Application of fixed-frequency ultrasound in the cultivation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for rice wine fermentation.

BACKGROUND: Rice wine (RW) fermentation is limited by its long fermentation time, weak taste and unpleasant flavors such as oil and odor. In this study, a novel ultrasound technology of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used with the aim of improving fermentation efficiency and volatile flavor quality of RW. RESULTS: The results showed that fixed-frequency ultrasonic treatment (28 kHz, 45 W L-1, 20 min) of S. cerevisiae seed culture at its logarithmic metaphase significantly increased the biomass and alcohol yield by 31.58% and 26.45%, respectively, and reduced fermentation time by nearly 2 days. Flavor analysis indicated that the flavor compounds in RW, specifically the esters and alcohols, were also increased in quantity after the ultrasonic treatment of S. cerevisiae seed liquid. Isobutyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl hexanoate and phenethyl acetate contents were increased by 78.92%, 129.19%, 7.79% and 97.84%, respectively, as compared to the control. CONCLUSION: Ultrasonic treatment of S. cerevisiae reduced fermentation time and enhanced the flavor profile of RW. This study could provide a theoretical and/or technological basis for the research and development of RW. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Nomogram Predicting Grade ≥2 Acute Radiation Enteritis in Patients With Cervical Cancer Receiving Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy.

PURPOSE: To analyze the risk factors for grade ≥2 ARE in patients with cervical cancer receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy. METHODS: A total of 273 patients with cervical cancer receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy at our hospital were retrospectively enrolled. The patients were divided into training and validation groups. Clinical parameters were analyzed using univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis. A nomogram model was established based on the independent risk factors selected using multivariate logistic regression. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to evaluate the nomogram. The patients were divided into low-score and high-score groups based on the scores calculated using the nomogram model and compared. RESULTS: Malnutrition, monocyte-lymphocyte ratio ≥0.82 after radiotherapy, platelet-lymphocyte ratio <307.50 after radiotherapy, and bowelbag volume receiving at least 5 and 40 Gy were independent risk factors for grade ≥2 ARE and were incorporated into the nomogram ( P <0.05). The ROC curve, calibration curve, and DCA suggested that the nomogram had good discrimination, concordance, and net benefit in the clinical. A medium nomogram score of 146.50 points was used as the cutoff point, and the incidence of grade ≥2 ARE in the high-score group was higher than that in the low-score group ( P <0.05). CONCLUSION: The nomogram model for grade ≥2 ARE has good predictive ability and clinical utility, and is convenient for clinicians to identify high-risk groups and develop early prevention and treatment strategies.

Effect of carbonyl-amino condensation, non-covalent cross-linking and conformational changes induced by ultrasound-assisted Maillard reaction on lysinoalanine formation in silkworm pupa protein.

The inhibition of cross-linked lysinoalanine (LAL) formation in silkworm pupa protein isolates (SPPI) by Maillard reaction (using varying xylose concentration) and ultrasound treatment was studied. Results showed that sonicated SPPI was effectively grafted with high concentration of xylose (5 %), resulting in the lowest LAL content, which was 48.75 % and 30.64 % lower than the control and ultrasound-treated samples, respectively. Chemical bond analysis showed that the combined treatment destroyed the ionic bonds, intrachain (g-g-t), and interchain (g-g-g) disulfide bonds, but stimulated the polymerization of hydrogen and hydrophobic bonds between SPPI and xylose, and as well enhanced the net negative charge between SPPI/Xylose complexes. The particles of the complexes were more loose, dispersed and rough, and had a stronger hydrophilic microenvironment, accompanied by alterations in microscopic, secondary and tertiary structures. Ultrasound treatment induced the breakdown of the oxidative cross-linking in SPPI, and promoted the sulfhydryl group-dehydroalanine binding and the carbonyl-amino condensation of the protein and xylose, and thus inhibited the formation of cross-linked LAL. Furthermore, the physicochemical and structural parameters were highly interrelated with cross-linked LAL content (|r| > 0.9). The outcomes provided a novel avenue and theoretical basis for minimizing LAL formation in SPPI and improving the nutrition and safety of SPPI.

A GAPDH serotonylation system couples CD8+ T cell glycolytic metabolism to antitumor immunity.

Apart from the canonical serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT])-receptor signaling transduction pattern, 5-HT-involved post-translational serotonylation has recently been noted. Here, we report a glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) serotonylation system that promotes the glycolytic metabolism and antitumor immune activity of CD8+ T cells. Tissue transglutaminase 2 (TGM2) transfers 5-HT to GAPDH glutamine 262 and catalyzes the serotonylation reaction. Serotonylation supports the cytoplasmic localization of GAPDH, which induces a glycolytic metabolic shift in CD8+ T cells and contributes to antitumor immunity. CD8+ T cells accumulate intracellular 5-HT for serotonylation through both synthesis by tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1) and uptake from the extracellular compartment via serotonin transporter (SERT). Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) degrades 5-HT and acts as an intrinsic negative regulator of CD8+ T cells. The adoptive transfer of 5-HT-producing TPH1-overexpressing chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells induced a robust antitumor response. Our findings expand the known range of neuroimmune interaction patterns by providing evidence of receptor-independent serotonylation post-translational modification.

Inhibition of cross-linked lysinoalanine formation in pH12.5-shifted silkworm pupa protein, and functionality thereof: Effect of ultrasonication and glycation.

We added three different carbohydrates (Xylose/Xyl, Maltose/Mal, and Sodium alginate/Sal) to pH12.5-shifted silkworm pupa protein isolates (SPPI), and examined the influence of multi-frequency ultrasound (US) on them, with reference to lysinoalanine (LAL) formation, changes in conformational characteristics and functionality. Results showed that, the LAL content of the glycoconjugates - SPPI-Xyl, SPPI-Mal, and SPPI-Sal decreased by 1.47, 1.39, and 1.54 times, respectively, compared with the control. Notably, ultrasonication further reduced the LAL content by 45.85 % and brought SPPI-Xyl highest graft degree (57.14 %). SPPI-Xyl and SPPI-Mal were polymerized by different non-covalent bonds, and SPPI-Sal were polymerized through ionic, hydrogen, and disulfide (covalent/non-covalent) bonds. Significant increase in turbidity, Maillard reaction products and the formation of new hydroxyl groups was detected in grafted SPPI (p < 0.05). US and glycation altered the structure and surface topography of SPPI, in which sugars with high molecular weight were more likely to aggregate with SPPI into enormous nanoparticles with high steric hindrance. Compared to control, the solubility at pH 7.0, emulsifying capacity and stability, and foaming capacity of SPPI-US-Xyl were respectively increased by 244.33 %, 86.5 %, 414.67 %, and 31.58 %. Thus, combined US and xylose-glycation could be an effective approach for minimizing LAL content and optimizing functionality of SPPI.

Hexagonal plate ultrasound pretreatment on the correlation between soy protein isolate structure and cholesterol-lowering activity of peptides, and protein's enzymolysis kinetics, thermodynamics.

In this study, a hexagonal plate ultrasound (HPU) pretreatment technology was employed to modify soy protein isolate (SPI) and enhance the hypocholesterolemic activity of enzymatic digests from SPI. Results demonstrated that under the condition of ultrasound power density of 40 W/L, the hypocholesterolemic activity of enzymatic digests from HPU-pretreated SPI (HPU-SPI) increased by 88.40 % compared to control group after gastrointestinal digestion. The sulfhydryl content of HPU-SPI increased by a maximum of 45.32 % compared to control group. Fourier transform infrared and scanning electron microscopy revealed that HPU pretreatment partially unfolded the SPI conformation, reduced the intermolecular interactions, and exposed the internal hydrophobic regions. Pearson correlation analysis showed that sulfhydryl groups (r = 0.860), disulfide bonds (r = -0.875) and random coil (r = 0.917) were strongly correlated with the cholesterol-lowering activity of soy protein hydrolysate (SPH), following a simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Finally, the effects of HPU pretreatment on enzymolysis kinetics and thermodynamics of the SPI enzymatic process showed that HPU pretreatment significantly reduced the Mie's constant, activation energy, activation enthalpy, activation entropy and Gibbs free energy. Overall, the study outcome suggested that HPU pretreatment could positively influence the hypocholesterolemic peptide activity, and thus, may be beneficial to the pharmaceutical/food industry.

Disrupted RNA editing in beta cells mimics early-stage type 1 diabetes.

A major hypothesis for the etiology of type 1 diabetes (T1D) postulates initiation by viral infection, leading to double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-mediated interferon response and inflammation; however, a causal virus has not been identified. Here, we use a mouse model, corroborated with human islet data, to demonstrate that endogenous dsRNA in beta cells can lead to a diabetogenic immune response, thus identifying a virus-independent mechanism for T1D initiation. We found that disruption of the RNA editing enzyme adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADAR) in beta cells triggers a massive interferon response, islet inflammation, and beta cell failure and destruction, with features bearing striking similarity to early-stage human T1D. Glycolysis via calcium enhances the interferon response, suggesting an actionable vicious cycle of inflammation and increased beta cell workload.

Effect of pectin concentration on emulsifying properties of black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae albumin modified by pH-shifting and ultrasonication.

The effect of pectin concentration on the structural and emulsifying properties of black soldier fly larvae albumin (BSFLA) modified by pH-shifting (pH12) and ultrasound (US) was studied. The results (intrinsic fluorescence, surface hydrophobicity, Fourier transform infrared spectrum, and disulfide bonds) showed that modified BSFLA samples, especially pH12-US, were more likely to bind to pectin through hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, and hydrophobic interactions due to the unfolding of BSFLA, the collapse of disulfide bonds and exposure of hydrophobic groups. Thus, a BSFLA-pectin complex with smaller particle size, more negative charges, and a relatively loose structure was formed. The emulsifying activity (EAI) and stability index (ESI) of pH12-US modified BSFLA were significantly enhanced by the addition of pectin, reaching the highest values (associated with 174.41 % and 643.22 % increase, respectively) at pectin concentration of 1.0 %. Furthermore, the interface modulus of the emulsion prepared by the modified BSFLA was mainly viscous, and had higher apparent viscosity, smaller particle size and droplet size, contributing to higher EAI and ESI. The study findings suggest the addition of pectin to pH12-US treated BSFLA could be used in industry to prepare BSFLA-pectin emulsion with exceptional/desirable properties.

Preparation of housefly (Musca domestica) larvae protein hydrolysates: Influence of dual-sweeping-frequency ultrasound-assisted enzymatic hydrolysis on yield, antioxidative activity, functional and structural attributes.

Dual-sweeping-frequency ultrasound (DSFU) was utilized in the preparation of polypeptides from housefly (Musca domestica) larvae protein (HLP). Results indicated that ultrasonication (20 ± 2/28 ± 2 kHz, 42 W/L, 25 min) significantly increased peptide yield and DPPH scavenging capacity by 8.25 % and 14.83 %, respectively. Solubility, foaming and emulsification properties of polypeptides were improved by 19.89 %, 33.33 % and 38.74 % over the control; along with notable reduction in particle size and increase in zeta potential. Tertiary structural changes of the sonicated hydrolysates were illustrated by UV and fluorescence spectra. FTIR showed that ultrasonication increased α-helix, ß-turn, and random coil by 38.23 %, 46.35 % and 16.36 %, respectively, but decreased ß-sheet by 48.03 %, indicating partial unfolding in HLP hydrolysate conformation and reduction in intermolecular interactions. The research results demonstrated that dual-sweeping-frequency ultrasonication has a great prospect in industry application for the purpose of improving enzymolysis efficiency and product quality for housefly larvae protein hydrolysates production.

Genetic risk converges on regulatory networks mediating early type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), a major cause of worldwide morbidity and mortality, is characterized by dysfunction of insulin-producing pancreatic islet ß cells1,2. T2D genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified hundreds of signals in non-coding and ß cell regulatory genomic regions, but deciphering their biological mechanisms remains challenging3-5. Here, to identify early disease-driving events, we performed traditional and multiplexed pancreatic tissue imaging, sorted-islet cell transcriptomics and islet functional analysis of early-stage T2D and control donors. By integrating diverse modalities, we show that early-stage T2D is characterized by ß cell-intrinsic defects that can be proportioned into gene regulatory modules with enrichment in signals of genetic risk. After identifying the ß cell hub gene and transcription factor RFX6 within one such module, we demonstrated multiple layers of genetic risk that converge on an RFX6-mediated network to reduce insulin secretion by ß cells. RFX6 perturbation in primary human islet cells alters ß cell chromatin architecture at regions enriched for T2D GWAS signals, and population-scale genetic analyses causally link genetically predicted reduced RFX6 expression with increased T2D risk. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of complex, systemic diseases necessitates integration of signals from multiple molecules, cells, organs and individuals, and thus we anticipate that this approach will be a useful template to identify and validate key regulatory networks and master hub genes for other diseases or traits using GWAS data.

Nimotuzumab plus concurrent chemo-radiotherapy in unresectable locally advanced oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC): interim analysis from a Phase 3 clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: This prospectively randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, multicenter Phase 3 clinical trial was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety profile of nimotuzumab (nimo) plus concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (CCRT) in patients with unresectable locally advanced ESCC. METHODS: Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive CCRT plus nimotuzumab or placebo. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). In addition, interim analysis for short-term response rate was pre-defined. RESULTS: A total of 201 patients were randomised into two groups. Eighty patients in the nimo group and eighty-two in the placebo group were evaluable. Three to six months after treatment, 26 (32.5%) patients achieved complete response (CR) in the nimo group, and 10 (12.2%) in the placebo group (P = 0.002). The ORR of the nimo group was significantly higher than the placebo group (93.8% vs. 72.0%, P < 0.001). The two groups' grade 3-5 adverse drug reactions were 11.1% vs. 10.9% (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Nimotuzumab, in combination with chemo-radiotherapy, increased the CRR and ORR with a good safety profile. The OS is needed to be followed and finally analysed. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02409186.

[Retracted] miR­25 promotes metastasis via targeting FBXW7 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Following the publication of the above paper, it was drawn to the Editor's attention by a concerned reader that a large number of data panels showing cell migration and invasion assay data in Figs. 3C and 5 contained overlapping sections, such that data that were intended to show results obtained under different experimental conditions may have been derived from a smaller number of original sources. In addition, certain of the data in this pair of figures were strikingly similar to data that were submitted for publication in another journal at around the same time as the above paper was submitted to Oncology Reports. Finally, regarding the western blotting data shown in Fig. 4B, an obvious splice in the gel strip was noticed for the FBXW7 bands, whereas no equivalent splice was present in the associated GADPH loading control, suggesting that these data originated from different gels. Owing to the fact that the contentious data in the above article were under consideration for publication at around the time that this was submitted to Oncology Reports, in addition the other features of concern regarding the data, the Editor has decided that this paper should be retracted from the Journal on account of a lack of confidence in the presented data. The authors were asked for an explanation to account for these concerns, but the Editorial Office did not receive a reply. The Editor apologizes to the readership for any inconvenience caused. [Oncology Reports 38: 3030­3038, 2017; DOI: 10.3892/or.2017.5995].

Enhancing the growth of thermophilic Bacillus licheniformis YYC4 by low-intensity fixed-frequency continuous ultrasound.

The effect of low-intensity fixed-frequency continuous ultrasound (LIFFCU) on the growth of Bacillus licheniformis YYC4 was investigated. The changes in morphology and activity of the organism, contributing to the growth were also explored. Compared with the control, a significant increase (48.95%) in the biomass of B. licheniformis YYC4 (at the logarithmic metaphase) was observed following the LIFFCU (28 kHz, 1.5 h and 120 W (equivalent to power density of 40 W/L)) treatment. SEM images showed that ultrasonication caused sonoporation, resulting in increased membrane permeability, evidenced by increase in cellular membrane potential, electrical conductivity of the culture, extracellular protein and nucleic acid, and intracellular Ca2+ content. Furthermore, LIFFCU action remarkably increased the extracellular protease activity, volatile components of the culture medium, microbial metabolic activity, and spore germination of the strain. Therefore, LIFFCU could be used to efficiently promote the growth of targeted microorganisms.

Pancreatic islet α cell function and proliferation requires the arginine transporter SLC7A2.

Interrupting glucagon signaling decreases gluconeogenesis and the fractional extraction of amino acids by liver from blood resulting in lower glycemia. The resulting hyperaminoacidemia stimulates α cell proliferation and glucagon secretion via a liver-α cell axis. We hypothesized that α cells detect and respond to circulating amino acids levels via a unique amino acid transporter repertoire. We found that Slc7a2ISLC7A2 is the most highly expressed cationic amino acid transporter in α cells with its expression being three-fold greater in α than ß cells in both mouse and human. Employing cell culture, zebrafish, and knockout mouse models, we found that the cationic amino acid arginine and SLC7A2 are required for α cell proliferation in response to interrupted glucagon signaling. Ex vivo and in vivo assessment of islet function in Slc7a2-/- mice showed decreased arginine-stimulated glucagon and insulin secretion. We found that arginine activation of mTOR signaling and induction of the glutamine transporter SLC38A5 was dependent on SLC7A2, showing that both's role in α cell proliferation is dependent on arginine transport and SLC7A2. Finally, we identified single nucleotide polymorphisms in SLC7A2 associated with HbA1c. Together, these data indicate a central role for SLC7A2 in amino acid-stimulated α cell proliferation and islet hormone secretion.

Modification of whey protein isolate by ultrasound-assisted pH shift for complexation with carboxymethylcellulose: Structure and interfacial properties.

The application of whey protein isolate (WPI) is limited because of its compact spherical structure. In this study, ultrasound-assisted pH shift was employed to modify WPI for complexation with carboxymethylcellulose (CMC). The foaming and emulsifying properties of WPI/CMC complexes were investigated. The results demonstrate that the pretreatment of ultrasound-assisted pH 12 shift increased the content of free sulfhydryl groups from 16.5 µmol/g to 34.7 µmol/g and enhanced protein hydrophobicity from 311.4 to 370.6 (p < 0.05). Compared to the complexes formed by untreated WPI and CMC, the complexes pretreated with ultrasound-assisted pH 12 shift had a smaller size of 293.4 nm and a more uniform distribution. Furthermore, WPI/CMC complexes pretreated by ultrasound-assisted pH 12 shift exhibited higher emulsifying activity and emulsion stability index, which were increased by 8.9 % and 42.6 % respectively, in comparison with the control group (p < 0.05). A positive correlation was found between the surface hydrophobicity of WPI and emulsifying activity of WPI/CMC complexes. Ultrasound-assisted pH 2 shift improved the foaming capacity of complexes by 28.3 % over the control (p < 0.05). All the results indicate that the interfacial properties of WPI/CMC complexes can be improved significantly by the combination of pH shift and ultrasound.

Synergistic effects of pH shift and heat treatment on solubility, physicochemical and structural properties, and lysinoalanine formation in silkworm pupa protein isolates.

The application of silkworm pupa protein isolates (SPPI) in food industry was limited because SPPI's solubility is poor and it contains a potential harmful component of lysinoalanine (LAL) which formed during protein extraction. In this study, combined treatments of pH shift and heating were performed to improve the solubility of SPPI and to reduce the content of LAL. The experimental results showed that the promoting effect on SPPI's solubility by alkaline pH shift + heat treatment was greater than that by acidic pH shift + heat. And an 8.62 times increase of solubility was observed after pH 12.5 + 80 â„ƒ treatment compared to the control SPPI sample which was extracted at pH 9.0 without pH shift treatment. Very strong positive correlation was found between alkali dosage and SPPI solubility (Pearson's correlation coefficient r = 0.938). SPPI with pH 12.5 shift treatment showed the highest thermal stability. Alkaline pH shift combined with heat treatment altered the micromorphology of SPPI and destroyed the disulfide bonds between macromolecular subunits (72 and 95 kDa), resulting in reduced particle size and increased zeta potential and free sulfhydryl content of the isolates. The fluorescence spectra analysis showed red shifts phenomena with pH increasing and fluorescence intensity increase with temperature increasing, implying the alterations in the tertiary structure of protein. Compared to the control SPPI sample, the amount of LAL reduced by 47.40 %, 50.36 % and 52.39 % using pH 12.5 + 70 â„ƒ, pH 12.5 + 80 â„ƒ and pH 12.5 + 90 â„ƒ treatment, respectively. These findings provide fundamental information for the development and application of SPPI in food industry.

Circulating TP73-AS1 and CRNDE serve as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Circulating long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are considered a new class of biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of various malignancies. We aimed to identify circulating lncRNAs as biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: The expression of 14 candidate lncRNAs was measured in matched cancer and ipsilateral normal lung tissues of 20 patients with NSCLC using quantitative reverse-transcription PCR. In plasma samples from training and testing sets, significantly and aberrantly expressed lncRNAs, TA73-AS1 and CRNDE, were further analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed, and the areas under the ROC curves (AUC) were obtained to assess diagnostic performance. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to assess the impact of plasma TA73-AS1 and CRNDE expression on tumor-free survival (TFS) of patients with NSCLC. The effect of TP73-AS1 expression on NSCLC cells was investigated in vitro. RESULTS: AUC values of plasma TA73-AS1 and CRNDE were 0.822 and 0.815 in the training set and 0.843 and 0.804 in the testing set, respectively, to distinguish NSCLC from healthy controls. The combination of plasma TP73-AS1, CRNDE, and two classical tumor markers, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA21-1), showed excellent diagnostic performance for NSCLC (AUC =0.927 in the training set; AUC = 0.925 in the testing set). Furthermore, the high expression of the two plasma lncRNAs correlated with worse TFS in patients with NSCLC. In vitro cell model studies revealed that TP73-AS1 overexpression facilitated NSCLC cell survival, invasion, and migration. CONCLUSION: Circulating TP73-AS1 and CRNDE could be potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognostic prediction of NSCLC.

Influence of Low-Intensity Ultrasound on ε-Polylysine Production: Intracellular ATP and Key Biosynthesis Enzymes during Streptomyces albulus Fermentation.

The effect of low-intensity sonication treatment on cell growth, ε-polylysine (ε-PL) yield and its biological mechanism were investigated, using a 3-L-jar fermenter coupled with an in situ ultrasonic slot with a Streptomyces albulus strain SAR 14-116. Under ultrasonic conditions (28 kHz, 0.37 W cm-2, 60 min), a high biomass of SAR 14-116 and concentration of ε-PL were realized (i.e., they increased by 14.92% and 28.45%, respectively) when compared with a control. Besides this, ultrasonication increased the mycelia viability and intracellular ATP as well as activities of key enzymes involved in the ε-PL biosynthesis pathway, resulting in an improvement in the production of ε-PL. Data on qRT-PCR revealed that ultrasonication also affected the gene expression of key enzymes in the ε-PL biosynthesis pathway, including ε-PL synthetase (PLS). These outcomes provided the basis for understanding the effects of ultrasound-assisted fermentation on the stimulation of metabolite production and fermentation procedure in a fermenter.

Recent Insight on Edible Insect Protein: Extraction, Functional Properties, Allergenicity, Bioactivity, and Applications.

Due to the recent increase in the human population and the associated shortage of protein resources, it is necessary to find new, sustainable, and natural protein resources from invertebrates (such as insects) and underutilized plants. In most cases, compared to plants (e.g., grains and legumes) and animals (e.g., fish, beef, chicken, lamb, and pork), insect proteins are high in quality in terms of their nutritional value, total protein content, and essential amino acid composition. This review evaluates the recent state of insects as an alternative protein source from production to application; more specifically, it introduces in detail the latest advances in the protein extraction process. As an alternative source of protein in food formulations, the functional characteristics of edible insect protein are comprehensively presented, and the risk of allergy associated with insect protein is also discussed. The biological activity of protein hydrolyzates from different species of insects (Bombyx mori, Hermetia illucens, Acheta domesticus, Tenebrio molitor) are also reviewed, and the hydrolysates (bioactive peptides) are found to have either antihypertensive, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial activity. Finally, the use of edible insect protein in various food applications is presented.

The structure, antioxidant and antibacterial properties of thiol-modified soy protein isolate induced by allicin.

This study investigated the effect of allicin binding on the structure, antioxidant and antibacterial properties of soy protein isolate (SPI). Results showed that allicin bound to 82.6 % free thiol groups of SPI at a molar ratio of 0.5. The combination of allicin and SPI significantly affected the structure of protein. Result of circular dichroism showed that the content of α-helix decreased by 26.9 % and the content of ß-sheet increased by 12.2 % over control when the molar ratio was 0.5. The result of surface hydrophobicity signified the unfolding of SPI with the action of allicin. These results implied that allicin binding might be a suitable method for the modification of SPI. Furthermore, the antibacterialand antioxidant experiments indicated that allicin-SPI conjugates not only had the capacity to inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli and Staphyloccocus aureus, but also had DPPH and ABTS radicals scavenging activities.