{"title":"Astaxanthin-zein-polysaccharide nanoparticles via intelligent microfluidics: Ionic-type polysaccharides differentially regulate stability and intestinal sustained release.","authors":"Mengju Xu, Ruitao Zhao, Yumeng Miao, Wei Wang, Xiaofu Liang, Weiyu Yan, Zijian Qiu, Yongmin Zhang, Jiaping Zhou, Mingyuan Li","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.151637","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.151637","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Astaxanthin (AST), a potent lipophilic antioxidant, suffers from poor water solubility, environmental instability and low bioavailability, severely restricting its application in functional foods. In this study, six AST-Zein-polysaccharide ternary nanoparticles were precisely fabricated via an advancedcomputer-integrated intelligently controlled microfluidic platform. Different from conventional thermal bulk methods, this non-thermal microfluidic technique achieves confined self-assembly and precise laminar mixing for efficient, reproducible fabrication of homogeneous nanoparticles. Six food-grade polysaccharides (gum arabic (GA), pectin, HPMC, chitosan, guar gum, and xanthan gum) were systematically compared, and AST-GA-NPs were screened as the optimal delivery system. These nanoparticles exhibited superior comprehensive performance with a small particle size (80.8 ± 2.6 nm), low PDI (0.116 ± 0.054), and excellent antioxidant activity (DPPH: 87.17 ± 1.13%; ABTS: 90.51 ± 1.76%), as well as good morphological regularity, hydrophilicity and stability under variable pH, salt and light conditions. Gastrointestinal simulation tests showed that the cumulative AST release rate of AST-GA-NPs reached 86.62 ± 0.39%, 7.94 times higher than that of free AST. Multispectral analysis verified that hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions drove the stable self-assembly of nanoparticles. The unique highly branched structure and anionic characteristic of GA further optimized the interfacial characteristics and structural stability of the ternary system. This study proves the great superiority of computer-integrated microfluidics in constructing high-performance bioactive delivery systems, providing a feasible strategy for improving the stability and intestinal bioavailability of AST in functional foods.</p>","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"532 Pt 2","pages":"151637"},"PeriodicalIF":10.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149219738","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 : 2026-10-15DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.151610
Aneela Nijabat, Aqil Farooq, Muhammad Anwer Shah, Muhammad Asim Sultan, Amir Ali, Adam Al Bolton, Ajaz Ahmad
{"title":"Pigment-associated metabolic signatures and processing stability in color-diverse carrot accessions: a chemometric and functional analysis.","authors":"Aneela Nijabat, Aqil Farooq, Muhammad Anwer Shah, Muhammad Asim Sultan, Amir Ali, Adam Al Bolton, Ajaz Ahmad","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.151610","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.151610","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study assessed compositional, antioxidant, and sensory variation in color-diverse carrot (Daucus carota L.) accessions (orange, yellow, purple) under different processing conditions. Significant accession and product effects (P < 0.05) were observed for sugars, phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, β-carotene, and DPPH activity. Purple accessions contained higher phenolic and anthocyanin levels with higher antioxidant potential, while orange accessions showed higher β-carotene and sucrose contents. Yellow accessions exhibited a moderate compositional profile. Processing method influenced bioactive levels in a compound-dependent manner, with higher phenolic values observed in juice and relatively stable β-carotene levels across products. Multivariate analysis separated accessions based on variation in compositional and morphological traits. Sensory evaluation showed higher acceptability scores for orange carrot-derived products, while purple and yellow products showed moderate scores. This study provides a comparative assessment of compositional, processing, and sensory variation in color-diverse carrot accessions and derived products, supporting evaluation of their performance in different food matrices.</p>","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"532 Pt 2","pages":"151610"},"PeriodicalIF":10.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149223010","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 : 2026-10-15Epub Date: 2026-08-20DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.150858
Yile Miao, Chanyuan Wu, Jingjing Zhou, Li Li
{"title":"Exogenous tryptophan and taurine enhance phenolic metabolism and antioxidant defenses in walnut kernels.","authors":"Yile Miao, Chanyuan Wu, Jingjing Zhou, Li Li","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.150858","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.150858","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Amino acids are key signaling molecules in plant stress responses. Fresh walnuts are rich in nutrients but face significant nutrient loss, enzymatic browning, and a decline in antioxidant capacity during postharvest storage. This study evaluated exogenous tryptophan and taurine in quality maintenance of fresh intact walnut (Juglans regia L. cv. 'Niangqing'), focusing on antioxidant capacity and phenolic compounds accumulation. Exogenous tryptophan and taurine were applied individually or in combination, effectively maintaining walnut appearance, delaying browning, and extending the shelf life. The combined TRP + TAU treatment achieved a remarkable 59.2% reduction in malondialdehyde content and increased total phenolic content by 117.4% compared to the control. Mechanistically, tryptophan upregulated key genes in the phenylpropanoid pathway (jrePAL, jre4CL, jreCHI), while taurine enhanced the AsA-GSH cycle (jreAPX, jreGR) and preserved cellular membrane integrity. These results offer new perspectives on the innovative application of amino acid treatments to extend the postharvest storage life of fresh walnuts.</p>","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"526 ","pages":"150858"},"PeriodicalIF":10.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148811565","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 : 2026-10-15DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.151547
Parisa Khodayari, Homeira Ebrahimzadeh
{"title":"Bioinspired chitosan-xanthan gum self-assembled nanosponge incorporating natural deep eutectic solvent: batch adsorption, mechanism, sustainability, and selective non-nutritive sweetener elimination.","authors":"Parisa Khodayari, Homeira Ebrahimzadeh","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.151547","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.151547","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A bio-inspired self-assembled nanosponge, constructed from a binary chitosan-xanthan gum (CX) gelling network incorporating a [betaine]:[tannic acid] natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES), is introduced as an innovative platform for the selective tracing of emerging non-nutritive sweeteners (NNSs) in waters and non-alcoholic beverages, due to their growing environmental relevance. The molar ratio of NADES precursors, CS-to-XG weight proportion, and NADES fraction within the CX network were optimized. Physicochemical characterization corroborated that the nanosponge possesses a porous, channel-like configuration, with outstanding aqueous stability and controlled swelling while preserving structural resilience. An adsorption capacity of 103.492-117.281 mg g<sup>-1</sup> was achieved via synergistic electrostatic, hydrogen-bonding, and π-π interactions, ascribable to multiple crosslinking and high density of accessible active sites. The nanosponge was implemented in a one-step micro-solid-phase extraction (μ-SPE) method, affording selectivity (α, 102.50-554.00), LOQ (0.05-0.07 μg L<sup>-1</sup>), precision (RSD, 2.09-3.84%), and recoveries (RR, 93.82-107.16%), with minimal matrix effect (ME, 2.29-4.02%) and desirable re-usability ( five cycles). The BAGI (75/100), AGREE (0.74/1.0), and AES (81/100) tools validated the practicality and sustainability of the procedure.</p>","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"532 Pt 2","pages":"151547"},"PeriodicalIF":10.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149219844","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 : 2026-10-15DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.151588
Xijiao Bian, Zhuqing Liu, Jiaqian Cui, Junwei Tang, Jungang Jiang, Yifan Zhang, Lei Wang
{"title":"Hydrophobic modified starch reinforced chitosan/lignosulfonate composite film for cherry tomatoes preservation.","authors":"Xijiao Bian, Zhuqing Liu, Jiaqian Cui, Junwei Tang, Jungang Jiang, Yifan Zhang, Lei Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.151588","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.151588","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>To address the environmental pollution caused by petroleum-based plastic packaging, the development of high-performance biodegradable films has become a key research focus in the field of food packaging. In this study, hydrophobically modified starch (AKDSC) was prepared via the esterification reaction of alkyl ketene dimer and subsequently introduced into a chitosan/sodium lignosulfonate (CH/SL) composite system, successfully constructing a multifunctional composite film (CH/SL-AKDSC). The structural characterization results indicated the formation of a denser hydrogen bond network between the phenolic hydroxyl/amino groups in CH/SL and the hydroxyl groups in AKDSC. The performance tests showed that the film exhibited a water contact angle of 105.9°, an oxygen transmission rate as low as 1.18 g/(m<sup>2</sup>·d), and an ultraviolet shielding rate of over 99%. In a 10-day cherry tomato preservation experiment, the CH/SL-AKDSC film demonstrated good preservation effects, highlighting its practical application potential in green and efficient food packaging.</p>","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"532 Pt 2","pages":"151588"},"PeriodicalIF":10.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149223005","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 : 2026-10-14DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.151619
Yu-Mi Shin, Young Jin Park, Jeong Ho Kim, Jong Sung Lee, Jae Kwang Kim, Ye Ji Hwang, Tae Jin Kim
{"title":"Phytohormonal and metabolomic responses to Lysinibacillus sp. TT41 and lactic acid during drought stress in kimchi cabbage (Brassica rapa L. subsp. pekinensis)","authors":"Yu-Mi Shin, Young Jin Park, Jeong Ho Kim, Jong Sung Lee, Jae Kwang Kim, Ye Ji Hwang, Tae Jin Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.151619","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.151619","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Drought-stress severely disrupts plant metabolism and nutritional quality. We investigated the metabolic and hormonal mechanisms underlying drought tolerance in kimchi cabbage treated with <em>Lysinibacillus capsici</em> TT41 and its metabolite, lactic acid (LA). Comprehensive profiling revealed 84 metabolites and 9 hormones, distinguishing drought-stressed plants from surviving plants. Notably, 10 mM LA treatment effectively maintained metabolic homeostasis, resulting in profiles comparable to those of controls. This finding demonstrates that LA modulates the accumulation patterns of nitrogenous metabolites, thereby enhancing drought tolerance while preserving the crop's nutritional quality. A strong correlation between these metabolites and key stress hormones (abscisic acid, jasmonic acid, and salicylic acid) suggests that LA is closely associated with the coordinated modulation of an integrated metabolic–hormonal network that maintains chemical homeostasis. These findings highlight LA as a promising chemical elicitor for preserving the nutritional quality of cruciferous vegetables and provide a sustainable strategy to maintain food quality under environmental-stress.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"532 ","pages":"Article 151619"},"PeriodicalIF":10.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149206321","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 : 2026-10-14DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.151431
Boya Yan, Xu Wang, Zenggen Liu
{"title":"The threat of climate change to anthocyanin content in black wolfberry fruit","authors":"Boya Yan, Xu Wang, Zenggen Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.151431","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.151431","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate associations with wild-fruit quality remain incompletely quantified. This study assessed climate–anthocyanin associations in black wolfberry (<em>Lycium ruthenicum</em>) and projected changes. Anthocyanins in 200 samples collected across seven regions in 2017 were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography and modeled using random forest. Regional differences were significant (<em>P</em> < 0.001), with the highest petanin and total anthocyanin contents in the Qaidam Basin (25.52 ± 2.16 and 32.90 ± 2.50 mg/g dry weight, respectively). The model yielded R<sup>2</sup> = 0.84; mean temperature of the warmest quarter had the highest predictive importance (percentage increase in mean squared error, 44%). This pattern, high contents in Qaidam and Hexi but low contents in Turpan, persisted during 2005–2020. Under Shared Socioeconomic Pathway 5-8.5, conditional projections indicated a 30% decline in the Qaidam Basin during 2081–2100. These findings suggest that warming may threaten black wolfberry quality and underscore the need for climate-adaptive cultivation strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"532 ","pages":"Article 151431"},"PeriodicalIF":10.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149213280","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 : 2026-10-14DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.151581
Di Yu, Qitian Huang, Guoqin Ji, Liting Lyu, Xinyu Liu, Chunxiu Hu, Zongbao K Zhao, Guowang Xu
{"title":"Multi-omics analysis revealed oil accumulation and compositional remodeling in Rhodosporidium toruloides under nitrogen limitation.","authors":"Di Yu, Qitian Huang, Guoqin Ji, Liting Lyu, Xinyu Liu, Chunxiu Hu, Zongbao K Zhao, Guowang Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.151581","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.151581","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Microbial lipids from oleaginous yeasts are promising sustainable alternatives for biofuel and food applications. However, rational engineering requires a comprehensive understanding of both lipid yield and molecular composition, together with their regulatory basis. In this study, high-coverage lipidomics integrated with stage-resolved transcriptomics was applied to Rhodosporidium toruloides under nitrogen limitation. Lipidomic analysis revealed a two-phase pattern characterized by rapid triacylglycerol accumulation followed by compositional remodeling. During the accumulation window, fatty acid class distribution and derived oil parameters showed palm-oil-like compositional features, particularly in terms of saturation balance and unsaturation-related indices. Transcriptomic analysis linked these phenotypic changes to distinct regulatory modules associated with lipid assembly and turnover. These findings suggest that lipid quantity and composition are differently regulated and may be modulated through cultivation-stage control, providing a phenotypic and regulatory basis for rational engineering of microbial oils with defined functional profiles.</p>","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"532 Pt 2","pages":"151581"},"PeriodicalIF":10.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149219874","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":"Non-contact smartphone-based colorimetric sensing platform using Si3N4 nanozyme-embedded kudzu starch hydrogel for on-site meat freshness monitoring","authors":"Yang He, Kabeh Addi Nyahn, Yanyu Chen, Mingyi Zhang, Huanan Guan","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.151620","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.151620","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A non-contact colorimetric sensing platform was developed for on-site meat freshness assessment, integrating a Si<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> nanozyme-embedded kudzu starch composite hydrogel as the sensing element and a smartphone-assisted RGB system for signal readout. The Si<sub>3</sub>N<sub>4</sub> nanozyme with intrinsic peroxidase-mimicking activity catalyzes H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> decomposition to produce hydroxyl radicals, which oxidize 3,3′,5,5′-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) into blue products. Nonanal, a characteristic volatile biomarker of meat spoilage, is proposed to reduce ox-TMB through a competitive redox process, giving rise to concentration-dependent color fading. The porous hydrogel enables nanozyme immobilization and gaseous nonanal enrichment, realizing label-free non-contact detection. Under optimized conditions, the platform shows two linear ranges of 0.001–0.1 and 0.1–0.35 mmol L<sup>−1</sup> with a detection limit of 0.873 μmol/L, along with favorable selectivity and spiked recovery. Practical sample validation confirms its potential for real-time on-site meat freshness monitoring.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"532 ","pages":"Article 151620"},"PeriodicalIF":10.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149206298","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":"Integrated sensory, volatilomic and metabolomic profiling reveals storage-stage-associated quality evolution of raw Pu-erh tea","authors":"Zhichao Lin, Jing Zhang, Yajie Xue, Lianqing Wang, Feng Yang, Jinwen Gao, Jianan Huang, Zhonghua Liu, Chao Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.151591","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.151591","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>During long-term storage, raw Pu-erh tea (RAPT) undergoes substantial sensory and chemical changes. However, the integrated contributions of sensory attributes and metabolites to this process are not well understood. This study applied an integrated multi-omics approach to examine its quality evolution across storage stages. Sensory evaluation indicated a notable shift in aroma profile, from initial floral and fruity notes to matured characteristics dominated by woody, stale, and herbal scents. Metabolomic analysis showed that during storage, total polyphenols (TPs), catechins, theanine, and free amino acids (FAA) decomposed, while total flavonoids accumulated. Additionally, 332 metabolites were identified as potential markers for distinguishing aging/aged RAPT. Eight key aroma markers of the aging process were identified using volatilomics, including 1,2-dimethoxybenzene, 1,2,3-trimethoxybenzene, linalool oxide-related isomers and cedrol. Collectively, this study advances our understanding of the chemical and sensory evolution of RAPT during storage and provides a foundation for optimizing storage strategies to control product quality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":318,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry","volume":"532 ","pages":"Article 151591"},"PeriodicalIF":10.4,"publicationDate":"2026-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149206250","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}