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Advanced glycation end products (AGEs), the products of non-enzymatic browning reactions between the active carbonyl groups of reducing sugars and the free amines of amino acids, are largely considered oxidative derivatives resulting from diabetic hyperglycemia, which are further recognized as a potential risk for insulin resistance (IR) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). The accumulation of AGEs can trigger numerous negative effects such as oxidative stress, carbonyl stress, inflammation, autophagy dysfunction and imbalance of gut microbiota. Recently, studies have shown that cereal polyphenols have the ability to inhibit the formation of AGEs, thereby preventing and alleviating T2D. In the meanwhile, phenolics compounds could produce different biological effects due to the quantitative structure activity-relationship. This review highlights the effects of cereal polyphenols as a nonpharmacologic intervention in anti-AGEs and alleviating T2D based on the effects of oxidative stress, carbonyl stress, inflammation, autophagy, and gut microbiota, which also provides a new perspective on the etiology and treatment of diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beta‐lactam antibiotics (BLAs) are not only important in animal husbandry but are also unavoidable contaminants in milk. The gradual accumulation of BLAs in the human body due to increased milk intake can cause direct harm to human health. Therefore, developing selective and sensitive methods for rapid BLA detection is essential. In this study, a specific electrochemical receptor sensor based on penicillin‐binding proteins (PBPs) was established. PBP1a and PBP2x, which have high affinity and specificity for the six BLAs, were used as the receptors and their performance was compared. The sensor was fabricated by sequentially immobilizing a graphene/chitosan nanocomposite, penicillin G (PENG), and Nafion on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode using a convenient casting approach. The mechanism of the electrochemical receptor sensor involved direct competitive inhibition of the binding of the graphene/chitosan/PENG composite to the PBPs by the free BLAs in the solution. The PENG‐PBPs complex resisted the interaction between [Fe(CN)6]3−/4− ions and the glassy carbon electrode, thereby decreasing the current signal of the BLAs. The BLA concentration was quantified using differential pulse voltammetry mode. The graphene/PENG/chitosan/Nafion‐based electrochemical assay demonstrated good selectivity against other antibiotic residues frequently detected in milk. Under optimized conditions, the detection limits of this method ranged from 0.24 to 1.39 ng·mL−1, which are much lower than the maximum residue limits set by China and the EU. Moreover, the sensor showed a satisfactory recovery rate of 98.8 ± 5.8%–103.2 ± 7.1%. The total analysis time involved only one incubation step, and the entire analysis could be completed within 35 min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strain activity and stability severely limit the beneficial effects of probiotics in modulating host health. Postbiotics have emerged as a promising alternative as they can provide similar or even enhanced efficacy to probiotics, even under inactivated conditions. This review introduces the ingredients, preparation, and identification techniques of postbiotics, focusing on the comparison of the advantages and limitations between probiotics and postbiotics based on their mechanisms and applications. Inactivation treatment is the most significant difference between postbiotics and probiotics. We highlight the use of emerging technologies to inactivate probiotics, optimize process conditions to maintain the activity of postbiotics, or scale up their production. Postbiotics have high stability which can overcome unfavorable factors, such as easy inactivation and difficult colonization of probiotics after entering the intestine, and are rapidly activated, allowing continuous and rapid optimization of the intestinal microecological environment. They provide unique mechanisms, and multiple targets act on the gut–organ axis, co‐providing new clues for the study of the biological functions of postbiotics. We summarize the mechanisms of action of inactivated lactic acid bacteria, highlighting that the NF‐κB and MAPK pathways can be used as immune targeting pathways for postbiotic modulation of host health. Generally, we believe that as the classification, composition, and efficacy mechanism of postbiotics become clearer they will be more widely used in food, medicine, and other fields, greatly enriching the dimensions of food innovation. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the residual level of fungicides and dietary exposure risk of Chinese chives in production bases and segments like markets in Zhejiang Province. The collection period was mainly from December 2020 to January 2021, and from August 2021 to November 2021. Thirty-nine fungicides in 213 Chinese chives samples collected in Zhejiang Province over the two consecutive years were detected and analyzed, and the risk of acute and chronic dietary exposure to the detected fungicides was assessed. There were 19 fungicides were detected, and the total detection rate was 48.83% (104 out of 213), among which the detection rates of procymidone (15.02%), carbendazim (13.15%), boscalid (13.15%), dimethomorph (11.74%), pyraclostrobin (11.27%) and chlorothalonil (10.80%) were relatively high. The samples with two or more pesticide residues accounted for 25.82% of the total samples (55 out of 213). The residue of pyrimethanil in one sample exceeded the maximum residue limit for bulb vegetables (3 mg/kg) set by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, with the over-limit rate being 0.47%, and the sample qualified rate reaching 99.53%. According to the current standard for procymidone GB 2763.1-2022 (5 mg/kg), none of the samples had the residue exceeding the standard. According to the original standard GB 2763-2021 (0.20 mg/kg), and the over-limit rate was 7.04% (15 out of 213). The acute and chronic risk ranges were 0.004%~5.546% and 0.000%~9.654%,respectively, both of which were lower than 1, thus the intake risk was at an acceptable level. The situation of pesticide residues in Chinese chivesis from Zhejiang Province was relatively serious, thus the management of the use of pesticides should be strengthened to ensure the safety of Chinese chives consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]