This study aimed to develop novel bigels as solid fat substitutes and compare the effects of three gelators on their physical properties. Bigels were prepared by mixing whey protein (WPI) hydrogel with glycerol monostearate (GMS), γ-oryzanol/β-sitosterol (SO), and beeswax (BW) based oleogels at different ratios. All bigels exhibited typical hydrogel-in-oleogel (HG/OG) structures as the oleogel content increased from O5:H5 to O8:H2. Among the three systems, GMS-based bigels showed better thermal stability, rheological properties, oil-binding capacity (>97%), and freeze–thaw stability. Their improved oxidative stability was related to the formation of a dense crystalline network, which reduced oil mobility, limited water migration, and slowed oxygen diffusion. In addition, the SVR model showed better prediction performance for POV and TBARS than the PLSR model, with R2 values above 0.95 and prediction errors below 10%. These findings offer critical structural insights into how different gelators modulate bigels properties, offering the way for the design of healthier solid fat substitutes.

The rough mouthfeel and poor odor have greatly limited the consumption of brown rice (BR). In this study, Rhizopus oligosporus was used to improve BR's quality including nutrient composition, flavor, digestibility and antioxidant activity in vitro. Twenty-four mice (n = 8/group) were raised to investigate the advantages of fermented BR (FBR) in hypoglycemic, lipid-lowering and gut protective effects in vivo compared with BR and polished rice (PR). Metabolite analysis indicated that long-chain nutrients were bio-transformed into small molecules, wherein the short-chain sugars and free amino acids contents significantly (p < 0.05) increased by 23.51% and 16.88-folds, respectively. Insoluble fibers in seed coat were hydrolyzed into soluble fractions, inducing a significant (p <0.05) decrease of 34.28% in hardness using texture profile analysis (TPA). Headspacegas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-GC-MS) analysis indicated that BR's flavor was improved by significantly (p <0.05) increasing the alcohols and esters contents, respectively. Phenolics reached the maximum content of 1.25 mg/g in FBR at 6 d and was 4.31-fold of control, resulting in high antioxidant capacities of FBR in vivo and in vitro. FBR consumption significantly (p < 0.05) decreased mice weight gain and epididymal fat by 29.68% and 27.81% compared with PR group, respectively. Histological analysis demonstrated that FBR protected intestinal mucosal barrier by significantly (p < 0.05) increasing mucus layer thickness and goblet cell number by 47.23% and 53.18% compared with PR group, respectively. Biochemical reactions triggered during fermentation were tracked to their potential metabolic pathways to interpret underlying mechanism. In conclusion, BR fermented with R. oligosporus implied high application potential as a functional food.

This study evaluated the effects of ultrasound (UP), ethanol (EP), and ultrasound-assisted ethanol(UEP) pretreatments on the hot-air drying characteristics and quality of asparagus lettuce (AL). UEP exhibited synergism, reducing drying time by 52.21% and energy consumption by 46.88% compared to the control. Microstructural analysis revealed that UEP formed a uniform microchannel network, facilitating moisture migration and accelerating water diffusion. This shortened drying time reduced thermal degradation of bioactive compounds, improving color, vitamin C, chlorophyll, total phenolics, flavonoids, and antioxidant capacity. Correlation analysis confirmed drying time as the central factor linking structural changes to quality outcomes. TOPSIS-EWM identified UEP as the optimal pretreatment. These findings reveal the mechanistic chain from synergistic pretreatment to quality preservation and demonstrate UEP as an effective strategy for enhancing drying efficiency and product quality.

The poor stability and low bioavailability of quercetin (Que) have limited its application in the food industry. Que-loaded zein/sodium caseinate (SC) nanoparticles were prepared at different zein/SC mass ratios. The aggregated nanoparticles at low SC concentrations due to weak electrostatic repulsion, while a zein/SC ratio of 1:4 produced well-dispersed nanoparticles with high encapsulation efficiency and good stability. The hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, and hydrophobic associations contributed to the successful encapsulation of Que. and the transformation of Que. into an amorphous form. Stability tests revealed that SC markedly improved the resistance of Que. to environmental stresses, with the best performance observed at zein/SC ratios of 1:4 and 1:8. Furthermore, an improved re-dispersibility of the nanoparticles was found after addition of SC. In vitro gastrointestinal digestion showed that higher SC levels modulated a sustained release of Que. Overall, zein-SC nanoparticles provided an effective delivery system for protecting and enhancing the functional properties of Que., offering potential applications in functional foods and nutraceutical formulations.

In this study, ternary covalent complexes of soybean protein amyloid fibrils (SAFs), dextran, and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) were successfully prepared using the Maillard reaction and free-radical grafting and with the assistance of sonication. The effects of these covalent complexes on the formation, microstructure, and physicochemical properties of oil-in-water high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) were then investigated. The covalent ternary complexes (US-SED) were successfully used as multifunctional emulsifiers. They produced HIPEs containing smaller and more highly charged oil droplets than their non-covalent counterparts. The HIPEs prepared with US-SED have the highest lycopene loading capacity (91.2 +/- 2.7 %). Rheological analysis showed that USSED-stabilized HIPEs were strongly shear-thinning viscoelastic solids with good resistance to creaming. Confocal fluorescence microscopy confirmed that the HIPEs had an oil-in-water structure, with US-SED-coated oil droplets evenly dispersed throughout the emulsions. Interfacial tension analysis showed that the interfacial tension of USSED-stabilized HIPEs was significantly reduced (9.52 mN/m). Turbiscan stability index (TSI) analysis further confirmed the strong resistance of the HIPEs to gravitational separation (TSI <2.0 after 6 h). These findings indicated that covalent ternary conjugates can significantly improve the stability and functionality of HIPEs, offering a promising strategy for encapsulating hydrophobic bioactive in food and pharmaceutical applications.

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have emerged as a sustainable alternative for the efficient extraction of bioactive compounds. This study presents a green and efficient strategy for the extraction and purification of saponins from Strobilanthes sarcorrhiza C.Ling (SSC) using DESs. Seventeen different DESs were screened, with malic acidcholine chloride (Mal-ChCl, 3:1) identified as the most effective. The extraction process was optimized via response surface methodology, yielding optimal conditions of 63 degrees C, 60 min, and a liquid-solid ratio of 37 mL/g, which resulted in a high saponin yield of 113.41 mg/g. Subsequent purification utilizing D101 macroporous resin demonstrated that the adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order model, confirming the process was dominated by chemical sorption. This integrated approach enabled the identification of 26 saponins, including Ginsenoside F1, Notoginsenoside R2, and Prosapogenin A. To unravel the underlying extraction mechanism, molecular dynamics simulations were employed, revealing that the process was driven by a synergy of hydrogen bonding, it-it stacking, van der Waals interactions, and charge transfer. Critical interactions were found to involve the Cl- and OH groups of ChCl and the OH, C--O, and COOH groups of Mal. Electron cloud analysis further pinpointed the Cl- anion and the C=O/COOH groups as key active sites for saponin-DESs interaction. This work not only provides a sustainable and effective protocol for saponin extraction from SSC but also offers profound molecular-level insights into the mechanism, highlighting the significant potential of DESs in advanced separation processes.

The extent of polyphenol binding directly determines the enhancement of peptide bioactivity, yet the influence of peptide molecular weight on this interaction remains poorly understood. Our results show that small molecular weight walnut peptides (S-WP) exhibit higher phenolic acid binding ratios and more pronounced reductions in free amino and sulfhydryl groups, suggesting a greater propensity to form covalent conjugates. Structural characterization indicates that covalent conjugation reduces peptide surface hydrophobicity, enhances ultraviolet absorption, induces fluorescence quenching, and increases random coil content. Antioxidant evaluations further confirm that phenolic acid conjugation significantly enhances the antioxidant activity of walnut peptides, with effectiveness positively correlated with phenolic acid content. Overall, this study provides the first evidence of the pivotal role of peptide molecular weight in conjugate formation, offering a novel strategy for developing functional walnut peptide-phenolic ingredient systems.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) accounts for a major share of liver damage worldwide. Studies investigating dietary anthocyanins as a promising strategy are attracting attention. In this study, the hepatoprotective effects of the purified anthocyanin-rich extract (PAE) from purple highland barley bran were investigated in vitro and in vivo. Results indicated that PAE at 1.2 mg/mL significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited pancreatic lipase and cholesteryl esterase activities by 63.11% and 60.21%, respectively. PAE induced resistant starch formation by increasing the degree of starch structure. In a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD model, PAE intervention at 400 mg/kg/d significantly (p < 0.05) reduced hepatic weight, total glyceride (TG) and total cholesterol (TC) by 25.51%, 35.15% and 34.2%, respectively, compared with HFD group. PAE exerted significant beneficial effects on oxidative stress and inflammation. Western blot analysis in oleic acid (OA)-induced HepG2 cells revealed that the underlying mechanism was partially involved in the activation of the nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway and inhibition of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. At 400 μg/mL, PAE significantly (p < 0.05) increased nuclear Nrf2 level by 1.24-fold and decreased p38 MAPK phosphorylation by 27.47% compared with the OA-treated group. Additionally, PAE significantly (p < 0.05) improved intestinal barrier function by increasing mucus thickness and goblet cell number by 25.63% and 33.99%, respectively, and alleviated gut dysbacteriosis compared with HFD group. The colon metabolic profile was significantly altered by PAE, with differential metabolites mainly involved in flavonoid biosynthesis and the biosynthesis of arginine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan. Correlation analysis revealed strong links (p < 0.05) between the NAFLD-related traits, intestinal flora and metabolites, implying that PAE mitigated NAFLD via the gut-liver axis.

In this study, a homogeneous polysaccharide, designated as PFP-80, was isolated from the dried root of Polygonatum filipes using enzymatic extraction combined with graded ethanol precipitation. Structural characterization suggested that PFP-80 was a fructan polysaccharide with a molecular weight of 4.06 kDa. The analysis with gas chromatograph–mass spectrometer (GC–MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) further confirmed that PFP-80 consisted of →1)-β-D-Fruf-(2→ and →1,6)-β-D-Fruf-(2→ linkages, with branching occurring at the O-6 position. After 48 h of fermentation, the pH was decreased while SCFAs were increased significantly due to the utilization of PFP-80. Furthermore, PFP-80 was found to modulate the gut microbiota by enhancing microbial abundance and diversity, and by impeding the growth of deleterious pathogens such as Ruminococcus gnavus. In summary, the present results provide a scientific basis for the subsequent development of PFP-derived functional food products.

The instability of ACE inhibitory peptides during gastrointestinal digestion limits the application of the peptides in the food industry. Encapsulation of the peptides in liposomes can be an effective method for enhancing their biological activities and stabilities. In this study, the effects of chitosan coating on the physicochemical features, stability, and in vitro release of liposomes loaded with ACE inhibitory peptides obtained from camellia seed cake (CPH) were evaluated. Both liposomes loaded with CPH (CPH-Lip) and CPH-Lip coated with chitosan (CS-CPH-Lip) had spherical and core-shell structures. The CPH-Lip coated with 0.5% chitosan (CS-CPH-Lip-0.5%) had the highest encapsulation efficiency (EE) of 82.67% compared with other samples. Moreover, the CS-CPH-Lip-0.5% had improved storage stability and thermal stability, which was owing to the electrostatic interaction between CPH-Lip and chitosan. The CPH-Lip showed a controllable release after chitosan coating, and maintained 52.76% of the ACE inhibitory activity after gastrointestinal digestion. Thus, CS-coated liposome is a promising approach for the effective delivery of bioactive peptides.

This study aimed to establish an efficient method for preparing umami peptides from Lentinus edodes tails (LET) and select the appropriate pore size of the enzymatic membrane reactor (EMR). The protein conversion rate (PCD) of enzymatic hydrolysis from the protein of LET by EMR equipped with a 30k ultrafiltration membrane was significantly increased from 23.53 +/- 0.24 % (without EMR) to 62.30 +/- 0.39 %. The enzymatic hydrolysate of 30 kDa (30k-EMR) also showed the highest proportion of peptide fractions (<1 kDa) (62.13 +/- 4.91 %), the highest proportion of umami amino acids (26.78 +/- 0.13 %), and the highest umami intensity, among the three membrane pore sizes 30 kDa, 10 kDa, and 5 kDa. Five umami peptides (FGDGAP, SGGSPGADRVVF, RLDAPGHRDF, FSYGDVGPR, NFADY) were selected by six virtual screening tools, and binding energy (<-8.5 kcal/mol) from 30 k-EMR, and the umami thresholds were 0.023-0.375 mmol/L. Molecular docking revealed that the amino acid residues Glu889, Glu946, Gly891 were crucial in the binding of the umami peptide to the T1R1/T1R3. Therefore, this study provides a theoretical basis for the development of condiments from LET.

While roasting is essential for developing the characteristic flavor of almonds, it can also result in the formation of thermal contaminants that cause potential threats to human health. This study investigated the effects of roasting conditions (110-150 °C, 10-30 min) on precursor degradation, antioxidant activity, and formation of acrylamide (AA) and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) in almonds. Higher roasting intensity increased browning index (BI) and total phenolic content, while reducing sugars and asparagine declined. AA and 5-HMF contents peaked at 150 °C/30 min. A support vector regression (SVR) model using L*, a*, b*, BI, and moisture content accurately predicted the levels of AA and 5-HMF (R2 > 0.94, RMSE < 10%). Moderate roasting conditions (≤ 130 °C for ≤15 min) are recommended to achieve an optimal balance between product safety and quality. These results suggested that machine learning is an effective method for food risk assessment.

The poor stability and low bioavailability of curcumin (CUR) have limited its application in the food industry. The incorporation of hydrophobic compounds into emulsion gels has been shown to enhance their stability and facilitate controlled release from the matrix. Therefore, this study aims to encapsulate CUR in sodium alginate (ALG)-whey protein (WPI)-based emulsion gels to improve its stability and bioavailability. In this study, gel beads were prepared by the oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by ALG and WPI for effective delivery of CUR. The addition of ALG increased the apparent viscosity and induced a Newtonian-like flow behavior, which helped to form a more compact network structure. As the ratio of ALG to WPI varied from 1:3 to 3:1, the swelling ratios of the gel beads were decreased to 44 % and 89 % at pH 1.2 and pH 7.4, respectively, which was attributed to electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonds between ALG and WPI. In vitro digestion experiments showed that the emulsions-based gel beads could be used for sustained and controlled release of CUR and maintained the antioxidant activities. These results suggest that ALG-WPI emulsions-based gel beads could be effective encapsulation system for bioactive compounds in food industry.

This study examined the influence of ultrasound treatment on the non-volatile components and volatile compounds of Camellia oleifera C.Abel seeds oil (COO) during moderate refining to improve its quality. The results revealed that compared to the moderate refining group (MR), ultrasound-assisted moderate refining group (UAMR) reduced acid value and phospholipid while increasing α-tocopherol (23.27 %), squalene (10.38 %), and phytosterols (9.14 %). Among 66 volatile compounds of the COO, 15 key flavor compounds (VIP > 1, P < 0.05, OAV > 1) were identified. Cluster analysis revealed four refining phases, with PCA showing UAMR group better preserved key flavor compounds than MR group. Ultrasound treatment reduced aldehydes and acids content in the refined COO by suppressing hydroperoxide (POV) decomposition. These compositional changes mitigated greasiness and significantly improved sensory acceptability. In summary, ultrasound treatment may be a promising approach to improve the quality of the refined COO.

In this study, walnut proteins (WP) were combined with polyphenols extracted from hickory green husk (HG), nutshell (HN) and seed coat (HS) using four strategies: physical mixing, heat treatment, alkali treatment and ultrasound-assisted free radical grafting. The effects of conjugation on physicochemical properties, structure, and emulsifying capacity of the composites were investigated. Oil-in-water emulsions were then prepared using WP-HS, WP-HN, and WP-HG as emulsifiers. The results indicate that conjugation with polyphenols promotes unfolding of WP polypeptide chains. WP-HS-UFRG2 (free radical grafting, 200 W/20 min) showed the smallest particle size (145.2 ± 1.13 nm), highest zeta potential (-43.3 ± 0.2 mV), solubility (80.34 ± 1.29 %), emulsification capacity (48.9 ± 0.62 m2/g), and foaming stability (88.16 ± 0.71 %). Emulsions stabilized by this conjugate exhibited the smallest polydispersity index (PDI = 0.20 ± 0.002) and highest β-carotene encapsulation efficiency (91.51 ± 0.90 %). In conclusion, grafting with hickory polyphenols is an effective strategy to improve the emulsifying and stabilizing properties of walnut proteins, highlighting their potential as functional food ingredients.

The emulsifying properties of food proteins can often be enhanced by covalent conjugates with carbohydrates, meeting the safety and functionality requirements for Pickering emulsions in industries such as food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. This study aimed to covalently link soybean protein amyloid fibrils (SAFs) and chitooligosaccharides (COSs) using genipin as a natural cross-linker and with the assistance of ultrasonic treatment (400 W, 5 min) to prepare novel protein-based emulsifiers. The effects of pH value and SAF:COS mass ratio on the microstructure, physicochemical properties, and emulsifying/foaming properties of these composite nanoparticles were systematically investigated. The optimal preparation conditions were determined to be a pH of 7 and a mass ratio of 1:2 (SAF:COS). The foams stabilized by the nanoparticles prepared under these conditions possess excellent plasticity, while the corresponding Pickering emulsions exhibit high encapsulation efficiency (83.9 %) for beta-carotene and remarkable storage stability. These research results indicate that genipin-crosslinked nanoparticles can serve as effective emulsifiers and foaming agents, capable of protecting hydrophobic nutrients and thus facilitating their wider application in commercial products.

Vinegar, a globally cherished condiment, owes its partly unique flavor and health benefits to phenolic acids and flavonoids. Phenolic acids and flavonoids are primarily derived from raw materials degradation. However, the contents of these bioactive components are significantly influenced by multiple factors, including the type of raw materials, the species of fermentation microorganisms, the fermentation environment and brewing processes. These challenges have hindered more extensive research and applications of vinegar as a functional food for promotion health. This review systematically summarized recent advancements of phenolic acids and flavonoids in vinegar, mainly including detection, sources, formation and degradation mechanisms, and functional properties. Furthermore, this review highlights the potential of these bioactive compounds in terms of their functional properties and points out the challenges and future development directions of phenolic acids and flavonoids in the vinegar industry. The findings of this review highlight the significant advantages of different liquid chromatography techniques in detecting trace phenolic acids and flavonoids in vinegar, as compared to mobile and stationary phase parameters and validation parameter differences between LC-MS/MS and other detection techniques. This review provided a comprehensive summary of the sources, formation, and degradation mechanisms of these compounds from both chemical and microbiological perspectives, elucidating their molecular-level potential in lipid lowering, alleviating liver and cellular damage, regulating gut microbiota, and exerting anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. These findings are crucial for developing innovative, nutrient functional vinegar products, optimizing their applications in disease prevention, metabolic health, and overall wellness, and providing theoretical support and technical guidance for future research.

This study focused on the fabrication of composite hydrogels using okara cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) and guar gum (GG)and then evaluating their potential application in modifying the properties of tofu. Okara CNFs were extracted and oxidized by 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO), and then various hydrogels were prepared and added to tofu. The results indicated that the hydrogen bonds between okara CNFs and GG (FTIR: OH peak red shift) and the strong electrostatic repulsion among okara CNFs (zeta-potential of CNFs: -32.9 mV) contributed to the formation of the hydrogel. The crystal structure (crystallinity:76.3 %) and thermal (thermal degradation:729.7 degrees C) of the composite hydrogels (TG-US) were better than those of individual GG hydrogels. Rheology indicated that sonication treatment significantly improved the storage modulus (G ') of the composite hydrogel. In tofu, adding oxidized and/or sonicated hydrogels improved textural properties. Overall, this research reveals the potential of utilizing composite hydrogels made from okara in plant-derived food applications, aiming to turn soybean processing waste materials into valuable functional materials and food additives, thereby enhancing economic returns and environmental sustainability.