Analysis of metabolic differences between Jiaosu fermented from dendrobium flowers and stems based on untargeted metabolomics.

Dendrobium officinale is an important traditional Chinese medicinal herb containing bioactive polysaccharides and alkaloids. This study characterized metabolite differences between jiaosu (fermented plant product) from Dendrobium flowers versus stems using untargeted metabolomics. The jiaosu was fermented by mixed fermentation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis identified 476 differentially expressed metabolites between the two Jiaosu products. Key results showed downregulation of flavonoid metabolism in Dendrobium Stems Edible Plant Jiaosu (SEP) but increased flavonoid synthesis in Dendrobium Flowers Edible Plant Jiaosu (FEP), likely an antioxidant response. SEP displayed upregulation of lignin metabolites with potential antioxidant properties. The findings demonstrate significant metabolite profile differences between SEP and FEP, providing the basis for developing functional jiaosu products targeting specific health benefits.

Ingredients, structure and reconstitution properties of instant powder foods and the potential for healthy product development: a comprehensive review.

Instant foods are widely presented in powder forms across different food segments, which potentially can be formulated with functional or beneficial compounds to provide health benefits. Many reconstituted instant powder foods form colloidal suspensions with complex structures. However, designing instant powder food could be challenging due to the structural complexity and high flexibility in formulation. This review proposed a new classification method for instant powder foods according to the solubility of ingredients and the structure of the reconstituted products. Instant powder foods containing insoluble ingredients are discussed. It summarised challenges and current advances in powder treatments, reconstitution improvement, and influences on food texture and structure to facilitate product design in related industries. The characteristics and incorporation of the main ingredients and ingredients with health benefits in product development were reviewed. Different products vary significantly in the ratios of macronutrients. The macronutrients have limited solubility in water. After being reconstituted by water, the insoluble components are dispersed and swell to form colloidal dispersions with complex structures and textures. Soluble components, which dissolve in the continuous phase, may facilitate the dispersing process or influence the solution environment. The structure of reconstituted products and destabilising factors are discussed. Both particle and molecular structuring strategies have been developed to improve wettability and prevent the formation of lumps and, therefore, to improve reconstitution properties. Various types of instant food have been developed based on healthy or functional ingredients and exhibit positive effects on the prevention of non-communicable diseases and overall health. Less processed materials and by-products are often chosen to enhance the contents of dietary fibre and phenolic compounds. The enrichment of phenolic compounds, dietary fibres and/or probiotics tend to be simultaneous in plant-based products. The process of the ingredients and the formulation of products must be tailored to design the desired structure and to improve the reconstitution property.

Oyster-derived dipeptides RI, IR, and VR promote testosterone synthesis by reducing oxidative stress in TM3 cells.

Short peptides have gained widespread utilization as functional constituents in the development of functional foods due to their remarkable biological activity. Previous investigations have established the positive influence of oysters on testosterone biosynthesis, although the underlying mechanism remains elusive. This study aims to assess the impact of three dipeptides derived from oysters on the oxidative stress state of TM3 cells induced by AAPH while concurrently examining alterations in cellular testosterone biosynthesis capacity. The investigation encompasses an analysis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) content, antioxidant enzyme activity, apoptotic status, and expression levels of crucial enzymes involved in the testosterone synthesis pathway within TM3 cells, thus evaluating the physiological activity of the three dipeptides. Additionally, molecular docking was employed to investigate the inhibitory activity of the three dipeptides against ACE. The outcomes of this study imply that the oxidative stress state of cells impedes the synthesis of testosterone by inhibiting the expression of essential proteins in the testosterone synthesis pathway. These three dipeptides derived from oysters ameliorate cellular oxidative stress by directly scavenging excess ROS or reducing ROS production rather than enhancing cellular antioxidant capacity through modulation of antioxidant enzyme activity. These findings introduce a novel avenue for developing and utilizing antioxidant peptides derived from food sources.

Intermittent fasting modulates the intestinal microbiota and improves obesity and host energy metabolism.

Intermittent fasting (IF) is a promising paradigm for weight loss which has been shown to modulate the gut microbiota based on 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Here, 72 Chinese volunteers with a wide range of body mass index (BMI) participated in a three-week IF program during which an average loss of 3.67 kg body weight accompanied with improved clinical parameters was observed irrespective of initial anthropometric and gut microbiota status. Fecal samples were collected before and after the intervention and subjected to shotgun metagenomic sequencing. De novo assembly yielded 2934 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs). Profiling revealed significant enrichment of Parabacteroides distasonis and Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron after the intervention, with inverse correlations between their relative abundances and parameters related to obesity and atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD). MAGs enriched after the intervention showed high richness and diversity of carbohydrate-active enzymes, with an increased relative abundances of genes related to succinate production and glutamate fermentation.

A novel Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) bone collagen peptide delays osteoarthritis development by inhibiting cartilage matrix degradation and anti-inflammatory.

Nowadays, the biological activity of collagen peptides has been revealed, but the effect of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) bone-derived collagen peptide (CPs) on osteoarthritis remains unclear. In this study, CPs was identified as a small molecular weight peptide rich in Gly-X-Y structure. Meanwhile, interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß)-induced hypertrophic chondrocytes and partial medial meniscectomy (pMMx) surgery model in rats were performed. In IL-1ß stimulated chondrocytes, CPs significantly increased the type-II collagen content, reduced the type-X collagen abundance and chondrocytes apoptosis. Meanwhile, CPs reversed the increased expression of matrix metalloproteinase, metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs and RUNX family transcription factor 2 in chondrocytes induced by IL-1ß. In vivo, CPs increased pain tolerance of rats and without organ toxicity at 1.6 g/kg.bw. CPs significantly decreased the levels of COMP and Helix-II in serum. Furthermore, a significant decrease of IL-1ß in synovial fluid and cartilage tissue were observed by CPs intervention. From Micro-CT, CPs (0.8 g/kg.bw) significantly decreased Tb.sp and SMI value. Meanwhile, the expression of tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-6 were reduced by CPs administration both in vitro and in vivo. Together, CPs showed potential to be a novel and safe dietary supplement for helping anti-inflammatory and cartilage regeneration, ultimately hindering osteoarthritis development. However, the clear mechanism of CPs's positive effect on osteoarthritis needs to be further explored.

The beneficial effect of oyster peptides and oyster powder on cyclophosphamide-induced reproductive impairment in male rats: A comparative study.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of oyster peptides and oyster powder on the procreative capacity of rats displaying reproductive dysfunction induced by cyclophosphamide (CTX). The amino acid composition and relative molecular mass of the oyster peptides and oyster powder were detected using an automatic amino acid analyzer and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). After 5 d of exposure to CTX and six weeks of oyster peptide and oyster powder treatment, the biochemical serum indexes of the rats, the expression of related genes and proteins in the testes, as well as the antioxidant status and pathological state of the testes and kidneys were examined. The results showed that oyster peptides could effectively improve the biochemical blood indexes of rats, and increase the level of androgen in the blood, while improving the pathological state and oxidative stress state of the kidneys and testes, therefore, exhibiting a beneficial effect on reproductive injury. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: This study examined the activity of oyster peptides and their ability to enhance the procreative capacity of rats with reproductive dysfunction induced by CTX while analyzing the amino acid composition and relative molecular mass of the oyster peptides. The results of this experiment provided a preliminary theoretical basis for the development of new functional foods using oyster peptides.

Renal function and the exposure to melamine and phthalates in Shanghai adults.

[Background] Melamine and phthalates have been reported to damage renal function in children. This association is scarce in general adults. [Method] A cross-sectional subsample population of 611 adults participating in the 2012 Shanghai Food Consumption Survey (SHFCS) was analyzed for urinary biomarkers of melamine, metabolites of phthalates, and renal function parameters. The correlations between renal function parameters and chemical exposure (either independently or interactively) were explored by linear regression models. To simplify the analysis, phthalate metabolites were dimensionally reduced using principal component analysis (PCA) method. [Result] Urinary melamine was positively associated with renal function parameters of both albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) and ß2-microglobulin (B2M) in multivariate linear regression models (P < 0.05). A PCA pattern characterized by high-molecular-weight phthalates (HMWP) was positively associated with all three parameters of renal function (ACR, B2M, and N-acetyl-ß-d-glucosaminidase (NAG)). The co-exposure to melamine and HMWP presented an additive effect on increasing these parameters (ACR, B2M, and NAG). [Conclusion] Impaired renal function in Shanghai adults was associated with exposure to both melamine and HMWP.

Functions and Applications of Bioactive Peptides From Corn Gluten Meal.

Corn protein has been identified as an important source of bioactive peptides. Such peptides can be released during hydrolysis induced by proteolytic enzymes or microbial fermentation. Corn peptides have been found to exhibit different functions in vitro and in vivo such as antihypertensive, hepatoprotective, anti-obesity, antimicrobial, antioxidative, mineral-binding and accelerating alcohol metabolism. To date, 22 sequences of bioactive corn peptides have already been identified. There is an increasing commercial interest in the production of corn peptides with the purpose of using them as active ingredients, which may find use in the treatment of liver injury, hypertension, dental carries, oxidative stress, mineral malabsorption and obesity. These bioactive peptides may be used in formulation of functional foods, nutraceuticals, and natural drugs because of their health benefit effects.