Search Results (84)

To improve the fish quality of air-drying topmouth culter, this study was carried out to add 0.2 wt% of antioxidants (tebutylhydroquinone (TBHQ) and tea polyphenol (TP)) in combination with salt to salinate topmouth culter and to investigate the effect of antioxidants on the quality as well as structural characteristics of topmouth culter during air-drying at 25 °C for 24 h. The water content of the fish ranged from 63.45% to 66.01% when air-dried for 24 h. During air-drying, the water content decreased by 10%, water activity decreased, and the proportion of bound water increased slightly. The loss of water in the fish led to a dense structure and a significant increase in firmness and chewiness. The air-dried fish had reduced brightness and increased redness and yellowness. In addition, the results showed that the addition of 0.2 wt% of TP and/or TBHQ reduced the chemical spoilage of salted air-dried fish, as reflected in total volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN), thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS), and total viable count (TVC) and biogenic amine content, thus maintaining the quality of the fish meat. This study can provide a theoretical basis and value for the practical use of antioxidants in salted air-dried topmouth culter. Full article

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has a profoundly immunosuppressive tumour microenvironment (TME) that limits anti-tumour immunity and contributes to resistance to immunotherapy. Although γδ T-cells can integrate innate and adaptive immune signals, their abundance, transcriptional states and regulatory pathways in PDAC remain incompletely defined. Methods: We performed integrated single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of 39 pancreatic tissue samples, comprising 33 PDAC tumours and 6 adjacent normal tissues. After dataset integration, immune cell annotation, and stringent per-cell gating, γδ T-cells were quantified and profiled for checkpoint-, ligand-, and chemokine-related programmes. Results: γδ T-cells were detectable across PDAC samples but showed substantial inter-sample heterogeneity in abundance. Among candidate inhibitory pathways, PDCD1, CD274, and HAVCR2 expression in γδ T-cells did not differ significantly between tumour and adjacent tissues, whereas KLRC1 (encoding NKG2A) showed a tumour-associated difference at the single-cell level, with a consistent directional pattern in sample-level summaries. NKG2A expression was comparable between γδ T-cells and NK cells, suggesting a shared inhibitory programme. HLA-E, the ligand for NKG2A, showed higher epithelial-cell expression in tumour than adjacent tissue in sample-level summaries (median 1.06 vs. 0.57; BH-q = 0.035). Chemokine analysis identified enrichment of CCL2, CCL4, CCL5, CXCL8 and CXCL12, with limited CXCL9/10/11 signalling within the PDAC TME. Within γδ T-cells, CXCR4 was the trafficking receptor, followed by CCR6, CCR7 and CXCR6. Conclusions: PDAC-infiltrating γδ T-cells show marked inter-sample heterogeneity and variable inhibitory and trafficking-related programmes. Integrated transcriptomic analysis nominates HLA-E–NKG2A as a candidate regulatory axis, with NK cells included as a biologically relevant comparator. Chemokine receptor patterns, particularly CXCR4, CCR6, CCR7 and CXCR6, suggest candidate trafficking features. These findings are hypothesis-generating and require spatial, protein-level and functional validation. Full article

Antioxidative substances constitute the important barrier maintaining the oxidative stability of edible oils against lipid degradation and the formation of harmful aldehydes and ketones. In this study, an oil-compatible non-aqueous electrochemical method was developed to characterize the oxidation behaviour of antioxidative substances in an oil-based solution, in which linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) was employed to investigate the effects of oxidation potential and current on antioxidative capabilities of eleven antioxidative substances, including both natural and synthetic compounds, in a mixed anhydrous model oil system. Among them, eight antioxidative substances exhibited characteristic oxidation peaks in the mixed solution containing 0.1 mol/L Lithium perchlorate, 40% (v/v) C8 medium-chain triglyceride, 35% anhydrous ethanol and 25% 1,2-dichloroethane, with the first oxidation peak potentials (vs. Ag/AgCl) increasing in the order: TBHQ (100–800 mg/kg, (−247)–(−119) mV), PG (100–800 mg/kg, 74–248 mV), α-tocopherol (100–800 mg/kg, 95–142 mV), δ-tocopherol (100–850 mg/kg, 190–241 mV), BHT (100–800 mg/kg, 238–256 mV), β-carotene (100–870 mg/kg, 562–624 mV), lutein (100–850 mg/kg, 631–680 mV) and ergosterol (100–850 mg/kg, 1240–1300 mV), while their peak potentials were negatively correlated with the DPPH and Galvinoxyl radical-scavenging capacity, suggesting that, under the present oil-based conditions, lower oxidation peak potentials tended to be associated with stronger radical-scavenging capacity. The concentration–current relationships were compound-dependent and followed linear, cubic, or logarithmic patterns. And the oxidation of phenolic antioxidative substances shifted from a low-potential to a higher-potential process under acidic conditions. Overall, this study reveals the electrochemical oxidation properties of antioxidative substances in the oil-based solution, and provides the electrochemical characteristic method of the antioxidant capacities of antioxidative substances and application guidance for antioxidative substances screening in oil. Full article

Furfuryl alcohol (FFA), a methanol-soluble and highly specific compound for singlet oxygen (¹O₂), was used as a ¹O₂ trapping agent to reevaluate physical and chemical ¹O₂ quenching efficiency of five antioxidants, namely α-tocopherol, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and quercetin. The total ¹O₂ quenching rate constants of α-tocopherol, BHA, TBHQ, EGCG, and quercetin were 2.0 (±0.1) × 10⁹, 1.1 (±0.1) × 10⁸, 5.6 (±0.3) × 10⁸, 4.1 (±0.1) × 10⁸, and 2.2 (±0.1) × 10⁸ M⁻¹s⁻¹, respectively. The chemical quenching rate constants of α-tocopherol, BHA, TBHQ, EGCG, and quercetin were 1.4 × 10⁷, 2.0 × 10⁶, 7.7 × 10⁶, 2.0 × 10⁷, and 7.9 × 10⁶ M⁻¹s⁻¹, respectively. The percentages of chemical quenching in total ¹O₂ quenching were 0.7%, 1.8%, 1.4%, 4.8%, and 3.6% for α-tocopherol, BHA, TBHQ, EGCG, and quercetin, respectively, indicating that the five antioxidants quenched ¹O₂ almost exclusively by a physical quenching mechanism. This is the first report on the ¹O₂ quenching mechanism of quercetin in methanol solvent. The results of this study will provide theoretical guidance for the application of antioxidants to inhibit edible oil or fat-containing food from photooxidation. Full article

The research aimed to evaluate the effect of high monounsaturated cold-pressed oil addition on the inhibition of refined rapeseed oil degradation during heating at frying temperature. Cold-pressed rapeseed, coriander seed, and apricot kernel oils were added in amounts of 5 and 25%. Refined rapeseed oil without additives and refined rapeseed oil supplemented with tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) were negative and positive control samples, respectively. Blends were heated in a thin layer at 170 and 200 °C. Considering the increase in total polar compounds (TPCs) and oxidized triacylglycerol monomer (oxTAG) content, natural additives demonstrated protective properties and were more effective than the TBHQ additive, especially at 200 °C. The lowest increases in TPC and oxTAG were found in AO5% at 170 °C (10.17% and 1.40 mg/g oil, respectively) and in AO25% at 200 °C (5.71% and 47.53 mg/g oil, respectively). The presence of triacylglycerol (TAG) dimers was found only in samples heated at 200 °C, and the lowest was in the sample with 25% coriander oil. It can be concluded that the addition of cold-pressed oils limited the TAG oxidation process. The addition of 25% coriander oil was effective in inhibiting the TAG polymerization process, and it may be a powerful alternative to synthetic antioxidants in improving stabilization of frying oils. Full article

Despite significant advancement in cancer treatments, therapies with minimal toxicity to healthy cells are still limited. One targetable weakness of cancer cells is their sensitivity to oxidative stress. We find that the combination of two antioxidants—the common food additive tert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ) and a manganese porphyrin in clinical trials, MnTnBuOE-2-PyP⁵⁺ (MnBuOE)—increases oxidative stress and causes apoptotic death in several cancer cell lines, but not in mouse primary fibroblasts. Investigating the mechanism of cell death, MnBuOE is observed to catalyze the oxidation of tBHQ, producing the electrophilic quinone tert-butylquinone (tBQ). A critical role for tBQ and its electrophilic character was revealed with the observation that di-tert-butylhydroquinone (dtBHQ) in combination with MnBuOE causes no observable oxidative stress and is non-toxic, despite rapid oxidation to di-tert-butylquinone (dtBQ), a non-electrophilic quinone. Cell death from the combination of tBHQ and MnBuOE appears to be completely dependent on the generation of hydrogen peroxide, as shown by the inclusion of catalase. This system, in which two non-toxic molecules in combination cause specific toxicity to cancer cells, is a potential means to kill cancer cells in a targeted manner. Full article

As part of the green valorization of crickets, cricket oil was extracted using supercritical CO₂ at temperatures of 40–60 °C, pressures of 175–225 bar, and extraction times of 1–5 h to evaluate oil yield and physicochemical properties. Optimization was performed using Response Surface Methodology with a Box–Behnken Design. Oil yield ranged from of 9.35 to 16.19%, with acid values of 2.45–5.14 mg KOH/g oil, peroxide values of 20.06–70.34 mEq O₂/kg oil, iodine values of 70.59–77.15 g I₂/100 g oil, and saponification values of 178.07–196.76 mg KOH/g oil. Total phenolic content was 19.56–50.73 mg GAE/kg oil, and antioxidant activity measured by DPPH and ABTS assays ranged from 3.29 to 49.97 and from 36.82 to 145.90 mg Eq Trolox/kg oil, respectively. The main fatty acids were palmitic (27.36–28.84%), oleic (25.00–30.23%), linoleic (27.02–34.96%), and stearic acid (6.81–8.17%). The optimal extraction condition (60 °C, 200 bar, 5 h) yielded 15.86% SC-CO₂-extracted cricket oil with favorable quality parameters, antioxidant activity, 1025 mg/100 g of cholesterol, and 14.9 mg/100 g of vitamin E. This oil was then used to study oxidative stability. With the addition of food-grade antioxidants (BHA, BHT, TBHQ, and DL-α-tocopherol at 75 mg/kg), TBHQ was the most effective in reducing oxidation, particularly at 45 and 55 °C. These findings demonstrate that supercritical CO₂ extraction efficiently produces high-quality, solvent-free cricket oil with enhanced oxidative stability. Optimization of extraction temperature, pressure, and time identified suitable conditions that improved the oil’s physicochemical characteristics, supporting a sustainable and environmentally friendly extraction approach for cricket-based ingredients. Full article

Ensuring food safety and quality has become increasingly critical due to the complexities introduced by globalization, industrialization, and extended supply chains. Traditional analytical methods for food quality control, such as chromatography and mass spectrometry, while accurate, face limitations including high costs, lengthy analysis times, and limited suitability for on-site rapid monitoring. Electrochemical sensors integrated with molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have emerged as promising alternatives, combining high selectivity and sensitivity with portability and affordability. MIPs, often termed ‘plastic antibodies,’ are synthetic receptors capable of selective molecular recognition, tailored specifically for target analytes. This review comprehensively discusses recent advancements in MIP-based electrochemical sensing platforms, highlighting their applications in detecting various food quality markers. It particularly emphasizes the detection of antioxidants—both natural (e.g., vitamins, phenolics) and synthetic (e.g., BHA, TBHQ), artificial sweeteners (e.g., aspartame, acesulfame-K), colorants (e.g., azo dyes, anthocyanins), traditional contaminants (e.g., pesticides, heavy metals), and toxicants such as mycotoxins (e.g., aflatoxins, ochratoxins). The synthesis methods, including bulk, precipitation, surface imprinting, sol–gel polymerization, and electropolymerization (EP), are critically evaluated for their effectiveness in creating highly selective binding sites. Furthermore, the integration of advanced nanomaterials, such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, and metallic nanoparticles, into these platforms to enhance sensitivity, selectivity, and stability is examined. Practical challenges, including sensor reusability, regeneration strategies, and adaptability to complex food matrices, are addressed. Finally, the review provides an outlook on future developments and practical considerations necessary to transition these innovative MIP electrochemical sensors from laboratory research to widespread adoption in industry and regulatory settings, ultimately ensuring comprehensive food safety and consumer protection. Full article

The global demand for processed foods has increased reliance on synthetic phenolic antioxidants (SPAs), including tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), a widely used additive to prevent lipid oxidation and extend shelf life. TBHQ is considered safe at present regulated levels; however, studies suggest potential adverse effects, including oxidative stress, genotoxicity, and impacts on immune function, raising concerns about human health and ecological risks. Herein, we investigated the immunomodulatory effects of TBHQ on RAW 264.7 murine macrophages pre-exposed to 0.1, 1, and 5 µM TBHQ and then stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly I:C, PIC) to model bacterial and viral immune challenges. We then used functional assays and transcriptomic profiling to assess inflammatory responses and oxidative stress signaling. TBHQ reduced nitric oxide production and IL-10 secretion at the highest non-cytotoxic dose, and enhanced phagocytosis and IL-6 secretion at the lowest concentrations. Overall, transcriptomics revealed significant downregulation of proinflammatory pathways and induction of glutathione and xenobiotic metabolism. Pre-treatment with TBHQ increased gene transcript counts of key metabolic genes/transporters such as Cbr3, Adh7, Gstp1/3, Gsta3, Hmox1 and Gclm. Following treatment with LPS or PIC several genes for classical proinflammatory chemokines and cytokines such as Cxcl2, Ccl2, Ccl12, Acod1, Ptgs2, Nos2, and Il6 were downregulated. Genes involved in NF-κB signaling, such as Nfkbia, Nfkb1, and Ikbke were also downregulated. Our study suggests that the induction of Nrf2-related antioxidant pathways by TBHQ is the main driver for reduced inflammatory signaling in macrophages. Full article

Deep-fat frying remains the predominant method of food preparation; however, increasing concerns regarding health and sustainability have prompted the search for safer alternatives. Palm olein is widely used as a frying medium but its consumption has been questioned due to the presence of contaminants (e.g., 3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol, 3-MCPD) and the challenges associated with its transportation from producing countries, creating a need for healthier and more sustainable alternatives. The present study aimed to assess the oxidative stability, physicochemical properties, and sensory characteristics of various oils used for deep-fat frying, with particular emphasis on identifying suitable replacements for palm olein. Five oils were evaluated: refined sunflower oil (RSO), RSO supplemented with tert-butylhydroquinone (RSO+TBHQ), RSO supplemented with rosemary extract (RSO+RE), high-oleic sunflower oil (HOSO), and palm olein (PO). Samples were evaluated before and after deep-frying of French fries, at 175 °C for 2.5 min, over a total of 12 consecutive frying cycles. The results demonstrated that palm olein and HOSO exhibited the highest oxidative stability (induction period determined by Rancimat method at 100 °C was 27 h and 26.2 h, respectively), whereas the addition of TBHQ (induction period 23.4 h) and rosemary extract (induction period 11.5 h) provided only a modest enhancement of RSO stability (induction period 9.6 h). Hierarchical cluster analysis grouped palm olein and HOSO together, confirming their similar stability, while RSOs formed a distinct cluster. These findings suggest that high-oleic sunflower oil represents the most promising, stable, and nutritionally advantageous alternative to palm olein, simultaneously supporting local production and improved dietary quality. Full article

Cadmium (Cd)-induced pulmonary toxicity is closely associated with ferroptosis, a regulated form of cell death characterized by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation (LPO). Luteolin (Lut) is a natural flavonoid compound that exists in many plants. In this study, we used human bronchial epithelial BEAS-2B cells to explore the impact of ferroptosis in the inhibition of Cd-induced BEAS-2B cells proliferation. BEAS-2B cells were exposed to Cd (5 μM) with/without Lut (10 μM), ferroptosis modulators (Ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1)/Erastin), or nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) regulators (tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ)/ML385). Viability, iron content, reactive oxygen species (ROS), LPO, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) activity were assessed. Exposure to Cd significantly decreased cell viability, increased intracellular iron levels, ROS production, and LPO activity, while simultaneously reducing MMP and GSH-PX activity. Fer-1 mitigated Cd-induced cytotoxicity, but Erastin intensified these effects. Mechanistically, Cd exposure suppressed the Nrf2/Solute Carrier Family 7 Member 11 (SLC7A11)/glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) signaling pathway, which plays a crucial role in maintaining redox homeostasis. Activation of Nrf2 using TBHQ mitigated oxidative stress and upregulated the expression of key proteins within this pathway, while inhibition of Nrf2 with ML385 exacerbated cellular damage. Notably, Lut treatment could significantly alleviate Cd-induced cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and downregulation of Nrf2/SLC7A11/GPX4 proteins. These findings demonstrate that ferroptosis is a critical mechanism underlying Cd-mediated lung epithelial injury and identify Lut as a promising therapeutic candidate via its activation of Nrf2-driven antioxidant defense mechanisms. This study provides novel insights into molecular targets for the prevention and treatment of Cd-associated pulmonary disorders. Full article

Phytosterols (PS) have specific oxidation rules in different lipid media. After oxidation, PS will form oxidation products, which has potential physiological toxicity to the human body. Camellia seed oil (CSO) is a unique emerging edible oil in China. This oil has a fatty acid composition similar to olive oil, in which oleic acid is dominant. In order to solve the thermal oxidation of PS in CSO at high temperature (180 °C), we studied its antioxidant strategy by evaluating different antioxidants. Four antioxidants—BHA, TBHQ, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), and α-tocopherol (VE)—along with one synergist, citric acid (CA), were selected and used in this study. The antioxidant effects of different combinations (single antioxidant, single antioxidant + CA, mixed antioxidant, mixed antioxidant + CA) were compared. After 180 min of heating, the PS and phytosterols oxidation products (7α-hydroxy-, 7β-hydroxy-, 5α,6α-epoxy-, 5β,6β-epoxy-, 7-keto-, and trihydroxy-PS) were estimated by GC-MS. Through comparative analysis, the results showed that the combination of mixed antioxidants and CA had the best antioxidant effect, and the inhibition rate of VE + TBHQ +CA was as high as 42%, which had a breakthrough significance for stabilizing the thermal oxidation of PS in camellia seed oil. At the same time, it also provides a valuable reference for ensuring the edible safety of camellia seed oil in Chinese food heating habits. Full article

Antioxidant gel foams are promising materials for coal mine fire prevention due to their unique physicochemical properties. To address the limitations of conventional suppression methods under high-temperature conditions, this study investigates a newly developed antioxidant gel foam and its mechanism in inhibiting coal spontaneous combustion. A novel antioxidant gel foam was formulated by incorporating TBHQ and modified montmorillonite into a sodium alginate-based gel system. This formulation enhances the thermal stability, water retention, and free radical scavenging capacity of the gel. This study uniquely combines multi-scale experimental methods to evaluate the performance of this material in coal fire suppression. Multi-scale experiments, including FTIR, leakage air testing, programmed temperature rise, and small-scale fire extinction, were conducted to evaluate its performance. Experimental results indicate that the antioxidant gel foam exhibits excellent thermal stability in the temperature range of 200–500 °C. Its relatively high decomposition temperature enables it to effectively resist structural damage in high-temperature environments. During thermal decomposition, the gel releases only a small amount of gas, while maintaining the integrity of its internal micro-porous structure. This characteristic significantly delays the kinetics of coal oxidation reactions. Further research revealed that the spontaneous combustion ignition temperature of coal samples treated with the gel was significantly higher, and the oxygen consumption rate during spontaneous combustion was significantly reduced, indicating that the gel not only effectively suppressed the acceleration of the combustion reaction but also significantly reduced the release of harmful gases such as HCl. Scanning electron microscope analysis confirmed that the gel maintained a good physical structure under high temperatures, forming an effective oxygen barrier, which further enhanced the suppression of coal spontaneous combustion. These findings provide important theoretical and practical guidance for the application of antioxidant gel foams in coal mine fire prevention and control, confirming that this material has great potential in coal mine fire safety, offering a new technological approach to improve coal mine safety. Full article

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of black cumin essential oils to reduce the degradation of rapeseed oil during heating. Rapeseed oil was heated without addition and with the addition of black cumin essential oil (200 ppm, 500 ppm, and 1000 ppm), and with synthetic antioxidant TBHQ (200 ppm). The heating was carried out at 170 °C ± 10 °C for 6 h, in a deep-fat heating model. In all samples, changes in fatty acid profile, lipid-nutritional quality indices (PUFA/SFA ratio, atherogenicity index, thrombogenicity index, and hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio), tocopherol and phytosterol content, total polar compound content, and triacylglycerol polymers were determined. The heating process led to oil degradation, which depended on the amount and type of additive used. The greatest changes were observed in the control sample (without additives). The addition of TBHQ or 200 ppm of black cumin essential oil reduced the adverse transformations to a similar level. Higher additions of black cumin essential oil led to a significant improvement in the quality of heated oils. The best results were obtained with the addition of 1000 ppm of black cumin essential oil. Full article

Overuse of tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) as a food antioxidant has the potential to pollute the environment and threaten human health. Therefore, it is imperative to develop precise and rapid methods to detect TBHQ in food products. In this study, Fe- and Mn-doped Prussian blue analogs (FeMn-PBAs) were prepared by co-precipitation, FeMn-PBAs/PAN was prepared by electrostatic spinning, and a novel FeMn@C/CNFs composite was prepared by carbonization in nitrogen. Bimetallic FeMn doping has been shown to reduce vacancy defects and enhance the structural stability of PBA. Furthermore, electrostatic spinning has been demonstrated to reduce the agglomeration of PBA nanoparticles, which are electrode-modifying materials with high stability and good electrical conductivity. The morphological and structural characteristics of the FeMn@C/CNF composites were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The electrochemical behavior of tert-butyl hydroquinone in FeMn@C/CNFs was studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV), differential pulse voltammetry (DPV), and chronocoulometry (CC). The results demonstrate that the sensor exhibits excellent repeatability, reproducibility, and anti-interference capabilities. The prepared electrochemical sensor can be effectively utilized for the detection of TBHQ in food samples such as soybean and peanut oil samples, proving its strong potential for practical applications. Full article