Background With the global demand for sustainable and ethical food sources rising, cultivated meat (CM) has emerged as a promising strategy to meet these needs while reducing the environmental impact of conventional meat production. However, current CM technologies face challenges related to scalability, high production costs, and reliance on animal-derived components. Plant proteins have attracted considerable attention as alternative protein sources; however, their potential roles in CM systems remain largely unexplored. Scope and approach This review provides a comprehensive overview of the structural and physicochemical properties of diverse plant proteins and explores their multifunctional roles in CM development. We highlight recent technological advances and applications, focusing on their use as edible scaffolds, culture medium components, and product enhancers. In addition, we discuss bioprocessing strategies and techno-economic analysis (TEA) frameworks to assess how the integration of plant protein may impact industrial-scale CM production. Key findings and conclusions Engineering plant proteins into tailored scaffold architectures can be guided by their physicochemical properties via a range of fabrication technologies. Plant protein-based scaffolds show strong potential for scalability and cost-effectiveness in industrial-scale CM production when integrated with bioreactor systems, although this remains to be validated. Besides, plant proteins and their hydrolysates are emerging as effective culture medium supplements that promote cell growth and present significant opportunities to reduce production costs. Plant proteins also enhance the texture, flavor, and nutritional quality of CM products through downstream food processing. Overall, these multifunctional roles position plant proteins as versatile and sustainable building blocks for CM manufacturing.

The scalability and economic viability of cultivated meat remain constrained primarily by two bottlenecks: the high cost and serum dependence of culture media, and the reliance on animal-derived or biomedical-grade materials for scaffold fabrication. Food side streams offer a promising route to address both challenges, as they are generated at industrial scale and naturally contain diverse nutrients, bioactive components, and structural biopolymers relevant to cell culture and tissue development. Through established processing strategies, such as hydrolysis, fermentation, and extraction, these heterogeneous residues can be transformed into more accessible ingredients that supply functional nutrients, serum-mimetic activities, and scaffold-forming polymers with tunable physicochemical properties. Such valorization aligns cost reduction with circular-bioeconomy principles, positioning food side streams as multifunctional resources for cultivated-meat production. However, significant limitations remain in functional validation, standardization, safety, and scalability. By integrating current knowledge on composition, processing approaches, and functional performance, this review critically evaluates the opportunities and limitations of side stream-derived inputs and identifies key scientific and technological priorities required to support their reliable, safe, and scalable use in cultivated-meat biomanufacturing.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of varied multi-level structures of corn starch-chlorogenic acid (CHA) complexes via different processing methods on the digestive properties of the starch and the underlying mechanism. The results showed that complexes prepared by heat treatment and ultrasonic treatment created V-type complexes through hydrophobic interactions. Compared to the gelatinized corn starch, the particle size of heat treatment-corn starch-CHA complex (HT-CHA) and ultrasonic treatment-corn starch-CHA complex (UT-CHA) decreased from 313.50 & micro;m to 127.07 & micro;m and 39.75 & micro;m, while crystallinity increased from 13.99% to 14.46% and 14.46%, respectively. High pressure homogenization-corn starch-CHA complex (HP-CHA) mainly possessed hydrogen bonds. The particle size of HP-CHA was reduced to 12.28 & micro;m and long-range ordered structures of HP-CHA were enhanced. Crystallinity of HP-CHA rose to 15.70%, and thermal stability improved. Microstructure observations showed that all complexes had dense structures. Resistant starch (RS) content of HT-CHA, UT-CHA, and HP-CHA increased by 11.05%, 8.92%, and 12.79%, respectively. Correlation analysis revealed RS content was positively correlated with amylose content, which led to stronger interactions with CHA and induced a more compact structure. These findings would provide a theoretical basis for understanding the regulatory mechanism of different processing methods on the multi-level structure and digestive properties of starch-polyphenol complexes.

Abstract Citral (3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienal) is a key volatile flavor constituent in lemon essential oils. However, its instability in acidic, aqueous, and oxidative environments can lead to degradation and off-flavor volatile organic compound (VOC) formation. We reported herein an effective water-based alkaline solubilization and acid precipitation (ASAP) for extracting xanthones from mangosteen pericarp as natural antioxidants. The ASAP-derived mangosteen pericarp extract (MP-P), rich in xanthones (∼90%), was assessed for its efficacy in inhibiting off-flavor VOC formation in lemon beverages (pH ∼3.5) stored at 38 °C for 6 weeks using HS-SPME-GCMS and sensory evaluation. MP-P markedly suppresses citral oxidation indicators, such as p-methylacetophenone and p-cresol, by 73.96–93.94 and 48.72–60.94%, respectively, while improving the beverages’ sensory qualities. HPLC-PDA and LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS identified γ-mangostin and α-mangostin as major phenolic contributors to antioxidant activity. Overall, MP-P is a promising natural antioxidant with peroxy radical-scavenging capacity, promoting sustainability and offering industrial benefits in the beverage sector.

Allium mongolicum Regel is rich in polyphenols, yet their composition and bioactivities remain poorly understood. This study first comprehensively characterized Allium mongolicum Regel using HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS2, together with evaluation of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and enzyme inhibitory activities. A total of 62 polyphenos were identified, including 28 and 36 in the polyphenol A and B fractions, respectivey, with isotrifoliol (15.89 ± 0.05 mg/g DW), kaempferol-3-O-glucoside (28.88 ± 0.03 mg/g DW), and kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside (16.84 ± 0.01 mg/g DW) as major constituents. The polyphenol B fraction exhibited higher antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS, and ORAC: 421.50 ± 4.22 μmol TE/g DW, 688.80 ± 14.08 μmol TE/g DW, and 47.76 ± 3.07 mmol TE/g DW), stronger pancreatic lipase and α-amylase (IC50 = 0.95 ± 0.14 and 0.39 ± 0.05 mg/mL), and NO suppression (IC50 = 39.94 ± 0.17 μg/mL). These findings highlight A. mongolicum Regel polyphenols as promising functional ingredients for mitigating oxidative stress and metabolic disorders.

BACKGROUND:Unsaturated fatty acids based oleogels could present higher health benefits than shortening in baked goods, but poor oxidation stability limits their application. Regrettably, natural antioxidants, such as polyphenols, cannot be dispersed directly in grease-based systems. Herein, the composite gelator (TP-SL-B) was self-assembled by emulsifying with tea polyphenol (TP), soy lecithin (SL), and beeswax (B). RESULTS:Proton (1H) nuclear magnetic resonance analysis validated that the polar choline head of SL was combined with the phenolic hydroxyl group of TP through intermolecular interaction. Based on this stabilized structure, the solubility of TP in soybean oil was greatly enhanced, and thus TP uniformly distributed oleogels (TPOs) were successfully obtained. Although rheological analysis indicated the TPO/shortening blends had weaker deformation tolerance than shortening, replacing 50% shortening with TPO reduced the saturated fatty acid content of cookies by 31.5%. Meanwhile, the peroxide value and sensory evaluation of cookies with half-replacement of the shortening with TPO were not significantly different from those of the shortening cookies. CONCLUSION:This study exhibits a strategy for preparing oxidation-resistant gelators containing natural hydrophilic antioxidants, which has the potential to reduce shortening use in bakery products by partially replacing it with TPO. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a toxic gas originating from volcanic activity, organic matter degradation, and industrial processes, posing significant threats to human health and ecosystems. Developing high-performance gas sensors for the early detection of H2S is crucial for environmental protection and health risk mitigation. Herein, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) modified porous zinc stannate (ZTO)/tin oxide (SnO2) nanocages (Por-ZTO/ SnO2@Au) were synthesized via a facile co-precipitation strategy combined with controlled annealing, exhibiting a high specific surface area of 52.33 m2/g. The Por-ZTO/SnO2@Au-based sensor exhibited superior gas-sensing performance, showing a response value of 65 toward 20 ppm H2S, which is 8.7 times higher than that of the pristine ZTO/SnO2 sensor. Furthermore, it displayed a rapid response/recovery time (8 s/47 s), high sensitivity (3.9 ppm-1), an ultralow theoretical detection limit of 7.39 ppb, and excellent selectivity. The enhanced sensing performance of Por-ZTO/SnO2@Au was attributed to the synergistic effects of electron and chemical sensitization induced by AuNPs, along with the increased specific surface area and optimized charge transport pathways provided by the nanocage structure. This work provides new insights into designing noble metal-modified hierarchical heterostructures for H2S gas sensing applications.

High-intensity ultrasound (HIUS) is increasingly explored to improve legume protein functionality. However, mechanistic links between structural modification and interfacial, foaming, and cake properties remain unclear. In this study, HIUS applied at 138 W to lupin protein dispersions (9.64% w/w protein) progressively disrupted protein aggregates, increased hydrophobic group exposure, and reduced charge negativity. These changes enhanced protein adsorption at the air-water interface, increasing foam protein retention from 45.5% to 66.8% between 5 and 15 min of HIUS. Correspondingly, initial surface pressure plateaued after 20 min at 20.0-20.7 mN m-1, driving similar trends in foam gas volume fraction, foaming capacity, and foam viscoelasticity (r = 0.91-0.97). Additionally, interfacial stiffness weakened after peaking at around 15 min, offsetting the continued rise in equilibrium surface pressure, which contributed to the foam drainage plateau beyond 10 min of HIUS. Consistent with these foaming properties, improvements in cake performance were marginal beyond 15 min of HIUS. At this point, similarity to a conventional cake was achieved in specific volume (3.19-3.33 vs. 3.07 cm3/g) and softness (140-177 vs. 209 g). Overall, this study demonstrates the potential of HIUS to advance legume proteins towards possessing foam properties suitable for egg white replacement in cake systems.

Inflammation underlies a wide range of chronic diseases. Current treatments, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, are effective, but they often result in adverse side effects. This has driven the search for alternative anti-inflammatory agents with improved safety profiles. Biflavones have emerged as promising candidates, yet existing studies primarily focus on naturally occurring biflavones that are limited to those with C3'-C8″ linkages. In this study, we explore the anti-inflammatory potential of 28 biflavones featuring the underexplored C2'-C6″ linkage. Using LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophage assays, biflavone 10 (synthesized from the flavones acacetin and 5,3',4'-trihydroxyflavone) inhibited nitric oxide production (20.94 ± 7.56%). A 3D-QSAR model was developed based on selected nitric oxide (NO) inhibition data (R 2 = 0.960, R 2CV = 0.831, and Pearson's r = 0.950), revealing that hydrogen bond acceptor interactions are key determinants of bioactivity. The presence of HBAs at C-5 and C-7 of ring A1 enhanced activity, while their presence at C-4' of ring B2 reduced it. Molecular docking studies revealed a strong binding affinity between biflavone 10 and inflammation-related protein COX-2 (-6.881 kcal/mol). This prediction was validated by a COX-2 enzyme inhibitor assay; the biflavone 10 inhibits COX-2 activity in a dose-dependent manner. Molecular dynamics simulations confirmed the stability of the biflavone 10-COX-2 complex through stable root mean square deviation (RMSD) profiles, consistent hydrogen bonding, and minimal structural fluctuation. Together, this study provides a comprehensive assessment of the anti-inflammatory potential of structurally novel biflavones, offering mechanistic insight into their activity and guiding the rational design of biflavone-based therapeutics.

Aging is a complex biological process characterized by progressive functional decline, driving the incidence of age-related diseases such as neurodegeneration, metabolic disorders, and cardiovascular diseases. Therapeutic strategies targeting aging hallmarks can delay aging and mitigate disease risk. Emerging interventions focus on modulating core aging mechanisms, including cellular senescence, metabolic dysfunction, epigenetic alterations, and mitochondrial impairment, etc. Recent advances have focused on three strategies: senolytics (eliminating senescent cells, e.g., dasatinib + quercetin), senomorphics (inhibiting the senescence-associated secretory phenotype, e.g., rapamycin), and senoreversion (rejuvenating senescent cells via epigenetic reprogramming). Additionally, metabolic interventions such as caloric restriction mimetics (e.g., spermidine, α-ketoglutarate, ergothioneine) enhance mitochondrial function, activate autophagy, and reprogram energy metabolism, demonstrating lifespan extension and healthspan improvement in preclinical models. Collectively, these approaches hold promise for delaying aging and alleviating age-related pathologies, facilitating the transition to precision longevity medicine. Concurrently, artificial intelligence (AI) accelerates discovery by integrating multiomics data, predicting candidate compounds, identifying biomarkers, and enabling personalized interventions. Despite advancements, challenges remain in target specificity, off-target effects, and clinical translation. The convergence of AI, multitarget strategies, and precision medicine signals a transformative era in extending healthspan and combating aging-associated diseases. This review systematically summarizes current breakthroughs, clinical landscapes, and future directions in aging therapeutics, underscoring interdisciplinary strategies to redefine healthy aging.

This study explored the use of rice starch (RS) to improve the printability and structure of 3D-printed date paste (DP) gels. Gels containing different RS levels (5–20 %) were prepared and tested for their rheological properties, printing behavior, and post-printing stability. Increasing RS concentration enhanced 3D printed gel hardness and cohesiveness. Although gel springiness reduced, gels containing high RS levels maintained the shape stability, reflecting cohesiveness attribute is a crucial factor. Higher RS levels also reduced syneresis from 5 % to 1 %, reflecting improved water retention and gel network strength after printing. Starch addition resulted in a decrease in the gel G’, which may be attributed to disruption of the native date paste network and possible dilution or moisture redistribution effects. However, the incorporation improved gel elastic behavior, as evidenced by the reduction in tan δ. Thermal analysis showed that increasing RS content improved thermal stability with a maximum degradation temperature of 167°C observed at RS 20 %, suggesting stronger interactions between starch and date paste components. Partial least squares (PLS) analysis confirmed that tan δ, hardness, adhesiveness, springiness, and moisture were key factors influencing printing performance. Overall, incorporating RS strengthened the structure, minimized syneresis, and improved the printability of date paste gels, demonstrating potential for customized and stable 3D-printed food products.

This study investigated the influence of different degrees of substitution (DS) octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) starches synergistic with EGCG on emulsifier hydrolysis and lipid release behavior in emulsion. High DS OSA (H-OSA, DS = 0.053) and EGCG notably attenuated the emulsifier hydrolysis rate. Lipid release was increased in H-OSA emulsions, while decreased in low DS OSA (L-OSA, DS = 0.018). The smaller droplet size (0.19 μm) of H-OSA emulsions enlarged the specific surface area, thus accelerating lipid hydrolysis. Confocal laser scanning microscopy showed a dramatic increase in droplet size of L-OSA emulsions caused by droplet flocculation during digestion. Bile salt deficiency analysis revealed that H-OSA and EGCG enhanced lipid hydrolysis efficiency by promoting micelle formation. Calcium ion deficiency analysis suggested that H-OSA and EGCG inhibited pancreatic lipase activity and destabilized micelles, reducing the release of free fatty acids (6.71%). Furthermore, the H-OSA and EGCG maintained the emulsion stability during digestion.

This study systematically compared the quality attributes and volatile profiles of mulberry wine produced from mulberry pulp (MPW) and mulberry juice (MJW) throughout fermentation and subsequent storage. Yeast fermentation markedly enhanced antioxidant activity, achieving a 90% radical scavenging rate. The presence of pulp matrix facilitated higher retention of phenolics and anthocyanins. Sixty-three volatile compounds were identified, with MPW fermentation enriching flavor complexity and introducing herbaceous notes via stem retention. During storage, MPW exhibited slower degradation of phenolics and anthocyanins, maintaining higher bioactivity and stability. The volatile compounds decreased after 25 d, particularly alcohols and esters. These findings indicate that pulp-based fermentation is more effective at preserving bioactive compounds. This approach provides a practical strategy for industrial processing, serving as a viable method to extend shelf-life without exogenous additives and offering a strategic pathway for developing high-value fermented fruit products.

Food by-products are rich in nutrients but are often discarded, causing resource waste and environmental burden. Traditional additive manufacturing (AM) struggles with these materials due to inconsistent rheology, unstable transformations, and complex multiaxis operations. This review explores integrating machine learning (ML) with multidimensional food printing (FP) to valorize by-products. It highlights the use of animal-, plant-, and oilseed-based by-products in 3D printing and their functional transformation in 4D printing. ML enhances the AM pipeline by predicting rheology, optimizing formulations, and enabling real-time process control. It supports adaptive printing, deformation prediction, and closed-loop path adjustments for improved product quality. While 5D/6D printing remains emerging, ML can drive complex structure construction. Key challenges include limited data, poor model transferability, and high computation costs. Future integration with IoT and cloud platforms may enable autonomous, scalable, zero-waste food manufacturing. This ML-driven approach fosters sustainable production and human-AI collaboration.

This study aimed to investigate the impact of starch fine structures on protein in vitro digestibility. and elucidated the underlying mechanisms through intermolecular interactions and multiscale structural characteristics. It was found that wheat starch (WS), pea starch (PS), and potato starch (PTS) consistently suppressed the gastric digestion (by 6.90 %-24.14 %) and facilitated intestinal digestion (by 6.18 %-7.89 %) of whey protein isolate (WPI). Similarly to casein (CN) during the gastric phase (inhibition up to 68.2 %). However, the inhibitory effect persisted for PS and PTS during the intestinal phase. Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopy revealed that starch and protein formed intermolecular hydrogen bonds, which disrupted the protein's advanced structure, as indicated by a reduction in beta-sheet content and an increase in surface hydrophobicity (by 21.37 %- 49.72 %). However, PS and PTS, with their high amylose content and long-branch chain distribution respectively, lacked the available hydrogen bonding sites, which limited the unfolding of the protein. CN amplified this effect because of its open internal hydrophobic region. Confocal laser scanning microscopy further demonstrated that the swelling and indigestibility of starch during the gastric phase initially masked these structural differences. It was not until the intestinal phase, where starch was rapidly hydrolyzed, that the underlying structural effects became apparent and governed protein digestibility. These results demonstrated that the fine structure of starch could modulate protein digestive behavior by influencing the binding strength and interaction mode.

Antrodia cinnamomea (A. cinnamomea), an edible medicinal fungus, contains a unique class of terpenoids. In this work, we studied the activity of terpenoid-rich diethyl ether extract (termed AC-DE) for the treatment of drug-resistant triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). In vitro assays using both 2D and 3D models demonstrated that AC-DE exhibited potent, dose-dependent cytotoxicity across multiple cancer cell lines, significantly inducing apoptosis and inhibiting the proliferation, migration, and invasion of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that AC-DE induced mitochondrial dysfunction by upregulating pro-apoptotic proteins, including Bax, caspase-9, caspase-3, and cytochrome c, while downregulating the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2. In addition, AC-DE suppressed the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, suggesting a dual mechanism involving both mitochondrial and signaling pathway regulation. In vivo, AC-DE (25, 50, and 100 mg/kg every other day) significantly suppressed tumor growth in MDA-MB-231 xenograft-bearing nude mice. Collectively, these findings highlight that AC-DE extract is promising as a functional food or therapeutic ingredient for managing drug-resistant TNBC.

Alcoholic beverages contain a wide range of chiral aroma compounds. The distinct stereochemical configurations closely linked to the evaluation of their flavor, quality, and vintage. This review systematically summarizes the research progress over the past 20 years on chiral aroma compounds in alcoholic beverages, elucidating their concentrations, enantiomeric distribution ratios, sensory thresholds, and flavor characteristics in different types of alcoholic beverages. The review aims to provide a scientific reference for advancing research on chiral aroma compounds in alcoholic beverages.

This study aims to improve the 3D printability of the date fruit paste through integration with the pregelatinized cornstarch. The cornstarch concentrations were varied (5, 10, 15, and 20% w/w) and the date paste-cornstarch gels were physiochemically evaluated, with a focus on their suitability for 3D printing applications. Starch addition increased the gel hardness, adhesiveness, and enhanced the gel structural network. The results showed that the dimensional accuracy in printed products enhanced, where the gel shape fidelity improved significantly at 15-20% starch levels. However, excessive starch addition at 20% led to reduced cohesiveness and springiness which governed fragile 3D printed structures during handling. Although the elastic modulus decreased with higher starch levels the syneresis decreased by 0.3% at 20% starch, suggesting the formation of denser, water-retentive networks by starch. Starch addition increased the endothermic peak temperatures progressively due to improved gel stability, consistent with gel microstructural observations where compact and continuous gel matrices was observed at higher starch concentrations. Overall, these results highlight the impact of starch content on gel behavior, supporting formulation strategies to optimize printability and product performance in 3D food printing.

Upcycling and zero-waste food processing are transforming how we think about leftovers from farms, fisheries, and food production. Instead of letting nutrient-rich coproducts go to waste, new sustainable technologies - such as smart fermentation, green extraction methods, and innovative biotransformation - can turn them into valuable ingredients for healthy foods, supplements, and even animal feed. These materials often contain proteins, fibers, beneficial fats, and health-promoting bioactive compounds. By reclaiming them, we not only reduce landfill use and environmental impact but also strengthen food security, support local economies, and move closer to a truly circular food system. This review highlights sustainable strategies for valorizing agricultural, oilseed, and marine coproducts into high-value functional ingredients and industrial materials, thereby advancing the transition toward a zero-waste, circular bioeconomy.