Xiaofang Liu

BACKGROUND: Benzo[ b ]fluoranthene (BbF) is a bioaccumulative high‐molecular‐weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) with documented multi‐organ toxicity, yet the systemic effects of chronic oral exposure remain poorly characterized. This study tested the hypothesis that prolonged BbF exposure induces dose‐dependent oxidative and inflammatory perturbations, leading to tissue‐specific biochemical injury across major visceral organs. RESULTS: Male Balb/c mice were orally exposed to 2, 8, and 16 mg kg ⁻¹ d ⁻¹ BbF for 12 weeks. BbF exposure induced dose‐dependent oxidative stress, characterized by elevated reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde levels and decreased activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase, accompanied by transcriptional downregulation of Nrf2/HO‐1 antioxidant‐related genes. Concurrently, tissue HMGB1 protein accumulated in a dose‐ and organ‐dependent manner, with hepatic HMGB1 increased by 58.32% at the highest dose, correlating with higher transcript levels of the NF‐ κ B p65/NLRP3 cascade and increased pro‐inflammatory cytokine (IL‐1 β , TNF‐ α , IL‐6) abundance. Energy metabolism was also disrupted, with high‐dose BbF reducing ATP levels by 59.52% (liver) and 55.52% (heart), and suppressing lactate dehydrogenase activity by 31.40% and 30.81%, respectively. Organ‐specific biomarkers (hepatic alanine aminotransferase/aspartate aminotransferase, renal Kim‐1, cardiac cTn‐I, splenic IgG) confirmed multi‐organ biochemical perturbations. The liver and heart showed the most pronounced changes, reflecting their intrinsic vulnerability conferred by high metabolic activity and mitochondrial abundance. CONCLUSION: Chronic BbF exposure elicits dose‐dependent multi‐organ biochemical perturbations, correlating with transcriptional changes in the Nrf2/HO‐1 and NF‐ κ B/NLRP3 pathways and concurrent energy metabolism disturbance. These correlative findings provide in vivo evidence that supports hazard characterization of BbF and yields foundational data for future risk‐assessment strategies for high‐molecular‐weight PAHs. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

Prior research linked polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) formation to lipid oxidation. However, the specific oxidation products responsible for PAHs generation remain unclear. In this study, the thermal reaction systems of linoleic acid (LA)-LA hydroperoxide (LA-OOH) (primary oxidation product) and LA-secondary oxidation product were constructed to compare the effects of LA-OOH and secondary products on PAHs generation. Results showed that PAH4 production in the LA-LA-OOH (40%) group increased by 35.2 to 42.4% compared to LA, while secondary product addition with highest concentrations to LA only increased PAH4 by 5.4 to 33.8%, indicating LA-OOH had a significantly higher promoting effect on PAHs. LA-OOH decomposition produced radicals and secondary products, with radicals being the primary driver of PAHs formation. These radicals promoted PAHs formation through two mechanisms: carbon-centered radicals cyclized themselves to form intermediates and a reduction of activation energy for chain scission and dehydrogenation. Thus, controlling radicals from primary oxidation products is crucial for reducing PAHs in food.

In food science, the application of bioactive compounds is promising, but the deficiencies in their solubility, stability, and bioavailability seriously limit their efficacy. Co-delivery can control the release of bioactive substances and achieve synergistic effects to enhance efficacy. For this reason, co-delivery systems have emerged as a novel strategy that has attracted much attention from researchers in recent years. This review provides an in-depth analysis of the unique properties of different bioactive ingredients and systematically describes the latest research progress of co-encapsulation systems such as emulsions, nanoparticles, and liposomes. It also introduces their advanced characterization tools. Meanwhile, the kinetic law of the release of bioactive ingredients in vivo and its molecular mechanism are discussed in depth through experimental data and theoretical analysis. In addition, the potential application value of the co-encapsulation system in the food industry is also introduced in detail. In summary, this study not only provides a solid theoretical foundation and rich reference basis for further research in the field of co-encapsulation, but also provides new ideas and directions to promote the construction and development of rational and efficient co-encapsulation systems, and to promote the innovation and development of functional foods and precision nutrition.

A dysphagia diet is a special dietary programme. The development and design of foods for dysphagia should consider both swallowing safety and food nutritional quality. In this study, we investigated the rheological properties (viscosity, thixotropy, and viscoelasticity), textural properties, and swallowing behaviour of commercially available natural, pregelatinised, acetylated, and phosphorylated maize starch and tapioca starch. The results showed that all the samples belonged to food grade 3 in the framework of the International Dysphagia Dietary Standardization Initiative (IDDSI) and exhibited shear-thinning behaviour in favour of dysphagia patients, except for the sample containing pregelatinised starch, which was grade 2. Rheological tests showed that the samples had good structural recovery properties. At the same starch concentration, the elastic modulus of phosphorylated cassava starch FSMP was significantly greater than that of the starch solution, whereas that of acetylated starch was significantly less than that of the starch solution, and the combination of acetylated starch and protein led to a significant viscosity reduction phenomenon, resulting in FSMPs with good stability and fluidity; this may provide an opportunity for the incorporation of more high-energy substructures. The textural results showed that all the samples possessed textural properties of low hardness, low adhesion, and high cohesion, all of which could be used as food for dysphagia patients. This study may provide a theoretical basis for the creation and design of novel nutritional foods for dysphagia.

Sinapine is a natural polyphenol from the cruciferous plant family that has anti-aging effects but is low in bioavailability. To improve the bioavailability and therapeutic effect of sinapine, sinapine-crosslinked dual-protein-based hydrogels were prepared using soy protein isolate as a cross-linking agent. The preparation conditions were optimized by single-factor experiments, and the optimal ratios were obtained as follows: the concentration of sinapine was 300 μg/mL; the water–oil ratio was 1:3. The encapsulation rate was greater than 95%, and the drug loading capacity was 3.5 mg/g. In vitro, digestion experiments showed that the dual-protein-based hydrogels as a drug carrier stabilized the release of sinapine and improved the bioavailability of sinapine by 19.3%. The IC50 of DPPH antioxidants was 25 μg/mL as determined by in vitro digestion, and the antioxidant capacity of ABTS was about 20% higher than that of glutaraldehyde control. This is due to the addition of sinapine to enhance the antioxidant properties of the system. It can be seen that the developed hydrogels have potential applications in related fields, such as food nutrition fortification and drug delivery.