Food ControlPub Date : 2025-08-16DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111652
Amelia Navarre , Fabiola M. Quintana-Pérez , Jasna Kovac
{"title":"Peroxyacetic acid treatment significantly reduced Campylobacter jejuni culturability but not viability on chicken breasts","authors":"Amelia Navarre , Fabiola M. Quintana-Pérez , Jasna Kovac","doi":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111652","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111652","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Campylobacter</em> is the leading bacterial cause of foodborne illness in the United States with chicken as the primary source of infections. It can enter a viable but nonculturable (VBNC) state under stress, where cells remain intact (i.e., viable) but cannot grow in conventional culture media (i.e., nonculturable). We evaluated the antimicrobial and VBNC-inducing activity of peroxyacetic acid (PAA), a poultry processing antimicrobial that causes oxidative and acid stress. We inoculated <em>Campylobacter</em> onto chicken breasts and treated them with 500 ppm PAA for 10 s via spray or immersion, and quantified culturable cells via direct plating and viable cells via viability Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR). Immediately after treatment, immersion insignificantly reduced the viable <em>Campylobacter</em> population by 0.3 ± 0.2 log<sub>10</sub> (p = 0.99) but significantly reduced the culturable population by 0.8 ± 0.1 log<sub>10</sub> (p < 0.001), while spray insignificantly reduced the viable population by 0.2 ± 0.2 log<sub>10</sub> (p = 1.00) and the culturable population 0.5 ± 0.1 log<sub>10</sub> (p = 0.11). This suggests that PAA treatment induced a small subpopulation of 0.6 ± 0.2 log<sub>10</sub> CFU/mL (immersion) and 0.3 ± 0.2 log<sub>10</sub> CFU/mL (spray) into a VBNC state. PAA did not have a significant additional antimicrobial effect after post-treatment sample storage at 4 °C for up to 24 h. However, environmental stressors significantly reduced the population of viable <em>Campylobacter</em>. Overall, the culture-based plating method overestimated the antimicrobial effect of PAA by up to 1.0 ± 0.3 log<sub>10</sub> due to VBNC. These findings highlight that combining culture-based and molecular methods in challenge studies can provide more accurate data on <em>Campylobacter</em> die-off.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":319,"journal":{"name":"Food Control","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 111652"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144866994","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":"Physical field-assisted plant polyphenol marination: A comprehensive strategy for simultaneous inhibition of advanced glycation end products and heterocyclic amines in roast steak with maintained quality attributes","authors":"Mingyu Li , Wenhan Wei , Chao Chen , Zeyu Zhang , Chunjiang Zhang , Zhenyu Wang , Christophe Blecker , Dequan Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111651","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111651","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Meat products are an integral part of people's daily diets, but high-temperature roasting and drying processes can produce advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and heterocyclic amines (HAs), the excessive accumulation of which is detrimental to human health. The synergistic effects of six plant polyphenols (epicatechin, curcumin, resveratrol, rosmarinic acid, hesperetin and kaempferol) in combination with three physical fields (ultrasound, electrostatic field, and pulsating vacuum tumbling) on the AGEs and HAs formation in roast steak, as well as their impact on meat quality, were investigated. It was found that plant polyphenols–physical fields inhibited the AGEs and HAs formation more effectively than plant polyphenols alone. In particular, the epicatechin–ultrasound (EC-US) treatment overall inhibited the AGEs and HAs formation up to 69.8 %, while maintaining optimal water-holding capacity. Besides, this combined marination method had the least impact on the color and browning of the roast steak and produced the most volatile flavor compounds types (24 in total). Although levels of certain volatile compounds (alcohols, aldehydes, furans, and pyrazines) decreased, the EC-US treatment introduced unique flavor contributors such as estragole and trans-cinnamaldehyde, enhancing he overall sensory experience. Sensory evaluation results further confirmed that the plant polyphenols–physical fields treatment enhanced the tenderness and juiciness of roast steak. The correlation analysis between consumer palatability scores and volatile compounds indicated a strong association between consumer acceptance and the presence of characteristic volatile components. These results provide new perspectives and strategies for the development of healthier and safer meat processing technologies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":319,"journal":{"name":"Food Control","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 111651"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144890149","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 ControlPub Date : 2025-08-13DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111643
Alice Guillot , Rose Ngo Tona , Solène Connan , Marie-Laure Rouget , Justine Receveur , Gaël Le Croizier , François Le Loc'h , Manon Buscaglia , Jean-Marie Munaron , Nestor Ngoua Aba'a , Sylvain Petek , Anne Lorrain , Gauthier Schaal , Fany Sardenne
{"title":"Smoked fish from Gabon: nutritional benefits vs. contaminant risks","authors":"Alice Guillot , Rose Ngo Tona , Solène Connan , Marie-Laure Rouget , Justine Receveur , Gaël Le Croizier , François Le Loc'h , Manon Buscaglia , Jean-Marie Munaron , Nestor Ngoua Aba'a , Sylvain Petek , Anne Lorrain , Gauthier Schaal , Fany Sardenne","doi":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111643","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111643","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Smoked fish is the most common form of fish consumption in many African countries. Smoking is likely to cause changes in nutritional value and in the concentration of certain toxic elements. We assessed these changes in the Bonga shad (<em>Ethmalosa fimbriata,</em> Bowdich 1825). Fatty acids (26), vitamin A, trace elements (14) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs, 24) were examined in <em>E. fimbriata</em> at different smoking durations (fresh, 24 h, 48 h and 72 h). Composition of smoked fish revealed high inter-individual variability. Smoking did not affect total fatty acid concentrations, but it led to a 4.5-fold decrease in vitamin A and a decrease in the concentrations of Ca, Mg, Mn, Pb and Sr. Meanwhile, it increased the concentrations of PAHs (by a factor of 42), Cd, Mo and Na. Despite these changes, toxic metals (As, Cd and Pb) and PAHs levels remained within safety limits, except for the B(a)P Toxic Equivalent (TEQ) in 72 h-smoked fish. High inter-individual variability in toxic metals, PAHs and nutrients concentrations is suspected to originate from the heterogeneity of the smoking process, and to natural variation in fish. Overall, our results highlight the safety of artisanal smoked fish for human consumption when processed under certain conditions. To further enhance consumer safety, dietary recommendations would advise ensuring fish skin integrity in order to reduce flesh contamination.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":319,"journal":{"name":"Food Control","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 111643"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144913347","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":"Glyphosate in apiculture: occurrence patterns across honey, pollen, and beebread","authors":"Zane Lace , Janis Rusko , Sandro Bakhsoliani , Iveta Pugajeva","doi":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111649","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111649","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Glyphosate-based herbicides are the most prevalent plant protection products in agriculture; however, monitoring for glyphosate residues in environmental samples and food is less common than for other pesticides. Due to its high polarity, glyphosate is typically not included in pesticide multi-residue methods. This study investigates the presence of glyphosate in honey (n = 254), pollen (n = 29) and beebread (n = 20) collected from 2019 to 2024 in Latvia. Our study, along with other research focused on glyphosate analysis in honey and bee products, highlights that glyphosate is one of the most prevalent pesticides found in bee products, with some instances even exceeding the maximum residue limit (MRL) of 0.05 mg kg<sup>−1</sup>. Although the health risks to consumers from glyphosate residues in bee products are considered low, the uncertain toxicology data and the frequent detection of glyphosate in these products raise concerns regarding health effects on pollinators.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":319,"journal":{"name":"Food Control","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 111649"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144852547","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 ControlPub Date : 2025-08-13DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111641
Saar de Almeida Bruna , Widory David , D.'Antonio Massimo , Mercurio Mariano , Morra Vincenzo , Stevenson Ross , Fedele Lorenzo
{"title":"87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios in soils, vine leaves, grapes and wines of the Italian volcanic districts authenticate their respective terroirs","authors":"Saar de Almeida Bruna , Widory David , D.'Antonio Massimo , Mercurio Mariano , Morra Vincenzo , Stevenson Ross , Fedele Lorenzo","doi":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111641","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111641","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Interest in the origin and traceability of agri-food products has led to an increasing number of publications using strontium isotope ratios as a geographic tracer. We used <sup>87</sup>Sr/<sup>86</sup>Sr isotope systematics to authenticate the provenance of wine from different volcanic districts of Italy. Samples of soil, grapes, leaves and bottled wines from 6 different wineries were analysed. A detailed study of the different soil horizons from the Somma-Vesuvio area demonstrates the relationship between the <sup>87</sup>Sr/<sup>86</sup>Sr of the soils and the different parts of the grapevine (root, steam, grape, grape pulp, grape seed, grape skin), and the soil characteristics (soil type, granulometry, root density) that control the <sup>87</sup>Sr/<sup>86</sup>Sr of the end-products. Results showed that the geological characteristics of volcanic terranes of Italy, and in particular the northwest to southeast <sup>87</sup>Sr/<sup>86</sup>Sr gradient, are inherited by the wines of each region, such that the wines can be discriminated and authenticated by their isotope ratios.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":319,"journal":{"name":"Food Control","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 111641"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144841151","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 ControlPub Date : 2025-08-13DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111642
Somin Kim , Woo-Ju Kim , Hansol Doh
{"title":"Evaluation of beef quality using machine learning based on the CIELAB color space","authors":"Somin Kim , Woo-Ju Kim , Hansol Doh","doi":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111642","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111642","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents a Python-based, machine learning approach to predict spoilage indicators of beef using non-destructive color measurements from the CIELAB color space. A two-stage modeling strategy was employed, where spoilage indicators predicted from <em>a∗</em> values in the first-stage were used as input features in a second-stage model to estimate spoilage rate. First, a strong correlation between the <em>a∗</em> value and spoilage indicators, validated through Pearson correlation analysis, highlights the feasibility of color data for quality prediction. Among the regression models tested, the random forest (RF) regression model demonstrated superior performance, achieving R<sup>2</sup> values of 0.912 and 0.804 for metmyoglobin (Met.Mb) and peroxide value (PV), respectively. Gradient boosting (GB) regression was most effective for pH prediction, while the k-nearest neighbors (KNN) regression model excelled in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) estimation. Then, the RF regression model was further optimized to predict spoilage rates using Met.Mb, pH, PV, and TBARS as input features, achieving an R<sup>2</sup> of 0.988 and RMSE of 2.120. SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) analysis identified TBARS as the most influential variable, followed by Met.Mb and pH. These findings demonstrate the potential of combining machine learning models with non-destructive methods for real-time beef quality assessment, offering a practical and resource-efficient alternative to traditional analytical approaches.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":319,"journal":{"name":"Food Control","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 111642"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144866992","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 ControlPub Date : 2025-08-12DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111650
Yingqiu Luo , Min Zhang , Chung Lim Law , Zhenjiang Luo
{"title":"A novel strategy to improve the anti-stratification stability of kale-apple mixed juice: ultrasound combined with kale soluble polysaccharide","authors":"Yingqiu Luo , Min Zhang , Chung Lim Law , Zhenjiang Luo","doi":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111650","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111650","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Stratification poses a significant challenge to the juice industry. The objective of this research was to improve the anti-stratification stability of kale-apple mixed juice (KAMJ) by combining ultrasonic treatment (US) with kale soluble polysaccharide (KSP). The effect of US (900 W, 25 min) combined with different KSP concentrations (0.0–1.0 %, w/w) on the anti-stratification stability of KAMJ were investigated. The findings indicate that the combination of US and KSP significantly improved the anti-stratification stability of KAMJ. Compared to the control group, this improvement resulted in an increase of the cloud value and cloud stability of juice samples by 4.26–8.27 and 2.32–4.70 times, respectively, reduced the centrifugal precipitation rate by 30.49–50.56 % and delayed stratification during storage at 4 °C by 3–14 days. The ζ-potential, rheological properties, particle size distribution, scanning electron microscope and infrared characteristics of juice samples indicated that the increased steric hindrance, viscosity and electrostatic repulsion were the primary factors for improving the anti-stratification stability. Additionally, the Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant correlation between anti-stratification stability and basic physicochemical properties, nutritional components, antioxidant capacity and particle size distribution. In conclusion, the combination of US and KSP is an effective approach to enhance the anti-stratification stability of KAMJ.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":319,"journal":{"name":"Food Control","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 111650"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144852546","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 ControlPub Date : 2025-08-12DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111638
Ahmed S. El-tahlawy , Rasha M. El Bayomi , Abd El-Salam E. Hafez , Noha E. Abdelmohsen , Mohammad Fikry , Waleed Alahmad
{"title":"Eco-friendly preservation for enhancing fish safety with some natural antimicrobial agents","authors":"Ahmed S. El-tahlawy , Rasha M. El Bayomi , Abd El-Salam E. Hafez , Noha E. Abdelmohsen , Mohammad Fikry , Waleed Alahmad","doi":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111638","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111638","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As global attention intensifies on sustainable food systems, the safety of fish as a major protein source demands critical scrutiny. This study offers a detailed microbiological evaluation of commonly consumed fish species available in the Egyptian market, emphasizing both the extent of contamination and the potential of natural preservation strategies. Bacteriological analysis revealed notable disparities in microbial load across species and tissues. <em>Bagrus bajad</em> showed the highest surface contamination by <em>Enterococcus</em> species, while <em>Oreochromis niloticus</em> exhibited the lowest counts consistently in both surface and muscle tissues. In muscle samples, <em>Mugil cephalus</em> carried the highest levels of <em>Enterococcus</em> and psychrotrophic bacteria. <em>Pseudomonas</em> species was most abundant in <em>Bagrus bajad</em>, and least in <em>Oreochromis niloticus</em>. <em>Salmonella</em> species was isolated from 2.5 % of total samples, with three serotypes, Enteritidis, Saintpaul, and Essen, identified. Genetic analysis confirmed the universal presence of the <em>invA</em> virulence gene in all <em>Salmonella</em> isolates, while <em>hilA</em> and <em>fimH</em> were detected in 66.6 % and 33.3 %, respectively. In search of sustainable alternatives to synthetic preservatives, this study assessed the antimicrobial properties of cumin oil, rosemary extract, and chitosan. GC-MS analysis identified cuminaldehyde (27.3 %) and 1,8-cineole (25.7 %) as key active constituents in cumin and rosemary, respectively. Preservation trials confirmed the efficacy of all tested agents, with chitosan exhibiting the most potent antimicrobial activity—achieving a reduction of 1.5 log<sub>10</sub> CFU/g in <em>Enterococcus</em> and 1.0 log<sub>10</sub> CFU/g in psychrotrophic bacteria after nine days of cold storage—while preserving overall sensory acceptability. These findings support integrating natural antimicrobials into post-harvest fish preservation systems, aligning public health protection with environmentally conscious practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":319,"journal":{"name":"Food Control","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 111638"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144841150","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 ControlPub Date : 2025-08-12DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111644
Zhijian Wang, Lin Wang, Jingze Guo, Shiyao Wang, Yisheng Chen
{"title":"Programmable printing of a colorimetric sensor array mimicking human olfactory system for real-time detection of meat freshness","authors":"Zhijian Wang, Lin Wang, Jingze Guo, Shiyao Wang, Yisheng Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111644","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111644","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Concerning the massive economic loss and potential food-borne diseases due to meat spoilage, real-time and non-destructive surveillance techniques able to provide early spoilage alert became increasingly important in meat supply chain. Here, a colorimetric sensor array (CSA) consisted of 10 amine-responsive dyes encapsuled in a metal−organic framework material ZIF-8 (ARD@ZIF-8) mimicking human olfactory system was designed and fabricated for visual evaluation of meat freshness. It was demonstrated that the encapsulation in ZIF-8 significantly enhanced the sensitivity and stability (ΔE < 5) of amine-responsive dyes. Then, the CSA in size of 40 × 10 mm was prepared by programmable printing with high precision and uniformity. Upon a short exposure within 16 min to biogenic amines (BAs), sensitive colorimetric changes became straightforward for eye-inspection, which was further digitally documented and quantified with a smartphone. The detection linear range for the targeted BAs (ammonia, dimethylamine, trimethylamine) was 50–50000 μg/kg, with limits of detection at 7, 8, and 8 μg/kg, respectively. Furthermore, the optimized detection was validated with different meat samples, agreeing well with the data by the TVBN assay (<em>R</em><sup>2</sup> > 0.969). Via chemoichiometric pattern recognition (principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis), the status of meat freshness at different shelf-life stages could be clearly distinguished. Moreover, the CSA displayed high reproducibility (RSD <5 %) as well. Reaching an ideal balance in simplicity, reliability and cost-efficiency, the CSA might be valuable to next generation of intelligent food package enabling consumer-level monitoring of meat quality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":319,"journal":{"name":"Food Control","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 111644"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144852548","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 ControlPub Date : 2025-08-12DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111646
Jiechun Peng , Ting Li , Mengting Liu , Jiangtao Zhang , Xiaoyan Duan , Ying Li , Hanzhi Liang , Pedro Garcia-Caparros , Yueming Jiang , Xuewu Duan
{"title":"Application of riboflavin delays the browning of harvested litchi during storage at room temperature","authors":"Jiechun Peng , Ting Li , Mengting Liu , Jiangtao Zhang , Xiaoyan Duan , Ying Li , Hanzhi Liang , Pedro Garcia-Caparros , Yueming Jiang , Xuewu Duan","doi":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111646","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodcont.2025.111646","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Litchi, a popular tropical and subtropical fruit, is highly susceptible to pericarp browning after harvest, which affects its marketability. Riboflavin, a water-soluble B vitamin (VB<sub>2</sub>), is involved in various physiological processes in plants. This study investigated the effects of riboflavin on pericarp browning of harvested litchi fruit and explores the underlying mechanism. The results show that application of riboflavin effectively delayed pericarp browning, preserved fruit bright color, and maintained cell membrane integrity. Moreover, riboflavin treatment enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as SOD, GST, GR, and the contents of GSH and total phenol, while reducing the levels of GSSG, PPO, and POD over the storage period. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis and RT-qPCR revealed that riboflavin treatment inhibited the expression of phenolic metabolic genes (<em>POD17 like, POD47,</em> and <em>PPO</em>), and aquaporin genes (<em>PIP2-4 like, PIP1-2,</em> and <em>TIP4-1</em>), while upregulating the expression of glutathione metabolism gene <em>GPX2</em>, contributing to the delayed browning process. Overall, this study suggests that riboflavin delays litchi fruit browning via boosting antioxidant enzyme activity and inhibiting the enzymatic oxidation of phenolic compounds.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":319,"journal":{"name":"Food Control","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 111646"},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144866993","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}