Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture最新文献

{"title":"The effect of light supplementation on the changes in outer and inner fruit quality of different Selenicereus spp. cultivars.","authors":"Luíz Guilherme Malaquias da Silva, Carlos Alexandre Rocha da Costa, Giovanni Aleixo Batista, Estela Corrêa de Azevedo, Fabrício Teixeira de Lima Gomes, Laryssa Ribeiro Calcagnoto, Gabriel Luis Castiglioni, Marcelo Ângelo Cirillo, Danilo José Machado de Abreu, Flávia Matias Oliveira da Silva, Katiúcia Alves Amorim, Leila Aparecida Salles Pio, Eduardo Valério de Barros Vilas Boas, Elisângela Elena Nunes Carvalho","doi":"10.1002/jsfa.70914","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jsfa.70914","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Selenicereus spp., belonging to the Cactaceae family, produces pitaya, a fruit recognized for its exotic appearance and rich phytochemical composition. In regions with shorter photoperiods, flowering and fruit development are limited, making light supplementation a promising strategy. However, its effects on fruit quality, particularly across different cultivars, remain insufficiently explored. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of LED light supplementation during flowering on the physicochemical characteristics and bioactive compounds of pitaya fruits.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Plants of 'Boreal Red' and 'Chinesa' (S. undatus) and 'Roxa do Pará' (S. costaricensis) were subjected to light supplementation for 4 h daily (20:00-24:00) during the flowering period (20 ± 3 days) using full-spectrum LED lamps (400-700 nm). Fruits were harvested at commercial maturity and analyzed for physical, physicochemical, and biochemical attributes. Light supplementation significantly increased fruit mass (19.04%), peel brightness (4.19%), peel chromaticity (5.31%), pulp hue (66.65%), fructose (29.17%), and vitamin C (6.73%) across cultivars. Additionally, 'Boreal Red' exhibited increases in pulp hue (30.67%), sucrose (23.19%), and glucose (30.12%).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Light supplementation during flowering positively influences fruit quality attributes in pitaya, enhancing both primary metabolites such as sugars, and bioactive compounds such as vitamin C. These findings support the use of light supplementation as a strategy to improve fruit quality under short photoperiod conditions, contributing to the development of more efficient cultivation practices in Brazil. © 2026 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.</p>","PeriodicalId":17725,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture","volume":" ","pages":"8503-8514"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13651927/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148620600","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rapid assessment of moisture content and fermentation status in wet-mixed pelleted feed using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.","authors":"Yi Xu, Shuren Liu, Jian Yang, Yanjun Zhang","doi":"10.1002/jsfa.70865","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jsfa.70865","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Moisture content and fermentation status are critical to the quality control of wet-mixed pelleted feed for geese, yet current on-farm assessment still relies largely on subjective sensory judgement or destructive analytical methods. This study evaluated the feasibility of using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy as a non-destructive method for monitoring moisture- and fermentation-related changes in wet-mixed pelleted feed for geese.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Feed samples were prepared under controlled gradients of water addition and fermentation time, and complex impedance spectra were recorded across the measured frequency range. Equivalent-circuit modeling was applied to extract physically interpretable parameters associated with ionic conduction, interfacial polarization and diffusion-related behavior. Under moisture-gradient conditions, the fitted models showed high goodness of fit (R² = 0.992-0.998). Increasing water addition generally reduced resistive components and enhanced capacitance-related indices, indicating improved ionic conduction and stronger interfacial polarization in the wet-mixed matrix. During fermentation, impedance parameters changed dynamically with time, and the Warburg-augmented model provided better agreement than the Randles-constant-phase element model at 24 and 72 h (R² = 0.992 and 0.996 vs. 0.980 and 0.960), indicating potential for discrimination of moisture level and fermentation progression within the tested system.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings indicate that electrochemical impedance spectroscopy has potential as a rapid, non-destructive approach for assessing moisture content and fermentation status in wet-mixed pelleted feed for geese, and provides a basis for further sensor development and feed-quality monitoring. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.</p>","PeriodicalId":17725,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture","volume":" ","pages":"8617-8627"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148620606","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular characterization and marker development of a novel soft wheat high-molecular-weight glutenin subunit 1Dy12₁ for improving cookie-baking quality.","authors":"Fengyun Ma, Minwoo Lee, Byung-Kee Baik, Bryan W Penning","doi":"10.1002/jsfa.70860","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jsfa.70860","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>High-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GSs) are the major determinants of gluten strength and dough elasticity, as well as wheat end use quality. A novel HMW-GS 1Dy12₁ in soft wheat is associated with low protein content, weak gluten and superior cookie-baking quality, but lacks a simple and effective genetic marker to distinguish it from other 1Dy alleles.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The subunit 1Dy12₁ allele was cloned for the first time from eastern USA soft winter wheat. Molecular characterization of the 1Dy12₁ subunit showed a coding nucleotide sequence of 2022 bp, which is 39 bp longer than the 1Dy12 subunit. The 1Dy12₁ subunit spanned 673 amino acid residues with a similar molecular structure to other published y-type subunits at the Glu-D1 locus. Known y-type subunits at the Glu-D1 locus have seven cysteine residues at conserved positions in the repetitive domain. Subunit 1Dy12₁ had an extra cysteine residue in the repetitive domain as a result of an adenine to guanine transition. A kompetitive allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (KASP) marker for identifying the 1Dy12₁ allele was developed and validated using 32 eastern soft winter wheat varieties with either the 1Dy12 or 1Dy12₁ allele. The new KASP marker effectively distinguished varieties with subunit 1Dy12₁ from subunit 1Dy12. The marker also distinguished nine varieties with subunit 1Dy10 better suited to bread baking at the Glu-D locus from subunit 1Dy12₁ varieties.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The new KASP marker is an effective tool to efficiently identify soft wheat varieties or breeding lines carrying HMW-GS 1Dy12₁ for superior cookie-baking quality. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry. This article has been contributed to by U.S. Government employees and their work is in the public domain in the USA.</p>","PeriodicalId":17725,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture","volume":" ","pages":"8515-8523"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148430712","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Haematococcus pluvialis peptides ameliorated cyclophosphamide-induced immunodeficiency in mice by regulating intestinal barrier function.","authors":"Shiran Hu, Xiaoxu Zhang, Xiaoming Jiang, Lei Du, Xiang Gao","doi":"10.1002/jsfa.70884","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jsfa.70884","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Immunodeficiency is a pathological state characterized by impaired functional integrity of the immune system, which contributes to the development of various diseases. Natural bioactive peptides are a promising option for improving immune function.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>This study examined the therapeutic effects and underlying mechanisms of Haematococcus pluvialis peptides (HPP) against CTX-induced immunodeficiency in mice. The results demonstrated that HPP increased bodyweight, immune organ indices, and blood cell count - white blood cells (WBC), red blood cells (RBC), platelets (PLT), hemoglobin (HGB), lymphocytes (Lym), and granulocytes (Gran), as well as serum cytokine levels (interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin-2 (IL-2), and immunoglobulin A (IgA) - in immunodeficient mice. Haematococcus pluvialis peptides improved the villus length and crypt depth of the small intestine and increased intestinal levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), and secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA). Colonic levels of tight junction proteins - zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and occludin - were up-regulated. Fecal microbiota analysis suggested that HPP promoted the enrichment of beneficial bacterial genera (Ligilactobacillus, norank_f_Muribaculaceae, Alistipes) and suppressed pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia-Shigella and Klebsiella). Gut microbial metabolites analysis showed that HPP altered various fecal metabolites involved in lipids and lipid-like molecules, organoheterocyclic compounds, phenylpropanoids and polyketides, as well as organic acids and their derivatives. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) experiments also validated the decisive role of gut microbiota in the immunomodulatory function of HPP.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These results offer novel insights into the protective efficacy and underlying mechanisms of HPP for alleviating immunodeficiency, establishing a robust theoretical basis for its application as a promising immunomodulatory agent. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.</p>","PeriodicalId":17725,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture","volume":" ","pages":"8769-8785"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148422208","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of rutin-protein nanoparticles on extruded recombinant rice: structure, digestibility and in vitro fermentation.","authors":"Zigao Chen, Yuteng Fu, Xiuting Hu, Shunjing Luo, Jiangping Ye, Chengmei Liu","doi":"10.1002/jsfa.70891","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jsfa.70891","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Rutin, a flavonol polyphenol, inhibits α-glucosidase activity and reduces starch digestibility, yet its application is limited by poor aqueous solubility, poor thermal stability, and low bioaccessibility. Rutin-protein nanoparticles have been shown to improve rutin stability. This study aimed to investigate how rutin-protein nanoparticles modulate the digestibility of extruded recombinant rice through multi-scale structural characterization, in vitro digestibility analysis, and in vitro fermentation evaluation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Multi-scale structural analysis revealed that rutin was successfully incorporated into the recombinant rice matrix, interacting with starch chains through hydrogen bonding. This interaction promoted the transformation of starch crystallinity from A-type to A- + V-type. Additionally, the short-range order and the content of single and double helices increased. In vitro digestion experiments demonstrated that the bioaccessibility of rutin in the recombinant rice reached 92.49% after co-extrusion with rutin nanoparticles. The resistant starch content was significantly increased, while C_∞ (final digestion extent) and eGI (estimated glycemic index) value were significantly reduced. Moreover, in vitro fermentation results indicated that the recombinant rice with rutin nanoparticles contributed to reducing gas production and increasing the yields of propionate and butyrate.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Rutin nanoparticles modulate starch digestibility through a dual mechanism involving the modification of starch structural domains and rutin bioaccessibility. This study provides a novel strategy and technical support for the development of low-glycemic-index functional staple foods. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.</p>","PeriodicalId":17725,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture","volume":" ","pages":"8813-8823"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148447754","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genomic and metabolomic insights into the fermentation characteristics of Levilactobacillus brevis HS01 in hawthorn juice and its probiotic potential.","authors":"Hao-Ran Zhang, Yu-Huan Wang, Zi-Yi Peng, Yun-Peng Hao, Xiao-Peng Wang","doi":"10.1002/jsfa.70905","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jsfa.70905","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Lactic acid bacteria fermentation is a promising strategy for developing functional foods. This study investigated the probiotic properties of Levilactobacillus brevis HS01 and its application in hawthorn juice fermentation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Whole-genome sequencing mapped the genetic basis of the probiotic characteristics of L. brevis, identifying genes involved in acid tolerance, antioxidant defense, and adaptation to plant-based environments. Metabolomic data were integrated with genomic information to elucidate the underlying metabolic mechanisms. Fermentation with L. brevis HS01 significantly increased the antioxidant capacity of hawthorn juice. Non-targeted metabolomics demonstrated that activation of the phenylalanine-vitamin B₆ metabolic axis during fermentation promoted the accumulation of ferulic acid. Genome-metabolome correlation analysis confirmed the key genes involved in phenylalanine metabolism and vitamin B₆ biosynthesis. Volatile compound profiling showed that fermented hawthorn juice possessed enhanced fruity notes and reduced off-flavors. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis revealed that L. brevis HS01 achieved efficient environmental adaptation and flavor transformation through coordinated reprogramming of three key pathways: the arginine deiminase, aromatic amino acid metabolism, and pentose phosphate pathways.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These results establish L. brevis HS01 as a promising dual-functional strain for the development of fermented beverages, with its probiotic potential supported by genomic evidence of acid tolerance and antioxidant defense, and its fermentation capability enhancing both antioxidant capacity and flavor via the phenylalanine-vitamin B₆ metabolic axis. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.</p>","PeriodicalId":17725,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture","volume":" ","pages":"8927-8941"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148520696","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Brassinolide-mediated physiological and biochemical adaptation in rye (Secale cereale L.) under aluminum and freeze-thaw stress.","authors":"Khalid Bashir, Guozhang Bao, Shoujat Ali, Jinke Hu, Yue Yuan, Lan Bao, Sana Shireen","doi":"10.1002/jsfa.70882","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jsfa.70882","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Environmental stresses such as extreme temperatures, salinity, drought, metal toxicity and freeze-thaw (FT) cycles severely limit crop productivity. The increasing frequency of FT events combined with aluminum (Al) toxicity, exacerbated by global warming, poses a serious threat to seedling survival, especially in early spring. Brassinolide (BL), a phytohormone, enhances plant resilience under abiotic stress, yet its role under combined FT and Al stress in rye (Secale cereale L.) remains unexplored.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Al stress increased malondialdehyde content, indicating membrane lipid peroxidation, at the same time as reducing chlorophyll content, photosynthesis and transpiration. Combined Al + FT stress elevated intercellular CO₂ concentration and soluble sugars but lowered stomatal conductance and water-use efficiency, revealing biochemical limitations to photosynthesis. BL alone restored stomatal conductance, lowered intercellular CO₂ and enhanced water-use efficiency, improving CO₂ fixation. Al stress produced the highest H₂O₂ accumulation under both non-FT and FT conditions alongside compensatory increases in ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity, reflecting an overwhelmed antioxidant response; co-application of BL with Al reduced H₂O₂ and moderated this APX elevation relative to Al alone. BL alone increased glutathione content above all treatments, although this benefit was partly constrained when combined with Al under FT. BL also improved shoot relative water content, photosynthetic efficiency and soluble sugar regulation, promoting osmotic adjustment and cold tolerance.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>BL enhances rye tolerance to combined FT and Al stress by restoring photosynthetic function and modulating antioxidant responses, offering a promising approach to safeguard crop productivity in regions prone to such abiotic challenges. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.</p>","PeriodicalId":17725,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture","volume":" ","pages":"8742-8757"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148422222","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inhibition of the Maillard reaction by ohmic heating in a glucose-lysine model system.","authors":"Yukihiro Kobayashi, Yuta Koguma, Naoko Sato-Hamada","doi":"10.1002/jsfa.70880","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jsfa.70880","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Ohmic heating is a methodology with rapid and uniform thermal processing, thereby minimizing the risk of excessive heat exposure. Unexpectedly, ohmic heating is less prone to browning than retort heating. The present study aimed to examine the impact of ohmic heating on preventing browning and determine whether this effect was related to the inhibition of the Maillard reaction.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Solutions containing glucose, lysine and sodium chloride were exposed to either ohmic or retort heating at 120 °C for 10, 20 or 30 min, by matching the temperature histories from the start of heating to the end of cooling. Ohmic-heated samples exhibited reduced browning compared to retort-heated samples, although slight differences were observed in the molecular weight distribution. Furthermore, ohmic heating resulted in lower consumption of reducing sugars and free amino groups, and decreased production of melanoidins, low-molecular-weight colored compounds, 3-deoxyglucosone, methylglyoxal, diacetyl, furosine and pyrraline.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Ohmic heating causes less browning than retort heating, and browning suppression is attributed to the overall suppression of the Maillard reaction. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.</p>","PeriodicalId":17725,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture","volume":" ","pages":"8713-8723"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148455374","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Essential oil nanoemulsion coatings as controlled-release antimicrobial mechanism for postharvest mango preservation.","authors":"Asif Ali Bhat, Yi-Ying Ku, Yu-Wei Chen, Gan Huey, Yu-Shen Liang, Shin-Yu Chen, Ming-Kuei Shih, Chih-Yao Hou","doi":"10.1002/jsfa.70885","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jsfa.70885","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is a tropical fruit of high commercial value; however, its postharvest quality is severely limited by anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. The pathogen establishes latent infections during fruit development that rapidly activate during ripening, resulting in economic losses. Although synthetic fungicides are used for disease control, their use raises concerns about resistance development, environmental impacts, and food safety. Essential oils (EOs) represent a promising alternative, but their practical application is constrained by limited physicochemical stability. This study evaluated essential oil nanoemulsions (EO-NEs) as edible coatings to enhance postharvest mango preservation and control anthracnose.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Oil-in-water NEs formulated from thyme, clove, lemon, and cinnamon EOs were prepared and evaluated for antimicrobial activity and storage preservation efficacy. Thyme and clove oil NEs exhibited the strongest antifungal activity against C. gloeosporioides and were selected for coating applications. Mangoes treated with thyme oil NE (20 mL L^-1) showed reduced weight loss, while thyme oil coatings (1.5% v/v) effectively maintained fruit firmness. Clove oil NE (20 mL L^-1) reduced total microbial counts to 2.9 log CFU g^-1 at the end of storage. Additionally, NE coatings delayed pectin degradation, stabilized total soluble solids and titratable acidity, and significantly suppressed anthracnose lesion development.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Thyme and clove-based EO-NE function as effective edible coatings, improving postharvest mango quality while suppressing anthracnose progression. The NE delivery system enhances EO stability and antimicrobial efficacy, offering a sustainable, non-chemical alternative for postharvest disease management and mango fruit quality preservation. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.</p>","PeriodicalId":17725,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture","volume":" ","pages":"8570-8581"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148456221","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of variety and environmental factors on proteolytic quality parameters of selected malting barley varieties.","authors":"Shari Piro, Martina Gastl, Michael Féchir","doi":"10.1002/jsfa.70866","DOIUrl":"10.1002/jsfa.70866","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Barley (Hordeum vulgare) is a major cereal crop, essential for global food processing and brewing. Malting barley represents less than one-fifth of global barley output due to strict quality requirements, such as total protein content, enzymatic activity, and kernel homogeneity, which directly influence malting performance and, consequently, beer quality. Despite enormous progress in breeding for agronomic performance and grain quality, increasing climate variability poses significant challenges to malting barley production, affecting both yield and quality. An understanding of the ways in which environmental and genotypic factors influence protein composition is critical to ensure consistent malt quality. This study analyzed malt quality data from 7458 malt batches representing six commercial malting barley varieties harvested between 2017 and 2024 across three European regions to quantify, evaluate, and contextualize the effects of environmental and genotypic factors on key proteolytic quality parameters, including total protein content, soluble nitrogen (SN), free amino nitrogen (FAN), and the Kolbach index (KI).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Proteolytic parameters (PPs) followed a sequential cascade from total protein to SN and FAN. Total protein varied mainly among harvest year × variety combinations, whereas SN and FAN showed pronounced temporal declines, particularly during 2021-2024. Varieties 1 and 5 combined high SN with high FAN, whereas variety 3 consistently showed the lowest values. Variety 6 displayed the highest FAN despite intermediate SN, indicating genotype-specific proteolytic efficiency. The KI showed low variability and confirmed classification into high- and moderate modification groups. Regional effects were minor.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The decline in SN and FAN in more recent years, despite variable protein levels, indicates that protein quality is a more important determinant of malt performance than total protein quantity alone. This cascade-oriented perspective provides a clearer interpretation of quality variation in malting barley and supports more informed decisions regarding variety selection and raw-material management. © 2026 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.</p>","PeriodicalId":17725,"journal":{"name":"Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture","volume":" ","pages":"8628-8638"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2026-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13651928/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148405145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}