Yanghe Luo

Gut microbial metabolites play a crucial role in modulating cognitive function. In a previous animal study, oral administration of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum MWFLp-182 (L. plantarum MWFLp-182) significantly increased inosine levels in both the serum and feces of D-galactose (D-gal)-induced mice, which was accompanied by improved cognitive performance. Building on this finding, we further investigated the neuroprotective mechanisms of inosine derived from L. plantarum MWFLp-182 in alleviating D-gal-induced neuronal damage in HT-22 cells. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) was used to analyze the addition of inosine (250 μg/mL, 500 μg/mL), which considerably reduces oxidative stress induced by D-gal (20 mg/mL), on the regulation of mRNA expression of the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2)/hemeoxygenase 1 (HO-1) signaling pathway factors. Compared to the D-gal group, the inosine-treated group exhibited a 4.3-fold and 8.7-fold increase in HO-1 and Nrf2 levels, respectively. Furthermore, inosine alleviates neuroinflammation by modulating the mRNA expression of the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation primary response protein 88 (MyD88)/nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. Compared to the D-gal group, the inosine-treated group showed reductions of 41.75%, 28.29%, and 32.17% in TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB levels, respectively. Moreover, immunofluorescence staining revealed that inosine exhibits anti-apoptotic properties by enhancing the levels of neurotrophic factors, including nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), while simultaneously lowering the expression of the pro-apoptotic protein bcl-2-associated X (Bax). These findings suggest that inosine, a differentially expressed metabolite identified in a probiotic-intervention mouse model, alleviates D-gal-induced neuronal damage in HT-22 cells by modulating oxidative, inflammatory, and apoptotic pathways, providing mechanistic insights into the neuroprotective effects of this metabolite.

This study investigated the microencapsulation process of natural taro essence and characterized its physicochemical properties. The effects of core-to-wall ratio, T-20/β-CD mass ratio, and ultrasonic time on encapsulation efficiency were systematically investigated. Optimal conditions, identified through orthogonal experiments, included a core-to-wall ratio of 1:10, a T-20/β-CD mass ratio of 1.6:1, and an ultrasonic time of 40 min, resulting in an encapsulation efficiency of 56.10%. The characterization of the microcapsules revealed satisfactory physical properties, including low moisture content, suitable solubility, appropriate bulk density, and good flowability. Particle size distribution analysis showed consistency, and zeta potential measurements indicated stability against agglomeration. Thermal analysis demonstrated enhanced thermal stability, and FT-IR spectroscopy confirmed successful encapsulation through significant interactions between taro essence and β-CD. SEM imaging revealed a heterogeneous morphology, while XRD patterns validated the formation of stable inclusion complexes. An analysis of volatile components indicated the effective encapsulation of key alkanes, with PCA and heatmap clustering analyses confirming the stability of these components during storage. In conclusion, the optimized microencapsulation process significantly enhances the encapsulation efficiency, stability, and thermal properties of natural taro essence microcapsules.

In this study, cassava starch cross-linked using sodium trimetaphosphate was used as basic material to prepare the preservation coating agent. The addition levels of β-cyclodextrin, phytic acid and glycerol were optimized by response surface methodology with the comprehensive index of oil...

Defatted sesame cake and rice bran are all by-products of agricultural processing. The aim of the study was to optimize the recipes of kefir added with defatted sesame flour and rice bran. The previous study has yielded some results including dietary fiber content, pH values and sensory evaluation values of kefir samples added with 0, 2 %, 4 %, 6 %, 8 % DSC and 0, 0.1 %, 0.3 %, 0.5 %, 0.7 % RB, but made no optimization of kefir products. Based on these data, formulation optimization was done using a mathematical model. Two central composite designs for the two-factor analysis (x₁x₂ and x₁x₃, respectively) and one three-factor design (x₁x₂x₃) were drawn up to predict the optimal formulation and reduce the number of future experiments. After studying the results of mathematical modeling, the optimal prescription composition corresponds to the 2 % DSC or 0.1 % rice bran content or 2 % DSC and 0.4 % RB content in the recipe. Through mathematical optimization, products with high dietary fiber content, suitable acidity and excellent sensory quality can be obtained. The products meet the current social demand for healthy food and have very good research value. In practical use, three kinds of kefir can be developed: 1. DSC should be ground separately before used, 2 % DSC was introduced into cow milk (m/v), fermented at 28°C for 22 h until pH reached 4.7, then stored at 4 °C; 2. RB should be ground before used, 0.4 % RB was introduced into cow milk (m/v), fermented at 28°C for 22 h until pH reached 4.7, then stored at 4°C; 3. DSC and RB should be ground before used, 2 % DSC and 0.4 % RB were introduced into cow milk (m/v), fermented at 28 °C for 22 h until pH reached 4.7, then stored at 4 °C

The white pulp of the Chinese water chestnut (CWC) is crisp and sweet with delicious flavours and is an important ingredient in many Chinese dishes. Phenylacetaldehyde is a characteristic flavoured substance produced in the steaming and cooking process of CWC. The steaming process and conditions were simulated to construct three Maillard reaction systems which consisted of glucose and phenylalanine, and of both alone. The simulation results showed that glucose and phenylalanine were the reaction substrates for the formation of phenylacetaldehyde. The intermediate α-dicarbonyl compounds (α-DCs) and the final products of the simulated system were detected by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) methods. Through the above methods the formation mechanism of phenylacetaldehyde is clarified; under the conditions of the steaming process, glucose is caramelized to produce Methylglyoxal (MGO), 2,3-Butanedione (BD), Glyoxal (GO) and other α-DCs. α-DCs and phenylalanine undergo a Strecker degradation reaction to generate phenylacetaldehyde. The optimal ratio of the amount of substance of glucose to phenylalanine for Maillard reaction is 1:4. The results can provide scientific reference for the regulation of flavour substances and the evaluation of flavour quality in the steaming process of fruits and vegetables.

Chinese water chestnut (CWC) is popular among consumers due to its unique flavor and crisp and sweet taste. Thus far, the key substances affecting the taste compound of CWC are still unclear. In this study, we used UPLC-MS/MS and an electronic tongue system to study the effects of four typical steaming and cooking methods, cooking without peel for 10 min (PC), steaming without peel for 15 min (PS), cooking with peel for 30 min (WPC), steaming with peel for 30 min (WPS), on the taste compound generation and variation of CWC, and revealed the secret of its crisp and sweet taste. The results show that the electronic tongue can effectively identify the taste profile of CWC, and the effective tastes of CWC were umami, bitterness, saltiness, and sweetness. We screened 371 differential compounds from 640 metabolic species. Among them, nucleotides and their derivatives, carbohydrates, organic acids and their derivatives, and amino acids and their derivatives are closely related to the key taste of CWC, and these compounds affected the taste of CWC through six related metabolic pathways: oxidative phosphorylation and purine metabolism; alanine, aspartate, and glutamate; bile secretion; amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism; the phenylpropane pathway; and toluene degradation. This study reveals the potential metabolic causes of taste compound generation and variation in the taste of CWC.

The application of potato starch in flour products is very important for potato staple food. The gluten protein of wheat flour will be weakened after being mixed with potato starch, which could have inhibitory effect on quality properties of flour products. Therefore, it is, it is necessary to study the influence of substitution wheat flour with potato starch on the quality of Chinese steamed bread (CSB), which is an important staple food in North China. This study investigated the effect of potato starch modified by heat-moisture treatment (HMTS) and microwave treatment (MWS) as wheat flour substitute in the making of CSB. The research results showed that the specific volume of CSB decreased with more incorporation of HMTS or MWS. The differences color (ΔE>3) between the control and experimental CSB were detectable by the human eye when the substitution level of HMTS or MWS was higher than 30 % or 20 %, respectively. Texture properties of CSB were affected with substitution due to the disruption of dough structure, and the incorporation of HMTS or MWS led to firmer and denser structure of CSB. The total sensory score of CSB decreased with more incorporation of HMTS or MWS. CSB can be accepted by consumers when the substitution level of wheat flour with HMTS or MWS was lower than 30 %. In general, the research results revealed that modified potato starch (HMTS and MWS) incorporation levels affected the specific volume, color, texture properties and sensory evaluation of CSB. This research can provide comprehension of the influence of modified potato starch (HMTS or MWS) on CSB and provide valuable guidance for further application of potato starch in wheat-based products

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of modification by heat-moisture treatment (HMT) combined with microwave pre- and post-treatment (MW) on the physicochemical, structural and digestive properties of potato starch. The light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM),...

The object of research is the technology of modified potato starch obtained by heat-moisture treatment. Heat-moisture treatment (HMT) of starch is a hydrothermal treatment technique to modify their functional properties. Setback viscosity of potato starch gelatinization characteristic is the key factor that influences the quality of potato starch noodle. In order to obtain a green, safe and highly efficient potato starch product for vermicelli production, this study take setback viscosity as response value, a Box-Behnken model was established on the basis of single factor experiment results to optimize the modify technique. A response surface analysis was used to investigate the effects of moisture content of starch, heat-moisture treatment temperature and heat-moisture treatment time on setback viscosity of heat-moisture treatment modified potato starch. The viscosity properties, textural properties and retrogradation characteristics of HMT starch gel were estimated. The results of response surface methodology showed the optimal parameters of HMT were that moisture content of potato starch was 23.56 %, heat-moisture treatment temperature was 90 °C, and heat-moisture treatment time was 1.5 h. Under such conditions, setback viscosity of heat-moisture treatment modified potato starch (HMTS) paste was 3677 cP, which was higher than native starch (496 cP) obviously, indicating that the gel strength and hardness of potato starch was improved significantly. Compared with native potato starch (NS), HMTS had lower peak viscosity (2966 cP), lower hold viscosity (2882 cP) and lower breakdown viscosity (84.50 cP), but higher paste temperature (71.08 °C), higher final viscosity (6559 cP) and setback viscosity(3677 cP). The results of retrogradation was consistent with the viscosity properties, all of which indicating that potato starch modified by heat-moisture treatment was more prone to retrogradation. TPA tests demonstrated that HMT can enhance the textural properties of starch gel. Compared with native starch (NS) gel, the hardness, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness and resilience of heat-moisture treatment starch (HMTS) gel were increased significantly, and there was no significant difference in springiness. Compared with native starch gel, heat-moisture treatment starch gel had better functional properties.

Rice bran is an agro-industrial waste with excellent nutritional value and a considerable content of bioactive compounds. Biotransformation processes by fermented milk drink fermentation increase the interest in obtaining products from agro-industrial wastes with good biological properties. The viability of introducing rice bran (RB) into fermented milk drinks to improve the structural stability and sensory was studied. Fermented milk drink supplemented with 0, 0.1 %, 0.3 %, 0.5 %, 0.7 % amount of RB were studied. Samples were stored for 28 days at 4 ± 1 °C. Samples composition was studied, Physicochemical properties (total titratable acidity, apparent viscosity, and pH) and consumer’s acceptability of fermented milk drinks were determined at 0, 7th, 14th, 21th and 28th days of storage. Studies showed that rice bran wan rich in dietary fiber (28.57 %), fat (21.56 %), and protein (11.18 %). The introduction of RB showed a significant influence on these parameters (P < 0.05). The introduction of RB would significantly improve the value of titratable acidity and apparent viscosity and decrease pH value. The more rice bran was added, the higher the values of titratable acidity and apparent viscosity were. The lower the pH value was, which could shorten the fermentation time, improve the texture stability, save production cost. The storage period could significantly influence the value of titratable acidity, pH, and apparent viscosity. The longer the storage period was, the higher the titratable acidity values were, the lower the pH value was caused by the post-fermentation of fermented milk drink. The apparent viscosity showed a trend of rising first and falling then during the storage period. The introduction of RB could significantly influence the sensory characteristic (color, consistency, sour, and texture). The introduction of RB would lead to whey separation and rough structure. Fermented milk drink supplemented with 0.1 % RB showed higher sensory acceptance. The best shelf life of the sample is 14 days，during which time fermented milk drink was of the best quality. RB is a kind of raw material with bright application prospects in a fermented milk drink.