Search Results (150)

Rice wine, as a traditional fermented beverage, has its quality and flavor influenced by a combination of multiple factors. This review provides an overview of the key aspects of rice wine production, including raw material selection and processing, the regulation of quality by brewing techniques, the mechanisms of microbial community interaction during fermentation, and the types and formation mechanisms of major compounds in rice wine (including flavor compounds and non-volatile components). The study highlights that different raw materials and processing methods significantly impact the fundamental flavor profile of rice wine, while fermentation conditions and dynamic changes in microbial communities determine its flavor complexity and stability. Additionally, this review examines various factors affecting the quality and flavor of rice wine, such as fermentation environment, microbial metabolism, and control of harmful substances, and summarizes modern research and technological advancements, emphasizing the potential of digital and intelligent technologies in enhancing the quality and safety of rice wine. Finally, future research directions are proposed to promote modernization and quality improvement of the rice wine industry. Full article

With the development of various new types of instrumental aroma sensing technologies, there is a need for methodologies that help developers and users evaluate the performance of the different devices. This study introduces a simple method that uses standard coffee beverages, reproducible worldwide, thus allowing users to compare aroma sensing devices and technologies globally. Eight different variations of commercial coffee capsules were used to brew espresso coffees (40 mL), consisting of either Arabica coffee or a blend of Robusta and Arabica coffee, covering a wide range of sensory attributes. The AlphaMOS Astree electronic tongue (equipped with sensors based on chemically modified field-effect transistor technology) and the AlphaMOS Heracles NEO and the Volatile Scout3 electronic noses (both using separation technology based on gas chromatography) were used to describe the taste and odor profiles of the freshly brewed coffee samples and also to compare them to the various sensory characteristics declared on the original packaging, such as intensity, roasting, acidity, bitterness, and body. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) results showed that these technologies were able to classify the samples similarly to the pattern of the coffees based on the human sensory characteristics. In general, the arrangement of the different coffee types in the LDA results—i.e., the similarities and dissimilarities in the types based on their taste or smell—was the same in the case of the Astree electronic tongue and the Heracles electronic nose, while slightly different arrangements were found for the Scout3 electronic nose. The results of the Astree electronic tongue and those of the Heracles electronic nose showed the taste and smell profiles of the decaffeinated coffees to be different from their caffeinated counterparts. The Heracles and Scout3 electronic noses provided high accuracies in classifying the samples based on their odor into the sensory classes presented on the coffee capsules’ packaging. Despite the technological differences in the investigated devices, the introduced coffee test could assess the similarities in the taste and odor profiling capacities of the aroma fingerprinting technologies. Since the coffee capsules used for the test can be purchased all over the world in the same quality, these coffees can be used as global standard samples during the comparison of different devices applying different measurement technologies. The test can be used to evaluate instrumentational and data analytical developments worldwide and to assess the potential of novel, cost-effective, accurate, and rapid solutions for quality assessments in the food and beverage industry. Full article

Beer production produces significant amounts of brewers’ spent grain (BSG), a lignocellulosic by-product with important environmental and economic impacts. Despite its high moisture content and rapid microbial breakdown, BSG has a stable, nutrient-rich composition, especially high in protein, fiber, and polyphenolic compounds. While its perishability limits direct use in food systems, BSG is often repurposed as livestock feed. Recent advances in bioprocessing and extraction technologies have expanded their use across different sectors. This review explores the composition of crude BSG and evaluates innovative valorization methods, including recovering bioactive compounds with pharmaceutical and nutraceutical value, and converting them into biofuels such as biogas, biodiesel, and bioethanol. Special focus is given to methods involving enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentation, and chemical extraction to isolate proteins, peptides, amino acids, sugars, and polyphenols. By analyzing emerging applications and industrial scalability challenges, this review highlights BSG’s growing role within circular economy models and its potential to promote sustainable innovations in both the brewing industry and the wider bioeconomy. Full article

Yeast genetic improvement is entering a transformative phase, driven by the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), big data analytics, and synthetic microbial communities with conventional methods such as sexual breeding and random mutagenesis. These advancements have substantially expanded the potential for innovative re-engineering of yeast, ranging from single-strain cultures to complex polymicrobial consortia. This review compares traditional genetic manipulation techniques with cutting-edge approaches, highlighting recent breakthroughs in their application to beer and wine fermentation. Among the innovative strategies, adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) stands out as a non-GMO method capable of rewiring complex fitness-related phenotypes through iterative selection. In contrast, GMO-based synthetic biology approaches, including the most recent developments in CRISPR/Cas9 technologies, enable efficient and scalable genome editing, including multiplexed modifications. These innovations are expected to accelerate product development, reduce costs, and enhance the environmental sustainability of brewing and winemaking. However, despite their technological potential, GMO-based strategies continue to face significant regulatory and market challenges, which limit their widespread adoption in the fermentation industry. Full article

Distillers grains are the main by-products of the brewing industry, with a large output but a low degree of resource utilization. Exploring more efficient comprehensive utilization technologies for distillers grains is of great significance for increasing the added value of the brewing industry. This study took Moutai distillers grains as the research object, and the ultrasonic-assisted extraction process of crude flavonoids from distillers grains was first optimized. On this basis, the in vitro antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of the crude flavonoid extract were further explored. The results show that the optimal process parameters for ultrasonic-assisted extraction of crude flavonoids were an ethanol concentration of 95%, liquid-to-solid ratio of 26 mL/g, and ultrasonic time of 36 min (with a fixed ultrasonic power of 500 W). Under such conditions, the yield of crude flavonoid extract from Moutai distillers grains was 25.39% ± 5.05%. In vitro antioxidant results showed that 2 mg/mL of crude flavonoid extract had good DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging activities (78.17% and 75.21%, respectively). In vitro anti-inflammatory results showed that 0.5% crude flavonoid extract (the survival rate of HaCaT cells treated with this concentration was greater than 80%) significantly reduced the secretion of the inflammatory factors IL-6 and IL-1β induced by TNF-α and IFN-γ. In summary, this study showed that Moutai distillers grains may provide easily accessible and inexpensive raw materials for the functional food and cosmetic industries. Full article

Immunocompromise is a growing health concern, and food-derived immunomodulators are expected to serve as a valuable supplement to traditional drug therapies. Ovalbumin peptide (OP) was employed as a stabilizer to prepare OP–selenium nanoparticles (OP-SeNPs), which showed immunomodulatory effects in vitro; however, the effects and underlying mechanisms in vivo were not yet fully understood. This study investigated the immunomodulatory activity of OP-SeNPs in cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced immunosuppressed mice on immune organs, molecules, and cells, with the underlying mechanism explored by transcriptomic and proteomic studies. The results demonstrated that OP-SeNPs alleviated tissue damage in the spleen and thymus, improved the immunosuppressive state by promoting the secretion of cytokines (IL-1β, IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-6), immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, IgM, and sIgA), and promoting the proliferation of splenic lymphocytes. PI3K-Akt, Rap1, p53, PPAR, and Hippo signaling pathways formed an important regulatory network that synergistically influenced immune modulation. OP-SeNPs are potential food-derived immunomodulators, setting the stage for deep exploration of the mechanisms driving their immunomodulatory effects. Full article

Cereal vinegar represents a significant traditional vinegar in China. This paper conducts an in-depth exploration, drawing on literature and research, into the raw materials, brewing processes, and flavor profiles of cereal vinegars, including wheat vinegar, sorghum vinegar, and rice vinegar. The research on key flavor compounds focused on organic acids, amino acids, and volatile flavor compounds. This paper revealed their types, variations in content, and specific contributions to the flavor profiles. Different types of vinegar exhibit characteristic volatile flavor compounds. The effects of key factors, including raw materials, fermentation processes, environments, and starters, on cereal vinegar flavor were further examined. The key mechanisms underlying flavor formation were investigated using multi-omics technology. Current research on the flavor formation mechanisms of cereal vinegar remains inadequate, and product diversity lags behind fruit vinegar categories. Given rising consumer emphasis on food health, significant opportunity exists to explore cereal vinegar’s health properties and develop novel functional varieties. This study aims to provide a theoretical foundation for enhancing cereal vinegar quality, fostering product innovation, exploring its flavor and health value, and advancing the preservation and innovation of traditional Chinese cereal vinegar. Full article

Lactate is a valuable compound used in food, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries. High-value, optically pure L- or D-lactate can be synthesized microbially via specific dehydrogenases. The non-conventional yeast Scheffersomyces stipitis, which is known for fermenting both hexoses and pentoses, is a promising host for biochemical production from lignocellulosic biomass but does not naturally produce lactate. In this study, we engineered S. stipitis to produce lactate by expressing two codon-optimized bacterial L-lactate dehydrogenase genes under the control of strong native promoters. The engineered strain produced 7.42 g/L (0.46 g/g yield) and 11.67 g/L (0.58 g/g yield) lactate from glucose and xylose, respectively. The highest titer, 19.27 g/L (0.52 g/g yield), was achieved from 50 g/L xylose after 74 h. Increasing the fermentation temperature from 28 °C to 32 °C improved yield by 30%, while a neutralizing agent further enhanced yield by 25% and prevented lactate degradation following carbon depletion. Although the wildtype strain produced a significant amount of ethanol on both glucose and xylose, the engineered strain produced ethanol as a side product exclusively on glucose and not on xylose. This phenomenon could be advantageous for biotechnological applications and may reflect shifts in gene expression depending on the carbon source or even on the presence of lactate. Full article

Lager beer has the characteristics of a refreshing aroma, clean and less intense taste, as well as a low alcohol degree, which is suitable for daily drinking. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between important flavor compounds and flavor profiles for lager beer. Headspace solid-phase microextraction, solvent-assisted flavor evaporation combined with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, and gas chromatography-olfactometry–mass spectrometry were applied for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the trace components in lager beer. Furthermore, the recombination experiment was successfully applied to simulate the flavor profile, and the omission experiment was conducted to study the effects of flavor compounds on the flavor profile. A total of nine compounds were identified as the key flavor compounds, and their contribution to the flavor characteristics of lager beer was verified according to validation experiments. It was found that the influence of the key flavor compounds on the sensory attributes such as malty aroma, fruity aroma, sweetness, and bitterness varied with their concentration. These findings might provide ideas for the research regarding the flavor compounds and flavor profile of lager beer, and contribute to the development of different types of beer in the future. Full article

The brewing sector is under increasing pressure to implement sustainable practices, particularly by integrating agro-industrial waste into its value chains. This study explores the potential of mango (Mangifera indica L.) residues as functional and sustainable ingredients within Brazil’s craft beer industry. A qualitative and exploratory methodology was employed, based on a literature review and political, economic, social, and technological (PEST) and strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analyses, to assess both the external and internal factors influencing the reuse of mango waste. The results highlight the environmental advantages and opportunities for value creation, especially in alignment with circular economy principles. Moreover, growing consumer interest in innovative and sustainable products presents an opportunity for market differentiation. Nonetheless, barriers such as limited infrastructure, cost-related challenges, regulatory constraints, and logistical limitations remain. By bridging sustainability, innovation, and waste minimization, this research offers strategic insights for stakeholders aiming to develop more resilient and responsible production chains. The valorization of mango waste contributes meaningfully to the Sustainable Development Goals—particularly SDGs 8, 9, and 12. Full article

This paper explores the broad probiotic and functional properties of two non-Saccharomyces strains (MI120 and MI125) and one Saccharomyces cerevisiae BB06 strain (as a reference probiotic). Torulaspora delbrueckii MI120 and Starmerella bacillaris MI125 were identified via 5.8S rDNA sequencing. All the strains survived well in simulated gastrointestinal conditions and had strong antioxidant activity (>68%). S. bacillaris MI125 excelled in antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. S. bacillaris MI125 and Sacch. cerevisiae BB06 resisted all the tested antibiotics. No strain displayed hemolytic behavior. The freeze-dried yeast strains achieved survival rates between 76.62% and 93.38%. Based on our physiological characterization analysis (carbon assimilation, ethanol tolerance, acetic acid and H₂S production, temperature and low pH tolerance, enzymatic pattern, and killer phenotype), all the strains showed interesting attributes, with Sacch. cerevisiae BB06 fermenting vigorously in malt extract medium. Beer fermented with T. delbrueckii MI120 had the highest phenolic content (96.02 μg GAE·mL⁻¹) and antioxidant activity (90.43%), matching commercial Sacch. cerevisiae US-05 in sensory traits such as taste and aroma. However, after two months in bottled beer, the yeast viability decreased to 2–3 log CFU·mL⁻¹. The pilot brewing and the assessments of the strains’ technological, physico-chemical, and sensorial properties confirmed their suitability for industrial brewing. Overall, T. delbrueckii MI120 emerges as a promising brewing strain, and S. bacillaris MI125 is a potential probiotic. Full article

Microbial interactions are essential for maintaining the stability and functionality of microbiota in fermented foods. In this study, representative strains of predominant lactic acid bacteria and acetic acid bacteria in Sichuan bran vinegar were selected, and their interactions in a simulated solid-state fermentation system were investigated. The results reveal that the biomass of A. pasteurianus LA10 significantly increased in both the co-culture and the pure culture, whereas the biomass of L. amylovorus LL34 in the co-culture (6.44 ± 0.30 lg CFU/g) was significantly lower than that in the pure culture (7.28 ± 0.30 lg CFU/g) (p < 0.05), indicating a partially harmful symbiosis between these two strains. The metabolic analysis shows that total acid (21.82 mg/g) and acetic acid (9.53 mg/g) contents in the co-culture were lower than those in the pure culture of LA10, suggesting that LL34 inhibited the acid-producing activity of LA10 to some extent. The interaction between the two bacteria also influenced the production of volatile compounds and non-volatile compounds, as revealed by GC-MS and untargeted UHPLC-MS/MS, respectively. Significant enrichment of acid and amino acid metabolism pathways was observed in the co-culture, revealing the impact of bacterial interactions on flavor development. This study provides valuable insights into the advancement of vinegar brewing technology. Full article

The rising prevalence of hyperuricemia and gout, driven by dietary purine intake, has intensified demand for healthier alcoholic beverages. Beer, a major contributor to exogenous purines, poses significant health risks despite its cultural and economic importance. This review systematically analyzes purine sources in beer, metabolic pathways leading to uric acid production, and cutting-edge strategies for purine reduction. We evaluate physical adsorption, enzymatic degradation, microbial fermentation, and yeast metabolic engineering, highlighting their efficacy and limitations in industrial applications. Challenges such as flavor preservation, regulatory compliance, and scalability are critically discussed. By integrating multidisciplinary approaches ranging from synthetic biology to process optimization, this work provides a roadmap for developing commercially viable low-purine beers, bridging the gap between public health priorities and brewing industry innovation. Full article

Background: Post-production storage plays a pivotal role in developing the characteristic flavor profile of Baijiu, a traditional alcoholic beverage in China. While aging markers remain crucial for quality authentication, the identification of reliable metabolic indicators for chronological determination requires further exploration. Methods: This study establishes a novel liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methodology for quantifying five linoleic acid-derived oxidative metabolites in Baijiu: 9,12,13-trihydroxy-10(E)-octadecenoic acid (9,12,13-TriHOME), 9,10-Dihydroxy-12-octadecenoic acid (9,10-DiHOME), 9-oxo-(10E,12Z)-octadecadienoic acid (9-OxoODE), 9-hydroxy-(10E,12Z)-octadecadienoic acid (9-HODE) and 13-hydroxyoctadeca-(9Z,11E)-octadecadienoic acid (13-HODE). Results: The optimized protocol demonstrated exceptional sensitivity with limits of detection at 0.4 ppb through membrane-filtered direct dilution. Calibration curves exhibited excellent linearity (R² > 0.9990) across 1.0–100.0 ppb ranges. Method validation revealed satisfactory recovery rates (87.25–119.44%) at three spiking levels (10/20/50 ppb) with precision below 6.96% RSD. Application to authentic samples showed distinct temporal accumulation patterns. Light-aroma Baijiu exhibited storage duration-dependent increases in all five oxides. Strong aroma variants demonstrated significant positive correlations for 9,12,13-TriHOME, 9,10-DiHOME, and 9-OxoODE with aging time. Conclusions: These findings systematically characterize linoleic acid oxidation products as potential aging markers, providing both methodological advancements and new insights into Baijiu aging mechanisms. Full article

The use of autochthonous yeast strains from viticultural environments represents a novel approach in the brewing industry. Probiotic-fermented beers have generated growing interest as they combine traditional brewing with the increasing demand for health-oriented functional beverages. The application of mathematical modeling to fermentation kinetics becomes a crucial tool to adequately describe and subsequently improve the performance of functional beer fermentation. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae PB101 autochthonous yeast from San Juan (Argentina) was previously selected for its probiotic potential and its exceptional technological traits in beer wort production. It was subsequently used to ferment a Kölsch-style brewer’s wort in order to evaluate both its probiotic potential and its resistance to the human digestive system. The results showed a survival percentage of 73.49 ± 0.54 and 80.17 ± 3.73 in fermentations conducted in 2024 and 2025, respectively. These fermentation assays were used to explore kinetic microbial growth, ethanol production, and critical fermentation parameters. Traditional modeling approaches often fail to adequately capture the intricacies of probiotic fermentations, particularly lag phases associated with microbial adaptation and metabolite biosynthesis. To address these limitations, this study develops an innovative and simple modeling system for modeling probiotic beer fermentation by incorporating two state variables: total and dead cells. The dynamics of these two variables were modeled using either a First Order Plus Dead Time model or a logistic growth model. Furthermore, the modified Luedeking–Piret model was used to study the delay time that exists between the production of viable cells and ethanol. The proposed models demonstrate enhanced predictive accuracy and dependability, providing a solid foundation for optimizing fermentation processes and advancing the development of functional beverages with exceptional probiotic properties. Full article