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In order to investigate the effect and underlying mechanism of deacetylated konjac glucomannan (DKGM) on the structure and gel properties of pork myofibrillar protein (MP), the changes in the gel strength, water retention, water distribution, microstructure, secondary and tertiary structures and gel molecular forces of MP were analyzed after the addition of DKGM at different levels (0%, 0.125%, 0.25%, 0.5% and 1%). The results showed that the gel strength of MP increased with the increase of DKGM addition, reaching the maximum at an addition level of 0.25%, which was 1.55 times higher than that of the control group. The addition of DKGM could retard the flow of water, thus improving the gel water-holding capacity. Cold-field scanning electron microscopy revealed that the addition of DKGM could promote the formation of more uniform and dense network structures in MP gels. The structure and force analysis showed that the addition of an appropriate amount of DKGM could promote the unfolding of MP molecules and the exposure of hydrophobic groups, increase the content of active sulfhydryl groups, induce α-helix-to-β-fold transition, enhance the hydrophobic interactions and disulfide bonds of MP gels, and thus improve the gel strength and water-holding capacity.

The modification of polymer with nanoparticles has been proved to have good results, but the key of this method is that nanoparticles can maintain uniform dispersion in the polymer. Herein, silica (Si[O.sub.2]) and zinc oxide (ZnO) hybrid nanofillers were prepared by self-made dispersion equipment to modify natural rubber latex (NRL). The results show that the uniformly dispersed nano-Si[O.sub.2] fillers increase the number of entanglements in the molecular chain of NRL, thereby improving the tensile properties. The tensile strength and elongation at break of LZ1S4.2 were increased to 32.61 MPa and 957%, respectively. The increase of the number of entanglements also makes the structure of NRL more compact, and improves the barrier performance and aging resistance. The uniformly dispersed nano-ZnO fillers endow the NEIL with excellent antibacterial properties, and the antibacterial rate (For Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus) is greater than 99.9%. In addition, NRL condoms and gloves incorporating hybrid nanofillers have been proved to have good biocompatibility, and this NRL nanocomposite is expected to be applied to other NRL products. KEYWORDS antibacterial, nanoparticles, nature rubber latex, tensile properties, 1 | INTRODUCTION Natural rubber (NR) is one of the most important biosynthetic elastomers and is used in various fields due to its excellent comprehensive properties. [1,2] NRL is an [...]

This study utilized gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) to analyze the volatile flavor compounds present in various commercially available sausages. Additionally, it conducted a comparative assessment of the distinctions among different samples by integrating sensory evaluation with textural and physicochemical parameters. The results of the GC-IMS analysis showed that a total of 65 volatile compounds were detected in the four samples, including 12 hydrocarbons, 11 alcohols, 10 ketones, 9 aldehydes, 12 esters, and 1 acids. Fingerprinting combined with principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the volatiles of different brands of sausages were significantly different (p < 0.05). The volatiles of S1 and S4 were more similar and significantly different from the other two samples (p < 0.05). Among them, there were 14 key volatile substances in the four samples, of which 3-hydroxy-2-butanone and diallyl sulfide were common to all four sausages. Combined textural and sensory evaluations revealed that smoked sausages exhibited superior characteristics in resilience, cohesiveness, springiness, gumminess, and chewiness. Additionally, smoked sausages were found to be more attractive in color, moderately spicy, and salty, while having a lower fat content. In conclusion, smoked sausages are preferred by consumers over flavored oil sausages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, three different brands of commercially available marinated tofu were analyzed and compared with homemade products to explore the effect of key flavor substances on their sensory quality, sensory properties, texture characteristics, and volatile components. The texture characteristics and flavor substances of the three brands of commercially available marinated tofu were significantly different from those of homemade products. A total of 64 volatile components were identified by headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS), mainly including 11 hydrocarbons, 11 alcohols, 10 ketones, 15 aldehydes, 4 esters, 1 acid, and 12 other volatile substances. Among these, nine key flavor compounds (ROAV > 1, VIP > 1) were identified using the relative odor activity value (ROAV) combined with a partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and variable importance in projection, including α-Pinene, β-Myrcene, α-Phellandrene, 1-Penten-3-one, Butanal, 3-Methyl butanal, acetic acid ethyl ester, 1,8-Cineol, and 2-Pentyl furan. The correlation heatmap showed that sensory evaluation was positively correlated with hardness, gumminess, chewiness, and springiness while negatively correlated with 2-Pentyl furan, α-Pinene, resilience, α-Phellandrene, 1-Penten-3-one, acetic acid ethyl ester, and 1,8-Cineol. Overall, this study provides a theoretical reference for developing new instant marinated tofu snacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastrointestinal (GI) afflictions are prevalent among the feline population, wherein the intricacies of the gut microbiome exert a profound influence on their overall health. Alterations within this microbial consortium can precipitate a cascade of physiological changes, notably in immune function and antioxidant capacity. This research investigated the impact of Bifidobacterium lactis (B. lactis) and Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) on cats' GI health, exploring the effects of probiotic supplementation on the intestinal ecosystem using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The findings demonstrated a significant improvement in gut barrier function by reducing plasma concentrations of D-lactate (D-LA) by 30.38% and diamine oxidase (DAO) by 22.68%, while increasing the population of beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus. There was a notable 25% increase in immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels, evidenced by increases of 19.13% in catalase (CAT), 23.94% in superoxide dismutase (SOD), and 21.81% in glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). Further analysis revealed positive correlations between Lactobacillus abundance and IgA, CAT, and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) levels. These correlations indicate that B. lactis and L. plantarum enhance feline immune and antioxidant functions by increasing the abundance of beneficial Lactobacillus in the GI tract. These findings provide a foundation for probiotic interventions aimed at enhancing health and disease resistance in feline populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High Fischer ratio oligopeptides (HFOs) exhibit diverse biological activities, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. HFOs from gluten origin were prepared through fermentation and enzymatic hydrolysis and then characterized using free amino acid analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Following intervention, the levels of serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) in the rats significantly decreased (p < 0.05). Simultaneously, there was an increasing trend in superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels, and glutathione (GSH) levels were significantly elevated (p < 0.05). The mRNA expression levels of alcohol metabolism-related genes (ADH4, ALDH2, and CYP2E1) exhibited a significant increase (p < 0.05). Histological examination revealed a reduction in liver damage. The findings indicate that high Fischer ratio oligopeptides, prepared through enzymatic and fermentation methods, significantly improve lipid levels, ameliorate lipid metabolism disorders, and mitigate oxidative stress, and exhibit a discernible alleviating effect on alcoholic liver injury in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modification of polymer with nanoparticles has been proved to have good results, but the key of this method is that nanoparticles can maintain uniform dispersion in the polymer. Herein, silica (SiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) hybrid nanofillers were prepared by self‐made dispersion equipment to modify natural rubber latex (NRL). The results show that the uniformly dispersed nano‐SiO2 fillers increase the number of entanglements in the molecular chain of NRL, thereby improving the tensile properties. The tensile strength and elongation at break of LZ1S4.2 were increased to 32.61 MPa and 957%, respectively. The increase of the number of entanglements also makes the structure of NRL more compact, and improves the barrier performance and aging resistance. The uniformly dispersed nano‐ZnO fillers endow the NRL with excellent antibacterial properties, and the antibacterial rate (For Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus) is greater than 99.9%. In addition, NRL condoms and gloves incorporating hybrid nanofillers have been proved to have good biocompatibility, and this NRL nanocomposite is expected to be applied to other NRL products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hulatang is a traditional specialty snack in Henan, China, and is well known for its unique flavor., Methods: In this study, the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in four kinds of Hulatang from two representative regions in Henan Province (Xiaoyaozhen and Beiwudu) were evaluated using headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS)., Results: The results showed that Xiaoyaozhen Hulatang exhibited more ethers, fewer terpenes and ketones than Beiwudu Hulatang. Additionally, Hulatang from different regions were classified using the orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) based on GC-IMS data. Twenty aroma substances were selected as the potential markers using the variable importance in the projection (VIP) variable selection method. Additionally, fifteen aroma components significantly contributing to the aroma of Hulatang were screened using the relative odor activity value (ROAV) (ROAV > 1). Combined with the sensory score results, twelve key substances with significant correlation with odor perception were selected. The flavor characteristics of the key substances revealed that the flavor of Hulatang was mainly composed of volatile components with camphor, green, almond, fatty, spicy, herbal, vegetable, fruity, floral, musty, and solvent aromas., Conclusion: Overall, the experimental results provide a theoretical basis for evaluating the flavor characteristics of Hulatang from different regions using GC-IMS., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Yan, Wang, Yang, Zhang, Cao, Zhao, Dong, Ren and Chen.)

Immune deficiency is a prevalent issue among kittens, severely threatening their health and development by increasing susceptibility to infections and diseases. This study investigates the effects of dietary supplements containing lactoferrin and Lactobacillus plantarum ( L. plantarum ) on the immune function, intestinal health, and microbiota composition of kittens. The results demonstrate that these supplements significantly enhance immune responses, with immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels increasing by 14.9% and IgG levels by 14.2%. Additionally, there was a notable 28.7% increase in catalase activity, indicating a reduction in oxidative stress. Gastrointestinal (GI) health improved markedly, evidenced by increased populations of beneficial bacteria such as Lactobacillus , which rose from 4.13% to 79.03% over the study period. The DNC group also showed significant reductions in pro-inflammatory cytokines, including decreases of 13.94% in IL-2, 26.46% in TNF-α, and 19.45% in IFN-γ levels. Furthermore, improvements in physical conditions were observed, including enhanced coat condition and mental status. These findings underline the potential of lactoferrin and L. plantarum as effective dietary interventions to improve kitten health, thereby reducing dependency on antibiotics and mitigating associated risks. This research provides a scientific foundation for optimizing nutritional management practices to enhance the overall vitality of kittens during their critical growth phases.