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To explore the effect of eugenol addition on the gel properties of myofibrillar protein emulsions, this study used porcine myofibrillar protein as the research object and simulated the processing of emulsified sausages. The effects of eugenol concentration (0, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 mg/g protein) on the protein secondary structure, gel strength, water retention, water distribution, rheology, and microstructure were determined to investigate the effect of eugenol on protein gel formation. The results showed that the addition of low-concentration eugenol (20 mg/g) significantly improved the gel strength and water retention rate of the protein (P

In this study, the effects of papain and glutamine transaminase on the water-holding capacity and quality of phosphorus-reduced steaks were investigated. Fresh bovine outer spine meat was studied in a one-way test using water-holding capacity, low-field nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation time, scanning electron microscopy, and shear force as evaluation indices. Effects on the water-holding capacity, processing quality, and organoleptic quality of steaks were compared for the control group (non-additive), phosphate group (phosphate additions of 0.2% and 0.4%), papain phosphorus-reduced group (0.2% phosphate with concentrations of 0.03%, 0.05% and 0.07% papain), and glutamine aminotransferase phosphorus-reduced group (0.2% phosphate with concentrations of 0.4%, 0.6%, and 0.8% glutamine aminotransferase). The results showed that the addition of 0.05% papain significantly reduced (P0.05) compared with the 0.4% phosphate group. Therefore, use of this treatment could effectively replace 50% of the amount of phosphate in the steak. In the glutamine aminotransferase phosphorus-reduced group, both cooking loss and shear force gradually decreased with an increase in the addition of glutamine aminotransferase, and no significant improvement (P>0.05) in product quality was noted when the added amount was greater than 0.6%. In conclusion, papain treatment at a concentration of 0.05% could effectively replace the addition of certain phosphates during meat processing and provide new ideas for the production of green, clean, and phosphorus-reduced meat products.

In this study, the effects of ultrasonic treatment on the protein structure and quality characteristics of lamb were investigated using the ultrasonic time (0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 min) and power (0, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400 W) as variables. The results demonstrated that, with the extension of the ultrasonic time and power, the intensity of the Raman spectrum decreased and the α-helix content had a tendency to transform into β-fold. The sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis showed that ultrasonic treatment contributed to the dissociation of actomyosin. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) exhibited that ultrasonic treatment enlarged the gaps among the muscle fiber bundles destroyed the muscle fiber structure of lamb, increased the myofibril fragmentation index (MFI) of lamb muscle, reduced shear force, and improved the water-holding capacity. According to all of the above indexes, the optimal ultrasonic conditions were determined: the ultrasonic power was 300 W for 30 min. In this condition, the MFI of lamb was 44.59, which was increased by 25.66% compared with the control group (P

In this paper, the quality of lamb pastry made from three starch-based coating materials (e.g. potato starch, sweet potato starch and mung bean starch) was analyzed to investigate the effects of different starches on the physicochemical properties and sensory characteristics of low-fat lamb pastry by using coating rate, yield, color, water distribution, fat content, textural characteristics and sensory quality as evaluation indicators. The results showed that the quality of low-fat lamb pastry was significantly different among the three starch treatment groups (P

Bone bionics and structural engineering have sparked a broad interest in optimizing artificial scaffolds for better bone regeneration. However, the mechanism behind scaffold pore morphology-regulated bone regeneration remains unclear, making the structure design of scaffolds for bone repair challenging. To address this issue, we have carefully assessed diverse cell behaviors of bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on the β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) scaffolds with three representative pore morphologies (i.e., cross column, diamond, and gyroid pore unit, respectively). Among the scaffolds, BMSCs on the β-TCP scaffold with diamond pore unit (designated as D-scaffold) demonstrated enhanced cytoskeletal forces, elongated nucleus, faster cell mobility, and better osteogenic differentiation potential (for example, the alkaline phosphatase expression level in D-scaffold were 1.5–2 times higher than other groups). RNA-sequencing analysis and signaling pathway intervention revealed that Ras homolog gene family A (RhoA)/Rho-associated kinase-2 (ROCK2) has in-depth participated in the pore morphology-mediated BMSCs behaviors, indicating an important role of mechanical signaling transduction in scaffold-cell interactions. Finally, femoral condyle defect repair results showed that D-scaffold could effectively promote endogenous bone regeneration, of which the osteogenesis rate was 1.2–1.8 times higher than the other groups. Overall, this work provides insights into pore morphology-mediated bone regeneration mechanisms for developing novel bioadaptive scaffold designs.

Abstract The design of hierarchical porous structure in scaffolds is crucial for bone defect regenerative repair. However, bioceramic materials present a challenge in precisely constructing designed micropores owing to the limitation of forming process. To investigate micropore shape influences bone regeneration in bioceramic scaffolds with macropores, hierarchical porous scaffolds with interconnective macropores (~400 μm) and two types of micropores (spherical and fibrous) were prepared using a combination of direct ink writing (DIW) and template sacrifice methods. Compared to the scaffold with spherical micropores, the scaffold with highly interconnected fibrous micropores significantly improved cell adhesion and upregulated osteogenic and angiogenetic-related gene expression in mBMSCs and HUVECs, respectively. Furthermore, in vivo implantation experiments showed that hierarchical scaffolds with fibrous micropores accelerated the bone repair process significantly. This result can be attributed to the high interconnectivity of fibrous micropores, which promotes the transportation of nutrients and waste during bone regeneration. Our work demonstrates that hierarchical porous scaffold design, especially one with a fibrous micropore structure, is a promising strategy for improving the bone regeneration performance of bioceramic scaffolds. Graphical Abstract

The vascularization of bone repair materials is one of the key issues that urgently need to be addressed in the process of bone repair. The changes in macrophage phenotype and function play an important role in the process of vascularization, and endowing bone repair materials with immune regulatory characteristics to enhance angiogenesis is undoubtedly a new strategy to improve the effectiveness of bone repair. In order to improve the effect of tricalcium phosphate (TCP) on vascularization and bone repair, we doped strontium ions (Sr) into TCP (SrTCP) and prepared porous 3D printed SrTCP scaffolds using 3D printing technology, and studied the scaffold mediated macrophage polarization and subsequent vascularization and bone regeneration. The results of the interaction between the scaffold and macrophages showed that the SrTCP scaffold can promote the polarization of macrophages from M1 to M2 and secrete high concentrations of VEGF and PDGF-bb cytokines, which shows excellent angiogenic potential. When human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were co-cultured with macrophage-conditioned medium of SrTCP scaffold, HUVECs exhibited excellent early angiogenesis-promoting effects in terms of scratch healing, angiogenic gene expression, and in vitro tube formation performance. The results of in vivo bone repair experiments showed that the SrTCP scaffold formed a vascular network with high density and quantity in the bone defect area, which could increase the rate of new bone formation and advance the period of bone formation, and finally achieved a better bone repair effect. We observed a cascade effect in which Sr-doped SrTCP scaffold regulate macrophage polarization to enhance angiogenesis and promote bone repair, which may provide a new strategy for the repair of clinical bone defects.

The effects of eugenol (EG; 0, 5, 20, and 50 mg/g protein) on the structure and gel properties of pork myofibrillar protein (MPs) under a hydroxyl radical-generating system were explored in this study. The results revealed that the addition of a high concentration of EG (50 mg/g protein) markedly reduced the carbonyl content and enhanced the fluorescence intensity, surface hydrophobicity, and protected the secondary structure of MPs, compared to oxidized MPs. In addition, the high concentration group noticeably increased the storage modulus (G′), gel strength, and water-holding capacity (WHC), and significantly hindered the oxidation-induced transformation of immobilized water of the MPs gel to free water and basically favored the formation of a finer and more homogeneous three-dimensional network structure, This work verified that the adding of EG could effectively improve the gel quality of oxidized MPs and more successfully delay oxidation-induced damage to muscle protein structure.

Soybeans are rich in proteins and phytochemicals such as isoflavones and phenolic compounds. It is an excellent source of peptides with numerous biological functions, including anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antidiabetic activities. Soy bioactive peptides are small building blocks of proteins that are released after fermentation or gastrointestinal digestion as well as by food processing through enzymatic hydrolysis, often in combination with novel food processing techniques (i.e., microwave, ultrasound, and high-pressure homogenization), which are associated with numerous health benefits. Various studies have reported the potential health benefits of soybean-derived functional peptides, which have made them a great substitute for many chemical-based functional elements in foods and pharmaceutical products for a healthy lifestyle. This review provides unprecedented and up-to-date insights into the role of soybean peptides in various diseases and metabolic disorders, ranging from diabetes and hypertension to neurodegenerative disorders and viral infections with mechanisms were discussed. In addition, we discuss all the known techniques, including conventional and emerging approaches, for the prediction of active soybean peptides. Finally, real-life applications of soybean peptides as functional entities in food and pharmaceutical products are discussed.

Calcium phosphate bio-ceramics are osteo-conductive, but it remains a challenge to promote the induction of bone augmentation and capillary formation. The surface micro/nano-topography of materials can be recognized by cells and then the cell fate are mediated. Traditional regulation methods of carving surface structures on bio-ceramics employ mineral reagents and organic additives, which might introduce impurity phases and affect the biological results. In a previous study, a facile and novel method was utilized with ultrapure water as the unique reagent for hydrothermal treatment, and a uniform hydroxyapatite (HAp) surface layer was constructed on composite ceramics (β-TCP/CaSiO3) in situ. Further combined with 3D printing technology, biomimetic hierarchical structure scaffolds were fabricated with interconnected porous composite ceramic scaffolds as the architecture and micro/nano-rod hybrid HAp as the surface layer. The obtained HAp surface layer favoured cell adhesion, alleviated the cytotoxicity of precursor scaffolds, and upregulated the cellular differentiation of mBMSCs and gene expression of HUVECs in vitro. In vivo studies showed that capillary formation, bone augmentation and new bone matrix formation were upregulated after the HAp surface layer was obtained, and the results confirmed that the fabricated biomimetic hierarchical structure scaffold could be an effective candidate for bone regeneration.

In this experiment, mung bean protein was enzymolyzed by alkaline protease, neutral protease, pepsin and trypsin, and the antioxidant capacity of the enzymolysis product was determined. The correlation between the enzymolysis product and the structural changes was investigated by combining Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, SDS-PAGE, circular dichromatography and amino acid analyzer, amino acid composition of the hydrolysates and the correlation between antioxidant activity and structure change were analyzed. The results showed that the 4 h neutral protease hydrolysates of mung bean protein had the strongest antioxidant capacity, with DPPH free radical scavenging rate and hydroxyl free radical scavenging rate reaching 71.03% and 51.94%, TBARS value reaching 0.4045 mg/L and Fe2+ chelating rate reaching 52.31%. Combined with SDS-PAGE, FTIR and CD, it could be concluded that: The antioxidant capacity of mung bean protease hydrolysates was closely related to its molecular weight, secondary structure conformation and amino acid composition. Compared with mung bean protein, the α-helix structure content of mung bean protease hydrolysates increased by 4.12% and the β-fold structure content decreased by 19.99%. The antioxidant activity was closely related to the increase of α-helix content and the decrease of β-folding content. The hydrophobic amino acids and aromatic amino acids that affected antioxidant activity increased by 0.208 g/100 g and 0.207 g/100 g, respectively. The hydrophobic hydrolysates with lower molecular weight less than 10 kDa had better antioxidant activity. Based on the above results, it was confirmed that the activity of mung bean protease hydrolysate had high relation with α-spiral and β-fold.

This paper aimed to analyze the antioxidant activity and structure of flavonoid compounds extracted from mung bean hull. The product of mung bean hull flavonoid extraction was purified by gradient elution with different concentrations of alcohol, such as 20%, 40%, 60% and 80%. The abilities of various eluents in T-AOC, scavenging of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical, 2，2′-azinobis-3- ethylbenzothia zoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) free radical and hydroxyl radicals, and the compounds with high antioxidant activity were analyzed for structure. The results showed that 60% eluent of mung bean hull flavonoid possess strong antioxidant activity, DPPH scavenging capacity was 48.03%, ABTS+ radical scavenging capacity was 57.53%，hydroxyl radicals scavenging capacity was 12.02%, T-AOC was 207.64 U/mL, which was significantly higher than other eluents (P

Mung bean proteins (MBPs) are highly nutritious food ingredients, but their lack of gluten limits their use in staple foods such as noodles. In this study, MBPs were modified by hydrothermal treatment, and their gel properties and the major structural changes were analyzed at different heating temperatures (25, 65, 75, 85, 95, and 105°C), moisture contents (0, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35%), and hydrothermal treatment times (0, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 75 min). Thereafter, the modified MBPs (MMBPs) were added to wheat noodles at substitution levels of 3, 6, and 9% to evaluate their effect on the quality of the noodles. The results showed that the hydrothermal treatment significantly improved the gel properties and water absorption capacity of the MBPs and slightly increased their disulfide bond content. When MBPs with a 25% moisture content were heated at 85°C for 60 min, their gel properties notably improved, and their structural changes were maximal. The structural changes revealed that the MBP molecule formed a macromolecular polymer because a significant protein band appeared at about 66.2 kDa. Secondary structure and microstructure analyses revealed that the MBP structure was significantly damaged and that the β-sheet structure increased because of changes in the degree of aggregation between the protein molecules. Compared to the untreated MBPs, the MMBPs significantly improved the cooking quality and texture properties of the noodles, and the addition amount reached more than 6%, whereas that of the untreated MBPs was less than 3%. At this time, the cooking loss and the broken rate of the untreated MBPs group were about 2 times higher than that of the 6% MMBP-treated group. An analysis of changes in the water distribution, rheological properties, and microstructure revealed that intermolecular cross-linking occurred between the MMBPs and wheat dough, which improved the quality of the MMBP-treated noodles. The findings demonstrated that the MMBPs obtained by hydrothermal treatment had a positive effect on the wheat dough properties and noodle quality. These results provide a technical foundation for incorporating novel protein supplements into staple foods.

The paper presents the effect of heat treatment at 80 °C at different times (3, 5, 7, and 9 min) on the structural and functional properties of Phaseolus vulgaris L. protein (PVP, bean protein powder). Surface and structure properties of PVP after heat treatment were analyzed using a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), a fluorescence spectrophotometer, a visible light spectrophotometer, a laser particle size analyzer, and other equipment. The secondary structure and surface hydrophobicity (H0) of PVP changed significantly after heat treatment: the β-sheet content decreased from 25.32 ± 0.09% to 24.66 ± 0.09%, the random coil content increased from 23.91 ± 0.11% to 25.68 ± 0.08%, and the H0 rose by 28.96–64.99%. In addition, the functional properties of PVP after heat treatment were analyzed. After heat treatment, the emulsifying activity index (EAI) of PVP increased from 78.52 ± 2.01 m2/g to 98.21 ± 1.33 m2/g, the foaming ability (FA) improved from 87.31 ± 2.56% to 95.82 ± 2.96%, and the foam stability (FS) rose from 53.23 ± 1.72% to 58.71 ± 2.18%. Finally, the degree of hydrolysis (DH) of PVP after gastrointestinal simulated digestion in vitro was detected by the Ortho-Phthal (OPA) method. Heat treatment enhanced the DH of PVP from 62.34 ± 0.31% to 73.64 ± 0.53%. It was confirmed that heat treatment changed the structural properties of PVP and improved its foamability, emulsification, and digestibility. It provides ideas for improving PVP’s potential and producing new foods with rich nutrition, multiple functions, and easy absorption.

This study investigated the flavor differences among three individual parts (abdomen, back, and tail) of Jingpo Lake grass carp (JPGC) and commercial grass carp (CGC). The growing environment and fish parts influenced the volatile compounds of the fish. The highest total contents of alcohols and ethers were found in the back of JPGC (p < 0.05). The combination of an electronic tongue and electronic nose (E-nose) could effectively distinguish the flavor differences between the different parts of JPGC and CGC by principal component analysis. Both the content of total free amino acids (FAAs) and content of amino acids contributing to the sweet and fresh flavors were higher in JPGC than CGC (p < 0.05). Among the ATP-associated products, the inosine 5’-monophosphate (IMP) contents of the back and tail of JPGC were higher (p < 0.05), but the abdomen content was lower (p > 0.05) than the respective contents in the corresponding parts of CGC. Sensory evaluation shows that JPGC had a better texture, odor, and taste, compared to CGC. Correlation analysis showed that the E-nose data and FAAs were highly correlated with the content of alcohols, aldehydes, and ethers. This study showed that the flavors of the different parts of JPGC differed significantly from those of CGC.

This study aimed to investigate the structural characteristics and gelation behavior of myofibrillar proteins (MPs) with or without clove extract (CE) at different oxidation times (0, 1, 3, and 5 h). Circular dichroism spectra and Fourier transform infrared spectra showed that samples with CE addition had significantly higher α-helix content after oxidation than those without CE addition. However, prolonged oxidation (5 h) would make the effect of CE addition less pronounced. Similarly, the ultraviolet-visible (UV) spectra analysis revealed that CE controlled the oxidative stretching of the protein tertiary structure and reduced the exposure of aromatic amino acids. In addition, the particle size and turbidity values of the CE group significantly decreased after oxidation compared to the non-CE group. CE increased the gel strength by 10.05% after 5 h of oxidation, which could be observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) as a more homogeneous, dense, less porous, network-like gel structure. Therefore, these results showed that oxidation induced significant changes in the structure and gel properties of MPs, but the addition of CE effectively inhibited these destructive changes.