Search Results (41,299)

As global demand grows for natural health-promoting food ingredients, the agri-food industry’s organic wastes are emerging as promising alternatives thanks to attributes such as biocompatibility, nutritional value and nutraceutical effect. During saffron (Crocus sativus L.) production, approximately 53 kg of petals are obtained as a by-product for every 1 kg of saffron spice. The use of saffron petals and petal extracts in bakery products improves products’ shelf life due to the petals’ high content of nutraceuticals and minerals acting as natural preservatives. Petal-enriched bakery products contain high levels of fiber, minerals and antioxidants. Addition of saffron petals into bread dough reduces gluten network strength, increases crumb hardness, enhances acidity, improves water retention, alters color profiles and increases the duration of the shelf life. The formulation for incorporating saffron petals or petal extracts into food products must address three primary criteria: the maximum concentration of bioactive compounds per 100 g of the finished matrix, the thermal stability of these compounds during the baking process, and their bioavailability (in the food matrix) within the human gastrointestinal tract. Nutraceuticals with pharmacological potential are also influenced by the compositional profile: the proximate composition, minerals, phenolic content, flavonols, and antioxidant capacity of saffron petals and bakery products containing saffron petals. Saffron petals exhibit diverse therapeutic potentials, acting as antidepressants, anxiolytics, anticonvulsants, and neuroprotective agents. They also offer metabolic, cardiovascular, hepatoprotective, and renoprotective benefits, along with anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antitumor activities. This article proposes a roadmap for developing bakery products enriched with saffron petals or petal extracts, targeting both pharmacological applications and consumer goods focused on disease prevention and general wellness. This study investigates the biochemical composition of saffron petals and their integration into bakery products. It evaluates the influence of petal-derived additives on rheological properties, shelf stability, and organoleptic characteristics, alongside an assessment of their bioactivity and toxicological profiles. Furthermore, the analytical methodologies employed for ingredient and biological sample characterization are discussed, emphasizing their role in verifying the authenticity, safety, and nutritional functionality of both raw materials and finished formulations. Full article

As China advances high-quality agricultural development, promoting green production among farmers has become an important policy priority. Using survey data from 1787 rice farmers in seven major rice-producing provinces in southern China, this study examines whether enterprise-led contract farming can promote farmers’ green production behavior. Green production behavior is measured by a composite index based on six practices, including green control technology, soil testing and formulated fertilization, organic fertilizer substitution, water-saving irrigation, agricultural film recycling, and straw return. Empirical analysis results show that enterprise-led contract farming can significantly promote farmers’ green production behavior. Further analysis suggests that food safety certification, planting technology training, and lower perceived price volatility are important pathways through which contract farming is linked to green production practices. The promoting effect is weaker among older farmers, stronger for farmers cultivating land with medium soil fertility, and more pronounced among small-scale rice farmers. These findings highlight the role of enterprise-led contract farming in promoting farmers’ green production and offer policy implications for encouraging wider participation in green production practices. Full article

The stability of mold level fluctuations (MLFs) is crucial for product quality and process efficiency in continuous casting. Abnormal mold level fluctuations, which are typically associated with multiple factors including stopper rod opening, casting speed, and mold width, are known to lead to slab quality defects. In this paper, an Informer-based prediction framework is proposed for the early detection of abnormal MLF. A threshold-based labeling method is developed to quantify the future likelihood and severity of anomalies across different time horizons. Considering the importance of frequency-domain features in mold level prediction, power spectral density (PSD) features are incorporated and smoothed using the exponential moving average (EMA) to enhance predictive performance. Through the integration of temporal and processed spectral features, early indicators of abnormality can be captured, and proactive warnings can be issued. The proposed architecture is validated using approximately 32.5 million data points from a real-world continuous casting process. This approach provides a robust and data-driven solution for predicting and diagnosing abnormal MLF events in continuous casting. Experimental results show that the mean ROC-AUC and PR-AUC reach 0.821 and 0.418, respectively. Full article

Gut microbiota play crucial roles in host health, including immune regulation, metabolism, and nutrient absorption. Its dysregulation has been linked to various diseases. When administered in sufficient amounts, probiotics can contribute to restoring the gut microbial balance and maintain homeostasis. Species of the genus Bacillus and related genera (Alkalihalobacillus and Heyndrickxia) have been extensively studied and commercialized as probiotics due to their ability to form endospores, the dormant cell forms that provide remarkable resistance to adverse conditions. Understanding the mechanisms of the action of spore-forming probiotics is essential for harnessing their therapeutic potential. This review explores the mechanisms underlying the action of spore-forming probiotics, with a special focus on Alkalihalobacillus clausii. Many beneficial properties such as resilience in extreme conditions, multiplication in the gut, gut adhesion, immunomodulatory effects, the production of bioactive and antimicrobial compounds, as well as efficacy in human health and diseases are extensively dissected. In parallel, this review underscores the limitations of spore-forming probiotics, focusing on safety concerns, issues related to dose standardization and quality control, as well as potential off-target effects and risks in immunocompromised individuals. Full article

Background: This study investigated how chronic heat stress affects meat quality and post-slaughter muscle acidification in slow-growing yellow-feathered broilers, focusing on the roles of ALDOB and HSP90B1 in glycometabolism. Methods: From 100 to 120 days of age, broilers were kept either under thermoneutral conditions (25 ± 1 °C, N group) or cyclic heat stress (32 ± 1 °C for 9 h/day, H group). Meat quality traits (pH, shear force, drip loss, color) were measured at 0, 24, and 48 h of refrigeration (4 °C). Free amino acid and fatty acid profiles were analyzed. DF-1 cells were exposed to 43 °C for functional assays of ALDOB and HSP90B1. Results: Chronic heat stress reduced body weight, altered flavor precursors, and induced PSE-like characteristics (lower pH, higher shear force, increased drip loss, paler color), especially in leg muscles. ALDOB and HSP90B1 were upregulated in both tissues and cells. ALDOB overexpression promoted glucose consumption, while HSP90B1 suppressed lactic acid production. Conclusions: Chronic heat stress impairs growth and flavor precursors and exacerbates post-slaughter muscle acidification (primarily driven by ATP hydrolysis, with lactic acid as a secondary contributor). ALDOB and HSP90B1 may dually regulate glycometabolism under heat stress. Full article

The performance of shampoo is determined by complex interactions between surface active agents (SAAs), polymers, and formulation modifiers, which directly influence consumer-relevant properties. However, the formulation principles governing these interactions and their impact on product quality remain insufficiently characterized. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the formulation principles underlying the interaction between thickeners and surfactant systems in shampoo formulations and to assess how these interactions influence the overall performance and quality of the final product. For this purpose, two groups of shampoo formulations containing identical surfactant systems but different thickeners (acrylate copolymer and guar gum) were prepared and evaluated in terms of pH, cleansing power (wool thread method), foam volume and stability, and texture profile. The results demonstrated that pH values ranged from 6.52 to 7.23 in acrylate copolymer-based formulations and from 4.71 to 6.09 in guar gum-based formulations. Cleansing power reached up to approximately 35%, depending on surfactant composition and thickener type. Foam volume was higher in acrylate copolymer systems, with a maximum value of 161 mL, whereas guar gum-based formulations exhibited lower but more variable foam characteristics. Texture analysis revealed that guar gum formulations were more sensitive to changes in surfactant composition, whereas acrylate copolymer provided more consistent and controllable texture characteristics. Full article

Despite the growing interest in organic personal care products (OPCPs), their repurchase remains challenging, as product quality may be difficult to verify even after use. Integrating the theory of consumption values (TCV) with reference dependence theory (RDT), this study conceptualizes post-use loyalty as a comparative benchmarking process and positions comparative perceived quality (CPQ) as a mechanism linking realized values to repurchase intention (RPI). Using survey data from 298 OPCP consumers, we employed partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), necessary condition analysis (NCA), and importance–performance map analysis (IPMA). The results indicate that efficacy, hedonic, and health values are positively associated with RPI, whereas environmental value is associated with CPQ rather than directly with RPI. CPQ mediates the effects of efficacy and hedonic value on RPI, lending support to comparative evaluation in post-use loyalty formation. Consumer expertise also conditions these relationships, with environmental value more salient among higher-expertise consumers and hedonic cues more influential among lower-expertise consumers. NCA suggests threshold effects for stronger repurchase outcomes, while IPMA highlights consumer expertise as an important but underperforming lever. Overall, the study provides a diagnostic account of the trial–repurchase gap in OPCPs and offers insights into retention in sustainability-oriented credence-based categories. Full article

The co-pyrolysis of Chlorella vulgaris (CV) and Eucalyptus branches (EP) offers a promising strategy to enhance bio-oil yield, improve resource utilization efficiency, and alleviate environmental pressures. In this study, the microwave-assisted co-pyrolysis of CV and EP at a mass ratio of 2:1 was investigated, focusing on the catalytic performance of Ni-X (X = Mg, Cu, Fe) bimetallic modified HZSM-5 zeolites. The effects of these catalysts on pyrolysis characteristics, product distribution, and bio-oil composition were systematically evaluated. Experimental results showed that the 15% Ni-Cu/HZSM-5 catalyst exhibited the best catalytic performance, achieving the highest bio-oil yield of 16.83%; it also elevated the R_m to 0.0687 wt.%/s and reduced T_s to 2084 s. Composition analysis revealed that Ni-Cu/HZSM-5 significantly promoted the formation of hydrocarbons, increasing their relative content from 11.59% (C2E1 Group) to 28.92%, while effectively suppressing the formation of nitrogen-containing compounds, reducing their content by 5.05%. Based on these results, a possible reaction pathway is proposed in which the Ni-Cu/HZSM-5 catalyst may enhance heteroatom removal through hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) at the Ni-Cu sites, followed by cracking and aromatization at the HZSM-5 acid sites. This effect may be complemented by preferential adsorption of oxygenated intermediates over nitrogen-containing species, which could help suppress the formation of nitrogenous heterocycles. This work provides theoretical guidance for the application of bimetallic zeolite catalysts in microalgae/lignocellulose co-pyrolysis, alongside a viable pathway for valorizing Eucalyptus by-products to produce high-quality bio-oil. Full article

This study evaluated a portable multispectral imaging (MSI) system for simultaneously assessing chicken meat quality, including freshness and authenticity detection. For freshness, total aerobic counts and MSI analyses were performed on fresh and thawed samples throughout storage at 4 °C. For authenticity (product condition and origin), Greek and Danish chicken samples, both fresh and thawed, were analyzed in separate laboratories using identical instruments. Data were modeled using PLS-R, kNN, and SVM. Model performance for total viable count prediction was evaluated via R² and RMSE, while classification used accuracy, specificity, recall and precision. PLS-R beta coefficients highlighted the contribution of specific wavelengths. For Greek chicken fillets, kNN achieved the best performance on fresh samples (RMSE = 0.347, R² = 0.979), while PLS-R performed best on thawed samples (RMSE = 0.787, R² = 0.859). Wavelength 460 nm was the most important for all freshness predictions. Differences between Danish and Greek samples were observed in classification performance, optimal algorithms and key wavelengths. For origin classification (using fresh and thawed samples), models reached near-perfect accuracy, with PLS-DA highlighting 660 nm and 850 nm as most significant. These results demonstrate the MSI system’s potential for the rapid, accurate and simultaneous evaluation of multiple chicken meat quality attributes using a single instrument. Full article

Green total factor productivity (GTFP) serves as an important measure of whether high-quality economic growth is achieved in a manner consistent with environmental sustainability. The environmental protection tax (EPT) promotes GTFP by incentivizing firms to reduce emissions and upgrade technology, thereby fostering synergy between economic development and environmental governance. Using an unbalanced panel of 280 cities from 2013 to 2022, we treat the differential EPT shock generated by provincial tax-rate increases after the implementation of the Environmental Protection Tax Law. The results can be summarized as follows: (1) EPT significantly increases urban GTFP, indicating that the policy facilitates coordinated economic–environmental development; (2) technological innovation and government environmental governance capacity both act as channels through which EPT indirectly raises GTFP; (3) the promotive effect of EPT is stronger under higher fiscal pressure; and (4) the positive impact is more evident in regions with medium-to-low tax rates and in non-resource-based cities. Overall, this study enriches the theoretical and empirical evidence on the effects of EPT on GTFP and offers useful implications for refining EPT design and advancing regional green development. Full article

Mitochondria are increasingly recognized as multifunctional organelles that integrate metabolic, redox, immune, and cell fate signaling, thereby maintaining cellular and tissue homeostasis under physiological conditions. Beyond their classical role in ATP production, mitochondria act as central regulatory hubs coordinating adaptive responses to metabolic demands and environmental stress. These functions are sustained through tightly regulated quality control mechanisms, including mitochondrial biogenesis, dynamic fusion–fission remodeling, redox signaling, and selective removal of damaged organelles via mitophagy. Disruption of these processes compromises cellular resilience and contributes to disease initiation and progression. This review summarizes and critically evaluates current evidence on mitochondrial function in health and its dysregulation in pathological conditions, with a particular focus on rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ischemic stroke (IS), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Despite their distinct clinical manifestations, these disorders share convergent mitochondrial abnormalities, including metabolic reprogramming toward glycolysis, excessive or persistent reactive oxygen species production, impaired mitophagy, mitochondrial DNA-driven innate immune activation, and hypoxia-related stress. In RA, mitochondrial dysfunction sustains chronic inflammation and joint destruction; in IS, acute mitochondrial failure and reperfusion-associated oxidative stress drive neuronal injury; and in ASD, mitochondrial metabolic inflexibility and defective quality control contribute to chronic low-grade inflammation and neurodevelopmental vulnerability. A variety of methods for the assessment of mitochondrial function are available to study these pathological conditions. Collectively, these findings position mitochondrial dysfunction as a unifying pathogenic mechanism linking inflammatory, neurodegenerative, and neurodevelopmental processes. Targeting mitochondrial metabolism, redox balance, and quality control pathways therefore represents a promising cross-disease therapeutic strategy. Full article

The construction industry accounts for approximately 13% of global GDP but suffers from chronic productivity stagnation. Although artificial intelligence (AI) offers transformative potential, its adoption is constrained by three key barriers: data integrity issues (H1), socio-technical challenges (H2), and system integration problems (H3). This study investigates whether academic research attention aligns with these practitioner-identified barriers through a bibliometric analysis of 4668 publications from OpenAlex (1990–2025), applying a five-pillar analytical framework synthesized into composite scores (0–100 scale) via min-max normalization, weighted summation, and bootstrap validation. H3 achieved a nominal 15.9% prevalence rate (adjusted to ~13.0% after correcting for an 18.2% false positive rate in keyword classification), robust growth (R² = 0.654), significant overrepresentation in top-cited works (risk ratio = 1.31, p = 0.003), and received a composite score of 62/100 (confirmed). H1 (2.7%, score: 17/100) and H2 (4.6%, score: 13/100) were both rejected. The rank ordering by prevalence (H3 > H2 > H1) remains robust under all adjustment scenarios. These findings contrast notably with the RICS Global Construction Monitor (2025, n = 2200+), where practitioners most frequently reported socio-technical barriers (46%), followed by system integration (37%) and data quality (30%), yielding practitioner-to-publication ratios of 4.7:1, 5.2:1, and 1.1:1, respectively. This apparent research–practice paradox appears primarily volume-driven rather than clearly quality-driven: H1/H2 publications receive citation attention broadly comparable to the baseline, though this comparison is limited by control group heterogeneity. We call for rebalanced research agendas addressing data governance frameworks, competency development, and organizational change management. Full article

Oilseed consumption in Morocco has seen enhanced relevance due to its nutrient and functional value. This research paper was undertaken to establish the most consumed oilseeds in the country and to compare their chemical profiles, nutritional contents and health-promoting properties. Two-hundred and fifty people spread out in various regions of Morocco were surveyed to obtain comprehensive information on the consumption patterns of the participants. The findings revealed that the percentage who consumed oilseeds was 91.2%, and the frequency of consumption was at a very low level, with the overall majority consuming the food less than once a week. Flax, sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, chia, anise, garden cress, black cumin, fennel, and fenugreek oilseeds were the most frequently consumed. At the same time, it is possible to note that the analysis of the available scientific evidence gave information about the chemical composition and the nutritional qualities of these oilseeds, which make their use of great advantage in the case of cardiovascular health, digestive system and skin health. Conclusively, although the consumption of oilseeds is still inconsistent, the research indicates that more of them can be consumed both nationally and internationally, especially with the help of nutritional education, awareness, and availability of fortified product campaigns. Full article

Pear paste is a traditional Chinese product valued for its lung-moistening and antitussive effects. This study systematically evaluated the quality attributes and in vitro antioxidant profiles of pear pastes prepared in 2023 from 11 cultivars harvested in Henan Province, China. Multivariate analysis showed that genotype was the primary determinant of final product quality, with PC1 explaining 84.1% of the variance. Total phenolic content (TPC) ranged from 1052.8 to 1997.6 mg/kg, and total flavonoid content (TFC) from 478.1 to 1747.9 mg/kg across cultivars. Four cultivars displayed distinct advantages: ‘Akizuki’ (pronounced Maillard browning), ‘Wanxiu’ (highest free amino acids, 29.82 mg/g), ‘Hongzaosu’ (highest TPC, 1997.6 mg/kg; TFC, 1747.9 mg/kg; 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, 88.9 μmol TE/g), and ‘Huangguan’ (highest sensory score, 83.33; clarity, 87.65%). Antioxidant capacity was governed by a synergistic network of native phenolics, flavonoids, and Maillard reaction products, with the 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays recommended for consistent evaluation. These findings highlight the critical role of cultivar selection in tailoring the color, flavor, antioxidant activity, and overall quality of pear paste. Full article

The gut microbiota plays a multifaceted role in calcium homeostasis and bone metabolism —acting through metabolic, immunological, and hormonal pathways that collectively constitute the gut–bone axis. The microbiota influences calcium bioavailability through several overlapping mechanisms that act in the intestine. Moreover, microbial fermentation products may directly impact the osteoblast–osteoclast interplay and, by modulating immune and endocrine functions, are crucial for bone metabolism. A healthy microbiota supports bone formation; however, intestinal dysbiosis may impair bone structure and function. This narrative review aims to present pathways linking the gut microbiota to bone metabolism, both in health and disease. First, we will discuss the influence of gut microbiota on calcium absorption. We will then outline the role that microbial metabolites, such as bile acids and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), play in regulating bone structure and function. In the following section, we will discuss the role of the microbiota in the immunological and hormonal modulation of bone metabolism. Finally, we will discuss how dysbiosis affects bone and how therapeutic interventions, such as probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics, may influence bone tissue quality. Full article