Lipids are considered to be critical contributors to the nutrition, structural function, metabolic function, and other biological roles. They vary from one biological source to another. Here, the lipids from three common sources (soybean, egg yolk, and shrimp head) were comprehensively compared and characterized using lipidomics approach, together with UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap/MS method. A total of 3027 lipid structures containing 778 FA, 750 GL, 1283 GP, 200 SP, and 16 ST were firstly identified and quantified in these resources. The characteristic lipid species with significant difference among groups were determined by lipidomics analysis. Besides, the antithrombotic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated based on the zebrafish model. The correlation between differential lipids and activities was also analyzed. Our comprehensive lipidomics profiling and bioactivities of lipids from different sources in vivo can provide evidence for their future applications.

Various mycotoxins are widely co-existed in agro-products, their combined effects perform toxicity and potential carcinogenicity to humans and animals. In this work, we developed an economical and sensitive quantum dots/quantum dots microbeads (QDs/QBs)-based multiplex immunochromatographic assay (mICA) for the rapid detection of fumonisin B1 (FB1), zearalenone (ZEN), and ochratoxin A (OTA) without the building-up process of mycotoxin-conjugates. QDs and QBs were selected as fluorescent reporters, and conjugated with anti-mycotoxin monoclonal antibodies for improving sensitivity. Furthermore, phage-displayed FB1, ZEN, and OTA mimotope peptide-based soluble and monovalent fusions to maltose-binding protein (MBP) were applied onto the test line of the multiplex immunochromatographic assay as mimetic coating antigen. Under the optimized conditions, the visual detection limits (vLOD) of peptide-MBP based mICA could be obtained of FB1 for 0.25 ng/mL, ZEN for 3.0 ng/mL, and OTA for 0.5 ng/mL within 10 min. The results for spiked real samples detection indicate good accuracy, reproducibility, and practicability. In addition, the proposed mICA was comparable with ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) in terms of reliability in detecting FB1, ZEN and OTA by using naturally samples. From the point of promoting commercial production, these time-saving and low-cost peptide-MBP antigen applied onto ICA might provide a promising potential for promoting productivity and decreasing the cost of production.

An electric soldering iron ion source (ESII) coupling with rapid evaporative ionization mass spectrometry (REIMS) was developed and used for in situ monitoring dynamic variation trend in oxidation characteristics of fish oil during storage. The lipidomics profiles of fish oil stored at various days were acquired by ESII-REIMS. The fatty acid (FA) and triacylglycerol (TAG) species were structurally identified and their abundances were analyzed according to multivariate statistical models mainly including principle component analysis (PCA) as well as orthogonal partial least-square analysis (OPLS-DA). On the shared and unique structures plot (SUS-plot), the ions of m/z 255.23, 281.24, 877.72, and 901.72 displayed the most significant variation amongst the oxidized fish oil samples. Based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis with optimal Youden index 0.91, these markers were further verified. The variation of viscosity, and volatiles were also evaluated to further verify the oxidation characteristics of fish oil. The study demonstrated that ESII-REIMS technology used as an advanced detection method could ensure fish oil quality during storage.

Lignin content, composition, and linkage types were investigated in pear fruit cultivars and related species. Lignin content increased during early stages, then decreased toward ripening in the core and flesh of “Gold Nijisseiki” and “Alexandrine Douillard”. Lignin content was highest at harvest in Chinese quince. Only trace amounts of lignin were detected in apple flesh. Lignin content was low in Japanese pear “Ohshu”, “Hosui”, and “Kosui” and the non-condensed lignin index was high in flesh. The lignin type was guaiacyl-syringyl (GS) in these pears and related species. The S/G ratio at harvest varied widely (0.75–2.64) and increased during early stages and remained constant toward harvest in “Gold Nijisseiki” and “Alexandrine Douillard”. “Gold Nijisseiki” and “Alexandrine Douillard”, were determined to be G- and S-lignin rich types, respectively. β-Aryl ether, phenylcoumaran, and resinol interunit linkage types were detected among monolignol bonds and β-Aryl ether units were the main linkages in pear.

This study investigated the toxicity of trichlorfon (TCF) to the freshwater algae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, as well as its biodegradation and metabolic fate. The growth of C. reinhardtii decreased with increasing TCF concentration, and the maximum inhibition ratio was 51.3% at 200 mg L-1 TCF compared to the control. Analyses of pigment content, chlorophyll fluorescence, and antioxidant enzymes indicated that C. reinhardtii can produce resistance and acclimatize to the presence of TCF. The variations in pH during cultivation suggested that photosynthetic microalgae have innate advantages over bacteria and fungi in remediating TCF. A 100% biodegradation rate was achieved at a maximum concentration of 100 mg L-1 TCF. Ten metabolites were identified by GC–MS, and the degradation pathways of TCF by the algae were proposed. This research demonstrated that C. reinhardtii is highly tolerant to and can efficiently degrade TCF. Thus, C. reinhardtii can be used to remove traces of TCF from natural water environments and to treat TCF-contaminated wastewater.

Our aim was to investigate DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes regulating cadmium tolerance in two soybean cultivars. Cultivars Liaodou 10 (LD10, Cd-sensitive) and Shennong 20 (SN20, Cd-tolerant) seedlings were grown hydroponically on Murashige & Skoog (MS) media containing 0-2.5 mg•L-1 Cd for 4 days. Cd stress induced less random amplified polymorphism DNA (RAPD) polymorphism in LD10 than in SN20 roots, causing G1/S arrest in LD10 and G2/M arrest in SN20 roots. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of MLH1 in LD10-TRV-MLH1 plantlets showed markedly diminished G1/S arrest, but enhanced root length/area under Cd stress. However, an increase in G1/S arrest and reduction of G2/M arrest occurred in SN20-TRV-MSH2 and SN20-TRV-MSH6 plantlets with decreased root length/area under Cd stress. Taken together, we conclude that low expression of MSH2 and MSH6, involved in the G2/M arrest, results in Cd-induced DNA damage recognition bypassing the MMR system to activate G1/S arrest with the assistance of MLH1. This then leads to repressed root growth in LD10, explaining the inter-varietal difference in Cd tolerance in soybean.

α-Pinene is an important monoterpene that is widely used as a pharmaceutical, biofuel, etc. We first established a cell-free system with modular cocatalysis for the production of pinene from glucose. After optimization of the compositions of the cell-free reaction mixture using the Plackett-Burman experimental design and the path of steepest ascent, the production of pinene increased by 57%. It was found that ammonium acetate, NAD+ and NADPH are the three most important parameters for the production of pinene. Mix-and-match experiments showed that the simultaneous addition of the lysate of Escherichia coli overexpressing native 4-hydroxy-3-methylbut-2-enyl diphosphate reductase, SufBCD Fe-S cluster assembly protein, isopentenyl-diphosphate isomerase and Pinus taeda pinene synthase improved the production of pinene. Increasing the enzyme concentration of the extract further enhanced the production of pinene to 1256.31±46.12 mg/L with a productivity of 104.7 mg/L h, almost 1.2‐fold faster than any system reported thus far. This study demonstrates that cell-free system is a powerful and robust platform for biomanufacturer.

Alcohol is a globally well-established cause of fatty liver disease (FLD). Increased salt consumption is associated with an increased prevalence of adipocyte hypertrophy and liver injury. In this study, high dietary salt potentiated chronic alcohol-induced hepatic damage. We explored the physiological mechanism of alcoholic FLD in the gastro-intestinal tract. Male C57BL/6J mice (8-week-old) were fed a high-salt diet (HSD; 4% NaCl) with or without chronic ethanol (CE) for 1 month. The fecal microbiota, serum biochemical indices, intestinal permeability, level of liver damage, and liver mitochondria were evaluated. That the HSD, CE and their combination (HSDE) significantly changed the gut microbiota’s structure and the HSDE mice contained more probiotic species (e.g., Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus). The serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase levels were increased, and lipid was accumulated in the liver tissues in the CE, HSD and HSDE groups, which indicated liver damage, especially in the HSDE group. The increased intestinal permeability and mitochondrial dysfunction in the liver cells caused greater injury in the HSDE group than in the other groups. Thus, consuming HSD with alcohol contributes to FLD development and progression.

Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is widely used as a plasticizer to improve its flexibility and workability. Lycopene (LYC) is a natural compound and has promising preventive potentials, especially anti-reproductive toxicity, but specific underlying mechanism has yet to be fully defined. Our study investigated the effects of LYC on DEHP-induced spermatogenesis disturbance. The male ICR mice were treated with DEHP (500 mg/kg BW/day or 1000 mg/kg BW/day) and/or LYC (5 mg/kg BW/day) for 28 days. Our results indicated that LYC could relieve DEHP-induced injury of seminiferous tubules and spermatogenic cells, swelling of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and the increase of mitochondria. LYC prevented an increasing of the levels of nuclear damage to DNA and deformity rate, and a decreasing of the values of sperm motility, number and density. Moreover, LYC treatment decreased DEHP-induced nuclear accumulation of AHR and ARNT, and the expression of their downstream target genes (CYP1A1, CYP1A2 and CYP1B1) were markedly reduced to normal in the LYC treatment group. Our study showed that LYC could prevent the potential against DEHP-induced spermatogenic disorders via AHR/ARNT signaling system. This study provided the new evidence of AHR as a target for LYC which could prevent the DEHP-induced toxicity.

ABSTRACT: Cyclocarya paliurus is commonly used for the prevention and treatment of hypertension, diabetes, and inflammation in South China. Although research on the anti-inflammatory effects of C. paliurus leaves has been reported, no active anti-inflammatory compounds have been identified. In the present study, RAW 264.7 cells were used to establish a bioactivity-guided identification model to verify the inhibitory effects of C. paliurus leaves on inflammation and identify the anti-inflammatory constituents. The anti-inflammatory bioactivity-guided isolation of an extract from the leaves of C. paliurus led to the isolation and characterization of eighteen dammarane triterpenoid saponins, including eleven new 3,4-seco-dammarane triterpenoid saponins (1-11), the structures of which were identified by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), mass spectrometry (MS) and comparison with literature data. Compounds 7, 8, 10, and 11 strongly inhibited the release of nitric oxide (NO), with IC50 values ranging from 8.23 μM to 11.23 μM. These four compounds significantly decreased the secretion of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, compound 7 markedly decreased the expression of the proteins inducible nitric-oxide synthase (iNOS), nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB/p65) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). In addition, the structure-activity relationships of the isolates were investigated. The results suggest that 3,4-seco-dammarane triterpenoid saponins may be used as potential anti-inflammatory drugs and warrant further investigation.

Here, we investigated the effect of cold plasma (CP) on the biological activities of phloroglucinol. Phloroglucinol (7.92 and 15.84 mM in methanol) was treated with air dielectric barrier discharge plasma at 250 W. In vitro 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging activity and Ferrous reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) values of phloroglucinol increased in a plasma treatment time-dependent manner. CP treatment of phloroglucinol decreased the lipid oxidation of oil emulsion during storage and increased the antimicrobial activity against Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Staphylococcus aureus. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity of phloroglucinol increased and total phenolic content decreased based on CP treatment. CP-induced polymerization of phloroglocinol to phlorotannin derivatives was identified using high performance liquid chromatography with UV detector and electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry (HPLC-UV-ESI/MS) method. Consequently, the polymer structure of phloroglucinol was found in CP-treated phloroglucinol. In addition, CP enhances the biological activity of phloroglucinol and could be applied to bioactive materials in food and related industries.

The goal of this study was to explore the regulatory mechanisms of phenyllactic acid (PLA) overaccumulation in Lactobacillus plantarum. The dynamics of PLA production revealed that 24 h was a suitable fermentation time, at which one of the largest differences in PLA content between strains S1 and YM-4-3 was 22.42 mg/L. Additionally, an optimization experiment showed that PLA production under the optimal condition (sample YM-4-3y) was up to 400.74 mg/L, 7.61–13.26 times as those of YM-4-3 and S1. Subsequently, an integrated analysis of genomic, transcriptomic and metabolomic data revealed that, YM-4-3 and YM-4-3y, compared with S1, although lacking a complete de novo biosynthetic pathway, increased PLA production by strengthening the core pathway and central carbon metabolism, and weakening the biosynthesis pathway of amino acids and their derivatives. These changes can provide sufficient precursors and compensate for or balance the energy consumed by the reinforced core pathway.

Milk powders in the United States (US) may contain nitrates and nitrites from several potential sources. These sources include the ingestion of nitrates and nitrites by dairy cows during grazing and drinking, nitric acid used during the sanitization of dairy equipment, and the production of nitrous oxides in directly heated spray dryers. Recently, milk powders manufactured in the US have been rejected during import to other countries due to having nitrite concentrations greater than 2 mg/kg (ppm). To date, the concentrations of nitrates and nitrites in milk and plant-based powders in the US is unknown. In this study the nitrate and nitrite concentrations present in diverse milk powders was investigated including 81 milk powders from local and online retailers from 2015-2018. In addition, 71 commercial milk powders were obtained from blinded production facilities. Nitrate and nitrite concentrations were determined using ion chromatography with conductivity and UV detection. A subset of samples was analyzed for N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Carbon and nitrogen bulk isotope ratios analyzed using isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) were used to obtain some insight into the production method (organic vs. conventional) and geographic source of the milk powder samples. Background nitrate concentrations in US produced milk powder samples averaged 17 ± 12 mg/kg. Nitrite was detected at concentrations greater than 2 mg/kg in 5 out of 39 different brands of retail milk and plant-based powders. Of these brands, two were plant-based (soy, coconut) powders and the other three had consistently high nitrites. The analysis of milk powders using stable isotope analysis revealed further information about the cow’s diet.

Collagen peptide can promote wound healing and is closely related to microbiome colonization. We investigated the relationship between collagen peptide, wound healing, and wound microflora colonization by administering the murine wound model with Salmon salar skin collagen peptides (Ss-SCP) and Tilapia nilotica skin collagen peptides (Tn-SCP). We analyzed the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), fibroblast growth factors (β-FGF), pattern recognition receptor (NOD2), antimicrobial peptides β-defence14 (BD14), proinflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8), anti-inflammatory (IL-10), macrophage and neutrophil infiltration levels, and microbial communities in the rat wound. The healing rate of the Ss-SCP and Tn-SCP treated group were significantly accelerated, associated with decreased TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8, and up-regulated BD14, NOD2, IL-10, VEGF, and β-FGF. Accelerated healing in collagen peptide group shows that the wound microflora such as Leuconostoc, Enterococcus, and Bacillus have a positive effect on wound healing (P<0.01). Other microbiome species such as Stenotrophomonas, Bradyrhizobium, Sphingomonas, and Phyllobacterium had a negative influence was decreased colonization (P<0.01). All together, these studies show that collagen peptide could up-regulate wound NOD2 and BD14, which were implicated in microflora colonization regulation in the wound tissue and promoted wound healing by controlling inflammatory reaction and increasing wound angiogenesis and collagen deposition.

Page 13939. The first author Qingzheng Kang is affiliated with two institutions. The original paper only included one institution (Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518060, China). The other affiliation is “Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China”. The affiliations have been updated in this Addition and Correction. This article has not yet been cited by other publications.

A novel microbial consortium (NZDC-6) was screened and characterized to detoxify the estrogenic mycotoxin zearalenone (ZEA), which commonly contaminates maize and is a major threat to food and health security. We found NZDC-6 to be thermophilic and highly effective, with a 90.3% ZEA degradation ratio at an optimum temperature of 60 °C. NZDC-6 was also effective at degrading the more estrogenic ZEA cognates, α-zearalenol (α-ZAL) and β-zearalenol (β-ZAL), with > 90% degradation ratios. To evaluate a practical application, ZEA contaminated corncobs were treated with NZDC-6 via semi-solid fermentation. Measurements of physicochemical parameters and 16S microbial diversity and redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that ZEA removal was most efficient at low corncob solid content (< 5%), as high solid content overwhelmed the microbial metabolic load, leading to increased dissolved oxygen and lowered pH. Our results demonstrate that the control of environmental variables is crucial for effective ZEA microbial removal in practical applications. Keywords: zearalenone; biodegradation; 16S rRNA microbial characterization; environmental parameters; RDA analysis

Chlorpropham is a widely used sprouting inhibitor applied on potatoes during their storage. Currently, severe concerns are raised regarding the potential formation of 3-chloroaniline from chlorpropham during heat treatment. The reactions degrading the molecule in matrix are quite complex under harsh processing conditions and a molecular investigation is thus challenging. This study aims to decipher the reaction pathways and to discover new metabolites in typical high temperature food processing steps. For this purpose, potatoes were treated with 14C-radiolabelled chlorpropham, stored for up to six months and subjected to the traditional preparation steps boiling, frying and baking. A quantification method including an acidic hydrolysis was developed for analysis of free and bound analytes. All conducted processing steps led to a substantial mitigation of chlorpropham residues in the consumable products. 17 ± 6% of residues remained in boiled tubers, while 27 ± 3% and 22 ± 3% remained in the fried and baked products, respectively. Chlorpropham was transferred into the surrounding media (boiling water, frying oil, and air, respectively). 3-Chloroaniline was only (raw tubers) or predominantly (processed tubers) present as bound analyte and was shown to form during storage but not during processing. Additionally, non-extractable and non-quantified residues were detected in the baked and in the long-term stored tubers after processing. Future studies will have to balance beneficial (mitigating) and potentially hazardous aspects of these results. By transferring the 14C-food processing approach to a variety of substances, ingredients and processes, it will be possible to further understand chemical reactions in food processing – finally leading to safer food.

In this work, an electrical-driven release and migration glyphosate (EDRMG) was fabricated by using a nanocomposite made up of attapulgite (ATP), glyphosate (Gly), and calcium alginate (CA). Therein, ATP-CA acted as a nanonetwork structured carrier to efficiently load plenty of Gly to form porous ATP-Gly-CA hydrogel spheres (actually EDRMG-0.5) via cross-linking reaction. The pores in EDRMG-0.5 hydrogel spheres were enlarged under electric field because of the coulomb force of anionic CA polymer and the release of negatively-charged Gly from the spheres could be driven by electric field force. Thus EDRMG-0.5 exhibited a great electro-responsively controlled release property, which was confirmed by a pot experiment. Importantly, the EDRMG-0.5 hydrogel spheres owned a fine biocompatibility on fish and mice, displaying a good biosafety. This work provides a low cost and promising approach to control Gly release, deliver Gly precisely, and improve utilization efficiency, which might have a high application value.

Grapevine is extensively grown for fresh (table grapes), wine and other processed products worldwide. DNA methylation levels are regulated by DNA methylation maintenance and DNA methylation removal involved in the grapevine growth. We comprehensively analyzed the transcriptome and metabolome of the ‘Kyoho’ fruit with or without demethylation, and screened for a large number of differential genes and metabolites. Color, hardness and aroma are the most obvious traits reflecting the ripening of grape. We used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) to understand the changes in metabolites during ripening. We cloned many key genes selected by transcriptome analysis and found that intron retention was observed in VvCHS, VvDFR, and VvGST. The imbalance of methylation levels affects the alternative splicing (AS) of pre-mRNA, which makes the translation process abnormal and affects gene expression. In addition, analyzing promoters of some genes, such as proVvGST4 and proVvUFGT, finding the promoters of these genes after demethylating were more difficult to methylate. Taken together, this study will provide new insights into comprehension of molecular mechanism of methylation during ripening of grape berries. In addition, the study provides some genetic information to help guide our improvement, cultivation and management of the grapes in the future.

(−)-Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) had a significant effect on Maillard reaction intermediate formation in the xylose/alanine model system. A trapping effect of EGCG on the reactive deoxyosones was observed to change the reaction pathways. The rate constant of Amadori rearrangement product (ARP) conversion to deoxyosones was decreased with EGCG addition, indicating an inhibition of ARP degradation. Dehydration improved the ARP formation during the thermal reaction, and synergistically improved the yield of ARP with EGCG trapping effect on the deoxyosones. Additionally, EGCG decreased the activation energy for the conversion of xylose/alanine to ARP (from 77.8 to 62.8 kJ/mol), and in turn accelerated the ARP formation. The effect of EGCG was further facilitated at the optimal conditions of 90 °C, at pH 7.5 and molar ratio of xylose to alanine 2:1, which improved the yield of ARP (N-(1-deoxy-D-xylulos-1-yl)alanine) from 2% to 95%.

Ovarian cancer is one of the most serious female malignancies worldwide. Despite intensive effort has been made to overcome ovarian cancer, there still remain limited optional treatments for this disease. Nobiletin, a prospective Food-derived phytochemical, extracted from citrus fruits, has recently been reported to suppress ovarian cancer cells, but the role of pyroptosis in ovarian carcinoma with nobiletin still remains unknown. In this study, we aim to explore the effect of nobiletin on ovarian carcinoma, and further expound the underlying mechanisms of nobiletin induced ovarian cancer cell death. Our results showed that nobiletin could significantly inhibit cell proliferation, induce DNA damage, and also lead to apoptosis by increasing the cleaved PARP level of human ovarian cancer cells (HOCC) in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, we revealed nobiletin decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, induced ROS generation and autophagy of HOCC, contributing to GSDMD/GSDME-mediated pyroptosis. Taken together, nobiletin as functional food ingredient represents a promising new anti-ovarian cancer candidate that could induce apoptosis and trigger ROS-mediated pyroptosis through regulating autophagy in ovarian cancer cells.

Oxidative stress is known to be a key factor in many neurodegenerative diseases. Inflammation also plays a relevant role in a myriad of pathologies such as diabetes and atherosclerosis. Polyphenols coming from dietary sources, such as pterostilbene, may be beneficial in this type of diseases. However, most of them are rapidly metabolized and excreted yielding very low phenolic bioavailability what makes difficult to find out which are the mechanisms responsible for the observed bioactivity. Herein, we evaluate the effects of pterostilbene and its metabolites against H2O2-induced cell damage in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells and against LPS-challenged RAW 264.7 macrophages. Among the metabolites tested, 3-methyl-4´-glucuronate-resveratrol (also called 4’-glucuronate pinostilbene, PIN-GlcAc, 11) prevented neuronal death via attenuation of ROS levels and increased REDOX activity in neurons. This compound is also able to ameliorate LPS-mediated inflammation on macrophages via inhibition of IL-6 and NO production. Thus, polyphenol from dietary sources could be part of potential functional foods designed to ameliorate the onset and progression of certain neurodegenerative diseases via oxidative stress reduction.

A potent unpleasant aroma presenting a pickle-like off-odor in Moutai-aroma type Baijiu was studied by comparative aroma extract dilution analysis (cAEDA). Two Moutai-aroma type Baijiu samples, one having no off-odor (A) and the other one presenting pickle-like off-odor (B), were selected for chemical analysis and sensory evaluation. The aroma compounds were isolated by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and liquid-liquid extraction (LLE). AEDA, quantitative analysis, and odor activity values calculation (OAVs) were determined in both the A and B samples. Main differences between the two samples were obtained for 12 compounds presenting significantly higher concentrations in the off-odor sample. A total of 30 Moutai-aroma type Baijiu samples having different intensities of pickle-like sensory defect were analyzed to confirm the differences. An aroma addition test indicated that the 12 compounds with higher concentrations contributed to the pickle-like off-odor when spiked into sample A. Finally, a triangle test involving omission of the aroma compounds from spiked A proved that 2-methyl-3-furanthiol, methional, methyl 2-methyl-3-furyl disulfide, dimethyl trisulfide, 2-furfurylthiol, methanethiol, dimethyl disulfide, and bis (2-methyl-3-furyl) disulfide with higher concentrations were generally responsible for the pickle-like off-odor in Moutai-aroma type Baijiu.

The dimer procyanidin B2 [epicatechin-(4-8)-epicatechin] (PB2) has attracted lots of interest in nutrition and medicine due to its significant health-promoting abilities. However, the function of PB2 on different type of skeletal myofiber is still unclear. Here, we found PB2 significantly increased protein expression of slow myosin heavy chain (MyHC) and decreased fast MyHC protein in C2C12 myotubes, accompanied by up-regulation of mRNA expression of MyHC I, MyHC IIa and Tnni1 and by down-regulation of MyHC IIx and MyHC IIb. We also found PB2 enhanced the activities of malate dehydrogenase and succinic dehydrogenase and reduced lactate dehydrogenase activity. PB2 promoted phosphorylation of AMPK and significantly increased mRNA expression of AMPK1. The upstream factors of AMPK, such as phospho-LKB1, NRF1 and CaMKK, and the downstream factors of AMPK, including Sirt1 and PGC-1α, were also increased by PB2. Specific suppression of AMPK signaling by AMPK1 siRNA or by AMPK inhibitor compound C significantly attenuated the PB2-induced up-regulation of phospho-AMPK, PGC-1 and slow MyHC and down-regulation of fast MyHC. Our findings suggested PB2 promotes skeletal slow-twitch myofiber gene expression through AMPK signaling pathway in C2C12 myotubes.

During submerged cultivation, the edible basidiomycete Fomitopsis betulina (previously Piptoporus betulinus) developed a fruity odor, strongly reminding of pineapple. Olfactometric analysis showed that this impression was mainly caused by the two (5E/Z,7E,9)-decatrien-2-ones. At the time of maximum concentration on the fifth day, the (5E:5Z)-ratio was 94:6.Three hypotheses were experimentally examined to shed light onto the genesis of the uncommon volatiles: First, an indirect effect of agro-industrial side-streams, such as cabbage cuttings, supporting good growth; second, an unsaturated odd-numbered fatty acid precursor; third, a polyketide-like pathway. In the presence of 1-13C- or 2-13C-acetate up to five acetates were incorporated into the molecular ions of the C10-body. Addition of 1-13C-pyruvate or 1-13C-lactate did not confirm an odd-numbered starter of the polyketide chain. None of the methylketones was found in pineapple or any other food before.

The carotenoid derived volatile β-ionone plays an important role in the formation of green and black tea flavor due to its low odor threshold, but its formation and the gene(s) involved in its biosynthesis during tea withering process is(are) still unknown. In this study, we found that the content of β-ionone increased during the tea withering process catalyzed by an unknown enzyme(s). Correlation analysis of expression patterns of Camellia sinensis carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase genes (CsCCDs) and β-ionone content during the withering period revealed (CsCCD4) as most promising candidate. The full-length CsCCD4 gene was amplified from C. sinensis and the biochemical function of the recombinant CsCCD4 protein was studied after coexpression in E. coli strains engineered to accumulate β-carotene. The recombinant protein was able to cleave a variety of carotenoids at the 9–10 and 9‘-10‘ double bonds.Volatile β-ionone was detected as the main product by gas and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The accumulation of β-ionone was consistent with the expression levels of CsCCD4 in different tissues and during the withering process. The CsCCD4 expression was induced by low temperature and mechanical damage stress but not by dehydration stress. The results demonstrate that CsCCD4 catalyzes the production of β-ionone in the tea plant and provide insight into its formation mechanism during the withering process.

This study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of improving the properties of pea protein isolate (PPI) related to food applications via deamidation with glutaminase. SDS-PAGE and FT-IR profiling revealed that the current glutaminase treatment did not change the basic protein subunit composition. But it allowed a certain extent of protein unfolding and conformational re-organization to generate more flexible and extended proteins with reduced average particle size and more hydrophobic groups exposed. The underlying mechanisms might include the reduction of β-sheets and anti-parallel β-sheets and the increase of β-turn structure. Moreover, the treatment time was of importance. A 12-h treatment was generally better than a 24-h treatment, and PPI treated with glutaminase at 50 °C for 12 h to a degree of deamidation of 56.1% exhibited significantly improved solubility, homogeneity, dispersibility, suspendability with reduced beany flavour, grittiness and lumpiness (compared to the untreated PPI). Thus, the glutaminase treatment offers a promising approach for enhancing the usability and applicability of pea proteins.

Diamide insecticides targeting ryanodine receptors (RyRs) are a major class of pesticides used to control a wide range of agricultural pests, but their efficacies have been reduced dramatically by the recent emerging resistance mutations. There is a pressing need to develop novel insecticides targeting distinct and novel binding sites within insect RyRs to overcome the resistance crisis, however, the limited structural information on insect RyRs is a major roadblock to our understanding of their molecular mechanisms. Here we report the crystal structure of RyR SPRY2 domain from the diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella, a destructive agricultural pest worldwide that has developed resistance to all classes of insecticide at 2.06 Å resolution. The overall fold of DBM SPRY2 is similar to its mammalian homolog, but it shows distinct conformations in several loops. Docking it into the recent published cryo-electron microscope structure of full-length RyR reveals that two insect-specific loops interact with BSol domain from the neighboring subunit. SPRY2-Bsol interface will change conformation upon channel gating, indicating it might be a potential targeting site for insect-specific insecticides. Interestingly, several previously identified disease-causing mutations also lie in the same interface, implying that this interface is important for channel gating. Another insect-specific loop located in SPRY2-SPRY3 interface might indirectly affect another gating interface between SPRY3 and Repeat34.

In this study, sample processing of bulk commodities using an efficient one-step comminution procedure with liquid nitrogen (LN2) was devised and assessed in the analysis of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables. The LN2 was added to the fresh samples from a tank by opening a valve, and the standard food chopper was kept in a laboratory hood to reduce safety risks. Test portions of 4 replicates each of 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, and 15 g were taken from 8 fruits and vegetables (tomato, squash, broccoli, apple, grape, peach, green bean, and cucumber) individually comminuted with LN2. For comparison without comminution, similar test portions of a reconstituted freeze-fried certified reference material of pesticides in cucumber were also analyzed by the same method. More than 100 pesticides were monitored by both ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography – tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) and instrument-top sample preparation (ITSP) + fast low-pressure gas chromatography (LPGC)-MS/MS. A new version of QuEChERS-based sample preparation was followed in which 5 mL 4/1 (v/v) acetonitrile/water per g sample is used for extraction, 200 μL initial extract is quickly evaporated, reconstituted in water, and ultra-centrifuged for UHPLC-MS/MS analysis. For ITSP+LPGC-MS/MS, another portion of the initial extract undergoes salt-out partitioning with 4/1 (w/w) anh. MgSO4/NaCl and the upper layer extract is transferred to an autosampler vial for automated cleanup and analysis in parallel. Quality control spikes were made during the comminution, extraction, cleanup, and analyses steps to isolate and estimate the individual and overall measurement uncertainties of the approach. Recommended test portion size is 2 g for routine monitoring by this approach, but results demonstrated that subsamples as low as 0.5 g typically gave overall biases and RSDs <10% for nearly all pesticides, commodities, and methods, which is 3-5% lower than previously evaluated sample processing and analytical methods. This approach can be used to improve data quality, laboratory efficiency, and sample throughput in routine monitoring programs for regulatory, risk assessment, and other purposes.