Lanqi Li

This study investigated the prevalence, genetic diversity, antimicrobial resistance, and virulence characteristics of Campylobacter spp. isolated from retail chicken carcasses in Beijing, China. Overall, Campylobacter was detected in 55.88% of samples, with significantly higher contamination in wet markets compared to supermarkets. A total of 106 non-duplicated isolates were obtained, including 59 C. jejuni and 47 C. coli, exhibiting high genetic diversity with 78 sequence types (STs) and 15 novel STs identified. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing revealed universal resistance to fluoroquinolones and high resistance to tetracycline, while multidrug resistance was prevalent, particularly in C. coli. Genotypic analysis identified 34 resistance genes and 4 point mutations, showing generally strong genotype - phenotype correlation, although notable discrepancies were observed, especially for florfenicol and azithromycin. Tetracycline associated antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were the core driver of antimicrobial resistance risk in Campylobacter. Virulence profiling demonstrated that C. jejuni harbored significantly more virulence-associated genes than C. coli, including genes linked to Guillain–Barré syndrome, indicating a substantial potential public health risk from contaminated poultry.

Bread has a high glycemic index (GI) and rich contents of quickly digestible carbohydrates, which is associated with insulin resistance and the risk of chronic diseases. (-)-Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) is the primary catechin component that inhibits starch hydrolases, while the low release and absorption rates limit its utilization. In this study, EGCG was added to the bread matrix for fortification to reduce its glycemic index compared to white bread. EGCG fortification at 4% decreased the starch digestion rate of baked bread by 24.43% compared to unfortified bread and by 14.31% compared to white bread, with an identical amount of EGCG outside the matrix. Moreover, the predicted GI (pGI) was reduced by 13.17% compared to white bread. Further, 4% EGCG-matched bread enhanced the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of EGCG by 40.38% and 47.11%, respectively, compared to the control. The results of molecular docking demonstrated that EGCG had a higher binding affinity with α-amylase than with α-glucosidase, indicating that EGCG may effectively inhibit the accumulation of carbs during starch digestion. Thus, EGCG can be used as a functional ingredient in bread to reduce its glycemic potential, and the bread matrix can be used as a carrier for EGCG delivery to enhance its bioaccessibility and bioavailability.

Oxidative stress is highly associated with the development of cardiovascular diseases and cancer and has drawn great attention. Natural products suggest a potential role in prevention of these disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the antioxidant and anti-cancer properties of Chinese bayberry leaves (Myrica rubra Sieb. et Zucc.) flavonoids (BLF) comprehensively through the combination of in vitro digestion, chemical and cellular antioxidant assays. Based on the LC/MS data, the major flavonoids of BLF were myricitrin and quercetin 3-rhamnoside. BLF owned strong chemical and cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) with its CAA value at 4253.884 ± 435.366 μmol of QE/100 g DW. After the in vitro digestion, the total flavonoids content, myricitrin and quercetin 3-rhamnoside decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Lower levels of the total flavonoid content and cellular uptake of myricitrin and quercetin 3-rhamnoside might contribute to the lower CAA value of digested BLF (DBLF). However, DBLF still owns considerable chemical antioxidant activities and CAA compared with many plants. Furthermore, both BLF and DBLF exhibited dose-dependent relationship against HepG2 proliferation. Taken together, BLF has a great potential to be developed as a natural antioxidant for promoting public health.