In vitro simulated digestion of and microbial characteristics in colonic fermentation of polysaccharides from four varieties of Tibetan tea.

Polysaccharides as a functional prebiotic have numerous activities such as regulating intestinal microorganisms and polysaccharide is one of the functional active components in tea has been known. In this study, we aimed to investigate the physicochemical characteristics of polysaccharides from four kinds of Tibetan teas at simulated digestion stages and the effect on the microbiota of fecal fermentation stages in vitro. The results revealed that Tibetan tea polysaccharides were partially digested during digestion. Additionally, during in vitro fecal microbial fermentation, Tibetan tea polysaccharides can promote the growth of some beneficial bacteria such as Bifidobacterium, Prevotella and Phascolarctobacterium to change the composition of intestinal microorganisms and promote the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). Finally, a strong correlation was found between the production of SCFAs and microorganisms including Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium and Lachnoclostridium. These results suggest that Tibetan tea polysaccharides could be developed as a prebiotic to regulate human gut microbiota.

An updated review of functional properties, debittering methods, and applications of soybean functional peptides.

Soybean functional peptides (SFPs) are obtained via the hydrolysis of soybean protein into polypeptides, oligopeptides, and a small amount of amino acids. They have nutritional value and a variety of functional properties, including regulating blood lipids, lowering blood pressure, anti-diabetes, anti-oxidant, preventing COVID-19, etc. SFPs have potential application prospects in food processing, functional food development, clinical medicine, infant milk powder, special medical formulations, among others. However, bitter peptides containing relatively more hydrophobic amino acids can be formed during the production of SFPs, seriously restricting the application of SFPs. High-quality confirmatory human trials are needed to determine effective doses, potential risks, and mechanisms of action, especially as dietary supplements and special medical formulations. Therefore, the physiological activities and potential risks of soybean polypeptides are summarized, and the existing debitterness technologies and their applicability are reviewed. The technical challenges and research areas to be addressed in optimizing debittering process parameters and improving the applicability of SFPs are discussed, including integrating various technologies to obtain higher quality functional peptides, which will facilitate further exploration of physiological mechanism, metabolic pathway, tolerance, bioavailability, and potential hazards of SFPs. This review can help promote the value of SFPs and the development of the soybean industry.

Characterization of a novel ß-cypermethrin-degrading Aspergillus niger YAT strain and the biochemical degradation pathway of ß-cypermethrin.

Aspergillus niger YAT strain was obtained from Chinese brick tea (Collection number: CGMCC 10,568) and identified on the basis of morphological characteristics and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence. The strain could degrade 54.83 % of ß-cypermethrin (ß-CY; 50 mg L(-1)) in 7 days and 100 % of 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA; 100 mg L(-1)) in 22 h. The half-lives of ß-CY and 3-PBA range from 3.573 to 11.748 days and from 5.635 to 12.160 h, respectively. The degradation of ß-CY and 3-PBA was further described using first-order kinetic models. The pathway and mechanism of ß-CY degraded by YAT were investigated by analyzing the degraded metabolites through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Relevant enzymatic activities and substrate utilization were also investigated. ß-CY degradation products were analyzed. Results indicated that YAT strain transformed ß-CY into 3-PBA. 3-PBA was then gradually transformed into permethric acid, protocatechuic acid, 3-hydroxy-5-phenoxy benzoic acid, gallic acid, and phenol gradually. The YAT strain can also effectively degrade these metabolites. The results indicated that YAT strain has potential applications in bioremediation of pyrethroid insecticide (PI)-contaminated environments and fermented food.

Characterization of selenium-enriched mycelia of Catathelasma ventricosum and their antihyperglycemic and antioxidant properties.

This is the first report concerning the selenium enrichment of Catathelasma ventricosum mycelia. The selenium-containing proteins present in selenium-enriched mycelia (Se-MC) were identified using size-exclusion chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (SEC-ICP-MS). The selenium-containing amino acids liberated by hydrolysis of these proteins were identified using anion exchange-ICP-MS. Se-MC was found to contain selenoproteins with molecular weights ranging from 1.7 to 60.5 kDa. The main selenium-containing amino acids within them were selenomethionine and selenocysteine. Furthermore, Se-MC possessed excellent antihyperglycemic and antioxidant properties. Se-MC normalized biochemical parameters like insulin level, blood glucose level, body weight, and antioxidant enzyme activity in streptozocin-induced diabetic mice. It also inhibited the α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities present in in vitro gastric and intestinal models. In conclusion, Se-MC has the potential to serve as a dietary supplement of selenium, an antioxidant, or an ingredient for the formulation of nutraceuticals.