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This study involved the ultrasonic modification of water-soluble pectin, chelator-soluble pectin, and sodium carbonate-soluble pectin in blueberries using different ultrasonic treatments (688, 1376, 2063 W/cm2, 10, 20, 30 min). The research explored the relationship between the modified pectin structure and the interaction between pectin and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G). The results showed that ultrasonic modification resulted in enhanced interaction between pectin and C3G. After the ultrasonic treatment of 2063 W/cm2 for 10 min, all three pectins showed the maximum binding capacity with C3G, which was about 2~6 times higher than that without the ultrasonic modification. Whereas, prolonged ultrasonic time (20~30 min) was unfavorable for the interaction between modified pectin and C3G. After ultrasonic modification, the particle size of the pectin-C3G complexes became smaller, the Zeta potential was increased, and the physical stability was thus improved. In three different pectin samples, ultrasonic treatment induced a reduction in molecular weight and methyl esterification of the pectin, facilitated the degradation of the branched structures, promoted the number of free carboxyl groups, and increased the presence of structural network voids. The alteration of the structural properties of pectin by ultrasonic treatment facilitated the interactions between pectin and C3G.

To prepare different types of lutein nanostructured lipid carriers (LNLs) using chitosan (CS), chitosan-epigallocatechin gallate covalent (C-CS-EGCG), and chitosan-epigallocatechin gallate ester non-covalent (Non-C-CS-EGCG) modifications combined with high-pressure microfluidization. A simulated colonic digestion model was established to investigate the stability and interaction with gut microbiota of these modified lutein nanostructured lipid carriers. Results showed that after 24 hours of simulated in vitro colonic fermentation, the lutein content in CS-LNLs significantly decreased (P

In order to develop nutrient rich personalized food, the effects of different guar gum concentrations on rheological, gelation, 3D printing, microstructural properties and functional groups of purple sweet potato gels were explored by rheological analysis, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results showed that apparent viscosity, storage modulus, loss modulus, L*, gumminess and chewiness of purple sweet potato gels increased, the micro pore size decreased, and the gel network structure was denser with the increase of guar gum concentration. The water holding capacity of purple sweet potato gels was 80.49% and the gel strength was 72.67 g when guar gum concentration was 1.6%. The addition of guar gum significantly improved 3D printability of purple sweet potato gels. When guar gum was added at 1.2% and 1.6%, 3D printed purple sweet potato gels had good formability, the average accuracy deviation was less than 1%, and the stability deviation was less than 5% after 6 hours of storage. The addition of guar gum would not produce new functional groups in 3D printed purple sweet potato gels, but mainly strengthened interactions of CH2 bonds and O-H bonds. This study provided a theoretical basis for the development of 3D printing of plant-based ingredients, which was very important for the personalization of functional foods.

β-Carotene, a typical non-oxygenated carotenoid, is the most efficient source of retinol (VA). The low bio-availability of β-carotene lead to large accumulation in colon; however, the relationship between β-carotene and gut microflora remains unclear. This study intends to explore the interaction between β-carotene and gut microflora using an in vitro fermentation model. After 24 h fermentation, the degradation rate of β-carotene was (64.28 ± 6.23)%, which was 1.46 times that of the group without gut microflora. Meanwhile, the production of VA was nearly 2 times that of the group without gut microflora, indicating that the gut microflora can metabolize β-carotene into VA. β-Carotene also influences the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), the production of total SCFAs in 0.5 mg/mL β-carotene (BCM) group was (44.00 ± 1.16) mmol/L, which was 2.26 times that of the blank control (BLK) group. Among them, the production of acetic acid in BCM group was (19.06 ± 0.82) mmol/L, which was 2.64 time that of the BLK group. Furthermore, β-carotene significantly affected the structure and composition of gut microflora, increasing the abundance of Roseburia, Parasutterella and Lachnospiraceae, and decreasing the abundance of Dialister, Collinsella and Enterobacter (P < 0.05). This study provides a new way to understand how β-carotene works in human body with gut microflora.

The loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus), a small commercial fish that is widely cultivated for its high-quality protein, vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acid, is a member of the genus Misgurnus and the family Cyprinidae. In this study, we gave the LPS-injected loach fermented soybean meal and used transcriptome sequencing to investigate the impact of the fermented soybean powder on the loach’s immune system. 3384 up-regulated genes and 12116 down-regulated genes were found among the 15500 differentially expressed genes, according to the results. The differentially expressed genes were shown to be involved in cellular processes, metabolic processes, cellular anatomical entities, and binding, according to the Go functional annotation. Meanwhile, the KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that the soybean fermented powder treated groups showed significant differences in DNA replication, Nucleotide excision repair, Fanconi anemia pathway, and Base excision repair pathways, suggesting that these pathways are closely related to the enhancement of the immune function of loach by soybean fermented powder. The particular conclusions not exclusively can provide a new conception for the rational utilization of soybean fermented powder but also can provide theoretical guidance for the subsequent healthy breeding of loach.

Plasma-activated water (PAW) treatment is an effective technique for the quality retention of fresh vegetables with cold atmospheric plasma using controllable parameters. This study investigated the effect of PAW on the postharvest quality of shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris). The results displayed that PAW treatment with an activation time of 5, 10, 15, and 20 min reduced the yellowing rate and weight loss of the shepherd’s purse during 9 days of storage. Compared with untreated samples, PAW treatment at different times reduced the number of total bacteria, coliform, yeast, and mold by 0.18–0.94, 0.59–0.97, 0.90–1.18, and 1.03–1.17 Log CFU/g after 9 days of storage, respectively. Additionally, the treatments with PAW-5 and PAW-10 better preserved ascorbic acid, chlorophyll, total phenol, and total flavonoid contents. They also maintained the higher antioxidant and CAT activity and inhibited the formation of terpenes, alcohols, and nitrogen oxide compounds of the shepherd’s purse at the end of storage. The microstructural result illustrated that the cells of the shepherd’s purse treated with PAW-5 and PAW-10 were relatively intact, with a small intercellular space after storage. This study demonstrated that PAW treatment effectively improved the postharvest quality of shepherd’s purse.

In order to explore the water diffusion characteristics of green bananas during the microwave drying process, a microwave drying test was conducted to investigate the green bananas drying characteristics under different microwave power densities (3, 5, 7 and 9 W/g), and the microwave drying test model of green bananas was established. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) was used to investigate the internal moisture distribution and change law of green bananas during the drying process. Results showed that drying rate of green bananas in the microwave drying process increased first and then decreased, the effective diffusion coefficient was between 1.082×10−8 and 7.708×10−8 m2/s, and also increased with the increasing of microwave power density. The nuclear magnetic resonance experiments showed that, during the drying process, the free water was removed first, the non-flowing water showed an overall upward trend and then a downward trend, while the combined water showed an overall upward trend. With the extension of microwave drying time, the water peak area of the three states decreased and the total peak moved in the direction of the decrease of relaxation time, at the end of drying, the free water in green banana was basically removed, and the internal water mainly existed in the state of combined water and non flowing water. By fitting green banana drying kinetics model, it was found that the Page model fitted best (R2>0.9), which could provide a basis for effectively describing the variation law of water with time during the microwave drying process of green bananas.

This study was aim to investigate the relationship between water migration and starch gelatinization behaviors of green bananas during microwave drying (MD) and its effect on starch digestibility. Taking green banana slices as the research object, different microwave power densities were designed to study the changes of microwave drying characteristics, starch gelatinization behavior and digestion characteristics for green bananas. The results showed that microwave power densities and drying time of MD showed a significant effect on the starch gelatinization behavior and digestion characteristics in green bananas. When the moisture content of banana was higher than 45%, a high microwave power density and high moisture content could promote the starch gelatinization in green bananas. While the moisture content was reduced to below 45%, the moisture content and microwave power density had no significant effect (P>0.05) on the degree of starch gelatinization. When the microwave power density was at the range of 2~8 W/g, there was a significant negative correlation (P

Flavonoids can influence the bioaccessibility of carotenoids. In this study, the effect of citrus flavanones on β-carotene (Bc) bioaccessibility, lipid lipolysis and Bc micellarization were investigated. The results show that citrus flavanones significantly increased the bioaccessibility of Bc, made it from 15.85% to 19.67% (p

Tofu whey wastewater (TWW) is a by-product of the tofu production process, and contains high amounts of organic products and Lactobacillus ap. However, no studies have been reported on whether naturally fermented TWW can be used as a beneficial additive for poultry production. This study analyzed the main nutritional components and microbial flora of naturally fermented TWW from rural tofu processing plants and their effect on chick production performance, role in modulating the biochemical and immune parameters, and protection against Salmonella enteritidis (S. enteritidis) infection. It was observed that the average pH of TWW was 4.08; therefore, the total viable count was 3.00 × 109 CFU/mL and the abundance of Lactobacillus was 92.50%. Moreover, TWW supplementation increased the total weight gain and feed intake, reduced the feed/gain ratio, increased the length and relative weight of the gut, and reduced the colonization and excretion of S. enteritidis in chickens. Additionally, TWW decreased oxidative damage and pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion caused by S. enteritidis infection. In addition, TWW supplementation ensured the structure of the intestine remained relatively intact in S. enteritidis-infected chicken. Furthermore, TWW markedly promoted the intestinal barrier integrity and up-regulated the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, counteracting the changes in gut microbiota caused by S. enteritidis infection in chicken. In conclusion, our data demonstrated that TWW could be used as a beneficial addition to poultry production, providing a research basis for the further development of TWW as a health care application in in food-producing animal.

Background: Both chromium (Cr) and probiotic bacillus own the virtues of regulating animal metabolism and meat quality. Purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of supplemental Cr and bacillus in the form of chromium-enriched Bacillus subtilis KT260179 (CEBS) on chicken growth performance, plasma lipid parameters, tissue chromium levels, cecal bacterial composition and breast meat quality. Methods: Six hundred of 1-day-old Chinese Huainan Partridge chickens were divided into four groups randomly: Control, inorganic Cr, Bacillus subtilis, and CEBS. The feed duration was 56 days. Results: After 28 days of treatment, broiler feed CEBS or normal B. subtilis had higher body weights than control broiler, and after 56 days, chickens given either CEBS or B. subtilis had greater body weights than control broiler or those given inorganic Cr. Plasma total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels declined significantly in the CEBS group compared with the control, whereas plasma high density lipoprotein cholesterol levels increased significantly. The concentration of Cr in blood and breast muscle increased after CEBS and inorganic Cr supplementation. B. subtilis and CEBS supplementation caused a significant increase in the numbers of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in the caecum, while the numbers of Escherichia coli and Salmonella decreased significantly compared to the control. Feed adding CEBS increased the lightness, redness, and yellowness of breast meat, improved the water-holding capacity, decreased the shear force and cooking loss. Conclusions: In all, CEBS supplementation promoted body growth, improved plasma lipid parameters, increased tissue Cr concentrations, altered cecal bacterial composition and improved breast meat quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of providing supplementary Cr-enriched Bacillus subtilis (CEBS) to mice with regard to their growth performance, caecal microbiology, tissue Cr concentration, insulin receptor (IR) expression and plasma biochemical profile. A total of ninety-six Kunming strain mice were allocated to four different groups: control, CEBS, inorganic Cr and B. subtilis. After 15 d of treatment, mice that received CEBS or normal B. subtilis had higher body weights than control mice, and after 30 d mice given either CEBS or B. subtilis had greater body weights than control mice or those given inorganic Cr. The concentration of Cr in tissues (heart, liver, spleen, kidney and skeletal muscle) increased after CEBS supplementation. B. subtilis and CEBS supplementation caused a significant increase in the numbers of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in the caecum, whereas the numbers of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus decreased significantly compared with the control. The levels of IR RNA and protein in skeletal muscles increased significantly. Plasma glucose, total cholesterol, TAG and LDL-cholesterol levels declined significantly in the CEBS group compared with the control group, whereas plasma insulin and HDL-cholesterol levels increased significantly. In conclusion, CEBS supplementation enhanced the regulation of body growth, increased tissue organic Cr concentrations, altered caecal microbiota and enhanced IR expression to produce significant changes in plasma biochemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]