Search Results (45)

Curcumin is a polyphenolic compound isolated from Curcuma longa, which is widely recognized for its therapeutic properties: particularly its strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. However, its practical incorporation into functional foods, especially aqueous dairy beverages, is severely hindered by its extremely low water solubility, poor chemical stability (notably at the near-neutral pH of milk), and very limited oral bioavailability. This review provides a critical synthesis of the literature published in the last two decades, with a focus on the development and application of food-grade oil-in-water (O/W) nanoemulsions to advanced colloidal delivery systems. It covers the fundamental principles of nanoemulsion formulation, including the selection of the oil phase, surfactants, and stabilizers, as well as both high-energy and low-energy fabrication techniques. It further examines the integration of these nano-delivery systems into dairy matrices (milk, yogurt, cheese), highlighting key interactions between nanoemulsion droplets and native dairy constituents such as casein micelles and whey proteins. Critically, findings indicate that nanoencapsulation not only enhances curcumin’s solubility but also protects it from chemical degradation during industrial processes, including pasteurization and sterilization. Moreover, the dairy matrix structure plays a key role in modulating curcumin bioaccessibility, with fortified products frequently exhibiting enhanced stability, shelf life, and sensory attributes. Finally, key technological challenges addressed the heterogeneous global regulatory landscape surrounding biopolymers and future trends: most notably, the growing shift toward “clean-label” biopolymer-based delivery systems. Full article

Objective: This narrative review summarizes current evidence on the associations between ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption, childhood and adolescent obesity, and functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs), and examines the metabolic, inflammatory, microbial, and gut–brain mechanisms underlying these links. Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed and Scopus identified articles published between January 2010 and September 2025. Eligible studies included human research in individuals aged 0–18 years; adult studies were considered when contributing relevant mechanistic insights. Of 335 records screened, 112 studies met the inclusion criteria and were synthesized narratively according to methodological appropriateness. Results: High UPF intake was consistently associated with increased adiposity, metabolic dysregulation, and greater cardiometabolic risk in youth. Children with overweight or obesity showed a higher prevalence of FGIDs compared with their normal-weight peers. Mechanistic evidence suggests that UPFs, rich in refined carbohydrates, unhealthy fats, and additives, may promote gut microbiota dysbiosis, impair intestinal barrier integrity, alter motility, and induce low-grade inflammation, thereby disrupting gut–brain signaling and contributing to FGID symptoms. Early-life and maternal UPF exposure may further increase susceptibility to metabolic and gastrointestinal disturbances through epigenetic and microbiome-mediated pathways. Conclusions: UPFs emerge as a shared etiological factor for obesity and FGIDs in childhood. This review contributes an integrated synthesis of epidemiological and mechanistic data while highlighting key research gaps, particularly the need for standardized methodologies and pediatric interventional studies to strengthen the evidence base. Full article

Background/Objectives: Despite the growing popularity of fresh food for dogs, there is an extremely small amount of literature evaluating the potential health benefits of fresh food and reduced processing compared to traditionally processed shelf stable cans, extruded kibble, or other food formats. Additionally, aging dogs have been previously documented to have altered metabolism and nutritional needs compared to a healthy adult dog population, but these differences are not well defined. The objective of the study was to compare the effects of feeding a fresh, human-grade food versus a standard extruded kibble diet in a year-long longitudinal study on serum metabolomic profiles in senior dogs. Methods: Twenty-two healthy mixed-breed geriatric Alaskan sled dogs were age- and sex matched into two feeding groups. All dogs were fed the extruded diet (control) for a 4-month washout period prior to being transitioned into their respective treatment group. Group 1 continued to be fed the control diet, while Group 2 was transitioned to a fresh, human-grade food (treatment). Body weight and body condition were assessed monthly, and calorie intake was adjusted to maintain body weight. Individual serum samples were collected at day 0 and months 1, 3, 6, and 12. Metabolomic profiling of serum samples was performed by Metabolon, Inc. (Durham, NC, USA). Data was analyzed using two-way analysis of variance with repeated measures to determine treatment differences. Results: Dogs fed the treatment food had an increase in branched-chain amino acid metabolism, creatine, carnosine, anserine, fatty acid metabolism, long-chain n-3 fatty acids, lipolysis, and ketogenesis. The treatment group had decreased advanced glycation end products, fatty acid synthesis, and creatinine. Conclusions: This study is the first long-term feeding study evaluating serum metabolomics in dogs that demonstrates the dramatic and sustained impact that diet can have on canine metabolism. Full article

Chlorella species are classified as functional food, with great anticancer effects. Despite the huge popularity of Chlorella-based products, there is a lack of evidence showing their usefulness in the prevention and treatment of endometrial cancer. The study presented here aimed to enrich knowledge resources in this area. The chemopreventive effect of water extracts of Chlorella pyrenoidosa was investigated in human endometrial adenocarcinoma HEC-1-B, KLE and EDC cells using MTT, BrdU, LDH, Wound assays, Cell Death Detection ELISA and nuclear double staining. C. pyrenoidosa extract inhibited the metabolic activity, DNA synthesis and migratory capacity of endometrial cancer cells. Moreover, the extract eliminated cancer cells, causing damage to their cell membranes and inducing apoptosis. The cells most resistant to chlorella extract were EDC cells (low grade), while the best response to the treatment was noted in KLE cells (high grade). The performed study revealed the chemopreventive properties of C. pyrenoidosa extract based on inhibition of endometrial cancer cell viability, proliferation and migratory capacity, as well as induction of cytotoxicity and apoptosis. Collected data suggested enhancement of extract chemopreventive properties with increasing advancement and malignancy of cancer cells. Obtained results encourage future clinical research and detailed chemical evaluation to specify the extract’s phytochemical composition. Full article

As life expectancy increases, muscle atrophy, characterized by a decline in muscle mass and strength that can impair mobility, has become a growing concern, highlighting the potential of protein supplementation as a promising intervention strategy. A horse meat hydrolysate, with a molecular weight of less than 3 kDa, derived from m. biceps femoris and produced using the food-grade enzyme Alcalase^® (A4 < 3kDa) was evaluated for its efficacy in mitigating dexamethasone-induced muscle atrophy, a widely accepted model for studying catabolic muscle loss. Administered orally to C57BL/6 mice at dosages of 200 mg/kg or 500 mg/kg body weight for 35 days, A4 < 3kDa effectively countered the weight loss induced by dexamethasone in the whole body, quadriceps, tibialis anterior, and gastrocnemius muscles. Moreover, it increased muscle fiber cross-sectional area and grip strength. These effects were attributed to increased protein synthesis via the protein kinase B (AKT)/forkhead box O3 (FoxO3a)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. A4 < 3kDa augmented the phosphorylation of key components of the signaling pathways associated with muscle atrophy, resulting in reduced mRNA expression of Atrogin-1 and MuRF-1. These findings demonstrate the potential of A4 < 3kDa as a functional food ingredient for preventing muscle atrophy. Full article

Biflavonoids are a unique subclass of dietary polyphenolic compounds known for their diverse bioactivities. Despite these benefits, these biflavonoids remain largely underexplored due to their limited natural availability and harsh conditions required for their synthesis, which restricts broader research and application in functional foods and nutraceuticals. To address this gap, we synthesized a library of rare biflavonoids using a radical–nucleophile coupling reaction previously reported by our group. The food grade coupling reaction under weakly alkaline water at room temperature led to isolation of 28 heterocoupled biflavones from 11 monomers, namely 3′,4′-dihydroxyflavone, 5,3′,4′-trihydroxyflavone, 6,3′,4′-trihydroxyflavone, 7,3′,4′-trihydroxyflavone, diosmetin, chrysin, acacetin, genistein, biochanin A, and wogonin. The structures of the dimers are characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and high-resolution mass spectroscopy (HRMS). In addition, we evaluated the antioxidant potential of these biflavones using a DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging assay and the DPPH value ranges between 0.75 to 1.82 mM of Trolox/mM of sample across the 28 synthesized dimers. Additionally, a three-dimensional quantitative structure–activity relationship (3D-QSAR) analysis was conducted to identify structural features associated with enhanced antioxidant activity. The partial least squares (PLS) regression QSAR model showed acceptable r² = 0.936 and q² = 0.869. Additionally, the average local ionization energy (ALIE), electrostatic potential (ESP), Fukui index (F-), and electron density (ED) were determined to identify the key structural moiety that was capable of donating electrons to neutralize reactive oxygen species. Full article

Maize is a crucial food crop and industrial raw material, significantly contributing to national food security. Aphids are one of the most prevalent and destructive pests in maize production, necessitating the exploration of pest-resistant germplasm and the development of resistant varieties as the most fundamental and effective strategy for mitigating aphid-induced damage. This study established an aphid resistance evaluation system and identified 17 elite resistant inbred lines through multi-year screening. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) revealed 22 significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with aphid resistance, including genes involved in benzoxazinoid (Bx) biosynthesis (such as Bx2), insect resistance-related transcription factors (such as WRKY23), plant lectins, and other resistance pathways. RNA-seq analysis of the samples before and after aphid infestation detected 1037 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in response to aphid infestation, with KEGG enrichment highlighting benzoxazinoid biosynthesis and starch/sucrose metabolism as primary response pathways. Integrating GWAS and RNA-seq results revealed the presence of several benzoxazinoid synthesis-related genes on the short arm of chromosome 4 (Chr4S). FMqRrm1, a Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR (KASP) marker, was derived from the Chr4S region. We subsequently utilized this marker for marker-assisted selection (MAS) to introgress the Chr4S region from the aphid-resistant inbred line into two aphid-susceptible inbred lines. The results demonstrated that the Chr4S favorable allele significantly reduced aphid occurrence by 1.5 to 2.1 grades. This study provides a critical theoretical foundation and practical guidance for understanding the molecular mechanism of aphid resistance in maize and molecular breeding for aphid resistance. Full article

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is widely used in the food and beverage packaging sector due to its chemical and mechanical properties. Although PET is a fossil-based polymer, its recyclability significantly contributes to reducing the environmental impacts caused by excessive plastic consumption. However, the growing demand for post-consumer recycled PET (PET-PCR) food packaging has raised concerns about the efficiency of decontamination processes involved in recycling this material. This review initially addresses PET synthesis processes, highlighting injection stretch blow molding as the predominant technique for packaging production. It then discusses reverse logistics as a strategy to promote sustainability through the recovery of post-consumer packaging, such as plastic bottles. This review examines mechanical and chemical recycling methods used in PET-PCR production, food safety requirements including positive lists of permitted substances, contaminant migration limits, non-intentionally added substances (NIASs), and updated criteria for the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) of food-grade PET-PCR resins. Finally, the review explores future prospects for using PET-PCR in the food and beverage packaging sector, assessing its environmental impacts and potential technological advancements to enhance its sustainability and safety. Full article

Nuclease P1 (NP1) is critical for producing 5′-nucleotides, which are essential flavor enhancers in the food industry. Traditional use of free NP1 is hampered by poor reusability, high costs, and potential residual enzyme protein contamination, compromising product quality. This study introduces a novel immobilization technique using a cross-linking approach with food-grade ion exchange resin AER1 to create NP1@AER1-GA. This method achieves an enzyme activity of 51,015 U/g, with a notable immobilization yield of 67.7%. The immobilized NP1@AER1-GA exhibits significantly enhanced stability and catalytic efficiency while ensuring industrial compatibility and maintaining stringent safety standards. Under optimized conditions, NP1@AER1-GA demonstrates exceptional performance in 5′-nucleotide production, retaining approximately 85% of its initial activity after 10 cycles of reuse. This breakthrough not only boosts the efficiency and sustainability of nucleotide synthesis but also offers a scalable solution for industrial applications, promoting sustainable manufacturing practices within the food industry. By addressing key challenges associated with traditional enzymatic methods, this immobilization technique sets a new benchmark for biocatalyst design in the food processing industry. Full article

Myoglobin (MG) is a heme-binding protein and can be used as a color and flavor additive for artificial meat. After the selection of stable constitutive expression, although the synthesis of porcine myoglobin (pMG) was achieved through the application of a modified GAP promoter (G1 promoter) in Komagataella phaffii, the lower titer of pMG cannot meet the requirements of commercial production. Herein, another powerful constitutive promoter (GCW14 promoter) was chosen and modified through randomizing its core region for the first time, leading to an increase of 1.18 to 6.01 times in strength. In addition, under the control of a mutated P_GCW14 promoter (P_GCWm-121), the titer of pMG was further enhanced by optimizing the integrated copy numbers of the pMG gene and knocking out the Yps1-1 protease. Applying the best engineered strain and suitable fermentation conditions, the highest titer of pMG (547.59 mg/L) was achieved in fed-batch fermentation using a cheap and chemically synthesized medium. Furthermore, the obtained pMG had similar peroxide-specific activity (427.50 U/mg) with the extracted natural product after the food-grade purification. The applied strategy can be utilized to synthesize other high value-added hemoproteins, enriching the applications of functional components in the field of artificial meat. Full article

Vibrio alginolyticus frequently breaks out in aquatic animal breeding operations involving shrimp, and it can endanger human health through food and wound infections. The antibacterial effect and mechanism of fermented pomegranate peel polyphenols (FPPPs) on V. alginolyticus were investigated. The results indicated that FPPPs had a strong inhibitory effect on the growth of V. alginolyticus, and their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were 2 and 4 mg/mL. FPPPs significantly reduced biofilm formation and biofilm metabolic activity in V. alginolyticus, down-regulated the expression levels of lafA, lafK, fliS and flaK genes involved in flagellar synthesis and inhibited swimming and swarming motility (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, under the treatment of FPPPs, the activities of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in V. alginolyticus were significantly reduced, and the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and extracellular malondialdehyde (MDA) were significantly increased (p < 0.05). FPPPs also resulted in a significant increase in alkaline phosphatase (AKP) activity, protein and nucleic acid content, as well as conductivity from V. alginolyticus cultures. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images further revealed that V. alginolyticus treated with FPPPs showed leakage of intracellular substances, abnormal cell morphology and damage to cell walls and cell membranes, with the severity of the damage in a clear dose-dependent manner. Therefore, FPPPs can be used as a promising food-grade antibacterial agent, notably in seafood to control V. alginolyticus. Full article

Background/Objectives: Low quality diets are a risk factor for non-communicable diseases; therefore, improving diet quality is a public health and policy priority in the UK and elsewhere. Reformulating food/beverage products to make them healthier may be an effective approach. Evidence suggests that fiscal interventions, notably taxes/levies on soft drinks, can lead to reformulation but the evidence for voluntary or mandated non-fiscal interventions is less clear. We aimed to review and synthesise contemporary evidence to determine whether non-fiscal policies/interventions result in the reformulation of food/beverage products Methods: In April 2023, we systematically searched ten international academic and nine grey literature databases. We included real-world study designs, all nutrients, in- and out-of-home sectors, and studies published from 2013, to ensure policy relevancy. We excluded modelling studies. Using the Synthesis Without Meta-Analysis method we conducted vote counting of studies based on the direction of effect and narrative synthesis by intervention type. Risk of bias was assessed using a tool developed by the EPPI-Centre and quality was assessed using GRADE. Results: We included 77 real-world studies from 19 countries, reporting 100 non-fiscal policies/interventions. Most commonly, these were reduction targets (n = 44), front-of-pack labels (n = 23), and advertising standards (n = 9). Most interventions were voluntary (n = 67), compared to mandatory (n = 33), and focused on the in-home sector (n = 63). The vote counting results showed non-fiscal policies/interventions overall led to improvements in reformulation in 60/63 studies with a valid direction of effect (95%, 95% CI 0.869, 0.984, p < 0.001). Mandatory implementations were more successful than voluntary implementations with 15/15 showing an improvement (100%, 95% CI 0.796, 1], p < 0.001), compared 40/43 showing an improvement (93%, 95% CI 0.814, 0.976, p < 0.001). Most of the studies were of low quality, due to the observational nature of the studies. Sodium was the most commonly targeted nutrient (n = 56) and was found to be reformulated in most studies. Causation is difficult to establish from real-world studies, but evidence suggests that regulatory and multi-component strategies may be effective at driving reformulation. Conclusions: Non-fiscal policies/interventions can play an important role in driving reformulation, alongside fiscal measures. This work was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research PRP-PRU-02-15-Healthy Weight and registered on Open Science Framework. Full article

The green synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) offers an alternative to chemical procedures, which can be harmful to human health due to exposure to hazardous substances and harsh synthesis conditions. The following work synthesized titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) using a green synthesis method. As a precursor, food-grade TiO₂ was used with blueberry extract. This approach makes the process safer, cheaper, and simpler, requiring minimal effort to achieve effective TiO₂ NP synthesis. The TiO₂ NP characterization was performed by solid-state techniques, such as Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). According to the XRD diffractograms, TiO₂ NPs were obtained in the anatase phase with incidence peaks of 25.28 (101). TEM confirmed their pseudo-spherical shape with an average size of 170 nm. The 3.2 eV bandgap of TiO₂ NPs enables UV absorption, making them ideal for efficient photocatalytic degradation under sunlight. On the other hand, the photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ NPs was examined using malachite green (MG) dye as a pollutant model under direct sunlight. After 30 min, a degradation of 94% was achieved. The kinetic analysis identified parabolic diffusion and modified-Freundlich kinetics as primary mechanisms, emphasizing diffusion and adsorption in electron transfer. The main reactive oxygen species (ROS) involved in the photodegradation of MG dye were h⁺ and OH^•. Full article

This study aimed to isolate and purify resveratrol and oxyresveratrol from the heartwoods of Maclura cochinchinensis, and to evaluate their inhibitory effects on melanogenesis in B16F10 murine melanoma cells. A methanol maceration process yielded a crude extract comprising 24.86% of the initial mass, which was subsequently analyzed through HPTLC, HPLC, and LC-MS/MS. These analyses revealed the presence of resveratrol and oxyresveratrol at concentrations of 4.32 mg/g and 33.6 mg/g in the extract, respectively. Initial purification employing food-grade silica gel column chromatography separated the extract into two fractions: FA, exhibiting potent inhibition of both tyrosinase activity and melanogenesis, and FM, showing no such inhibitory activity. Further purification processes led to the isolation of fractions Y11 and Gn12 with enhanced concentrations of resveratrol (94.9 and 110.21 mg/g, respectively) and fractions Gn15 and Gn16 with elevated levels of oxyresveratrol (321.93 and 274.59 mg/g, respectively), all of which significantly reduced melanin synthesis. These outcomes affirm the substantial presence of resveratrol and oxyresveratrol in the heartwood of M. cochinchinensis, indicating their promising role as natural agents for skin lightening. Full article

Bamboo shoots are considered as a healthy food and are popular in Asian cooking. The distribution of nutrients and their dynamics during the growth of bamboo shoots play a crucial role in guiding the harvesting and processing of bamboo shoots. In this study, Dendrocalamus brandisii (Munro) Kurz, an important bamboo species for harvesting fine edible shoots in southern China and Southeast Asia, was used to measure several indicators related to the edibility and nutritional value of fresh shoots across five height grades (H1: 20~30 cm; H2: 31~40 cm; H3: 41~50 cm; H4: 51~60 cm; and H5: 61~70 cm). The results indicated that, although the nutrient and mineral elements showed an increasing (crude fiber content, CFC), decreasing (total soluble sugars content, TSSC; ash content, AC; Fe; Zn), or fluctuating (soluble protein content, SPC; P; K; Ca) pattern with the growth of bamboo shoots, both the CFC and TSSC showed the highest values in the lower part at five growth heights, indicating that carbohydrates were mainly enriched in the bases of bamboo shoots. The SPC, AC, and other mineral elements were higher in the upper part, especially in H1–H3. Combined with the relatively high activity of metabolic enzymes (sucrose-phosphate synthase, SPS; neutral invertase, NI) in the upper part of bamboo shoots (although not statistically significant), it can be inferred that the shoot tip may be the main tissue for early nutrient synthesis and metabolism. Compared with the shoot height, different parts of a D. brandisii bamboo shoot are more indicative of its nutrient properties. Although all heights of bamboo shoots showed an abundance of nutrients and mineral elements, bamboo shoots with a height of less than 40 cm had a higher TSSC, AC, Fe, and Zn, and a lower CFC, thus having a better balance between nutrients and edibility. Full article