The development of effective oral magnesium supplements is hindered by two major delivery challenges: rapid gastric leakage leading to gastrointestinal side effects, and non-targeted intestinal release resulting in poor absorption and compensatory excretion. To address this, we engineered an intelligent, intestinal-targeted delivery system based on pH-responsive oxidized maize starch (OMS)-chitosan (CS) composite hydrogels, fabricated via hot-extrusion microwave 3D printing (HEM-3DP). The system exhibited a unique gastric-phase structural adaptation: acidic conditions trigger CS dissolution and OMS carboxyl protonation, initiating a dynamic "ionic handoff" where Mg2+ was recaptured by exposed CS amines via coordination bonds. This mechanism reduced gastric Mg2+ release by >40% compared to CS-free controls, enabling precise spatiotemporal control with sustained small intestinal release (66.6-74.0%) and enhanced colon-targeted delivery (33.6-56.0% retention). Release kinetics were finely tuned by engineering OMS carboxyl content (0.36-1.57%) and molecular weight (6.84 × 105-2.39 × 106 Da), demonstrating programmable design. In magnesium-deficient mice, the optimized OMS2-CS-Mg2+ gel not only restored serum magnesium to physiological levels (1.35 ± 0.04 mmol/L) but also upregulated key intestinal (claudin1) and colonic (TRPM6/7) absorption transporters-a dual-pathway activation unattained by conventional MgCl2 supplementation. This work elucidated a clear structure-mechanism-performance relationship governing nutrient release and absorption. It provided a robust, food-grade platform that integrated advanced manufacturing with material intelligence to achieve site-specific, controlled mineral delivery, offering a translatable strategy for oral supplementation and broadening the design principles for smart, responsive hydrogel-based delivery systems.

ABSTRACT Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries are promising for next‐generation high‐energy‐storage systems but are hindered by polysulfide shuttle, sluggish kinetics, and volume expansion. Conventional carbon hosts struggle to simultaneously anchor and convert polysulfides efficiently. Herein, we demonstrate a multifunctional biomass‐derived carbon host synthesized via controlled carbonization of bacterial cellulose (BC), endowed with a three‐dimensional (3D) interconnected nanofiber network, hierarchical micro‐/meso‐/macroporous architecture, and abundant intrinsic oxygen‐containing functional groups. A unique triple synergistic mechanism—integrating “physical confinement, chemical anchoring, and kinetic catalysis”—is systematically unraveled. Specifically, the 3D interconnected nanofiber network coupled with hierarchical porosity not only affords robust physical confinement to curb polysulfide diffusion but also constructs rapid ion/electron transport channels and buffers volume fluctuations during cycling. Benefiting from this integrated design, the sulfur cathode based on the BC‐derived carbon (CBC) host delivers an ultrahigh discharge specific capacity of 2246.5 mAh g −1 at 0.2C (surpassing sulfur’s theoretical capacity) and exhibits exceptional cycling stability with an ultralow average capacity decay rate of only 0.04% per cycle over 800 cycles at 3C. Even at high sulfur loadings (4.8 mg cm −2 ), the cathode maintains remarkable electrochemical performance. This work provides a high‐performance biomass‐derived host and offers insights for optimizing Li–S battery performance via rational carbon material design.

Anthocyanins (ACNs) are sensitive natural pigments whose application in liquid-core hydrogel beads is restricted by the "leakage effect" - namely, the rapid diffusion through the inherently porous alginate matrix. This study implements a size-enlargement strategy to physically immobilize ACNs by engineering rice protein-anthocyanin complexes (RP-ACNs) via a pH-driven co-assembly process. Under an optimal 11-4 pH cycle (alkaline-shift to pH 11 followed by acidic refolding at pH 4) and 1:5 core-to-wall ratio, the complexes achieved a 77.65% encapsulation efficiency with a particle size of 29.04 mu m. This establishes a dual-barrier mechanism against leakage: first, the co-assembly process substantially increases the effective molecular dimensions of the pigment, creating profound steric hindrance; second, these aggregated complexes (hydrodynamic diameter: 29.04 mu m) densely pack the interstitial spaces of the alginate membrane, restricting osmotic mass transfer. The RP-ACN beads maintained structural and color integrity across a wide range of pH 2-10. Stability tests confirmed that the beads reached an ACN retention of 80.36% after 80 degrees C heating and 78.44% after 20 days of accelerated storage. This dual-barrier mechanism provides a robust, solvent-free approach for the stabilization and delivery of smallmolecule bioactives in food-grade systems.

The recovery and quantification of viable probiotic cells from food samples are essential for verifying product efficacy and quality. The traditional culture methods are time-consuming and laborious. In this study, 998 genomic sequences of LAB were analyzed and four novel species-specific molecular markers were mined for Limosilactobacillus reuteri, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei, and Lactobacillus acidophilus. The specificity of the genetic markers was evaluated using 15 LAB species. A new Propidium Monoazide-qPCR (PMA-qPCR) assay was developed to quantify four viable LAB species. The optimal PMA conditions were 40 mu mol/L with 30 min of light exposure, 20 mu mol/L with 20 min, 30 mu mol/L with 20 min, and 30 mu mol/L with 25 min for L. reuteri, L. rhamnosus, L. paracasei, and L. acidophilus, respectively. Four quantitative standard curves were established, demonstrating a robust correlation (R-2 > 0.99) with viable cell counts over an extensive concentration range (10(3)-10(8) CFU/mL). The detection limits were 8.45 x 10(3) CFU/mL, 4.30 x 10(2) CFU/mL, 7.40 x 10(3) CFU/mL, and 1.32 x 10(2) CFU/mL of pure culture for L. reuteri, L. rhamnosus, L. paracasei, and L. acidophilus, respectively. In 59 actual probiotic products, there was no significant difference between the results of PMA-qPCR and the traditional culture method (P > 0.05). The assay can accurately quantify viable bacteria in probiotic products within approximately 3 h and holds great promise for quality-control applications.

In this work, we synthesized acetylated, propionylated and butyrylated corn starches with precisely controlled degrees of substitution (DS 1.0, 2.0 and 2.5), and systematically characterized their multi-scale structure, in vitro fermentation behaviors and regulatory effects on human gut microbiota. Esterification disrupted starch’s native A-type crystalline structure, induced thermally stable V-type crystals with a characteristic high-temperature endothermic peak at 120–145 °C (DSC), and increased starch hydrophobicity in a DS- and acyl chain length-dependent manner. High-DS (2.5) starches showed desirable slow-fermentation properties, with steady pH maintained at 6.03–6.43 during fermentation, and enabled targeted short-chain fatty acid release matching their grafted acyl groups. Relative crystallinity, especially V-type crystallinity, is significantly negatively correlated with fermentation rate. They also significantly enriched beneficial bacteria including Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium and Faecalibacterium, inhibited the potential pathogen Escherichia-Shigella, and enhanced gut microbial diversity. This work provides a theoretical basis for developing slow-fermenting starch-based functional ingredients for intestinal health intervention.

Carcinogenic heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) inevitably form during thermal processing, particularly in sugar- and meat-rich Cantonese baked products, making sensitive quantification of trace HAAs essential for food safety. Here, we synthesized a carboxyl-functionalized covalent organic framework (COF) via post-modification, namely TpBD-COOH, and evaluated it as an adsorbent for HAA enrichment. Despite exhibiting a low surface area (96 m2·g-1), TpBD-COOH exhibited high affinity and rapid adsorption (10-20 min) for 16 HAAs, with adsorption behavior well described by fitting pseudo-second-order and Freundlich models. Furthermore, a membrane-protected micro-solid-phase extraction (M-μSPE) method coupled with high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) analysis was developed, achieving low limits of detection (0.04-1.39 μg·kg-1), satisfactory recoveries (72.6-118.7%), and good analytical stability for profiling of multiple HAAs. These results indicate that the proposed M-μSPE-HPLC-MS/MS method shows strong potential for food safety monitoring of thermally processed bakery products.

While whole-grain flours are gaining attention for their nutritional completeness, their functional application is often limited by poor technological performance. Using whole chestnut flour (WCF) as a model system rich in slow-digesting carbohydrates and polyphenols, this study developed a synergistic modification strategy combining heat-moisture treatment (HMT) with lipid addition (corn oil) to overcome these limitations. The resulting material (HMT-WCF-L) formed V-type starch–lipid complexes, which recovered the crystallinity to 7.9% and enhanced free phenolic content to 2.241 mg GAE/g, significantly improving anti-glycation activity-particularly against methylglyoxal-derived AGEs (54.7 % inhibition). The modified flour demonstrated excellent 3D printability, with improved shape retention and reduced thermal deformation during baking, supported by favorable shear-thinning and structural recovery properties. Nutritionally, HMT-WCF-L exhibited a lower glycemic response (Cmax = 57.9) and higher resistant starch (RS) content (19.3 %). In vivo intervention in high-fat diet-fed mice significantly suppressed weight gain and fasting hyperglycemia, while positively modulating gut microbiota composition by enriching beneficial genera (e.g., Lactobacillus, Faecalibaculum) and upregulating microbial pathways linked to short-chain fatty acid metabolism. This work provides a material-design strategy that simultaneously enhances the processability, metabolic functionality, and gut microbiome compatibility of whole-food flours, offering a potential approach for developing structured, low-glycemic functional foods.

Norovirus (NoV), group A rotavirus (RVA), hepatitis A virus (HAV), human astrovirus (HAstV), hepatitis E virus (HEV), and human sapovirus (HuSaV) are major foodborne viruses responsible for acute gastroenteritis outbreaks. Shellfish act as an important reservoir for these viruses. A reliable detection method is crucial for timely virus identification and monitoring in shellfish and other aquatic products. This study established a highly specific and sensitive double-tube multiplex TaqMan real-time RT-PCR (mRT-qPCR) assay for the concurrent detection of multiple foodborne viruses. Primers and TaqMan probes were designed from highly conserved sequences, and the assay was optimized for group detection in a double-tube format. The method showed no cross-reactivity among target viruses or with unrelated pathogens and demonstrated excellent specificity, sensitivity, repeatability, and reproducibility. The detection limit was approximately 1.1 copies/μL for NoV GI, 7.5 copies/μL for NoV GII, approximately 1.4 copies/μL for RVA, approximately 1.1 copies/μL for HAV, approximately 1.5 copies/μL for HEV, approximately 1.1 copies/μL for HAstV, and approximately 1.6 copies/μL for HuSaV. Coefficients of variation for all pathogens were < 3.6%, with strong linearity (R2 ≥ 0.96). A total of 1,988 shellfish samples were collected from coastal cities in Bohai Bay and southern China. The positive rates were 0.05% (1/1,988) for NoV GI, 7.65% (152/1,988) for NoV GII, 0.86% (17/1,988) for RVA, 0% (0/1,988) for HAV, 2.41% (48/1,988) for HEV, 3.82% (76/1,988) for HAstV, and 1.11% (22/1,988) for HuSaV. NoV GII and HAstV exhibited the highest prevalence. This double-tube mRT-qPCR assay offers an efficient and reliable method for detecting foodborne viruses in shellfish, providing strong technical support for food safety monitoring.

Plantain flour represents a promising ingredient for developing nutrient-dense foods due to its high resistant starch content; however, its application in noodles is limited by poor formability. This study developed a strategy to overcome this challenge by formulating plantain noodles using wheat gluten and compound phosphate. Formula optimization indicated that a minimum of 17.5% (w/w) wheat gluten was required for satisfactory dough formation. The incorporation of compound phosphate significantly enhanced noodle quality by increasing bound water content and disulfide bond formation (by 2.48 μmol/g), which consequently reduced breakage rate and cooking loss, and improved textural properties (manifested as reduced hardness) and tensile characteristics (increased breaking force and extended breaking distance). Furthermore, the modified noodles exhibited lower in vitro digestibility for both protein and starch, with resistant components reaching up to 47.74% of the total. Correspondingly, in vitro fermentation revealed that these noodles promoted the proliferation of key short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria (e.g., Phascolarctobacterium, Veillonella, Lachnoclostridium, and Megasphaera), thereby elevating propionic and butyric acid levels and enhancing associated metabolic pathways. This study provides a viable approach for converting plantain flour into functional noodles with tailored techno-functional properties and potential gut health benefits, offering new insights into the utilization of resistant starch-rich materials.

Conventional magnesium supplementation relies on passive diffusion in the small intestine, resulting in poor bioavailability. To address this, we developed an oxidized starch-chitosan-Mg2+ composite gel that directs more Mg2+ to the colon, where resistant polysaccharides are fermented to SCFAs that may actively enhance absorption. Mg2+ incorporation increased the gel's resistant component to 52.42 ± 0.63%. Increasing Mg2+ from 0.5% to 2% reduced cumulative upper gastrointestinal release from 70.61 ± 0.79% to 43.62 ± 1.01% (p < 0.05), with higher concentrations showing no further improvement. In Mg2+-deficient mice, the gel dose-dependently restored serum Mg2+ to healthy levels. Comparison at equal Mg2+ doses revealed that the polysaccharide carrier independently contributed to enhanced absorption. Mechanistically, resistant polysaccharides were associated with upregulation of SCFAs receptors (FFAR2/FFAR3/HCAR2) and Mg2+ transporters (TRPM6/TRPM7/CNNM4), with immunofluorescence indicating TRPM7 upregulation. This work provides proof-of-concept evidence for a paradigm shift from passive supplementation to active regulation via SCFAs-associated transporter modulation.

Many conventional resistant starches tend to undergo rapid fermentation in the proximal colon. This often causes gastrointestinal intolerance and limits their health benefits across the full length of the colon. In this work, we synthesized acetylated, propionylated and butyrylated corn starches with precisely controlled degrees of substitution (DS 1.0, 2.0 and 2.5), and systematically characterized their multi-scale structure, in vitro fermentation behaviors and regulatory effects on human gut microbiota. Esterification disrupted starch's native A-type crystalline structure, induced thermally stable V-type crystals with a characteristic high-temperature endothermic peak at 120-145 °C (DSC), and increased starch hydrophobicity in a DS- and acyl chain length-dependent manner. High-DS (2.5) starches showed desirable slow-fermentation properties, with steady pH maintained at 6.03-6.43 during fermentation, and enabled targeted short-chain fatty acid release matching their grafted acyl groups. Relative crystallinity, especially V-type crystallinity, is significantly negatively correlated with fermentation rate. They also significantly enriched beneficial bacteria including Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium and Faecalibacterium, reduced the relative abundance of the potential pathogenic genus Escherichia-Shigella, and enhanced gut microbial diversity. This in vitro work provides preliminary theoretical reference for developing slow-fermenting starch-based functional ingredients with potential intestinal regulatory capacity for subsequent in vivo intestinal health intervention research.

Binder jet 3D printing (BJ3DP) was employed to fabricate a non-equiatomic Ni34Co28Cr28Al10 medium-entropy alloy (MEA), with a focus on tailoring the microstructure, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance through post-process heat treatments. The aging treatment promoted the uniform precipitation of nanosized L1(2) particles and short rod-like B2/sigma phases, resulting in a balanced mechanical performance with a yield strength of similar to 580 MPa, ultimate tensile strength of similar to 725 MPa, and elongation of similar to 4.9%. The alloy demonstrated superior corrosion resistance in the 3.5 wt% NaCl solution compared to 316 L stainless steel, characterized by a higher corrosion potential, lower corrosion current density, and stabilized passivation behavior. This enhancement is attributed to the formation of a continuous Cr-rich passive film and protective Al2O3-rich regions, despite micro-galvanic coupling between multiphase interfaces. The study highlights the capability of BJ3DP combined with optimized heat treatment to produce high-performance MEAs with tunable mechanical and corrosion properties, supporting the potential application in demanding environments.

In this study, corn starch-glyceride complexes were prepared using hydrothermal treatment and microwave-assisted 3D printing, enabling systematic regulation of starch interactions through mono-, di-, and triglycerides with distinct saturation. Comparative analysis indicated that glyceride substitution degree played a dominant role in ordered structures and resistant starch (RS) content, whereas saturation exerted a secondary influence. Multi-scale structural characterization, combined with nonlinear rheology and molecular dynamics simulations, revealed that mono-/diglycerides formed single-helix inclusion complexes, resulting in increased ordered structures (V-type crystallinity >20%) and RS content near 20%. However, these systems exhibited rigid but less stable gel networks under large deformation, as reflected by pronounced nonlinear rheological responses. In contrast, triglyceride complexes showed limited helix inclusion (V-type crystallinity <5%) but enhanced RS content (up to 25%) through chain entanglement and hydrophobic shielding, resulting in improved attenuated nonlinear responses. Overall, this work provides basic data for starch-glyceride systems via hydrothermal and extrusion-based processing conditions.

Emerging evidence suggests that Akkermansia muciniphila postbiotics show promising potential in promoting metabolic health. Nevertheless, their bioactivity and colonic availability can be compromised during upper gastrointestinal transit. To address this limitation, a colon-targeted delivery system was developed, based on butyrylated starch (BS) film-coated microspheres (BSFCMs). BS with a tunable degree of substitution was synthesized. Films fabricated from BS exhibited enhanced hydrophobicity and digestion resistance, with the optimal performance observed at DS = 1.79. Under in vitro simulated gastrointestinal conditions, microspheres with 14% coating weight gain showed under 30% cumulative release in simulated gastric and intestinal fluids. Furthermore, tuning the postbiotic loading ratio increased the colon-targeted delivery of representative postbiotic-derived small molecules to about 50%-70%. Collectively, these findings support the feasibility of using DS-tunable BS films as robust coating materials for constructing microsphere systems to mitigate premature release of A. muciniphila postbiotics during gastrointestinal transit and improve oral delivery efficiency for colonic applications.

Resistant starch (RS), an indigestible dietary carbohydrate, plays a pivotal role in modulating gut health through microbial fermentation to short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) including acetate, propionate, and butyrate which mediate multiple health benefits. Accumulating evidence highlights that the digestive resistance and fermentative behavior of RS are fundamentally determined by its structural characteristics, such as amylose-toamylopectin ratio, granule morphology, crystalline type, chain-length distribution, and interactions with other food components. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of current knowledge on the classification and structural domains of RS, their influence on fermentation kinetics and SCFA profiles, and their interactions with gut microbiota. Additionally, we discuss how these structure-function relationships translate into health outcomes and inform the development of functional starch ingredients. Emerging strategies, including genetic breeding for high amylose content, controlled physical processing, chemical modification, and esterification with SCFAs, offer opportunities to tailor RS properties for specific nutritional goals. Future research directions should further clarify how these structural attributes can be leveraged within precision nutrition frameworks to develop functional foods and dietary interventions aligned with individual microbiome variability and health needs.

Salmonella is a significant foodborne pathogen that causes human illness and comprises numerous serotypes. This study investigated the prevalence of Salmonella co-contamination with multiple serotypes within single food samples in China. Of 3,570 samples analyzed, 550 (15.4%) tested positive for Salmonella. Using a combined approach of serological typing via slide agglutination tests and molecular characterization by multilocus sequence typing (MLST), we found that 18.5% (102/550) of Salmonella-positive samples harbored more than one serotype. Specifically, 86 samples contained two distinct serotypes, 11 samples contained three, and 5 samples contained four. The highest frequencies of multi-serotype contamination were identified in animal-derived foods: poultry meat (20.5%), livestock meat (19.5%), and aquatic products (16.7%). Notably, certain serogroup and serotype co-occurrence patterns appeared preferentially associated with specific food categories. This widespread phenomenon of multi-serotype contamination presents significant challenges: it not only complicates outbreak traceback investigations but may also potentiate synergistic pathogenic effects. Therefore, we recommend that systematic detection and characterization of multi-serotype contamination be adopted, as it is critical for improving the accuracy and comprehensiveness of public health risk assessments.

This study aims to explore the effects of hydrothermal treatment (HT)-assisted grapefruit peel pectin on the physicochemical, morphological, thermal, and pasting characteristics and in vitro digestibility of corn starch under varying temperatures and moisture content. Morphological analysis revealed that pectin uniformly coated starch granules, forming protective layers and rearranging crystalline structures. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance confirmed alterations in molecular order, with increases in single-helix structures and reductions in double-helix structures. X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry highlighted significant reductions in crystallinity and changes in thermal properties, indicating compact structural arrangements. Pasting and in vitro digestibility results revealed HT-C/P@60/80 exhibiting the highest resistant starch content and the lowest rapidly digestible starch content. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations demonstrated that pectin binds to α-amylase, then potentially inhibiting its catalytic activity. These findings highlight the role of pectin in altering starch properties for better food applications.

Protein/polysaccharide nanoparticle-stabilized Pickering high-internal-phase emulsions (HIPEs) can be customized to reduce foodborne hazards and enhance food quality. However, preparing thermostable HIPEs remains challenging. This study developed thermally stable OCCNPs-stabilized HIPEs by modulating the interactions between ovalbumin (OVA) and sodium carboxymethyl starch (CMSNa) to fabricate nanoparticles (OCCNPs). The results showed OCCNPs with a particle size of 378.6 nm were successfully prepared with a three-phase contact angle of 88.9° and a phase transition temperature of 104.6-111.9 °C. Confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed Na+ mainly distributed at the oil-water interface of HIPEs through electrostatic load of CMS, accompanied by a few in water phase, while functional oil rich in unsaturated fatty acids was encapsulated in dispersion phase of HIPEs. This spatial distribution and ordered structure (fractal dimension is 1.54) of OCCNPs at the interface enhanced the thermal stability of HIPEs, helping to inhibit hazardous compounds and reduce salt addition. Evaluation of HIPEs-based biscuits demonstrated a remarkable reduction in lipid hydroperoxide (46.5 %), malondialdehyde (27.4 %), and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (75.7 %). Additionally, OCCNPs-stabilized HIPEs improved saltiness perception, allowing for a 52 % reduction in salt content while achieving higher sensory scores. The thermostable and multifunctional HIPEs we have developed are conducive to the development of the food safety field.

Personalized additive manufacturing of starch-based foodstuffs is currently at the forefront of research in the food field. This work mainly studied the effects of oleic acid (OA) and polyphenols with different spatial structures (chlorogenic and caffeic acid, CA and CF) on the 3D printing properties of rice flour (RF), and the results showed their synergistic addition significantly improved the printability. From perspectives of rheological properties and structural correlation analysis of rice starch (RS), the structural ordered degree of RS including relative V-type crystallinity, enthalpy value (ΔH), and aggregate structure had a positive correlation with the RF printability. Notably, when compared to CF, CA could hinder the entanglement and proximity between starch and starch-OA single helix due to its large spatial site resistance and hydrogen bonding, thus further improving the viscosity of the system and the regularity of the gel network. This research provided new ideas for 3D-printed starchy foods.