Search Results (1,057)

Osteoporosis affects over 200 million people worldwide, with postmenopausal women at the highest risk. The treatment benefits of currently available drugs are constrained by safety concerns, and they lack bidirectional regulation of bone metabolism, driving growing interest in safe dietary interventions. Milk is rich in functional components, including minerals (calcium, phosphorus), casein phosphopeptide (CPP), lactoferrin (LF), osteopontin (OPN), and milk fat globule membrane (MFGM), that promote mineral absorption, regulate bone cell activity, and support intestinal health. This review examines their dual mechanisms in bone health regulation. Directly, LF activates Wnt/MAPK pathways to enhance osteogenesis and inhibit osteoclast activity, OPN modulates mineralization, and CPP synergizes with calcium and phosphorus to support bone formation. Indirectly, these components modulate gut microbiota via the gut–bone axis, raising short-chain fatty acids, lowering intestinal pH to boost calcium absorption, repairing the intestinal barrier, and reducing systemic inflammation. Remaining challenges lie in extraction, purification, and product development. Looking forward, the field must move from cell and animal-level evidence to human clinical validation and establish robust steady-state delivery of these bioactives. Successful translation along these lines is essential to turn milk-derived components into effective, evidence-based functional foods for bone health. Full article

Ensuring food authenticity, traceability, and quality has become a critical challenge in increasingly complex and globalized food supply chains. Conventional post-harvest analytical approaches, while powerful, often operate in isolation and fail to fully capture the influence of pre-harvest conditions on food composition. In parallel, the emergence of smart farming technologies has enabled the collection of high-resolution environmental and agronomic data, offering new opportunities to establish baseline signatures linked to geographical origin and production practices. This review explores the integration of pre-harvest data from precision agriculture with advanced post-harvest analytical techniques, focusing on spectroscopic and isotopic methods for food authentication. Recent advances in vibrational spectroscopy, including near- and mid-infrared, Fourier-transform infrared, and Raman techniques, alongside complementary methods such as nuclear magnetic resonance and fluorescence spectroscopy, have enabled rapid and non-destructive food fingerprinting. In parallel, isotope ratio mass spectrometry and compound-specific isotope analysis provide robust markers of origin, climate conditions, and agricultural inputs through the analysis of stable isotopes of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur. The combination of these analytical approaches with chemometric and machine learning tools facilitates the extraction of meaningful patterns from complex datasets. A central focus of this review is the development of integrated farm-to-fork frameworks that use multi-source data, including field sensor technologies, spectral fingerprints, and isotopic signatures, to enhance traceability and authentication. Applications across a wide range of food systems, including edible oils, beverages, plant-based products, and animal-derived foods, are critically evaluated to highlight the strengths and limitations of current methodologies. Key challenges related to data standardization, system interoperability, cost, portability, miniaturization and regulatory acceptance are discussed, alongside emerging solutions such as artificial intelligence-driven models, digital twins, and blockchain-enabled traceability systems. The review underscores a paradigm shift from reactive testing toward predictive and real-time food authentication systems, driven by the convergence of smart agriculture and advanced analytical chemistry. This integrated approach has the potential to significantly enhance transparency, trust, and sustainability in the global food system. Full article

Allium ursinum L. (wild garlic) is a promising source of bioactive compounds for functional foods, nutraceuticals, and clean-label products. This review integrates current evidence on its phytochemical composition, biological activities, and food applications. The species contains sulfur compounds, polyphenols, vitamins, minerals, and pigments, whose levels vary with plant organ, developmental stage, environmental conditions, and processing. These constituents are associated mainly with antioxidant, antimicrobial, cardioprotective, and cytoprotective effects; however, evidence is derived predominantly from in vitro and animal studies, with limited clinical validation. In food systems, A. ursinum may enhance nutritional value, oxidative stability, sensory properties, and shelf life. Extraction, encapsulation, and stabilization technologies may support its use as a natural alternative to synthetic additives. Nevertheless, compositional variability, processing stability, bioavailability, authenticity, quality control, and raw-material supply remain major barriers to standardization and industrial application. Further research should combine phytochemical characterization with technological, safety, clinical, and sustainability assessments to enable reliable use of A. ursinum in food and nutraceutical products. Full article

Mass companion animal mortality scenes pose major veterinary forensic and animal welfare challenges, particularly when remains are commingled, variably decomposed, or skeletonized. In March 2023, the remains of 1256 dogs and cats were recovered from a private residence in Yangpyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea, after prolonged deprivation of food and water. Because whole-carcass enumeration was not feasible across the entire site, a standardized skull-based minimum number of individuals (MNI) approach was used to derive the scene-wide count by combining direct counts of intact, non-duplicated carcasses with counts of isolated skulls from disarticulated remains. A representative subset of 22 specimens, consisting of 16 carcasses submitted by the investigating police and 6 isolated skulls collected during the scene investigation, underwent detailed forensic examination including postmortem radiography, full necropsy, and toxicological screening. Body condition scoring was possible in 5 of the 16 carcasses, and all five scored 1 to 3 on a 9-point scale, consistent with severe to extreme emaciation. Toxicological screening of all 16 carcasses was negative for all tested substance classes. Gross and Radiographical examination of the 6 isolated skulls identified external traumatic fractures and scavenging punctures in 3 specimens, breed-typical persistent open fontanels without evidence of trauma in 2, and an indeterminate suture-associated lesion in 1. This report proposes a practical and reproducible veterinary forensic workflow for large-scale companion animal mortality scenes in which extensive decomposition prevents reliable direct enumeration. The combined use of skull-based MNI estimation, structured necropsy, whole-body postmortem radiography, toxicological exclusion testing, and standardized skull morphology assessment supports evidentiary documentation and courtroom prosecution in mass animal cruelty investigations. Full article

Background: Maternal nutritional status before pregnancy may influence offspring long-term health; however, the association between pre-pregnancy dietary patterns and body composition in preschool children remains unclear. Methods: This study used data from the Taicang and Wuqiang Mother–Child Cohort Study (TAWS), comprising 582 mother–child pairs. Dietary intake during the month before pregnancy was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. Dietary patterns were derived via principal component analysis. Standardized pattern scores (mean = 0, SD = 1) were analyzed as continuous variables (per 1-SD increase) and categorized into quartiles (Q1–Q4, with Q1 as reference). Body composition indicators (percent body fat [PBF], fat mass index [FMI], fat-free mass index [FFMI], and skeletal muscle index [SMI]) were measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis in children aged 3–6 years. Multiple linear regression was used to examine associations under two models: an unadjusted model and a multivariable model adjusted for child characteristics, maternal sociodemographic and gestational factors, family factors, feeding mode, and other dietary patterns. Interaction terms were introduced to test for potential effect modification by child sex and maternal pre-pregnancy BMI. Results: Results showed that five maternal pre-pregnancy dietary patterns were extracted: animal-based food, grain-vegetable-fruit, processed meat-dairy, vegetable-legume, and cured vegetable. In multivariable-adjusted models, the processed meat-dairy pattern was positively associated with FMI (Q4 vs. Q1: β = 0.262, 95% CI: 0.036 to 0.488). The grain-vegetable-fruit pattern was inversely associated with FFMI (Q4: β = −0.265, 95% CI: −0.510 to −0.020) and SMI (Q4: β = −0.256, 95% CI: −0.564 to −0.113). The vegetable-legume pattern was associated with higher PBF (Q3: β = 0.234, 95% CI: 0.007 to 0.461) and lower SMI (Q4: β = −0.338, 95% CI: −0.564 to −0.113). No significant associations were observed for the animal-based food or cured vegetable pattern after adjustment. Sex-stratified analyses showed that the animal-based food pattern was associated with FFMI and SMI in opposite directions between boys and girls (p for interaction = 0.048 and 0.013, respectively). Maternal pre-pregnancy BMI significantly modified only the association between the processed meat–dairy pattern and SMI (p for interaction = 0.032). Conclusions: Maternal pre-pregnancy dietary patterns were selectively associated with body composition in preschool children: the processed meat–dairy pattern was associated with higher fat mass, while the grain-vegetable-fruit and vegetable-legume patterns were associated with lower muscle indices. These associations are observational in nature and do not imply causality. In particular, the associations of plant-based dietary patterns with muscle indices should be interpreted with caution and should not be regarded as negative effects of plant-based diets. Full article

Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Senftenberg comprises a heterogeneous group of nontyphoidal Salmonella strains frequently detected in animal feed, feed ingredients, feed-manufacturing facilities, poultry production, and a wide range of foods. Genomic analyses indicate that S. Senftenberg is polyphyletic, comprising multiple genetically distinct evolutionary lineages and considerable phenotypic variation among isolates. Certain strains exhibit remarkable tolerance to heat, desiccation, and routine cleaning and disinfection procedures, facilitating their persistence in these environments and potentially contributing to transmission through the food chain. Human infections associated with S. Senftenberg range from self-limiting gastroenteritis to invasive disease, while some outbreak-associated isolates have demonstrated resistance to antimicrobials of particular importance in human medicine, adaptation to plant-derived antimicrobial compounds, and unusual virulence profiles. This review examines S. Senftenberg as an example of how adaptive traits can contribute to the persistence of Salmonella under environmental and selective pressures, with emphasis on its occurrence and persistence in poultry production and implications for food safety and public health. Full article

Oxidative stress, arising from an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant defenses, is a shared pathogenic mechanism underlying numerous chronic diseases in humans and, increasingly, in companion animals that consume structurally similar processed diets. This narrative review synthesizes current evidence on dietary and feed-derived sources of ROS, spanning intrinsic pro-oxidant systems in unprocessed foods (lipid hydroperoxides, heme iron, and polyphenol autoxidation) and heat processing-generated toxicants (advanced glycation end products, acrylamide, heterocyclic aromatic amines, and lipid oxidation products), and examines the molecular mechanisms that link these compounds to organ-specific and systemic disease, including receptor-mediated signaling, cytochrome P450 activation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and antioxidant depletion. Comparative analysis across humans, dogs, and cats reveals parallel disease burdens in metabolic syndrome, chronic kidney disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and cancer, alongside instructive species-specific divergences in atherosclerosis and neurodegenerative disease driven by differences in lipoprotein metabolism and toxicokinetics. The review further reassesses canonical dietary antioxidants, including polyphenols and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, as context-dependent redox modulators capable of both cytoprotective and pro-oxidant activity. Collectively, these findings position dietary and feed processing as an under-recognized, modifiable contributor to chronic disease across species. In this context, companion animals emerge as valuable naturalistic translational models for studying diet-induced oxidative pathology. Priority research needs include standardized dose–response and biomarker frameworks, characterization of gut microbiome-mediated effects, and assessment of combinatorial pro-oxidant exposures. Full article

Pomegranate is increasingly being recognized as a versatile source of bioactive compounds with antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and microbiota-modulating potential. Beyond the edible arils and juice, peel, seeds, leaves, flowers, and other agro-industrial by-products are rich in ellagitannins, particularly punicalagins, as well as ellagic acid, gallic acid, flavonoids, anthocyanins, fatty acids, and related phytochemicals. Their recovery depends strongly on plant fraction, cultivar, solvent, and extraction technology, including conventional hydroalcoholic extraction, ultrasound- and microwave-assisted processes, high-pressure treatments, and enzyme-assisted methods. Pomegranate-derived preparations exhibit activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, fungi, multidrug-resistant pathogens, and microbial biofilms, while selected compounds may enhance the efficacy of conventional antimicrobials. Emerging evidence also indicates bidirectional interactions with microbial communities, including microbial biotransformation of ellagitannins into urolithins and modulation of beneficial taxa and microbial metabolites. This narrative review integrates agronomic and phytochemical diversity, extraction and standardization strategies, mechanisms of antimicrobial action, synergistic interactions, microbiota-related effects, and applications in food preservation, biomedicine, animal nutrition, agriculture, and environmental sustainability. Key translational limitations include compositional variability, methodological heterogeneity, insufficient standardization, limited in vivo validation, and scarce evidence from realistic application models and clinical studies. Addressing these gaps is essential for developing safe, reproducible, and scalable pomegranate-derived preparations. Full article

Modern nutritional science places increasing emphasis not only on absolute nutrient content, but primarily on bioavailability and interactions with the food matrix. This paper presents a comprehensive comparison of the bioavailability of protein, vitamins (A, D, and B₁₂), and key minerals (iron, zinc, and calcium) from animal-source foods (ASF) and plant-based alternatives. Based on the literature indexed in the Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and ScienceDirect databases, this review assessed nutrient absorption and matrix effects, including both antinutritional factors and health-promoting compounds. The analysis shows that while ASF generally exhibit higher baseline bioavailability of several essential micronutrients and protein (measured by PDCAAS and DIAAS) due to the absence of phytates and oxalates, plant-based matrices offer distinct physiological benefits, including dietary fiber and phytonutrients. Moreover, the lower bioavailability in plant sources can be significantly improved through food processing techniques (e.g., fermentation, germination, thermal treatment) and strategic dietary combinations. Therefore, adequate nutrient intake depends not only on the food’s origin but also on its preparation methods and the overall dietary pattern. It is also important that the best diet is both nutritionally adequate and sustainable for the individual and the environment. Full article

Several global challenges are converging: rising organic solid waste generation, growing food demand, and increasingly unfavorable conditions for food production, including more frequent and severe droughts, water scarcity, and limited agricultural land for expansion. Bioconverting organic waste into alternative protein sources has emerged as a promising strategy to address waste management and feed production challenges simultaneously. This study presents a comprehensive systematic literature review on protein production through the bioconversion of residual biomass using the black soldier fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens). The BSF is a highly voracious organism during its larval stage and can substantially reduce organic waste volumes while converting them into biomass rich in proteins and lipids with high nutritional value for livestock and aquaculture feed formulations. The review examines Waste-to-Protein systems from three perspectives: technical, economic, and environmental. The technical perspective focuses on production system operations and substrate properties. The economic perspective addresses profitability indicators, capital and operating costs, economies of scale, and the economic performance of incorporating insect-derived protein into animal production systems. From an environmental perspective, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the predominant method for evaluating WtP-BSF systems. Among the systems assessed using LCA, 63% rely on crop-derived substrates for larval feeding. These substrates have intrinsic commercial value, and together with the environmental burdens associated with energy consumption during BSFL rearing, they may constrain the overall sustainability and profitability of WtP-BSF systems. By evaluating factors such as feed dosage, larval density, actual organic waste, and eco-efficiency metrics for livestock feed, opportunities for a circular economy could be developed in developing countries, helping to decrease dependence on landfills. Full article

Fermented beverages are increasingly recognized as promising vehicles for delivering probiotics and bioactive compounds; however, their functionality cannot be explained solely by microbial properties, as it is strongly shaped by interactions between the microorganism, the food matrix, and processing conditions. This review critically synthesizes evidence across fruit-, dairy-, and cereal-based fermented beverage systems, with particular attention to the fragmented and often difficult-to-compare nature of the available literature. Although Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii (S. boulardii) demonstrates notable tolerance to gastrointestinal and processing-related stresses and has been associated with immunomodulatory and gut-health benefits, the translation of these attributes into consistent beverage functionality remains highly matrix dependent. Evidence derived from in vitro, animal, and clinical studies suggests potential health benefits; however, differences in strains, fermentation conditions, beverage composition, and analytical approaches complicate direct comparisons and may partly explain the variability observed among reported outcomes. Beyond biological performance, important challenges remain regarding stability, ethanol production, sensory acceptance, safety considerations, and industrial implementation. Current evidence indicates that beverage composition and processing conditions are major determinants of S. boulardii performance and may partly explain the variability observed among studies. The review further highlights current knowledge gaps and identifies priorities for the development of next-generation functional beverages based on S. boulardii fermentation. Full article

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory peptides are promising bioactive components for developing blood pressure-regulating functional foods. Idesia polycarpa meal (IPM), an underutilized protein-rich byproduct from oil processing, is currently restricted to low-value applications such as animal feed, and systematic research on its ACE inhibitory peptides remains largely absent. This study hypothesized that controlled enzymatic hydrolysis of IPM protein could release novel ACE inhibitory peptide candidates with high activity. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) confirmed that ultrasonic treatment induced moderate conformational loosening of IPM protein, with thermal denaturation temperature decreasing from 162.20 °C to 158.79 °C, while the core secondary structure remained intact, thereby improving enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency. After sequential purification via ultrafiltration and gel filtration chromatography, the CP3-H3 fraction (molecular weight < 3 kDa) exhibited the highest ACE inhibitory rate of 95.39% at 1.0 mg/mL. Amino acid analysis showed that the active fraction contained 48.92% hydrophobic amino acids and 11.55% aromatic amino acids, which matched the structural requirements for potent ACE inhibition. Eight novel ACE inhibitory peptides were identified via LC-MS/MS combined with multi-round in silico screening, all of which were not recorded in the Database of Food-derived Bioactive Peptides (DFBP). Molecular docking analysis revealed that all eight peptides could stably bind to the active pocket of ACE, among which WDW showed the strongest binding affinity to PTGS2 with a binding free energy of −10.7 kcal/mol. Network pharmacology analysis demonstrated that these peptides exerted antihypertensive effects through synergistic regulation of 142 core blood pressure homeostasis-related targets and multiple key pathways. The core peptide WNWD was chemically synthesized and verified to have an ACE inhibitory IC₅₀ value of 3.529 mM. This study demonstrates that IPM is a promising food-derived source of ACE inhibitory peptides, and provides a theoretical basis for the high-value utilization of Idesia polycarpa processing byproducts. Full article

The use of biological control within an integrated pest management approach in stored food production is expected to increase, due to both the limitations of chemical methods and the rising focus on environmental sustainability. However, comprehensive biological control strategies for animal-derived products like meats, fish, and cheeses are still lacking. Dry-cured ham is an example of a preserved animal product that can be infested by various arthropods, such as Piophila casei (L.) (Diptera: Piophilidae), when stored. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of releasing the pupal parasitoids Pachycrepoideus vindemiae (Rondani) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) and Muscidifurax raptor Girault and Sanders (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) in controlling this dangerous fly in a ham production facility in Northern Italy. Data on total parasitism, emergence rates, sex ratio, and longevity were collected for M. raptor and P. vindemiae during the biological control experiments. It was found that both parasitoids could successfully parasitize pupae of P. casei in ham production, avoiding ham contamination. While the longevity and the sex ratio data did not show a significant difference between the two parasitoids, P. vindemiae demonstrated a significantly higher total parasitism and emergence rate, suggesting it as a more promising candidate under the conditions of this study. An assessment of the potential use of these parasitoids in a ham production facility is discussed. Full article

Fermentation is a longstanding preservation process used in meat manufacture to improve product stability, safety and sensory quality. Renewed interest in fermented meats has stimulated research into reformulation and processing strategies intended to address concerns associated with salt, nitrate, nitrite, smoke-derived contaminants and animal fat while maintaining effective fermentation and product quality. This narrative review critically examines current innovations in fermented meat manufacture, including the replacement or reduction of conventional preservatives, smoking alternatives, fat reformulation, functional starter cultures, probiotics, prebiotics and bacteriocins. Developments in non-thermal and accelerated processing, edible and active packaging, intelligent monitoring systems and emerging culture-development technologies are also considered. Evidence indicates that selected functional cultures and formulation strategies can support preservative reduction, microbial control, curing, oxidative stability and sensory development, although their effectiveness is strain-, product- and process-dependent. Several processing and packaging technologies offer additional possibilities for improving manufacturing efficiency, shelf-life management and product safety, but their validation in fermented meat systems varies considerably. Potential environmental benefits, including reduced refrigeration, shorter processing or extended shelf life, cannot be assumed to confer lower overall environmental impacts and require comparative assessment of energy use, material inputs, food-waste effects and life-cycle performance. Future development should therefore prioritise product-specific validation, integrated hurdle-system assessment, regulatory compliance, consumer acceptance and comparative environmental evaluation. Full article

Approximately 5–33% of the dates growing in Saudi Arabia are downgraded to low-quality fruit that either goes to waste or is used to make animal feed, which is considered a potential feedstock abundant in sugar. By a thorough comparative study, this study evaluated the up-cycling of low-quality Saudi dates (Wannana, Shagra, Sabbaka, Barhi, Saqai, Khalas and Sukkari) as fermentation substrates for xanthan gum production by Xanthomonas campestris. Pure glucose, pure sucrose, and a commercial standard were used as a baseline. The sole carbon source was date juice (≈12.5–17 °Brix) in a batch aerobic fermentation conducted at the standard conditions of temperature (30 °C), speed 180 rpm, and time (120 h). The xanthan gum was quantified and tested for its properties like functional groups (FTIR), color, thermal behavior (TGA and DSC), and rheology in the form of both steady- and dynamic-shear rheology. Xanthan gum was produced in the range 5.60–7.77 g L⁻¹ by the date-based substrates with Barhi (7.77 g L⁻¹) and Saqai (7.58 g L⁻¹) surpassing those of the glucose (6.68 g L⁻¹) and sucrose (6.23 g L⁻¹) controls. FTIR spectra of date-derived gums were almost identical to that of the commercial standard, indicating that their functional groups and the primary structure were very similar. In addition, the date-derived powders were darker and yellower (L* 61.09, 71.00; whiteness index 54.92, 63.34) than the commercial gum (L* 84.71; whiteness index 78.19). This is likely attributed to the presence of residue date pigmentation and products of Maillard and caramelization. Thermogravimetric analyses revealed that the breakdown of materials occurred in two stages, of which the char residue of the date-derived gums was much higher for those degraded at 500 °C (48.93, 54.05%) versus that of the commercial reference (33.49%), which is to be interpreted as a better ability of the former to resist thermal degradation. All solutions acted as pseudoplastic, shear-thinning liquids (flow behavior index n < 1); the consistency coefficient (K) rose with concentration and fell with temperature. The activation energy varied between 9.98 kJ mol⁻¹ (commercial) and 29.39 kJ mol⁻¹ (Saqai). Overall, low-quality Saudi dates can be considered a technically and economically viable, sustainable, and low-cost carbon substrate suitable for upcycling to produce xanthan gum, which is safe for use as a food additive. Full article