Liping Du

Quantitative GC-MS analysis of nonvolatile metabolites conventionally requires multisample external calibration, imposing substantial preparative overhead in high-throughput settings. Here, the integration of silylation derivatization with an isotopologue-based one-sample calibration curve (OSCC) on GC-MS platforms is reported. Trimethylsilylation introduces silicon atoms with invariant natural isotope abundances (28Si:29Si:30Si = 92.23%:4.68%:3.09%), enabling multiple calibration anchors from a single standard injection. Two strategies were developed: OSCC with multiple isotopologue selected ion monitoring (OSCC-MISM) on GC-MS, serving as a compositional-verification precursor, and OSCC with multiple isotopologue reaction monitoring (OSCC-MIRM) on GC-MS/MS, recommended for real-sample quantification. Both were validated against multisample calibration curve (MSCC)-SIM and MSCC-MRM across 12 nonvolatile organic acids, achieving R2 > 0.99, RSDs below 16.1%, and recoveries of 80.5–111.2%. In 15 commercial Baijiu samples, Bland–Altman analysis of 180 paired measurements gave a pooled bias of +0.8%, with 95% limits of agreement within the prespecified ±15% margin, supporting equivalence of OSCC-MIRM with MSCC-MRM.

Objectives: Chronic liver disease (CLD) has become a major disease that threatens human health. Oxidative stress (OS) is a major contributor to the deterioration of CLD. α- and β-carotene, naturally occurring micronutrients with biological activities such as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer, have been used to defend against or treat CLD. This systematic review aims to explore the role of α- and β-carotene in the prevention and treatment of CLD. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was undertaken on PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and CNKI databases from 1993 to 2021, with a deadline of January 2023, and 16 studies were ultimately included in this review. Result: β-carotene supplementation significantly reduced liver fibrosis (SMD = 39.78, 95% CI [−55.55, −24.01]), while gender and obesity status showed no statistical difference. Dietary α‑carotene intake was not associated with a reduced risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) (SMD = 1.09, 95% CI [0.82, 1.36]). However, the serum carotene measurement group with carotenoid supplementation (MD = −5.79; 95% CI [−109.58, 98.00]) was a trend toward improvement of liver disease. Conclusions: Dietary intake of β-carotene tends to reduce the risk of liver disease, while dietary α-carotene intake was not associated with a reduced risk of liver cancer and NAFLD in obese populations, which inspired us to develop fresh concepts for modifying meals for various populations.

Background: The fungus Acremonium chrysogenum is crucial for producing cephalosporin antibiotics. While CRISPR/Cas9 has been developed for this species, it has not been applied to first-line industrial strains, to the best of our knowledge. For example, engineering industrial A. chrysogenum for overproducing deacetoxycephalosporin C (DAOC, an important precursor for clinically used cephalosporin antibiotics) is currently often a multi-step and inefficient process. Methods: Here, we applied CRISPR/Cas9 to create a DAOC overproducer in a single step. Our method uses a donor template to simultaneously delete and overexpress genes, offering a simple, efficient, and time-saving solution. Results: Furthermore, through methodological optimization, the final homozygous multigene-edited strain achieved an industrial-scale DAOC titer of 12.4 ± 0.2 g/L, representing a significant improvement over the initial edited strain (7.2 ± 0.22 g/L). Conclusions: This demonstrates that CRISPR/Cas9 can effectively edit industrial A. chrysogenum, providing a strategy to enhance the production of other cephalosporin precursors.

BACKGROUND: The quality of pomegranate wine largely depends on the pomegranate cultivar used. However, the influence of different cultivars on key phytochemicals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – which determine wine antioxidant activity and sensory profile – remains unclear, hindering further development of the industry. RESULTS: Comprehensive analysis of four pomegranate cultivars – ‘Qianzihong’ (QZH), ‘Jingpitian’ (JPT), ‘Huiliruanzi’ (HLR), and ‘Tianlvzi’ (TLZ) – revealed distinct profiles. The QZH and JPT cultivars consistently yielded juices and wines with superior phytochemical content, including the highest levels of total phenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins, which corresponded to the strongest antioxidant activity measured by 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays. These two cultivars also contained unique phenolic markers: 4‐hydroxybenzoic acid was exclusive to both, whereas benzoic acid was found only in QZH. Furthermore, QZH juice exhibited the highest anthocyanin diversity, featuring unique compounds like malvidin‐3‐ O ‐arabinoside. In contrast, TLZ samples were characterized by a simpler profile, containing only cyanidin‐3‐ O ‐galactoside. Bidirectional orthogonal partial least squares (O2PLS) modeling successfully identified key, cultivar‐specific antioxidant contributors. Volatile analysis detected 221 VOCs. Combined application of variable importance in the projection (VIP) and relative odor activity value (ROAV) analyses identified esters, alcohols, and acids as dominant aroma contributors, resulting in seven characteristic VOCs (such as ethyl caprylate), which effectively distinguished the wines by cultivar. CONCLUSION: Pomegranate cultivars significantly influence the content and composition of phytochemicals and VOCs in the resulting wine. This study provides a scientific basis for selecting raw materials in pomegranate wine production and supports the development of cultivar‐specific wine products. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

The rising global burden of chronic diseases highlights the limitations of traditional dietary guidelines. Precision Nutrition (PN) aims to deliver personalized dietary advice to optimize individual health, and the effective implementation of PN fundamentally relies on comprehensive and accurate dietary data. However, conventional dietary assessment methods often suffer from quantification errors and poor adaptability to dynamic changes, leading to inaccurate data and ineffective guidance. Machine learning (ML) offers a powerful suite of tools to address these limitations, enabling a paradigm shift across the nutritional management pipeline. Using dietary data as a thematic thread, this article outlines this transformation and synthesizes recent advances across dietary assessment, in-depth mining, and nutritional intervention. Additionally, current challenges and future trends in this domain are also further discussed. ML is driving a critical shift from a subjective, static mode to an objective, dynamic, and personalized paradigm, enabling a loop nutrition management framework. Precise food recognition and nutrient estimation can be implemented automatically with ML techniques like computer vision (CV) and natural language processing (NLP). Integrating with multiple data sources, ML is conducive to uncovering dietary patterns, assessing nutritional status, and deciphering intricate nutritional mechanisms. It also facilitates the development of personalized dietary intervention strategies tailored to individual needs, while enabling adaptive optimization based on users’ feedback and intervention effectiveness. Although challenges regarding data privacy and model interpretability persist, ML undeniably constitutes the vital technical support for advancing PN into practical reality.

Alcohols and esters are core flavor-active constituents of Qingxiangxing Baijiu (QXB), yet ethanol concentration’s regulatory role in their thresholds and interactions remains unclear. Physicochemical analysis showed reduced-alcohol QXB (L-QX, 42%, v/v) had higher total acid (1.48 g/L) but lower total ester (1.52 g/L) than high-alcohol QXB (H-QX, 53%, v/v; 1.20 g/L total acid, 2.05 g/L total ester). Sensory evaluation (0–5 scale) revealed H-QX had higher fruity (3.6 vs. 2.0), grassy (3.2 vs. 1.8), and grainy (3.0 vs. 1.9) aroma scores, while L-QX showed higher sour (2.1 vs. 1.5) and lees (1.7 vs. 1.1) notes (p < 0.05). The quantification of gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID) determined the concentrations of eight alcohols and esters in H-QX samples and identified that most flavor compounds had higher concentrations than L-QX samples. Three alternative forced-choice tests showed 53% ethanol elevated olfactory thresholds (OTs) of five compounds, with ethyl lactate (1.53-fold) and isopentanol (1.89-fold) vs. 42%. For 16 alcohol–ester binary mixtures, 12 pairs had OT ratios (53% vs. 42%) < 1, especially 3 pairs (e.g., n-propanol-ethyl acetate) < 0.5. OAV/S curve analyses indicated all 16 mixtures had masking effects, with 11 pairs stronger at 42%. Verification validated 53% ethanol mitigated masking, enhancing fruity/grassy aromas by 38.1%/25.0%. This study provides support for QXB dealcoholization flavor regulation.

At present, the classification of nongxiangxing baijiu (NXB) predominantly relies on the subjective expertise of distillers and tasters, in the absence of scientifically standardized criteria. This reliance poses challenges for achieving precise classification. Consequently, there is an urgent need to employ flavoromics technology to identify the key characteristic aroma compounds that distinguish different grades of NXB. This study uses sensory evaluation, an electronic nose, and three-dimensional fluorescence spectroscopy to determine the significant differences in aroma profiles among different grades of NXB. Further, 112 compounds were identified by GC-MS, and quantitative analysis was conducted on 33 major volatile compounds. Using odor activity value (OAV) analysis, it found 21, 23, and 26 key aroma compounds (OAV ≥ 1) in Grade 2 (G2), Grade 1 (G1), and prime-grade (GP), respectively. Aroma recombination successfully simulated the aroma distribution of different grades of NXB, and omission experiments identified 11 key aroma compounds as the foundation for NXB. Additionally, each grade exhibited a unique profile of key compounds. G2 was characterized by the presence of octanoic acid, which imparts sweaty and cheesy aromas. G1 contained benzoic acid ethyl ester, phenethyl acetate, pentanoic acid, 2-methyl-1-propanol, and furfural, contributing to sweet, floral, sweaty/cheesy, alcoholic, and roasted aromas. GP demonstrated higher concentrations of aroma compounds compared to G1 and G2, with distinctive compounds such as decanoic acid ethyl ester, dodecanoic acid ethyl ester, 3-methyl-1-butanol, and 1-hexanol, which are associated with sweaty/cheesy, fruity, and alcoholic aromas. This study elucidated the role of these compounds in determining the flavor profiles of various NXB grades, thereby providing a theoretical foundation for the quality grading of NXB.

BACKGROUND: Research on shelf‐stacking fermentation is growing, with the aim of reducing labor and improving Daqu stability, but it still falls short compared to traditional stacking fermentation, especially for high‐temperature Daqu (HTD). The heterogenetic mechanisms underlying+ these two Daqu remain unclear. RESULTS: The improved micro‐oxygen environment in shelf‐stacking fermentation significantly reduced acidity and increased liquefaction and esterification activities compared to traditionally stacked HTD (HTD‐T). These changes substantially impacted the bacterial community and its succession, though fungi were minimally affected. Specifically, shelf‐stacked HTD (HTD‐S) showed higher relative abundances of Weissella and Thermoactinomyces in later stages than HTD‐T, whereas Bacillus and Kroppenstedtia prevailed under traditional conditions. Redundancy analysis indicated that moisture and acidity mainly drove the differentiation of the bacterial community. Shelf‐stacking fermentation also reduced the contents of furfuryl alcohol, furfural, acetic acid and isovaleric acid. Thermoactinomyces , Aspergillus and Thermoascus significantly contributed to these changes in characteristic flavor compounds. Functional prediction further revealed that microbial communities in HTD‐T demonstrated enhanced abilities in glycolysis, 2,3‐butanediol synthesis and phenylalanine metabolism. CONCLUSION: The findings provide potential control targets for precision regulation to improve the quality of shelf‐stacked HTD and will contribute to mechanized HTD production. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.