Search Results (327)

Empty cup aroma is a distinctive quality attribute of soy sauce aroma type baijiu (SSB), but the compounds responsible for its long persistence and their changes over time are still not well understood. Previous studies have mainly focused on key empty cup odourants at single time points. In this study, a typical commercial SSB was selected and monitored for 30 days using aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA), time-resolved odour monitoring, residue peak area analysis and correlation with boiling point. AEDA revealed 65 aroma-active regions, including 63 in SSB, 36 in the empty cup and 34 shared by both. After emptying, the flavour dilution profile changed markedly: fruity esters and volatile aldehydes became less prominent, whereas sotolon showed the highest FD factor in the empty cup (FD 2048), and several acids and pyrazines also became prominent. The number of detectable regions increased from 43 at 0 h to 49 at 6 h, and then gradually decreased to 14 at day 30. Persistence was strongly correlated with boiling point (Spearman’s ρ = 0.7465, p < 0.0001, n = 32). Peak area profiles also showed two general patterns. Low-boiling esters, aldehydes and dimethyl trisulfide decreased rapidly, whereas organic acids, pyrazines, phenylethyl alcohol, γ-nonanolactone and ethyl hexadecanoate showed delayed maxima or non-monotonic changes. These results suggest that persistent empty cup aroma is not simply a residual form of the original baijiu aroma but develops through selective retention and temporal shifts in the contribution of different odourants. Full article

An increase in flexitarians, vegetarians, and vegan consumers coupled with soaring egg prices post covid has increased demand in the food industry for alternative ingredients, including emulsifier products. Plant-derived emulsifiers, including chickpea aquafaba and oat proteins, can imitate egg protein techno-functional attributes like foam formation and emulsification properties. Oat milk proteins provide less protein than soy or dairy and, as they are carbohydrate rich, can cause rapid blood sugar spikes. More alternative emulsifiers are required. This work describes the development of a red seaweed Chondrus crispus Stakehouse emulsifier ingredient applied in a vegan fairy cake recipe. The techno-functional attributes of the developed C. crispus hydrolysate were assessed using in vitro assays, and a prototype vegan fairy cake was made using the generated hydrolysate as an emulsifier. Product proximate qualities including protein, ash, and lipid content were compared to those of a traditionally made fairy cake. Results suggest that hydrolysis of C. crispus enables the extraction of 17.37% of available protein and makes the application of C. crispus in food products more attractive by improving emulsification properties. Moreover, novel bioactive peptides with sequences GIPDEWMGL, VLPSLPFM, GGPAGGGPAGGDAGLA, and AQVPPLPNMPRMPA were characterized and were shown to have in silico anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic potential activities. Full article

Soybean pod-related traits are important for seed development, yield formation, and cultivar evaluation. However, conventional measurements are inefficient and have limited ability to characterize complex pod features such as curvature, local enlargement, and continuous color variation. In this study, mature pod images of 187 cultivated soybean accessions collected across two successive years were analyzed using a deep learning-assisted image phenotyping approach. Eight pod-related traits related to size, morphology, and color were extracted from pod images. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed using 61,541 high-quality SNP markers to dissect the genetic basis of these image-derived pod traits. A total of 16 stable loci associated with pod size, morphology, and color traits were identified across 11 chromosomes. Among these loci, eight were not reported in the previous image-based soybean pod GWAS study. Based on SoyBase gene annotation and Gene Ontology biological process information, 32 biologically relevant candidate gene records were prioritized within the corresponding candidate genomic intervals, while pod-related expression profiles and SoyBase association information were used as supporting evidence for candidate gene evaluation. These findings indicate that refined image-derived traits can provide complementary genetic information beyond conventional pod measurements and offer additional opportunities for dissecting soybean pod development, morphology, and mature pod color variation. Full article

This paper presents a digitally controlled current-mode synaptic weighting cell in 28 nm FD-SOI CMOS for low-complexity Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) inference in event-based Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM). A compact bias-free [16,16] MLP is trained offline by backpropagation for fixed-weight feedforward inference. Using 616 ON/OFF events extracted from high-frequency REDD measurements, six appliance classes are characterized by four event-level features: active-power variation, reactive-power variation, current total harmonic distortion of the differential event signature, and event interval. With 16-level input quantization, the model achieves 92.9–93.4% test accuracy and 90.5–90.7% test Macro-F1, requiring 320 weighted-sum branches across two hidden layers. A four-input first-hidden-layer weighted-sum unit is selected as a representative circuit instance. Its computation is mapped to bounded current ranges using current-coded inputs, an 8-bit magnitude-controlled current-mode multiplier, sign-bit current steering, differential current accumulation, and signed-current scaling. The circuit contribution focuses on the weighted-sum datapath, particularly the repeated synaptic weighting cell; activation and complete classifier implementation are outside the scope of this work. Transistor-level PVT and supply-variation simulations validate the signed weighted-sum path, while post-layout extraction evaluates the repeated multiplier cell. The results demonstrate the block-level feasibility of digitally programmable current-mode synaptic weighting for compact event-based NILM inference. Full article

The sustainable isolation of nonamphiphilic phytochemicals remains a formidable challenge in biochemical engineering. In this study, a highly efficient and solvent free foam fractionation process was developed for recovering rosmarinic acid from botanical extracts. By systematically screening diverse biological surfactants, whey soy protein emerged as an exceptionally robust dual functional frother and nanoscale collector. Response surface methodology optimized the operational parameters to 850 mg/L protein concentration, pH 2.5, and a gas flow rate of 470 mL/min, yielding an outstanding target recovery of 93.08 percent alongside an enrichment ratio of 1.81. This macroscopic separation superiority was comprehensively elucidated at the molecular level through multiple spectroscopic techniques and computational modeling. Results confirmed a spontaneous static quenching complexation driven by synergistic noncovalent forces, predominantly hydrogen bonding, van der Waals interactions, π-stacking, and salt bridges. These interactions induced targeted conformational unfolding within the protein backbone, exposing hydrophobic domains that drastically elevated the thermodynamic affinity for the ascending gas–liquid interface. Furthermore, the concentrated product exhibited an antioxidant capacity enhancement exceeding 3.6 times compared to the crude extract, a result attributed to selective enrichment combined with the structural shielding effect provided by the protein macromolecule. Ultimately, this work provides critical mechanistic insights and establishes a scalable technological framework for the green purification of highly valuable botanical compounds. Full article

Resonant mass sensors based on micro/nanoelectromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) offer a promising approach for label-free gravimetric detection. However, practical applications often require not only high sensitivity but also improved loading repeatability and reduced dependence on mass loading position. In this work, a suspended resonant mass sensor based on a 10 nm-thick Hf_0.5Zr_0.5O₂ (HZO) piezoelectric film is proposed. A central silicon loading platform is introduced to provide a mechanically robust and spatially uniform sensing region. A Kirchhoff plate model incorporating residual stress is established to analyze the effects of residual stress and platform geometry on the resonant characteristics. The device is fabricated by combining SOI micromachining with wet transfer of the ultrathin HZO film. Laser Doppler vibrometry measurements show a first-order resonant frequency of 1.303 MHz and a quality factor of 342, corresponding to an extracted residual stress of approximately 1.319 GPa. Finite element simulations calibrated by experimental parameters indicate a uniform first-mode displacement distribution and a linear frequency response to added mass from 0 to 1 ng. The obtained mass sensitivities are 150.7 Hz/pg and 166.8 Hz/pg from finite element and analytical models, respectively. The proposed structure provides a feasible route toward repeatable pg-level resonant mass sensing based on ultrathin piezoelectric films. Full article

The narrow-clawed crayfish (Pontastacus leptodactylus), a non-native species accidentally introduced into China’s Irtysh River Basin, has formed a wild population with aquaculture potential, but its natural diet and protein utilization remain poorly understood. This study investigated its feeding ecology and digestive responses to protein sources to support ecological assessment and feed formulation. Intestinal contents and muscle samples from wild crayfish were analyzed using eDNA metabarcoding and fatty acid signature analysis. In vitro digestibility of 10 protein ingredients was evaluated with crude digestive enzyme extracts, and a 4-week trial compared an all-plant-protein diet (PPD) with an all-animal-protein diet (APD). eDNA indicated an omnivorous diet dominated by planktonic taxa, especially Rotifera, and fatty acid biomarkers suggested contributions from diatoms, dinoflagellates, phytoplankton, zooplankton, and benthic organisms. Soybean meal and soy protein concentrate showed high dry matter digestibility, whereas fishmeal and krill meal had high crude protein digestibility and amino acid release. Compared with PPD, APD increased feed intake, apparent nutrient digestibility, hemolymph nutritional indicators, villus height, and intestinal trypsin and lipase activities; however, intestinal integrity was preserved in both groups, and most intestinal antioxidant indices did not differ significantly. These findings indicate that animal proteins enhance nutrient utilization in P. leptodactylus, while selected plant proteins may serve as partial alternatives. Full article

Fermented foods and beverages based on plant-derived ingredients are of growing technological interest, especially when they are designed as alternatives to conventional dairy products. This study evaluated the effects of herbal extracts from Verbascum thapsus L., Cnicus benedictus L., and Fumaria officinalis L. on lactic acid bacteria growth, acidification kinetics, and viable cell counts during the fermentation of organic milk, coconut beverage, and soy beverage. The extracts were characterized for extraction yield, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity before use in fermentation trials. Mixtures of organic solvents and water produced extracts with higher total phenolic content and antioxidant activity than water alone. The highest values were obtained for F. officinalis extracts prepared with water and methanol or water and acetone, while for C. benedictus, the most effective solvents were water and acetone or water and ethanol. The agar well-diffusion assay showed no relevant antibacterial activity against the tested LAB strains under the applied conditions. No biologically relevant inhibition zones were observed in any of the 84 extract-strain combinations under the tested conditions. The only borderline response was observed for Lactobacillus acidophilus La-14 exposed to the 70% ethanolic extract of C. benedictus. The clear halo did not exceed 1.50 mm outside the 5 mm well and was treated as a weak, strain-specific screening result. Fermentation kinetics depended mainly on the food matrix. The coconut beverage acidified most rapidly, reaching pH 4.38 to 4.79 after 6 h, whereas the soy beverage required 24 h to reach pH 4.31 to 4.56. Organic milk showed the slowest acidification, and selected C. benedictus extracts delayed pH reduction. All analyzed fermented samples contained more than 7 log CFU/mL of viable LAB. These results indicate that selected herbal extracts can be used in fermented milk and plant-based beverages without reducing LAB survival, but their suitability should be assessed separately for each strain and matrix. Full article

Soybean residue, a major by-product of soy milk and tofu processing, is a large-yield and nutrient-rich substrate, but it is currently experiencing low utilization rates. In this study, a prodigiosin-producing strain, Serratia marcescens BD2025, was isolated from naturally fermented soybean residue. Subsequently, prodigiosin was produced by solid-state fermentation of soybean residue, and the fermentation conditions were further optimized by a Box–Behnken (BBD) model involving the soybean residue-to-water ratio, inoculum size, and temperature. Under the optimized conditions of a soybean residue-to-water ratio of 1:4.28, an inoculum size of 5.2%, and cultivation at 27.5 °C for 48 h, the prodigiosin yield reached 19.05 mg/g. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis showed that the major pigment peak had a retention time comparable to that of a prodigiosin standard, with an estimated purity of 96% based on peak area normalization. The results show that prodigiosin remains relatively stable at below 40 °C, in acidic conditions, and in darkness. The extracted prodigiosin inhibited both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, with stronger activity against S. aureus. The scavenging ability of DPPH radical was dose-dependent, with the scavenging activity of 93.13% at 5 mg/mL. These findings indicate that soybean residue can serve as a solid-state fermentation substrate for prodigiosin production and provide a basis for the value-added utilization of soybean-processing residues. Full article

This study examined the effects of soy sauce-based marinades containing fruit extracts (pineapple, apple) and sugar on the physicochemical, amino acid, flavor, and sensory characteristics of pork bulgogi. Five marinades (sugar only, pineapple, apple, pineapple+sugar, apple+sugar (App+Sug)) were compared. Pineapple exhibited high sweetness, acidity, and protease activity, consequently enhancing essential amino acids but causing undesirable mushy texture due to excessive proteolysis. Meanwhile, apple enriched umami-related amino acids (Glu, Gln) and provided balanced organic acid and sugar profiles without structural degradation. HPLC confirmed pineapple was rich in sucrose and citric acid, while apple contained more fructose and malic acid. Fruit-containing marinades increased esters, alcohols, and Maillard compounds, while reducing lipid oxidation aldehydes, thereby contributing to improved aroma and oxidative stability. Sensory evaluation revealed App+Sug marinade achieved the highest scores in flavor, tenderness, chewiness, and overall preference, thus indicating synergistic effects of fruit acids and sugars. Conversely, pineapple-based marinades, despite strong tenderizing potential, were less palatable. Overall, App+Sug marinade provided the best balance of flavor, tenderness, and consumer acceptability, while pineapple requires controlled application to prevent excessive softening. Full article

Plant lecithins are complex mixtures of phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidic acid (PA) and lysophospholipids. They are increasingly demanded as natural, non-allergenic emulsifiers and as nutraceutical carriers. Quantitative data on the phospholipid (PL) fraction of less-commodity oilseeds, however, remain dispersed. This review compares the PL composition, processing-dependent extractability, and functional behavior of six oils: hemp (Cannabis sativa L.), sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), corn/maize (Zea mays L., germ), pumpkin (Cucurbita spp.), flax/linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.), and camelina (Camelina sativa L.). Across the six oils, total PL content varies by more than an order of magnitude (c.a. 0.25% in camelina oil bodies; >1% in solvent-extracted hemp and c.a. 0.5–1.0% in Styrian pumpkin oil), and PC fraction ranges from 30% (hemp seed tissue) to 56% (rapeseed-comparable sunflower). Flax stands out for both an exceptionally high PE share (22.7%) and a polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content in the PL fraction (53.3%) that exceeds rapeseed, sunflower and soy by an order of magnitude. We integrate recent extraction (cold pressing, supercritical CO₂, microwave-assisted, aqueous enzymatic) and degumming data (water, acid, enzymatic with phospholipases A1/A2/C) with functional evidence in emulsions, oil bodies, and bioactive delivery. Full article

Oil-in-water nanoemulsions (NE) can increase the water solubility of plant-derived bioactive molecules as drug candidates. Machine learning-guided NE design can prevent the expensive, time-consuming trial-and-error process. NE composition data was aggregated into a dataset; a predictive machine learning model identified improved self-nanoemulsifying system formulations (olive oil and combinations of Tween 20, Tween 80, glycerol, and soy lecithin). Predictive power was assessed by estimating successful self-nanoemulsification through transmittance and Dynamic Light Scattering. NEs were loaded with an organic extract containing anacardic acid. Encapsulation efficiency was measured by UHPLC. Antiproliferative activity was evaluated on human hepatic cancer (Hep G2) and normal-like human embryonic kidney (HEK-293) cell lines. The model showed an accuracy of 81%. The best-performing formulation, consisting of 10% olive oil, 60% Tween 20, and 30% glycerol, exhibited an average particle size of 162.8 ± 26 nm, a polydispersity index of 0.234 ± 0.03, and high encapsulation efficiency. While HEK-293 cells remained unaffected, naked NE exhibited a selective growth inhibitory effect on the Hep G2 cell line. Loaded NE increased the cytotoxic effect on Hep G2 (IC50: 5.9 ± 1.27 µM). Machine learning-guided NE formulation was a successful carrier for the plant extract and the molecule of interest, providing a proof of concept for how artificial intelligence can shorten the development pipeline for NE drug delivery systems. Full article

Food allergies are one of the most critical food safety issues, with epidemiological studies confirming a global increase. In this context, effective and sensitive analytical methods play a crucial role in ensuring allergen-free food products. To face this issue, electrochemical biosensors offer powerful, sensitive, selective, and cost-effective alternatives to conventional methods for food allergen analysis while enabling rapid on-site detection. In this study, we developed a sandwich electrochemical magneto-genoassay aimed at the parallel detection of soy (Glycine max) and mustard (Sinapis alba) allergens, suitable for implementation on multichannel instrumentation. The assay involves the functionalization of magnetic microbeads functionalized with peptide nucleic acid-based (PNA) capture probes, capable of undergoing target-induced bio-orthogonal ligation with biotin-labelled signalling probes. Carbon nanotubes-modified screen-printed carbon electrodes were exploited for the voltammetric readout. We demonstrated the effectiveness of functional PNA probes by comparing their performance with those achieved using analogous DNA probes. The developed method exhibited excellent selectivity in terms of cross-reactivity, sensitivity, and precision, achieving detection limits of 16 and 19 pM for soy and mustard, respectively. Finally, by successfully applying the biosensor platform to genomic DNA extracted from plant-based food ingredients, we demonstrated its potential as a valuable tool in food safety risk management. Full article

Gymnema lactiferum (G. lactiferum) is a medicinal plant that contains potent bioactive phytochemicals, which are prone to degradation during processing and digestion. In this study, G. lactiferum extract was prepared and encapsulated into soy lecithin primary liposomes (PL) and then coated with chitosan to form secondary liposomes (chitosomes, CS) to enhance stability. Physicochemical characteristics, morphology, thermal behavior, and storage stability were evaluated. Extract loading significantly (p < 0.05) increased the mean diameter of PL from 128.6 nm to 146.3 nm and of CS from 359.1 nm to 408.9 nm compared with unloaded liposomes. Both liposomal systems exhibited homogeneous size distributions and good colloidal stability, with zeta potentials of −39.4 mV for PL and +35.8 mV for CS and low polydispersity indices (<0.25) for both systems. Transmission electron microscopy demonstrated predominantly spherical morphologies in both systems. Chitosan coating significantly (p < 0.05) improved both encapsulation efficiency (77.3%) and encapsulation yield (82.4%) compared with PL (73.7% and 79.1%, respectively). HPLC-based quantification using rutin as a reference analyte further indicated EE-R% values of 59.8% for PL-GE and 70.3% for CS-GE, supporting improved extract retention following chitosan coating. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed successful encapsulation without apparent chemical alterations or reactions. Differential scanning calorimetry indicated that chitosan coating modified the thermal transition behavior of the liposomal membrane, consistent with altered bilayer packing and increased membrane fluidity, while incorporation of the extract partially restored thermal order within the coated system. Overall, chitosan coating effectively enhanced the encapsulation efficiency, stability, and yield of G. lactiferum extract-loaded liposomes towards their incorporation into functional food formulations. Full article

The aim of this study was to characterize ruminal degradation and postruminal digestibility of dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) in full-fat raw soybeans (ffSB), extruded full-fat raw soybeans (effSB) and soybean cake (SBc) derived from three non-GMO locally grown soybean varieties (PETRINA, ERICA and VIOLA). To hasten data interpretation, ruminal degradation and postruminal digestibility of the conventional solvent-extracted soybean meal (SBM) was also investigated. Effective rumen degradation (ERD) of DM was lower for SBc (0.726) than for SBM (0.777; p < 0.001). Independent of soy variety, it was less for SBc than ffSB (0.801) and the least for effSB (0.783; p < 0.001). Intestinal DM digestibility was higher for SBM (0.946) compared to ffSB (0.708) and effSB (0.604), and regardless of soybean variety, it was lower for effSB than for SBc (0.866; p < 0.01). The ERD of CP was higher for ffSB (0.817) compared to SBM (0.6858; p = 0.007), and, independent of soy variety, it was less for SBC (0.773) than ffSB and the lowest for effSB (0.750; p < 0.001). Intestinal digestibility of CP was higher for SBM (0.998) compared to ffSB (0.944), effSB (0.926), and SBc (0.943). Regardless of soybean variety, it was lower for effSB than for ffSB and SBc (p < 0.002). However, interactions between product type and soybean variety were also detected for almost all investigated parameters, except for c for DM and c and ERD for CP (p < 0.001), with variety ERICA showing the lowest ERD and variety PETRINA showing the highest intestinal digestibility. The study demonstrated that the type of soybean processing and soybean variety significantly affected ERD and intestinal digestibility of DM and CP. Soy products (effSB and SBc) produced by the farmer on his own farm from non-GMO soybeans harvested on his own farm can serve as valuable feed material for cattle, making him independent from the need to purchase imported SBM. Full article