Jian Wang

Tartary buckwheat sprouts exhibit a higher nutrient content, bioactive substances, and antioxidant capacity compared to Tartary buckwheat grains. However, the utilization of buckwheat is mostly limited to the consumption of its seeds at present. To enhance the appeal of natural green vegetable products and improve the edible qualities of Tartary buckwheat sprouts, a study was conducted using Tartary buckwheat seeds to investigate growth characteristics, nutrient composition, bioactive components, and antioxidant activity. The study utilized varying types of electrogenic functional water, including strong alkali, weak alkali, slight acid, and strong acid. Results showed that slightly acidic electrogenic functional water (SAEW3) with a pH of 6.3 and ACC of 22.08 mg·L⁻¹ significantly improved the germination rate (95.12%) and bud length (10.95 cm) of Tartary buckwheat sprouts compared to tap water. This water also led to increased nutrient and bioactive ingredient content, as well as enhanced antioxidant capacity. Further research on the accumulation mechanism of gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) was conducted by adjusting the pH and effective chlorine concentration of the slightly acidic electrogenic functional water. This study aims to provide theoretical guidance for the cultivation of Tartary buckwheat sprouts and the development of functional foods.

Bashang suancai is one of the most wellknown traditional fermented vegetables in North China. The study examined the variations in bacterial diversity, physicochemical properties, and volatile flavor compounds (VFCs) of Bashang suancai over a 7-day fermentation period, utilizing Illumina NovaSeq sequencing and headspace solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). The leading bacterial phyla were Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Cyanobacteria, while the predominant bacterial species included Vibrio, Lactiplantibacillus, Cyanobacteriales, Weissella, and Latilactobacillus. The bacterial community diversity decreased significantly following 7 days of fermentation. The microbial profiles were markedly affected by pH, reducing sugar content (RSC), and salt content (SC). A total of 187 VFCs were identified from the specimens. Following 5 days of fermentation, the taste compounds achieved equilibrium, with isothiocyanates, alcohols, and esters predominating among the volatile molecules. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that a strong link between Latilactobacillus, Levilactobacillus, Lactiplantibacillus, Weissella, and Vibrio with the flavor of pickles. This study established a significant foundation for identifying strains that enhance taste development and improve the nutritional and sensory quality of Bashang suancai.

Introduction: Difenoconazole (DIFE) is a common pesticide used in citrus cultivation; excessive intake can cause neurological damage to the organism, and the existing colloidal gold immunochromatographic test strips cannot meet the requirements for the detection of citrus samples.Methods: Difenoconazole test strip was prepared based on the colloidal gold immunochromatographic technique (GICT), and its application in citrus samples was investigated; with colloidal gold (CG) as the probe, the optimization of GICT parameters, and the determination of reaction method, the immunochromatographic test strips for the detection of DIFE in citrus was developed, and the limit of detection (LOD), specificity, accuracy, and stability of the test strips were verified.Results: The results showed that the visual detection limit of the prepared colloidal gold immunochromatographic test strips was 0.2 mg/kg and the quantitative range was 0.06–0.6 mg/kg, and the test strips could specifically identify DIFE and have no cross-reaction with other common triazole pesticides. The detection method established in this study was verified by the GC–MS method, and the detection results achieved good consistency (R² > 0.98).Conclusion: The test strips developed in this study have good performance and can be used for highly sensitive detection of citrus samples.

Electrolyzed water (EW) and ultrasound (US) treatment are emerging effective means of reducing pesticides in fresh‐cut vegetables. However, their synergetic efficacy of degrading pesticides in fresh‐cut potatoes has not yet been revealed. Therefore, in this study, the effects of the combination of EW and US treatment on the removal of pesticides (chlorpyrifos, phorate, chlorothalonil, and procymidone) in fresh‐cut potato silks, strips, slices, and dices were investigated. Acidic electrolyzed water (AcEW) was selected as the optimum washing solution for pesticide removal on fresh‐cut potatoes. For the same type of fresh‐cut potato, the AcEW treatment with different sample‐to‐washing solution ratios showed no significant difference in the removal effect of different pesticides. The combined application of AcEW and US could efficiently reduce pesticides for different fresh‐cut potatoes. Furthermore, the optimal effects obtained varied greatly within the range of ultrasonic power 200–400 W and washing time 10–20 min. These results indicated that combining AcEW with US could serve as a promising method for pesticide reduction in fresh‐cut potatoes under respective appropriate process parameters.Practical Applications: Potato silks, strips, slices, and dices are the most common application form of fresh‐cut potatoes in Chinese dishes. Electrolyzed water (EW) and ultrasound (US) treatment have recently been used in reducing pesticides on fresh‐cut vegetables. However, their synergetic efficacy of degrading pesticides in fresh‐cut potatoes has not yet been revealed. This research provides a simple and novel method for pesticide removal on fresh‐cut potatoes. These steps combine Acidic electrolyzed water (AcEW) and US treatments to explore and improve the process parameters (sample‐to‐washing solution ratios, ultrasonic power, and washing time) of degrading pesticides for different fresh‐cut potatoes, including potato silks, strips, slices, and dices. Besides, the effect mechanism of different treatments on the degradation of pesticide residues was also discussed. The novel cleaning technology is expected to be popularized in vegetable processing plants.

At present, nano-carrier materials with antibacterial activity are of great significance. Due to the widespread resistance of many pathogenic microorganisms, it has seriously threatened human health. The natural antimicrobial substances extracted from fruits and vegetables can significantly improve their stability combined with nano-carrier materials. The resistance of pathogenic microorganisms will be substantially reduced, greatly enhancing the effect of active antimicrobial substances. Nanotechnology has excellent research prospects in the food industry, antibacterial preservation, food additives, food packaging, and other fields. This paper introduces nano-carrier materials and preparation techniques for loading and encapsulating active antibacterial substances in detail by constructing a nano-release system for active antibacterial substances. The antibacterial effect can be achieved by protecting them from adverse external conditions and destroying the membrane of pathogenic microorganisms. The mechanism of the slow release of the bacteriostatic active substance is also described. The mechanism of carrier loading and release is mainly through non-covalent forces between the bacteriostatic active substance and the carrier material, such as hydrogen bonding, π-π stacking, van der Waals forces, electrostatic interactions, etc., as well as the loading and adsorption of the bacteriostatic active substance by the chemical assembly. Finally, its wide application in food and medicine is introduced. It is hoped to provide a theoretical basis and technical support for the efficient utilization and product development of bacteriostatic active substances.

Large-scale expression of β₂-adrenergic receptor (β₂-AR) in functional form is necessary for establishment of receptor assays for detecting illegally abused β-adrenergic agonists (β-agonists). Cell-based heterologous expression systems have many critical difficulties in synthesizing this membrane protein, such as low protein yields and aberrant folding. To overcome these challenges, the main objective of the present work was to synthesize large amounts of functional β₂-AR in a cell-free system based on Escherichia coli extracts. A codon-optimized porcine β₂-AR gene (codon adaptation index: 0.96) suitable for high expression in E. coli was synthesized and transcribed to the cell-free system, which contributed to increase the expression up to 1.1 mg/ml. After purification using Ni-affinity chromatography, the bioactivity of the purified receptor was measured by novel enzyme-linked receptor assays. It was determined that the relative affinities of the purified β2-AR for β-agonists in descending order were as follows: clenbuterol > salbutamol > ractopamine. Moreover, their IC₅₀ values were 45.99, 60.38, and 78.02 μg/liter, respectively. Although activity of the cell-free system was slightly lower than activity of systems based on insect and mammalian cells, this system should allow production of β2-AR in bulk amounts sufficient for the development of multianalyte screening methods for detecting β-agonist residues.