Characterization of Food Structures and Functionalities

Some functional properties such as texture and nutrition are the most important attributes used by consumers to assess food qualities, which have been used for in nearly all kinds of food products, from beverage, yoghurt, and ice cream to bread and noodles. Nowadays, there is a desire tomake foods healthier and at the same time not diminish sensory quality. This requires an understanding of key elements of food structure associated with texture and nutritional perception. In terms of taste perception, texture is perceived during oral processing of food

An In Vitro Comparison of the Digestibility and Gastrointestinal Fate of Scallops and Plant-Based Scallop Analogs

Concerns exist regarding the negative environmental impact and health risks associated with ocean fishing and aquaculture, such as stock depletion, pollution, biodiversity loss, and toxin presence. To address these concerns, plant-based seafood analogs are being developed. Our previous study successfully created plant-based scallop analogs using pea proteins and citrus pectin, resembling real scallops in appearance and texture. This study focuses on comparing the digestive fate of these analogs to real scallops, as it can impact their nutritional properties. Using an in vitro digestion model (INFOGEST), we simulated oral, gastric, and small intestinal conditions. The analysis revealed differences in the microstructure, physicochemical properties, and protein digestibility between the plant-based scallops and real scallops. The particle size and charge followed the following similar trends for both types of scallops: the particle size decreased from the mouth to the stomach to the small intestine; the particles were negative in the mouth, positive in the stomach, and negative in the small intestine. The protein digestibility of the plant-based scallops was considerably lower than that of real scallops. For instance, around 18.8% and 61.4% of protein was digested in the stomach and small intestine phases for the real scallop (80.2% total digestion), whereas around 8.7% and 47.7% of the protein was digested for the plant-based scallop (56.4% total digestion). The lower digestibility of the plant-based scallops may have been due to differences in the protein structure, the presence of dietary fibers (pectin), or antinutritional factors in the plant proteins. These findings are crucial for developing more sustainable next-generation plant-based seafood analogs

Expression of Elongation Factor (EF)-Tu Is Correlated with Prognosis of Gastric Adenocarcinomas

Altered expressions of mitochondria elongation factor Tu (EF-Tu) have been observed in certain types of cancers, including gastric cancer cell lines, but the impact of the alterations in gastric adenocarcinoma remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of EF-Tu in gastric adenocarcinoma and to assess its clinical significance. A total of 104 paired resected gastric adenocarcinoma and corresponding normal specimens were collected in this study. EF-Tu expression was assessed by immunohistochemical staining. The correlation of EF-Tu expression and patients’ clinicopathological parameters was statically evaluated and the prognostic significance of EF-Tu expression was assessed by univariate and multivariate analyses. Forty-nine out of 104 (47.1%) gastric adenocarcinoma specimens showed high expression of EF-Tu, while the remaining 55 specimens showed weak or negative expression of EF-Tu. In contrast, EF-Tu high expression was detected in 62.5% (65 of 104) normal tissues. Down-regulation of EF-Tu was associated with serosal invasion (P = 0.042) and node involvement (P = 0.005), and down-regulation of EF-Tu was correlated with poor overall survival (P = 0.020). In curative resection (R0) patients, there were also significant differences (P = 0.043). In the multivariate analysis, the EF-Tu expression remained a significant independent prognostic factor (P = 0.038). Our results indicate that EF-Tu is expressed in both gastric adenocarcinoma and corresponding normal tissues. Down-regulation of EF-Tu expression is associated with advanced disease stage and EF-Tu expression maybe served as an independent prognostic factor

The diversity and structure of diazotrophic communities in the rhizosphere of coastal saline plants is mainly affected by soil physicochemical factors but not host plant species

The diversity and community structure of rhizospheric microbes are largely affected by soil physicochemical properties and plant species. In this work, high throughput sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR targeting nifH gene were used to assess the abundance and diversity of diazotrophic community in the coastal saline soils of Yellow River Delta (YRD). We demonstrated that the copy number of nifH gene encoding the Fe protein subunit of the nitrogenase in the nitrogen fixation process was significantly affected by soil physiochemical factors, and the abundance of diazotrophs in the rhizospheric soil samples collected from different locations was positively related with soil physicochemical properties. Soil salinity (P=0.003) and moisture (P=0.003) were significantly co-varied with the OTU-based community composition of diazotrophs. Taxonomic analysis showed that most diazotrophs belonged to the Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and Deltaproteobacteria. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that diazotrophic community structure significantly varied with soil salinity, moisture, pH and total nitrogen, carbon, sulphur and nitrite (NO2–N) content. Our findings provide direct evidence toward the understanding of different effects of soil physicochemical properties and host plant traits such as halophytes types, life span and cotyledon type, on the community composition of diazotrophic populations in the rhizosphere of plants grown in coastal saline soils

Rationalizing Lipid Nanoemulsion Formation for Utilization In the Food and Beverage Industry

There is growing interest in the use of nanoemulsions as delivery systems for lipophilic functional agents in food and beverage products due to their high optical clarity, physical stability and bioavailability. The goal of this research is to establish quantitative structure-function relationships to allow rational formulation of food-grade nanoemulsions for food and beverage applications. Initially, formation of oil-in-water nanoemulsions using a low energy method was examined. Nanoemulsions were formed using the phase inversion temperature (PIT) method, which involves heating a surfactant, oil, water (SOW) systems near the PIT, and then cooling rapidly with stirring. Preliminary experiments were carried out using a model system consisting of a non-ionic surfactant (C 12 E4 ), hydrocarbon oil (tetradecane), and water. Nanoemulsions were formed by holding SOW mixtures near their PIT (38.5 °C) and then cooling them rapidly to 10 °C. The PIT was measured using electrical, conductivity and turbidity methods. The optimum storage temperature for PIT-nanoemulsions was about 27 °C lower than the PIT. The stability of PIT-nanoemulsions at ambient temperatures can be improved by adding either Tween 80 (0.2 wt%) or SDS (0.1 wt%) to displace the C 12 E4 (Brij 30) from the nano-droplet surfaces. Experiments were then carried out to establish if stable nanoemulsions could be formed using the PIT method from food-grade ingredients. Nanoemulsions were fabricated from a non-ionic surfactant (Tween 80) and flavor oil (lemon oil) by heat treatment. Different types of colloidal dispersion could be formed by simple heat treatment (90 °C, 30 minutes) depending on the surfactant-to-oil ratio (SOR): emulsions at SOR \u3c 1; nanoemulsions at 1 \u3c SOR \u3c 2; microemulsions at SOR \u3e 2. The results suggested that there was a kinetic energy barrier in the SOW system at ambient temperature that prevented it from moving from a highly unstable system into a nanoemulsion system. The conditions where stable nanoemulsions could be fabricated were also established when sucrose monopalmitate (SMP) and lemon oil were used as the surfactant and oil phase. Nanoemulsions ( r \u3c 100 nm) were formed at low surfactant-to-oil ratios (SOR \u3c 1) depending on homogenization conditions, whereas microemulsions (r \u3c 10 nm) were formed at higher ratios (SOR \u3e 1). Relatively stable nanoemulsions could be formed at pH 6 and 7, but extensive particle growth/aggregation occurred at lower and higher pH values. Flavor oil nanoemulsions were also formed using an emulsion titration method that involves titration of emulsion droplets into surfactant micelle solutions. In this study, the effectiveness of nanoemulsion formation using nonionic surfactants (sucrose monopalmitate (SMP) and/or Tween 80 (T80) was investigated. Lemon oil was transferred from emulsion droplets into the micelle phase until a critical lemon oil concentration ( Csat ) was reached. The solubilization process was rapid (\u3c few minutes), with the rate increasing with increasing surfactant concentration. The value of Csat increased with increasing surfactant concentration and was higher for SMP than Tween 80. The influence of lemon oil composition (1×, 3×, 5×, and 10×) on the formation and properties of oil-in-water nanoemulsions was also studied. Initially, the composition, molecular characteristics, and physicochemical properties of four lemon oils were established. The main constituents in 1-fold lemon oil were monoterpenes (\u3e 90 %), whereas the major constituents in 10-fold lemon oil were monoterpenes ([approximate] 35%), sesquiterpenes ([approximate] 14%) and oxygenates ([approximate] 33%). The density, interfacial tension, viscosity, and refractive index of the lemon oils increased as the oil fold increased ( i.e. , 1× \u3c 3× \u3c 5× \u3c 10×). The stability of oil-in-water nanoemulsions produced by high pressure homogenization was strongly influenced by lemon oil composition. The lower fold oils were highly unstable to droplet growth during storage (1×, 3×, 5×) with the growth rate increasing with increasing storage temperature and decreasing oil fold. Oil fold also affected the solubilization and stability of lemon oil nanoemulsions titrated into a non-ionic surfactant (Tween 80) solution. The movement of oil molecules from nanoemulsion droplets to surfactant micelles increased with increasing lemon oil fold. Finally, nanoemulsions were used as delivery systems for β-carotene, a bioactive lipophilic component. The influence of carrier oil composition (ratio of digestible to indigestible oil) on the physical stability, microstructure, and bioaccessibility of β-carotene nanoemulsions was investigated using a simulated gastrointestinal tract model. The extent of free fatty acid production in the small intestine increased as the amount of digestible oil in the droplets increased. The bioaccessibility of β-carotene also increased with increasing digestible oil content, ranging from [approximate] 5% for the pure lemon oil system to [approximate] 76% for the pure corn oil system

Characterization of Food Structures and Functionalities

Some functional properties such as texture and nutrition are the most important attributes used by consumers to assess food qualities, which have been used for in nearly all kinds of food products, from beverage, yoghurt, and ice cream to bread and noodles. Nowadays, there is a desire tomake foods healthier and at the same time not diminish sensory quality. This requires an understanding of key elements of food structure associated with texture and nutritional perception. In terms of taste perception, texture is perceived during oral processing of food

Mechanisms of Cannabidiol (CBD) in Cancer Treatment: A Review

Cannabis sativa L. (Cannabis) and its bioactive compounds, including cannabinoids and non-cannabinoids, have been extensively studied for their biological effects in recent decades. Cannabidiol (CBD), a major non-intoxicating cannabinoid in Cannabis, has emerged as a promising intervention for cancer research. The purpose of this review is to provide insights into the relationship between CBD and cancer based on recent research findings. The anticancer effects of CBD are mainly mediated via its interaction with the endocannabinoid system, resulting in the alleviation of pain and the promotion of immune regulation. Published reviews have focused on the applications of CBD in cancer pain management and the possible toxicological effects of its excessive consumption. In this review, we aim to summarize the mechanisms of action underlying the anticancer activities of CBD against several common cancers. Studies on the efficacy and mechanisms of CBD on cancer prevention and intervention in experimental models (i.e., cell culture- and animal-based assays) and human clinical studies are included in this review

Mechanisms of Cannabidiol (CBD) in Cancer Treatment: A Review

Cannabis sativa L. (Cannabis) and its bioactive compounds, including cannabinoids and non-cannabinoids, have been extensively studied for their biological effects in recent decades. Cannabidiol (CBD), a major non-intoxicating cannabinoid in Cannabis, has emerged as a promising intervention for cancer research. The purpose of this review is to provide insights into the relationship between CBD and cancer based on recent research findings. The anticancer effects of CBD are mainly mediated via its interaction with the endocannabinoid system, resulting in the alleviation of pain and the promotion of immune regulation. Published reviews have focused on the applications of CBD in cancer pain management and the possible toxicological effects of its excessive consumption. In this review, we aim to summarize the mechanisms of action underlying the anticancer activities of CBD against several common cancers. Studies on the efficacy and mechanisms of CBD on cancer prevention and intervention in experimental models (i.e., cell culture- and animal-based assays) and human clinical studies are included in this review