Demand for minimally processed, clean-label meat products drives the need for targeted, non-thermal antimicrobial interventions to control Clostridium perfringens, a major safety concern in the meat supply chain. Here we identified by genome mining and characterized three novel Amidase_3 family endolysins designated Cpe238, Cpe397 and Cpe966 that actively target C. perfringens. In silico analyses reveal that these enzymes belong to a distinct lineage divergent from known virulent phage homologs. Site-directed mutagenesis (H9A) and truncation assays revealed a zinc-dependent N-terminal Amidase_3 catalytic domain, coupled with a C-terminal SPOR-like domain essential for maximal lytic efficiency. The ∼25 kDa recombinant enzymes lysed all 20 tested C. perfringens strains but not representative non-target species. Cpe966 showed the highest potency with a specific activity of 17,900 U/mg and a minimal bactericidal concentration of 6.67 μg/mL. Although thermolabile, all three endolysins remained active across pH 3.5–9.5 and tolerated up to 1 M NaCl and 0.1 M MgCl2. In cooked chicken meat, Cpe966 significantly inhibited C. perfringens proliferation, maintaining bacterial loads >2 log CFU/g below controls at both 25 °C and 37 °C. These findings highlight the potential of the novel Amidase_3 endolysins as highly specific, proteinaceous biocontrol agents for enhancing meat safety.

Guaiacol is a critical quality indicator and early diagnostic marker for Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris contamination in fruit juices, capable of severely impairing organoleptic quality and inflicting substantial commercial losses even at trace concentrations. The development of sensitive and selective detection methods for this compound is therefore essential to food quality assurance. Here, GO-SELEX (graphene oxide-based systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment) was used to isolate guaiacol-binding aptamers; molecular docking subsequently identified G-15-2a, a truncated aptamer with the highest binding affinity among all candidates, as the optimal recognition element. G-15-2a was then incorporated into a dual-mode aptasensor based on Fe/Co-MOF@Pt NPs, Fe/Co metal-organic framework-supported platinum nanoparticles possessing both peroxidase-like catalytic activity and intrinsic fluorescence. The resulting sensor achieved a linear detection range of 0.1-50 ng/mL with limits of detection of 0.37 ng/mL (fluorescence) and 0.26 ng/mL (colorimetric), demonstrating high sensitivity, selectivity, and quantitative accuracy. This aptasensor represents a practical analytical platform for early spoilage detection in fruit juices, with direct applicability to food quality control and contamination management.

This study developed a novel fruit wine via the co-fermentation of mulberry and grape to enhance flavour and nutritional value. Headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS) and gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS), combined with multivariate statistical analyses (PCA, PLS-DA, OPLS-DA), were employed to investigate volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and sensory properties of five wines: GW (grape wine, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon), GMH (grape + Heizhenzhu mulberry), GML (grape + Longsang mulberry), GMB (grape + Beijing No.1 mulberry), and GMM (grape + Mengjian mulberry). GC-MS identified 55, 49, 47, 50, and 49 VOCs in GW, GMH, GML, GMB, and GMM, respectively, while GC-IMS detected 66 signals across all samples. VOCs were predominantly esters, alcohols, and acids. Multivariate analyses effectively differentiated the wines, revealing distinct volatile profiles. Ethyl hexanoate, isoamyl acetate, and 2-phenylethyl acetate were primary contributors to fruity aromas, while phenylethyl alcohol and benzyl alcohol contributed floral notes. Ethyl hexanoate showed the strongest positive correlation with sensory scores (r = 0.93, p < 0.01). These results demonstrate that the selection of raw materials and co-fermentation significantly shape the volatile and sensory characteristics of fruit wine. The complementary use of GC-MS and GC-IMS, integrated with sensory analysis and multivariate statistics, provides a comprehensive framework for evaluating and optimizing novel fermented fruit beverages.

Bioactive packaging made from biopolymers can decrease pollution in the environment in addition to prolonging the shelf life of chilled beef. A novel composite antibacterial preservative film was prepared using gelatin (Gel)/chitosan (Ch) as the film material and Litsea cubeba essential oil (LCEO) as the antibacterial agent. Its physical properties, structure, antioxidant activity, and antibacterial performance were studied. When the ratio of gelatin to chitosan was 6:4, the film exhibited good tensile strength, flexibility, and water resistance. Adding 2% LCEO to the film material further enhanced its tensile strength and improved the composite film's hydrophobicity, antioxidant activity, and antibacterial performance. The water solubility and moisture content of the composite film were reduced to 29.73% and 14.91%, respectively, while the antioxidant activity increased to 82.86%. The composite film with 2% LCEO was applied to preserve chilled beef. Compared to the composite film without essential oils, the 10th day pH, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and total viable count (TVC) decreased by 0.48, 0.34 mg MDA/kg, and 1.83 log CFU/g, respectively. This indicates that the composite film containing Litsea cubeba essential oil has an excellent preservative effect on beef, extending the shelf life of chilled beef by 6 days.

Malolactic fermentation (MLF) in wine relies on Oenococcus oeni, in which the mleA and mleP genes are translationally coupled. To explore the post-transcriptional regulation involved, we constructed parallel GFP/mCherry reporter systems that mimic both the native overlapping (translationally coupled) structure and an engineered non-overlapping (non-coupled) structure. Through site-directed SD2 mutagenesis coupled with computational prediction of 16 S rRNA hybridization energy (ΔG) and minimum free energy (MFE) of mRNA secondary structure, we quantified the effect of intergenic sequence features on translation efficiency. In the translational coupling system of Escherichia coli, expression ratios (GFP/MCH) varied from 3.58 to 8.58 across variants, while in the non-coupled system, they ranged from 1.54 to 3.09. In non-coupled constructs, downstream gene expression increased under independent SD2 control, consistent with its conserved function. However, in the coupling system, the strongest SD2 (GGAGG) markedly suppressed it, revealing a nonlinear, architecture-specific regulatory logic. The different variants were also expressed in the translational coupling system of Lactococcus lactis, and the expression ratio patterns of the upstream and downstream genes across the variants were consistent with those observed in E. coli. This indicated that SD2 had the same regulatory effect on coupling gene expression ratios in both L. lactis and E. coli. Our findings demonstrate that translational coupling establishes precise protein expression regulation through the integrated effects of upstream translation and local mRNA structure. This work elucidates a key post-transcriptional tuning layer in prokaryotic operons, providing a predictive framework for both the rational engineering of O. oeni to optimize MLF and the design of proportionally controlled multi-gene systems in synthetic biology.

Jujube fruits are recognized for their significant medicinal value, which varies according to their varieties and geographical origin. However, the specific contributions of individual bioactive compounds to antioxidant and antidiabetic activities in certain cultivars remain unclear. Therefore, this study examined the structural properties of the free (FF), bound (BF), and esterified (EF) fractions, along with their antioxidant and antidiabetic activities, in five Chinese jujube cultivars. Our results demonstrated that the BF fraction had significantly higher (p < 0.05) levels of total phenols, flavonoids, and alkaloids as well as antioxidant activities (FRAP, DPPH, ABTS, H2O2, and O2- assays) compared with FF and EF, whereas the FF fraction exhibited the highest total triterpenoid content.Among the five jujube cultivars and their respective fractions, Ban Zao and Po Zao showed the highest phenolic content and strongest antioxidant capacity. A similar trend was observed for alpha-glucosidase (alpha-Glu) inhibition, with the BF fraction showing the strongest activity, particularly in fractions prepared from Ban Zao and Po Zao varieties. The antioxidant and antidiabetic activities were further supported by Pearson correlation analysis, indicating a strong positive relationship between phenolics content and their bioactivity. UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis revealed a total of 88 compounds across the three fractions (FF, EF, and BF), including five flavonoids, two alkaloids, and six triterpenoids that were reported for the first time. The antidiabetic activities of key compounds were evaluated through in silico analysis, which demonstrated strong binding affinities to the alpha-Glu active site, particularly for flavonoids. This study highlights the strong antioxidant and alpha-Glu inhibitory activities of the bound compounds found in Chinese jujube varieties, particularly Ban Zao and Po Zao varieties, emphasizing their potential as valuable sources of natural antioxidants and promising functional food ingredients.

Environmental endocrine disruptors constitute a category of exogenous compounds that interfere with the endocrine system's functions in organisms or cells. As a class of particularly representative endocrine-disrupting chemicals, the accumulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances potentially leads to adverse health effects, including hormonal disruptions, developmental issues, and cancer. However, the classification of these disruptors is intricate, and the data on their potential health risks is scattered. The research into fluorinated pesticides is somewhat superficial, with the majority of review articles in this field focusing on the structural characteristics, biodegradation processes, and environmental risks associated with these pesticides. In this study, we compared and investigated the research development processes of seven types of fluorine-containing pesticides and five types of fluorinated endocrine disruptors. The varying toxic effects of these endocrine disruptors are highly dependent on exposure conditions. Their actions are complex, affecting behavioral substances throughout the organism, and monitoring some complex biological phenotypes, sex- or age-specific effects, and behavioral learning poses significant challenges. The findings will serve as a reference for future studies on the toxicity of pesticides to humans and other organisms.

Milk and dairy products provide an ideal environment for microorganisms due to their rich nutrients. Psychrotrophic bacteria frequently dominate the microflora of raw milk and dairy products during low-temperature storage. These bacteria produce heat-resistant extracellular or intracellular enzymes, primarily proteases and lipases, which cause spoilage and negatively affect product quality and safety. Therefore, the development of rapid, sensitive, and effective detection methods for psychrotrophic bacteria in raw milk and low-temperature dairy products is essential for maintaining quality and preventing economic losses. Traditional detection methods are labour-intensive and require up to 10 days to yield results. In contrast, molecular biology-based methods reduce testing time to a few hours, increase efficiency, and improve sensitivity to approximately 1 log colony-forming unit (CFU)/mL, enabling earlier product alerts. This review systematically compares traditional and emerging detection methods and further discusses advancements in psychrotrophic bacteria detection technology and its practical applications.

Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris (A. acidoterrestris) is a major spoilage microorganism in acidic juice beverages, whose growth and metabolism can cause product deterioration and significant economic losses. In this study, we employed Cell-SELEX technology to screen aptamers specific to A. acidoterrestris. Through binding mechanism exploration and rational optimization, a 25 nt high-affinity aptamer Apt-2s was identified. Furthermore, using aptamer-functionalized magnetic beads, two surface-layer binding proteins of A. acidoterrestris were successfully isolated. The interaction between the poly-cytosine regions of Apt-2s and polar amino acids in the surface-layer binding proteins was elucidated through a combination of mass spectrometry and molecular docking. Finally, a novel fluorescence sensing platform was developed based on the aptamer-functionalized silver nanoclusters and carbon nitride nanosheets, achieving a detection limit of 1.85 × 102 CFU/mL for A. acidoterrestris. This platform demonstrated excellent stability and reliability when applied to juice sample detection, highlighting its potential for practical use in the beverage industry.

This study employed an integrated approach of metagenomics and metabolomics to investigate microbial community dynamics during mulberry wine fermentation under varying temperatures (17-29 °C) and pH levels (3.0-4.5). Twenty treatment combinations, spanning 27 days, captured the temporal dynamics of microbial communities and metabolic activity. Environmental stress significantly shaped community assembly, with Saccharomyces cerevisiae acting as the dominant fermentation organism and Lactobacillus spp. associated with organic acids. Core population analysis revealed specialized functions in ethanol production, acid resistance, and flavor biosynthesis. An optimal fermentation efficiency of 82 % and an ethanol content of 9.1 % vol. were achieved with the response surface method, resulting in optimal fermentation conditions of 23 ± 1 °C with a pH of 3.5 ± 0.1. Multi-omics correlation network analysis revealed coordinated associations among gene expression, enzymatic activities, and metabolite profiles, including coordinated expression patterns of flavor compound biosynthesis pathways. This research provides evidence-based optimization strategies for industrial mulberry wine production, enhancing understanding of stress-responsive microbial adaptation mechanisms.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a growing global health concern, with significant economic implications. Bioactive peptides (BAPs) produced by in vitro simulated digestion (IVSD) can be safe and cost-effective alternatives to pharmacological treatments. These peptides act holistically by inhibiting key enzymes, enhancing insulin sensitivity, and restoring β-cell functions. Although the efficacy of IVSD-derived peptides has been validated through in vitro, in vivo, and in silico assays, translating these findings into therapeutic medicine faces several challenges, from limited clinical trial data to scaling up the peptide-synthesis process. Despite these obstacles, IVSD-derived peptides offer opportunities for functional food formulation and nutraceutical development for T2DM regulation. This review focuses on developing innovative strategies to incorporate these peptides into dietary interventions for managing T2DM. By addressing these knowledge gaps and challenges, the transition of IVSD-derived BAPs from laboratory discoveries to industrial and therapeutic applications offers a promising approach for managing T2DM.

This review comprehended the nutritional composition, polyphenolic content, and debittering processes applicable to apricot kernels with a special focus on identifying areas for future research and commercial application. Apricot kernels are a rich source of high-quality proteins, unsaturated fatty acids, dietary fibre, minerals, and bioactive compounds. However, the amygdalin content at a dose of 0.5–3.5 mg/kg body weight presents toxicity risks by inactivating the respiratory cytochrome oxidase enzyme. Amygdalin is high in bitter variety, and requires reduction to safe levels. While numerous validated debittering methods are available, many are associated with losses of beneficial phytochemicals, necessitating further exploration into more efficient and gentle processes. With appropriate processing techniques, apricot kernels hold considerable promise as a valuable ingredient for food and nutraceuticals. This review highlighted key areas for future research, including novel debittering technologies and commercial exploration of apricot kernels for novel and healthy product formulations. This includes modifying proteins for industrial raw materials, developing novel food products by exploring extrusion technology, and creating healthy product formulations by integrating biopeptides and polyphenols.

BACKGROUND:Chilled beef is valued for its nutrition and tenderness but is vulnerable to contamination and spoilage during refrigeration. This study applied non-targeted metabolomics (ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS)) to track metabolite changes and their impact on beef quality across storage days 0, 3, 5, 7, and 10. RESULTS:A total of 63 potential marker compounds were identified, with amino acid, carbohydrate, and nucleotide degradation as the main drivers of spoilage and flavor change. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment revealed purine, pentose, and amino acid metabolism as key pathways. Pearson correlation analysis highlighted hypoxanthine, citric acid, xanthosine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, xanthine, d-glucose-6-phosphate, and inosine 5'-monophosphate as strongly associated with quality decline, suggesting their potential as biomarkers of spoilage. CONCLUSION:Metabolomics effectively captured biochemical dynamics during beef refrigeration. Identified pathways and metabolites provide valuable insights into spoilage mechanisms, with several compounds serving as promising biomarkers for monitoring quality changes. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Pesticide residues create food safety hazards while negatively affecting the quality of fermented foods, but the mechanisms of the deterioration response have been a mystery. In this study, headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) and metagenomics sequencing analyses were employed to investigate the effect of dinotefuran residue on the aroma profile and microbial community of Huangjiu. The presence of dinotefuran led to a reduction in the overall concentration of volatile compounds, and some floral, fruity, and sweet aromas such as piperitenol, citronellyl isobutyrate, and trans-2-decenal were no longer detected. Meanwhile, the levels of certain acidic volatiles, including formic acid, propionic acid, and heptanoic acid, increased and contributed to off-flavors. Dinotefuran affected the Huangjiu flavor by modifying the abundance and structure of key genera such as Saccharomyces, Lactococcus, and Cyberlindnera. These changes were associated with disturbances in 16 KEGG tertiary metabolic pathways, including glycolysis, pyruvate metabolism, and amino acid biosynthesis. These results provided some reference for further studies on how pesticide residues affect the flavor and microbial characteristics of traditional fermented beverages like Huangjiu.

Fruit wine is one of the oldest fermented beverages made from non-grape fruits. Owing to the differences in fruit varieties, growing regions, climates, and harvesting seasons, the nutritional compositions of fruits (sugars, organic acids, etc.) are different. Therefore, the fermentation process and microorganisms involved are varied for a particular fruit selected for wine production, resulting in differences in volatile compound formation, which ultimately determine the quality of fruit wine. This article reviews the effects of various factors involved in fruit wine making, especially the particular modifications differing from the grape winemaking process and the selected strains suitable for the specific fruit wine fermentation, on the formation of volatile compounds, flavor and aroma profiles, and quality characteristics of the wine thus produced. • The volatile profile and fruit wine quality are affected by enological parameters. • The composition and content of nutrients in fruit must impact volatile profiles. • Yeast and LAB are the key determining factors of the volatile profiles of fruit wines.

The aim of this study was to achieve efficient expression of mannanase CtMan26 from Chaetomium thermophilum in Pichia pastoris and to investigate the enzymatic properties of Ct Man26 and its potential in the preparation of mannooligosaccharides(MOS).The mannanase CtMan26 contained a total of 448 amino acids and consisted of the family 35 carbohydrate-binding module(CBM35),Linker and the catalytic domain module of the GH26 family.Asp-395 and Leu-396 in the catalytic domain and Leu-100 in the auxiliary module of CBM35 were subjected to multiple hydrophobic forces and could form multiple hydrogen bonds with amino acids in the Linker.Recombinant enzyme CtMan26 was expressed with N-glycosylation modification.CtMan26 showed an apparent molecular mass of about 55 kDa.The optimum temperature of the recombinant enzyme was 55℃,and the optimum pH was 5.0.The enzymatic activity was maintained at more than 90%of its original value after being incubated at 50 and 60℃for 1 hour,and it showed good stability at pH ranging from 4.0 to 12.0.The specific activity of Ct Man26 was 23.15 U/mg,and its Km and Vmax values were 4.75 mg/mL and 27.17 μmol/(min·mg),respectively,when konjac glucomannan was used as the substrate.MOS prepared with the recombinant enzyme mainly consisted of mannose(14.2 mg/L),mannose disaccharides(20.1 mg/L),mannose trisaccharides(6.1 mg/L)and mannose tetrasaccharides(2.5 mg/L).The MOS exhibited good antioxidant capacity,which scavenged(90.80±0.65)%of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl(DPPH)radical,(80.7±1.07)%of 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)(ABTS)cation radical,(69.10±1.10)%of hydroxyl radical and(76.7±3.14)%of superoxide anion radical at 2.4 mg/mL concentration.Meanwhile,the MOS had obvious prebiotic properties,which could inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli and promote the growth of the beneficial bacteria Pediococcus pentosaceus and Lactobacillu plantarum the effect being more pronounced with increasing concentration and incubation time.In conclusion,the recombinant mannanase CtMan26 has good enzyme properties and therefore has potential application in the preparation of MOS.

A new property of Bst DNA polymerase was discovered by our team, which led to the establishment of a new isothermal amplification method for SRCA nucleic acid, which was applied to food safety detection, investigated the amplification mechanism, and the SRCA version 1.0 amplification mechanism was proposed. This study proposes a new SRCA amplification mechanism (version 2.0) by using the autosynthetic sequences CDG2040 and CDG2068, as well as the Listeria monocytogenes hlyA gene and Vibrio parahaemolyticus toxR gene as target sequences to further investigate the amplification mechanism. The initiation of the SRCA reaction depends primarily on the spatial structure of the non-closed circle formed by the discontinuous complementation of the bases on both sides of the target sequence. The DNA fragments that connect the target sequences in the SRCA reaction are the sum of the complementary sequences of adjacent partial sequences on both sides of the target sequence.

In food safety implementation, bacterial inactivation is an imperative aspect of hygiene and sanitation. Studies on lithium magnesium silicate (LMS) hydrosol (sol) incorporated with slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW) for decontamination of pathogenic bacteria are limited. This present study aimed to investigate the bactericidal efficacy of LMS hydrosol incorporated with SAEW against Escherichia coli. Optimum combination conditions of SAEW, sol concentration, and available chlorine concentration (ACC) were optimized by response surface methodology under the central composite design against the growth of E. coli. The optimum combination conditions of exposure time, sol concentration, and ACC were 9.5 min, 1.7%, and 20.5 ppm, respectively. The results showed that the increase in ACC led to inactivation in the survival of E. coli compared with the control (p<0.05). It can be concluded that the best combination percentage between SAEW and sol ranged from 1.5-1.7%, in which E. coli was reduced by 4.50 log10 CFU/mL at an ACC of 9.94 ppm. When increasing the ACC to 14.84 ppm, E. coli was reduced by 4.51 log10 CFU/mL compared with the initial number of bacteria (8.20 log10 CFU/mL) in the control group. The number of bacteria was undetected after increasing ACC to 19.93, 25.15, and 29.88 ppm at 10 min. This study suggests that LMS sol incorporated with SAEW could potentially be used as an effective sanitizer.

Yellow rice wine (Huangjiu) is a traditional Chinese alcoholic beverage. However, there is a risk of pesticide residues in Huangjiu due to pesticide indiscriminate use. In this study, the residues of dinotefuran and its metabolites during Huangjiu fermentation and their effects on flavor substances were studied. The initial concentrations of dinotefuran ranged from 856.3 to 1874.9 mu g/L, and its half-life was no more than 3.65 d. At 24 d of Huangjiu fermentation, the terminal residues of dinotefuran, 1-methyl-3-(tetrahydro-3-furylmethyl)urea (UF) and 1-methyl-3-(tetrahydro-3-furylmethyl)guanidine (DN) were 195.1-535.3 mu g/L, 38.33-48.70 mu g/L and 37.8-74.1 mu g/L, respectively. Twenty potential degradation compounds were identified by ultra -high performance liquid chromatography -quadrupole time -of -flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS), and their toxicity was evaluated. Finally, the effect of dinotefuran on physicochemical properties and total phenol content of Huangjiu were analyzed. The risk of rancidity was significantly increased and bitter amino acids were formed. These findings provide a guidance and the safe production of Huangjiu.

为探讨微生物菌肥在冀北地区水稻种植上的适用性及应用效果,比较微生物菌肥、有机肥、牛粪和羊粪4种肥料,设置施肥量300 kg/667m2,500 kg/667m2,750 kg/667m2,800 kg/667m2,1000 kg/667m2,以不施肥为对照,共21个处理,研究了不同肥料和施肥量对水稻产量的影响,并对未施肥和施用微生物菌肥的土壤进行了取样分析.结果表明:经相关性分析水稻产量依次表现为微生物菌肥>有机肥>羊粪>牛粪,亩施用750kg微生物菌肥的水稻产量是516.01 kg/667m2,高于未施肥128.63％,高于亩施750kg有机肥8.70％.与未施肥相比,施用微生物菌肥后的土壤全氮、全磷、全钾含量分别增加40.4％、25.00％ 和4.60％;重金属砷、镉、铜、铅和汞含量下降19.84％、38.8％、2.20％、45.75％ 和82.40％.综合分析表明:施用750 kg/667m2微生物菌肥作为基底肥,能有效增加水稻产量,提升土壤养分,降低土壤中重金属含量,适宜在北方半湿润单季稻作区水稻高产栽培中推广应用.