Majida AL-Wraikat , Mohamed Aamer Abubaker , Yingli Liu , Xiping Shen , Yu He , Linqiang Li , YongFeng Liu
{"title":"Microbial community and organic compounds composition analysis and the edible security of common buckwheat fermented via Kombucha consortium","authors":"Majida AL-Wraikat , Mohamed Aamer Abubaker , Yingli Liu , Xiping Shen , Yu He , Linqiang Li , YongFeng Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100247","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100247","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the microbial community and organic compound composition of common buckwheat fermented with a traditional Kombucha consortium. Twenty-five fungal species, nine bacterial species, five organic acids, and six phenolic compounds were identified in Common Buckwheat Kombucha (CBK). The fermentation process enriched CBK with bioactive compounds that enhanced its functional properties, including antioxidant activity and antibacterial efficacy, inhibiting pathogenic bacteria by over 81.1 %. Further research is encouraged to explore similar applications with other cereal crops.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34477,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry Molecular Sciences","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100247"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143479099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jingyang Wang , Changyun Zhang , Min Li , Xiucai Fan , Ying Zhang , Jianfu Jiang , Chonghuai Liu , Lei Sun
{"title":"Multi-omics analysis unravels the dynamics of flavor profile in ‘Queen Nina’ berries and the regulatory mechanism underlying volatile esters","authors":"Jingyang Wang , Changyun Zhang , Min Li , Xiucai Fan , Ying Zhang , Jianfu Jiang , Chonghuai Liu , Lei Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100248","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100248","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>‘Queen Nina’ is a popular grape variety, but the fruit flavor profile and its evolution and regulatory mechanism remain unclear. The flavor profile of ‘Queen Nina’ was systematically investigated by analyzing the soluble sugars, organic acids, free amino acids, and aroma volatiles at 6 different stages. A total of 55 aroma volatiles were identified, with esters being the predominant volatiles in mature berries. The flavor profile of ‘Queen Nina’ was elucidated by constructing a flavor radar chart based on the results of OAV, which identified 5 volatiles as reliable indicators of berries ripening. Additionally, we identified 29 genes associated with esters metabolism and reported for the first time the involvement of the CXE gene family in aroma esters decomposition in grapes. The results contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the dynamics underlying the flavor profile of ‘Queen Nina’, thereby providing novel insights into enhancing the grape aroma.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34477,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry Molecular Sciences","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100248"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143437652","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Inosine-5′-monophosphate interacts with the TAS1R3 subunit to enhance sweet taste detection","authors":"Christine Belloir, Lucie Moitrier, Adeline Karolkowski, Nicolas Poirier, Fabrice Neiers, Loïc Briand","doi":"10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100246","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100246","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Umami and sweet taste detection is mediated by the activation of the TAS1R1/TAS1R3 and TAS1R2/TAS1R3 receptors, respectively. TAS1R2-Venus flytrap domain (VFT) constitutes the primary ligand-binding site for most of the sweeteners whereas TAS1R1-VFT contains the orthosteric binding site for umami compounds. Inosine-5′-monophosphate (IMP), previously known to potentiate umami taste, binds to a site of TAS1R1-VFT adjacent to the L-glutamate site leading to umami synergy. However, the involvement of the TAS1R3 subunit in umami receptor-ligand interactions or in synergy with IMP has never been demonstrated. To elucidate the VFT contribution to umami and sweet detection, we expressed human TAS1R1- and TAS1R3-VFTs in bacteria. Ligand binding studies quantified by intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence revealed that both TAS1R1- and TAS1R3-VFTs are able to interact with umami compounds. Cellular assays revealed that IMP is able, like cyclamate, to modulate the response of TAS1R2/TAS1R3 and TAS1R3 alone stimulated by calcium ions. IMP also acted as an enhancer of TAS1R2/TAS1R3 when stimulated with sucralose, neotame and cyclamate. Taking together, our data demonstrated that IMP modulates sweet compound detection at the receptor level acting via the TAS1R3 subunit. This research suggests more complex receptor interactions between umami and sweet taste qualities and paves the way for development of new sweetness enhancers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34477,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry Molecular Sciences","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100246"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143420973","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Miguel Cifuentes Acebal , Yvan Devaux , Torsten Bohn
{"title":"A protocol for microRNA extraction from gastrointestinal digesta","authors":"Miguel Cifuentes Acebal , Yvan Devaux , Torsten Bohn","doi":"10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100245","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100245","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs that influence gene-expression via post-transcriptional regulation of target protein-coding RNAs. With literature reports indicating survival of diet-derived miRNAs following their ingestion, it is important to study their stability and concentration during gastrointestinal digestion. The unique combination of chemicals and elevated RNAse content present in the gastrointestinal matrix may be a limiting factor for studying diet-derived miRNAs. First, chemical cross-reactivity with matrix constituents (e.g. bile salts) may interfere with the salt bridge interactions typically present during RNA extraction, reducing the efficiency of the column. Second, high RNAse content may not be fully inhibited during extraction and could continue degrading the miRNAs, as is observed for other tissues with high RNAse content. These combined issues may result in a reduced efficiency in yield and purity of RNA extracts, further limiting the study of diet-derived miRNAs (i.e. in downstream metabolism). In the present manuscript, we display a method based on silica column purification to extract and quantify diet-derived miRNAs from the bioaccessible phase of the gastrointestinal digesta. The proposed protocol provides a simple, quick (less than 2 h), reliable, and systematic method for miRNA purification from gastrointestinal digesta. The optimization showcased that the challenges caused by high RNAse activity, plant bioactive substances and bile-salt content within the gastrointestinal digesta have been overcome and the study of the miRNA fraction in a body fluid so far neglected is now available to researchers, allowing the use of miRNA as biomarkers of intake and potentially biomarkers of biological changes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34477,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry Molecular Sciences","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100245"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143445291","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Peng Liu , Xiaodi Chen , Xueting Cao , Yuying Wang , Yafei Gao , Li Xu , Xukai Jiang , Min Xiao
{"title":"Semi-rational engineering of an α-L-fucosidase for regioselective synthesis of fucosyl-N-acetylglucosamine disaccharides","authors":"Peng Liu , Xiaodi Chen , Xueting Cao , Yuying Wang , Yafei Gao , Li Xu , Xukai Jiang , Min Xiao","doi":"10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100244","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100244","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>α-L-Fucosidases are attractive biocatalysts for the production of bioactive fucosylated oligosaccharides, however, poor regioselectivity and activity for transglycosylation have significantly limited their applications. We have recently derived an α-L-Fucosidase, BF3242, from <em>Bacteroides fragilis</em> NCTC9343, which could efficiently synthesize a mixture of Fuc-α-1,3/1,6-GlcNAc, but its 1,3/1,6-regioselectivity was observably affected by reaction temperature. Here, we integrated loop-targeted random mutagenesis and site-directed mutagenesis to engineer the regioselectivity and transglycosylation activity of BF3242. Loop-targeted random mutagenesis revealed that L266 in the loop-4 (H242-S267) within the model of BF3242 was a key residue for the regioselectivity for transglycosylation, and the saturation mutagenesis at residue L266 uncovered a mutant L266H with a significantly increased 1,3-regioselectivity of 97 % from 69 % of WT BF3242. Subsequently, five designed single-site mutations at the putative aglycone subsites were performed, resulting in a double-site mutant L266H/M285C that increased the overall yield of Fuc-α-1,3/1,6-GlcNAc to 76 % from 68 % of WT BF3242. The saturation mutagenesis at residue M285 finally generated a double-site mutant L266H/M285T with the maximal overall yield of Fuc-α-1,3/1,6-GlcNAc of 85 % and 1,3-regioselectivity of 98 %. The <em>R</em><sub><em>T/H</em></sub> of L266H/M285T was approximately 2.7-fold higher than that of the WT BF3242. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the structural flexibility of the loop-4 was substantially reduced in mutant L266H, and the hydrogen bond formation and binding affinity between mutant L266H/M285T and Fuc-α-1,3-GlcNAc was significantly enhanced. The semi-rationally engineered enzyme L266H/M285T would be a promising biocatalyst for highly 1,3-regioselective synthesis of fucosyl-<em>N</em>-acetylglucosamine disaccharide.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34477,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry Molecular Sciences","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100244"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143420972","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hancai Jiang , Xiaoxian Xu , Shuwan Wang , Xinhui Song , Ling Li , Qingyou Liu , Kuiqing Cui , Deshun Shi , Jian Wang , Hui Li , Jieping Huang , Zhipeng Li
{"title":"Characterization of mammary glands and milk fat globule transcripts in lactating buffalo and goats","authors":"Hancai Jiang , Xiaoxian Xu , Shuwan Wang , Xinhui Song , Ling Li , Qingyou Liu , Kuiqing Cui , Deshun Shi , Jian Wang , Hui Li , Jieping Huang , Zhipeng Li","doi":"10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100243","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100243","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Gene expression and post-transcriptional regulation are key mechanisms affecting lactation performance in dairy animals. However, the difficulty of obtaining mammary gland tissue samples from lactating animals has significantly impeded lactation research. Milk fat globules may be a non-invasive way to obtain mammary transcripts. Here, we aimed to reveal the universal rule of the transcript profiles of the milk fat globules and mammary glands from buffaloes and goats by RNA-sequencing analysis. Results showed that, in buffalo, 97 % of mRNAs were expressed in both milk fat globules and mammary glands, with 45 % showing differential expression. Among 6086 lncRNAs and 7010 miRNAs identified, 35 % and 50 % were differentially expressed, respectively. Of 11,631 circRNAs, only 618 showed significant differences. In goat, more than 99 % of mRNAs and 87 % of ncRNAs (including lncRNAs, circRNAs, and miRNAs) were expressed in both milk fat globules and mammary glands, and over 91 % of mRNAs, 96 % of lncRNAs, 98 % of circRNAs, and 86 % of miRNAs showed no significant differences, suggests that the transcripts in milk fat globules exactly reflect that in the mammary gland. This study suggests that milk fat globules are an effective candidate for non-invasive acquisition of mammary gland transcripts, but their applicability needs further study.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34477,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry Molecular Sciences","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100243"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143351013","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Characteristics and bioinformatics of peptides from natural and cultured sandfish (Holothuria scabra)","authors":"Pawitporn Daopa , Chakkapat Aenglong , Sittiruk Roytrakul , Teerasak E-kobon , Xue Zhao , Wanwimol Klaypradit","doi":"10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100242","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100242","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aimed to investigate the characteristics and bioinformatics identification of peptides in sandfish (<em>Holothuria scabra</em>) protein hydrolysate from natural and cultured sources, with the hypothesis that different sources of sandfish and enzymatic treatments would result in distinct peptide profiles. Sandfish from both sources were subjected to double enzymatic hydrolysis using neutral protease–alcalase (NA), papain–neutral protease (PN), and papain–alcalase (PA) to obtain protein hydrolysates. The hydrolysates were analyzed for amino acid composition, protein molecular weight distribution, functional groups using FTIR spectroscopy, LC-MSMS analysis coupled with bioinformatics for protein and peptide identification, and mineral profile. The resulting hydrolysates exhibited similar amino acid profiles, characterized by high levels of glycine, alanine, glutamic acid, and aspartic acid. The functional groups of the sandfish protein hydrolysates were primarily found at wavenumbers 1658 cm<sup>−1</sup> (amide I), 1541 cm<sup>−1</sup> (amide II), and 1246 cm<sup>−1</sup> (amide III). Peptides with molecular weights below 500 Da predominated in every sample, highlighting their small molecular size. LC-MSMS analysis, coupled with bioinformatics database comparisons, indicated that sandfish from natural and cultured sources, as well as different enzymes used in the hydrolysis process, significantly affect protein and peptide pattern. Of the 2132 identified proteins, 1258 exhibited significant differences (<em>p</em> < 0.05, FDR < 0.05). This study provides insights into how source and enzymatic treatment influence peptide profiles, which could be applied in the development of functional ingredients or bioactive peptides from sandfish.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34477,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry Molecular Sciences","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100242"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143325417","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Patrizia Bade , Sebastian Stix , Kristina Kappel , Jan Fritsche , Ilka Haase , Andrew Torda , Nils Wax , Markus Fischer , Dirk Brandis , Ute Schröder
{"title":"A universal DNA microarray for rapid fish species authentication","authors":"Patrizia Bade , Sebastian Stix , Kristina Kappel , Jan Fritsche , Ilka Haase , Andrew Torda , Nils Wax , Markus Fischer , Dirk Brandis , Ute Schröder","doi":"10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100241","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100241","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>DNA microarrays are now used in fields such as gene expression analysis, pathogen/virus detection and identification of biomarkers. Although they have been used in the food sector for species identification, they detect a limited number of species and are thus less suited for fishery products due to the large variety of traded species. Here, the aim of this proof-of-principle study was to design a universal DNA microarray that should be able to distinguish all fish species by comparing hybridization signal patterns from samples with patterns obtained from reference specimens. A universal set of 100 DNA probes (based on the genetic marker genes 16S ribosomal RNA and cytochrome <em>b</em>) generated species-specific DNA probe patterns for all 86 analyzed fish specimens. This new screening method shows potential to authenticate specimens from all fish species and by this could play an important role in fighting fraudulent practices and adulteration in the seafood sector.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34477,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry Molecular Sciences","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100241"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143160422","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Random antimicrobial peptide mixtures as non-antibiotic antimicrobial agents for cultured meat industry","authors":"Idan Yakir , Einav Cohen , Sharon Schlesinger , Zvi Hayouka","doi":"10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100240","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fochms.2025.100240","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Antibiotics, commonly used in cell culture studies to prevent microbial contamination, cannot be employed in Cultured meat (CM) due to potential residues in the final food products. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop novel and safe non-antibiotic antimicrobial agents. Here, we investigated the potential of random antimicrobial peptide mixtures (RPMs) as non-antibiotic antimicrobial agents. RPMs are synthetic peptide cocktails that have previously shown strong and broad antimicrobial activity; however, their use in cell culture media and their effect on mammalian cells have not yet been explored. Here we show that RPMs had no significant impact on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) at concentrations that effectively inhibit bacterial growth. RPMs displayed strong bactericidal activity against Gram-positive bacteria, achieving a 6-log reduction of <em>L. monocytogenes</em> in cell culture medium without any cytotoxicity. Additionally, RPMs showed a low occurrence of resistance development with no significant resistance developed in compared with a combination of penicillin and streptomycin. Moreover, LK20 mixture was rapidly digested in a simulated digestion model. Our results indicate that RPMs have great potential to serve as safe and effective non antibiotic antimicrobial agents in cultured meat industry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34477,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry Molecular Sciences","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100240"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143161379","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Wasim Sajjad , Murad Muhammad , Sayed Muhammad Ata Ullah Shah Bukhari , Sumra Wajid Abbasi , Osama Abdalla Abdelshafy Mohamad , Yong-Hong Liu , Wen-Jun Li
{"title":"Application of bacterioruberin from Arthrobacter sp. isolated from Xinjiang desert to extend the shelf-life of fruits during postharvest storage","authors":"Wasim Sajjad , Murad Muhammad , Sayed Muhammad Ata Ullah Shah Bukhari , Sumra Wajid Abbasi , Osama Abdalla Abdelshafy Mohamad , Yong-Hong Liu , Wen-Jun Li","doi":"10.1016/j.fochms.2024.100239","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fochms.2024.100239","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Post-harvest losses and rapid fruit ripening at room temperature are major challenges in preserving fruit quality. This study aimed to reduce such losses by applying a red carotenoid pigment, bacterioruberin extracted from an <em>Arthrobacter</em> sp. The carotenoid was characterized as bacterioruberin and its derivative tetra anhydrous bacterioruberin (λmax 490 nm), and an <em>m</em>/<em>z</em> value of 675 and 742 (M+ 1H)<sup>+1</sup>. The annotated LIPID MAP demonstrated the presence of over 360 isoprenoids annotated transcripts. The compound exhibited significant antioxidant activity, with an IC<sub>50</sub> of 22 μg/mL, iron chelation and antibacterial activities indicating its potential as a natural preservative. When applied to grapes, peaches, and apricots, bacterioruberin (2 %) effectively prevented spoilage for six days at room temperature. Statistical analysis using one-way ANOVA revealed a significant correlation <em>(p = 0.05)</em> between treated and control groups in subjective quality attributes. Computational investigation with phospholipase D and VQ22 motif protein further supported the preservative potential of bacterioruberin.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34477,"journal":{"name":"Food Chemistry Molecular Sciences","volume":"10 ","pages":"Article 100239"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11773480/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143060886","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}