Food Chemistry Molecular Sciences最新文献

{"title":"Oat grass improves meat tenderness and flavor, reduces fat deposition in small-tailed Han sheep","authors":"Li-Wei Wang ,&nbsp;Jian-Qiang Li ,&nbsp;Jiang-Hong An ,&nbsp;Hua Sun ,&nbsp;Fang Liu ,&nbsp;Meng-Ran Zhao ,&nbsp;Li-Li Jiang ,&nbsp;Xing-Ran Dong ,&nbsp;Sarula Tao ,&nbsp;Mengke Bayaer ,&nbsp;Jiang-Feng He ,&nbsp;Yong-Bin Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.fochms.2026.100362","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fochms.2026.100362","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Oat grass supplementation is a promising strategy for improving meat quality in ruminants. This study investigated its effects on the meat quality of Small-tailed Han sheep. The results revealed that sheep fed oat grass displayed higher expression of key genes (<em>MYL10</em>, <em>MYL2</em>), <em>Actin</em>, and Cytochrome coxidase (Cyto) associated with muscle structure and contraction, while genes (<em>ACTC1</em>, <em>MYH2</em>, <em>PIP4K2B</em>) and proteins (<em>MLC</em>, <em>PFN</em>, <em>Tnc</em>) associated with cardiac contraction and myosin cytoskeletal regulation were downregulated. These molecular changes were likely to underpin meat tenderness and texture. Furthermore, oat grass supplementation influenced metabolic pathways linked to flavor-enhancing compounds, including amino acids and free fatty acids like alanine. These metabolic changes not only improved lamb tenderness but also enhanced its flavor and nutritional profile. This study provides evidence that oat grass supplementation is a practical and effective dietary strategy for optimizing lamb meat quality, offering dual benefits of improved sensory appeal and nutritional value.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34477,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry Molecular Sciences","volume":"12 ","pages":"Article 100362"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146188830","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Real-time PCR to target Hoodia in herbal supplements: a tool for conservation and trade regulation","authors":"Marie-Alice Fraiture ,&nbsp;Andrea Gobbo ,&nbsp;Patrick Philipp ,&nbsp;Nina Papazova ,&nbsp;Céline Vanhee ,&nbsp;Nancy H.C. Roosens","doi":"10.1016/j.fochms.2026.100367","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fochms.2026.100367","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plants belonging to the <em>Hoodia</em> genus are widely used as ingredients in herbal dietary supplements. Rising demand and overharvesting have led to supply shortages, adulteration, and CITES-regulated trade, threatening the authenticity and safety of <em>Hoodia</em> in commercial products. These factors highlight the need for a reliable genus-level detection method for <em>Hoodia</em> to support the control of illegal trade and the verification of marketed <em>Hoodia</em>-based products. To address this need, we developed a real-time PCR method specific to <em>Hoodia</em> genus targeting the ITS2 region, a molecular marker with high variability enabling detection and differentiation of plant species or genera. Due to the limited number of publicly available <em>Hoodia</em> ITS2 sequences, 13 additional sequences were generated in-house to support assay design. This real-time PCR method was validated in compliance with international standards, demonstrating high specificity, high sensitivity, and inter-laboratory transferability. Its applicability was verified by testing commercial herbal dietary supplements. This study provides enforcement laboratories with a validated molecular tool to support <em>Hoodia</em> monitoring and authentication in commercial products.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34477,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry Molecular Sciences","volume":"12 ","pages":"Article 100367"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146182818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Proteomic and in silico identification of potential allergenic proteins in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) seeds","authors":"Daranee Chokchaichamnankit ,&nbsp;Pantipa Subhasitanont ,&nbsp;Toollayaporn Audsasan ,&nbsp;Jisnuson Svasti ,&nbsp;Theetat Ruangjaroon ,&nbsp;Chantragan Srisomsap","doi":"10.1016/j.fochms.2026.100360","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fochms.2026.100360","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cowpea (<em>Vigna unguiculata</em> L. Walp) seeds are rich in proteins (∼24%), thus they have been considered as a viable dietary protein substitute. Despite its advantages, allergenicity risks of cowpea seeds need to be taken into account. Herein, the protein expression and potential allergens in cowpea seeds were analyzed using LC/timsTOF Pro 2, PEAK studio and multiple <em>in silico</em> analysis. Based on functional classification using STRING analysis, the result revealed response to stimuli, <em>e.g.</em>, oxidative stress and temperature, as the major cluster (187 proteins), followed by biosynthesis of secondary metabolite (117 proteins) and immune system (108 proteins). These suggest involvement of protein functions in maintaining homeostasis during seed development under stress conditions. By using webtool Allermatch™ and the Pfam database, 131 potential allergenic proteins were found from cowpea seeds. The findings revealed that cowpea seeds contain a number of recognized allergens, including endochitinase, beta-conglycinin, and vicilin, as well as numerous allergenic proteins not previously described, such as endochitinase 1B and 5-methyltetrahydropteroyltriglutamate–homocysteine methyltransferase (MetE). Additionally, use of the Kolaskar &amp; Tongaonkar method predicted B-cell epitopes such as ³⁰VSGFGVI³⁶, ¹⁵²VPVLVGP¹⁵⁸ and ¹⁵³PVLVGPV¹⁵⁹, increasing the possibility of cowpea allergenicity. In conclusion, this study provides useful information on the potential allergens in cowpea seeds, providing a foundation for future cowpea allergenicity assessment including experimental IgE-binding or clinical validation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34477,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry Molecular Sciences","volume":"12 ","pages":"Article 100360"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146037620","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Transcriptomic analyses of piperitone inhibited sprouting of ‘Yan 25’ sweet potato storage roots","authors":"Zihan Liu ,&nbsp;Yongxin Li ,&nbsp;Penta Pristijono ,&nbsp;Cheng Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100352","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100352","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sprouting of sweet potato during transportation and storage is a serious problem leads to weight loss and quality degradation. In this study, the effect of piperitone in inhibiting sprouting of ‘Yan 25’ sweet potato was analyzed through physiological and transcriptomic analyses. The results showed that untreated ‘Yan 25’ sweet potatoes sprouted after 14 d at 30 °C. While sweet potatoes treated with 150 μL/23 L piperitone did not grow any sprouts after 14 d. Furthermore, the investigation into the effect of piperitone on established sweet potato sprouts showed that the sprouts were damaged with the MDA content increased by 35 % after 18 h of piperitone fumigation, which then died after 48 h. The transcriptomic analyses showed that genes from the pathways of somatic embryogenesis, plant hormone metabolism or signal transduction, cell wall synthesis, cell wall loosening and DNA replication in the storage roots or sprout were altered by piperitone treatment. It is worth mentioning that, genes related to cell apoptosis are up-regulated in the sprout such as 1-amino-cyclopropane-1-carboxylate synthase (ACS), ACC oxidase (ACO), ethylene insensitive 3 family protein (EIN), senescence-associated gene (SAG) and so on, which was associated with the herbicidal effects of piperitone on sweet potato sprout. To facilitate the understanding of the results, two conceptual models elucidate the molecular mechanism of piperitone inhibited sweet potato sprouting were provided. This study provides new insights for inhibiting the sprouting of sweet potato during post-harvest storage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34477,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry Molecular Sciences","volume":"12 ","pages":"Article 100352"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146037671","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling deciphers breed-, age-, and rearing system-dependent regulation of muscle development and meat quality in chickens","authors":"Rongyang Li ,&nbsp;Rui Cao ,&nbsp;Ying Peng ,&nbsp;Xiantong Gan ,&nbsp;Ye Zhang ,&nbsp;Tiantian Gu ,&nbsp;Wenwu Xu ,&nbsp;Jiayi Su ,&nbsp;Yong Tian ,&nbsp;Tao Zeng ,&nbsp;Lizhi Lu ,&nbsp;Jindong Ren ,&nbsp;Li Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.fochms.2026.100369","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fochms.2026.100369","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Chicken is an important source of protein worldwide, and its quality is influenced by breed, age, and rearing methods. However, how these factors interact at the metabolic level is not fully understood. This study examined Yandang partridge chickens, a native Chinese breed, and commercial Arbor Acres (AA) broilers under caged and free-range systems, slaughtered at 49 days (during growth) or 65 days (during fat deposition). Using multi-omics approaches (metabolomics and transcriptomics), breast muscle (BM) and leg muscle (LM) were analyzed. BM showed higher levels of flavor-related compounds such as glutamine, serine, and malic acid, while LM contained more NAD⁺ and lipids. Free-range rearing increased precursors of flavor, including glutamine and malvidin-3-glucoside, by activating glycolysis and fatty acid metabolism pathways. In Yandang chickens, leg muscle exhibited greater concentrations of flavor metabolites like serine and proline, along with elevated expression of lipid-related genes such as APOA1, compared to AA broilers. With age, BM accumulated oleic acid, while LM showed increases in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) like docosapentaenoic acid. PPAR signaling was identified as a key pathway integrating metabolic responses with rearing conditions. These results improve our understanding of meat quality development and can inform breeding and management practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34477,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry Molecular Sciences","volume":"12 ","pages":"Article 100369"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146188828","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genetic dissection of gluten characteristics based on single- and multi-locus genome-wide association studies in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)","authors":"Xiaoling Jiang ,&nbsp;Qiang Li ,&nbsp;Yanyan Geng ,&nbsp;Jishun Zhao ,&nbsp;Yang Li ,&nbsp;Hongmin Li","doi":"10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100342","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100342","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Gluten protein quantity and quality, crucial factors determining the baking quality of wheat-based foods, are primary targets for wheat breeding. To elucidate their genetic basis, five key gluten traits were investigated utilizing a genome-wide association study (GWAS) approach: wet gluten content (WGC), residual gluten content (RGC), dry gluten content (DGC), water-holding capacity (WHC), and gluten index (GI). Using 48,057 SNPs across 200 wheat accessions, analyses employed one single-locus (SL) model and five multi-locus (ML) models. Genotype primarily influenced these gluten traits, with broad-sense heritability (H²) ranging from 0.85 (DGC) to 0.97 (GI). The SL-GWAS and ML-GWAS models identified 143 and 203 significant marker-trait associations (MTAs), respectively. Of these, 15 stable quantitative trait loci (QTL) were detected in at least three environments using multiple GWAS models. Most notably, qGI·1D for GI, which integrated from 138 significant MTAs, was identified in multi-environments and recognized by all five ML-GWAS models across all environments. This QTL was shown to be co-localized with qWGC·1D, qRGC·1D, and qWHC·1D. Furthermore, five candidate genes related to wheat gluten including <em>TraesCS1A02G317500</em>, <em>TraesCS1A02G466400LC</em>, <em>TraesCS1A02G466500LC</em>, <em>TraesCS1B02G330000</em>, and <em>TraesCS1D02G317300</em> were indentified. Interestingly, <em>TraesCS1B02G330000</em> has the PF13016 domain related to gliadins and has collinearity with two other genes, suggesting the genes in the first homologous group encoding gliadins may play an important role in GI. Additionally, four kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) markers (<em>K_AX-108</em>,<em>999</em>,<em>948</em>, <em>K_AX-110</em>,<em>940</em>,<em>435</em>, <em>K_AX-111</em>,<em>216</em>,<em>618</em> and <em>K_AX-94</em>,<em>670</em>,<em>671</em>) for GI were developed successfully and validated in the natural population. This work elucidates the genetic basis of wheat gluten traits and provides both valuable germplasm and robust molecular tools for breeding applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34477,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry Molecular Sciences","volume":"12 ","pages":"Article 100342"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145792045","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Performance difference of enrofloxacin monoclonal antibody and nanobody elicited from the same immunogen and the underlying molecular mechanism","authors":"Yujie Chen ,&nbsp;Zhaoxiang Wang ,&nbsp;Qingqing He ,&nbsp;Haiyan Xing ,&nbsp;Simin Shen ,&nbsp;Rui Feng ,&nbsp;Yixuan Wu ,&nbsp;Baomin Wang ,&nbsp;Qing X. Li","doi":"10.1016/j.fochms.2026.100359","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fochms.2026.100359","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Enrofloxacin (ENR) is a widely used fluoroquinolone antibiotic in animal husbandry, aquaculture, and humans. Here, a monoclonal antibody (mAb 2D3) and a nanobody (Nb22) against ENR were generated with the same immunogen. Nb22 had the nanobody common property of greater stability in harsh conditions, but its assay sensitivity was approximately 30-fold lower than that of mAb 2D3. Nb22 showed better selectivity, which the cross-reactivity to each of ENR analogs was less than or equal to that of mAb 2D3. The VH and VL gene sequences were amplified from the hybridoma cell line 2D3. Molecular docking revealed that mAb 2D3 had stronger hydrogen bonds and formed a flat and wide binding pocket to accommodate other analogs of ENR. The average recoveries of ENR from milk, milk powder, egg and fish determined by mAb 2D3 and Nb22 based ic-ELISAs ranged from 77.7% to 119% and 88.2% to 116%, respectively. This study confirmed that the direct application of nanobody in immunoassay is no better than the conventional monoclonal antibody. Improving the sensitivity of nanobody is an essential prerequisite for taking advantage of its stability and specificity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34477,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry Molecular Sciences","volume":"12 ","pages":"Article 100359"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146077542","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of variety differences on the meat quality traits and flavour of donkey meat based on transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis","authors":"Juan Xiong ,&nbsp;Yuan Wang ,&nbsp;Wufeng Li ,&nbsp;Xi Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.fochms.2026.100356","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fochms.2026.100356","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To investigate whether variations in donkey meat quality stem from breed-specific regulation of muscle metabolism, we employed headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS), together with metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses to compare the longissimus dorsi muscles of Guangling donkeys and Jinnan donkeys. The results indicated that the longissimus dorsi muscle of the Guangling donkeys group was more tender. Heptanal and nonenal make important contribution to the flavour of Guangling donkey meat, and the odor activity value (OAV) of heptanal was significantly higher than that in Jinnan donkey meat. Aldehydes were found to have the greatest influence on the flavour of donkey meat. The 932 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified through transcriptome analysis were primarily related to alanine, aspartate, glutamate, starch and sucrose metabolism, cGMP-PKG, MAPK, and estrogen signaling pathways. Metabolomics analysis revealed 76 differential metabolites that were significantly enriched in lipid-related pathways, including glucagon, AMPK, cAMP signaling, and cysteine and methionine metabolism. Collectively, these findings support our original hypothesis that coordinated gene–metabolite interactions underlie breed-specific differences in donkey meat quality. The preliminary identification of DEGs and metabolites affected by breed differences, together with the screening of major flavour compounds<strong>,</strong> provides an important theoretical basis for subsequent molecular validation and for the improvement of meat quality in donkey breeding programmes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34477,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry Molecular Sciences","volume":"12 ","pages":"Article 100356"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146037672","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cultivar-driven variations in physicochemical properties and volatile organic compound profiles of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.)","authors":"Zhen-Peng Zhou,&nbsp;Li-Yuan Zhao,&nbsp;Jing-Yao Sun,&nbsp;Qing-Yun Li,&nbsp;Bing-Bing Cai,&nbsp;Xin-Xin Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100346","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100346","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Strawberry (<em>Fragaria × ananassa</em> Duch<em>.</em>) is an important economic crop all around the world. A new developed cultivar ‘Baozhu’ which has a similar fruit shape with ‘Hongyan’ is not yet proved to be a different genotype. The main purpose of the present study was to confirm the differences in genotypes and quality and volatile compounds of the two cultivars. The results showed that ‘Baozhu’ cultivar exhibited 39.6 % higher fruit weight, 35.1 % higher total soluble solids, 29.5 % higher firmness, 25.0 % higher total acidity, 45.0 % higher soluble sugars compared to ‘Hongyan’ cultivar (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). A total of 51 volatile compounds were identified in the strawberries using headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS), and esters were the most abundant compounds, followed by aldehydes and alcohols. The results of chemometrics analysis reveal that ‘Baozhu’ and ‘Hongyan’ strawberries can be distinctly separated from each other. A panel of 28 volatiles with VIP &gt; 1 and <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05 were identified as discriminant factors for ‘Baozhu’ and ‘Hongyan’. Furthermore, ‘Baozhu’ cultivar had significantly more stomata than the ‘Hongyan’ cultivar. A clear and positive correlation was observed among quality, volatile and stomata number. The current findings contribute to the commercial value assessment of the ‘Baozhu’ cultivar at an industrial level, formulating a paradigm for improvement of daily eating pattern and driving the development of genetic tools for improvement of flavor.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34477,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry Molecular Sciences","volume":"12 ","pages":"Article 100346"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145926703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tetracycline residue alters the nutritional quality and bioactive composition of soybean sprouts: Evidence from transcriptomic and rhizosphere microbiota analyses","authors":"Ting Cai ,&nbsp;Jie Yao ,&nbsp;Hongmei Jiang ,&nbsp;Jie Zou ,&nbsp;Ting Xia ,&nbsp;Xinyue Mou ,&nbsp;Shan Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiao Tan ,&nbsp;Jie Tang ,&nbsp;Wenliang Xiang","doi":"10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100345","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100345","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Antibiotic residues in edible crops have become an increasing food safety concern, yet their impacts on crop nutritional quality and bioactive composition remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated the effects of tetracycline, a widely used antibiotic in soil–vegetable systems, on the growth and nutritional quality and bioactive composition of soybean sprouts. Results showed tetracycline exposure significantly inhibited sprout growth and nutrient accumulation in a dose-dependent manner, with high concentrations reducing vitamin C, total flavonoids, and coumestrol contents by approximately 50 %, 30 %, and 43 %, respectively. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that these related declines were associated with disruptions in carbon, amino acid, and lipid metabolism, as well as in flavonoid and coumestrol biosynthesis pathways. In parallel, rhizosphere microbiota analysis showed that tetracycline reshaped microbial community structure by reducing nitrogen-cycling-related taxa (<em>Dokdonella</em>, <em>Acidibacter</em>) and enriching resistant genera (<em>Acinetobacter)</em>, which were significantly correlated with changes in sprout nutritional quality and bioactive composition. Together, these results demonstrate that tetracycline residues drive substantial losses of nutritional and bioactive composition in edible crops through coordinated metabolic and microbiome-mediated mechanisms, revealing an underappreciated pathway by which antibiotic contamination threatens crop nutritional value and food quality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34477,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry Molecular Sciences","volume":"12 ","pages":"Article 100345"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145926704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}