Encapsulation of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) using self-assembling food-derived proteins for efficient biological functions

Docosahexaenoic acid(DHA;22n-6)possesses multiple biological functions, including antioxidant activity and ameliorating hypertriglyceridemia. However, the application of DHA has been limited due to poor aqueous solubility and susceptible to oxidation. Here, ovalbumin(O), myosin(M), 7S soy globulin(S), and β-lactoglobulin(β), hydrolyzed by chymotrypsin, self-assembled into micelles, respectively. Adding incremental DHA to micelles caused endogenous fluorescence quenching of O, M, S, and β micelles, implying successful incorporation of DHA into hydrophobic cores of micelles(O(DHA), M(DHA), S(DHA), and β(DHA)). The results showed that micelles provided spatial stability and improved solubility, and stability against thermal and ultraviolet(UV)light for DHA. The uptake of DHA from M(DHA), β(DHA), O(DHA), and S(DHA)was 3.27-, 3.91-, 2.7-, and 3.95-fold higher, respectively, than that of DHA by Caco-2 cells. Encapsulation in micelles increased DHA aqueous solubility and uptake, which enhanced cellular endogenous antioxidant defense. Meanwhile, increased uptake of DHA was verified by HepG2 cells, and O, M, S, and β micelles were proven to increase DHA uptake to reduce lipid deposition. Our findings strongly support the possibility that O, M, S, and β micelles can be regarded as a carrier for loading DHA.

Characterization of the core microflora and nutrient composition in packaged pasteurized milk products during storage

Pasteurized milk contains complex microbial communities affected by sterilization and storage conditions.This complex microflora may be the possible reason that pasteurized dairy products are highly prone to spoilage.In this study,packaged pasteurized milk products collected from dairy processing factories in China were stored at 0,4,10,15,and 25℃ for 0−15 days and subjected to microbial identification using high-throughput sequencing.Accordingly,6 phyla and 44 genera were identified as the dominant microbiota.Moreover,the changes in nutritional composition of the pasteurized milk,including in 16 free amino acids,7 taste values,and 8 chemical constituents,were analyzed using principal component and multi-factor analyses.The Pearson correlation analysis identified Pseudomonas,Aeromonas,Paenibacillus,and Serratia genera as the core functional microbiota that significantly affects the nutritional composition of pasteurized milk.Hence,the results provide a comprehensive understanding of the safety and shelf-life of stored pasteurized milk.

Preparation,structural characterization and bioactivities of polysaccharides from mulberry(Mori Fructus)

Mulberry(Mori Fructus),a highly promising functional food,has long exhibited multiple therapeutic effects as a tonic in traditional Chinese food and pharmacology.Polysaccharides have been regarded as the pivotal pharmacological ingredient in mulberry.In this study,structural characterization and bioactivities of polysaccharides from mulberry(PFM-3)were determined.The results showed that PFM-3 was a pyranose containing carboxyl group,which was mainly composed of glucose(Glc)and a small amount of mannose(Man)and fucose(Fuc).The molecular weight of PFM-3 was 96.17 kDa,and the surface of PFM-3 was compact and uniform crack.PFM-3 markedly decreased lipid accumulation,triglyceride(TG)and low density lipoprotein cholesterin(LDL-C)on hyperlipidemia human hepatocellular carcinoma(HepG2)cells.PFM-3 recovered nuclear morphometry and mitochondrial membrane potential(MMP),enhanced the activity of glutathione peroxidase(GPx)and decreased cell arrest in G2 phase on oxidative stress HepG2 cells.In addition,PFM-3 promoted the decline of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and the augment of interleukin-10(IL-10)secretion on inflammatory mouse leukemia cells of monocyte macrophage(RAW 264.7).This work provides a certificate that PFM-3 could markedly improve cellular lipid accumulation,endogenous antioxidant defense capacity and inflammation levels to further use for treatment and amelioration of related diseases.