Decoding the diet-inflammation nexus: ferroptosis as a therapeutic target.

Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent form of regulated cell death, plays a pivotal role in the bidirectional interplay with chronic inflammation during disease progression. This review synthesizes evidence on how dietary components modulate chronic inflammation by targeting ferroptosis, revealing novel mechanisms through which dietary components like polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), vitamins, and phytochemicals dynamically balance lipid peroxidation and antioxidant defense. These components act via key pathways, including iron metabolism (iron transport pathway and ferritinophagy), lipid metabolism (FSP1/CoQ10 axis, lipophagy), and amino acid metabolism (SLC7A11/GPX4, transsulfuration).

Mechanistic insights into co-culture inhibition of pellicle formation in fermented chili peppers by Pediococcus ethanolidurans M1117.

Pellicle formation in pickles is detrimental, yet current inhibition methods are limited, necessitating the exploration of novel strategies and underlying mechanisms. This study identified Pichia kudriavzevii M420 as the primary microorganism responsible for pellicle formation in fermented chili peppers, which significantly reduced the levels of organic acids, free amino acids, and aroma compounds. Consequently, this altered the sensory profile of pickles by diminishing sourness and sweetness, increasing bitterness, and introducing a wine-like flavor along with other undesirable odors, thereby compromising overall quality.

Dietary cholesterol impairs cognition via gut microbiota-derived deoxycholic acid in obese mice.

Dietary cholesterol is often found in a high-fat diet (HFD) and excessive intake is harmful to cognitive function. The gut microbiome constitutes an environmental factor influenced by diet, which regulates cognitive function via the gut-brain axis. The present study explored the role of dietary cholesterol in HFD-induced cognitive impairment and the participation of the gut microbiota and metabolites.

Investigating the aroma transition during rapid mango ripening driven by dynamic catabolism of fatty acids.

This study investigated the formation and transformation of key mango aroma during rapid ripening. Physicochemical analysis and volatilomics results showed that (1) a total of 151 volatile compounds were identified across three ripening stages (immature, ripe, and overripe). Among these, 23 volatiles, including (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal and geraniol (odor activity value >1), were identified as the dominant aroma compounds.

Early nutritional interventions for chronic low-grade inflammation.

Current research on inflammatory disorders tends to focus on the advanced stages of disease; however, acting against chronic low-grade inflammation (a stage before overt disease) through early nutritional interventions may be an alternative, beneficial approach. We systematically evaluate how diet modulates chronic low-grade inflammation through several physiological processes. Furthermore, we suggest three intervention strategies tailored to specific stages of disease: (i) promoting anti-inflammatory dietary patterns in the general population, (ii) implementing precision nutrition targeting inflammatory biomarkers in individuals at risk, and (iii) utilizing adjuvant dietary therapies for existing inflammation.

Cross-scale assessment of yam waxiness attribute from stress relaxation and fluid mechanics: A distinctive mouthfeel derived from starch matrix.

Research on evaluating waxiness and its underlying formation mechanisms remains limited. In this study, we established a comprehensive method for assessing yam waxiness by integrating sensory evaluation and instrumental analysis. By deconstructing waxiness evaluation into chewing and swallowing phases, stress relaxation and rheological tests were employed to characterize these stages.

Soluble Dietary Fiber from Fermentation of Tea Residues by and the Effects on DSS-Induced Ulcerative Colitis.

Tea residues are rich in dietary fiber, most of which are insoluble dietary fiber (IDF). However, soluble dietary fiber (SDF) is reported to show a better health-promoting effect. In this paper, the () fermentation method was employed to prepare SDF from tea residues.

Identification of key anti-glycation polyphenols in Sakura through metabolic profiling and assessments.

Sakura, a traditional edible flower, has been investigated for its anti-glycation potential; however, the bioactive components remain unclear. Polyphenols are recognized for their exceptional anti-glycation properties. In this study, main polyphenols were identified from seven varieties through metabolomics.

Exploring the mechanism of fatty acids to improve 3D printing precision of cassava starch gel.

Understanding the printability and underlying mechanisms of starch food systems is crucial for the industrial application of 3D food printing. This work investigated the effect of fatty acids with various degrees of unsaturation and chain lengths on the three-dimensional (3D) food printing precision of cassava starch (CS) gel and its mechanism. Results showed that fatty acids with shorter chain lengths and higher unsaturation levels improved printing precision.

3D printing of starch-lipid-protein ternary gel system: The role played by protein.

This study investigated the printability of a typical food ternary (starch-lipid-protein) gel system and revealed the critical role of protein. The results revealed that a higher content of α-helix and a lower content of random coil in proteins positively impacted the printing accuracy of the ternary gel system. Higher α-helix content in proteins increased the shear rate at the nozzle, ensuring smooth extrusion during 3D printing while also reducing the gel velocity and filament expansion, which led to smoother filament surfaces.

Exploring resistance mechanisms and identifying QTLs for brown planthopper in tropical and subtropical rice (Oryza sativa L.) germplasm.

A total of 4006 tropical and subtropical rice germplasms were screened for brown planthopper resistance, and the resistance mechanisms of 63 highly resistant accessions were characterized. This led to the designation of three novel resistance QTLs: Bph47, Bph48, and Bph49. The brown planthopper (BPH) is a significant piercing-sucking pest of rice plants that causes widespread destruction globally.

Interaction of major tea polyphenols with bovine milk proteins and its effect on in vitro bioaccessibility of tea polyphenols.

Adding bovine milk into tea and tea-containing beverages has been popular nowadays, while this dietary system may affect the digestion and absorption of tea polyphenols. In this work, the interactions of tea polyphenols with bovine milk proteins and their impacts on the bioaccessibility of tea polyphenols were investigated. The results indicate that tea polyphenols interact with amino acid residues of bovine milk proteins through hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces spontaneously.

Insights into the improved cold-water solubility and digestibility of alkaline-alcohol modified cassava starch: A discussion from the perspective of fine structure.

Multi-objective optimization of starch for higher solubility and lower glycemic index is a challenge. In this study, we investigated the molecular structure evolution of cold water-soluble starch (CWS) and its correlation mechanism with solubility and digestibility by alkali-alcohol treatment of cassava starch. As NaOH concentration increased, the average molecular size of CWS gradually decreased, and the medium-long amylose (AM) chains (X ~ 1000-10,000) decreased sharply.

The microbiome- and metabolome-modulating activity of dietary cholesterol: insights from the small and large intestines.

Cholesterol is an important lipid molecule that affects the gut microbiome upon ingestion. We systematically investigated the effects of cholesterol on the microbiota of the large and small intestines using and models, combining flow cytometry, metabolomics, and metagenomics. The results showed that cholesterol directly causes a loss of bacterial membrane polarity and integrity, as well as a reduction in microbial metabolic activity.

Molecular mechanism underlying the modulation of typical properties of starch by Quillaja saponins: Multi-experimental evidence and two-stage MD simulation.

Quillaja saponins (QS), a natural amphiphilic food additive, have significant potential in modulating the properties of starchy products. However, a systematic understanding of this phenomenon and the underlying molecular mechanisms remains lacking. In this study, two-stage molecular dynamics (MD) simulations combined with multiple experimental approaches were employed to investigate the modulation of starch properties by QS through six chain dynamic behaviors.

Mechanism of starch multi-scale structural in determining the textural properties and formability of starch pearls.

Starch pearls are widely used in bubble tea and desserts, yet the mechanistic understanding of the formation process of their textural properties remain unclear. To investigate the relationship between the multi-scale structure of starch and the textural properties of starch pearls, analyses of fine structure, crystal structure, rheological behavior, and textural profiling were conducted. The results showed that starch gels with a higher content of short-chain amylose (100 < X ≤ 1000) exhibited weaker formability during starch pearl preparation, leading to a lower flow behavior index (n*).

Time-resolved fluorescence/visual dual-readout nanobiosensors for the detection of aflatoxin B, benzo(α)pyrene and capsaicin in edible oils using a miniaturized paper analytical device.

Edible oil safety impacts food safety and consumer health. The typical pollutants-aflatoxin B (AFB) and benzo(α)pyrene (BaP), and kitchen waste oil-are significant hazards in edible oil consumption. Herein, we developed a dual-readout lateral flow immunoassay (tdLFIA) for the multi-quantitative detection of AFB, BaP and capsaicin (CAP).

Experimental characterization and dual-temperature molecular dynamics simulation on the intervention of tea saponin in starch chain dynamic behavior.

In this work, the typical properties of starchy products were innovatively described as six types of chain dynamic behaviors. Dual-temperature molecular dynamic simulations, alongside multi-experimental methods, were employed to tandemly explore the intervention effect and mechanism of tea saponin (TS, 0 %-40 % w/w) on these behaviors. The findings reveal that the hydrophilic and hydrophobic ends of TS provide numerous sites for hydrogen bonding and steric hindrance, respectively, which hinder the formation of hydrogen bonds between starch chains.

Food inflammation index reveals the key inflammatory components in foods and heterogeneity within food groups: How do we choose food?

Introduction: Food is a critical factor of chronic inflammation. Few studies tried to quantize inflammatory effects of food. Moreover, the discrepancies in inflammatory effects among foods within the same food group are frequently ignored.

Pullulanase-assisted bamboo leaf flavonoids optimize the instant properties, in vitro digestibility, and underlying mechanism in yam flour.

In this study, pullulanase-assisted bamboo leaf flavonoids (BLF) were employed to ameliorate limitations of fluidity and digestibility of cooked yam flour via physicochemical properties, digestion, structure and interaction analysis. The results showed that 1) Pullulanase-assisted BLF significantly increased the water solubility (9.02% → 69.

Molecular mechanism for the influence of yam starch multiscale structure on the sensory texture of cooked yam.

Yam is a dual-purpose crop as both medicine and food. However, the mechanism controlling the eating quality of yam remains to be elucidated. This study explored the influence of starch multiscale structure on the texture of yam.

Encapsulation of antioxidants with colloidal lipid particles for enhancing the photooxidation stability of phytosterol in Pickering emulsions.

In order to prevent the photooxidation of phytosterols, a new type of Pickering emulsion was developed by regulating the oriented distribution of antioxidants in colloidal lipid particles (CLPs) at the oil-water interface. High-melting-point and low-melting-point lipids were tested to modulate their protective effect against phytosterols photooxidation. Results showed that CLPs could stabilize Pickering emulsion and encapsulate antioxidants, providing a dual functional delivery system for phytosterols protection.