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Objective: To investigate the protective effects of mannan oligosaccharide (MOS) and partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG) on liver injury induced by long-term alcohol intake in mice. Methods: Mice were randomly divided into control (Ctrl), model (EtOH), positive control (PC, silymarin at 86 mg/(kg·d)), MOS intervention (2 000 mg/(kg·d)) and PHGG intervention (2 000 mg/(kg·d)) groups. A Lieber-DeCarli model of chronic alcoholic liver injury (ALD) was established in this study. After five weeks of feeding, the levels of liver function, oxidative stress and inflammatory factors were measured. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and oil red O (ORO) staining were used to observe hepatic histopathological alterations. The mRNA and protein expression levels of ileal tight junction proteins (zonula occludens-1 and occludin) were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and immunofluorescence staining, respectively. The hepatic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) level was quantitatively determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Besides, the contents of acetic acid, propionic acid, isobutyric acid, butyric acid, isovaleric acid, valeric acid and caproic acid in fecal samples were quantitatively analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results: Supplementation of MOS and PHGG could significantly attenuate hepatic steatosis, lipid accumulation, oxidative stress and inflammation induced by long-term ethanol exposure. Additionally, compared with the EtOH group, MOS and PHGG intake markedly improved liver function and intestinal barrier function, inhibited intestinal LPS leakage, and increased intestinal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) levels. Conclusion: Guar gum-derived MOS and PHGG could effectively alleviate chronic ALD in mice by enhancing intestinal integrity and regulating intestinal SCFA levels.

The unique flavour contribution of higher alcohols in alcoholic beverages has received growing attention; however, there is a dearth of information on their in vivo metabolic kinetics. In this study, the composition and content of higher alcohols in different alcoholic beverages from Chinese Baijiu and Lujiu were studied via in vivo analysis using Bama pigs to elucidate the mechanisms for intoxication of alcohol in vitro and in drinkers. Direct injection combined with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were used to accurately quantify a total of 14 higher alcohols in five alcoholic beverages. Based on the external standard method, a total content of 289.37–938.33 mg/L was detected, mainly 1-butanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 1-hexanol, 2-methyl-1-propanol and 2-butanol. Then, headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and solid-phase extraction (SPE) combined with GC-MS analysis strategy, respectively, were adopted to continuously monitor the changes in the concentrations of ethanol and 11 higher alcohols in the blood within 24 h after gavage of different alcoholic beverages, and the key pharmacokinetic parameters were analysed. The peak concentration (Cmax) and area under curve (AUC) of blood higher alcohols were significantly lower than those of ethanol (p < 0.05), accompanied by a later peak time (Tmax) and a larger apparent clearance rate (CL_F), and there were certain differences between the same higher alcohols in different alcoholic beverages and between different higher alcohols in the same alcoholic beverage. This work provides valuable insights into the metabolism of alcoholic beverages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Reconstitution of milk fat globules containing specific triacylglycerol cores. • An effective triacylglycerol analysis by HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS combined with PCA. • Dry fractionation for yielding fat fractions with different thermal properties. • Milk fat globule membrane, an efficient natural emulsifier for butterfat fractions. Reconstructing milk fat globules (MFG) with different-melting-temperature triacylglycerols (TAG) to improve its nutritional and functional properties has great potential for expanding industrial applications. Butterfat was fractionated by stepwise crystallization at 30, 20 and 15 °C to yield six fractions (30S, 30L, 20S, 20L, 15S and 15L). Fractions were analyzed for thermal properties and fatty acid composition. An efficient method for analyzing TAG was established using HPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS combined with principal component analysis, and total 146 TAGs in butterfat and its fractions were identified. The melting enthalpy, melting temperature, and long-chain saturated TAG content of 30S fraction were 71.5 J/g, 42.1 °C, and 19.3%, respectively, while that of 15L fraction corresponded to 11.9 J/g, 17.1 °C and 0.1%, indicating that the butterfat was effectively separated. Then MFG were reconstituted with milk fat globule membrane and different-melting-temperature TAG cores from obtained fractions, and reconstituted MFG gave excellent microstructural stability and emulsifying activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]