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In this study, we aimed to use high‐throughput sequencing technology to systematically analyze the bacterial community structure during the box wheat Qu–making process to understand the succession of bacterial communities. To our knowledge, this is the first study in which mature Qu, raw materials, and the complete fermentation process of the box wheat Qu were analyzed. Significant differences in the distribution and abundance of the dominant bacteria were observed among these samples. Bacterial diversity was lowest in residual mature Qu, gradually increasing after moistening and fermentation and declining after reaching its peak on the fourth day. The predominant bacteria observed in residual mature Qu were Saccharopolyspora (81.64%), Weissella (3.39%), and Staphylococcus (3.06%). The most abundant bacteria in the moistened material were Pantoea (48.50%), Staphylococcus (12.10%), and Saccharopolyspora (11.61%). However, a rapid decline in Pantoea and Staphylococcus in box wheat Qu was observed on the first day of fermentation. Following fermentation, the most abundant bacteria were Saccharopolyspora (68.85%), Bacillus (19.94%), and Thermoactinomyces (4.70%). Nonmetric multidimensional scale and linear discriminant analysis effect size analyses revealed a significant difference in the bacterial community structure between the raw materials and samples obtained at the end of fermentation. These findings underscore the significant effect of the bacterial community structure of residual mature Qu on box wheat Qu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a lack of dietary fiber and some essential amino acids in instant noodles. Enriching this popular food with protein‐ and fiber‐rich sources is important to improve the nutritional quality of noodles. The current study is aimed at enriching instant noodles by substituting wheat flour with lentil flour (7%–35%: L7%, L21%, and L35%), soy‐protein isolate (1%–5%: S1%, S3% and S5%), egg‐white protein (1–5: E1%, E3%, and E5%) and Spirulina platensis (1%–5%: S.p1%, S.p3% and S.p5%). The physicochemical, microbial, textural, and sensorial properties of noodle samples were investigated. The spatial relationship between parameters was also evaluated based on principal component analysis (PCA) to select the suitable noodle formulation. The highest protein (17.06%) and lowest carbohydrate contents (76.44%) were for L35%. The lowest (1.69%) and highest fat contents (2.04%) were for S5% and S.p5%m, respectively (p > 0.05). Energy values varied from 394.83 (E5%) to 396.37 kcal/100 g (S.p5%). There was no significant difference between the microbial quality of noodle samples (p > 0.05). The hardness of noodles with 1%–5% soy protein, 21% or more lentil flour, and 3% or more egg‐white/Spirulina was higher than the control/unenriched group (p < 0.05). The color difference of E1 and E3% with the control sample was not obvious (ΔE∗ < 3). Although all the ingredients improved the nutritional value of the noodles, the overall acceptance of samples with 3% or more of Spirulina was lower than the acceptable limit (a score of 3). According to PCA, when the nutritional value and sensory acceptance are important, the L35% may be a better choice. E1%, E3%, S1%, S5%, and L7% noodles received almost the same sensory score as the control sample, while they had more nutritional values. A combination of animal, plant, and microalgae protein sources may provide a noodle with high nutritional value, containing a wide range of essential amino acids and bioactive compounds. More research is needed to optimize such a formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scope: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease with poor therapeutic strategies. Mastiha possesses antioxidant/anti-inflammatory and lipid-lowering properties. The authors investigate the effectiveness of Mastiha as a nonpharmacological intervention in NAFLD., Methods and Results: Ninety-eight patients with NAFLD in three countries (Greece, Italy, Serbia) are randomly allocated to either Mastiha or Placebo for 6 months, as part of a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group clinical trial. The authors assess NAFLD severity via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning and LiverMultiScan technique and evaluate the effectiveness of Mastiha through medical, anthropometric, biochemical, metabolomic, and microbiota assessment. Mastiha is not superior to Placebo on changes in iron-corrected T1 (cT1) and Liver Inflammation Fibrosis score (LIF) in entire patient population; however, after BMI stratification (BMI ≤ 35 kg m -2 and BMI > 35 kg m -2 ), severely obese patients show an improvement in cT1 and LIF in Mastiha versus Placebo. Mastiha increases dissimilarity of gut microbiota, as shown by the Bray-Curtis index, downregulates Flavonifractor, a known inflammatory taxon and decreases Lysophosphatidylcholines-(LysoPC) 18:1, Lysophosphatidylethanolamines-(LysoPE) 18:1, and cholic acid compared to Placebo., Conclusion: Mastiha supplementation improves microbiota dysbiosis and lipid metabolite levels in patients with NAFLD, although it reduces parameters of liver inflammation/fibrosis only in severely obese patients., (© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)