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Citrus fruits are consumed in large quantities worldwide due to their attractive aromas and taste, as well as their high nutritional values and various health-promoting effects, which are due to their abundance of nutrients and bioactives. In addition to water, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibers are important nutrients in citrus, providing them with high nutritional values. Citrus fruits are also rich in various bioactives such as flavonoids, essential oils, carotenoids, limonoids, and synephrines, which protect from various ailments, including cancer and inflammatory, digestive, and cardiovascular diseases. The composition and content of nutrients and bioactives differ significantly among citrus varieties, fruit parts, and growth stages. To better understand the nutrient and bioactive profiles of citrus fruits and provide guidance for the utilization of high-value citrus resources, this review systematically summarizes the nutrients and bioactives in citrus fruit, including their contents, structural characteristics, and potential health benefits. We also explore the composition variation in different citrus varieties, fruits parts, and growth stages, as well as their health-promoting effects and applications.

Aflatoxin (AF) contamination of peanuts represents a significant food safety risk. Developing a rapid and non‐destructive method for in‐line AF detection has received significant attentions. This study confirmed the effectiveness of a laser based in‐line AF sorting technology in a peanut processing factory, with 99% specificity and 75% sensitivity for aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). In total, 80 in‐line sorting trials were undertaken. The accepted samples from 99% trials had AFB1 below 10 μg/kg. In 75% of the trials, the AFB1 content of the rejected material exceeded 10 μg/kg by up to a factor of ca. 20. At a throughput of 2.4–4.0 tons per hour, the rejection rate ranged from 0.7 to 4.7%. No significant differences in AFB1 level and rejection rate were observed among different suppliers nor were there differences among the different quality grades. Overall, the sorter effectively removed AF contaminated peanuts without comprising the line throughput. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The validated in‐line sorting technology can be used in food factories for the control of aflatoxins in food samples such as oilseeds and grains. Furthermore, the technology can be developed for the control of other kinds of mycotoxins.

We investigated the effects of lotus seedpod proanthocyanidins (LSPC) administration by oral gavage for 3 months on body weight, learning and memory deficits using Y-maze test, oxidative stress and antioxidative enzyme activity in brain and serum of the senescence-accelerated mice (SAMP8) and the senescence-resistant mice (SAMR1). Mice of each group were weighed weekly. Brain was obtained from SAMP8 and SAMR1 (the control mouse for SAMP8) at 6 months of age and serum was available from SAMP8 and SAMR1 at 3, 4, 5 and 6 months of age. The results of body weight showed that 90mg/kg LSPC administration significantly increased body weight at 5.5 and 6 months of age in SAMP8 when compared with control SAMP8 of the same age. Y-maze test indicated that learning and memory abilities of mice were deteriorated significantly at 6 months of age in SAMP8 compared with age-matched SAMR1, but were remarkably improved after LSPC (60, 90, 120mg/kg body weight) administration beginning at 3 months of ages. Malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) exhibited significant increases mostly at 5 and 6 months of age in SAMP8. Glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities decreased significantly mostly at 5 and 6 months of age in SAMP8. LSPC (60, 90, 120mg/kg body weight) administration beginning at 3 months of ages decreased MDA, NO content and lowered NOS activity in the brain and serum of SAMP8. Furthermore, LSPC significantly increased GSH level and augmented GPx, SOD activity in the brain and serum of SAMP8. These results suggest that an age-related increase in brain tissue vulnerability to oxidation and deterioration in learning and memory abilities in SAM that can be modified by LSPC, most likely through the ability of LSPC to scavenge oxygen free radicals and to stimulate antioxidant enzyme activity.

The dramatic growth in ionic liquid research over the past decade has resulted in the development of a huge number of novel ionic liquids, as well as many associated applications. The perceived environmentally friendly nature of ionic liquids, which results from their negligible vapor pressure, is now under scrutiny since although they will not evaporate into air, it is not possible to guarantee that they will never enter the environment. Toxicity research studies including ecotoxicity, have recently received broad attention and the commonly accepted notion that ionic liquids have low toxicity has been shown to be incorrect. This review attempts to highlight the progress of ionic liquid toxicity research, as well as the development of degradable and bio-renewable ionic liquids.