Rice bran is an abundant by-product of rice processing, however, studies on the structural characteristics and biological activities of its glucans remain limited. A novel glucan (RBP0) was isolated and purified from rice bran, with an average molecular weight of 4.57 × 103 g/mol. Structural analyses revealed that RBP0 is mainly composed of glucose, and its backbone consists of →4)-α-D-Glcp-(1→, →4,6)-α-D-Glcp-(1→, and →3,4)-α-D-Glcp-(1 → linkages. In vitro assays demonstrated that RBP0 possessed antioxidant activity, with scavenging rates of 83.25%, 63.84%, and 45.42% against DPPH·, ABTS+·, and ·OH radicals, respectively, at 8 mg/mL, although these effects were weaker than those of vitamin C. Moreover, RBP0 regulated the expression of genes associated with allergy-related immune cells in an intestinal model, suggesting its potential anti-allergic properties. This study provides a solid scientific foundation for the structural elucidation of rice bran polysaccharides and supports their further development and practical application as functional ingredients.

This work explored the protective effects and mechanisms of exopolysaccharide C-LPE3 from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ZGS521 against DSS-induced ulcerative colitis (UC). C-LPE3 relieved colitis symptoms, restored intestinal barrier integrity via upregulating tight junction proteins and Muc-2, and suppressed inflammation and oxidative stress by activating AMPK while inhibiting the mTOR/NF-κB cascade. It reshaped dysbiotic gut microbiota, elevated short-chain fatty acids, and boosted l-arginine biosynthesis by increasing Argininosuccinate Synthase 1 (ASS1)/Argininosuccinate Lyase (ASL) expression. In vitro assays confirmed l-arginine alleviated macrophage inflammation through the AMPK-mTOR/NF-κB axis. Correlation analysis linked C-LPE3-enriched beneficial microbes to higher l-arginine and SCFA levels. Collectively, C-LPE3 mitigates colitis through a microbiota-l-arginine-AMPK regulatory axis, supporting its development as a gut-health functional food ingredient.

In this study, the crude polysaccharide extracted from Gynura divaricata (L.) DC (GDP) using ultrasound-assisted extraction was purified, yielding three main fractions, namely GDP0, GDP3, and GDP5, with molecular weights of 1.7, 651.2, and 1521.6 kDa, respectively. GDP0 was mainly composed of glucose, mannose, rhamnose, xylose, and galactose; GDP3 was primarily composed of galacturonic acid and xylose; while GDP5 consisted mainly of xylose, glucose, galactose, arabinose, mannose, and fucose. In H2O2-induced RAW264.7 cells, all GDP fractions effectively increased catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities while reducing malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, demonstrating potent antioxidant activity. The underlying mechanism may involve the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. In addition, GDPs inhibited alpha-glucosidase through a mixed-type mechanism and a static fluorescence quenching. In insulin resistance-HepG2 cells, GDPs effectively increased glucose consumption, hepatic glycogen content, and the activities of pyruvate kinase and hexokinase. GDPs modulated glucose metabolism possibly by activating the PI3K/Akt and AMPK signaling pathways. Therefore, the GDPs developed in this study may find application as natural antioxidant and hypoglycemic ingredients in functional foods.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a persistent and relapsing intestinal disorder that significantly harms health. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ZGS521 isolated from fermented pickles was identified through Gram staining, physiological and biochemical assays and 16S rDNA sequencing. The gene of L. plantarum ZGS521 was annotated through sequence alignment. L. plantarum ZGS521 was found to have excellent gastrointestinal fluid tolerance, adhesion capability and antioxidant activity. In a colitis mouse model, ZGS521 notably suppressed weight loss, decreased the disease activity index (DAI), increased the colon length, regulated intestinal epithelial proliferation and differentiation by increasing the population of intestinal stem cells and goblet cells, and upregulated the expression levels of relevant genes with intestinal epithelial cells and enteroendocrine cells (P < 0.05). Additionally, ZGS521 modulated cytokines, restored oxidative balance and repaired mucosal damage. L. plantarum ZGS521 also modulated short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels, increasing the proportion of beneficial microorganisms. Thus, the anti-inflammatory activities of ZGS521 may involve the modulation of intestinal epithelial proliferation and differentiation and the gut microbiota.

A homogeneous galactoglucan (C-LPE3), an exopolysaccharide produced by CaCl2-stimulated Lactiplantibacillus plantarum ZGS521, was purified. The structural features, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacities of C-LPE3 were evaluated. The molecular weight of C-LPE3 was determined as 20.48 kDa. The main chain of C-LPE3 was composed of →6)-α-d-Glcp-(1 → 6)-α-d-Galp-(1 → residues, with side chains including α-d-Glcp-(1 → at the O-3 position of →3,6)-α-d-Glcp-(1 → and α-d-Galp-(1 → 4)-α-d-Galp-(1 → at the O-4 position of →4,6)-α-d-Galp-(1→. SEM analysis indicated that C-LPE3 exhibited an amorphous structure and flaky morphology. C-LPE3 demonstrated potent free radical scavenging property. In H2O2-treated RAW264.7 macrophages, it exerted protective effects by decreasing MDA and ROS contents while enhancing SOD and CAT activities. In LPS-treated macrophages, C-LPE3 suppressed phagocytosis and NO production, modulated cytokine secretion, and activated the AMPK pathway while inhibiting mTOR and NF-κB pathways. The inhibitory effects on mTOR and NF-κB signaling were likely mediated by AMPK activation. These findings deepen understanding of the structure-bioactivity relationship of EPS from L. plantarum and suggest the potential of C-LPE3 as a natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, deserving further investigation on its application in foods and pharmaceuticals.

BACKGROUND:To develop new antibacterial agents with the potential application in shrimp preservation, a novel chitosan oligosaccharide (COS)-hydroxypyridinone (HPO) conjugate (COS-HPO2) with strong antioxidant and anti-tyrosinase activities was investigated for its preservation effect on shrimp. RESULTS:The antibacterial activity assay indicated that COS-HPO2 possessed greater antibacterial activity than COS against five bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Shewanella putrefaciens, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). The antibacterial mechanism survey against S. putrefaciens RMS1 revealed that COS-HPO2 could increase cellular permeability, resulting in the leakage of intracellular substances. COS-HPO2 could also kill the bacteria by chelating iron ions in the environment and inhibiting DNA replication. The treatment with COS-HPO2 was found to extend the shelf life of shrimp to 10 days at 4 °C, whereas the shelf life of shrimp treated with COS, ε-polylysine (ε-PL) and the control group was 8, 8 and 5 days, respectively. Treatment of shrimp with a formulation containing COS-HPO2 and ε-PL (1 g L-1) further extended its shelf life to 12 days. CONCLUSION:COS-HPO2 could find application in shrimp preservation. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Focusing on the hydrogen production from methanol liquid-phase reforming, carbon-doped interstitial compounds were prepared and their performances were investigated concerning the problems of traditional catalysts. The compounds, such as Pt 3 InC 0.5 , Pd 3 InC, and Ni 3 InC 0.5 , were successfully prepared by direct liquid-phase synthesis using N, N - dimethylformamide as a solvent and reducing agent. The experiments showed that Pt 3 InC 0.5 / SiO 2 had excellent performance in methanol liquid-phase reforming hydrogen reaction, and the carbon doping significantly improved the catalytic activity of Pt 3 In, which provided a new idea for the design of high-efficiency methanol liquid-phase reforming hydrogen catalysts.

In this study, a strain with good exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing ability was isolated from the fermented Benincasa hispida and identified as Lactiplantibacillus plantarum Z-1. Its EPS production was further improved by H2O2 stress under optimized culture conditions, increasing from 180 ± 0.45 mg/L to 409.52 ± 2.16 mg/L. Purification of EPS with DEAE-52 and subsequent Sephadex G-100 column chromatography provided three fractions, namely, EPS-0, EPS-1 and EPS-3, respectively. The molecular weight of EPS, EPS-0, EPS-1 and EPS-3 were 85.4, 25.7, 131.88 and 93.2 kDa, respectively. EPS, EPS-1 and EPS-3 were mainly composed of glucose, rhamnose, arabinose and galactose with molar ratios of 1:0.544:0.211:0.281, 1:1.279:0.807:0.704, and 1:1.459:0.759:0.75, respectively, along with small proportions of fucose, mannose and xylose. EPS-0 was composed of glucose, arabinose, galactose and xylose, with molar ratios of 1:0.618:0.206:0.275. The structural analysis indicated that EPS-3 was mainly consisted of (1,2,4)-β-Rhap, (1,2,3)-β-Araf, (1,4)-β-Galp, T-α-Glcp units. The three purified fractions showed typical characteristics of non-Newtonian fluids and good viscoelasticity. Congo red test revealed that irregular triple-helical conformation existed in EPS and EPS-3. These physicochemical properties of EPSs make them a potential candidate for the use as a health-beneficial food additive in the food processing industry.

The antioxidant potential of a novel stilbene analogue (5-hydroxy-2-[2-(3,5-dihydroxy-phenyl)-vinyl]-1-hexyl-pyridin-4-one) (named SA) along with its application in shrimp refrigeration was investigated. The antioxidant activity of SA was evaluated by determining the radical scavenging ability. Further, the shrimp preservative efficacy of SA was investigated on Penaeus vannamei stored at 4 degrees C by determining the quality indicators. The shelf life of shrimp treated with SA was extended to 10 days, while the shelf life of shrimp treated with 4-hexylresorcinol (4-HR), kojic acid, and sterile saline was 9, 6, and 4 days, respectively. The shelf life of shrimp was further extended to 12 days when treated with SA in combination with 0.1% citric acid. The residue of SA in shrimp was found to be extremely low even after 12 days of storage. Furthermore, MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay indicated that SA was nontoxic to two cell lines. SA could find application in shrimp refrigeration.

BACKGROUND Tyrosinase inhibitors find potential application in food, cosmetic and medicinal products, but most of the identified tyrosinase inhibitors are not suitable for practical use because of safety regulations or other problems. For the purpose of development of novel tyrosinase inhibitors that meet the requirement for practical application, a novel stilbene analogue (SA) was designed. RESULTS SA was found to possess a potent inhibitory effect against both mono- and diphenolase activities of mushroom tyrosinase, with IC50 values of 1.56 and 7.15 mu mol L-1, respectively. Compared with a natural tyrosinase inhibitor - kojic acid - the anti-tyrosinase effect of SA was significantly improved. Analysis of inhibition kinetics indicated that SA was a reversible and competitive-noncompetitive mixed-type inhibitor. SA was also found to possess more potent antioxidant activities (DPPH, superoxide anion radical and hydroxyl radical scavenging ability) than those of kojic acid. Cell viability studies revealed that SA was non-toxic to two cell lines. Furthermore, an anti-browning test demonstrated that SA effectively delayed the blackening of shrimp. CONCLUSION SA has potential as an anti-browning agent in foods. (c) 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

A novel thioether chitosan oligosaccharide (COS-All-Tio) was prepared by the reaction of chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) with 3-bromopropene, followed by the coupling with tiopronin (Tio) using a thiol-ene reaction. The degree of substitution of COS-All-Tio reached 1.48. The structure of COS-All-Tio was identified by IR, NMR spectra. It was found that COS-All-Tio possessed more potent antioxidant activities than COS. The IC50 values of COS-All-Tio for scavenging DPPH, ABTS+ and OH were 0.31, 0.39 and 0.73 mg/mL, respectively, while the corresponding values for COS were 0.66, 2.89 and 1.41 mg/mL, respectively. COS-All-Tio was also found to possess much stronger antibacterial effect than COS against five bacteria strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). Further, COS-All-Tio was found to be non-toxic to RAW264.7 macrophages and MRC-5 human lung cells. This work provides a convenient way to improve the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of COS.

Grey mullet protein hydrolysate possessed high antioxidant activity and was prepared using neutrase. The hydrolysis conditions were optimised by the response surface methodology (RSM): enzyme to substrate ratio 5.8:1 (U of enzyme/mg of substrate), pH 7.3, 51°C, and 3.5 h. The hydrolysate obtained under the optimal conditions (HGM) possessed superior radical scavenging activity (IC50 values: 0.786 mg/mL for DPPH; 1.294 mg/mL for superoxide anion radical) to that of unhydrolysed grey mullet protein (GM). HGM also possessed better ferric-reducing power and higher ferrous ion-chelating activity. Electrophoretic analysis indicated that HGM mainly consisted of peptides with molecular weights below 10 kDa. The amino acid composition indicated a high nutritional value for HGM. The solubility, foamability, and emulsion activity index of HGM were improved as compared to those of GM. These results indicated that HGM has potential as a bioactive ingredient in the formulation of functional foods.

To explore effect of the structural properties of porphyra haitanensis polysaccharide on its biological activity, degraded porphyra polysaccharides were separated and purified by Cellulose DEAE-52 and Sephadex G-100 chromatography, obtaining three purified components (P1, P2 and P3). All the three components were sulfate polysaccharides containing the repeating units of → 3) β-D-galactose (1 → 4) 3,6-anhydro-α-L-galactose (1 →, and → 3) β-D-galactose (1 → 4) α-L-galactose-6-S (1 →, and → 3) 6-O-methyl-β-D-galactose (1 → 4) 3,6-anhydro-α-L-galactose (1 →. The molecular weight of the three fractions was measured to be 300.3, 130.4 and 115.1 kDa, respectively. Their antioxidant activity was investigated by the determination of the free radical scavenging effect and ferric reducing power. It was found that P1, P2 and P3 possessed marked antioxidant activity. It was also found that they appreciably enhanced the proliferation, phagocytic ability and nitric oxide secretion in RAW264.7 cells. Lower molecular weight and higher sulfate content were beneficial to bioactivities of P. haitanensis polysaccharides. Overall, P2 and P3 possess superior immuno-modulatory activity to that of P1 and PHP. Thus, the current work will provide the basis for the better utilization of P. haitanensis to develop the related functional foods.

With the aim of exploring the potential application of a novel chitosan oligosaccharide derivative (COS-All-Tio) in shrimp preservation, six dominant spoilage bacteria in the spoiled shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) were isolated and identified as Shewanella putrefaciens (RMS1), S. putrefaciens (S2), Pseudomonas weihenstephanensis (P1), P. gessardii (P2), Aeromonas bestiarum (A1) and Aeromonas molluscorum (A2). The antibacterial effect of COS-All-Tio against the six bacterial isolates were studied. Bacterial inhibition zone determination, and minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration assays indicated that the antibacterial activity of COS-All-Tio was greatly improved when compared to that of chitosan oligosaccharide (COS). The antibacterial mechanism investigation against S. putrefaciens (RMS1) revealed that COS-All-Tio could inhibit bacterial growth by influencing of membrane integrity. Such disturbance of membrane structure resulted in the leakage of intracellular substance of the bacteria. A strong synergistic antibacterial effect against S. putrefaciens (RMS1) was observed when COS-All-Tio was used in combination with food preservatives (e.g. ε-polylysine hydrochloride). Therefore, COS-All-Tio might have potential in shrimp preservation.

In an attempt to synthesise new tyrosinase inhibitors, we designed and synthesised a series of chalcone-hydroxypyridinone hybrids as potential tyrosinase inhibitors adopting strategic modifications of kojic acid. All the newly synthesised compounds were characterised by NMR and mass spectrometry. Initial screening of the target compounds demonstrated that compounds1a,1d, and1nhad relatively strong inhibitory activities against tyrosinase monophenolase, with IC(50)values of 3.07 +/- 0.85, 2.25 +/- 0.8 and 2.75 +/- 1.19 mu M, respectively. The inhibitory activity against monophenolase was 6- to 8-fold higher than that of kojic acid. Compounds1a,1d, and1nalso showed inhibition of diphenolase, with IC(50)values of 17.05 +/- 0.07, 11.70 +/- 0.03 and 19.3 +/- 0.28 mu M, respectively. The inhibition kinetics of diphenolase indicates that compounds1aand1dinduce reversible inhibition on tyrosinase. Finally, we found that copper coordination should be one of the important inhibitory mechanism of these compounds in tyrosinase.

The growth inhibition and induction of apoptosis brought by amygdalin and activated with β-D-glucosidase were tested for cytoactivity in HepG2 cells. The MTT viability assay showed that all samples had effects on HepG2 proliferation in dose and time response manners. IC50 of stand-alone amygdalin and activation with β-D-glucosidase on the proliferation of HepG2 cells for 48 h were 458.10 mg/mL and 3.2 mg/mL, respectively. Moreover, apoptotic cells were determined by AO/EB (acridine orange/ethidium bromide) fluorescent staining method and Annexin V-FITC/PI staining flow cytometry cell cycle analysis. With increasing of amygdalin concentration and the incubation time, the apoptotic rate was heightened. Compared with the control, there was significant difference (p<0.01). Together, these findings indicate that amygdalin had no strong anti-HepG2 activity; however the ingredients of amygdalin activated with β-D-glucosidase had a higher and efficient anti-HepG2 activity. It was therefore suggested that this combination strategy may be applicable for treating tumors with a higher activity.

This study was carried out to determine the effects of phytase on the growth performance, bone mineralization, digestion and metabolization of nutrientsubstance in Avian broilers. Each of 400, 1 day old male Avian broilers and 400, 1 day old female Avian broilers was randomly divided into 5 groups (Group I, available phosphorus-adequate group without phytase; Group II, available phosphorus-deficient group without phytase; Group III, available phosphorus-deficient group with 250 U kg(-1) phytase; Group IV, available phosphorus-deficient group with 500 U kg(-1) phytase; Group V, available phosphorus-deficient group with 750 U kg(-1) phytase). Each group included 4 replicates, each with 20 broilers. The results showed that the effect of phytase on the growth permance in male broilers was more obvious than that of female. Dry tibia weights of male and female broilers fed with Group II and III diets were decreased compared with Group I; Group IV and V were increased compared with Group I. Tibia phosphorus contents of male and female broilers fed with Group IT-V were decreased compared with Group I. Tibia calcium contents of male broilers fed with Group II and V diets were increased by compared with Group I; Group III and IV were decreased compared with Group I. Tibia calcium contents of female broilers fed with Group II, IV and V diets were increased compared with Group I; Group III was decreased compared with Group I. Apparent digestibility coefficients of total phosphorus of Group II-V in male and female broilers were increased compared with Group I. Phosphorus concentrations of faeces of Group II-V in male and female broilers were decreased compared with Group I. Apparent digestibility coefficients of calcium Group II-V in male and female broilers were increased compared with Group I. The result showed that phytase added to available phosphorus-deficient broiler diet could improve the growth performance, bone mineralization as well as calcium and phosphorus availability.