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The aims of this study were to investigate the effect of xanthophylls (Xan) on the colloidal property and interfacial activity of zein hydrolysate (ZH), and the influence of Xan on the colloidal delivery capacity of ZH was also studied by the construction of emulsions and colloidal particles systems. The result indicated that compared with color-free ZH (CF-ZH), ZH was more sensitive to pH and showed obvious aggregation behavior at acidic pH. ZH exhibited lower critical micelle concentration compared with CF-ZH, suggesting the higher amphiphilic characteristic of ZH. The results from interfacial activity investigations showed that ZH exhibited higher interfacial activity compared with CF-ZH, and the thickness and intensity of the interfacial layer constituted by ZH was increased as a result of the existences of Xan. Compared with CF-ZH, the emulsions stabilized by ZH possessing smaller size and higher physical stability, and the curcumin nanoparticles fabricated in ZH solutions showed higher encapsulation efficiency, smaller particle size, better monodispersity and higher zeta potential. In conclusion, the presence of Xan in ZH obviously changed the colloidal property and improved interfacial activity and colloidal delivery capacity of ZH itself, and it endowed ZH with more extensive application prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of biofortification technology in regulating the microbial community of Sichuan bran vinegar (SBV) to enhance its quality has garnered significant attention recently. Here, we utilized Cuqu fortified (JQ) by synthetic microbiota composed of two different strains to enhance SBV fermentation, while simultaneously revealing community succession and metabolic regulatory mechanisms. Compared to control samples, the fortified vinegar grains (ZJV) community exhibited a 1.60-fold increase in bacterial biomass during major stages. Dominant fungi dynamics in ZJV significantly shifted, with a notable increase in Monascus and Rasamsonia. Upregulation of enzymes involved in starch and cellulose degradation led to increased contents of volatiles, 4-ethylguaiacol (4-EG), and raw starch conversion rate in the fermented ZJV by 1.75 times, 40 times, and 21.92%, respectively. Biofortification boosted interspecies interactions, clustering functional microbes into a module. Functional bacteria served as connectors, enhancing fungal-bacterial communication, optimizing information and energy exchange, reducing primary metabolite accumulation like ethanol, and improving nutrient utilization and metabolic conversion for secondary metabolite synthesis. These findings establish crucial groundwork for the practical application of synthetic microbiota in various engineering applications. [Display omitted] • Cuqu fortified by a microbiota composed of two isolates improved the function. • Fortified Cuqu boost interactions by clustering functional microbes into a module. • Functional bacteria optimized trophic network via rising cross domain communication. • Reduce primary metabolite accumulation to enhance nutrient use and conversion. • Contents of volatiles and 4-EG in vinegar increased by 1.75 times and 40 times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of colloidal delivery systems for the encapsulation, protection and increased bioavailability of bioactive ingredients has recently gained increasing interest. The aim of this work was to prepare corn protein hydrolysate-based vitamin D 3 (CPH-VD 3 ) nanocomplexes. UV and FT-IR spectra indicated the existence of non-covalent interactions (i.e. hydrogen bonding) between CPH and VD 3 . The result from X-ray diffraction further suggested the formation of amorphous structure of VD 3 after its complexation with CPH. Additionally, dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscope showed that the CPH-VD 3 complexes exhibited a spherical structure with a size scale from 102 to 121 nm. The encapsulation and loading efficiency of VD 3 could reach 97% and 9%, respectively. Furthermore, the complexation obviously avoided spontaneous particle aggregation of VD 3 against ionic strength ([NaCl] ≤ 200 mmol/L). The remaining ratio of the encapsulated VD 3 after exposure to high levels of UV light was as high as 72%. More importantly, in vitro bioaccessibility of VD 3 could be up to 95% for the complexes. This study demonstrated that CPH could serve as a novel nano-vehicle for VD 3 and it opens up the possibility of using CPH to construct the colloidal delivery system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]