The modulatory effect of oolong tea polyphenols on intestinal flora and hypothalamus gene expression in a circadian rhythm disturbance mouse model

The interaction between host circadian rhythm and gut microbes through the gut-brain axis provides new clues for tea polyphenols to improve host health.Our present research showed that oolong tea polyphenols(OTP)improved the structural disorder of the intestinal flora caused by continuous darkness,thereby modulating the production of metabolites related to pyruvate metabolism,glycolysis/gluconeogenesis,and tryptophan metabolism to alleviate the steady-state imbalance.After fecal microbiota transplantation from the OTP group,the single-cell transcriptomic analysis revealed that OTP significantly increased the number of hypothalamus cell clusters,up-regulated the number of astrocytes and fibroblasts,and enhanced the expression of circadian rhythm genes Cry2,Per3,Bhlhe41,Nr1d1,Nr1d2,Dbp and Rorb in hypothalamic cells.Our results confirmed that OTP can actively improve the intestinal environmental state as well as internal/peripheral circadian rhythm disorders and cognitive impairment,with potential prebiotic functional characteristics to notably contribute to host health.

Isolation and bioactivity screening of soy isoflavones from soybean glycolipids identifies daidzin as a promising anti-inflammatory agent

Background:Soybean has long been utilized in the realm of traditional Chinese medicine.One of its extracts,soybean glycolipids,serves as a vital by-product of soybean oil refining,but its chemical composition and pharmacological potential have yet to be fully elucidated.Methods:In this study,the chemical components were isolated,and the inhibitory effects of these isolates were explored in different zebrafish inflammatory models by survival rate,Histological examination assay and quantitative Real-time PCR assay.The cytotoxicity of daidzin in RAW264.7 cells was evaluated by cell viability assay,and the effect of daidzin on the release of inflammatory cytokines in RAW264.7 cells was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Western blotting,immunofluorescence assay and alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors siRNA transfection assay were used to further explore the anti-inflammatory mechanism of daidzin.Results:Four compounds(verticilloside,soya-cerebroside I,soya-cerebroside II and daidzin)were firstly isolated from the soybean glycolipids,among which verticilloside and daidzin inhibited the lipopolysaccharide,CuSO4-and tail cut-stimulated zebrafish inflammation.Noticeably,daidzin exhibited anti-inflammatory activities by increasing the survival rate,alleviating the inflammatory cells infiltration,and down-regulating the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and nuclear factor kappa-B,NF-kappa-B inhibitor alpha,and signal transducer and activator of transcription3 in zebrafish.Moreover,daidzin decreased the secretion of IL-6 and TNF-α,inhibited the nuclear translocations of nuclear factor kappa-B p65 and p-signal transducer and activator of transcription3 as well as the NF-kappa-B inhibitor alpha phosphorylation at Ser32 in RAW 264.7 cells.More importantly,it elevated the expression level of alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in both zebrafish and RAW 264.7 cells,and the inhibitory effect of daidzin was attenuated after the addition of alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors siRNA.Conclusion:Our study revealed that daidzin inhibited inflammation by activating the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway and further inhibiting the nuclear factor kappa-B and signal transducer and activator of transcription3 signaling.At the same time,it also promotes the recycling of crude soybean glycolipids and supports the potential use of daidzin as a functional food or natural dietary anti-inflammatory agent.

Anti-aging activity and their mechanisms of natural food-derived peptides:current advancements

Recently,there has been a growing focus on researching ways to delay aging and protect against age-related illnesses.Small molecular exogenous peptides,sourced from dietary elements like animals,plants,and microorganisms,have demonstrated considerable potential in exerting anti-aging effects.Notably,natural food-derived peptides have exhibited enhanced stability,safety,absorption efficiency,and heightened biological activity.These attributes position them with a greater potential for mitigating aging-related disorders compared to alternative anti-aging drugs or phytochemicals.This review summarizes the origins,structural attributes,and isolation methods of natural foodderived peptides with anti-aging properties.It also explores how these external peptides improve aging-related conditions such as neurodegenerative diseases,skin aging,and metabolic disorders.The underlying mechanisms dictating their impact on well-conserved signaling pathways—encompassing oxidative stress,inflammation,apoptosis,and collagen synthesis—are meticulously elucidated.This paper engages in an insightful exploration of the key challenges and pivotal trajectories,grounded in ongoing research endeavors.As a result,this review is poised to offer authoritative scientific guidance and invaluable support for the practical implementation of natural food-derived peptides in the realm of anti-aging applications within the food,pharmaceutical,and cosmetic industries.

Preparation of Conjugated Linoleic Acid and Identification of Its Isomers

Conjugated linoleic acid(CLA)is a kind of fatty acid with physiological activities and potential appli-cation prospect ,A synthesis method of conjugated linoleic acid and a purification technology were studied .CLA was prepared and purified by urea-complexation and conjugation using safflower oil as raw material,The purity of CLA and total recovery of the product was more than 95% and 48%,respectively,The main isomers produced in alkali-catalyzed conjugation were identified by gas chromatography (GC)linked to mass spectrometry(MS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR),The total amount of the two main isomers (9cis,11trans-and 10trans,12cis-CLA) determined by GC was more than 90% of the product.

Identification of botanical origin of Chinese unifloral honeys by free amino acid profiles and chemometric methods

The amino acid contents of five floral sources Chinese honeys(jujube, rape, chaste, acacia, and lungan) were measured using reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography(RP-HPLC). The results showed that proline was the main amino acid in most of the analyzed samples. Phenylalanine presents at the highest content in chaste honey samples, and the total amino acid contents of chaste honeys were also significantly higher than those of other honey samples. Based on the amino acid contents, honey samples were classified using chemometric methods(cluster analysis(CA), principal component analysis(PCA), and discriminant analysis(DA)). According to the CA results, chaste honeys could be separated from other honeys, while the remaining samples were correctly grouped together when the chaste honey data were excluded. By using DA, the overall correct classification rate reached 100%. The results revealed that amino acid contents could potentially be used as indicators to identify the botanical origin of unifloral honeys.

Processing,Quality,Safety,and Acceptance of Meat Analogue Products

Rapid global population growth has caused an increasing need for products containing protein.Meat products are the most common high-protein food source,but impact the environment,cause animal welfare issues,and raise public health concerns.Consumer health and food safety are paramount to the food industry.Both the scientists and food industry are actively seeking plant proteins to substitute for animal-sourced proteins.Plant proteins have a well-balanced amino acid composition,and exhibit great potential for replacing meat via the development of healthy,high-protein,low-saturated fat,cholesterol-free,and nutritionally similar meat-like products.Generally,meat analogue formulations are specially designed and processing conditions are optimized to obtain the texture and bite of real animal meat.This article focuses on plant-based meat analogues,and covers aspects regarding processing,products,quality,and nutritional and structural modifications.Product safety consciousness and consumer acceptance are also discussed.Challenges and perspectives for future research concerning nonmeat products are presented.

Isolation and Characterization of Fucoidans from Five Brown Algae and Evaluation of Their Antioxidant Activity

In this study, we evaluated the chemical property and antioxidant activity of fucoidans isolated from brown algae, Laminaria japonica(LJF), Lessonia nigrescens(LNF), Lessonia trabeculata(LTF), Ascophyllum mackaii(AMF), and Ecklonia maxima(EMF). LJF was less in sulfate content(14.16%) and more in galactose and mannose content(1.08 and 0.68) than the documented early. EMF contained 20%–30% of sulfate and fucose, 0.97 in molar ratio which was lower than that of sulfate to other four fucoidans(1.21–1.41). AMF(162 kDa) and EMF(150 kDa) were the first two largest in molecular weight, which were followed by LJP(126 kDa), LNF(113 kDa) and LTF(105 kDa). The fucoidans isolated these algae showed a wide range of antioxidant activity in vitro. It was found that the reducing power of the isolated fucoidans was positively correlated with their sulfate content and molecular weight. In addition, LNF and LTF at low concentrations exhibited high superoxide and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity. This demonstrated that low molecular weight fucoidans may perform a high antioxidant activity.

Postharvest Low Temperature Conditioning Reduces Peel Browning and Improves Fruit Quality in Storage and Subsequent Shelf Life of Huangguan Pear

Huangguan pear (Pyrus bretschneideri Rehd cv. Huangguan) is a pear cultivar that rapidly developed in China. However, rapid postharvest browning appearing in fruit peel and core during storage and shelf life pose a challenge for their marketing. The potential for low temperature conditioning (LTC) treatment to inhibit peel browning and improve quality of Huangguan pears in storage and shelf life was investigated. Pears were treated at 8℃ - 9℃ for 1, 3, 6 and 9 d, respectively, physiological indexes, including peel and core browning, core breakdown, malondialdehyde (MDA) content and ethanol content were determined and quality in storage period and shelf life was evaluated in this paper. LTC treatment alleviated peel browning and core browning either in storage or shelf life remarkably;it also delayed the decline of firmness, total soluble solids and titratable acidity in storage to some extent, inhibited ethanol and MDA content both in storage and shelf life effectively and maintained juiciness and crispness of pear fruit in shelf life. These results showed that LTC can serve as an important tool for the regulation of Huangguan pears external and internal quality in storage and shelf life with economic benefits and LTC treatment for 6 d was the optimum condition in the present study.

Effect of xanthan gum on the quality of low sodium salted beef and property of myofibril proteins

The effects of xanthan gum (0 % and 0.3 %) on the quality of low sodium (2.0 %, 2.4 %, 2.8 %, 3.2 %, 3.6 % and 4.0 %) salted beef and property of myofibril proteins (MP) extracted from salted beef were researched. Changes in the salting absorptivity, cooking loss, shear force, color and sensory analysis showed that xanthan gum had a positive effect on the quality of salted beef with low salinity (2.0 %, 2.4 % and 2.8 %). MP of salted beef treated with xanthan gum had higher solubility, lower hydrogen bond than that without it (P < 0.05). The decrease of surface hydrophobicity and intrinsic fluorescence intensity indicated that the chromophore of protein was brought into a hydrophobic environment in the presence of xanthan gum. The electrophoresis showed that xanthan gum could improve the concentration of myosin heavy chain, paramyosin and actin after tumble-salting. The data suggested that salted beef and its MP treated with xanthan gum and 2.8 % salt (XS3) had the best properties. Together, xanthan gum could be considered as a sodium salt substitute for the development of low sodium meat products.

Effect of Superfine Grinding on Physicochemical Properties, Antioxidant Activity and Phenolic Content of Red Rice ( <i>Oryza sativa</i>L.)

Red rice gains popularity as a functional crop owing to its high polyphenols content and antioxidant activity. However, active components are discarded in common milling. Superfine ground technology was employed in this paper. To evaluate the influence of superfine ground processing on the physicochemical properties and functional effect of red rice (Oryza sativa L.), four powders with the size of 156.74 μm, 69.53 μm, 26.35 μm, and 10.68 μm were prepared by superfine grinding technology in this paper. Results showed that the size was smaller for red rice powders, greater for the bulk density (from 0.624 g/ml to 0.745 g/ml), and smaller for the angle of repose (from 74.67&deg;to 61.41&deg;) and slide (from 38.99&deg;to 26.42&deg;). The values of water solubility index, water holding capacity and enzymatic digestibility by α-amylase significantly increased with the decreasing particle size (P < 0.05). In addition, antioxidant activity and phenolic content were enhanced by superfine ground. These results indicated that superfine ground would improve the physicochemical and functional properties of red rice, which was helpful to promote the overall quality and healthy effect of foods containing red rice.

Nanostructured food proteins as efficient systems for the encapsulation of bioactive compounds

Recently,nanoencapsulation was introduced as an efficient and promising approach for the protection,delivery,and site-specific liberation of the nutraceuticals and bioactive ingredients.Food proteins are attractive materials for developing nanocarriers to protect and deliver bioactives due to their unique functional and biological properties.Food proteins extracted from animals and plants have the ability to form different nanostructures including nanoparticles,hollow particles,nanogels,nanofibrillar aggregates,electrospun nanofibers,nanotubular structures,and nanocomplexes.These nanostructured food proteins have been widely used as nanocarriers for the biologically active compounds and drugs.The release of bioactive compounds from nanocarriers depends mainly on pH as well as swelling and the degradation behavior of nanostructure in the simulated physiological conditions.This review presents the applications of the nanostructured food proteins for the encapsulation of bioactive compounds.The major techniques for the fabrication of nanocarriers are described.The encapsulation,protection,and release of bioactive compounds in different nanostructured food proteins were also discussed.

Description of a New Species of the Asian Newt Genus Tylototriton sensu lato(Amphibia:Urodela:Salamandridae) from Southwest China

The newt genus Tylototriton sensu lato is widely distributed in Eastern,Southeastern and Southern Asia.Previous studies indicated that there still has been several cryptic species in the group.Here,we describe a new species of the genus from Guizhou Province,China.Phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial DNA supported that the new species was resolved as an independent clade nested into the Tylototriton sensu lato clade.On morphology,the new species could be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following characters:large body size(SVL 76.8-85.2 mm in male and 76.3-87.4 mm in female);head longer than wide;snout truncate in dorsal view;tail length longer than the snout-vent length in males;the distal digit ends,ventral digits,peripheral area of cloaca and the tail s lower margin are orange;relative length of toesⅢ> Ⅳ> Ⅱ> Ⅰ> Ⅴ;the distal tips of the limbs greatly overlapping when the fore and hind limbs are pressed along the trunk;fingertips reach the level beyond the snout when the forelimbs are stretched forward.

Chrysanthemum indicum ethanol extract attenuates hepatic stellate cell activation in vitro and thioacetamide-induced hepatofibrosis in rats

Objective:To investigate the antifibrotic effects of Chrysanthemum indicum ethanol extract(CIEE)against activated hepatic stellate cells(HSC)and thioacetamide(TAA)-induced hepatofibrosis in rats.Methods:Cell viability and proliferation of HSC-T6 cells were measured using MTT assay.Primary HSCs were used to study morphology.TAA(200 mg/kg)was used to induced hepatic fibrosis in rats.CIEE(100 and 500 mg/kg)and silymarin(50 mg/kg)were administered orally.Liver functions including alanine transaminase,aspartate transaminase,glutathione,and hydroxyproline levels were measured using commercial kits.Liver sections and fibrotic biomarker expression were measured using hematoxylin and eosin staining and real-time polymerase chain reaction.Results:In vitro study revealed that CIEE(0.1,0.25,and 0.5 mg/mL)inhibited the proliferation of activated HSCs exposed to transforming growth factor(TGF)-β and restored the activated primary HSC morphology.In in vivo studies,TAA-induced increase in liver/body weight ratio(5.46±0.26)was significantly reduced(4.13±0.22)by CIEE(P<0.05 at 500 mg/kg).CIEE(100 and 500 mg/kg)improved the liver functions by significantly attenuating changes in alanine transaminase,aspartate transaminase,glutathione,and hydroxyproline levels(P<0.05).Further,CIEE(100 and 500 mg/kg)ameliorated the histological changes in liver tissue and TGF-β expression significantly(P<0.05)in TAA-induced rats.Conclusions:CIEE significantly protects against TAA-induced liver damage in rats and can be used in the treatment of liver fibrosis.

Influence of pH, Heat and Enzymatic Treatments on the Activity of Antibacterial Substance in MRS and Milk Media Produced by Lactobacillus fermentum F6

This study aimed to investigate the influence of pH,heat and enzymatic treatments on the activity of antibacterial substance in MRS,skim soy milk and bovine milk media fermented by a potential probiotic Lactobacillus fermentum F6.The antibacterial activity of the culture supernatant of L.fermentum F6 was tested against a wide range of Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus,Escherichia coli,Listeria monocytogenes,Salmonella typhimurium,and Shigella flexneri.Different antibacterial activities were detected in MRS and milk but not in soy milk.We presumed that three kinds of probable components including organic acids,heat-stable and heat-labile proteinaceous compounds were involved in antibacterial activity of fermented MRS and milk.The influence of acids on antibacterial activity was pH-dependent and this effect multiplied with thermal treatments seemed complex.Data analyses showed various significant differences of antibacterial activity among five pathogens were observed in pH and heat treatments.The untreated fermented milk showed higher inhibitory activity to Gram-positive pathogenic bacteria than Gram-negative bacteria （P 〈 0.05）,indicating antibacterial substances of fermented milk are greatly different from fermented MRS.An accurate stimulated gastrointestinal transit showed antibacterial substances would have no influence on intestinal flora.Acidic range of antibacterial substances from pH 2.0 to 6.0 can be potentially used as food biopreservatives and alternative therapeutics.

Infection of post-harvest peaches by Monilinia fructicola accelerates sucrose decomposition and stimulates the Embden–Meyerhof–Parnas pathway

To study the changes in sugar metabolism caused by fungal infection in post-harvest peaches,fruit from two cultivars(‘Baifeng’and‘Yulu’)was inoculated with Monilinia fructicola and stored at 10°C.During disease development,soluble sugar content was monitored,as well as the activities and expression of selected enzymes.Disease progression was accompanied by a decrease in sucrose content and increases in reducing sugars and soluble solids,consistent with higher enzyme activities for acid invertase,neutral invertase and sucrose synthase-cleavage,and lower activities for sucrose synthase-synthesis and sucrose phosphate synthase.Activities of phosphofructokinase,hexokinase,and pyruvate kinase,which are related to hexose metabolism,also increased.These changes stimulate the Embden–Meyerhof–Parnas(EMP)pathway.We conclude that the fungal disease in peach fruit accelerates the decomposition of sucrose,thereby providing more glucose as a substrate to the EMP pathway.

A comprehensive method to explore inhibitory kinetics and mechanisms of an anticoagulant peptide derived from Crassostrea gigas

A comprehensive method was applied to evaluate the anticoagulant activity of a novel anticoagulant peptide(NAESLRK)derived from oyster(Crassostrea gigas).The anticoagulant peptide drastically reduced the extrinsic clotting activity and also impaired the intrinsic clotting activity slightly.Consistent with clotting data,the thrombin peak height was reduced to 84.7 nmol/L from 123.4 nmol/L,and thrombin generation time was delayed to 4.67 min from 4.42 min when the extrinsic trigger was applied.The inhibitory kinetics of FⅪa,FⅨa,FⅩa,FⅡa,and APC in a purified component system rationally explained the reduction of extrinsic clotting activity and impairment of thrombin generation.Besides the inhibition of FⅩa and FⅡa activity,the activation processes of FⅩand FⅡby intrinsic/extrinsic tenase complex and prothrombinase were also damaged.The anticoagulant activity in the plasma system was the result of comprehensive inhibition of various factors.The research provided a novel method for anticoagulant evaluation and inhibitory mechanism of bioactive peptides from food products.

Tracking Microorganisms in Production and Sale Operations of Spiced Geese

Cooling, transportation and sale processes of spiced geese were studied, eight spiced geese meat samples with different sampling time, Airborne microorganism samples of three different workplaces and five different environmental contact substance samples were test, measures of special mediums, biochemical identification and DNA sequencing were carried out, then Escherichia coli, Yeast, Mildew, Lactic acid bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Janthinobacterium were detected. For spiced geese meat samples, microorganisms were significant (p ) increased with the prolong of sampling time. Lactic acid bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Janthinobacterium were detected in each processing operation and the total aerobic counts of each sample was increased or significant (p ) increased with the prolong of sampling time;Escherichia coli, Yeast and Mildew were detected on samples entered into the retail outlet mainly and the total aerobic counts of each sample was increased or significant (p ) increased also. In the household workshop, Mildew and Janthinobacterium were the superior microorganisms. In the transport vehicle, Staphylococcus aureus and Janthinobacterium were the superior microorganisms;Staphylococcus aureus was the superior microorganism in the retail outlet. For environmental contact substances, Cooling platform, pallet, chopping block were the most serious contaminated environmental contact substances and the total bacteria counts were significant (p ) more than stainless steel barrel and chopper;Janthinobacterium was the superior microorganism on pallet, stainless steel barrel and chopper;Lactic acid bacteria was the superior microorganism on chopping block and stainless steel barrel;Staphylococcus aureus was the superior microorganism on cooling platform. Findings indicate that Escherichia coli, Yeast, Mildew, Lactic acid bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, Janthinobacterium were the main microorganisms;Household workshop and the retail outlet were the main place microorganisms contaminated;Pallet, stainless steel barrel and chopper were the main environmental contact substances.

Modulatory effects in circadian-related diseases via the reciprocity of tea polyphenols and intestinal microbiota

Tea is a widespread functional plant resource.Phytochemicals such as tea polyphenols(TP)can interact with the intestinal flora and participate in regulating the expression and rhythm of biological clock genes.Circadian rhythm controls a variety of behaviors and physiological processes,and circadian misalignment has been found to be closely related to multiple metabolic diseases.Interestingly,the gut microbiota also has diurnal fluctuations,which can be affected by diet composition and feeding rhythm,and play a role in maintaining the host’s circadian rhythm.The two-way relationship between the host’s circadian rhythm and intestinal microbiota confirms the possibility that prebiotics or probiotic can be used to adjust the intestinal environment and microbiome composition to improve the host health.This article reviews the relationship between the host’s circadian rhythm and microbiota and its influence on metabolic diseases.The beneficial effects of the interaction between TP and gut microbiota on diseases related to rhythm disorders are emphasized to improve the theories of disease prevention and treatment.

Comparative Study of Proximate,Chemical and Physicochemical Properties of Less Explored Tropical Leafy Vegetables

The list of underutilized green leafy vegetables is enormous: ranging from commonly consumed and underutilized vegetables. There are data on commonly consumed vegetables, but information is sparse on nutritional, chemical and anti-nutritional properties of less explored vegetables. This work aimed to evaluate some attributes of less explored or underutilized leafy vegetables. Some nutritional and anti-nutritional contents of 10 under-utilized leafy vegetables(Amaranthus spinosus Linnaeus, Basella alba Linnaeus, Corchorous tridens L., Cyrtosperma senegalense(Schott), Erigeron floribundus Sch, Hoslundia opposita Vahl, Lagenaria siceraria(Molina) Standl, Ocimum basilicum L., Solanum aethiopicum L. and Talinum portulacifolium(Forssk.) Asch. ex Schweinf) were investigated. Cyrtosperma senegalense had the highest protein value(5.93%). Hoslundia opposita had the highest fat content(0.54%). Amaranthus spinosus was high in β-carotene content(346.3 mg · 100 g-1); Cyrtosperma senegalense had the highest moisture content. A. spinosus had the highest ascorbic acid content(108.1 mg · 100 g-1). The highest tannin level(0.0057%) was found in C. senegalense and the lowest(0.0003%) was found in Solanum aethiopicum. Saponin was the highest in C. tridens(0.0052%) and the lowest in T. portulacifolium(0.00014%). C. senegalense and S. aethiopicum had their highest and the lowest phytate values, respectively. Although anti-nutrients could interfere with nutrient utilization, their values in these vegetables were not at toxic levels.