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The soluble free, soluble conjugated, and insoluble bound phenolic compounds in tomato seeds were extracted and analyzed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry. Total phenolic content (TPC) and free radical scavenging activities along with the antiproliferative effects against the human colorectal cancer cell line (HCT-116) were also examined for the soluble free, soluble conjugated, and insoluble bound phenolic fractions. 13, 7, and 10 compounds were tentatively identified in the soluble free, soluble conjugated, and insoluble bound phenolic fractions, respectively, including indole-3-acetic acid derivatives, flavonoids, phenolic acid, and tyramine-derived hydroxycinnamic acid amines. The insoluble bound phenolic fraction was observed to have a greater TPC value and stronger free radical scavenging activities against ABTS

This study investigated the effect of dietary gypenosides on inflammation, insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis in male obese C57BL/6J mice induced by feeding a high-fat diet (HFD) for 16 weeks. Treatment with 300 mg/kg BW/d gypenosides for eight weeks significantly reduced body weight gain, total plasma cholesterol and homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index in the obese mice compared with the control. Gypenosides also reduced the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and interleukin-6 in both plasma and inguinal white adipocyte tissue. Moreover, gypenosides consumption alleviated hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance possibly by promoting energy expenditure through the AMPK signaling pathway and upregulating thermogenic genes in the brown and inguinal white adipocyte tissues. In addition, these metabolic changes were accompanied by an increased Akkermansia muciniphila abundance in the gut microbiota. The results suggest the health benefits of gypenosides intake in obese mice.

3-Chloro-1,2-propandiol (3-MCPD) dipalmitate is one of the major 3-MCPD esters formed during food processing. In this single-dose study, the metabonomic profile changes in the 48 h after orally administrated 3-MCPD dipalmitate at 1600 mg/kg BW to Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were determined with liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) system. The chemical structures of 12 potential biomarkers for 3-MCPD dipalmitate exposures early detection were detected and tentatively identified from the plasma of SD rats, including indoxyl sulfate, phenol sulfate, p-cresol sulfate, 2-phenylethanol glucuronide, p-cresol glucuronide, p-cresol, allantoin, phenylacetylglycine, pyrocatechol sulfate, phenyllactic acid, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid, and creatinine. Taking into account the metabolites identified from SD rats' kidney, liver, testes, and spleen samples, 3-MCPD dipalmitate might potentially disturb the phenylalanine, tryptophan, tyrosine, glycine, fatty acid, and purine metabolisms. The results suggested that the 12 plasma metabolites could be potentially applied in detecting the early exposures of 3-MCPD esters.

Three different vegetable oils, including soybean, corn, and sunflower oils, were differentiated from olive oil by using ultra-performance convergence chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight (UPC2-QTOF MS) and multivariate data analysis based on their differences in triacylglycerol compositions. Then, olive oil was adulterated by adding these three vegetable oils in 1%, 0.75%, and 0.5% (v/v), and the adulterated olive oils were differentiated from the pure olive oils using the similar analytical strategies but different data processing approaches. After that, the representative markers in differentiating the adulterations were selected, and a mathematical model was created to detect the olive oil adulteration based on these specific markers. These results indicated that UPC2-QTOF MS coupled with multivariate data analysis is a sensitive and accurate method in detecting olive oil adulteration, even in 0.5% adulteration level (v/v). This method could be applied in olive oil adulteration detection, and potentially beneficial to the oil industry.

Seven commercial Chinese chrysanthemum tea products were classified by computer vision combined with machine learning algorithms. Without the need of building any specific hardware, the image acquisition was achieved in two computer vision approaches. In the first approach, a series of multivariate classification models were built after morphological feature extraction of the image. The best prediction accuracies when classifying flowering stages and tea types were respectively 90% and 63%. In comparison, the deep neural network was applied directly on the raw image, yielded 96% and 89% correct identifications when classifying flowering stage and tea type, respectively. The model can be applied for rapid and automatic quality determination of teas and other related foods. The result indicated that computer vision, especially when combined with deep learning or other machine learning techniques can be a convenient and versatile method in the evaluation of food quality., This manuscript reported the multivariate classification of seven commercial Chinese chrysanthemum tea products by computer vision combined with machine learning algorithms. The result indicated that computer vision, especially when combined with deep learning or other machine learning techniques can be a convenient and versatile method in the evaluation of food quality.

Fatty acid esters of 3-monochloropropane 1,2-diol (3-MCPD esters) are processing-induced food toxicants, with the kidney as their major target organ. For the first time, this study treated Sprague Dawley (SD) rats with 3-MCPD 1-monooleate at 10 and 100 mg/kg BW/day and 1-monostearate at 15 and 150 mg/kg BW/day for 90 days and examined for their potential semi-long-term nephrotoxicity and the associated molecular mechanisms. No bodyweight difference was observed between groups during the study. Both 3-MCPD 1-monooleate and 1-monostearate resulted in a dose-dependent increase of serum urea creatinine, uric acid and urea nitrogen levels, and histological renal impairment. The proteomic analysis of the kidney samples showed that the 3-MCPD esters deregulated proteins involved in the pathways for ion transportation, apoptosis, the metabolism of xenobiotics, and enzymes related to endogenous biological metabolisms of carbohydrates, amino acids, nitrogen, lipids, fatty acids, and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, providing partial explanation for the nephrotoxicity of 3-MCPD esters.

Detection of the presence of milk powder in liquid whole milk is challenging due to their similar chemical components. In this study, a sensitive and robust approach has been developed and tested for potential utilization in discriminating adulterated milk from liquid whole milk by analyzing the intact protein and hydrolyzed peptide using ultra‐performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer (UPLC‐QTOF‐MS) fingerprints combined with data fusion. Two different datasets from intact protein and peptide fingerprints were fused to improve the discriminating ability of principle component analysis (PCA). Furthermore, the midlevel data fusion coupled with PCA could completely distinguish liquid whole milk from the milk. The limit of detection of milk powder in liquid whole milk was 0.5% (based on the total protein equivalence). These results suggested that fused data from intact protein and peptide fingerprints created greater synergic effect in detecting milk quality, and the combination of data fusion and PCA analysis could be used for the detection of adulterated milk., A sensitive and robust approach has been developed and tested for potential utilization in discriminating adulterated milk from liquid whole milk by analyzing the intact protein and hydrolyzed peptide using UPLC‐QTOF‐MS fingerprints combined with data fusion. The limit of detection of milk powder in liquid whole milk was 0.5% (based on the total protein equivalence). Results suggested that fused data from intact protein and peptide fingerprints created greater synergic effect in detecting milk quality, and the combination of data fusion and principle component analysis (PCA) analysis could be used for the detection of adulterated milk.

The blackberry seed flour was cold‐extracted using 50% acetone and examined for its phytochemical composition and health‐beneficial properties including in vitro gut microbiota modulatory, free radical scavenging, anti‐inflammatory, and antiproliferative capacities. Among identified thirteen components of blackberry seed flour extract through UHPLC‐MS analysis, sanguiin H6 was the primary component and followed by ellagic acid and pedunculagin. For health‐beneficial properties, the blackberry seed flour extract increased the total number of gut bacteria and shifted the abundance of specific bacterial phylum, family, or genus. The extract had RDSC, ORAC, HOSC, and ABTS•+ scavenging capacities of 362, 304, 2,531, and 267 μmol Trolox equivalents (TE)/g, respectively. In addition, the blackberry seed flour extract showed capacities for anti‐inflammation and antiproliferation by suppressing LPS induced IL‐1β mRNA expressions in the cultured J774A.1 mouse macrophages and the proliferation of LNCaP prostate cancer cells. The results suggest potential health benefits and further utilization of blackberry seed flour as functional foods., Blackberry seed flour is a by‐product from oil processing. Investigation of the health‐beneficial components and properties of the blackberry seed flour can lead to its potential utilization in nutraceuticals and functional foods and add value to oil manufacturers and the blackberry producers while reducing environmental contaminations. This study identified the chemical composition of blackberry seed flour using its extract and evaluated potential health‐beneficial properties including in vitro gut microbiota modulatory, free radical scavenging, anti‐inflammatory, and antiproliferative capacities.

A microbial transglutaminase-induced cross-linked sodium caseinate (MSC) was used to stabilize zein nanoparticles, and the study was to investigate whether zein-MSC nanoparticles (zein-MSC NPs) can be used as an encapsulation carrier for resveratrol. A group of resveratrol-loaded zein-MSC nanoparticles (Res-zein-MSC NPs) with varying zein to Res mass ratios was first prepared. The particle sizes and zeta-potentials were in the ranges from 215.00 to 225.00 nm and from −29.00 to −31.00 mV. The encapsulation efficiency (EE) of Res was also influenced by the zein to Res mass ratio, and the encapsulated Res existed in an amorphous form. The major interactions between Res and zein-MSC NPs were hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interaction. Furthermore, compared with free Res, the photo-stability and bioaccessibility of Res-zein-MSC NPs were significantly improved. The cellular studies also showed that Res-zein-MSC NPs exhibited lower cytotoxicity and desirable anti-inflammatory activity.

The tomato pomace, a by-product of tomato processing, was rich in nutrients such as lycopene (Lyc), vitamins, phenols and soluble dietary fibers (SDF). Homogenization combined with enzymatic hydrolysis (HE) was firstly applied to obtain HE-pomace. The yield of Lyc was raised by 57.2% after HE treatment by the optimal condition. The extraction rate of HE-SDF was increased by 73.4%. In order to clarify the relationship between the SDF and the release of Lyc, SDFs were characterized by structural analysis and morphological determination. The results suggested that HE-SDF possessed smaller molecular weight and loose microstructure with shorter chains. It implied that the degradation of dietary fiber led to the release of Lyc molecules. Besides, HE-SDF exhibited stronger capacity of water-holding, glucose adsorption and bile acid binding. In conclusion, HE treatment possessed the potential to be applied as an excellent modification method, which improved the nutritional and economic value of tomato pomace.

The triacylglycerol (TAG) compositions of blackberry, red raspberry, black raspberry, blueberry and cranberry seed oils were examined using ultra-performance convergence chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPC2-QTOF MS). A total of 52, 53, 52, 59 and 58 TAGs were detected and tentatively identified from the blackberry, red raspberry, black raspberry, blueberry and cranberry seed oils, respectively, according to their accurate molecular weight in MS1 and fragment ion profiles in MS2. OLL was the most abundant TAG in the blackberry, red raspberry and black raspberry seed oils. Furthermore, the fatty acid compositions of the five berry seed oils were directly determined by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In addition, the seed oils had total phenolic contents ranging 13.68–177.06 µmol GAE (gallic acid equivalent)/L oil, and significant scavenging capacities against DPPH, peroxyl, and ABTS+ radicals. These results indicated that the combination of UPC2 and QTOF MS could effectively identify and semi-quantify the TAGs compositions of the berry seed oils with sn-position information for the fatty acids. Understanding the TAGs compositions of these berry seed oils could improve the utilization of these potentially high nutritional value oils for human health.

The profiles of soluble and insoluble phenolic compounds in 11 commercial red sorghums (B11, B12, B13, B14, J124, J127, J138, J140, J142, J152, and J158) were investigated using ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF-MS) analysis. A total of 48 phenolic compounds including 35 phenolic acids and their derivatives, 12 flavonoids, and 1 proanthocyanidin were identified, and 8 phenolic compounds were reported for the first time in sorghums. Four major 3-deoxyanthocyanidins were also quantified, with their soluble forms accounting for 99.75-99.87% of the total contents. Pearson's correlation analyses indicated that 3-deoxyanthocyanidins significantly contributed to the antioxidant capacities of the red sorghums and that 5-methoxy-luteolinidin showed the strongest correlation. Besides, the soluble phenolic fraction of B13 dose-dependently inhibited the proliferation of Caco-2 cells and the secretion of IL-1β and NO in RAW264.7 macrophages, which might be attributed to its relatively high total phenolic (TPC), flavonoid (TFC), and proanthocyanidin content (TPAC) values and radical scavenging capacities.

Seventeen commercial chrysanthemum teas (Chrysanthemum morifolium and Coreopsis tinctoria) were extracted with hot-H2O, and examined and compared to the 75% methanol extracts for their chemical compositions using UPLC/Q-TOF-MS analysis. For the first time, 6, 8-C,C-diglucosylapigenin and eriodicyol-7-O-glucoside were detected in the Snow chrysanthemum, and acetylmarein was detected in HangJu, GongJu and HuaiJu. The extracts were also examined for their radical scavenging and anti-inflammatory activities in vitro. The hot-H2O extract of Kunlunmiju 1 had the greatest total phenolic content, and relative DPPH and oxygen radical absorbance capacity values of 12.72 mg gallic acid equivalents/g, 105.48 and 1222.50 μmol Trolox equivalents/g, respectively. In addition, all the hot-H2O extracts suppressed the lipopolysaccharide-induced interleukin-6, IL-1β and cyclooxygenase-2 mRNA expressions, and H2O2-induced intracellular reactive oxygen species production in cultured cells. The results from this research may be used to promote the consumption of chrysanthemum as a functional tea.

Hot-water and ethanol extracts of Chrysanthemum morifolium cv. Fubaiju were investigated for their chemical compositions, effects on gut microbiota, anti-inflammatory, and free radical scavenging capacities. UPLC-IMS-QTOF-MS analysis detected tuberonic acid glucoside and tasumatrol B in the Fubaiju for the first time. The hot-water extract had greater anti-inflammation and free radical scavenging activities than its counterpart ethanol extract under the experimental conditions. The total phenolic content, relative ABTS +, DPPH and oxygen radical scavenging capacities of the hot-water extract were 33.48 mg gallic acid equivalents/g, and 121.57, 110.11 and 1638.99 µmol Trolox equivalents/g, respectively. In addition, the hot-water extract enhanced the abundance of Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Bifidobacteria and Precotella, suggesting that drinking chrysanthemum tea may modulate gut microbiota. The results from this research could be used to improve the production and consumption of C. morifolium cv. Fubaiju as a functional food ingredient and promote local agricultural economics.

Fatty acid esters of 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol (3-MCPD esters) are a new group of processing-induced chemical toxicants with possible nephrotoxicity and testicular toxicity. 3-MCPD esters have been detected in many food categories, including refined edible oils, bread, coffee, and infant formula. 3-MCPD esters have also been detected in human breast milk, indicating their possible absorption and distribution in human organs and tissues. 3-MCPD esters have become a food safety concern, and in 2013 the European Food Safety Authority estimated a tolerable daily value (TDI) of 2 μg/kg body weight (BW) for the amount of free 3-MCPD. This review summarizes the available information on 3-MCPD ester research, including the analytical methods, exposure biomarkers, absorption and metabolism, toxicities, formation mechanisms, and mitigation strategies as well as the occurrence of 3-MCPD esters in human foods. This review may serve as a scientific foundation for advancing our understanding of 3-MCPD esters and their food safety concerns.

3-Monochloropropane 1,2-diol (3-MCPD) esters are toxicants formed during food thermal processing, and their testicular toxicities were widely reported. In this 90 day in vivo study, Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with 3-MCPD 1-monooleate at 10 and 100 mg/kg body weight (bw)/day or 1-monostearate at 15 and 150 mg/kg bw/day. Histological results indicated that testicular impairment was observed, and the level of serum testosterone was decreased dose dependently, while the levels of serum transforming growth factor beta and interferon-γ in rats' serum were increased dose dependently. To address the molecular mechanisms leading to testicular toxicities of 3-MCPD esters, testes samples were investigated with a mass spectrometry proteomic approach. The deregulated proteins affected by 3-MCPD esters include many enzymes related with the inflammatory necrosis pathways. While verifying the results in cellular level, 3-MCPD 1-monooleate and 3-MCPD 1-monostearate showed almost similar testicular cytotoxicity, and they could activate RIPK1 and MLKL pathways at the cellular level. All of these results showed the possible mechanisms about the toxicity of 3-MCPD esters in rats' testes and play a vital role in understanding the toxic effects of 3-MCPD esters both in vivo and in vitro.

Chrysanthemum morifolium cv. Fubaiju is a kind of widely consumed herb tea with multiple health benefits. The present study was aimed to evaluate the protective capacity of C. morifolium cv. Fubaiju hot-water extracts (CMs) against ARPE-19 cell oxidative damage. The results showed that pretreatment with 100 μg/mL CM could significantly reduce cell oxidative damage and apoptosis. Proapoptotic protein expression such as Bax, cleaved caspase-3, and cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) was significantly decreased after CM addition, while the expression level of antioxidant enzymes including catalase, glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLc), superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO-1) was significantly promoted. Meanwhile, CM treatment upregulated Akt phosphorylation, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) nuclear translocation, and the expression level of antioxidant gene heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in a dose-dependent manner under oxidative stress. Knockdown of Nrf2 by targeted small interfering RNA (siRNA) alleviated CM-mediated HO-1 transcription and almost abolished CM-mediated protection against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced cell damage. Correspondingly, the protective effect of CM was dramatically blocked after interference with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt inhibitor LY294002, indicating that the protective effect of CM on cell oxidative damage was attributed to PI3K/Akt-mediated Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

In the current study, the chemical composition and total phenolic content of tomato seed flours, along with potential health beneficial properties, including free radical scavenging capacities, anti-inflammatory capacities, and gut microbiota profile modulation, were examined using two different batches. Eight compounds were identified in the tomato seed flour, including malic acid, 2-hydroxyadipic acid, salicylic acid, naringin, N-acetyl-tryptophan, quercetin-di-O-hexoside, kaempferol-di-O-hexoside, and azelaic acid. The total phenolic contents of tomato seed flour were 1.97–2.00 mg gallic acid equivalents/g. Oxygen radical absorbing capacities (ORAC), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging capacities (DPPH), and 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) cation radical scavenging capacities (ABTS) were 86.32–88.57, 3.57–3.81, and 3.39–3.58 µmoles Trolox equivalents/g, respectively, on a per flour dry weight basis. The mRNA expression of the pro-inflammatory markers, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), were dose-dependently suppressed by tomato seed flour extracts. The extracts altered five of the eight bacterial phyla and genera evaluated. The results may provide some scientific support for the use of tomato seed flour as value-added food ingredients.

Chrysanthemum morifolium cv. Fubaiju is a kind of widely consumed herb tea with multiple health benefits. The present study was aimed to evaluate the protective capacity of C. morifolium cv. Fubaiju hot-water extracts (CMs) against ARPE-19 cell oxidative damage. The results showed that pretreatment with 100 μg/mL CM could significantly reduce cell oxidative damage and apoptosis. Proapoptotic protein expression such as Bax, cleaved caspase-3, and cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) was significantly decreased after CM addition, while the expression level of antioxidant enzymes including catalase, glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLc), superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO-1) was significantly promoted. Meanwhile, CM treatment upregulated Akt phosphorylation, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) nuclear translocation, and the expression level of antioxidant gene heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in a dose-dependent manner under oxidative stress. Knockdown of Nrf2 by targeted small interfering RNA (siRNA) alleviated CM-mediated HO-1 transcription and almost abolished CM-mediated protection against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced cell damage. Correspondingly, the protective effect of CM was dramatically blocked after interference with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt inhibitor LY294002, indicating that the protective effect of CM on cell oxidative damage was attributed to PI3K/Akt-mediated Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

Apigenin, as a natural flavonoid, has been proved to have many biological effects. Our previous research has found the antiadipogenic effects of apigenin on HepG2 cells. Autophagy is intimately associated with the metabolism of lipid droplets (LDs) and is considered to be one of the lipid breakdown pathways. However, there is no study to elucidate the lipid-lowering mechanism of apigenin from the perspective of autophagy. Here, we investigated the possible role of apigenin in autophagy and lipid accumulation in palmitic acid (PA)-induced HepG2 cells. Our results showed that apigenin increased autophagosome formation and the LC3-II/I ratio, but decreased the p-mTOR/mTOR ratio and P62 protein expression. The effects of apigenin were blocked by chloroquine (CQ). Likewise, apigenin significantly stimulated autophagic flux in the cytoplasm. This effect also could be blocked by CQ. Moreover, apigenin decreased the lipid content and co-localization of LDs with LC3, and CQ could block these effects. Thus, we proposed that apigenin induced autophagy and stimulated autophagic lipid degradation in PA-treated HepG2 cells.

Wheat is the staple food for the world&rsquo, s major populations. However, chemical characters of geographically authentic wheat samples, especially for the lipids, have not been deeply studied. The present research aimed to investigate lipid compositions of Chinese wheat samples and clarify the major markers that contribute to the geographical differences. A total of 94 wheat samples from eight main wheat-producing provinces in China were evaluated to differentiate their lipid compositions. Based on the data collected from ultra-high-performance-liquid-chromatography tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/TOF MS), an optimized non-targeted lipidomic method was utilized for analyses. As the results, 62 lipid compounds, including fatty acids, phospholipids, galactolipids, triglycerides, diglycerides, alkylresorcinol, and ceramide were tentatively identified. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) demonstrated a more satisfying performance in distinguishing wheat samples from different origins compared with principal component analysis (PCA). Further, the abundances of triglycerides and glycerophospholipids with more unsaturated fatty acids were found greater in wheat samples from northern origins of China, while more glycolipids and unsaturated fatty acids arose in southern original wheat samples. These findings describe the lipid profiles of wheat samples in China and could contribute to the quality and safety control for the wheat flour products.

The triacylglycerol (TAG) compositions of cucumber, tomato, pumpkin, and carrot seed oils were analyzed using ultra-performance convergence chromatography (UPC2) combined with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (Q-TOF MS). A total of 36, 42, 39, and 27 different TAGs were characterized based on their Q-TOF MS accurate molecular weight and MS2 fragment ion profiles in the cucumber, tomato, pumpkin, and carrot seed oils, respectively. Generally, different vegetable seed oils had different TAGs compositions. Among the identified fatty acids, linoleic acid was the most abundant fatty acid in cucumber, tomato, and pumpkin seed oils and the second most abundant in carrot seed oil with relative concentrations of 54.48, 48.69, 45.10, and 15.92 g/100 g total fatty acids, respectively. Oleic acid has the highest concentration in carrot seed oil and the second highest in cucumber, tomato, and pumpkin seed oils, with relative concentrations of 78.97, 18.57, 27.16, and 33.39 g/100 g total fatty acids, respectively. The chemical compositions of TAGs and fatty acids could promote understanding about the chemical profiles of certain vegetable seed oils, thus improving the potential ability to select appropriate oils with specific functions and a high nutritional value and then develop functional foods in the future.