‘Zaosu’ pears are highly valued for its superior taste and nutritional quality. However, the fruits are susceptible to Aspergillus carbonarius infection during storage, resulting in significant economic losses. In this study, we investigated the biocontrol potential of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by Hanseniaspora uvarum GL7 against A. carbonarius. The results demonstrated that GL7 exhibited promising probiotic characteristics, and GL7 VOCs treatment inhibited the colony diameter, sporulation, germination of A. carbonarius, and downregulated the expression of development-related genes. Moreover, the results of scanning electron microscope revealed that GL7 VOCs destroyed normal morphology of A. carbonarius. GC-MS analysis identified 3-methyl-1-butanol and 3-methyl-1-butanol acetate as the main VOCs produced by GL7. In addition, GL7 VOCs decreased H2O2 accumulation and increased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) in pear fruit during storage. The treatment also activated AsA-GSH cycle in pear fruit by increasing the activities of glutathione reductase (GR) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and elevating contents of glutathione (GSH) and ascorbic acid (AsA). Furthermore, GL7 VOCs increased key enzymes activity in phenylpropanoid pathway, including phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), cinnamate-4-hydroxylase (C4H), 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL), and cinnamate dehydrogenase (CAD), and promoted the accumulation of antimicrobial compounds such as total phenols, flavonoids, and lignin in pear fruit during storage. Therefore, GL7 VOCs can be a potential biocontrol agent for controlling postharvest diseases of ‘Zaosu’ pear fruit.

Nonbovine milks are gaining significant attention in health research due to their distinct nutritional and bioactive profiles. This review summarizes the functional components─including osteopontin, lactoferrin, casein, milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), ω-3 fatty acids, exosomes, and milk oligosaccharides─found in these specialty milks and their biological activities. Preclinical evidence suggests these components have the potential to exert health-promoting effects, with possible applications in immunomodulation, gut barrier enhancement, neurodevelopment, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities. Interspecies variations in bioactive composition suggest specific nonbovine milks may offer targeted advantages for various health applications. However, given that most findings derive primarily from in vitro and animal studies, well-designed human clinical trials are necessary to validate these potential health benefits and elucidate underlying mechanisms in humans. This review highlights the potential of nonbovine milks as sustainable functional ingredients for tailored foods, supplements, and therapeutic formulations promoting human health.

This study investigated the protective effects of yeast β-glucan (YBG) against alcohol-related brain injury (ARBI), with a focus on potential mechanisms mediated by the gut-brain axis. Our findings revealed that YBG supplementation significantly alleviated alcohol-induced anxiety-like behaviors and cognitive deficits in mice. In the brain, YBG mitigated oxidative stress, reduced neuroinflammation, and ameliorated neurotransmitter dysregulation. In the gut, YBG protected the alcohol-damaged intestinal barrier, upregulating the expression of tight junction proteins (Claudin-1, Occludin, and ZO-1) by 1.5- to 4.5-fold. Furthermore, YBG modulated the gut microbial community, markedly increasing the relative abundance of genera such as Akkermansia (from 0.13% to 4.3%) and Lactobacillus (from 0% to 0.89%), while suppressing alcohol-associated taxa including Alistipes (from 0.20% to 0.05%) and Colidextribacter (from 0.61% to 0.01%). These gut-level ecological changes were accompanied by significant shifts in the microbial metabolome, including elevated short-chain fatty acid levels and altered profiles of neuroactive amino acids, particularly L-tryptophan and L-tyrosine (which exhibited 2.9- and 2.7-fold increases, respectively). KEGG pathway analysis revealed that differential metabolites were primarily enriched in amino acid biosynthesis pathways. Correlation analysis showed strong positive associations among YBG-enriched bacteria, favorable metabolites, and markers of brain health. Together, these findings suggest that YBG's protective effects against ARBI are closely associated with the restoration of gut barrier integrity, restructuring the gut microbiota, and modulating microbial metabolism, which collectively correlate with the attenuation of neuroinflammation and oxidative stress.

Table grapes are highly susceptible to pathogenic fungi after harvest, leading to postharvest decay and huge economic losses. Yeast, as a novel biocontrol agent, shows a great potential in controlling postharvest decay in fruits. In this study, we investigated the ability of Hanseniaspora uvarum (LY3) in controlling gray mold and blue mold of table grapes, caused by Botrytis cinerea and Penicillium expansum, respectively. The results indicated that LY3 exhibited a high capacity for biofilm formation and could produce various antifungal metabolites. LY3-treatment effectively inhibited the growth of B. cinerea and P. expansum in vitro and in vivo. In addition, LY3 treatment significantly reduced natural decay and maintained postharvest quality of table grapes, including stem browning rate, weight loss, firmness and sensory evaluation. Moreover, the treatment decreased the abundance of pathogenic fungi communities on grape surfaces during storage, especially B. cinerea and P. expansum. Therefore, LY3 could be suggested as a promising biocontrol agent controlling postharvest diseases in table grapes.

This study aimed to isolate lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with strong antioxidant activity and potential probiotic properties from yak milk and dairy products in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Initial screening of the isolates was performed using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging assay and a hydrogen peroxide tolerance test. Subsequently, the antioxidant capacity of the isolates was assessed through five distinct assays: 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline)-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical scavenging ability, superoxide anion radical scavenging ability, hydroxyl radical scavenging ability, a DPPH scavenging assay, and a reducing activity assay. The strains with the stronger antioxidant potential were then further evaluated for their probiotic properties. Whole-genome sequencing was conducted on Lactobacillus plantarum QL01. Among 1205 isolates, 9 strains exhibited potential antioxidant capabilities. Following probiotic property evaluation, QL01 was identified as a safe candidate due to its strong growth, strong adhesion ability, and resilience to acidic, bile, and simulated gastrointestinal conditions. Genome analysis revealed that most of QL01's genes were involved in carbohydrate metabolism. Further examination of antibiotic resistance and virulence factors confirmed its safety, meanwhile genes linked to adhesion and stress responses underscored its probiotic potential. In conclusion, QL01, a strong antioxidant strain, was successfully isolated, and its probiotic potential was confirmed through comprehensive in vitro and genomic analyses.

This study investigated the protective effects of yak milk (YM) on chronic alcohol-related brain injury (ARBI) in mice. The findings revealed that YM intake significantly alleviated alcohol-induced anxiety-like behaviors, and offered protection against ARBI by decreasing oxidative stress and suppressing the inflammatory response in the brain tissues. Notably, the effects were more pronounced in the high-dose yak milk (HY) group compared to the low-dose yak milk (LY) and high-dose regular cow's milk (HM) groups. Additionally, YM was found to influence the gut microbiota in mice, particularly in relation to microorganisms associated with neuroinflammation and depressive behaviors, such as Parabacteroides and Alistipes. Metabolite analysis revealed that the levels of linoleic acid, N-arachidonoyl dopamine, norlobaridone, epothilone A, xanthotoxol, and indoprofen were significantly elevated in the HY group. Furthermore, KEGG analysis suggested that YM intervention primarily affected the pathways of ABC transporters, cysteine and methionine metabolism. Subsequently, western blot analysis confirmed that this intervention inhibited TLR4 and NF-κB p65 protein levels, leading to a reduction in inflammatory expression. Therefore, we propose that YM provides protection against ARBI and anxiety-like behaviors in mice by modulating oxidative stress, influencing the expression of inflammatory mediators associated with the TLR4/NF-κB pathway, and regulating the gut microbiota and metabolic processes through the "gut-brain" axis.

Precocious sexual inducer (psi)-producing oxygenases (Ppos) participate in the production of C8 moldy volatile compounds (MVOCs), and these compounds could act as signal molecules modulating G protein signaling cascades, which participates in the growth and development, secondary metabolisms and pathogenicity of filamentous fungi. In this study, PePpoA and PePpoC proteins were identified in Penicillium expansum. The deletion of ppoA decreased C8 MVOC production in P. expansum, while they were not detected in the ΔppoC strain (p < 0.05). In addition, down-regulated cAMP/PKA and PKC/PLC signaling showed in the two mutants (p < 0.05). The two mutants showed slow colony growth and down-regulated expression of genes regulating spore development (abaA, wetA, brlA and vosA) with broken morphology of spore and hyphae. In addition, the two mutants had decreased pathogenicity on apple fruit and less patulin production in vitro and in vivo. Compared with ΔppoA strain, the deletion of ppoC inhibited G protein signaling pathways more, and the ΔppoC strain had more defective growth and development as well as reduced pathogenicity and patulin production (p < 0.05). Therefore, PePpoC proteins affect more growth and development, patulin biosynthesis and pathogenicity of P. expansum by regulating C8 MVOC-mediated G protein signaling transduction.

Food products are susceptible to mold contamination, releasing moldy odors. These moldy odors not only affect the flavor of food, but also pose a risk to human health. Moldy odors are a mixture of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by the fungi themselves, which are the main source of moldy odors in moldy foods. These VOCs are secondary metabolites of fungi and are synthesized through various biosynthetic pathways. Both the fungi themselves and environmental factors affect the release of moldy odors. This review summarized the main components of musty odors in moldy foods and their producing fungi. In addition, this review focused on the functions of moldy volatile organic compounds (MVOCs) and the biosynthetic pathways of the major MVOCs, and summarized the factors affecting the release of MVOCs as well as the detection methods. It expected to provide a basis for ensuring food safety.

Ginger,as a rich herb resource in China,has played an important role in food and medicine since ancient times.It is also known as a medicinal and edible homologous plant that possesses unique medical and nutritional values.Ginger polysaccharide is considered one of the most important bio-active components in ginger,which have attracted many attentions for various of bioactivities.In this review,the methods of extraction and purification of polysaccharide,as well as structural characteristics are discussed,what's more,functional properties including antioxidant,immunity regulatory,anti-tumor and their influencing factors are reviewed.It is expected to provide valuable reference for further research and industrial application of ginger polysaccharide.

Probiotic supplementation is a key therapeutic strategy for promoting gut health and maintaining gut homeostasis by modulating functional microbiota. In this study, we isolated two lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains, Pediococcus pentosaceus TCM-3 and Lacticaseibacillus paracasei TDM-2, from Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, and evaluated their probiotic properties and antioxidant bioactivity. In which, TDM-2 had higher T-AOC activity than either TCM-3 or LGG (4.10 μmol/mL vs. 3.68 and 3.53 μmol/mL, respectively, p < 0.05). These strains have shown high antioxidant activity compared to the LAB strains and were found to be acid and bile salt tolerant, confronting the safety issues of antibiotic resistance and the capability of surviving in simulated gastric and intestinal juices. In vitro fermentation experiments with human gut microbiota revealed significant differences in microbial community composition between samples supplemented with TCM-3 and TDM-2 and those without. The addition of these two strains resulted in an enrichment of beneficial taxa, such as the Pediococcus, Lactobacillus, and Clostridium_sensu_strictos at the genus level, and Firmicutes and Proteobacteria at the phylum level. Notably, the TCM-3 group exhibited higher short-chain fatty acid production than the TDM-2 group and untreated controls (acetic acid at 12 h: 4.54 mmol L−1 vs. 4.06 mmol L−1 and 4.00 mmol L−1; acetic acid at 24 h: 4.99 mmol L−1 vs. 4.90 mmol L−1 and 4.82 mmol L−1, p < 0.05). These findings demonstrate that LAB supplementation with high antioxidant capacity and probiotic properties can promote gut health by modulating functional microbiota and is enriching for beneficial taxa. Our study provides guidance for therapeutic strategies that use novel LAB strains to maintain gut homeostasis and functional microbiota modulation.

Oxidative stress, inflammatory response, and gut-liver axis dysbiosis have been suggested as the primarily involved in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver injury. Previous research established that yeast extract (YE) has antioxidant, immune-boosting or microbiota-regulating properties. However, there is currently lack of information regarding the efficacy of YE on alcoholic liver injury. This study seeks to obtain data that will help to address this research gap using a Wistar male rat experimental model. Histologic and biochemical analysis results showed that the groups treated with both low-dose yeast extract (YEL) and high-dose yeast extract (YEH) had lower degrees of alcohol-induced liver injury. The abundance of Peptococcus and Ruminococcus reduced in the low-dose yeast extract (YEL) group, while that of Peptococcus , Romboutsia, Parasutterella , and Faecalibaculum reduced in the high-dose (YEH) group. Furthermore, Spearman analysis showed that the gut microbes were significantly associated with several liver-related indicators. For the analysis of differential metabolites and enriched pathways in the YEL group, the abundance of lysophosphatidylcholine (16:0/0:0) significantly increased, and then the levels of histamine, adenosine and 5′ -adenine nucleotide were remarkedly elevated in the YEH group. These findings suggest that both high and low doses of YE can have different protective effects on liver injury in alcoholic liver disease (ALD) rats, in addition to improving gut microbiota disorder. Besides, high-dose YE has been found to be more effective than low-dose YE in metabolic regulation, as well as in dealing with oxidative stress and inflammatory responses.

This study aimed to examine the differences in the nutrients and volatile compounds of Stropharia rugoso-annulata after undergoing three different drying treatments. The fresh mushrooms were dried using hot air drying (HAD), vacuum freeze drying (VFD), and natural air drying (NAD), respectively. After that, the nutrients, volatile components, and sensory evaluation of the treated mushrooms were comparably analyzed. Nutrients analysis included proximate compositions, free amino acids, fatty acids, mineral elements, bioactive compositions, and antioxidant activity. Volatile components were identified by headspace-solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) and analyzed with principal component analysis (PCA). Finally, sensory evaluation was conducted by ten volunteers for five sensory properties. The results showed that the HAD group had the highest vitamin D2 content (4.00 μg/g) and antioxidant activity. Compared with other treatments, the VFD group had higher overall nutrient contents, as well as being more preferred by consumers. Additionally, there were 79 volatile compounds identified by HS-SPME-GC-MS, while the NAD group showed the highest contents of volatile compounds (1931.75 μg/g) and volatile flavor compounds (1307.21 μg/g). PCA analysis suggested the volatile flavor compositions were different among the three groups. In summary, it is recommended that one uses VFD for obtaining higher overall nutritional values, while NAD treatment increased the production of volatile flavor components of the mushroom.

The protective effects of yak milk (YM) against chronic alcoholic liver injury in rats were investigated in this study. Histologic and biochemical analyses demonstrated that YM consumption ameliorates alcohol-induced liver injury by increasing the liver antioxidant enzyme activity and reducing inflammation. Furthermore, microbiome and metabolomic analyses exploring YM's impact on gut microbiota and metabolism found that YM administration regulates gut microbiota composition. Specifically, there was a decrease in the relative abundance of Helicobacter, Streptococcus, Peptococcus and Tyzzerella, along with an increase in Turisibacter and Intestinimonas. Moreover, Pearson analysis indicated positive correlations between Peptococcus and Tyzzerella with ALT and AST levels, while showing a negative correlation with ADH levels. Furthermore, differential metabolite analysis of fecal samples from the YM group identified significant increases in the taurine (2-Aminoethanesulfonic acid), hypotaurine (2-Aminoethanesulfonic Acid) and isethionic acid levels. Finally, KEGG topology analysis highlighted taurine and hypotaurine metabolism as the primary pathways influenced by YM intervention. Therefore, these findings collectively suggest that YM may protect alcohol-exposed rats against liver injury by modulating oxidative stress, inflammatory response, gut microbiota disorder, and metabolic regulation.

The gut microbiome is a complex biological community that deeply affects various aspects of human health, including dietary intake, disease progression, drug metabolism, and immune system regulation. Edible mushroom polysaccharides (EMPs) are bioactive fibers derived from mushrooms that possess a range of beneficial properties, including anti-tumor, antioxidant, antiviral, hypoglycemic, and immunomodulatory effects. Studies have demonstrated that EMPs are resistant to human digestive enzymes and serve as a crucial source of energy for the gut microbiome, promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria. EMPs also positively impact human health by modulating the composition of the gut microbiome. This review discusses the extraction and purification processes of EMPs, their potential to improve health conditions by regulating the composition of the gut microbiome, and their application prospects. Furthermore, this paper provides valuable guidance and recommendations for future studies on EMPs consumption in disease management.

The human gut microbiota has been proposed to serve as a multifunctional organ in host metabolism, contributing effects to nutrient acquisition, immune response, and digestive health. Fasting during Ramadan may alter the composition of gut microbiota through changes in dietary behavior, which ultimately affects the contents of various metabolites in the gut. Here, we used liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry-based metabolomics to investigate the composition of fecal metabolites in Chinese and Pakistani individuals before and after Ramadan fasting. Principal component analysis showed distinct separation of metabolite profiles among ethnic groups as well as between pre- and post-fasting samples. After Ramadan fasting, the Chinese and Pakistani groups showed significant differences in their respective contents of various fecal metabolites. In particular, L-histidine, lycofawcine, and cordycepin concentrations were higher after Ramadan fasting in the Chinese group, while brucine was enriched in the Pakistani group. The KEGG analysis suggested that metabolites related to purine metabolism, 2-oxocarboxylic acid metabolism, and lysine degradation were significantly enriched in the total subject population pre-fasting vs. post-fasting comparisons. Several bacterial taxa were significantly correlated with specific metabolites unique to each ethnic group, suggesting that changes in fecal metabolite profiles related to Ramadan fasting may be influenced by associated shifts in gut microbiota. The fasting-related differences in fecal metabolite profile, together with these group-specific correlations between taxa and metabolites, support our previous findings that ethnic differences in dietary composition also drive variation in gut microbial composition and diversity. This landscape view of interconnected dietary behaviors, microbiota, and metabolites contributes to the future development of personalized, diet-based therapeutic strategies for gut-related disorders.

目的 卫生微生物学是预防医学等专业的专业基础课,通过开展全英文教学,拟为顺利推进该课程的全英文建设、探索行之有效的教学模式提供参考.方法 以兰州大学卫生微生物学全英文课程为例,通过课前、课后的问卷调查,从学生对全英文教学的认同度、期望、教学反馈和收获等方面进行教学效果分析,并结合期末考试成绩,初步论证开设全英文专业课的可行性.结果 调查结果表明,学生有较好的英语水平,且过半的学生认同全英文课程,并期望以此提高英语运用能力.尽管学生专业英语词汇积累有限,需花费更多时间预习和复习,但英文教学与命题并未对学生的考试成绩造成影响.结论 面向公共卫生专业本科生开展全英文专业课是具有可行性的,且通过师生的共同努力可以取得良好的教学效果.

Zinc deficiency could lead to a dynamic variation in gut microbial composition and function in animals. However, how zinc deficiency affects the gut microbiome in school-age children remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to profile the dynamic shifts in the gut microbiome of school-age children with zinc deficiency, and to determine whether such shifts are associated with dietary intake. A dietary survey, anthropometric measurements, and serum tests were performed on 177 school-age children, and 67 children were selected to explore the gut microbial community using amplicon sequencing. School-age children suffered from poor dietary diversity and insufficient food and nutrient intake, and 32% of them were zinc deficient. The inflammatory cytokines significantly increased in the zinc deficiency (ZD) group compared to that in the control (CK) group (p < 0.05). There was no difference in beta diversity, while the Shannon index was much higher in the ZD group (p < 0.05). At the genus level, Coprobacter, Acetivibrio, Paraprevotella, and Clostridium_XI were more abundant in the ZD group (p < 0.05). A functional predictive analysis showed that the metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450 was significantly depleted in the ZD group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, gut microbial diversity was affected by zinc deficiency with some specific bacteria highlighted in the ZD group, which may be used as biomarkers for further clinical diagnosis of zinc deficiency.

The structure and diversity of human gut microbiota are directly related to diet, though less is known about the influences of ethnicity and diet-related behaviors, such as fasting (intermittent caloric restriction). In this study, we investigated whether fasting for Ramadan altered the microbiota in Chinese and Pakistani individuals. Using high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing and self-reported dietary intake surveys, we determined that both the microbiota and dietary composition were significantly different with little overlap between ethnic groups. Principal Coordinate Analyses (PCoA) comparison of samples collected from both groups before and after fasting showed partial separation of microbiota related to fasting in the Pakistani group, but not in the Chinese group. Measurement of alpha diversity showed that Ramadan fasting significantly altered the coverage and ACE indices among Chinese subjects, but otherwise incurred no changes among either group. Specifically, Prevotella and Faecalibacterium drove predominance of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes in the Pakistani group, while Bacteroides (phylum Bacteroidetes) were the most prevalent among Chinese participants both before and after fasting. We observed significant enrichment of some specific taxa and depletion of others in individuals of both populations, suggesting that fasting could affect beta diversity. Notably, Dorea, Klebsiella, and Faecalibacterium were more abundant in the Chinese group after fasting, while Sutterella, Parabacteroides, and Alistipes were significantly enriched after fasting in the Pakistani group. Evaluation of the combined groups showed that genera Coprococcus, Clostridium_XlV, and Lachnospiracea were all significantly decreased after fasting. Analysis of food intake and macronutrient energy sources showed that fat-derived energy was positively associated with Oscillibacter and Prevotella, but negatively associated with Bacteroides. In addition, the consumption of sweets was significantly positively correlated with the prevalence of Akkermansia. Our study indicated that diet was the most significant influence on microbiota, and correlated with ethnic groups, while fasting led to enrichment of specific bacterial taxa in some individuals. Given the dearth of understanding about the impacts of fasting on microbiota, our results provide valuable inroads for future study aimed at novel, personalized, behavior-based treatments targeting specific gut microbes for prevention or treatment of digestive disorders.

The oral microbiota can be affected by several factors; however, little is known about the relationship between diet, ethnicity and commensal oral microbiota among school children living in close geographic proximity. In addition, the relationship between the oral and gut microbiota remains unclear. We collected saliva from 60 school children from the Tibetan, Han and Hui ethnicities for a 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis and comparison with previously collected fecal samples. The study revealed that Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria were the dominant phyla in the oral microbiota. The Shannon diversity was lowest in the Tibetan group. A PCA showed a substantial overlap in the distribution of the taxa, indicating a high degree of conservation among the oral microbiota across ethnic groups while the enrichment of a few specific taxa was observed across different ethnic groups. The consumption of seafood, poultry, sweets and vegetables was significantly correlated with multiple oral microbiotas. Furthermore, 123 oral genera were significantly associated with 191 gut genera. A principal coordinate analysis revealed that the oral microbiota clustered separately from the gut microbiota. This work extends the findings of previous studies comparing microbiota from human populations and provides a basis for the exploration of the interactions governing the tri-partite relationship between diet, oral microbiota and gut microbiota.