Public health concerns related to food contaminants, including biotoxins, pesticide and veterinary drug residues, illegal additives, foodborne pathogens, and heavy metals, have garnered significant public attention in recent years. Consequently, there is an urgent need to develop rapid and accurate technologies to detect these harmful substances. Surface- enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), due to its characteristics of high sensitivity and specificity enabling the detection of food...
wheat, protein, fiber, nutrition, processing
The aquaculture sector has seen significant growth recently but also faces sustainability challenges due to the use of fish meal and fish oil. This project explored the potential of using partially defatted Hermetia illucens (black soldier fly) larvae meal (BSFL meal) as a sustainable alternative to fish meal in Sparus aurata diets. The trial was conducted with 132 fish reared in six tanks and fed two aquafeeds: a standard (CTRL) and an experimental (IF) in which fish meal was replaced (10%)...
wheat, flour, protein, nutrition, processing
With the rapid development of industry, heavy metal pollution has emerged as a significant threat to food safety and human health. Among these pollutions, cadmium (Cd) pollution has become a global environmental concern. Caenorhabditis elegans, with its short life cycle and evolutionary conservation with humans, serves as an ideal model organism for studying toxicity mechanisms. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms of toxicity induced by Cd in C. elegans and the intervention of...
food science, polyphenols, antioxidants, protein, nutrition
Verifying the geographical origin of honey is crucial for its market value and for preventing fraudulent practices. This study aimed to characterize the chemical profiles of organic honeys from three distinct regions in Southeastern Türkiye—¸Sırnak Fara¸sin, Siirt Merkez, and Siirt Pervari—to establish a robust method for geographical authentication. A total of 51 multifloral honey samples were analyzed. The concentrations of 20 free amino acids (FAAs) and 16 phenolic compounds were quantified...
polyphenols, wheat, protein, nutrition, processing
Curcumin has good anti-cancer and antioxidant properties. However, the poor water solu- bility and low bioavailability limit its application in food products. This study constructed a nanostructured lipid carrier (Cur-CLA-NLC) encapsulating curcumin using conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) as the liquid lipid and stearic acid as the solid lipid. Cur-CLA-NLC exhibits significantly enhanced bioaccessibility, antioxidant activity, and cytocompatibility. CLA, as a liquid lipid in Cur-CLA-NLC, has a...
food science, wheat, starch, protein, fiber
Cold denaturation of gluten proteins during prolonged frozen storage or repeated freeze– thaw cycles can severely affect the quality of frozen cereal products. While both processes have been studied individually, their combined effects and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study systematically evaluated the hydration properties and conformational changes in gluten proteins stored at −73 ◦C and −23 ◦C, with or without freeze–thaw cycling. Compared to continuous storage, freeze–thaw...
food science, wheat, flour, starch, protein
The increasing prevalence of nanoplastics (NPs) in food and their potential implications for human health have become a growing concern in scientific and public health discourse. Using the Scopus database, this bibliometric analysis provides a comprehensive overview of global research trends on NPs in food from 2015 to 2024. Results show a significant increase in publications and citations post-2019. China is the top-ranked country in terms of the number of publications, citations,...
food science, protein, nutrition, processing, quality
Plums are climacteric fruits with a short postharvest shelf-life, which makes them highly susceptible to spoilage by moulds and pathogens. Biological control using antagonis- tic yeasts offers a promising approach to extend shelf-life by inhibiting fungal growth. This study evaluated the effects of two yeast strains, Hanseniaspora uvarum L793 and Metschnikowia pulcherrima L672, on the quality of ‘Larry Ann’ Japanese plums during cold storage. Plums were divided into three batches: two treated...
polyphenols, starch, protein, nutrition, quality
Eel populations are globally threatened by overfishing and illegal trade, making accu- rate species identification essential for resource conservation and regulatory enforcement. Conventional molecular identification methods are generally applied in the laboratory, with limited rapid on-site application. This study developed a field-deployable assay to identify the Japanese eel (Anguilla japonica), by incorporating multienzyme isothermal rapid amplification (MIRA) technology with a visually...
processing, quality, color, storage, enzymes
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease characterized by chronic inflammation and progressive cartilage breakdown. This study investigated the synergistic protec- tive effects of oleaster fruit extract (OE) and Sophora japonica L. fruit extract (SJE) against interleukin-1β (IL-1β) -induced inflammation in human chondrocytes. OE and SJE were tested individually and in combination at various ratios (3:1, 2:1, 1:1, 1:2, and 1:3). Among the tested mixtures, the 3:1 OE:SJE ratio...
food science, polyphenols, antioxidants, protein, quality
Diannan small-ear pig (DSP) ham is known for exceptional flavor. However, the compo- sition of flavor components and the mechanisms underlying flavor development remain unclear. In this study, we employed lipidomics, flavoromics, and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry technologies to investigate the com- position and formation mechanism of DSP ham flavor compounds. On a 10-point scale, the results demonstrated that DSP ham had good flavor qualities with...
food science, protein, fiber, nutrition, processing
Global warming has caused rice grains to ripen at high temperatures and become in- creasingly chalky, which also leads to a deterioration in the physicochemical and cooking properties of rice grains. In the present work, we first want to propose how to evaluate the palatability of rice from the high-temperature year 2022. We evaluated the qualities of 32 Japonica rice grains harvested in 2022. These showed no significant correlation with either amylose content or protein content, while the...
noodles, flour, starch, protein, fiber
Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is a very popular tropical drupe that can be consumed fresh or dried. It is rich in essential nutrients such as vitamins, dietary fibre, and minerals, as well as biologically active substances, with a positive effect on health. However, it can also contain potentially toxic elements, which justifies the need of properly investigating this food product. Commercially available samples of dried mango, as well as the mesocarp and peel of fresh mango, were analysed....
food science, polyphenols, antioxidants, nutrition, processing
Viruses play a regulatory role in microbial ecology. Traditional fermented foods have com- plex fermentation environments with abundant viral participation, yet current research on viral communities in fermented foods remains insufficient. Traditional, manually produced solid-state fermented vinegar serves as an excellent model for studying the role of viral communities in fermented foods. Using metagenomic approaches, this study investigates the structure and dynamics of viral communities...
polyphenols, wheat, flour, starch, protein
Rice husk (RH), an underutilized by-product of rice milling, represents a promising source of dietary fiber with health-promoting potential. This study investigated the effects of growth stage and particle size on the chemical composition and functional properties of dietary fiber isolated from green rice husk (G-RH) and ripe rice husk (R-RH). Cellulose contents ranged from 62 to 85 g/100 g DW in G-RH and from 38 to 73 g/100 g DW in R-RH, while β-glucan levels were 66–85 mg/g DW and 67–92 mg/g...
antioxidants, wheat, flour, starch, protein
A novel diamine oxidase (DAO) was discovered in the bacterium Glutamicibacter halo- phytocola (DAO-GH). The gene of DAO-GH was integrated into the genome of the yeast Komagataella phaffii and recombinantly produced under control of the methanol-inducible AOX1 promoter in a bioreactor cultivation. A high DAO activity of 70.2 ± 5.2 μkat/Lculture (5.25 ± 0.22 μkat/gprotein) was yielded after 90 h of cultivation. The DAO-GH was partially purified by the polyethyleneimine precipitation of nucleic...
food science, protein, nutrition, processing, color
The jostaberry (Ribes × nidigrolaria) hybrid is a rich source of phytochemicals with high antioxidant activity (AA). However, due to the thick skin and seeds, the whole fruits are rejected by some consumers, and their incorporation into food products may negatively affect the sensory properties. Furthermore, after drying, including freeze-drying, jostaber- ries become sticky and gummy, making them unsuitable for grinding into powder. In this context, the present study aims to improve the...
polyphenols, antioxidants, starch, fiber, nutrition
In the present study, the biofilm formation and ultraviolet-C (UVC) resistance characteris- tics of Escherichia coli isolated from an occluded biliary stent were compared with those of four E. coli O157:H7 strains (ATCC 35150, 43889, 43890, and 43895). To evaluate biofilm formation, the E. coli isolated from a stent and four E. coli O157:H7 strains were incubated at 37, 25, and 15 ◦C for 7 days, revealing that peak biofilm formation occurred at 37 ◦C (day 1), 25 ◦C (day 3), and 15 ◦C (day 5),...
food science, wheat, protein, nutrition, processing
This systematic review analyzes emerging inducers that optimize the germination process of cereals and pseudocereals to enhance bioactive compound production, categorizing them as physical (UV-B radiation, electromagnetic fields, ultrasound, cold plasma), chemical (phytohormones, minerals, growth regulators), and biological (concurrent fermentation, microbial extracts). The results reveal that these inducers significantly increase specific metabolites such as GABA enrichment (up to 800%),...
polyphenols, antioxidants, wheat, flour, starch
Given the growing consumer demand for improved quality of life and health-promoting foods, replacing conventional fats in widely consumed products such as bread with oils derived from native Brazilian fruits represents a promising strategy. This study aimed to evaluate the bioactive and technological potential of buriti (Mauritia flexuosa) and acuri (Attalea phalerata) oils, extracted from palm fruits native to the Cerrado and Amazon biomes. Both oils proved to be rich sources of lipophilic...
food science, polyphenols, antioxidants, wheat, flour
The incorporation of probiotics into food products has gained substantial attention, pri- marily due to their well-documented health benefits such as modulating gut microbiota, enhancing immune responses, and providing potential therapeutic effects. This compre- hensive review discusses recent advancements in the application of probiotics in the food industry, focusing on diverse food matrices, technological and regulatory challenges, and consumer acceptance. Particular emphasis is placed on...
polyphenols, antioxidants, wheat, flour, starch
This study investigates the aroma differences among various peach and nectarine varieties by sensory evaluation, electronic nose (E-nose) analysis, and metabolomics. Peach is a significant fruit crop in China, and identifying unique fragrances is essential for germplasm selection and cultivar improvement. Six peach and nectarine varieties were collected from the National Peach Germplasm Repository in Nanjing, China. Sensory evaluation revealed significant differences in aroma and taste, with...
fiber, processing, quality, sensory, color
This study valorized camel milk residue (CMR) via optimized bacterial fermentation to produce bioactive peptides with hypoglycemic potential. Screening of eleven bacterial strains identified four optimal starters. Artificial neural network (ANN) simulation signifi- cantly outperformed response surface methodology (RSM) in modeling and prediction, as evidenced by its superior performance in key statistical metrics, including R2, RMSE, and AAD(%), ultimately achieving a maximized yield of...
starch, protein, processing, quality, sensory
This study considers consumers’ risk perceptions and safety preferences as external shock factors in food safety incidents. These factors are incorporated into a general equilibrium model defined by the food safety hierarchy, and the computational experiment method is employed to examine the direction of spillover effects. According to the findings, the spillover direction and intensity of food safety incidents are jointly influenced by the characteristics of consumers, food and the market....
processing, quality, safety, analysis, health
Food fraud in meat products presents serious economic and public health challenges, un- derscoring the need for rapid and reliable detection methods. This study investigates the potential of Raman spectroscopy combined with machine learning to accurately discrimi- nate between pure and mixed minced meat preparations. We evaluated three classification algorithms: Support Vector Machines (SVMs), Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), and Random Forests (RFs). Raman spectra were collected from 19...
food science, protein, nutrition, processing, quality
Human milk contains a wide variety of proteins, possessing antimicrobial and immunomod- ulatory activities, which are essential for normal infant growth. Over the past few years, the widespread interest in milk’s nutritional quality and its association with infant health care has led to scientific research on the composition of different milk types. In this study, the similarity between protein content in human and donkey milk during the ninth-month lactation period is estimated. Our results...
protein, nutrition, quality, color, analysis
Food packaging systems play a critical role in reducing resource wastage, extending shelf- life, and enhancing supply chain sustainability. Carbon dots (CDs) have emerged as promising nanofillers for sustainable active and smart packaging due to their exceptional optical properties, biocompatibility, and antimicrobial activity. This review synthesizes recent advances in CD-based food packaging technologies, focusing on their multifunc- tional applications and performance enhancements. We...
polyphenols, antioxidants, wheat, starch, protein
Received: 17 August 2025 Accepted: 29 August 2025 Published: 1 September 2025 Citation: Liu, X.; Fan, G. Microbial Mastery in Food Innovation: Synergizing Flavor, Functionality, and Safety for Next-Generation Nutrition. Foods 2025, 14, 3081. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/foods14173081 Copyright: © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license...
polyphenols, wheat, protein, fiber, nutrition
Early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) is emerging as a significant global health concern, particularly among individuals under the age of 50. This alarming trend has coincided with an increase in the consumption of processed foods that often rely heavily on synthetic preservatives. At the same time, these additives play a critical role in ensuring food safety and shelf life. Growing evidence suggests that they may contribute to adverse gut health outcomes, which is a known risk factor in...
polyphenols, antioxidants, starch, protein, fiber
This cross-sectional study assessed the prevalence of food insecurity and food literacy and examined food intake among low-income Saudi families. It provides valuable insights into the association between food literacy, food insecurity, and food intake, contributing to a better understanding of the food-related challenges faced by vulnerable families. Conducted in June 2024, this study involved 483 low-income adults in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected through an online questionnaire...
nutrition, quality, safety, analysis, bread
Probiotics’ potential to enhance gut health is often limited by their poor survival dur- ing gastrointestinal (GI) transit, a challenge influenced by the composition and timing of co-ingested foods. Addressing the lack of dietary guidelines for optimal probiotic adminis- tration, this in vitro study examines how consuming Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) with different foods at varying timings affects bacterial survival during simulated digestion. The results showed that simultaneous intake...
antioxidants, wheat, flour, starch, protein
A blend with pumpkin and sunflower seed flours was prepared and dried at 41.5 ◦C for 5 h to create a minimally heat-treated blend for a raw food diet. The blend was inoculated with Lactobacillus acidophilus and Fusarium langsethiae to assess the effect of L. acidophilus on Fusarium growth and mycotoxin production. Drying did not affect the content of naturally occurring microorganisms but significantly reduced water activity (p < 0.05) and increased total phenolic content in samples with...
antioxidants, wheat, flour, nutrition, processing
Fruits and vegetables are essential for a healthy diet, providing vital nutrients and contribut- ing to global food security. Fungal pathogens that interact with fruits and vegetables reduce their quality and shelf life and lead to economic losses and risks to human health through the production of mycotoxins. Chemical fungicides, used to control postharvest pathogens, are posing serious environmental and health risks, driving interest in safer alternative strategies. Biocontrol methods using...
food science, antioxidants, protein, nutrition, processing
This study aims to screen out high-yield protease lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from cheese and analyze the flavor and functional characteristics of their fermentation of corn protein hydrolysate (CPH). Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus ZYN-71 and Limosilactobacillus fermentum ZYN-76 were isolated and screened by traditional biological methods. Then, the two strains synergistically fermented CPH, and it was found that the scavenging rate of DPPH, ·OH, and O2−· and the chelating ability of Fe2+ of the...
wheat, flour, starch, protein, nutrition
This study aims to further analyze the chemical characteristics of mountainous forest cultivated ginseng (MFCG) and garden ginseng (GG), concerning their calcium oxalate crystals, organic acids, and ginsenosides. The results demonstrate that MFCG had higher levels of non-free oxalate, calcium oxalate crystals, and most ginsenosides, while GG had higher fumaric acid/total organic acids. The content of non-free oxalate and cal- cium oxalate crystals in rhizome was the highest, showing a positive...
wheat, starch, fiber, nutrition, quality
Fermentation represents a sustainable biotechnological approach for enhancing bioactive properties of plant-based foods, yet its anticancer effects remain underexplored. We eval- uated the antiproliferative activity of fermented (with commercial probiotic lactic acid bacteria consortium) and unfermented plant-based beverages derived from tiger nut, carob, and rice using an in vitro model. Following INFOGEST 2.0 gastrointestinal digestion, bioaccessible fractions were applied to Caco-2...
food science, polyphenols, antioxidants, protein, fiber
By integrating waste valorization with green extraction, in the current study, the impacts of distinct extraction methods on the extraction yield, structural characterization, in vitro antioxidant abilities and in vitro immunomodulatory activity of polysaccharides from Pholiota nameko residue (PNRP) were determined, providing assistance for the resource utilization of Pholiota nameko. Six PNRPs were obtained by hot water extraction, ultrasonic- assisted extraction, acid-assisted extraction,...
polyphenols, antioxidants, wheat, starch, protein
Tuanao, a traditional Northern Thai fermented soybean product, was profiled with an integrated multi-omics workflow to clarify how microbes and metabolites co-evolve during household fermentation. Soybeans were fermented spontaneously for three days; samples from four time points were analyzed by shotgun metagenomics alongside 1H-NMR and UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS metabolomics. Bacillus spp. (phylum Bacilliota) quickly sup- planted early Enterobacterales and dominated the mature microbiome. The rise...
food science, protein, nutrition, processing, quality
Plant-based diets are increasingly recognized for their potential health benefits, reduced environmental impact, and alignment with ethical concerns related to animal welfare. Plant-based meat analogues (PBMAs), formulated using alternative vegetable protein sources, can contribute to the nutritional adequacy of such diets while supporting con- sumer adherence by replicating the sensory characteristics of conventional meat products. This study aimed to establish evidence-based nutritional...
food science, wheat, protein, fiber, nutrition
The main quality and safety issue in processing salted jellyfish for food is excessive alu- minum. After dealumination, problems such as a low quality and short shelf life may occur. A method for reprocessing dealuminated jellyfish that can maintain quality and yield bactericidal effects is necessary. Alcohol provides astringent protein and bactericidal effects, and ethanol is safe and nontoxic. It can be added as needed in food production. The optimal processing conditions were determined by...
protein, fiber, nutrition, processing, quality
The comparison of rice albumin (RA) after heat treatment at neutral and acidic conditions was investigated in this study. Compared to the decreased thioflavin T (ThT) intensity of RA at pH 2 during heating, the ThT intensity of RA at pH 7 increased throughout the process of fibrillization. After fibrillization, the ThT intensity of RA at pH 7 was significantly increased by 27%, 38% and 35% at the protein concentrations of 1%, 2% and 4%, respectively. In addition, worm-like fibrils with a...
food science, flour, starch, protein, nutrition
Microbial proteins offer a sustainable alternative for animal nutrition. Rossellomorea maris- flavi NDS, a bacterium isolated from seawater, was previously identified as a promising candidate due to its high protein content. This study aimed to enhance its single cell protein production through systemic fermentation optimization. Single-factor optimiza- tion in shake flask determined the optimal conditions to be: a salinity of 20‰ NaCl, a temperature of 32 ◦C, and an initial pH of 7.3, and a...
wheat, flour, protein, fiber, nutrition
Pea protein isolate (PPI) is a plant protein with high nutritional value, but its application in food is limited by an unpleasant beany flavor. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility of improving the flavor of PPI through fermentation with Enterococcus faecalis 07. PPI was subjected to fermentation by E. faecalis 07 for different durations (0 H, 24 H, 48 H, and 72 H). After fermentation, pH, viable cell counts, free amino acid contents, electronic tongue analysis, and volatile organic...
food science, wheat, flour, protein, fiber
The aim of this study was to evaluate liposomal particles as a potential delivery system for natamycin, a widely known antimicrobial agent used in the food industry. The goal was to prolong its diffusion into the surrounding medium. Natamycin-loaded liposomes were prepared using two methods (proliposome and thin-film) and two different phospholipid mixtures. The characterization of natamycin-loaded liposomes was performed in terms of their chemical composition (FT-IR analysis), encapsulation...
polyphenols, antioxidants, starch, protein, fiber
Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor, LINNAEUS, 1758) is a protein-rich edible insect. In this study, low-gluten wheat flour was formulated with mealworm protein powder at various concentrations (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) to investigate its influence on the pasting, farinographic, and extensographic properties of low-gluten wheat flour, as well as the changes in the overall quality of the resulting biscuits (soda crackers and cookies). The viscosity of the composite flour decreased with an increasing...
wheat, flour, starch, protein, fiber
The development of sustainable packaging in the food industry is essential to meet the growing demand for more environmentally friendly practices and to contribute to mate- rial circularity and solid waste reduction. In this context, this review explores the main categories of sustainable packaging in the food industry, including recyclable, reusable, biodegradable, and compostable packages, highlighting the materials used, their charac- teristics, advantages, and limitations. Furthermore, it...
antioxidants, starch, protein, fiber, processing
Anthracnose is one of the most serious postharvest diseases that can manifest in mango. The mechanism and inhibitory effects of β-aminobutyric acid (BABA) on anthracnose in harvested mango fruit were investigated. The “Guifei” fruits were pretreated with different concentrations of 25, 50, 75, and 100 mmol/L BABA, with 0 mmol/L BABA as the control, and inoculated with Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. The results showed that 50 mmol/L BABA treatment significantly reduced the incidence of...
antioxidants, protein, fiber, nutrition, processing
This study proposes a novel non-destructive approach to assessing and predicting the quality of stored date fruits using a composite quality index (Qi) modeled via visible– near-infrared (VIS–NIR) spectroscopy and artificial neural networks (ANNs). Two lead- ing cultivars, Sukkary and Khlass, were stored for 12 months using three temperature regimes (25 ◦C, 5 ◦C, and −18 ◦C) and five types of packaging. The samples were grouped into six moisture content categories (4.36–36.70% d.b.), and key...
food science, antioxidants, starch, protein, fiber
Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by progressive cognitive decline associated with ox- idative stress, neuroinflammation, and impaired neurotrophic signaling. Sulforaphane, a bioactive compound found in broccoli, has demonstrated neuroprotective effects by activat- ing NRF2 and inhibiting NF-κB. However, the efficacy of whole-food-derived sulforaphane remains unclear. This study evaluated the neuroprotective potential of broccoli sprout extract using a scopolamine-induced mouse model of...
food science, antioxidants, processing, quality, color
Received: 15 August 2025 Revised: 24 August 2025 Accepted: 28 August 2025 Published: 29 August 2025 Citation: Anjos, O.; Miguel, M.d.G. Unveiling the Chemistry and Bioactivity of Bee Products and Their Derivatives. Foods 2025, 14, 3058. https://doi.org/10.3390/ foods14173058 Copyright: © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license...
antioxidants, protein, fiber, nutrition, processing