Enhancement of thermal conductivity and abrasion resistance of woody carbon fiber composites via boride catalysis.

In order to investigate the effect of boron element on liquefied wood carbon fibers and their composites, boric acid and boron carbide were utilized to modify liquefied wood resin through copolymerization and blending methods respectively. Then boric acid-modified liquefied wood carbon fiber (BA-WCF) and boron carbide-modified liquefied wood carbon fiber (BC-WCF) were produced via melt spinning, curing, and carbonization treatments. As expected, this modification approach effectively prevents the formation of skin-core structures and accelerates the evolution of a graphite microcrystalline structure, thereby enhancing the mechanical properties of the carbon fibers. Particularly, the tensile strength and elongation at break of BA-WCF increased to 331.57 MPa and 7.57 % respectively, representing increments of 117 % and 86 % compared to the conventional fibers. Furthermore, the as-fabricated carbon fiber/resin composites (CFPRs), composing of BA-WCF or BC-WCF as fillers and liquefied wood resin as matrix, exhibited excellent interlaminar shear strength, outstanding abrasion resistance, and well thermal conductivity, as well as electrical performance, significantly outperforming the conventional carbon fiber/phenolic resin composites. The friction rate of BC-WP/BA-WCF/CF was 2.37 %, while its thermal conductivity could reach 1.927 W/(m·K). These promising attributes lay the groundwork for the development of high-performance carbon fiber-based materials, fostering their widespread utilization across various industries.

Galactooligosaccharides in infant formulas: Maillard reaction characteristics and influence on formation of advanced glycation end products.

As prebiotics supplemented in infant formulas (IFs), galactooligosaccharides (GOSs) also have many other biological activities; however, their Maillard reaction characteristics are still unclear. We investigated the Maillard reactivity of GOSs and their effects on advanced glycation end product (AGE) formation during IF processing. The results showed that AGE and HMF formation was temperature-dependent and reached the maximum at pH 9.0 in the Maillard reaction system of GOSs and Nα-acetyl-L-lysine. Acidic conditions accelerated HMF formation; however, protein cross-linking was more likely to occur under alkaline conditions. The degree of polymerization (DP) of GOSs had no significant effect on AGEs formation (except pyrraline); however, the greater the DP, the higher the concentration of HMF and pyrraline. Besides, compared with arginine and casein, lysine and whey protein were more prone to Maillard reaction with GOSs. GOSs promoted AGEs formation in a dose-dependent manner during the processing of IFs. These results provide a reliable theoretical basis for application of GOSs in IFs.

Effect of к-carrageenan on saltiness perception and texture characteristic related to salt release in low-salt surimi.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Kappa (к)-carrageenan on texture and perception of saltiness of low salt surimi. The low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) and microstructure results showed that к-carrageenan could promote the formation of more immobilized water in low salt surimi gel, change its matrix structure, and lead to the uneven spatial distribution of sodium, thus enhancing saltiness perception. The rheological properties of surimi showed that к-carrageenan could increase the network strength of low salt surimi gel and improve its thermostability. Furthermore, the low salt surimi gel added with к-carrageenan has lower cooking loss, higher water holding capacity (WHC), gel strength and improved texture properties. Therefore, к-carrageenan has the effects of improving the quality and increasing salt perception of surimi gel. This study provides a new method for reducing salt consumption in food industry.

Flavonoids and gastrointestinal health: single molecule for multiple roles.

Diet can be considered as one of the pivotal factors in regulating gastrointestinal health, and polyphenols widely distributed in human daily diet. The polyphenols and their metabolites playing a series of beneficial effects in human gastrointestinal tract that can regulate of the gut microbiota, increase intestinal barrier function, repair gastrointestinal mucosa, reduce oxidative stress, inhibit the secretion of inflammatory factors and regulating immune function, and their absorption and biotransformation mainly depend on the activity of intestinal microflora. However, little is known about the two-way interaction between polyphenols and intestinal microbiota. The objective of this review is to highlight the structure optimization and effect of flavonoids on intestinal flora, and discusses the mechanisms of dietary flavonoids regulating intestinal flora. The multiple effects of single molecule of flavonoids, and inter-dependence between the gut microbiota and polyphenol metabolites. Moreover, the protective effects of polyphenols on intestinal barrier function, and effects of interaction between plant polyphenols and macromolecules on gastrointestinal health. This review provided valuable insight that may be useful for better understanding the mechanism of the gastrointestinal health effects of polyphenols, and provide a scientific basis for their application as functional food.

Possible mechanism of flavonoids regulating intestinal flora.Flavonoids optimize the structure and composition of gut microbiota.Polyphenol improve intestinal barrier function.Interaction between polyphenols and macromolecules improves gastrointestinal healthThe two-way interaction between flavonoids and intestinal microflora to improve bioavailability.