Search

Flavor is an important characteristic of seafood products, and drying can produce unique pleasant flavors. Drying is among the most common methods for processing seafood products. It can improve quality and shelf-life of seafood products and produce unique flavors. Oxidative hydrolysis of lipids during dry fish processing in the presence of light, photosensitizers, heat, oxygen, transition metal ions, and microorganisms produces volatile small molecules, including alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, and acids, which contribute to the flavor profile of dried fish. Volatile compounds are important components of seafood flavor. Flavor analyses are usually performed using gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in combination with electronic nose/tongue techniques, which not only characterizes the molecular composition of volatile components in the sample, but also yields macroscopic results via the electronic nose/tongue, ultimately combining instrumental analysis with quantitative sensory data for a comprehensive evaluation of sample flavor. Currently, the market sales model of Cololabis saira is mainly based on a single frozen whole C. saira, and excludes most types of deep-processed products. There is an urgent need to enrich research into processing effects on C. saira quality and flavor, and further develop markets for deep-processed C. saira products. To explore the effects of different drying methods on C. saira flavor, we assessed flavor molecule profiles using GC-MS and electronic tongue techniques. This study aimed to provide a theoretical basis for improving C. saira product flavor, thereby enhancing the economic impact of the C. saira industry. In this study, C. saira was thawed in low-temperature air, and the giblets were removed and diagonally cut. Pre-treated fish were then soaked in 15% salt water for 1 h, drained naturally, and subjected to natural drying (natural air-drying on a sunny day in autumn for 3 days, environmental temperature 10~20 ℃, humidity 25%~42%), cold air-drying (continuous cold air-drying for 3 days, setting temperature (15±2) ℃, relative humidity 38%~40%), and UV with cold air-drying (continuous UV with cold air-drying for 3 days, ultraviolet lamp irradiation, setting temperature (15±2) ℃, relative humidity 38%~40%). The flavor profiles of fresh fish (CK), cured fish (0 d), naturally dried fish (N), cold air-dried fish (C), and UV treated cold air-dried fish (U) were compared. Significant differences were observed in the odor and taste of dried C. saira among products of the different drying methods. GC-MS results showed that a total of 58 volatile flavor substances were detected, including aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, acids, hydrocarbons, and nitrogenous compounds. Increased alcohols, aldehydes, and ketones enriched the fatty aroma of the three dried C. saira samples to varying degrees. Among them, the contents of cis-2-heptenal, octylaldehyde, 2-ethylfuran and other substances in U group increased significantly, increasing to 64.96,569.48 and 189.27 μg/kg, respectively, so that the U group had richer fat flavor. Hexanal, heptanal, Z-4-heptenal, octanal, nonanal, (E, E)-2,4-heptadienal, (E, E)-2,6-nonandialdehyde, 1-octen-3-ol, heptanol, 2,3-pentanedione, 3,5-octadien-2-one, and trimethylamine were the odor-active substances common to the five C. saira samples and were used as flavor compounds to characterize the oily and fishy taste of C. saira. E-2-nonenal, 2-ethylfuran, E-2-octenal, 2-nonanone, 2-undecanone, and 1-nonanol are three odor-active substances specific to dried C. saira, with E-2-octenal, 1-nonanol and 2-undecanone, which have an oily smell, and 2-ethylfuran, which has a burnt smell, having the highest odor aroma-active in the U group. Salty taste, richness, bitterness, astringency, and sourness of the fish increased after the drying process, especially salty taste and richness. Only fresh taste was significantly reduced relative to fresh fish. Saltiness, freshness, and richness of dried fish are important taste indicators. Salty taste and richness increased significantly after the three drying processes, whereas freshness decreased. Group U exhibited the highest salty taste and richness. In conclusion, the volatile odor and profile of C. saira changed significantly with each of three drying processes (natural drying, cold air drying, and UV with cold air drying), all of which increased the fatty flavor and considerably reduced the fishy flavor. Moderate oxidation positively contributes to C. saira flavor. Increased fatty flavor reduces the proportion of fishy substances, thus improving C. saira flavor. UV irradiation with cold air drying promoted lipid oxidation to some extent, producing more fatty substances, as well as cis-2-heptenal and 2-ethylfuran, which enriched the roasted, charred flavor of dried C. saira. Salinity, freshness, and richness are important taste indicators of dried C. saira. All three drying methods enhanced the salinity and richness of C. saira, and UV irradiation with cold air-drying significantly improved the salinity and richness of the fish and enriched its taste and aftertaste. Therefore, among the three drying methods, the method involving UV with cold air drying significantly enriched the flavor of C. saira to the greatest extent.

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one of the major causes of end-stage renal disease and one of the significant complications of diabetes. This study aims to identify the main differentially expressed genes in DKD from transcriptome sequencing results and analyze their diagnostic value. The present study sequenced db/m mouse and db/db mouse to determine the ALOX12 genetic changes related to DKD. After preliminary validation, ALOX12 levels were significantly elevated in the blood of DKD patients, but not during disease progression. Moreover, urine ALOX12 was increased only in macroalbuminuria patients. Therefore, to visualize the diagnostic efficacy of ALOX12 on the onset and progression of renal injury in DKD, we collected kidney tissue from patients for immunohistochemical staining. ALOX12 was increased in the kidneys of patients with DKD and was more elevated in macroalbuminuria patients. Clinical chemical and pathological data analysis indicated a correlation between ALOX12 protein expression and renal tubule injury. Further immunofluorescence double staining showed that ALOX12 was expressed in both proximal tubules and distal tubules. Finally, the diagnostic value of the identified gene in the progression of DKD was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The area under the curve (AUC) value for ALOX12 in the diagnosis of DKD entering the macroalbuminuria stage was 0.736, suggesting that ALOX12 has good diagnostic efficacy. During the development of DKD, the expression levels of ALOX12 in renal tubules were significantly increased and can be used as one of the predictors of the progression to macroalbuminuria in patients with DKD.

Abstract Background Growing evidence has demonstrated that patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD) are more likely to experience cognitive impairment than patients with non-dialysis end-stage renal disease (ESRD); however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to identify the role and predictive significance of gut microbiome alterations in PD-associated cognitive impairment. Methods A total of 29 non-dialysis ESRD patients and 28 PD patients were enrolled in this study and divided into subgroups according to the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Faecal samples were analyzed using 16 S rRNA. Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and MoCA scores were used to assess the degree of cognitive impairment in patients. Results The 16 S rRNA analysis demonstrated differences in gut microbiome abundance and structure between PD and non-dialysis ESRD patients and between PD patients with cognitive impairment (PCI) and PD patients with normal cognition (PNCI). At family and genus levels, Prevotellaceae exhibited the greatest structure difference, while Lactobacillus exhibited the greatest abundance difference between PCI and PNCI. Altered microbiota abundance significantly correlated with cognitive function and serum indicators in PD. In addition, different modules related to fatty acid, lipid, pantothenate, and coenzyme A biosynthesis, and tyrosine and tryptophan metabolism were inferred from 16 S rRNA data between PCI and PNCI. Both groups could be distinguished using models based on the abundance of Lactobacillaceae (Area under curve [AUC] = 0.83), Actinomycetaceae (AUC = 0.798), and Prevotellaceae (AUC = 0.778) families and Lactobacillus (AUC = 0.848) and Actinomyces (AUC = 0.798) genera. Conclusion Gut microbiome evaluation could aid early cognitive impairment diagnosis in patients undergoing PD.

In order to achieve sustainable extraction and enhance the properties of astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis, a green and efficient approach was developed by utilizing Tween-20 under ultrasonic conditions. This approach allowed for the efficient release of astaxanthin while simultaneously preparing water-dispersible astaxanthin emulsions. The factors influencing the process, the formation mechanism of the water-dispersible astaxanthin emulsion, and the composition and performance characterization of the obtained product were investigated. Exploration of the process revealed that Tween-20 dosage, ultrasonic power, and solid-to-liquid ratio significantly influenced the release and dispersion efficiency of astaxanthin, with 98.41% astaxanthin being released and dispersed when Tween-20 dosage, ultrasonic power, and solid-to-liquid ratio were 200 μL, 600 W, and 1:20 g/mL, respectively. The mechanism exploration results demonstrated that ultrasound had a dual effect of disrupting the cells of H. pluvialis to a limited extent and assisting Tween-20 to disperse astaxanthin, which was superior to high-pressure homogenization. The characterization results showed that the water-dispersible astaxanthin emulsion obtained under these conditions had an average particle size of 115.55 nm, a Zeta potential of −23.35 mV, and an encapsulated astaxanthin content of up to 43.82% in the dry product. Astaxanthin was found to be encapsulated in an amorphous non-crystalline state, with selective encapsulation of saturated fatty acids. The amount of saturated fatty acids was up to 17.93% (wt.%). Overall, this one-step, ultrasonic approach to preparing water-dispersible astaxanthin emulsions from H. pluvialis using Tween-20 is easy to operate, highly efficient, green and feasible, with some of the product properties being superior to those of pure astaxanthin encapsulated products.

AbstractBackground End-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients have functional and structural brain abnormalities. The cerebellum also showed varying degrees of damage. However, no studies on cerebellar-cerebral functional connectivity (FC) have been conducted in ESRD patients. This study aimed to investigate the changes in cerebellar-cerebral FC in ESRD patients and its relationship with neuropsychological and clinical indexes.Methods Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and neuropsychological assessment were performed on 37 ESRD patients and 35 control subjects. Seed-based FC analysis was performed to investigate inter-group differences in cerebellar-cerebral FC. In addition, the relations of altered FC with the neuropsychological function and clinical indicators were analyzed in ERSD patients.Results ESRD patients exhibited alterations in cerebellar-cerebral FC involving the executive control network, default mode network, and affective-limbic network compared to control subjects (False discovery rate-corrected, p

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a syndrome characterized by rapid loss of renal excretory function. Its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Pyroptosis, a form of programmed cell death, plays an important role in AKI. It is characterized by cell swelling and membrane rupture, triggering the release of cellular contents and activating robust inflammatory responses. Carnosine, a dipeptide with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, has therapeutic effects in AKI. However, the mechanism by which carnosine treats AKI-associated pyroptosis remains unexplored. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of carnosine on renal tubule cells using in vivo and in vitro models of AKI. We found that carnosine therapy significantly alleviated altered serum biochemical markers and histopathological changes in mice with cisplatin-induced AKI. It also reduced the levels of inflammation and pyroptosis. These results were consistent with those seen in human kidney tubular epithelial cells (HK-2) treated with cisplatin. Through molecular docking and cellular thermal shift assay, we identified caspase-1 as a target of carnosine. By knocking down caspase-1 in HK-2 cells using caspase-1 siRNA, we demonstrated that carnosine did not exhibit a protective role in cisplatin-induced HK-2 cells. This study provides the first evidence that carnosine alleviates damage to kidney tubular epithelial cells by targeting caspase-1 and inhibiting pyroptosis. Therefore, carnosine holds promise as a potential therapeutic agent for AKI, with caspase-1 representing an effective therapeutic target in this pathology.

The association between red meat consumption and cancer risk remains a controversy. In this study, we systematically collected and analyzed global data (from Our World in Data and Global Cancer Observatory) to investigate this association for the first time. Our results confirmed significant positive associations between red meat consumption (RMC) and overall cancer incidence (0.798, p < 0.001), or colorectal cancer incidence (0.625, p < 0.001). Several previously unreported cancer types linked to RMC were also unveiled. Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita were found to have an impact on this association. However, even after controlling it, RMC remained significantly associated with cancer incidence (0.463, p < 0.001; 0.592, p < 0.001). Meanwhile, after controlling GDP per capita, the correlation coefficients between white meat consumption and overall cancer incidence were found to be much lower and insignificant, at 0.089 (p = 0.288) for poultry consumption and at −0.055 (p = 0.514) for seafood and fish consumption. Notably, an interesting comparison was performed between changes of colorectal cancer incidence and RMC in many countries and regions. A lag of 15–20 years was found, implying causality between RMC and cancer risk. Our findings will contribute to the development of more rational meat consumption concept.

Microbial inactivation by pulsed electric field (PEF) has been studied widely although with high operational risk, while few studies on the potential of low intensity electric fields for microbial inactivation have been reported. In this study, the feasibility of inactivating microorganisms in milk by low intensity direct current (DC) electric field was investigated. Then a kinetics model was proposed based on the inactivation curves. Finally, the effect of electric field on the microflora and physicochemical properties of milk was analyzed. Results showed that the bacterial reduction >5 log CFU/mL could be achieved at 50–55°C, 0.3 A–0.6 A, and with 5 min starting intensity of 5 V/cm-9 V/cm. The inactivation kinetics consisted of three stages, therein, the middle stage, main part of the inactivation curve, followed 1st-order reaction kinetics, and the effect of temperature on it was consistent with the Arrhenius Law, which implied that the electric field itself can inactivate bacteria without thermal inactivating effect. The microflora analysis showed that naturally occurring bacteria in the milk contained typical potential pathogenic bacteria (e.g., 56.9% of Acinetobacter spp.) and spoilage bacteria (e.g., 27.5% of Pseudomonas spp.), and the electric field can inactivate them. Moreover, the inactivation chemically preserved the milk's fresh-like characteristics (according to indexes of whey protein denaturation rate, furosine content), and physical stability (turbidity, zeta potential, particle size, color and so on). Therefore, a promising approach is provided for microbial inactivation in dairy industry.

Total glucosides of paeony (TGP), extracted from the root of Paeonia lactiflora pall, has been shown to have ant-inflammatory and antioxidative actions. The aims of this study were to elucidate the renoprotective effect of TGP and its mechanism in experimental diabetes. Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were treated with TGP for 8 weeks. Treatment with TGP at 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg significantly lowered 24-h urinary albumin excretion rate in diabetic rats. TGP treatment in all doses markedly attenuated glomerular volume, and treatment with TGP at 100 and 200 mg/kg markedly reduced indices for tubulointerstitial injury in diabetic rats. Western blot analysis showed that the expressions of 1α (IV) collagen, intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, interleukin (IL)-1, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, NF-κB p65, and 3-nitrotyrosine (3-NT) protein were increased in the kidneys of diabetic rats; the increases in these proteins were all dose-dependently and significantly inhibited by TGP treatment. The expression of nephrin protein was significantly reduced in the kidneys from diabetic rats and markedly increased by TGP treatment. The expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 protein in the kidney was also significantly increased in diabetic rats, which was significantly inhibited by treatment with TGP at all doses. Our data suggest that TGP treatment ameliorates early renal injury via the inhibition of expression of ICAM-1, IL-1, TNF-α, and 3-NT in the kidneys of diabetic rats. Keywords:: diabetic nephropathy, total glucosides of paeony (TGP), intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1, interleukin (IL)-1, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α

Recent evidence suggests that the endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS)-thioredoxininteracting protein (TXNIP)-inflammation chain contributes to diabetic renal injury. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether total glucosides of peony (TGP) could inhibit ERS and attenuate up-regulation of TXNIP in the kidneys of rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes. TGP was orally administered daily at a dose of 50, 100, or 200 mg/kg for 8 weeks. The expression of glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78), phosphoprotein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (p-PERK), phosphor- eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2ɑ (p-eIF2ɑ), C/EBP-homologous protein (CHOP), and TXNIP was assessed. Results indicated that TGP significantly decreased diabetes-induced albuminuria and it acted by down-regulating activation of the ERS-TXNIP-inflammation chain in the kidneys of diabetic rats. These findings indicate that renoprotection from TGP in diabetic rats possibly contributed to inhibition of ERS and decreased expression of TXNIP. These findings also offer a new perspective from which to study the molecular mechanisms of diabetic nephropathy and prevent its progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]