample generated a high oil-holding capacity, nitrite ion adsorption capacity (181.84 ± 6.67 ug/g), cholesterol adsorption capacity (16.40 ± 0.37 mg/g) and sodium cholate adsorption capacity (94.80 ± 1.41 mg/g). Additionally, different monosaccharide composition was exhibited due to diverse extraction methods. Our finding revealed that these two modification methods could effectively enhance the economic value of Mesona chinensis Benth residues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proton nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H NMR) and chemometrics were employed to detect the adulteration of camellia oil (CAO) with 3 different cheap vegetable oils. With the intensity of 15 selected 1 H NMR signals as input variables, principal component analysis (PCA) showed good group clustering results for pure and nonpure CAO, but unsatisfied identification accuracy for the adulterated oil types, indicating relatively small difference among those oils. Whereas these difference could be revealed by orthogonal projection to latent structures discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), with identification accuracy higher than 90%. Partial least squares (PLS) was further applied for the prediction of adulteration level in CAO. With less than 6 variables screened out by variable importance in the projection (VIP) scores as potential key markers, the developed PLS models showed better accuracy. The prediction results for 10 hold-out samples also confirmed that this method was accurate and fast for the detection of CAO adulteration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Epinecidin-1 had anti B. cinerea activity in vitro and in peach fruit. • Epinecidin-1 damaged B. cinerea mycelia cell membranes. • Epinecidin-1 induced ROS accumulation in B. cinerea. • Epinecidin-1 interacted with B. cinerea genomic DNA. This study investigated the mechanism of epinecidin-1 against Botrytis cinerea , in vitro, and its effectiveness at inhibiting gray mold on postharvest peach fruit. We found that in vitro, epinecidin-1 had significantly greater antifungal activity against B. cinerea than either clavanin-A or mytimycin, two other marine derived antimicrobial peptides that we tested. Its antifungal activity was heat-resistant (15 min at 40–100 °C) and tolerant to lower concentrations of cations (<100 mM Na+, K+; <10 mM Ca2+). Epinecidin-1 interacted directly with B. cinerea genomic DNA, and that in mycelia, epinecidin-1 exposure induced accumulation of intracellular ROS and increased the permeability of cell membranes resulting in leakage of nucleic acids and aberrant cell morphology. Meanwhile, 200 μM of epinecidin-1 had a significant inhibitory effect on gray mold injected into peach fruit. These results suggested that epinecidin-1 showed promise as a potential method for controlling postharvest gray mold in peaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Germination treatment of highland barley enhances its nutritional value while weakening the starch gel properties. This study aims to enhance the characteristics of germinated highland barley starch (GBS) by exploring the synergistic effects of two alkalis (Na 2 CO 3 and NaHCO 3) and guar gum (GG) on GBS gel properties. The combined action of alkalis and GG significantly improved the peak viscosity, setback viscosity, and hardness compared with GG alone. The highest G' and G" reached 998 and 204 Pa at 0.4% Na 2 CO 3 addition, which were increased by nearly 44% and 50%, respectively. Fourier-transform infrared spectral analysis revealed that the alkalis strengthened interaction forces, particularly with intensified absorption peaks at 3200–3700 cm−1 and 1550–1750 cm−1. The Na 2 CO 3 and NaHCO 3 reduced the spin–spin relaxation time (T 2), resulting in a dense starch gel network. This study contributes to enhancing the market application of GBS and offers innovative insights for modifying other starches. [Display omitted] • Interactions between alkalis, guar gum and germinated highland barley starch (GBS). • Modified GBS gels had higher pasting viscosity, viscoelasticity and hardness. • With alkalis, the spin-spin relaxation time (T 2) value was further reduced. • The GBS gels formed a denser network structure after the addition of alkalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • This study evaluated the effect of improvers on the quality and volatile flavor substances in F-CD. • XPADG reduces the freezable water content of the dough and the fluidity of the water. • XPADG enables the dough to exhibit more stable rheological properties during freezing and storage. • The addition of XPADG effectively delays the deterioration of dough quality and loss of flavor caused by frozen storage. In the study, a sweet wine koji (YQ-5) was successfully selected to make frozen Chinese sweet rice wine dough (F-CD) for flavor enrichment. Subsequently, the effects of single improver (SI: xanthan gum, potassium carbonate, antifreeze protein, diacetyl tartaric esters of monoglycerides and composite improver (XPADG: Four improvers mixed in proportion) on the texture, rheological properties, microstructure, water status, protein secondary structure, volatile flavor substances and sensory properties of F-CD during frozen storage were investigated. The results indicated that XPADG slowed the increase in freezable water and water mobility in the dough, giving dough the most stable rheological properties and minimizing the damage of freezing to the secondary structure and microstructure of proteins. Besides, GC-QTOF/MS analysis showed that XPADG may facilitate the retention of flavoring substances in F-CD after storage for 6 days. Finally, the sensory evaluation showed that XPADG imparted good sensory properties to the product after freezing for 6 days. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • NPs prepared with Lipo and polysaccharide improved the stability of ACNs in simulated processing and storage environments. • Bilayer hybrid nanoparticles improved the digestive resistance and antioxidant capacity of ACNs. • ACNs-Lipo@GA has a greater encapsulation efficiency and stability advantage. • ACNs-Lipo@GA can better enter the cells, thus showing more vigorous lipid-lowering activity. Anthocyanins (ACNs) systems encapsulated in nanomaterials have received widespread attention and rapid development due to its good delivery potential. Here, the favorable benefits of four natural polysaccharide food additives coated ACNs-liposome nanoparticles (ACNs-Lipo NPs) on the stability and possible lipid-lowering effects of ACNs are discussed in this work. The polysaccharides were coupled to the ACNs-Lipo NPs and self-assembled to create ACNs-Lipo@polysaccharide NPs. The impact of various polysaccharides on the physical, chemical, and stability characteristics of NPs was examined. We found that the NPs prepared with gum arabic (GA) had the best stability. FT-IR and XRD analysis revealed electrostatic adsorption and hydrogen binding forces between the components, as well as an amorphous structure. A series of tests in vitro confirmed the excellent stability, bioavailability, antioxidant activity, and biocompatibility of NPs. Finally, cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) and oleic acid (OA)-induced lipid deposition cell models revealed that ACNs-Lipo@GA might be more readily absorbed by cells, resulting in improved antioxidant activity and lipid-lowering impact, with possible targeted delivery qualities and lipid-lowering effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work was to investigate why loquat fruit peels are more sensitive to high temperature and strong sunlight, making them highly susceptible to sunburn, during the color changing period (CCP). Two dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) of the fruit peel proteins was performed over three developmental periods, namely green fruit period (GFP), color changing period and yellow ripening period (YRP). Fifty-five protein spots with at least 2-fold differences in abundance were successfully identified by MALDI-TOF–TOF/MS. The identified proteins were divided into categories related to heat-shock response, stress response and defense, energy metabolism, photosynthesis and protein biosynthesis. The results showed that expression of proteins related to anaerobic respiration and photorespiration were increased while the proteins related to ROS scavenging, polyamine biosynthesis, defense pathogens and photosynthesis were decreased during CCP under heat stress. Our findings provide new insights into the molecular mechanism of loquat fruit susceptible to sunburn during CCP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Rice starch (RS) and rice starch-anthocyanins (RS-A) complex present V-type crystal astructure. • RS-A complexes can upregulate gut microbial diversity. • RS-A complexes decrease the Firmicutes / Bacteroidetes (F/B) ratio, thereby reducing the risk of obesity and insulin resistance. • The crystallinity might be a factor influencing the utilization of the starch matrix by the gut microbiota. This study explored the differences in the in vitro fermentation properties of rice starch (RS) and rice starch-anthocyanins complexes (RS-A). Structural characterization suggested that RS and RS-A complexes showed a V-type crystalline structure. The degree of order (DO) and degree of double helix (DD) values of RS and RS-A complexes were enhanced after fermentation. Moreover, the RS-A complexes could improve the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes , Ruminococcaceae , and up-regulate gut microbiota diversity to maintain gut homeostasis. Relative abundance of potential metabolic pathways, such as energy metabolism, digestion system, and carbohydrate degradation overexpressed in the presence of RS-A complexes. The results demonstrated that the RS-A complexes had slower fermentation rates contributing to the transport of the formed short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) to the end of the colon and that the crystallinity might be a factor influencing the utilization of the starch matrix by the gut microbiota for SCFA formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Proteolysis reduced the fibril formation ability of rice protein. • Proteolysis pretreatment improved the foaming properties of rice protein fibrils. • The addition of rice protein hydrolysate fibrils improved the quality of cake. Proteolysis prior to fibrillation can change the functional properties of protein fibrils. This study aimed to investigate the effects of proteolysis pretreatment by alkaline protease on formation, structure, and foaming properties of rice protein fibrils. Thioflavin T fluorescence and conversion assays showed that proteolysis reduced the fibril formation capacity of rice protein. After 12 h of heating, the percent conversion of rice protein and rice protein hydrolysates to fibrils reached 60.32 ± 1.07% and 30.43 ± 2.01%, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy images showed that fibrils derived from rice protein hydrolysates had a longer contour length than rice protein fibrils. The foaming capacity and stability of rice protein hydrolysate fibrils increased by 16.70% and 11.27%, respectively, compared with those of rice protein fibrils. The addition of rice protein hydrolysate fibrils improved the texture of cakes. These results suggested that rice protein hydrolysate fibrils could be a promising plant-based foaming agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Purified bound polyphenols extracted from mung bean coat dietary fiber (pMBDF-BP). • The pMBDF-BP produced mixed-type inhibition against pancreatic α-amylase (PPA). • The pMBDF-BP quenched the fluorescence of PPA through a static quenching mechanism. • The binding of pMBDF-BP shifted the structure of PPA to a more stable conformation. • Vitexin (the main flavonoid of pMBDF-BP) showed the highest affinity for PPA. The inhibitory mechanisms of purified bound polyphenols extracted from mung bean coat dietary fiber (pMBDF-BP) on porcine pancreatic α -amylase (PPA) were investigated through inhibition kinetics, fluorescence spectroscopy, circular dichroism, differential scanning calorimetry and molecular docking. It was shown that pMBDF-BP exerted significant reversible inhibition on PPA in a mixed-type inhibition manner (IC 50 = 18.57 ± 0.30 μg/mL), and the combination of the three major components exhibited a synergistic inhibitory effect on PPA. Further, pMBDF-BP bound to the active site or form a polyphenol-enzyme complex at the inactive site through hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic forces, via enhancing the hydrophobicity of the microenvironment surrounding tryptophan and tyrosine residues and promoting the secondary structure of PPA towards a more stable conformation, eventually reducing the enzyme activity. This study provided theoretical evidences for the utilization of bound polyphenols extracted from mung bean coat dietary fiber as a functional component in natural inhibitors of α -amylase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Four OVA-λC/ιC/κC/DS nanocarriers exhibited superior encapsulation efficiency of ACN. • Particle size and turbidity of OVA-DS/λC/ιC(-ACN) were relatively small. • Nanocomplexes occurred hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. • ACN-loaded OVA-sulphated polysaccharides have heat stability below 186 °C. • Sulphated polysaccharides-OVA enhanced environmental and digestive stability of ACN. This study aimed to fabricate novel nanocomplexes for delivery of anthocyanins (ACN) utilizing ovalbumin (OVA) and sulphated-polysaccharides with varying linear charge density (κ-, ι-, λ-carrageenan and dextran sulfate: κC < ιC < λC < DS). Influence of OVA-sulphated-polysaccharides on ACN stability, antioxidant capacity, and bioaccessibility was investigated. Fabricated nanoparticlecosmeticsed superior encapsulation efficiency (94.11–96.2%) and loaded capacity (9.05–9.54%) for ACN. OVA-DS displayed the smallest particle size and turbidity, while OVA-κC-ACN exhibited the largest ones. ζ-Potential of nanoparticles raised with increasing ester-sulfate level in sulphated-polysaccharides. FT-IR, Raman and OVA conformational alterations revealed existence of intermolecular-interactions between ACN and OVA-polysaccharides. DSC and TGA showed considerable thermo-stability of self-assembled (ACN-loaded) OVA-polysaccharides. Spheroid-nanoparticles size increased after ACN-loading in SEM and CLSM. Composite nanocomplexes enhanced ACN stability and antioxidant properties under accelerated degradation conditions and simulated digestion, particularly, OVA-DS-ACN and OVA-λC-ACN. We provide a choice for reinforcing stability of hydrophilic nutraceuticals and improving its applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Rice protein (RP) fibrils were disrupted by Cu2+ and Fe3+ to fragments. • Cu2+ and Fe3+ added before heating resulted in rapid amorphous aggregation of RP. • Ca2+ facilitated RP fibril formation, which was related to the Ca2+addition time. The effects of Ca2+, Cu2+, and Fe3+ on rice protein (RP) fibril formation were investigated in this study. Low Ca2+ concentration (≤150 mM) moderately unfolded the conformation of RP, promoting the exposure of hydrophobic sites and RP fibril assembly. Fibril formation was especially promoted with earlier addition of Ca2+. Cu2+ and Fe3+ inhibited RP fibril formation in a dose-dependent manner, and the inhibitory effect of Fe3+ was stronger due to higher affinity with RP. Additionally, the addition of Cu2+ and Fe3+ reduced α-helix and β-sheet contents of RP, respectively, hindering the formation of stacked β-sheet, the main internal structure of fibrils. These two ions also resulted in the formation of random aggregates within 15–50 nm, which further inhibited the conversion of proteins to fibrils. Moreover, Cu2+ and Fe3+ prevented the recruitment of nucleus into fibril-growth-sites, and formed fibrils were disrupted into fragments when these ions were added. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Extraction efficiency of DES was higher than ethanol for tea saponins. • 20 saponins were identified using UPLC-Q/TOF-MS. • Structure and properties of the tea saponins were unaffected by DES extraction. Traditional organic solvent extractions of tea saponins have many drawbacks. This study aimed to establish an environment-friendly and efficient technology based on deep eutectic solvents (DESs) to extract tea saponins from Camellia oleifera seed meal. The solvent consisting of choline chloride and methylurea was screened as optimal DES. Under the optimal extraction conditions obtained by response surface methodology, the extraction yield of tea saponins reached 94.36 mg/g, which increased by 27% compared with ethanol extraction, while the extraction time was reduced by 50%. Analysis of UV, FT-IR, and UPLC-Q/TOF-MS indicated tea saponins did not alter during DES extraction. Surface activity and emulsification evaluation showed that extracted tea saponins could reduce interfacial tension at the oil–water interface with excellent foamability and foam stability, and they could form nanoemulsions (d 32 < 200 nm) with excellent stability. This study provides a suitable approach for the efficient extraction of tea saponins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Zein-anthocyanins complex and nanoparticles were prepared and compared. • Ultrasound-assisted antisolvent precipitation method was to form nanoparticles. • Interaction mechanism between zein and blueberry anthocyanins was investigated. • Molecular dynamics simulation was performed to optimize the structure of zein. This research aimed to compare and characterize the physicochemical properties and interaction mechanism of zein and anthocyanins (ACNs) from experimental and theoretical perspectives. Zein-ACNs complex (ZACP) was prepared by mixing ACNs with different concentrations of zein, and zein-ACNs nanoparticles (ZANPs) were formed using ultrasound-assisted antisolvent precipitation method. The hydrated particle sizes of the two systems were 590.83 nm and 99.86 nm, respectively, and observed to be spherical under transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The multi-spectroscopy approaches confirmed hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic forces were the dominant forces for stabilizing ACNs. The retention of ACNs, color stability and antioxidant activities were also improved in both systems. Furthermore, molecular simulation results were consistent with the multi-spectroscopy findings, which clarified the contribution of van der Waals forces to the binding of zein and ACNs. This study provided a practical approach for stabilizing ACNs and expanding the utilization of plant proteins as stabilization systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • In this study, an efficient cellulose-degrading strain was screened. • The molecular structure of soluble dietary fiber was altered by fermentation. • The competence of FG-SDF in functional activities were significantly enhanced compared to the HG-SDF and CK-SDF. • The changes in the functional activity of the raw materials were related to the enzymes produced by the strain. In the study, a highly efficient cellulose-degrading strain was screened, which was identified as a fungus in the genus Penicillium sp., named YZ-1. The content of soluble dietary fiber was greatly increased by the treatment of this strain. In addition, the effects of soluble dietary fiber from high-pressure cooking group (HG-SDF), strain fermentation group (FG-SDF) and control group (CK-SDF) on the physicochemical structure, and in vitro hypolipidemic activity were investigated. The results showed that the physicochemical structure of the raw materials was improved after fermentation, and FG-SDF exhibited the loosest structure, the highest viscosity and thermal stability. Furthermore, compared to CK-SDF and HG-SDF, FG-SDF showed the most significant improvement in functional properties, including cholesterol adsorption capacity (CAC), inhibition of pancreatic lipase activity (LI) and mixed bile acid adsorption capacity (BBC). Overall, these findings will provide new insights into dietary fiber modification and improve the comprehensive use value of grapefruit by-products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Glycated conjugates of bovine serum albumin (BSA)/casein (CA) and dextran were set. • The glycation degree of BSA and CA could be elevated by ultrasonic pretreatment. • Secondary structure of BSA is more susceptible than CA to ultrasound and glycation. • Ultrasonic pretreatment and glycation enhanced functional properties of proteins. • Complexes based on glycated conjugates promoted thermal stability of anthocyanins. The purpose of this study is to explore the optimal conditions for the preparation of bovine serum albumin (BSA)/casein (CA)-dextran (DEX) conjugates by ultrasonic pretreatment combined with glycation (U-G treatment). When BSA and CA were treated with ultrasound (40% amplitude, 10 min), the grafting degree increased 10.57% and 6.05%, respectively. Structural analysis revealed that ultrasonic pretreatment changed the secondary structure, further affected functional properties of proteins. After U-G treatment, the solubility and thermal stability of BSA and CA was significantly increased, and the foaming and emulsifying capacity of proteins were also changed. Moreover, ultrasonic pretreatment and glycation exhibited a greater impact on BSA characterized with highly helical structure. Complexes fabricated by U-G-BSA/CA and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) exhibited protection on anthocyanins (ACNs), delaying the thermal degradation of ACNs. In conclusion, the protein conjugates treated by ultrasonic pretreatment combined with glycation have excellent functionality and are potential carrier materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Flavonoids can mitigate thermal processing contaminants in food or chemical models. • The mechanism of mitigation is mainly an additive reaction between the two. • The C6 and C8 positions of the flavonoid A ring are the main active sites. • The flavonoid structure has a significant effect on the alleviating effect. Due to unique chemical structure, flavonoids are secondary metabolites with numerous biological activities. Thermal processing of food usually produces some chemical contaminants, which cause an adverse effect on food quality and nutrition. Therefore, it is vital to reduce these contaminants in food processing. In this study, current researches around the inhibitory effect of flavonoids on acrylamide, furans, α-dicarbonyl compounds and heterocyclic amines (HAs) were summarized. It has been shown that flavonoids inhibited the formation of these contaminants to varying degrees in chemical or food models. The mechanism was mainly associated with natural chemical structure and partly with antioxidant activity of flavonoids. Additionally, methods and tools of analyzing interactions between flavonoids and contaminants were discussed. In summary, this review demonstrated potential mechanisms and analytical strategies of flavonoids in food thermal processing, providing new insight of flavonoids applying on the food engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • 1H NMR and PLS were employed to detect squalene and sterols in vegetable oils. • PLS was optimized by outlier removal, input X-variables and data pretreatments. • The squalene model was improved by a reduced number of variables with VIP scores. • This method showed a rapid determination of squalene and sterols for vegetable oil. Abstract Proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) combined with partial least squares (PLS) was developed for the rapid determination of squalene and sterols (brassicasterol, campesterol, stigmasterol and β-sitosterol) in 119 vegetable oils from 7 different species. The 1H NMR spectra of these oil samples were correlated to the reference value determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) method by PLS regression, using outlier removal, selection of input X-variables and data pretreatments. Auto-scaling (UV) was chosen as the best pre-processing for the PLS models of stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, and squalene. Pareto variance (Par) was more suitable for the PLS model of brassicasterol. The model for squalene was further improved by a reduced number of variables with variable importance for the projection (VIP) scores technique. The study demonstrated the potential application of NMR coupled with PLS as a rapid and nondestructive technique for the routine analysis of squalene and sterols in vegetable oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • A modified QuEChERS method was used for green tea sample preparation in pesticide residue analysis. • 102 pesticides were determined simultaneously by HPLC-MS/MS. • The validated method satisfied linearity, sensitivity and recovery, as specified in SANCO No. 12571/2013. • The validated method was applied successfully to green tea samples from Jiangxi Province, China. • 67% of green tea samples contained some pesticides. Abstract A modified QuEChERS protocol, coupled to HPLC-MS/MS, was used for the analysis of 102 pesticides in green teas produced in Jiangxi province, China. For accurate quantification, matrix-matched calibration curves were applied to compensate for matrix effects. Recoveries for these pesticides ranged from 62% to 125% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) lower than 18%. The limits of detection and quantification ranged from 0.03 to 15 µg/kg and 0.1 to 50 µg/kg, respectively. We determined that 67% of green tea samples contained some pesticide residues and most contained more than five pesticides. Moreover, the levels of 11 pesticide residues in 18 samples were found to be greater than the values permitted in EC Regulation No. 396/2005. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • 32 polyphenols have been identified in two juice pomace with HPLC-ESI-MS. • More anthocyanin monoglucosides, flavan-3-ols, and flavonols in grape pomace. • More quinic acid, caffeic acid and its derivatives in kiwi pomace. • Antioxidant activities are related with both of phenolic contents and its special structure. • Juice pomace could be used as an inexpensive source of natural antioxidants. Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the phenolic profile of grape and kiwi juice pomace by HPLC-ESI-MS, and their correlation with antioxidant properties determined with DPPH, FRAP and OH scavenging assays. A total of 32 compounds have been identified including anthocyanins, flavonols, flavan-3-ols and phenolic acids. Significantly higher relative amounts of anthocyanin monoglucosides, flavan-3-ols (catechin, epicatechin, and procyanidin), and flavonols (quercetin and its derivatives) were found for grape pomace. Whereas kiwi pomace contained higher amounts of quinic acid, caffeic acid and its derivatives. Although grape pomace had higher total phenolic content (TPC), it showed lower OH scavenging capacity than kiwi pomace, but better DPPH scavenging activity and reducing power. This indicated that the antioxidant activities do not only rely on the TPC but also associate with their phenolic profiles. Overall the two pomaces could potentially be exploited as an inexpensive source of natural antioxidants for food production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • ACN-polysaccharides conjugates had enhanced thermal stability compared to ACN. • XG exhibited a superior protective effect on the ACNs. • BG, KGM and XG preserved antioxidant capacities of ACN after thermal processing. • Hydrogen bonding between M3G and BG, KGM and XG occurred. • M3G is largely encompassed with a broad surface of XG molecule through both sides. This study investigated the protective effect of β-glucan (BG), konjac glucomannan (KGM) and xanthan gum (XG) on thermo-stability and antioxidant capacities of blueberry anthocyanins (ACN) and their interaction mechanisms. Twenty-six glycosylated and acylated ACN were identified, and malvidin-3- O -galactose was predominant (36.78 %) in ACN extracts. Three polysaccharides retained colour and stability and antioxidant capabilities of ACN under thermal-treatments (XG > KGM > BG). Rheological properties (shear stress, apparent viscosity) of three polysaccharides were enhanced in presence of ACN. UV–visible spectra, SEM and DLS results indicated that co-aggregation between ACN and specific zones of these polysaccharides was formed. TGA and DSC studies confirmed that introduction of three polysaccharides, especially XG could improve thermostability of ACN. FTIR, and molecular dynamics simulations revealed that thermo-stabilization of polysaccharides-ACN conjugates might be attributed to their intermolecular interactions mainly via hydrogen bindings. The protection by water-soluble polysaccharides foresees novel anthocyanins in food products with increased heat-resistant stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Simultaneous detection method of 9 mycotoxins, AA and 5-HMF were established. • The QuEChERs extraction method with d-SPE with EMR-lipid was optimized. • All the LQQs of the method sacrificed the limit of EU regulation. • The recovery ranged from 72.11 to 115.59% and precision were lower than 15. A robust and sensitive analytical method for the simultaneous determination of 9 mycotoxins, AA, and 5-HMF by UHPLC-MS/MS was developed. Clean-up of the extracts was achieved by d-SPE with EMR-lipid. A new column phase (C 18 -PFP) was selected for HPLC separation after comparison with the C 18 column. Finally, the method gave good linear relations with regression coefficients R2 > 0.99. The recovery of all the tested compounds was within the range of 70.67 to 104.88%, and the intraday and interday relative standard deviations (RSD) were lower than 12.49. The proposed method was then applied to investigate the mycotoxins, AA and 5-HMF in 20 food samples sold in the retail market. AA and 5-HMF were widely detected, and half of the samples were found to contain at least one mycotoxin contamination. Therefore, this method is potential to be used as a convenient and effective method for the cookies product quality control in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Melatonin treatment maintained the sensory quality of postharvest broccoli florets. • Melatonin induced the enrichment of endogenous melatonin in broccoli florets. • Melatonin down-regulated expression of carotenoid metabolism-related genes. • Melatonin inhibited contents of β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin and lutein. The effect of melatonin treatment on the carotenoid metabolism in broccoli florets during storage was explored. The results indicated that 100 µmol/L of melatonin maintained the sensory quality of broccoli florets, which retarded the increase of the L* value and the decrease of the H value. Melatonin treatment increased the activities of tryptophan decarboxylase (TDC), tryptamine 5-hydroxylase (T5H), serotonin N -acetyltransferase (SNAT) and N -acetylserotonin methyltransferase (ASMT), leading to the enrichment of endogenous melatonin content in broccoli florets. Meanwhile, the treatment inhibited the concentrations of β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin and lutein, which was beneficial in delaying the yellowing of broccoli. In addition, a series of carotenoid biosynthetic genes such as BoPSY, BoPDS, BoZDS, BoLCYβ and BoZEP was also suppressed by melatonin. Further analysis revealed that the lower carotenoid content and the down-regulated BoNCED expression in treated broccoli resulted in less accumulation of abscisic acid precursors, inhibiting abscisic acid production during the yellowing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, electron spin resonance (ESR) and Raman spectroscopy were applied to characterize lipid oxidation of beef during repeated freeze–thaw (RFT). Besides the conventional indexes including peroxide values (PV), thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and acid values (AV) were evaluated, the radical and molecular structure changes were also measured by ESR and Raman spectroscopy. The results showed that PV, TBARS and AV were increased (P < 0.05) after RFT. This suggested that lipid oxidation was occurred during RFT. With the increase of radical signal intensity, lower oxidation stability was presented by ESR. Raman intensity of ν (C C) stretching region (1655 cm −1 ) was decreased during RFT. Furthermore, lower Raman intensity ratio of I 1655 /I 1442 , I 1655 /I 1745 that determine total unsaturation was also observed. Significant correlations (p < 0.01) were obtained among conventional methods, ESR and Raman spectroscopy. Our result has proved that ESR and Raman spectroscopy showed great potential in characterizing lipid oxidation process of beef during RFT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Crude polysaccharides of red kidney bean (RK) display antidiabetic activity. • RK regulated the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, and enriched key genera. • Purified polysaccharides (RKP) were identified as the core biofunctional component. • RKP could be effective dietary supplement for type 2 diabetic individuals. Crude polysaccharides extracted from red kidney bean (RK) display significant antidiabetic activity in type 2 diabetic mice, but the underlying mechanism and the core functional component has not been elucidated. In this study, the antidiabetic effect and mechanism of RK are investigated by serum metabolomics and high-throughput sequencing. In addition, the key component was identified by evaluating the improvement on glucose and lipid homeostasis in type 2 diabetic rats. Our data indicated that RK relieved the symptoms of hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia in STZ-induced diabetic rats. RK not only improved the metabolic disturbance by regulating the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, but also modified gut microbiota composition by selectively enriching in key genera of Bacteroides , Phascolarctobacterium , Succinivibrio, Blautia. We further found the purified polysaccharides (RKP) were identified as the core biofunctional component in RK. Our present studies provide evidence that RKP are potential effective dietary supplement for type 2 diabetic individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The mass spectrometry revealed the identities of thermally stable fish proteins. • Tropomyosin is the dominant thermally stable protein and followed by parvalbumin. • Tropomyosin is ubiquitous and stable to food processing and refrigeration. • The detectability of parvalbumin is fully lost by autoclaving. • Characteristics of fish allergens is useful for the detection of fish allergens. Fish tropomyosin is a latest identified fish allergen without full understanding of its biochemical characteristics from the perspective of food allergen. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of species, muscle location, food processing, and refrigerated storage on fish tropomyosin and compare with main fish allergen, parvalbumin. The result of mass spectrometry analysis revealed tropomyosin as the most abundant thermally stable protein in fish muscle. Fish tropomyosin was ubiquitous among all 28 edible fish species tested, abundant in fish skeletal muscle, resistant to common food processing, and resistant to refrigerated storage up to six days. By contrast, parvalbumin content varied between fish species and was not as thermally stable as tropomyosin under autoclaving. This study demonstrates the intrinsic and processing factors affecting fish allergens and provides valuable information for the presence of major fish allergens and practical consideration of fish allergen detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Purple red rice bran anthocyanins (PRBA) improved intestinal morphology. • PRBA restored the levels of cytokines, endotoxin and lipopolysaccharide binding protein. • PRBA upregulated the expression of tight junction proteins and NF-κB signaling pathway. • PRBA promoted the production of SCFAs and regulated the composition of gut microbiota. The regulatory effects of purple red rice bran anthocyanins (PRBA) on intestinal barrier function and gut microbiota in mice were investigated. Results showed that PRBA had an ameliorative effect on intestinal barrier damage, including restoration of villus length, improvement in the number of cupped cells and promotion of sIgA secretion. PRBA stimulated the production of cytokines, reduced the levels of endotoxin (ET) and lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) in serum, as well as upregulated the expression of tight junction proteins (TJs) and NF-κB pathway proteins. Furthermore, PRBA not only promoted the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), but also regulated the intestinal microbiota by increasing beneficial bacteria (Lachnospiraceae , Bacteroidaceae , Ruminococcaceae) and reducing pathogenic bacteria (Shigella) to maintained intestinal homeostasis. Above results indicated that PRBA could ameliorate cyclophosphamide-induced impairment of intestinal barrier function and dysregulation of the gut microbiota, which provides a new idea for broadening the exploitation of PRBA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• First time report on mung bean coat polyphenols during in vitro digestive system. • Gut microbiota disrupted the interaction between polyphenols and matrix. • Possible biotransformation pathways of polyphenols were postulated. • Released and converted polyphenols had robust antioxidant properties. • Fecal fermented mung bean coat adjusted SCFAs secretion and gut microbiota structure. Mung bean coat is a good source of dietary polyphenols. In this study, in vitro simulated digestion and colonic fermentation were performed to investigate the release of polyphenols from mung bean coat and their bioactivities. Polyphenols released by colonic fermentation were much higher than those released by digestion and reached a peak at 12 h, resulting in higher antioxidant capacities (DPPH, ORAC, FRAP assays). About 49 polyphenols and metabolites including quercetin, vanillin, catechin and p -hydroxybenzoic acid were identified, and possible biotransformation pathways were postulated. Moreover, the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria (such as Lactococcus and Bacteroides) was improved during colonic fermentation. Altogether, gut microbiota could release polyphenols, the released polyphenols and their catabolic metabolites, alongside dietary fiber in mung bean coat selectively regulated the composition of gut microbiota and promoted the synthesis of SCFAs. These findings indicated that polyphenols in mung bean coat potentially contributed to gastrointestinal and colonic health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brown rice was exposed to low-pressure plasma ranging from 1 to 3 kV for 10 min. Treatment of brown rice in low-pressure plasma increases the germination percentage, seedling length, and water uptake in laboratory germination tests. Of the various treatments, 3-kV plasma exposure for 10 min yielded the best results. In germinating brown rice, α-amylase activity was significantly higher in treated groups than in controls. The higher enzyme activity in plasma-treated brown rice likely triggers the rapid germination and earlier vigor of the seedlings. Low-pressure plasma also increased gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels from ∼19 to ∼28 mg/100 g. In addition, a marked increase in the antioxidant activity of brown rice was observed with plasma treatments compared to controls. The main finding of this study indicates that low-pressure plasma is effective at enhancing the growth and GABA accumulation of germinated brown rice, which can supply high nutrition to consumer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]