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Food safety and quality are the basis and prerequisite for ensuring the harmonious and stable development of the modern economy and society. At present, foodborne pathogens, veterinary drug residues, genetically modified foods and adulteration cause or may cause food safety hazards. Metabolomics is an emerging technology that can be used to identify and monitor various trace food safety hazard factors by detecting the changes of small-molecule metabolites in organisms caused by exogenous disturbances, which will help to explore the metabolic mechanism. Furthermore, metabolites resulting from the degradation of food hazard factors can be potential biomarkers of food hazards, providing insights into the mechanism of action of foodborne pathogens and setting the stage for food quality and safety control. This review article describes targeted and non-targeted metabolomics, as well as the data acquisition and mathematical statistics methods commonly used for metabolomics. The recent progress in the application of metabolomics in the field of food quality and safety is summarized such as the detection of foodborne pathogens, veterinary drug residues, genetically modified foods, fresh produce quality, and meat adulteration. This review concludes with an outlook on the joint application of multi-omics technologies, which is expected to promote the wider application of metabolomics in the field of food safety and quality.

The effect of a small dose of boron-doping on the nucleation process of nano-sized 1:13 phase (NaZn13-type phase) and α-(Fe,Si) phase of the La–Fe–Si alloys during the rapid solidification was investigated. The simulation of classical nucleation theory indicates a competitive nucleation relationship between 1:13 and α-(Fe,Si) phases during the rapid solidification. Compared to the La–Fe–Si alloys undoped with boron atom, the undercooled temperature change (ΔT) for the same nucleation rate conditions of the 1:13 and α-Fe phases was significantly decreased from 673 K (x = 0) to 639 K (x = 0.3) during the rapid solidification of La–Fe–Si–B alloys. The analysis of the microstructure and phase structure of the La–Fe–Si alloys ribbons by scanning electron microscope , x-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscope also concludes that the doping of boron promoted the formation of the 1:13 phase. The results of this study have considerable meaning for the engineering application of magnetic refrigeration materials (La–Fe–Si) in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the bactericidal effect of dimethyl dicarbonate (DMDC) on foodborne harmful microorganism, the bactericidal effect of DMDC on the planktonic and biofilm bacteria of Pseudomonas fluorescens and Pseudomonas lund of spoilage organism in fresh food were comparatively evaluated in the present study. Effects of DMDC on the bacterial activity, intracellular enzyme activity and mature biofilm of Pseudomonas were measured by using API ZYM kit, XTT kits and confocal microscope. Meanwhile, antibacterial activity of DMDC at different mass concentration in tomato and lettuce were performed. The results showed that DMDC had stronger bactericidal action against the two Pseudomonas compared with other three pathogens. The two Pseudomonas were inactivated by 250 mg/L DMDC treatment for 5 min, which was attributed to the decreasing activities of alanine araminase and naphthol -AS -BI -phosphohydrolas. In addition, mature biofilm of P. fluorescein and P. lund could be effectively destroyed. The population in biofilm cell decreased by 4.60 lg (CFU/cm²) and 4.15 lg (CFU/cm²), respectively, and the cell activity significantly dropped, resulting in the increase of dead cell and the thinner biofilm structure, when treated by 250 mg/L DMDC. Moreover, the aerobic plant count (APC), Pseudomonas number (PA), and mold and yeast count (MYC) of tomato and lettuce were significantly reduced by treatment of DMDC at 250 mg/L. The APC and PA in tomato was reduced by 2.60 lg (CFU/cm²) and 1.73 lg (CFU/ cm²), and in lettuce was decreased by 2.56 lg(CFU/cm²)and 1.98 lg(CFU/cm²), respectively, for 15 min treatment, accompanied by no detection of mold and yeast after 5 min treatment. Sensory qualities were not affected. Thus, DMDC significantly killed the planktonic and mature biofilm of two Pseudomonas, and has a good bactericidal effects when applied to the surface of two kinds of fruits and vegetables, which is expected to become a new cleaning agent in fruit and vegetable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a small-molecule reductant substance, hydrogen gas has an obvious antioxidant function. It can selectively neutralize hydroxyl radicals (•OH) and peroxynitrite (ONOO•) in cells, reducing oxidative stress damage. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of hydrogen gas (3%) on early chronic liver injury (CLI) induced by CCl4 and to preliminarily explore the protective mechanism of hydrogen gas on hepatocytes by observing the expression of uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) in liver tissue. Here, 32 rats were divided into four groups: the control group, CCl4 group, H2 (hydrogen gas) group, and CCl4 + H2 group. The effect of hydrogen gas on early CLI was observed by serological tests, ELISA, hematoxylin and eosin staining, and oil red O staining. Immunohistochemical staining and Western blotting were used to observe the expression of UCP2 in liver tissues. We found that CCl4 can induce significant steatosis in hepatocytes. When the hydrogen gas was inhaled, hepatocyte steatosis was reduced, and the UCP2 expression level in liver tissue was increased. These results suggest that hydrogen gas might upregulate UCP2 expression levels, reduce the generation of intracellular oxygen free radicals, affect lipid metabolism in liver cells, and play a protective role in liver cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale : Ferroptosis-driven loss of dopaminergic neurons plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD). In PD patients, Hspb1 is commonly observed at abnormally high levels in the substantia nigra. The precise consequences of Hspb1 overexpression in PD, however, have yet to be fully elucidated. Methods : We used human iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons and Coniferaldehyde (CFA)-an Nrf2 agonist known for its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier-to investigate the role of Hspb1 in PD. We examined the correlation between Hspb1 overexpression and Nrf2 activation and explored the transcriptional regulation of Hspb1 by Nrf2. Gene deletion techniques were employed to determine the necessity of Nrf2 and Hspb1 for CFA's neuroprotective effects. Results : Our research demonstrated that Nrf2 can upregulate the transcription of Hspb1 by directly binding to its promoter. Deletion of either Nrf2 or Hspb1 gene abolished the neuroprotective effects of CFA. The Nrf2-Hspb1 pathway, newly identified as a defense mechanism against ferroptosis, was shown to be essential for preventing neurodegeneration progression. Additionally, we discovered that prolonged overexpression of Hspb1 leads to neuronal death and that Hspb1 released from ruptured cells can trigger secondary cell death in neighboring cells, exacerbating neuroinflammatory responses. Conclusions : These findings highlight a biphasic role of Hspb1 in PD, where it initially provides neuroprotection through the Nrf2-Hspb1 pathway but ultimately contributes to neurodegeneration and inflammation when overexpressed. Understanding this dual role is crucial for developing therapeutic strategies targeting Hspb1 and Nrf2 in PD., Competing Interests: Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interest exists., (© The author(s).)