Chang Li

As an emerging technology for the preservation and sterilization of agricultural products, cold plasma has demonstrated significant potential. This study aimed to investigate the effects of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) cold plasma on the activities of lipase and lipoxygenase in rice bran and to establish a kinetic model for enzyme inactivation to characterize the action of plasma on these two enzymes. Rice bran samples were treated with DBD plasma at various voltages (35–55 kV) for different durations (0–20 min). The results indicated that both voltage and treatment time had significant effects on the inactivation of lipase and lipoxygenase, reducing them by 91.51% and 96.43%, respectively. Four kinetic models, log‐linear, Weibull, Logistic, and Peleg, were applied to fit the experimental data, and corresponding model parameters were calculated. The analysis revealed that the Logistic model best described lipase inactivation, while the Weibull model was most suitable for lipoxygenase. Under identical treatment conditions, lipase exhibited relatively high stability, whereas lipoxygenase has a stronger adaptability under more severe conditions.

Oleogel is a promising strategy to reduce trans and saturated fatty acids in solid fats. This study prepared composite oleogels using soy protein isolate (SPI) as the emulsifier and five polysaccharides including xanthan gum (XG), carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), flaxseed gum (FG), locust bean gum (LBG), and konjac glucomannan (KGM) as thickeners. The SPI–XG oleogel formed a dense and stable three‐dimensional network, with an oil loss rate below 10% and a hardness of 3696.85 ± 235.26 N, accompanied by superior gumminess and chewiness. When used to replace margarine in sponge cakes, the corresponding batter had a specific gravity of 0.52 ± 0.01, and the finished cake achieved a specific volume of 3.22 ± 0.27. Compared with cakes made with corn oil (batter specific gravity 0.57 ± 0.02, specific volume 2.88 ± 0.09), soy protein SPI–XG oleogel‐based sponge cakes exhibited better comprehensive properties and fully met commercial quality requirements. This work provides solid theoretical and practical references for the development and application of biopolymer‐based oleogels as healthy fat substitutes in baked foods.

This study employed ultrasonic-assisted DES technology to extract jujube polysaccharides (ZJP) and investigated the effects of α-galactosidase modification on their structural characteristics and prebiotic functions. The modified polysaccharide (α-ZJP) exhibited significant alterations in physicochemical properties, including reduced neutral sugar and protein content, increased reducing sugars and uronic acids, and a shifted molecular weight distribution due to selective cleavage of galactose and rhamnose residues. Structural analysis confirmed the retention of key functional groups and revealed a transformed morphology from smooth sheets to a porous, sponge-like architecture. In vitro fermentation demonstrated that α-ZJP promoted rapid initial microbial growth and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production, by enriching Firmicutes and Lachnospiraceae. In contrast, unmodified ZJP showed sustained fermentation, yielding higher total SCFAs and selectively promoting butyrate-producing bacteria like Coriobacteriaceae. Both polysaccharides enhanced microbial diversity and SCFA accumulation, indicating their potential as prebiotics for gut health through distinct structure-dependent mechanisms.

Camellia oleifera oil (CO) is an important edible oil with excellent nutritional value. Recently, there has been an increasing market demand for oils with distinct flavor profiles. However, the formation mechanisms of characteristic aromas in CO remain unclear. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of roasting (170 °C, 0–30 min) on free amino acids, soluble sugars, and volatile components in camellia seeds and the corresponding oils. To further elucidate the generation mechanisms of flavor compounds in CO, reaction systems simulating the Maillard reaction and lipid oxidation were constructed. The results show strong correlations between volatile compounds and both soluble sugars and free amino acids during roasting. The key flavor precursors identified included arginine, glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, leucine, phenylalanine, and lysine, as well as sucrose and glucose. The simulated systems indicated that the flavor compounds in CO were mainly derived from the Maillard reaction and lipid oxidation, with significant interactions enhancing its unique flavor. This study potentially provides scientific guidance for the production and flavor control of fragrant CO.

Three-Cup Chicken, a traditional Hakka dish, is known for its distinctive umami and salty flavor profile. However, the dynamic evolution of key flavor compounds and associated physicochemical attributes during its characteristic stewing process remains inadequately characterized. Therefore, this study investigated flavor and quality changes in Three-Cup Chicken during stewing using an integrated analytical approach, including gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS), E-tongue, and E-nose, alongside analyses of texture, color, pH, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), and moisture content. The results revealed that prolonged stewing promoted lipid oxidation, increased hardness, enhanced redness and yellowness, while moisture content gradually decreased. Electronic tongue and nose analyses revealed an increase in saltiness, umami, and sulfur compounds during stewing, complemented by a significant rise in umami amino acids from further analysis. Ten important taste compounds with variable importance in projection (VIP) > 1 and odour activity value (OAV) > 1 were filtered out of 137 volatile compounds, the majority of which were aldehydes. These research findings clearly demonstrate the formation and evolution patterns of the savory and salty flavor profile in Three-Cup Chicken, offering theoretical underpinnings as well as helpful advice for maximizing the dish’s genuine flavor.

Ensuring the safety and integrity of the global food supply is a paramount challenge in an era of interconnected agricultural, industrial, and environmental systems

3-chloropropanol esters (3-MCPDE) are a group of food hazards discovered in recent years, which are widely present in refined cooking oil. 3-MCPDE are primarily formed during the high-temperature p...

The interplay among gut microbiota, intestines, and liver is crucial in preventing acute alcoholic liver injury. In this study, the hepatoprotective potential of polysaccharides from Eucommia ulmoides Oliv. leaves (EULP) on acute alcoholic liver injury in Kunming male mice was investigated. The structural features suggested that the EULP appeared as a heterogeneous mixture of polysaccharides with a molecular weight of 186132 Da. A 14-day pretreatment of EULP ameliorated acute alcoholic-induced hepatic inflam mation (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10), oxidative stress (GSH, SOD, and T-AOC), and liver damage (ALT and AST) via enhancing intestinal barrier (Occludin, Claudin 1, and ZO-1) and modulating microbiome, which subsequently inhibiting endotoxemia and balancing the homeostasis of the gut–liver axis. EULP restored the composition of intestinal flora with an increase in the relative abundance of Lactobacillaceae and a decrease in Lachnospiraceae and Verrucomicrobiaceae. Notably, prolonged EULP pretreatment (14 days) but no single gavage of EULP achieved excellent hepatoprotection. These findings endorsed the potential of EULP as a functional food for mitigating acute alcoholic-induce d liver damage, attributed to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and prebiotic properties facilitated by the microbiota–gut–liver axis.