{"title":"Structural and rheological properties of ulvan polysaccharides and their potential for food packaging applications","authors":"Jingrong Gao , Zhiang Chen , Pimonpan Kaewprachu , Chalalai Jaisan , Yonghong Liu , Papungkorn Sangsawad , Atiruj Theppawong , Shanggui Deng , Nasuha Bunyameen , Supaluck Kraithong","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144850","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144850","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ulvan, a sulfated polysaccharide extracted from green algae, has garnered interest due to its unique structure, rheological behavior, and diverse biological activities, making it a promising material for industrial applications. In food packaging, ulvan-based films offer significant advantages, including improved mechanical strength, thermal stability, biodegradability, and inherent antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, positioning ulvan as an environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic materials. However, comprehensive evaluations of ulvan's effects on food packaging film properties remain limited. This study aims to investigate the structural and rheological characteristics of ulvan, focusing on its impact on microstructure, mechanical performance, thermal stability, antioxidant and antimicrobial functionality, and biodegradability. Additionally, it explores the regulatory challenges associated with ulvan's incorporation into food packaging systems and its current industrial applications. By addressing these aspects, this work seeks to bridge existing knowledge gaps and support the development of ulvan as a sustainable material for food packaging.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"488 ","pages":"Article 144850"},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144113588","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}
Food ChemistryPub Date : 2025-05-21DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144858
Zongwei Hao , Zhaofeng Li , Zhenni Ma , Xinran Liu , Zhichao Shen , Yulei Ma , Huajian Xu , Zhenyu Yu , Yiqun Du
{"title":"Spectral analysis and computational simulation to investigate the synergistic mechanism of L-theanine and epigallocatechin gallate in inhibiting α-glucosidase activity","authors":"Zongwei Hao , Zhaofeng Li , Zhenni Ma , Xinran Liu , Zhichao Shen , Yulei Ma , Huajian Xu , Zhenyu Yu , Yiqun Du","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144858","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144858","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Natural products are gaining attention as α-glucosidase (α-GLU) inhibitors owing to their safety and multifunctionality. L-theanine (THE) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in tea have inhibitory effects, but whether their synergistic inhibition of α-GLU remains unclear. This study investigated the synergistic mechanism of THE and EGCG in inhibiting α-GLU activity using spectral analysis and computational simulation. The results showed that a combination of 1.6 mM THE and 0.11 mM EGCG significantly enhanced α-GLU inhibition. Fluorescence quenching experiments revealed that EGCG did not alter the static quenching pattern of THE on α-GLU. However, it promoted enzyme conformational changes. Multi-spectral analysis and molecular dynamics simulations further demonstrated that THE and EGCG interacted non-covalently with key α-GLU residues (ASP-242, PHE-303, and PRO-312, etc.), disrupting the active site structure, reducing its catalytic efficiency. These findings provide valuable insight into the synergistic inhibition of α-GLU by natural active ingredients, with potential applications in functional foods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"488 ","pages":"Article 144858"},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144113511","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}
Food ChemistryPub Date : 2025-05-21DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144851
Wei-Gang Xin , Yu-Hang Jiang , Yu-Ting Zhao , Ming Liang , Xiao-Yong Chen , Shi-Jian Liu , Hua-Yi Suo
{"title":"Encapsulation of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum in a sodium alginate/pectin/tea polyphenol complex: Enhancing stability and bioactivity for fermented milk products","authors":"Wei-Gang Xin , Yu-Hang Jiang , Yu-Ting Zhao , Ming Liang , Xiao-Yong Chen , Shi-Jian Liu , Hua-Yi Suo","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144851","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144851","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, <em>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</em> LPP95, a potential probiotic, was encapsulated in a sodium alginate/pectin/tea polyphenol (SA/PE/TP) complex, and its physicochemical properties, bioactivity, stability, and application potential were investigated. The results showed that tea polyphenol (TP) enriched encapsulated beads (SA/PE/TP/LP) achieved high encapsulation efficiency (96.51 %) without compromising their mechanical properties and stability. The bioactivity analysis revealed that the SA/PE/TP/LP encapsulated beads, formed through TP hydrogen bonding, exhibited good biosafety and a high DPPH radical scavenging rate. Furthermore, adding TP enhanced the enteric dissolution rate and increased the viable counts of <em>L. plantarum</em> with respect to in vitro digestion conditions, bile salt tolerance and refrigerated storage, compared with free-LP. When applied to fermented yogurt, SA/PE/TP/LP significantly reduced pH changes, and improved the sensory, gel structure, and rheological properties of the dairy product. These findings suggest a promising approach to preserving highly active probiotics by adding polyphenols, potentially improving yogurt quality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"488 ","pages":"Article 144851"},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144104385","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}
Food ChemistryPub Date : 2025-05-21DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144860
Xin Yang , Yichun Sun , Xuanchen Li , Nana Zhang , Zhengfang Qi , Anyan Wen , Likang Qin , Haiying Zeng
{"title":"Mechanism of the secondary metabolites and key enzymes of Monascus spp. to promote tocopherol enrichment","authors":"Xin Yang , Yichun Sun , Xuanchen Li , Nana Zhang , Zhengfang Qi , Anyan Wen , Likang Qin , Haiying Zeng","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144860","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144860","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Monascus</em>-fermented coix seed exhibits enhanced tocopherol accumulation compared to other strains, yet mechanisms remain unclear. Whether <em>Monascus</em> metabolites/enzymes drive this enrichment is worth exploring. Comparative genomics and transcriptomics were employed to analyze secondary metabolite profiles and tocopherol enrichment capabilities across <em>Monascus</em> strains. The results revealed that γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) derived from amino acid metabolism is channeled into both the Shikimate pathway to generate homogentisic acid (a tocopherol precursor) and the Mevalonate pathway to produce ergosterol and geranylgeranyl diphosphate (another precursor). Furthermore, the total tocopherol content of <em>M1</em> and <em>M1</em> <em>+</em> <em>3</em> reached 168 and 148 μg/g DW, positively correlating with ergosterol content (<em>p</em> < 0.05). Transcriptomic data further demonstrated strain-specific differences in tocopherol enrichment, linked to upregulated expression of key genes (<em>HPPD</em>, <em>ERG4</em>, <em>MVD</em>, <em>FDPS</em>, <em>GGPS1</em>) governing precursor biosynthesis. Crucially, we validated that ergosterol acts as a stimulator of tocopherol synthesis, directly supporting our hypothesis on pathway crosstalk. This study elucidates microbial-driven tocopherol enrichment mechanisms via precursor allocation and transcriptional regulation, providing insights into bioactive compound synthesis in complex metabolic networks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"488 ","pages":"Article 144860"},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144113512","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}
Food ChemistryPub Date : 2025-05-21DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144867
Zheng Zhou , Bo Wang , Liang Wang , Meng Dong , Dayong Zhou , Xuhui Huang , Ian Fisk , Lei Qin
{"title":"Unraveling the lipid photooxidation reactions in salmon oil under different light wavelength conditions via omics approaches","authors":"Zheng Zhou , Bo Wang , Liang Wang , Meng Dong , Dayong Zhou , Xuhui Huang , Ian Fisk , Lei Qin","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144867","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144867","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Light wavelengths can lead to differences in flavor and components of food by lipid photooxidation. However, the relevant molecular mechanisms are still unclear. This study explored the effects of light wavelengths (365 and 405 nm) on volatile and nonvolatile compound structures in salmon oil, along with the underlying mechanisms, via lipidomics and oxlipidomics approaches. The shorter light wavelength more effectively catalyzed lipid oxidation, leading to greater diversity and higher content of volatiles. It more readily catalyzed the formation of carbonyl-containing compounds, such as aldehydes and enones, contributing to hot oil and fried fish flavors. The wavelength of 405 nm favored the formation of hydroxyl-containing compounds (enols and alcohols), leading to stronger seaweed and grass aromas. During photooxidation, <sup>1</sup>O<sub>2</sub> activated by light radiation preferentially reacted with double bonds at the ends of fatty acid chains with low steric hindrance, yielding more lipids with 16-20C fatty acids and small molecule volatiles (4C<img>6C).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"488 ","pages":"Article 144867"},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144113514","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":"Quality changes in fragrant rapeseed oils derived from different varieties during roasting: Focusing on erucic acid and glucosinolate","authors":"Lingyan Zhang , Jia Chen , Xingfeng Guo , Yongsheng Cao , Guoyi Qu , Xiuzhu Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144854","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144854","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines the effects of four rapeseed varieties, differing in erucic acid (EA) and glucosinolate (GSL) levels, on the flavor profile of fragrant rapeseed oil (FRO). Total phenolic content and β-tocopherol serve as indicators of FRO's nutritional quality during roasting. Notably, GSLs had a greater effect on the flavor profile than EA. The stronger pungent-like odor in FROs derived from high-GSL rapeseed varieties (LEHG and HEHG) is likely attributed to elevated concentrations of methallyl cyanide, 2,4-pentadienenitrile, 5-(methylthio)-pentanenitrile, benzenepropanenitrile, 6-(methylthio)-hexanenitrile, 5-cyano-1-pentene, 3-methylcrotononitrile, 2-pentenenitrile, and 4-isothiocyanato-1-butene. Additionally, the fatty-like odor was most pronounced in HEHG samples due to increased levels of hexanal, (E,E)-2,4-heptadienal, and nonanal. For LELG and HEHG, the duration of roasting had a more significant impact on the development of FRO flavor than the roasting temperature did. These results may facilitate the selection of rapeseed varieties for FRO production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"488 ","pages":"Article 144854"},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144113515","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}
Food ChemistryPub Date : 2025-05-21DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144629
Abdelaziz F.S. Farrag, Asmaa M. Otify, Amgad I.M. Khedr, Norazlan Mohmad Misnan, Ahmed Mediani, Ludger A. Wessjohann, Mohamed G. Sharaf El-Din, Mohamed A. Farag
{"title":"Corrigendum to “Unveiling metabolome heterogeneity in seed and husk from three cardamom species for quality control and valorization purposes of its waste products via NMR-based metabolomics in relation to in vitro biological effects” [Food Chem. 480 (2025) 143687]","authors":"Abdelaziz F.S. Farrag, Asmaa M. Otify, Amgad I.M. Khedr, Norazlan Mohmad Misnan, Ahmed Mediani, Ludger A. Wessjohann, Mohamed G. Sharaf El-Din, Mohamed A. Farag","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144629","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144629","url":null,"abstract":"The authors regret, an error in the affiliation of the author <strong>Ahmed Mediani</strong>. The corrected affiliation is updated as above.","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":8.8,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144103996","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}
Food ChemistryPub Date : 2025-05-21DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144868
Kangning Li, Yuxuan Wang, Jie Mi, Ming Chang, Ruijie Liu
{"title":"Covalent modification of soy protein isolate with tea polyphenols: A potential strategy for enhancing flaxseed oil emulsion stability and sustained delivery of α-linolenic acid","authors":"Kangning Li, Yuxuan Wang, Jie Mi, Ming Chang, Ruijie Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144868","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144868","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The adaptability of soybean protein isolate (SPI) modified with tea polyphenols (TP) for emulsion delivery systems was investigated. This study fabricated the SPI-TP non-covalent complex (NC) and covalent complex (C) and flaxseed oil emulsions stabilized by NC (NC-E) and C (C-E). The differences in the solubility, antioxidant activity, and particle size of NC and C were discussed first. And the emulsions' resistance to storage, pH, temperature, and ionic strength was further evaluated. The C-E exhibited superior antioxidant capacity and environmental stability compared to the NC-E. This might be attributed to TP conjugation differences in NC and C and SPI property changes modified via two approaches. Moreover, the bioaccessibility of α-linolenic acid (ALA) in flaxseed oil emulsions stabilized by SPI, NC, and C was 58.38 ± 0.13 %, 42.84 ± 0.03 %, and 45.89 ± 0.03 % as evidenced by INFOGEST 2.0, indicating covalent modification would be a promising strategy for delivering functional lipids.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"488 ","pages":"Article 144868"},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144113509","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":"Ready-to-use Nafion-Bi2O3 modified graphite paper/gel electrode for the detection of lead in vegetables and fruits and its anti-interference performance","authors":"Huili Luo , Yilu Huang , Yuhang Xiang , Ying Zhou , Jia Zhao , Lijuan Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144861","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144861","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Electrochemical detection has been used to measure heavy metals in food, but matrix interferences remain limited the rapid treatment-detection. This study developed a Nafion-Bi<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> coating modified graphite paper/sodium alginate gel electrode to amplify the electrical signal of Pb(II) and improve the anti-interference towards organic acids and metal ions. Although negatively charged organic acids were excluded by Nafion, interferences of exchangeable ions were amplified. In the mix drip coating, Bi<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> was chemical combined and electrostatic interacted with OH, SO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup> and C-S in Nafion. This modification reduced diffusion resistance, enhanced surface hydrophobicity and provided additional reactive oxygen binding sites. The peak current of Pb(II) increased 56.62 % and the detection limit was lowered to 0.015 μg/L. The recoveries of Pb in matrices were 78.33 %–106.45 %. The easy field modified graphite paper electrode represents an innovation, and this study will propel the rapid detection of heavy metals based on acid-extraction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"488 ","pages":"Article 144861"},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144113591","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}
Food ChemistryPub Date : 2025-05-21DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144818
Melek Tunc-Ata , Ezgi Zekiye Akturk , Muath Njjar , Ahmet Kaya , Abdullah Akdogan , Canan Onac
{"title":"Determination of retrorsine in thyme via molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensor: Validation and comparison with chromatographic technique","authors":"Melek Tunc-Ata , Ezgi Zekiye Akturk , Muath Njjar , Ahmet Kaya , Abdullah Akdogan , Canan Onac","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144818","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.144818","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pyrrolizidine alkaloid (PA) toxicity is a growing public health concern, especially with rising herbal product use during the pandemic, highlighting the need for accurate exposure data. Retrorsine (RTS), a retronecine-based PA, is highly toxic, causing liver damage, mutagenicity, and DNA cross-linking through metabolic activation. In the light of the need for a practical alternative to monitor pyrrolizidine alkaloid contamination in herbal products, a molecularly-imprinted-polymer sensor (MIPs-GCE) was used for exploring the electrochemical behavior of RTS electrochemical behavior using cyclic voltammetry and the selective detection of RTS using square wave voltammetry. The sensor demonstrated a linear-detection range of 0.05–2 nM, with a LOD of 0.02869 nM. The sensor's accuracy was validated by analyzing thyme samples, detecting RTS concentrations of 0.5168 and-0.5345 nM with RSD of 2.4 % and 1.9 %. These results closely aligned LC-MS/MS values of 0.5142 and 0.5267 nM, confirming the sensor's precision. The sensor demonstrated high selectivity, low detection limits, and practical applicability, ensuring reliable and efficient RTS detection in the presence of twenty-eight different PA compounds. This study introduces a novel, reliable, and straightforward method for detecting PAs, with a specific focus on RTS, offering an enhancement to existing analytical techniques and presenting a complementary alternative in chromatographic applications such as LC-MS/MS, HPLC and GC–MS.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"488 ","pages":"Article 144818"},"PeriodicalIF":8.5,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144103940","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}