Journal of Food Science最新文献

{"title":"Polysaccharides From Ganoderma resinaceum-Fermented Whole Oats: Physicochemical, In Vitro Digestive, Antioxidant and Anti-Aging Properties.","authors":"Fei Ren, Shuyou Shang, Yanxiang Liu, Bin Tan","doi":"10.1111/1750-3841.71587","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.71587","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Oats are important crops with multiple bioactive functions. Edible fungi fermentation is verified as a highly efficient strategy to modify the structure and enhance the bioactivity of plant materials. However, the influences of fermentation with Ganoderma resinaceum, a valuable edible fungus, on oat polysaccharides remain unclear, hindering its development and commercial deployment in the food industry. This work explored the little-studied impacts of Ganoderma resinaceum (GR) fermentation on physicochemical and structural traits, in vitro digestive behavior, antioxidant capacity, and anti-aging function of polysaccharides extracted from whole oats (WOP). After GR fermentation, the solubility of polysaccharides (GFWOP) was remarkably elevated to 93.56%, while the molecular weight and apparent viscosity decreased. GR fermentation raised crystallinity and thermal stability. GFWOP had a loose and porous surface structure. GFWOP displayed stronger DPPH radical-scavenging ability and total antioxidant potential. In D-galactose-induced aging zebrafish, GFWOP notably lowered β-galactosidase activity and Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) levels, enhanced SOD (Superoxide Dismutase) activity, and regulated the target gene expression at the transcriptional level of Mn-sod, Bcl-2, and bax. These results proved that GR fermentation could effectively modify the traits of oat polysaccharides, and GFWOP had biological functions, supporting GFWOP as a prospective antioxidant and anti-aging component for functional food. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: This study investigated that Ganoderma resinaceum-fermented oat polysaccharide could serve as a natural antioxidant and anti-aging raw material for functional foods like beverages and cereal snacks in the future. It avoids synthetic additives and offers consumers mild anti-oxidation effects to relieve aging-related oxidative stress, bringing new natural ingredient choices for food manufacturers.</p>","PeriodicalId":193,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Food Science","volume":"91 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149260038","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":"Inoculation With Pediococcus pentosaceus Alters Microbial Interactions, Metabolic Landscapes, and Quality Traits in Spontaneously Fermented Carrot Pickles.","authors":"Xin Ye, Ming Yang, Qiongping Hong, Jiamu Kang","doi":"10.1111/1750-3841.71542","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.71542","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Spontaneous carrot pickling often results in inconsistent product quality, prolonged fermentation, and potential safety risks due to the uncontrolled activity of indigenous microbiota. In this study, Pediococcus pentosaceus CLB16, exhibiting potential for acid and salt tolerance and antibacterial activity, was evaluated as a starter culture for carrot pickle fermentation. Inoculation with CLB16 significantly decreased pH, increased lactic acid production, and reduced nitrite levels compared with natural fermentation. The inoculated group also showed better color retention, moderate and controlled tissue softening, and improved overall texture, relative to the NF group. High-throughput sequencing revealed that CLB16 reshaped the bacterial community, shifting its dominance from indigenous Lentilactobacillus and Limosilactobacillus to a Pediococcus-dominated consortium. Notably, microbial community assembly shifted from predominantly deterministic to stochastic processes following inoculation. Network analysis further revealed strengthened microbial interactions, characterized by increased numbers of nodes and edges and a higher proportion of positive correlations. GC-IMS and ¹H-NMR identified 11 differential volatile compounds and 30 differential non-volatile metabolites between the NF and InPp groups. CLB16 inoculation promoted the formation of esters and terpenes while suppressing aldehydes associated with off-flavors. KEGG enrichment analysis indicated substantial alterations in carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism, particularly glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and valine, leucine, and isoleucine biosynthesis. Correlation analysis identified Pediococcus as a central microbial driver, positively associated with organic acids, flavor-active esters, and improved texture, but negatively associated with nitrite accumulation and pH. Collectively, these findings demonstrate the strong potential of CLB16 as an industrial starter culture for fermented vegetables.</p>","PeriodicalId":193,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Food Science","volume":"91 10","pages":"e71542"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149147482","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":"Brasenia schreberi Polysaccharides: Extraction, Structural Characterization, and Immunomodulatory Activity.","authors":"Chunxia Xiao, Zhiwei Guo, Zhongxue Yuan, Cunwuliji Na, Xiaoxue Sun, Zhen Zhang, Yue Xu, Baoshun Zhang","doi":"10.1111/1750-3841.71585","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.71585","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Brasenia schreberi, a valuable aquatic vegetable in East Asia prized for its unique and delicious taste, is rich in bioactive compounds, including polysaccharides, proteins, vitamins, and trace elements. This study compared enzymatic and alkaline extraction techniques to isolate polysaccharides from B. schreberi. Extraction yield, total sugar, protein, uronic acid contents, and monosaccharide composition were determined, and structural characteristics were analyzed using Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Following alkaline extraction, the crude polysaccharide (BSP-A) was then purified by DEAE-52 cellulose and Sepharose CL-6B chromatography to obtain a homogeneous fraction, BSP-2, with a molecular weight of 544.2 kDa. The physicochemical properties and structure of BSP-2 were analyzed using comprehensive techniques including FT-IR, Congo red assay, scanning electron microscope (SEM), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), methylation analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis. Results showed that BSP-2 is a flat, sheet-like polysaccharide devoid of a triple-helix structure. It comprises nine monosaccharides, including mannose, rhamnose, glucuronic acid, galacturonic acid, glucose, galactose, xylose, arabinose, and fucose, via 18 distinct glycosidic bond types of linkage. Rheological tests of BSP-2 indicated the gel-like behavior at low angular frequencies and the fluid-like behavior at high frequencies. Additionally, the immunomodulatory activities of BSP-2 on the RAW264.7 macrophage cells were investigated, with key assessments of cytotoxicity, nitric oxide (NO) production, the mRNA expression levels of various cytokines, and the expression of key proteins in the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. These results establish a foundational framework for the extraction and identification of polysaccharides from B. schreberi and demonstrate their value in immunoregulatory applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":193,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Food Science","volume":"91 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149260000","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":"Reformulation of a Chocolate Spread: Impact of Replacing Cocoa With Carob.","authors":"Ilyes Dammak, Leila Tounsi","doi":"10.1111/1750-3841.71584","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1750-3841.71584","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cocoa prices are expected to continue rising due to strong demand and unstable crop yields, increasing the need for plant-based alternatives in chocolate spread formulations. This study aimed to investigate the effects of replacing cocoa powder with carob powder (0-100%) on the physicochemical, nutritional, textural, structural, and sensory properties of chocolate spreads. Cocoa and carob powders were first comparatively characterized, and six spread formulations containing 0, 20, 35, 50, 75, and 100% carob substitution were produced under standardized conditions. Color, nutritional composition, texture, oil syneresis, and sensory properties were evaluated, and Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression was used to identify the main predictors of sensory perception. Increasing carob substitution increased lightness and soluble sugars while reducing protein, lipid, and polyphenol contents. Hardness increased progressively, whereas spreadability decreased markedly, particularly between 35 and 50% substitution. Oil syneresis was highest in the intermediate formulations (5.8-7.5%) and lowest in the extreme formulations (3.0-3.8%). Sensory profiling revealed that cocoa aromatic identity was maintained up to 50% substitution, while texture descriptors did not significantly discriminate among formulations despite instrumental differences. PLS regression identified hue angle, soluble sugars, and lightness as major predictors of visual chocolate identity. Overall, the results indicate that 35-50% cocoa replacement with carob represents a promising reformulation range, offering nutritional benefits while maintaining structural stability and sensory quality.</p>","PeriodicalId":193,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Food Science","volume":"91 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13690930/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149242209","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":"In Vitro Digestion and Fermentation Characteristics of Cordyceps militaris Mycelial Polysaccharide and Its Regulatory Effects on the Intestinal Environment","authors":"Nuo-Yan Wang,&nbsp;Xin-Yue Bi,&nbsp;Zheng-Guo Yang,&nbsp;Guo-Liang Dou,&nbsp;Shu-Hang Li,&nbsp;Shi-Rui Lu,&nbsp;Yu Huang,&nbsp;Zi-Xin Wang,&nbsp;Hong-Jie Piao,&nbsp;Wei-Wei Dong,&nbsp;Wen-Xiu Ji,&nbsp;Xuan-Jun Li","doi":"10.1111/1750-3841.71418","DOIUrl":"10.1111/1750-3841.71418","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <p><i>Cordyceps militaris</i> mycelial polysaccharides (IPS) possess diverse metabolic and bioactive properties, yet existing studies on their gastrointestinal digestion and prebiotic potential remain scarce. This study aims to investigate the changes of IPS at different digestive stages and its interactions with the gut microbiota. During simulated salivary digestion, no significant changes were observed in IPS. During simulated gastric digestion, the reducing sugar content of IPS significantly increased, while in simulated intestinal digestion, this value decreased. After in vitro fermentation, the total carbohydrate, reducing sugar levels, and pH of digested IPS declined to different extents. Microbiome profiling demonstrated that IPS markedly elevated the relative abundance of Firmicutes, whereas it suppressed the levels of Proteobacteria, especially the pathogenic genus <i>Shigella</i>. Furthermore, total short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) increased from 0.77 mmol/L to 3.58 mmol/L after 24 h fermentation. Collectively, these results verify that IPS holds great potential to improve intestinal homeostasis and alleviate gut-related disorders.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":193,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Food Science","volume":"91 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149101805","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 Identification and Enzymatic Characterization of Fungi Isolated During Beef Aging.","authors":"Federico Tomasello, Berta Torrents-Masoliver, Belén Martín, Anna Jofré, Sara Bover-Cid, Maria Font-I-Furnols, Núria Panella-Riera","doi":"10.1111/1750-3841.71445","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.71445","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Dry-aged beef is valued for its distinctive flavor and tenderness, but the fungal communities associated with the product and its aging environments remain insufficiently characterized. This study characterized the culturable fungal community of dry- and wet-aged beef from Albera and Bruna dels Pirineus cattle, as well as the aging chambers where the beef was produced, and assessed the proteolytic and lipolytic potential of the isolated fungi. Meat samples and chamber air were analyzed using culturomics and ITS sequencing. Among 291 fungal isolates, yeasts predominated in meat samples, with Candida, Yarrowia, and Debaryomyces as the main genera, whereas molds were more frequent in chamber samples, especially Penicillium and Cladosporium. Dry-aged meat exhibited a higher diversity of fungal genera and species than wet-aged meat, and some taxa detected in meat were also present in the corresponding aging environments, suggesting a possible environmental contribution. Enzymatic assays showed that many molds and yeasts displayed proteolytic and lipolytic activity, with Yarrowia spp. and Penicillium spp. showing notable activity. However, these assays were performed in vitro and should be interpreted as indicating enzymatic potential rather than direct activity in meat. Although potentially mycotoxigenic genera such as Aspergillus, Cladosporium, and Penicillium were detected, no mycotoxin analyses were performed. Accordingly, no conclusions can be drawn regarding toxin production, but their presence underscores the need for careful control of aging conditions. Overall, the study expands the current knowledge of culturable fungi associated with beef aging systems and provides a basis for future work on the technological and safety relevance of the identified isolates.</p>","PeriodicalId":193,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Food Science","volume":"91 10","pages":"e71445"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149147517","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":"Insights Into the Mechanism of Water Migration During Freeze-Thaw Cycles on the Quality Deterioration of Frozen Dough Steamed Buns.","authors":"Yongliang Bai, Zhuling Lin, Zuanhao Liang, Yu Xia, Mengdie Gao, Jiayu Huang, Haiqiang Chen, Ming Yu","doi":"10.1111/1750-3841.71437","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.71437","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>To elucidate the mechanism of water migration in frozen dough steamed buns under varying numbers of freeze-thaw cycles (FTCs) (0, 2, 4, 6, and 8), this study explored the correlation between water migration and quality deterioration. With increasing FTCs, the ordered protein structure was disrupted, and the gelatinization enthalpy of the frozen dough steamed buns decreased. Meanwhile, depolymerization of the protein intact structure occurred. The proportion of α-helices decreased significantly from 22.95% to 12.14% (p < 0.05). The proportion of β-turns decreased significantly from 34.83% to 33.74% (p < 0.05), whereas the proportion of random coils increased significantly from 13.79% to 25.60% (p < 0.05). Additionally, the internal microstructure and gluten network structure were disrupted. These weakened the water-binding capacity of the frozen dough steamed buns. The migration of bound water to free water led to significant increases in the proportion of freezable water, fusion enthalpy, and water activity (p < 0.05), whereas the total moisture content decreased significantly by 14.07% (p < 0.05). Ultimately, these variations resulted in a decline in the gas-holding capacity, accompanied by a significant reduction in specific volume, cohesiveness, and resilience (p < 0.05). In contrast, hardness, gumminess, and chewiness increased significantly (p < 0.05). This study clarified the mechanisms underlying the quality deterioration of frozen dough steamed buns during FTC treatment, providing a theoretical basis for improving the quality and freeze-thaw stability of such flour-based frozen products. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: This work offers valuable insights for improving the freeze-thaw stability, overall quality, and industrial development of frozen dough steamed buns.</p>","PeriodicalId":193,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Food Science","volume":"91 10","pages":"e71437"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149126412","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":"Exploring Potential Multi-Target Inhibition Mechanisms of Ganoderma lucidum Against EBV-Mediated DLBCL Using Integrative Bioinformatics, Machine Learning, and Network Pharmacology Approaches.","authors":"Azrin Ahmed, Md Abdul Kader, Sheikh Abdullah Al Ashik","doi":"10.1111/1750-3841.71575","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.71575","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) represents a significant clinical challenge with limited targeted therapeutic options. Despite the known antiviral and anticancer properties of Ganoderma lucidum, its specific molecular mechanisms against EBV-mediated DLBCL remain unexplored. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the potential multi-target inhibitory mechanisms of G. lucidum compounds against EBV-associated DLBCL by integrating absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) profiling of 1046 compounds; network pharmacology analysis for target identification; transcriptomic evaluation using DLBCL patient datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) (n = 47 tumors, n = 337 normals); molecular docking; density functional theory (DFT) calculations; machine learning-based activity prediction, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations; and Molecular Mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area (MM-PBSA) binding free energy calculations. Eight compounds (kobusin, chrysin, dalbergin, galangin, isorhamnetin, lauric acid, piperbetol, and vitamin D3) demonstrated favorable ADMET profiles. Network pharmacology analysis identified 217 common targets, with AKT1 and BCL2 significantly upregulated in DLBCL tumors. Isorhamnetin showed the strongest AKT1 binding (-8.33 kcal/mol), surpassing control (-5.11 kcal/mol), whereas galangin exhibited the highest BCL2 affinity (-6.13 kcal/mol), outperforming control (-5.23 kcal/mol). Random forest achieved cross-validation scores of 0.8634 ± 0.0158 for AKT1 and 0.8965 ± 0.0146 for BCL2, predicting IC₅₀ <1000 nM for all compounds. MD simulations confirmed the binding stability of all compounds with low root mean square deviation (RMSD, <2.5 Å). MM-PBSA calculations revealed favorable binding free energies of -23.01 kcal/mol (AKT1-galangin), -19.01 kcal/mol (AKT1-isorhamnetin), -32.15 kcal/mol (BCL2-isorhamnetin), and -28.97 kcal/mol (BCL2-galangin). Therefore, isorhamnetin and galangin may have multi-target inhibitory potential against AKT1 and BCL2, providing a robust foundation for further in vitro and in vivo validation as therapeutic candidates for EBV-mediated DLBCL intervention. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Ganoderma lucidum is a medicinal mushroom widely used in traditional and functional food applications and may serve as a source of natural anticancer compounds with potential benefits for EBV-associated diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. The multi-targeting potential of G. lucidum-derived bioactive constituents, isorhamnetin and galangin, against AKT1 and BCL2 may position it as a promising functional food-based candidate for anticancer therapeutics.</p>","PeriodicalId":193,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Food Science","volume":"91 10","pages":"e71575"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149219858","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":"Bioactive Protein-Phlorotannin Interfaces From Fucus vesiculosus Enhance Physical and Oxidative Stability of Oil-in-Water Nanoemulsions.","authors":"Hazem Golshany, Abdullah S Seddiek, Wafaa Khalid, Abdelaziz Elbarbary, Ibrahim A Bakry, Qun Yu, Liuping Fan","doi":"10.1111/1750-3841.71583","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.71583","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Oil-in-water (O/W) nanoemulsions have been widely used in the food industry, but they face challenges such as droplet aggregation, creaming, and lipid oxidation. In the present study, the nanoemulsion itself was investigated as a food-relevant colloidal model system prepared with sunflower oil, soy lecithin, and protein and phlorotannin fractions extracted from the edible brown seaweed Fucus vesiculosus. Formulations were prepared by high-pressure homogenization and characterized for physicochemical, interfacial, emulsifying, rheological, microstructural, storage, oxidative, digestive, and release properties. The particle sizes of the nanoemulsions ranged from 166 to 260 nm, and the protein-phlorotannin mixtures had ζ-potential values as low as -58.10 ± 0.45 mV, indicating markedly increased negative surface charge. Interfacial protein adsorption reached 66.17%, and the apparent encapsulation efficiency (EE) of phlorotannins reached 97.88%. Phlorotannin-rich formulations markedly suppressed primary lipid oxidation, reducing the peroxide value increase rate by up to 98.3% compared with control T1 during 24 days of storage at 25°C, while also limiting secondary oxidation. Protein-containing formulations were more resistant to creaming, droplet growth, and turbidity loss during refrigerated storage. In vitro digestion showed that phlorotannins influenced protein hydrolysis, lipid digestion, and bioactive release. Spectroscopic, rheological, and microscopic analyses revealed formulation-dependent structural and interfacial characteristics, while molecular docking provided exploratory support for possible interactions between the selected F. vesiculosus protein model and nanoemulsion components. The results establish composition-interface-function relationships within the food-relevant nanoemulsion system and provide a basis for subsequent development of emulsion-based foods, in which matrix-, processing-, and sensory-dependent variables need to be evaluated separately. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Fucus vesiculosus protein and phlorotannins can be used to create stable, antioxidant-rich O/W nanoemulsions, maintaining droplet integrity and controlling bioactive release. The nanoemulsion was evaluated as a food-relevant colloidal system, and the results clarify how interfacial composition governs its physical stability, oxidative protection, rheological behavior, digestion, and bioactive release. Because the study focuses on the intrinsic structure-function relationships of the nanoemulsion itself, incorporation into a specific finished food would represent a subsequent product-development stage involving additional matrix-, processing-, and sensory-dependent variables. The findings therefore provide formulation principles for the future design and evaluation of stable, antioxidant-enriched emulsion-based food systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":193,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Food Science","volume":"91 10","pages":"e71583"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149236348","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":"Machine Learning-Based Prediction of Beef Tomato Exocarp Firmness Using Physicochemical and Mineral Nutrient Profiles.","authors":"Aylin Kabaş, Mehmet Kayakuş, Önder Kabaş","doi":"10.1111/1750-3841.71558","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.71558","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tomato exocarp firmness (TEF) is an important mechanical quality parameter that directly affects postharvest handling, transportation, storage stability, and industrial processing performance. Conventional firmness determination methods are generally destructive, time-consuming, and unsuitable for rapid food quality monitoring systems. This study investigated the relationship between physicochemical composition and TEF and developed machine learning-based models for data-driven firmness prediction. A total of 163 beef tomato samples were analyzed using 11 physicochemical and mineral nutrient variables, including total soluble solids (TSS), dry matter, titratable acidity, lycopene (LYC), vitamin C, calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, sodium, and phosphorus. Deep learning (DL), artificial neural networks (ANNs), and multiple linear regression (MLR) models were developed and evaluated using coefficient of determination (R²), root mean square error (RMSE), and mean absolute error (MAE). Correlation analysis demonstrated strong positive relationships between exocarp firmness and vitamin C (r = 0.677), LYC (r = 0.668), and manganese (r = 0.622), whereas phosphorus (r = -0.660) and TSSs (r = -0.635) showed strong negative correlations. Among the predictive approaches, the DL model achieved the best performance with an R² value of 0.709, RMSE of 0.158, and MAE of 0.132. ANNs and MLR produced lower predictive accuracy with R² values of 0.673 and 0.605, respectively. The findings demonstrate that physicochemical and mineral nutrient profiles can support data-driven prediction of TEF. However, because the predictors were obtained through laboratory analyses, further validation using independently collected data and nondestructive sensing technologies is required before practical industrial application. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The developed models demonstrate the potential of physicochemical and mineral nutrient profiles for predicting tomato exocarp firmness. The current framework is proof of concept because its predictors were obtained through laboratory analyses. Future integration with nondestructive sensing technologies may support rapid firmness assessment in grading, packaging, transportation, and postharvest management.</p>","PeriodicalId":193,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Food Science","volume":"91 10","pages":"e71558"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149147299","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}