Search Results (167)

Background/Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate baseline health measurements among transitional housing residents (n = 29) participating in an 8-week pilot wellness intervention. Methods: Researchers measured anthropometrics, body composition, muscular strength, cardiovascular indicators, physical activity, diet quality, and health-related perceptions. Researchers analyzed data using descriptive statistics and conventional content analysis. Results: Most participants were male, White, and food insecure. Mean BMI (31.8 ± 8.6 kg/m²), waist-to-hip ratio (1.0 ± 0.1 males, 0.9 ± 0.1 females), body fat percentage (25.8 ± 6.1% males, 40.5 ± 9.4% females), blood pressure (131.8 ± 17.9/85.2 ± 13.3 mmHg), and daily step counts exceeded recommended levels. Absolute grip strength (77.1 ± 19.4 kg males, 53.0 ± 15.7 kg females) and perceived general health were below reference standards. The Healthy Eating Index-2020 score (39.7/100) indicated low diet quality. Common barriers to healthy eating were financial constraints (29.6%) and limited cooking/storage facilities (29.6%), as well as to exercise, physical impediments (14.8%). Conclusions: Residents living in transitional housing have less favorable body composition, diet, and grip strength measures, putting them at risk for negative health outcomes. Wellness interventions aimed at promoting improved health-related outcomes while addressing common barriers to proper diet and exercise among transitional housing residents are warranted. Full article

Tetragonia tetragonioides, or New Zealand spinach, is a widespread halophyte native to eastern Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, and naturalized in some Mediterranean regions. This underutilized vegetable is consumed for its leaves, raw or cooked. For the first time, we investigated the feasibility of using whole baby plants (including stems and leaves) as raw material for ready-to-eat (RTE) vegetable production. Our study assessed Tetragonia’s suitability for hydroponic cultivation over two cycles (autumn–winter and spring). We investigated the impact of increasing nutrient rates (only water, half-strength, and full-strength nutrient solutions) and plant densities (365, 497, and 615 plants m⁻² in the first trial and 615 and 947 plants m⁻² in the second) on baby plant production. We also analyzed the plants’ morphological and biochemical characteristics, and their viability for cold storage (21 days at 4 °C) as a minimally processed product. Tetragonia adapted well to hydroponic cultivation across both growing periods. Nevertheless, climatic conditions, plant density, and nutrient supply significantly influenced plant growth, yield, nutritional quality, and post-harvest storage. The highest plant density combined with the full-strength nutrient solution resulted in the highest yield, especially during spring (1.8 kg m⁻²), and favorable nutritional characteristics (β-carotene, Vitamin C, Fe, Cu, Mn, and Zn). Furthermore, Tetragonia baby plants proved suitable for minimal processing, maintaining good quality retention for a minimum of 14 days, thus resulting in a viable option for the RTE vegetable market. Full article

Meat quality is a critical determinant of consumer preference and economic value in the livestock industry. However, the relationship between carcass performance and meat quality remains poorly understood. In our study, we conducted an integrative analysis of transcriptomics and metabolomics to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying meat quality differences in Hu sheep with high (HHS, n = 10) and low (LHS, n = 10) carcass performance. Phenotypic analysis revealed that the HHS group exhibited superior meat quality traits, including higher intramuscular fat (IMF) content (reflected in elevated marbling scores), along with lower shear force, drip loss, and cooking loss, compared to the LHS group. Transcriptomic analysis identified 376 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) enriched in pathways linked to lipid metabolism, such as the PPAR signaling pathway and long-chain fatty acid metabolic process. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) revealed important modules and key genes (e.g., ELOVL6, PLIN1, and ARHGEF2) associated with meat quality traits. Metabolomic profiling identified 132 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs), with significant enrichment in amino acid metabolism pathways, including D-amino acid metabolism, arginine biosynthesis, and glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism. Integrative analysis of transcriptomic and metabolomic data highlighted six co-enriched pathways, such as the mTOR signaling pathway and amino acid metabolism, underscoring their role in regulating meat quality. These findings provide valuable insights into the genetic and metabolic networks driving meat quality variation and offer potential biomarkers for genetic selection and nutritional strategies to enhance both carcass yield and eating quality in Hu sheep. This research enhances knowledge of the molecular basis of meat quality and supports precision breeding in livestock production. Full article

As living standards rise, there has been a growing emphasis on quality traits related to rice’s taste potential. Recent studies explored correlations among quality traits, but the influence of major genes governing a specific quality trait on other quality traits remains elusive. Here, we report on the application of grain quality genes, two of Waxy (Wx) and Starch synthase II-a (SSIIa), which dominates in rice cooking and eating quality, and two grain length/width-related genes, grain size 3 (GS3) and grain width 7 (GW7), on appearance quality traits. Five allele-specific markers for these genes were developed, and used to stack the desirable alleles at these loci. The effects of individual or combined alleles at the loci were evaluated using a set of 156 rice germplasm. We found that the Wx-In1 (Intron 1) locus exerts a major effect in controlling both amylose content and gel consistency, while the SSIIa-Ex8 (Exon 8) locus primarily governs alkali spreading value. The impact on chalkiness-related traits follows the hierarchy of Wx-In1 > SSIIa-Ex8 > Wx-Ex10 (Exon 10). GS3-Ex2 (Exon 2) has a highly significant impact on chalkiness-related traits, and the GW7-Pro (Promoter) locus exerts a synergistic effect. The GS3-Ex2 locus exerts an effect in controlling both gel consistency and alkali spreading value, while the GW7-Pro locus governs amylose content. The data for newly developed allele-specific markers will facilitate the improvement of rice quality in rice. Full article

Starch is the primary component of the endosperm and plays a crucial role in rice quality. Although the enzymes involved in starch synthesis have been extensively studied, the transcription factors that regulate these enzymes remain largely unknown. Here, we identified a MYB family transcription factor, OsMYBR1, that regulates starch biosynthesis in rice. OsMYBR1 is highly expressed during endosperm development. Mutations of OsMYBR1 result in reduced grain thickness and a decrease in 1000-grain weight. The endosperm of osmybr1 mutants exhibit rounded and loosely packed starch granules, decreased amylose content, altered fine structure of amylopectin, and modified physicochemical properties. The analysis of RT-qPCR showed that the expression of several starch-synthesis enzyme-coding genes (SSEGs), including OsGBSSⅠ, OsAGPL1, OsAGPL2, OsBEⅡb, OsISA1, PHOL, and OsSSⅢa, is altered in osmybr1 mutants. Further experiments indicated that OsMYBR1 directly binds to the promoters of OsGBSSⅠ, OsAGPL1, OsAGPL2, OsISA1, OsBEⅡb, and PHOL, resulting in an increase in the expression of OsGBSSⅠ but a decrease in the expression of OsAGPL2, OsISA1, and OsSSⅢa. In contrast, OsMYBR1-overexpressing endosperm appears normal, with starch granule morphology, increased amylopectin content, and improved alkali spreading value, indicating enhanced rice eating and cooking quality (ECQ). These findings suggest that the overexpression of OsMYBR1 could be a promising strategy for improving rice ECQ. Full article

Background: Cooking skills represent an important yet often overlooked form of social and cultural capital, influencing dietary quality and health outcomes. As modern societies face growing challenges related to unhealthy eating patterns and a loss of traditional food practices, understanding the societal role of culinary competence becomes critical. This study explored the association between culinary skills, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and nutritional intake. Methods: Baseline data from 111 adults (60 women; mean age 47.6 ± 10.5 years) participating in the iMC SALT randomized controlled trial (Portugal) were analyzed. Culinary skills were assessed using the Cooking Skills Score, while the dietary intake was evaluated with a Food Frequency Questionnaire and adherence to the Mediterranean diet through the alternative Mediterranean Diet (aMED) Score. Food and beverage processing levels were categorized using the NOVA classification, and the sodium/potassium intake was measured via 24 h urinary excretion. Results: Women demonstrated better culinary skills (5.1 ± 0.9 vs. 4.0 ± 1.1, p < 0.001) and greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet (5.1 ± 1.9 vs. 3.8 ± 1.8, p = 0.001) than men. Better culinary skills were associated with younger age, larger households, and increased adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Culinary skills significantly explained 27.2% of the variance in the Mediterranean diet adherence. Better culinary skills were linked to a greater energy and protein intake; but a lower sodium and potassium intake. Conclusion: These findings highlight culinary skills as a key societal factor shaping dietary behavior and nutritional intake. Promoting culinary education may offer a powerful strategy to address dietary inequalities, support cultural food heritage, and foster healthier, more resilient societies. Full article

Quality and consumer satisfaction of meat products could be influenced by endpoint cooking temperatures. Attributes of pork, such as palatability, cooking loss, and internal color, influence consumer acceptability. The degree of doneness was evaluated on pork chop characteristics of texture, cooking loss, consumer acceptability, and electronic nose. Pork loin chops (N = 264) were allocated randomly to one of three endpoint degrees of doneness (63 °C, 71 °C, and 79 °C). Cooking pork chops to an internal temperature of 79 °C caused the cooked color to be darker (p < 0.0001) and less red (p = 0.0057). In addition, chops cooked to a 63 °C degree of doneness had greater moisture and lower shear force values (p < 0.0001). Consumer panel ratings of flavor profiles were greater for juiciness, texture, and tenderness (p < 0.0001) when chops were cooked to a 63 °C degree of doneness. Electronic nose analysis of the changes in cooked volatiles can impact the overall flavor and aroma profiles of pork loin chops. These findings conclude that cooking pork chops to an internal temperature of 63 °C improves the overall eating quality, acceptability, and cooking characteristics of pork loin chops. However, more information on the use of an optimal endpoint cooking temperature is needed to improve consumer awareness of pork chop quality. Full article

Supposing that polydextrose molecules could improve the hard texture of cooked rice based on intermolecular interactions and forming a hydrogel-like network structure, this study added polydextrose (moisture content 1%) at 0%, 3%, 5%, 7%, and 10% concentrations to rice (cv. Super Qianhao, SQ) milled from a 3-year-stored paddy and compared their cooking properties, their cooked rice texture, the pasting and thermal properties of their flours, the thermo-mechanical characteristics of their flour dough, and the microstructure of their cooked rice grains with a newly harvested japonica rice cv. Nanjing 5 (NJ5). With an increase in polydextrose addition, a General Linear Model (GLM) analysis showed that the cooking times of two japonica rice varieties was significantly (p < 0.05) reduced, and their gruel solid loss increased. Adding polydextrose significantly reduced the hardness, springiness, gumminess, and chewiness of cooked rice and increased the cohesiveness and resilience. By increasing polydextrose addition in rice flours, the peak, breakdown, and setback viscosities of pasting were significantly decreased, but the pasting temperature and peak time increased. Adding polydextrose reduced the gelatinization enthalpy and increased gelatinization peak temperature of the rice flour and significantly decreased the ageing of the retrograded rice flour paste stored at 4 °C when measured at 21 days. A Mixolab test showed that the stability time of the rice flour dough increased, and the protein weakening, gelatinization peak torque, and starch breakdown, as well as the starch setback and the speeds of heating, gelatinization, and enzymatic degradation all decreased. The addition of 5–10% polydextrose significantly reduced the amorphous and crystalline regions of starch and relative percent of β-sheet in cooked rice grains, with an increase in the relative percent of α-helix, random coil, and β-turn. Observing the microstructure, we confirmed that polydextrose addition facilitated the formation of a soft and evenly swollen honeycomb structure of the cooked rice. These results suggest that polydextrose might decrease the cooked rice hardness and improve the eating quality of sea rice through intermolecular interactions. Full article

Background/Objectives: Cooking skills refer to the confidence, attitude, and application of knowledge to perform culinary preparations. This study aimed to characterize the cooking skills and associated variables in undergraduates from public universities in northeast Brazil. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study, with data collected between October 2020 and March 2021. Undergraduates (n = 1203) from two federal institutions participated, the Federal University of Alagoas—UFAL, and the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte—UFRN, in northeast Brazil. The Brazilian Questionnaire for the Assessment of Cooking Skills and Healthy Eating was used to assess cooking skills. The questionnaire was sent to institutional e-mails and answered online. Results: Most students (63.6%) presented high cooking skills, 35.6% intermediate cooking skills, and 0.8% low cooking skills. Logistic regressions showed that students who declared not having learned to cook alone/internet/books/TV programs (AOR = 1.60; 95% CI = 1.175–2.17) were more likely to have low/intermediate cooking skills. The high availability and accessibility of fruits and vegetables (AOR = 0.29; 95% CI = 0.18–0.49) and the high knowledge of cooking terms and techniques were inversely associated with low/intermediate cooking skills (AOR = 0.42; 95% CI = 0.32–0.56). Gender, age, and time available for cooking were not associated with cooking skills. Conclusions: Most of the students analyzed presented high cooking skills, and factors such as the way they learned how to cook, the availability and accessibility of fruits and vegetables, and cooking knowledge were associated with their cooking skills. Given this, public policy measures aimed at the university students studied should provide instruction on food preparation, foster culinary knowledge, and encourage and favor the availability and accessibility of fruits and vegetables, positively impacting diet quality and health. Full article

Starch biosynthesis is crucial in determining rice quality during rice endosperm development. This study obtained a stable inheritable white-core endosperm mutant, h5, by treating the japonica rice variety Nipponbare with MNU (N-methyl-N-nitro-sourea). The mutated gene is an allele of OsAGPL2, which encodes the large subunit of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase), a key and rate-limiting enzyme in the rice starch biosynthesis pathway. A G-C mutation in the third exon of OsAGPL2 led to impaired starch synthesis, significantly reduced amylose content (AC) and gel consistency (GC), and a marked decrease in AGPase activity. The haplotype analysis revealed that an SNP in the 3′UTR and two SNPs in the 5′UTR of OsAGPL2 were associated with significant differences in AC and GC among rice resources. These SNPs can be utilized to design molecular markers for breeding programs to improve rice quality. This study elucidates the impact of OsAGPL2 on the eating and cooking quality of rice. It identifies superior haplotypes, providing a theoretical foundation and molecular markers for accumulating minor-effect genes to enhance rice quality. Full article

High quality stands as a pivotal competitive edge in the rice industry. Optimizing amylose content (AC) and the physicochemical properties of endosperm starch by regulating the Wx gene is crucial for enhancing rice grain quality. In this study, we created a novel Wx^b-d25 allele by deleting a 25 bp segment (−26 to −2) within the Wx core promoter using CRISPR/Cas9. Compared with the wild type and the previously reported Wx^b-i1, Wx^b-d25 exhibited no significant changes in agronomic traits. However, its grains displayed temperature-dependent variations in AC and altered transparency and viscosity characteristics, holding the potential to synergistically improve both the eating and cooking quality (ECQ) and appearance quality (AQ) of rice. Further studies demonstrated that this promoter modification, by partially disrupting the transcription initiator, significantly downregulated the original Wx-01 transcript and generated a novel Wx transcript (ONT.7395.1) in Wx^b-d25 grains. Despite its low expression abundance, the ONT.7395.1 transcript could be completely processed into mature Wx mRNA. The combined effects of the dual transcripts resulted in significantly increased Wx gene expression and AC in Wx^b-d25 grains under conventional cultivation conditions. These findings provide a genetic resource and a theoretical foundation for utilizing the Wx^b-d25 allele to improve rice grain quality. Full article

Background/Objectives: The transition to university life brings significant social, psychological, and environmental changes, making it a critical period for establishing long-term dietary habits. However, many Mexican university students fail to meet national dietary guidelines, increasing their risk of non-communicable diseases. This study examines the determinants of healthy eating among university students in Oaxaca using a holistic, multi-level approach grounded in the Social Ecological Model (SEM) and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). Methods: A mixed-methods approach was employed, integrating ethnography with a validated self-report questionnaire completed by 411 students at the Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca (UABJO). The ethnographic data included observations, field notes, photographs, informal conversations, and 13 semi-structured interviews. Data triangulation provided a comprehensive understanding of dietary behaviors by capturing both self-reported patterns and real-world eating practices and the food environment, as captured through ethnographic methods. The analysis included descriptive statistics, normality tests, and parametric tests to assess significant differences. Results: The findings revealed a decline in diet quality, characterized by low fruit and vegetable intake, high snack consumption, and irregular meal patterns, particularly among students living independently. Key barriers included academic stress, time constraints, low cooking self-efficacy, limited nutritional knowledge, peer pressure, and negative social norms, which contributed to reliance on convenient, processed foods. The lack of healthy food options on campus and the high perceived cost of nutritious food further led students to prioritize cheap, calorie-dense foods over healthier choices. Conversely, enablers included structured university schedules; peer support; hands-on culinary interventions; and improved access to affordable, healthy food. Conclusions: Addressing these barriers requires multi-level interventions that enhance nutrition literacy, cooking self-efficacy, and peer-led strategies while improving the campus food environment. Future research should explore SCT-based initiatives leveraging social networks and culinary education to foster sustainable dietary behavior change in university settings and assess how these findings can be applied in other socioeconomic and cultural contexts. Full article

Nanjing series japonica rice varieties developed by the Institute of Food Crops, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences in China have the characteristics of an excellent taste quality, high yield, and good resistance. They are widely promoted and applied in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River in China’s japonica rice planting areas. In response to the problem of the lack of coordination between nitrogen fertilizer management measures and variety characteristics in production, which makes it difficult to synergistically improve yield and quality, this study adopted a split-plot experimental design to study the effect of nitrogen fertilizer application on yield and rice quality of Nanjing series japonica rice varieties. In 2021, four nitrogen application rates of 0 (N₁), 150 (N₂), 300 (N₃), and 450 (N₄) kg hm⁻² (all pure nitrogen) were set up, and in 2022, four treatments of 120 (N₁), 180 (N₂), 240 (N₃), and 300 (N₄) kg hm⁻² were set up, all with nitrogen application rate as the main plot factor and variety as the sub-plot factor. The results showed that the differences between the different nitrogen fertilizer treatments were significant at the 5% or 1% level, except for the milled rice rate, head rice rate, peak viscosity, setback viscosity, and paste temperature in 2021 and panicle number, grain number per panicle, all Rapid Visco-analyzer (RVA) characteristic values, and amylose content in 2022. With an increase in the nitrogen application rate, the number of panicles, grain number per panicle, and yield increased. Either the rates of brown rice, milled rice, or head rice and chalky grains or chalkiness showed an increase trend. The peak viscosity, hot viscosity, final viscosity, and breakdown viscosity decreased, while the setback viscosity increased. For the quality of cooked rice, the hardness increased, appearance, viscosity, and balance decreased, protein content increased, and taste value decreased. The interaction between nitrogen application rate and variety was significant at p < 0.05 or p < 0.01 only for yield components, processing quality, and rice protein content in 2021 and for eating and cooking quality, appearance quality, and peak viscosity in 2022. Other traits were not significant. The comprehensive results from two years of experiments showed that, under the conditions of this experiment, a nitrogen application rate of 240–300 kg hm⁻² could improve the quality of rice in the Nanjing series varieties while maintaining a high yield. The results of this experiment have a guiding significance for the high-yield and high-quality cultivation of excellent-tasting Nanjing series japonica rice. Full article

Extrusion is a key process in the production of ready-to-eat snacks, with a wide processing capacity of non-conventional raw materials such as jackfruit seed flour and nixtamalized corn, which improves the nutritional profile of the snacks. This study aims to optimize the extrusion cooking parameters of extrusion temperature (ET), moisture content (MC), and the ratio of jackfruit seed flour in nixtamalized maize flour (JSF/NMF) to enhance the physicochemical properties of ready-to-eat extruded products. The process parameters and JSF/NMF were optimized using a Box–Behnken design and response surface methodology. JSF/NMF and ET were found to significantly (p < 0.05) affect specific mechanical energy (SME), the expansion index (EI), hardness (H), the water absorption index (WAI), the browning index (BI), and overall acceptance (OA). The optimal conditions were an ET of 145.15 °C, MC of 22 g/100 g, and JSF/NMF of 70 g/100 g, which led to an extrudate with an SME of 273.38 J/g, EI of 1.12, H of 58.75 N, WAI of 6.14 g/g, BI of 61.68, OA of 4.56, protein content of 12.10 g/100 g, and fiber content of 4.86 g/100 g. It was demonstrated that the use of jackfruit seed flour and nixtamalized maize flour as non-conventional flour in the preparation of ready-to-eat snacks through extrusion was feasible in a single-screw extruder, obtaining favorable results in quality parameters that characterize extruded snacks. Full article

The trend of global warming is becoming increasingly evident, with frequent extreme high-temperature events posing a severe challenge to food security. Rice (Oryza sativa L.), the world’s primary food crop, is highly susceptible to the adverse effects of high-temperature stress throughout its growth cycle. High temperatures, defined as ambient temperatures exceeding 35 °C during reproductive stages and 33 °C during vegetative stages, can impair seed germination, reduce tillering, disrupt pollination, and diminish grain quality. Notably, heat stress during the grain-filling stage accelerates grain maturation, leading to increased chalkiness, a higher degree of chalky formation, deteriorated cooking and eating quality, and decreased grain weight. To cope with high-temperature stress, rice activates a series of complex physiological and biochemical responses, including heat-related signaling pathways and transcriptional regulatory networks. Although some agronomic practices and genetic improvement methods have been developed to enhance rice’s heat tolerance, the regulatory mechanisms of rice’s response to high-temperature stress, especially the molecular mechanisms during the grain-filling stage, remain poorly understood. This review identifies knowledge gaps in understanding rice’s response mechanisms, emphasizing molecular pathways during the grain-filling stage and provides an outlook on future rice high-temperature defense measures. Full article