NPJ Science of Food最新文献

{"title":"Environmental footprint implications of guideline-based dietary transition in China: carbon, water, and interprovincial transfer effects.","authors":"Donghao Li, Xinyu Li, Xinjie Shi, Ling Li, Yong Wu, Chunyu Wang, Xian Yang, Jianwei Liu, Xiaoxing Zhang, Xianbo Zhang","doi":"10.1038/s41538-026-00947-9","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41538-026-00947-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The increasing demand and diversification of food consumption among Chinese residents have brought to light the escalating environmental impact. This study seeks to elucidate the correlation between shifts in China's dietary patterns and environmental consequences over the period of 2017-2023. The study represents the systematic assessment-covering 11 food categories across provincial spatial scales and employing the 2017 Multi-Regional Input-Output (MRIO) table-of how nationally recommended healthy dietary guidelines reshape the spatial distribution of environmental pressures within China, identifying key leverage points. In contrast to the prevailing notion in international research that a healthy diet typically alleviates environmental pressure, under the guidance of China's Healthy Diet Guidelines, our research results are as follows: (1) The carbon and water footprints of food consumption among Chinese residents exhibited fluctuations and overall increases, with a spatial distribution characterized by higher levels in the southeast and lower levels in the northwest. (2) In a healthy dietary pattern, compared with food consumption in 2023, the total carbon footprint increased by 234.47 Mt CO₂-eq (21.26%) and the total water footprint increased by 291.49 km³(27.76%), with dairy products as the main contributor. (3) Compared to the actual baseline in 2017, adopting the healthy dietary pattern would increase the transferred carbon footprint by 440.98 Mt CO₂-eq (49.72%) and the water footprint by 486.43 km³ (57.51%). Guangdong, serving as a transfer hub, primarily directed carbon and water footprints to Fujian and received them mainly from Guangxi.</p>","PeriodicalId":19367,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Science of Food","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13650120/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148308590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"DNA metabarcoding for food authentication: identification of freshwater, marine, and terrestrial gastropods in commercial food products.","authors":"Julia Andronache, Margit Cichna-Markl, Stefanie Dobrovolny, Rupert Hochegger","doi":"10.1038/s41538-026-00961-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41538-026-00961-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Food fraud through species substitution has been reported for edible gastropods, particularly in processed products where morphological identification is not feasible. DNA-based methods have been used to identify gastropod species in food products, but are largely limited to targeted analyses. To address this limitation, we applied, for the first time, an untargeted DNA metabarcoding approach to detect and identify gastropod species in processed foods. Mitochondrial 16S rDNA fragments of approximately 150 bp were analyzed. In 17 of 18 reference samples, taxa were resolved to genus or species level, in agreement with Codex Alimentarius Austriacus guidelines, facilitated by a curated reference database that enables assignments across freshwater, marine, and terrestrial gastropods. Thirteen DNA extract mixtures were analyzed for method validation, yielding few false-negative results for minor components. These likely resulted from primer-template mismatches causing amplification bias. Analysis of 20 commercial food products revealed seven mislabeled samples. The approach is compatible with established in-house metabarcoding assays targeting other animal species and consequently complements broad application across various taxa. This qualitative screening tool is suitable for routine food authentication, supporting supply chain transparency and regulatory monitoring.</p>","PeriodicalId":19367,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Science of Food","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13649704/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148308371","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Synergistic genomic design and thermal processing mitigate anti-nutritional constraints to enhance the nutritional efficacy of diploid potatoes.","authors":"Zhe Yu, Yihui Du, Qianwen Ding, Qiang Hao, Hongwei Yang, Kerou Shi, Chao Ran, Yalin Yang, Chen Wang, Johan Johansen, Giovanna Ottaviani Aalmo, Zhen Zhang, Zhigang Zhou","doi":"10.1038/s41538-026-00958-6","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41538-026-00958-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Global food security demands sustainable alternatives to the conventional feed ingredient wheat. Nutrient-dense diploid potatoes (HQP) represent candidates due to their enriched phytochemical profiles, including high levels of vitamin C and lutein. However, their dietary utilization is constrained by endogenous anti-nutritional factors (ANFs), primarily solanine and trypsin inhibitors. Using a zebrafish model, we demonstrate that these ANFs trigger intestinal dysbiosis and an oxidative-inflammatory response. Mechanistically, this adverse gut environment suppresses the mTOR pathway, as evidenced by reduced phosphorylation of S6K1 and 4E-BP1, ultimately leading to growth depression. To address this toxicological barrier, we integrated genetic selection (diploid HQP) with thermal processing (steam-cooking). Quantitative analysis revealed that while thermal processing effectively reduced ANF concentrations to physiologically safe levels, the HQP matrix retained significantly higher residual concentrations of vitamin C, lutein, and zeaxanthin compared to conventional tetraploid (C88) and wheat-based diets. Mechanistically, protein-level evidence confirmed that this processed HQP formulation promoted the total NRF2 and suppressed NF-κB P65 accumulation. This metabolic shift attenuated inflammation, reactivated mTOR signaling, and subsequently enhanced growth performance and digestive capacity. Our findings establish a mechanistic framework demonstrating how integrated genomic design and processing strategies facilitate the functional utilization of high-phytochemical crops in sustainable food systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":19367,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Science of Food","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13650137/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148302574","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Reframing diet assessment for geroscience: development and preliminary validation of an anti-aging dietary score.","authors":"Shixing Feng, Tianyi Wang, Jinlong Yan, Chaohui Yin, Baoyan Chen, Miao Shi, Jialin Liu, Huaqiang Zhai","doi":"10.1038/s41538-026-00960-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-026-00960-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Conventional dietary indices often fail to align with aging biology. To bridge this mechanistic gap, we propose the Nutrient-Signaling-Senescence (NSS) axis as an integrative framework. Based on this foundation, we develop the anti-aging dietary score (AADS). Preliminary validation using NHANES data demonstrates that a higher AADS is significantly associated with lower PhenoAge acceleration, performing comparably to established indices. This framework enables translating aging biology into population-based research.</p>","PeriodicalId":19367,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Science of Food","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148302555","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dietary yacon concentrate reshapes microbial-metabolite crosstalk to inhibit colorectal cancer.","authors":"Zezhi Shan, Yikuan Chen, Fan Chen, Yu Zhang, Hongyi Chen, Zukai Wang, Xin Wang, Jing Zhong, Io Nam Wong, Junkui Chen, Xinxing Li, Ziyou Lin, Rachel Purcell, Yadong Guo, Xiaoqiong Li, Xinxiang Li","doi":"10.1038/s41538-026-00931-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41538-026-00931-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Yacon concentrate, which is rich in fructan, phenolic compounds, and flavonoids, exhibits notable nutritional and antioxidant properties. This study explored the potential of New Zealand yacon concentrate to modulate the gut microbiota and host metabolism, alleviate inflammation, and enhance antitumor immunity. The anti-inflammatory and antitumor effects of yacon concentrate were evaluated in mouse models of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis and colorectal cancer (CRC). Ex vivo gut chemostat model experiments were performed to assess the impact of yacon concentrate on human gut microbiota remodeling. The gut microbiota composition was then analyzed via metagenomic sequencing, and metabolomic profiling was conducted to identify the key bioactive metabolites. Yacon concentrate significantly ameliorated DSS-induced colitis by reducing weight loss, lowering the disease activity index scores, and alleviating colonic shortening in mice. In CRC models, yacon concentrate markedly suppressed tumor growth, reduced tumor incidence, and decreased tumor burden. Microbiota derived from the chemostat after yacon supplementation not only enriched beneficial bacteria and inhibited the growth of immunotherapy-resistant bacteria but also enhanced energy and short-chain fatty acid metabolism. Moreover, transplantation of this microbiota into mice significantly improved the tumor microenvironment and inhibited tumor growth. Collectively, these findings indicate that yacon concentrate is associated with changes in the gut microbiota and metabolomic profiles, supporting a potential link between yacon intake and modulation of the gut microbiota-metabolome axis. These observations provide a rationale for further mechanistic and interventional studies evaluating yacon concentrate as a dietary strategy for colitis prevention and CRC prevention, and as an adjunctive treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":19367,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Science of Food","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13650153/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148302570","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Multi-omics insights into floral-fruity aroma formation during Pu'er tea fermentation inoculated with a synthetic fungal community.","authors":"Xuehang Yan, Zhiguo Shan, Yuanyan Zhao, Wendie Wu, Zhong Tao, Cailing Yang, Yuanyao Wang, Yu Zhang, Yuefei Wang, Chunhua Zhang","doi":"10.1038/s41538-026-00945-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41538-026-00945-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Pu'er tea fermentation relies on complex microbial activities. This study explored aroma formation in ripe Pu'er tea inoculated with a synthetic fungal consortium using a multi-omics approach across six sampling stages. Sensory evaluation, physicochemical analysis, volatile profiling (HS-SPME-GC×GC-TOFMS), non-volatile metabolomics (UHPLC-Q-Exactive/MS), and metagenomic sequencing were integrated. Inoculation was associated with a distinct floral-fruity aroma. Combined ROAV and VIP analyses identified four volatile compounds, namely phenylethyl alcohol, trans-β-ionone, geraniol, and 1-octen-3-ol, as potentially important aroma-active contributors. Among them, phenylethyl alcohol, trans-β-ionone, and geraniol might play a major role in the floral-fruity character, and their accumulation appeared associated with tea moisture content. Nonanal exhibited a high ROAV but a low VIP value. Non-targeted metabolomics revealed 154 significantly altered metabolites, 38 of which were associated with these volatile compounds. Metagenomic analysis indicated substantial shifts in microbial community structure and function, correlated with physicochemical parameters and volatile profiles. Random forest modeling identified Sphingomonas, Rothia, and Bacteroides as potentially involved in aroma formation. These findings provide insights into the metabolic and microbial dynamics underlying floral-fruity aroma development, offering a scientific basis for tailored starter culture design.</p>","PeriodicalId":19367,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Science of Food","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13649736/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148302536","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Investigating the flavor contributions of sulfur compounds in soy sauce flavor Baijiu using flavoromics and machine learning.","authors":"Shiqi Yang, Xinyue Zhang, Yi Shen, Jiao Niu, Hehe Li, Yonghua Wang, Jinyuan Sun, Baoguo Sun","doi":"10.1038/s41538-026-00929-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41538-026-00929-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study systematically investigated the flavor contribution of sulfur compounds to the soy sauce flavor Baijiu ( SSFB) by integrating traditional flavor analysis with machine learning methods. A total of 88 sulfur compounds were identified through the comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-hydrogen sulfide chemiluminescence detector. The significant flavor contribution was confirmed by orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis and odor activity value, and correlation analysis revealed their systematic associations with 8 aroma notes. Eight core sulfur compounds were screened in combination with 7 machine learning methods. The double matrix addition experiment demonstrated these compounds significantly enhanced the jiang and chen aroma. Notably, the study revealed the matrix-dependent flavor regulation of sulfur compounds. In young SSFB, these compounds simultaneously enhanced the jiang and chen aroma along with floral and fruity notes, while in aged SSFB, they acted more specifically to intensify the core jiang and chen aroma, with a reduced contribution to others.</p>","PeriodicalId":19367,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Science of Food","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13645746/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148295951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Bacillus amyloliquefaciens MU2 fermentation enhances protein extraction and sensory quality of Chlorella pyrenoidosa.","authors":"Kyung-Jin Cho, Min-Ung Kim, Do-Kyun Kim, Geum-Jae Jeong, Du-Min Jo, Seul-Ki Park, Minji Kim, Yoonsook Kim, Young-Mog Kim","doi":"10.1038/s41538-026-00949-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41538-026-00949-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The global demand for sustainable, nutritious protein sources necessitates innovative production strategies. Chlorella pyrenoidosa exhibits potential as a protein source; however, conventional extraction methods are limited in terms of protein extraction efficiency and product sensory attributes and quality. Microbial fermentation may address these challenges by improving protein extraction efficiency, antioxidant-related properties, sensory properties, and facilitating the production of improved microalgal protein materials. We developed a method for producing protein-rich materials through fermentation of C. pyrenoidosa with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens MU2 and optimized the fermentation conditions. Under the optimized conditions (26.6 h, 33.8 °C, and 2.7% inoculum), the predicted protein extraction efficiency was 42.8%, and the actual value was 42.90%. Fermentation enhanced the nutritional and functional qualities of Chlorella proteins and effectively mitigated undesirable flavors. In particular, crude protein content increased from 58.47 ± 0.27% to 78.10 ± 0.20%, while DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities increased from 5.01 ± 0.13% to 39.38 ± 0.37% and from 3.10 ± 0.10% to 47.89 ± 0.06%, respectively. Semi-pilot experiments demonstrated similar improvement trends, supporting the feasibility of the proposed process. These results suggest that fermentation with B. amyloliquefaciens MU2 is a promising strategy for improving the extraction efficiency and quality of C. pyrenoidosa-derived protein materials.</p>","PeriodicalId":19367,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Science of Food","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13645729/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148295908","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Rice bran protein peptide PVLWGVPKG alleviate gastric mucosal damage induced by Helicobacter pylori infection.","authors":"Guanlong Li, Quanxin Wang, Xiaolan Liu, Zhengfei Miao, Zhe Wang, Xiqun Zheng","doi":"10.1038/s41538-026-00956-8","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41538-026-00956-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of PVLWGVPKG (PV9) on gastric mucosa cell damage induced by Helicobacter pylori infection. PV9 intervention could significantly reduce the number of Helicobacter pylori adhering to GES-1 cells (p <0.05). Molecular docking showed that PV9 and its degraded fragments could bind to Helicobacter pylori adhesins, and hydrogen bonds might be the main driving force. Dot blot assays confirmed the binding between PV9 and adhesins SabA and BabA in vitro. The protective mechanism of PV9 against Helicobacter pylori infection-induced GES-1 damage cells was analyzed. It was found that PV9 could accelerate the clearance of reactive oxygen species, reduce mitochondrial membrane potential, improve cell cycle arrest, and prevent apoptosis. In addition, PV9 can also significantly improve the antioxidant capacity of cells (SOD, GSH-Px, and CAT), reducing the content of pro-inflammatory factors (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-18, and TNF-α) and increasing the content of anti-inflammatory factors (IL-10). The results of qRT-PCR showed that PV9 could protect GES-1 cells by regulating the expression of apoptotic factors. Moreover, the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathways may play a significant role in this process. This study provides a new idea for antagonizing Helicobacter pylori infection with active peptide components.</p>","PeriodicalId":19367,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Science of Food","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13614924/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148295887","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Modelling the odor profile of fungal Solid-State Fermentation.","authors":"Juan F Sandoval, Jane K Parker, Joe Gallagher, Julia Rodriguez-Garcia, Kerry Whiteside, David N Bryant","doi":"10.1038/s41538-025-00627-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41538-025-00627-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The sensory properties of alternative proteins are key to consumer acceptance, yet the processes shaping their odor remain unclear. Solid-state fermentation (SSF), a promising method for producing alternative proteins from agro-industrial by-products such as bagasse, brans, pomaces, husks and oil cakes, is used in this study to model odor profile development of surplus bread crusts, supplemented with perennial ryegrass protein with Rhizopus oligosporus, Aspergillus oryzae, and Neurospora intermedia at 32 °C for up to 72 h. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were analyzed by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), identifying over 150 compounds. A mechanistic model based on the Weber-Fechner law predicted odor profiles from VOC concentrations, odor descriptors and thresholds, and was validated against a quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) performed by a trained panel using multiple factor analysis (MFA). The model reflected changes in the overall odor intensity and sweet, baked, and grass-like notes, though correlations were weaker for fungal-derived descriptors (fruity, earthy, herbal). These findings elucidate how fungal SSF alters odor profiles in alternative proteins and establish a framework for mechanistic odor prediction in food systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":19367,"journal":{"name":"NPJ Science of Food","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13282479/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148284179","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}