Trends in Food Science & Technology最新文献

{"title":"Advances in light-responsive food packaging: Mechanisms, applications, and challenges","authors":"Jiaxin Zhao ,&nbsp;Xinxin Xiao ,&nbsp;Shasha Wei ,&nbsp;Qingyang Wang ,&nbsp;Qiao Ding ,&nbsp;Yuqin Lei ,&nbsp;Hongchao Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105573","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105573","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Developing advanced intelligent and active packaging to prevent food quality deterioration and contamination is of great significance. Responsive packaging, which aims to monitor/improve food safety or quality through pH, temperature, biogenic gas, or light stimulation, has attracted extensive attention. Compared with other stimuli, light-responsive technology provides an appealing approach for developing highly precise and contactless intelligent and active food packaging.</div></div><div><h3>Scope and approach</h3><div>This work systematically describes the mechanisms of light-responsive packaging functionalized with various light-responsive materials and compounds, including natural organic compounds, synthetic organic compounds, carbon-based materials, metal oxides, and hybrid complexes. Meanwhile, the application progress of light-responsive packaging within food-related fields is emphasized. Additionally, the current limitations and challenges associated with light-responsive food packaging are discussed, and potential future research directions and development trends are proposed.</div></div><div><h3>Key findings and conclusions</h3><div>Light-responsive packaging, operating through mechanisms including photoluminescence, photochromism, photocatalysis, photo-controlled release, photothermal conversion, and reflection/scattering, not only offers innovative strategies for intelligent packaging, such as freshness/safety indicators and anti-counterfeiting labels, but also demonstrates excellent performance in antimicrobial activity, gas scavenging, controlled release, and photosensitive product protection. However, commercialization obstacles exist such as the migration of photosensitive compounds, light/heat instability of photosensitive dyes, and high cost of synthesizing advanced materials. Overcoming these challenges require advances in material innovation and manufacturing, supported by cross-disciplinary technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and intelligent sensing. Overall, this review presents a comprehensive summary of recent advances in light-responsive food packaging and offers theoretical insights and technical guidance to facilitate its broader application.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 105573"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146037372","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":"From detection chains to prevention trends: An AI governance framework for terrestrial and marine food-safety systems","authors":"Joothykannan Krisnanmoorthy ,&nbsp;Yudi Fernando","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105576","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105576","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are fundamentally transforming food safety from reactive contamination detection toward predictive prevention systems, yet their deployment encounters governance deficits that threaten equitable adoption.</div></div><div><h3>Scope and approach</h3><div>This paper analyses 1766 publications (2015–2025) to evaluate AI detection systems, predictive analytics, and blockchain traceability across terrestrial and marine supply chains.</div></div><div><h3>Key findings and conclusions</h3><div>Computer vision achieves 95–99 % accuracy in pathogen detection, while blockchain enables traceability from days to seconds. Our analysis reveals a critical technology-to-governance imbalance (ratio 7.5:1) and severe under-representation of marine systems (terrestrial dominance 2.3:1; IUU-fishing research deficit 57:1), even though aquatic foods provide 17 % of global animal protein to 3.3 billion people. Fragmented regulatory frameworks across the European Union, the United States and the Asia-Pacific region create deployment uncertainty, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. Marine food systems remain critically underserved despite their contribution to global animal protein, and governance fails to adequately address harmful algal blooms, heavy-metal bioaccumulation, and illegal fishing. We propose an AI governance framework for terrestrial and marine food-safety systems that incorporates adaptive regulatory mechanisms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 105576"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076177","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":"Recent advance in mycotoxin mitigation using food and agricultural by-products","authors":"Hailian Wei ,&nbsp;Jin Mao ,&nbsp;Qi Zhang ,&nbsp;Ling Cheng ,&nbsp;Xianglong Yang ,&nbsp;Antonio F. Logrieco ,&nbsp;Peiwu Li","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105568","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105568","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Mycotoxins as toxic secondary metabolites produced by <em>Aspergillus, Fusarium,</em> and <em>Penicillium</em> pose serious risks to global food and feed safety. Sustainable, economical, and green approaches for mycotoxins prevention and mitigation are needed.</div></div><div><h3>Scope and approach</h3><div>This review gathers recent advances that leverage food and agricultural by-products such as edible mushrooms and spent substrates, plant-derived residues (peels, pomaces, brans), and engineered composites to prevent toxin biosynthesis and to remove/degrade toxins post-contamination. It demonstrates mechanism (adsorption, enzymatic/biotransformation, antioxidative protection), efficacy (in <em>vitro</em>/in <em>vivo</em>), and scale-up considerations across pre- and post-production interventions.</div></div><div><h3>Key findings and conclusions</h3><div>Edible mushrooms and their derivatives (including spent substrates) inhibit mycotoxin biosynthesis and/or degrade toxins via ligninolytic enzyme systems, adsorption, and biotransformation. And representative examples include <em>Pleurotus spp</em>. and <em>P. eryngii SMS</em>. Agricultural by-products (e.g., corn cobs, fruit peels, date pits) show strong mycotoxin adsorption/detoxification and can be as composites or nano-enabled systems, achieving up to high removal efficiencies in practical application while preserving product quality. These natural strategies advance waste valorization and support a circular-economy paradigm for safer food systems. Remaining challenges include matrix effects, mechanism elucidation, safety assessment of transformation products, and optimization for large-scale application.</div></div><div><h3>Novelty and significance</h3><div>By integrating mycotoxin pre-harvest/pre-production prevention with post-contamination bioremediation, this review presents new information and soltion in mycotoxin mitigation using food and agricultural by-products, and accelerate by-products comprehensive and high-value utilization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 105568"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076202","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":"Recent advances in metal-phenolic networks for delivery and removal: properties, applications, and future perspectives","authors":"Xin Zhang ,&nbsp;Ikram Alouk ,&nbsp;Hui Liang ,&nbsp;Guangjian Li ,&nbsp;Yutao Wang ,&nbsp;Yufei Cao ,&nbsp;Wen-Yong Lou","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105587","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105587","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>In the food industry, the efficient delivery of bioactives plays a pivotal role in the development of functional foods, while the removal of impurities is fundamental for ensuring safety, maintaining food quality and optimizing resource utilization. Together, these aspects reflect the evolution of food science, from ensuring safety to promoting health and advancing sustainability. Metal-phenolic networks (MPNs) feature tunable structures and multifunctional properties. They provide a robust platform for both delivery and removal.</div></div><div><h3>Scope and approach</h3><div>This review presents a comprehensive summary of the food-derived polyphenols and metal ions that constitute MPNs, along with their functional properties. The potential of MPNs for delivering bioactives and removing impurities is critically evaluated, with particular emphasis on their role in enhancing the bioavailability and stability of bioactives, in efficiently separating impurities to mitigate food safety risks. Finally, current challenges and future research directions related to MPNs utilization in food systems are proposed.</div></div><div><h3>Key findings and conclusions</h3><div>Food-derived polyphenols exhibit strong biological activities and have the potential for large-scale production of MPNs. The coordination between metal ions and polyphenols can further enhance the functional properties of MPNs, such as pH responsiveness, antibacterial and antioxidant activity, UV resistance, chromogenic characteristics and biocompatibility. These properties provide effective protection for bioactives, and also contribute to the inhibition and removal of harmful substances. Therefore, this review emphasizes MPN-based material solutions in food systems for bioactive delivery and impurity removal.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 105587"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076201","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":"A comprehensive overview of traditional containers versus edible coatings in cheese maturation: new insights into microbial biodiversity, cultural heritage, challenges and food safety","authors":"Asma Senoussi ,&nbsp;Ali Adnan Hayaloğlu","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105608","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105608","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Traditional equipment shapes the distinctive characteristics of traditional cheeses. This review evaluates how traditional production equipment can meet modern safety and sustainability requirements while preserving microbial diversity and sensory quality.</div></div><div><h3>Scope and approach</h3><div>This review analyzes traditional equipment and modern (current technology, contemporary or state of the art) edible coatings across their distinct production stages. Traditional equipment functions as integrated production systems throughout manufacturing: i) wooden vats continuously inoculate milk during curd formation and fermentation; ii) wooden shelves facilitate microbial exchange between biofilms and cheese rinds during ripening; animal-skin bags serve as combined fermentation and ageing environments; iii) earthenware vessels regulate moisture and microbial activity from production through maturation. These materials act as dynamic microbial reservoirs influencing safety, biochemistry, and sensory development during production and maturation. In contrast, modern edible coating biopolymer films are applied after manufacture as post-production preservation barriers that extend shelf life, control moisture and oxygen transfer, and deliver antimicrobial compounds during storage and distribution.</div></div><div><h3>Critical distinction</h3><div>Traditional equipment interacts with cheese throughout production (inoculation, fermentation, and ripening), whereas modern coatings envelop finished cheese post-production. This temporal and functional distinction shows that cheese safety requires stage-appropriate interventions: process-integrated microbial management during production and protective barriers during storage.</div></div><div><h3>Key findings and conclusions</h3><div>This review proposes hybrid approaches that preserve traditional production methods while incorporating targeted coating applications for enhanced storage safety. These strategies maintain the microbial diversity and authenticity established during traditional manufacturing while covering contemporary sustainability and quality requirements, demonstrating that preservation of cultural heritage is compatible with modern safety standards.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 105608"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146185453","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":"AI-driven precision protease engineering for the food industry","authors":"Rina Wu ,&nbsp;Jinyu Zhou ,&nbsp;Wang Han ,&nbsp;Junrui Wu ,&nbsp;Zhishen Mu","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105611","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105611","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Advances inst traditional protease hurdles, a new frontier in protease engineering, include the high-efficiency design of tailored variants. A central challenge in modern enzyme engineering is designing highly efficient proteases tailored to specific industrial applications. Artificial intelligence (AI) is now providing powerful solutions to these problems. By integrating established strategies, such as directed evolution and rational design, the capacity of AI to analyze enzyme structures and predict mutational outcomes has substantially enhanced the stability and adaptability of proteases. This synergy extends beyond mere optimization to enable the <em>de novo</em> design of novel proteases. This review provides an overview of the importance of this capability in the food industry as AI-driven design paves the way for safer and more sustainable production methods to meet the demands of precision food production. These innovations collectively represent an important advance toward enhancing the performance and enabling the sustainable production of industrial proteases. The next frontier may involve the deep integration of AI with multi-omics data, a necessary step to expand protease applications and improve the nutritional quality of biotechnology food products. The integration of multi-omics with AI-guided <em>de novo</em> design has expanded protease applications in food biotechnology, addressing the evolving demands of industrial processes while enhancing food quality and nutritional value.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 105611"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146185458","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":"Dairy flavor measurements from materials to human perception: Emerging trends and applications","authors":"Yangfan Guo ,&nbsp;Ying Wang ,&nbsp;Haochen Zhou ,&nbsp;Xinying Xu ,&nbsp;Dongxiao Sun-Waterhouse ,&nbsp;Shan Ding ,&nbsp;Fanyu Meng ,&nbsp;Tao Jiang ,&nbsp;Bei Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105577","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105577","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Historically, dairy product development has primarily emphasized flavor stability, with research predominantly focusing on physicochemical analysis of flavor compounds and expert panel evaluations in sensory characteristics of the products to ensure product consistency. In recent years, the dairy industry is increasingly shifting its focus from flavor stability to consumer-centric preference and perception research, evaluating product acceptance for optimize product profiles. A deeper and more complete assessment of consumer perception regarding various dairy products is essential to predict consumption trends and to decipher the complex mechanisms underlying consumer preferences.</div></div><div><h3>Scope and approach</h3><div>This review comprehensively overview the application of instrumental analysis, sensory evaluation methodologies, and emerging psychophysiological approaches in dairy flavor research. Additionally, it systematically elucidates the feasibility, application scope, and interconnections among various assessment methods, while summarizing key challenges and future development trends.</div></div><div><h3>Key findings and conclusions</h3><div>No single technology can fully unlock the ‘human flavor code.’ While instrumental methods offer the analysis of flavor compounds, they cannot directly correlate with human flavor perception. Sensory evaluation is evolving toward dynamic-static combined, consumer-based, and multi-emotional approaches. Psychophysiological methods and advanced technologies for behavioral observation are also being increasingly applied in flavor perception research. The comprehensive analysis of these multi-dimensional datasets is essential for accurately predicting how various flavor impact consumer perception. Furthermore, data mining and modeling with multi-origins’ data show great potential in predicting dairy product consumption trends, facilitating the identification of factors affecting perceived flavor, thereby enabling flavor optimization and quality improvement during dairy food production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 105577"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146185419","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":"Water lentil rich in nutrients and bioactive components - A powerful group of vegetables for humanity's future plant-based diet","authors":"G. Jahreis ,&nbsp;K.S. Sree ,&nbsp;C. Dawczynski ,&nbsp;K.J. Appenroth","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105600","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105600","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Water lentils have the potential to be a future sustainable food source on the planet as well as for space travel. In this review, various species of the Lemnaceae family were analysed for their nutritive and antinutritive properties, and their future relevance for nutrition and health of a growing world population.</div></div><div><h3>Scope and approach</h3><div>Several water lentil species are characterised by high content of proteins, fibre and health-promoting phytochemicals. Their protein quality significantly exceeds that of cereals. Moreover, the protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score varies between 0.67 and 0.98. In addition, they have valuable techno-functional properties. Protein from <em>Lemna minor</em> is used in the production of egg substitutes and plant-based meat alternatives. The lipids have a high omega-3 fatty acid content. Species of <em>Wolffia</em> have a remarkably favourable n-6/n-3 ratio of less than 1. A significant feature of water lentils is their ability to contribute to the supply of vitamin B₁₂ through symbiotic bacteria. In addition to direct consumption and the use of individual components as food ingredients, certain <em>Wolffia</em> species also offer a platform for biopharmaceutical production of recombinant proteins, synthesis of bioactive metabolites and development of functional foods.</div></div><div><h3>Key findings and conclusions</h3><div>Overall, water lentils are rich in nutrients. Noteworthy, as a constituent of plant-based diet, water lentils have the potential to close gaps in the supply of vitamin B₁₂ and omega-3 fatty acids. Additionally, antinutritive compounds such as phytate, oxalate, or nitrate do not have a substantial impact on the nutritional benefits of water lentils.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 105600"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146185420","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":"Yeast application for reduction of ochratoxin A in foods: Mechanistic insights into control strategies, enhancement efficacy, and commercial potential","authors":"Xuening Chen ,&nbsp;Juanjuan Du ,&nbsp;Jiajing Pan ,&nbsp;Shuai Zhuang ,&nbsp;Yuemei Zhang ,&nbsp;Wendi Teng ,&nbsp;Jinpeng Wang ,&nbsp;Ying Wang ,&nbsp;Jinxuan Cao","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105565","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105565","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Ochratoxin A (OTA) contamination during the processing and storage of food and crops remains a major obstacle limiting industry advancement. Biological control, regarded as a green and safe strategy, has gained increasing research interest. Among them, yeast plays a vital role in inhibiting the growth of pathogenic fungi, adsorbing, and biodegrading OTA. This review aims to establish a theoretical foundation and provide practical guidance for developing biocontrol and decontamination agents, thereby advancing the application of yeasts in the management of mycotoxin contamination.</div></div><div><h3>Scope and approach</h3><div>The contamination status and toxicity of OTA in food and feed were reviewed, covering the biosynthesis and metabolism of OTA. Then, it examined explicitly the control mechanisms of OTA by yeasts. In addition, research directions and key limitations were highlighted to improve biocontrol efficacy of yeast. Finally, forward-looking strategies for the application of yeasts in biocontrol and decontamination agents were proposed.</div></div><div><h3>Key findings and conclusions</h3><div>Yeast can reduce the accumulation of OAT in foodstuffs through physical adsorption and biodegradation. The application of yeasts still has faced challenges, including limited adaptability to specific processing requirements and unstable efficacy of strains. Future advancements may involve combined strategies, enhanced resistance of yeast strains to the environment, and the selection of superior genotypes to facilitate the commercialization of yeast. In conclusion, this work holds significant implications for promoting sustainable and healthy development of food industries.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 105565"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146076176","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":"Tailored β-glucan assemblies for precision delivery of bioactives in inflammatory bowel disease","authors":"Yuxiao Wang ,&nbsp;Shuchen Zhang ,&nbsp;Sijia Hao ,&nbsp;Xiaojun Huang ,&nbsp;Wentao Su ,&nbsp;Mingqian Tan","doi":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105575","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tifs.2026.105575","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an incurable disease, for which patients need lifelong medication. Current clinical drug delivery methods often cause side effects. Therefore, it is urgent to find a safer and more effective oral colon-targeted delivery platform to alleviate IBD. In contrast to conventional drugs, natural β-glucan has great potential as a functional ingredients-loaded platform to synergistically inhibit IBD, due to its <em>in vivo</em> safety, targeting ability, immunomodulatory, and prebiotic activities.</div></div><div><h3>Scope and approach</h3><div>The use of β-glucan as a modifiable platform to build a more intelligent delivery system was explored to meet the needs of precise intervention of IBD. We introduced β-glucan as a multi-module delivery platform alone and emphasized its superior properties of integrating with other function modules for co-delivery. Recent advances in the design strategies, structural modifications, and combinatory applications of β-glucan-based carriers were reviewed for oral colon-targeted delivery. Particular attention was paid to the potential of β-glucan to respond to intestinal physiological signals, enabling on-demand release of payloads in inflamed regions.</div></div><div><h3>Key findings and conclusions</h3><div>The advantages of β-glucan as oral multi-module delivery platforms for precision-targeted management of IBD arise from the modifiable shape/structure, flexible spatial conformation, intestinal immunomodulation, controlled payloads of multiple therapeutics, as well as the ability to regulate intestinal flora and promote intestinal minerals/vitamins absorption. Admittedly, further research is required to overcome the challenges of low yield of natural β-glucan, standardize its toxicology as a carrier, and further clarify the intricate mechanisms underlying the intervention of β-glucan-based delivery platforms in IBD.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":441,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Food Science & Technology","volume":"170 ","pages":"Article 105575"},"PeriodicalIF":15.4,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146037371","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}