Weilan Gao

Wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) is a key global food crop and an emerging source of bioactive compounds for functional food development. Although wheat oil constitutes a minor fraction, it is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and lipid-soluble antioxidants. This study systematically compared supercritical fluid extraction (SFE: CO ₂ , 40 °C, 25 MPa, 75 min) and Soxhlet extraction (SE: 2-MeTHF, 75 min) within an integrated oil–solid matrix framework. Extraction efficiency, oil quality, and residual matrix functionality were comprehensively evaluated, including NMR profiles, fatty acid composition, phenolics, antioxidant capacity, and nutrient retention, with principal component analysis (PCA) applied for integrative assessment. Results indicated that SFE achieved oil yield comparable to SE (90.24 ± 2.71% vs. 89.80 ± 4.09%) but higher solid matrix retention (97.57 ± 0.35% vs. 92.36 ± 0.54%), while improving lipid quality by increasing unsaturated fatty acids, and selectively enriching alkylresorcinols, while reducing co-extracted impurities. ¹ H NMR confirmed acylglycerols with unsaturated fatty acids as the dominant components of wheat oil. In contrast, SE enhanced total phenolics (73.68 ± 6.09 vs. 23.63 ± 2.32 mg GAE/g) and antioxidant capacity (ORAC: 75.97 ± 5.61 vs. 16.52 ± 1.15 µmol TE/g; ABTS: 40.72 ± 2.18 vs. 2.59 ± 0.16 µmol TE/g). Moreover, SFE better preserved carbohydrates, proteins and minerals (Mg, P, K, Fe), while reducing heavy metals levels (As, Cd, Pb), improving the nutritional and safety profile of the residual cake. Overall, SFE favors high-quality oils production and matrix preservation, whereas SE promotes antioxidant extraction, providing a basis for optimizing wheat bioprocessing strategies.

This study evaluated the safety, probiotic potential, and functional performance of 17 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains from different species for application in plant-based fermented beverages. Hemolysis, antibiotic susceptibility, and mucin degradation assays identified 15 strains as safe candidates. All isolates showed strong tolerance to acidic and pepsin conditions (≥85%), while survival under simulated intestinal conditions ranged from 39–70%, indicating strain-dependent resistance to bile salts and pancreatin. Functional characterization revealed marked inter-species variability, with maximum values of 37% ABTS inhibition for antioxidant activity, 55–58% for auto-aggregation, and 70–88% for hydrophobicity. Most strains produced exopolysaccharides (EPS), suggesting technological potential for improving texture and stability in fermented beverages. Enzymatic profiling (API® ZYM) showed prominent proteolytic and carbohydrate-degrading activities, particularly leucine arylamidase and β-galactosidase. Principal Component Analysis combined with a Weighted Sum Model identified L. sakei CECT 906, L. helveticus CECT 414, L. curvatus CECT 904, and L. buchneri CECT 4111 as the most promising candidates. Fermentation trials in oat, rice, and almond beverages showed that all selected strains reached 10⁸–10⁹ CFU/mL and effectively reduced pH, with stronger acidification in oat matrices (final pH 3.4–3.6). L. buchneri showed the highest robustness, efficiently acidifying almond beverage despite its high initial pH. Overall, these results highlight L. buchneri as a promising starter culture for plant-based fermented beverages.

In this paper, complexes of soluble dietary fiber (SDF) and polyphenols (PPs) isolated from lotus roots were prepared (SDF-PPs), as well as physical mixtures (SDF&PPs), which were given to high-fat-diet (HFD)-fed mice. The results demonstrated that SDF-PPs improve lipid levels and reverse liver injury in hyperlipidemic mice. Western blotting and real-time quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) results showed that SDF-PPs regulated liver lipids by increasing the phosphorylation of Adenine monophosphate activated protein kinase (AMPK), up-regulating the expression of Carnitine palmitoyltransferase1 (CPT1), and down-regulating the expression of Fatty acid synthase (FAS) and 3-hydroxy-3-methyl glutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA), as well as the transcription factor sterol-regulatory element binding protein (SPEBP-1) and its downstream liposynthesis genes. Additionally, the intervention of SDF-PPs could modulate the composition of intestinal gut microbes, inducing an increase in Lachnospiraceae and a decrease in Desulfovibrionaceae and Prevotellaceae in high-fat-diet-fed mice. Thus, the research provides a theoretical basis for the application of lotus root active ingredients in functional foods and ingredients.

Selenium polysaccharides have attracted significant interest due to their superior function to that of individual polysaccharides. However, limited research has compared the protective effects of different selenium polysaccharides from different selenization methods on diabetes. This work aims to compare the preventive effects of natural selenium-enriched green tea polysaccharides (NSe-TPS), synthetic selenized green tea polysaccharides (PCSe-TPS), and a mixture of sodium selenite and green tea polysaccharides (ordinary tea polysaccharides (Ord-TPS)+Se) on the development of diabetes. While establishing a diabetes model induced by a high-sugar, high-fat diet combined with streptozotocin, different selenium polysaccharides were administered daily by gavage for nine weeks. Our findings indicate that PCSe-TPS exhibited superior preventive effects on developing type 2 diabetes compared to NSe-TPS and Ord-TPS+Se. PCSe-TPS effectively regulated glucose metabolism and insulin resistance by activating the PI3K/Akt pathway, thereby preventing elevated blood glucose levels. Additionally, PCSe-TPS mitigated oxidative damage and inflammatory responses in liver tissues. Notably, PCSe-TPS intervention reversed the decline in bacterial species richness and the abundance of unclassified_Oscillospiraceae during the development of diabetes in mice. These results provide valuable insights into the protective effects of PCSe-TPS against diabetes development, highlighting its advantages over NSe-TPS and Ord-TPS+Se.