Polyphenols, the most abundant bioactive compounds in fruits, profoundly affect fruit coloration, quality, and storability while offering antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and disease-preventive benefits. The biosynthesis of polyphenols is predominantly facilitated via the pentose phosphate, shikimate, and phenylpropanoid pathways, governed by an intricate and multi-tiered regulatory network that integrates environmental signals, hormonal cues, and transcription factor-mediated transcriptional control. Conventional thermal processing often causes substantial degradation of polyphenols, whereas emerging non-conventional processing technologies better preserve functional properties, improve food safety, and enhance polyphenol bioavailability. To date, however, most studies remain confined to single-factor analyses, hindering the understanding of synergistic regulatory mechanisms and delaying the industrial translation of precision strategies. From an integrative horticultural and food-science perspective, this review critically assesses key regulatory factors determining polyphenol content and bioavailability, identifies knowledge gaps, and proposes strategic directions for future research and industrial application to support the efficient exploitation and targeted utilization of polyphenol resources.

Herpes zoster (HZ) is an infectious disease caused by the varicella zoster virus. Vaccination, especially recombinant protein vaccine, is an effective preventive method. However, the protein vaccine is easy to degrade, and its immunogenicity is weak, combined adjuvants and delivery systems can improve protein vaccines immune efficacy. In this work, a self-adjuvanted hydrogel vaccine (OHH/gE) was prepared by oxidized mannan and hydroxypropyl chitosan, which could slowly release antigen to continuously stimulate the body to improve immune level and effectively prevent and treat Hz. The results showed that this hydrogel (OHH) was injectable, able to gel in situ and slowly release antigens, protecting them from degradation. OHH, as a toll like receptor (TLR-4 agonist), causes the upregulation of costimulatory molecules (CD11c, CD80, CD86). After subcutaneous administration, OHH/gE significantly increased the antibody levels (IgG, IgG2a, IgG1) as well as the cellular immune levels (IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IFN-γ). In addition, OHH/gE promoted lymphocyte activation and prolonged germinal centers, which was associated with high body fluid levels. Overall, this study designed a novel antigen delivery platform with adjuvant function, which showed great potential in the immunotherapy of diseases.

Biological matrices are rich in information related to life processes, serving as invaluable media for assessing an individual's overall physiological status and its dynamic fluctuations, as well as crucial foundations for disease diagnosis. However, the inherent complexity of these matrices, coupled with our incomplete understanding of their full composition, presents significant challenges for comprehensive analysis and accurate diagnostic interpretation. The advent of single-molecule technologies has revolutionized biomedical research, enabling the direct observation of life processes at the molecular scale. We have proposed an Intelligent Nano-Fingerprinting strategy based on single-molecule nanopore technology, designed to capture the global molecular fingerprints of complex plasma matrices. Furthermore, we developed an intelligent algorithmic model capable of achieving precise classification of plasma samples. This approach is characterized by its simplicity, efficiency, and considerable potential for large-scale adoption and transferable applications.

Flavonol glycosides are secondary metabolites important for plant development and stress defense such as UV-B irradiation. UDP-glycosyltransferase (UGT) catalyzes the last step in the biosynthesis of flavonol glycosides. Eriobotrya japonica is abundant in flavonol glycosides, but UGTs responsible for accumulation of flavonol glycosides remain unknown. Here, 13 flavonol glycosides including monoglycosides and diglycosides were characterized in different tissues of loquat by LC-MS/MS. UV-B irradiation significantly increased the accumulation of four quercetin glycosides and two kaempferol glycosides in loquat fruit. Based on UGT gene family analysis, transcriptome analysis, enzyme assays of recombinant proteins as well as transient overexpression assays in Nicotiana benthamiana, three UGTs were identified, i.e. EjUGT78T4 as flavonol 3-O-galactosyltransferase, EjUGT78S3 as flavonol 3-O-glucosyltransferase, and EjUGT91AK7 as flavonol 1 -> 6 rhamnosyltransferase. This work elucidates the formation of flavonol glycosides in loquat through UGT-mediated glycosylation.

Loquat leaves, flowers, and other organs contain abundant antioxidant substances, which have wide applications in medicine, health, and food industries. This study aims to provide theoretical guidance for loquat hybrid parent and combination selection and a basis for high-quality loquat strain screening and development. For comprehensive antioxidant profiling, we used “Ninghaibai” and “Oobusa” loquat and their F1 generation as experimental materials to determine the total phenol, flavonoid, DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP content in the leaves and flowers of 56 strains. Five traits, including total phenols, flavonoids, DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP, were widely separated and normally distributed in the flowers of 56 F1 loquat strains, exhibiting the genetic basis of these quantitative traits. However, these traits displayed widely separated and slightly skewed distribution in the leaves of the F1 generation. The total phenols, flavonoids, DPPH, and FRAP showed a trend of small inheritance in the leaves. However, the ABTS showed a trend of medium and high inheritance in leaves and flowers, respectively. Through cluster and principal component analyses, a comprehensive antioxidant activity evaluation was conducted. Ten strains with comprehensive scores greater than 1 for antioxidant activity in leaves and flowers were selected. Among them, the top three strains with high antioxidant capacity were ND107, “Oobusa”, and ND128. These results suggest that hybrid breeding guided by the genetic characteristics of each trait can improve the possibility of cultivating new varieties with high antioxidant activity.

Fluorescence signal amplification presents a pivotal strategy for visualized and ultrasensitive analyte detection, particularly for rapid and precise identification of pathogens that is critical for public health. However, complex sample matrices and low-abundance pathogens in environmental sample matrices limit current fluorescent signal amplification strategies. In this study, we developed an Acoustic Enriching Chip-based visual Detection (AECD) technology by integrating the acoustofluidic enrichment strategy with recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) and CRISPR/Cas12a system to enhance the pathogen detection. By optimizing the directional arrangement of functional microspheres in a standing wave node of bulk acoustic wave (BAW), a novel analytical methodology was established. By the BAW-enabled acoustofluidic enrichment, fluorescence intensity was enhanced by 202.4 % compared to conventional fluorescence microscopy detection methods. Furthermore, our platform demonstrated robust analytical performance for Salmonella typhimurium detection, exhibiting a linear dynamic detection range spanning five orders of magnitude (1 to 1 x 105 copies/reaction) with semi-quantitative capabilities. The detection sensitivity was 101 CFU/mL for S. typhimurium spiked in real water samples (river, spring, and reservoir), that was comparable to qPCR, and the total assay time was completed within 1 h. The innovative coupling of physical field-enhanced target concentration with precise CRISPR-mediated molecular recognition establishes a transformative paradigm for microbial detection in complex environments.

Salmo salar is one of the most popular salmon species due to its meaty texture and quality protein. Oncorhynchus mykiss, which has a muscle texture similar to that of Salmo salar and is less expensive, is often used as a substitute for Salmo salar. As Salmo salar and Oncorhynchus mykiss belong to the same subfamily of Salmonidae, traditional methods are ineffective in the specific detection of the two. In this study, we combined hue-change with CRISPR/Cas12a lateral flow assay to detect the Salmo salar adulteration. This method detected S. salar genomic DNA at a vLOD of 5 copies, and was able to accurately identify adulterated samples containing 5 % w/w Salmo salar within one hour. In addition, the detection of Salmo salar in processed food products was achieved with the naked-eye at a concentration range of 0 % similar to 70 % w/w, and the detection accuracy is between 93.3 % similar to 100 %.

Excavating nucleic acid quantitative capabilities by combining clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and isothermal amplification in one pot is of common interest. However, the mutual interference between CRISPR cleavage and isothermal amplification is the primary obstacle to quantitative detection. Though several works have demonstrated enhanced detection sensitivity by reducing the inhibition of CRISPR on amplification in one pot, few paid attention to the amplification process and even dynamic reaction processes between the two. Herein, we find that DNA quantification can be realized by regulating either recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) efficiency or CRISPR/Cas12a cleaving efficiency (namely, tuning the dynamic reaction balance) in one pot. The sensitive quantification is realized by utilizing dual PAM-free crRNAs for CRISPR/Cas12a recognition. The varied RPA primer concentration with stabilized CRISPR systems significantly affects the amplification efficiency and quantitative performances. Alternatively, quantitative detection can also be achieved by stabilizing the amplification process while regulating the CRISPR/Cas12a concentration. The quantitative capability is proved by detecting DNA targets from Lactobacillus acetotolerans and SARS-CoV-2. The quantitative performance toward real samples is comparable to quantitative real-time PCR for detecting L. acetotolerans spiked in fermented food samples and SARS-CoV-2 clinical samples. We expect that the presented method will be a powerful tool for quantifying other nucleic acid targets.

Detecting and removing pesticide and veterinary drug residues in agricultural products are important for ensuring food safety. Current methods for detecting pesticide residues are mainly relied on sophisticated instruments, which require long detection time and skilled operators, limiting their accessibility. Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are a hybrid material composed of metal ions/clusters and organic ligands. MOFs possess multiple functions such as adsorption enrichment, catalytic degradation, and fluorescent and electrochemical signal generation. Therefore, MOFs have great potential in rapidly detecting and removing pesticide and veterinary drug residues. This review introduces functionalities of MOFs: Enrichment and removal, catalytic degradation, fluorescence sensing, and electrochemical sensing, and then summarizes their applications for rapid detecting and removing pesticide and veterinary drug residues. Additionally, this article comprehensively analyzes the advantages and disadvantages about combining RGB analysis and portable monitoring devices with MOFs. Also, the challenges of applying MOFs to detecting and removing pesticide and veterinary drug residue are discussed. Overall, this paper provides a reference for developing techniques to rapidly detect and remove containments in agricultural products.

Rapid detection technology for human and animal diseases is essential in human health and animal production, most of which are invasive. Accompanying the development of metabolomics, a new sensing/biosensing strategy based on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) has recently emerged as one of the most promising solutions for diagnosing diseases in a non-invasive way. Significantly, recent years have witnessed the blooming of new materials to enable the new design and performance enhancement of VOC sensors/biosensors. This review summarizes recent advances in VOC optical sensors for diagnosing human and animal diseases in recent years (2018–2023). Firstly, the metabolomics for the development of VOC as biomarkers of diseases is introduced. Then, optical VOC sensors are emphasized regarding sensing mechanisms. Significantly, the critical roles of novel materials that enabled the new design and significant performance enhancement of sensors are highlighted and discussed. Finally, a perspective towards the future VOC sensors is proposed. This review may provide new information to understand the progress of optical VOC sensor-based disease diagnosis methods and the advancing of novel materials in the sensing field.

Meat adulteration is a challenge faced by the global food industry. However, existing protein-based methods or DNA-based polymerase chain reactions are time-consuming and require specialist devices. Therefore, a rapid and on-site assay is urgently needed for identifying meat species. In this study, we developed a duplex recombinase polymerase amplification-lateral flow strip (dRPA-LFS) assay coupled with a rapid DNA extraction method (utilizing the UiO-66 coated stick as the DNA isolation device, and the isolation can be completed in 1minute, including lysis, washing, and desorption in three steps) for the identification of pork and chicken ingredients. Targeted genes, the pork (Porcine) mitochondrial ND2 gene and chicken (Gallus gallus) cytochrome B gene, were designed with primers and probes. The whole dRPA-LFS detection procedure can be finished within 18.5minutes (including 1minute of rapid DNA extraction, 15minutes of dRPA amplification, and 2.5minutes of LFS semi-quantitative detection by the naked eye), and the result can also be quantified by ImageJ software within 15minutes. No positive amplification was observed in beef, lamb, duck, rabbit, goose, ostrich, and horse meat DNA. This assay is sensitive and can detect as low as 0.1% (wt%) of pork and chicken in simulated adulterated meat mixtures. This assay was successfully applied to the authentication identification of 30 commercial beef and lamb products.

Mycotoxin contamination in food and the environment seriously harms human health. Sensitive and timely detection of mycotoxins is crucial. Here, we report a dual-functional hybrid membrane with absorptivity and responsiveness for fluorescent-quantitative detection of mycotoxin aflatoxin B1 (AFB1). A biomineralization-inspired and microwave-accelerated fabrication method was established to prepare a hybrid membrane with a metal-organic framework (MOF) loaded in high density. The MOF presented high efficiency in capturing AFB1 and showed fluorescence intensity alteration simultaneously, enabling a dual adsorption-response mode. Deriving from the inherent porous structure of the hybrid membrane and the absorptive/responsive ability of the loaded MOF, a filtration-enhanced detection mode was elaborated to provide a 1.67-fold signal increase compared with the conventional soaking method. Therefore, the hybrid membrane exhibited a rapid response time of 10 min and a low detection limit of 0.757 ng mL-1, superior to most analogues in rapidity and sensitivity. The hybrid membrane also presented superior specificity, reproducibility, and anti-interference ability and even performed well in extreme environments such as strong acid or alkaline, satisfying the practical requirements for facile and in-field detection. Therefore, the membrane had strong applicability in chicken feed samples, with a detection recovery between 70.6% and 101%. The hybrid membrane should have significant prospects in the rapid and in-field inspection of mycotoxins for agriculture and food.

Pathogen detection is increasingly applied in medical diagnosis, food processing and safety, and environmental monitoring. Rapid, sensitive, and accurate pathogen quantification is the most critical prerequisite for assessing protocols and preventing risks. Among various methods evolved, those based on clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated proteins (Cas) have been developed as important pathogen detection strategies due to their distinct advantages of rapid target recognition, programmability, ultra-specificity, and potential for scalability of point-of-care testing (POCT). However, arguments and concerns on the quantitative capability of CRISPR-based strategies are ongoing. Herein, we systematically overview CRISPR-based pathogen quantification strategies according to the principles, properties, and application scenarios. Notably, we review future challenges and perspectives to address the of precise pathogen quantification by CRISPR-Cas. We hope the insights presented in this review will benefit development of CRISPR-based pathogen detection methods.

Rapid and accurate detection methods for food-borne pathogens are essential to ensure food safety and human health.One promising innovation in this area is the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated systems(CRISPR/Cas)biosensor,which utilizes Cas protein and CRISPR RNA(crRNA)ribonucleo protein to specifically recognize target genes,and converts target signals into detectable physical and chemical signals.The CRISPR/Cas biosensor shows many advantages,such as high specificity,programmability,and ease of use,making it promising to pathogen detection.This paper introduced the principles and characteristics of CRISPR/Cas systems,along with the strategies for signal recognition,amplification,and output based on different CRISPR/Cas biosensors,and their respective applications in food-borne pathogen detection.Furthermore,the construction principles and challenges of multiple biosensors based on CRISPR/Cas were explored,as well as their potential for simultaneous detection of multiple pathogens.Finally,the challenges and future development trends of CRISPR/Cas-based biosensors in rapid pathogen detection were discussed,aiming to provide valuable reference and inspiration for biosensor designers and food safety practitioners.

Acoustofluidic technologies that integrate acoustic waves and microfluidic chips have been widely used in bioparticle manipulation. As a representative technology, acoustic tweezers have attracted significant attention due to their simple manufacturing, contact-free operation, and low energy consumption. Recently, acoustic tweezers have enabled the efficient and smart manipulation of biotargets with sizes covering millimeters (such as zebrafish) and nanometers (such as DNA). In addition to acoustic tweezers, other related acoustofluidic chips including acoustic separating, mixing, enriching, and transporting chips, have also emerged to be powerful platforms to manipulate micro/nano bioparticles (cells in blood, extracellular vesicles, liposomes, and so on). Accordingly, some interesting applications were also developed, such as smart sensing. In this review, we firstly introduce the principles of acoustic tweezers and various related technologies. Second, we compare and summarize recent applications of acoustofluidics in bioparticle manipulation and sensing. Finally, we outlook the future development direction from the perspectives such as device design and interdisciplinary.

Nanochannel-based confinement effect is a fascinating signal transduction strategy for high-performance sensing, but only size confinement is focused on while other confinement effects are unexplored. Here, a highly integrated nanochannel-electrodes chip (INEC) is created and a size/volume-dual-confinement enzyme catalysis model for rapid and sensitive bacteria detection is developed. The INEC, by directly sandwiching a nanochannel chip (60 µm in thickness) in nanoporous gold layers, creates a micro-droplet-based confinement electrochemical cell (CEC). The size confinement of nanochannel promotes the urease catalysis efficiency to generate more ions, while the volume confinement of CEC significantly enriches ions by restricting diffusion. As a result, the INEC-based dual-confinement effects benefit a synergetic enhancement of the catalytic signal. A 11-times ion-strength-based impedance response is obtained within just 1 min when compared to the relevant open system. Combining this novel nanoconfinement effects with nanofiltration of INEC, a separation/signal amplification-integrated sensing strategy is further developed for Salmonella typhimurium detection. The biosensor realizes facile, rapid (<20 min), and specific signal readout with a detection limit of 9 CFU mL-1 in culturing solution, superior to most reports. This work may create a new paradigm for studying nanoconfined processes and contribute a new signal transduction technique for trace analysis application.

The presence of aflatoxins in natural water bodies has been discovered in more and more countries and regions. The simultaneous removal and detection of aflatoxins are urgently needed to prevent and control their contamination. In this research, water-stable and luminescent zirconium metal-organic frameworks (Zr-LMOFs) were in-situ grown on natural cotton fibers. Then, the as-prepared Zr-LMOFs@Cotton was utilized as a recyclable dual-functional material for removal and detection of aflatoxins in aqueous solutions. The removal efficiency towards different AFB1 concentrations (25-100 mu g/L) in irrigation water and rice vinegar reached 92 % and 97 %, respectively. The possible mechanism for efficient removal was investigated and attributed to the synergistic effect of 7C-7C interactions and hydrophobic effect. The Zr-LMOFs@Cotton maintained more than 95 % of its removal efficiency even after 10 cycles. Further, utilizing the Zr-LMOFs@Cotton for visual and semi-automatic removal of the most concerned AFB1 in water samples was verified. Also, the fluorescent Zr-LMOFs@Cotton has been combined with a microplate reader to explore a high throughput method for rapidly detecting aflatoxins. A low detection limit of 0.1 mu g/L (0.32 nM) and a wide linear range from 0.05 to 20 mg/L was realized. The efficient quenching of Zr-LMOFs@Cotton by AFB1 resulted from both the inner filter effect and photoexcited electron transfer. The Zr-LMOFs@Cotton could accomplish the simultaneous removal and detection of aflatoxins in 5 min with simple and convenient operations. The excellent absorptivity, stable fluorescence, and easy renewability of the developed Zr-LMOFs@Cotton provides a cost-effective and environment-friendly material and strategy for simultaneously removing and monitoring aflatoxins in liquid samples.

With the rapid development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) industry, the demand of TCM is increasing. The quality and safety of TCM are attracting more and more attention. Mycotoxin pollution, which not only affects the quality, and in serious cases, also may cause carcinogenic, teratogenic and mutagenic effects on human body, has become one of the key safety issues of TCM. Rapid and accurate detection of mycotoxins in TCM is essential to ensure the quality and safety. Optical biosensors have been widely applied to rapid detection of mycotoxins due to their advantages such as simplicity to operate, fast response, high sensitivity, and good accuracy. Notably, nanomaterials are extensively used in optical biosensors owing to their unique physicochemical and catalytic properties. This review summarized the optical biosensors for mycotoxins in recent years. The principles, application characteristics and construction methods progress of optical biosensors were emphasized. The optical biosensors were classified into fluorescence, colorimetry, chemiluminescence, surface enhanced Raman scattering and polarized light for detailed discussion. The effects of the main matrix components of TCM on optical biosensors were comprehensively discussed. The challenges and perspectives of optical biosensors for detection of mycotoxins in TCM were highlighted. It was aimed to provide guidance for sensitive, accurate and convenient supervision of the quality of Chinese medicinal materials.

为了解枇杷(Eriobotrya japonica)叶片性状和单果质量的遗传多样性及其相关性,对'宁海白'与'大房'杂交组合的F1群体(123株)的7个叶片性状与单果质量进行相关分析.结果表明,叶片的长度、宽度、厚度和叶柄长度及单果质量5个性状在后代中均呈现连续性较好的正态分布,其中单果质量、叶片的长度、宽度和厚度呈趋小遗传趋势,叶柄长度呈趋中变异趋势.F1杂交群体叶面形态主要以"稍皱"为主,叶片形状以"椭圆形"为主,叶基形状以"楔形"为主.单果质量与叶柄长度、叶片长度、叶片宽度、叶片厚度均表现出极显著的正相关性.因此,叶柄长度可考虑作为早期筛选大果优株的参考指标之一.

Introduction:Lignification of fruit flesh is a common physiological disorder that occurs during post-harvest storage, resulting in the deterioration of fruit quality. Lignin deposition in loquat fruit flesh occurs due to chilling injury or senescence, at temperatures around 0°C or 20°C, respectively. Despite extensive research on the molecular mechanisms underlying chilling-induced lignification, the key genes responsible for the lignification process during senescence in loquat fruit remain unknown. MADS-box genes, an evolutionarily conserved transcription factor family, have been suggested to play a role in regulating senescence. However, it is still unclear whether MADS-box genes can regulate the lignin deposition that arises from fruit senescence.Methods:Both senescence- and chilling-induced flesh lignification were simulated by applying temperature treatments on loquat fruits. The flesh lignin content during the storage was measured. Transcriptomic, quantitative reverse transcription PCR and correlation analysis were employed to identify key MADS-box genes that may be involved in flesh lignification. The Dual-luciferase assay was utilized to identify the potential interactions between MADS-box members and genes in phenylpropanoid pathway.Results and Discussion:The lignin content of the flesh samples treated at 20°C or 0°C increased during storage, but at different rates. Results from transcriptome analysis, quantitative reverse transcription PCR, and correlation analysis led us to identify a senescence-specific MADS-box gene, EjAGL15, which correlated positively with the variation in lignin content of loquat fruit. Luciferase assay results confirmed that EjAGL15 activated multiple lignin biosynthesis-related genes. Our findings suggest that EjAGL15 functions as a positive regulator of senescence-induced flesh lignification in loquat fruit.