Objective To explore a preparation method for low-cariogenic soft candy by adopting a dual-intervention strategy combining sugar replacement and dental plaque biofilm regulation. Methods Various gelatinous candies were prepared by substituting xylitol for partial maltose and incorporating food additives including arginine and dextranase. Texture profile analysis was employed to characterize the effects of functional components on candy texture. Dextran decomposition experiments assessed samples’ capacity to degrade dental plaque matrix, while Streptococcus mutans antibacterial tests evaluated the anti-cariogenic efficacy. Results Partial substitution of maltose with xylitol effectively reduced candy viscosity. Food-grade β-dextranase retained its dextran-degrading capability at 75 ℃. Food-grade L-arginine was identified as the primary growth-inhibiting factor against Streptococcus mutans. Compared to sucrose-induced bacterial growth (set as 100%), the optimal compound candy promoted Streptococcus mutans growth at 50.10% of sucrose’s level and 29.19% of control candy’s level. Conclusion The developed soft candy in this study aids in preventing dental caries, thereby contributing to the creation of children’s food products designed to address oral health issues.

Objective To analyze the differences in volatile organic compounds in black wheat flour, whole wheat flour and seeds in different regions of Xinjiang. Methods The volatile components of flour, whole wheat flour and seeds of 6 kinds of black wheats from 4 different regions in Xinjiang were detected using headspace gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry, and the volatile components were classified and feature selected using orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) method. Results A total of 134 kinds of volatiles were detected in black wheat, and 97 kinds of volatile organic compounds were characterized, mainly including 23 kinds of aldehydes, 21 kinds of esters, 19 kinds of alcohols, 12 kinds of ketones and 6 kinds of acids. Relative odor activity value (ROAV) showed that 1-octen-3-one, (E)-2-octenal, 1-propanethiol, 2-formyl-5-methylthiophene, 2-methylbutyraldehyde, 4-methylbenzaldehyde, isovaleric acid, 1-oct-1-ene-3-ol and proto-guaiacol were the major volatile odorants and played a dominant role in black wheat. OPLS-DA analysis showed that there were differences between the volatiles of black wheat flour, whole wheat flour and seeds, with (E)-2-octenal mainly present in seeds, 2-methylbutyraldehyde higher in flour and 4-methylbenzaldehyde higher in whole wheat flour. Conclusion Gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry can be used as a technical tool to distinguish the differences in volatile compounds between different treatments of black wheat, and the results of this study provide data support for optimizing the milling process of black wheat, as well as a new direction for the identification of adulteration of black wheat whole wheat flour.

Objective To establish a method for the determination of 6 kinds of carbamate pesticide residues in vegetables by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and study the degradation rule of carbamate pesticides in vegetables. Methods The samples were extracted with acetonitrile to extract carbamate pesticides. The supernatant was purified by solid phase adsorbent, concentrated and dried, and then diluted with methanol. The quantitative analysis was carried out by HPLC-post column derivatization.Results Through optimization of the method, it was found that there was a good linear relationship between peak area and concentration of 6 kinds of carbamate pesticides in the mass concentration range of 0.10-2.00 μg/mL, with correlation coefficients not less than 0.9996. The limit of detection was 0.002-0.005 mg/kg, the average recovery rate was 86%-95%, and the relative standard deviation was less than 3.5%. At the same time, the residual status and degradation rule of amino esters in vegetables were obtained, and it was found that the order of pesticide residue content of methomyl was: Unwashed potato peel>washed potato peel>potato interior. Conclusion This method has high sensitivity, low limit of detection, good recovery rate and feasible operation, meeting the experimental requirements. The degradation rules of pesticide residues show significant differences, providing a theoretical basis for evaluating the safety of vegetables after the use of carbamate pesticides.

Objective To optimize the fermentation process of pear residue soluble dietary fiber (PSDF) modified by Aspergillus niger and study its characteristics. Methods Using single factor experiments to optimize the inoculation amount, fermentation temperature, and fermentation time of Aspergillus niger, and determine the optimal fermentation process; determine the characteristics of the modified PSDF: The water holding capacity (WHC), oil holding capacity (OBC), fructose, glucose, arabinose, xylose and xylose content, 1,1-diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) free radical scavenging ability, 2,2’-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate) (ABTS) cationic radical scavenging ability, glucose adsorption capacity (GAC) and cholesterol adsorption capacity (CAC).Results By optimizing the fermentation process, the optimal inoculation amount, fermentation temperature, and fermentation time of Aspergillus niger were determined to be 8%, 36 ℃ and 7 d. Based on the optimal fermentation process, the characteristic analysis of PSDF was conducted: WHC was 15.89 g/g, and OBC was 4.02 g/g; the content of glucose and arabinose increases, while the content of fructose, xylose and xylose decreases; the DPPH radical scavenging ability and ABTS cationic radical scavenging ability were significantly improved; GAC increased to 0.77 mg/g, and CAC increased to 0.56 mg/g. Conclusion Modifying PSDF with suitable fermentation processes can help improve yield. The use of Aspergillus niger modified pear pomace dietary fiber effectively improve its physiological activity and health function.

Aflatoxins are of difuran cyclotoxins produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, and own good chemical stability, thermal stability, strong hepatotoxicity, carcinogenicity, teratogenicity and other toxicity to human body. Due to the low content of aflatoxins in food and the complex food matrix, these food samples contain a large number of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, food additives, etc., which have great interference to the accurate qualitative and quantitative detection of aflatoxins. Therefore, it is of great significance to explore new sample pretreatment techniques and establish rapid and practical detection methods for aflatoxins. This paper reviewed the application of aflatoxin pretreatment techniques (liquid phase extraction, solid phase extraction, ultrasonic microwave assisted extraction, immunoaffinity chromatography) and detection methods(thin-layer analysis, high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunochromatography, nucleic acid aptamer sensing) in the analysis of aflatoxins in food, prospected the development trends towards online combination, the integration of new technologies with traditional equipment, ease of operation, and low cost, providing reliable support for the development of mycotoxin detection.

Objective To establish a method for rapid determination of bongkrekic acid content in Hanzhong Mianpi by ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) combined with QuEChERS purification. Methods Hanzhong Mianpi samples were extracted by acetonitrile-water (8:2, V:V) ultrasonic extraction, purified by QuEChERS, concentrated, constant volume, separated by Thermo (100 mm× 2.1 mm, 1.8 μm) chromatographic column, gradient eluted by acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution, quantified by standard curve method with electric spray ion source (ESI), multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. Results The linear relationship of bongkrekic acid was good within the range of 1-100 ng/mL, with a correlation coefficient (r²) greater than 0.999. At 3 spiked levels of 2, 10 and 50 μg/kg, the spiked recovery rate was 86.7%-90.0%, the relative standard deviation (RSD) was 2.3%-2.9%, the limit of detection was 0.5 μg/kg, and the limit of quantitation was 1.5 μg/kg. All actual samples did not detect any citric acid. Conclusion This method has simple pre-treatment, fast analysis, high recovery rate, and high sensitivity, which can provide reference for the quality control of bongkrekic acid in Hanzhong Mianpi.

Objective To analyze the contamination levels of deoxynivalenol (DON) and its derivatives in various cereals and their products and assess the dietary exposure risks. Methods A total of 435 commercially available grain samples of various types were collected from 2021 to 2023. The samples were extracted with acetonitrile-water (84:16, V:V), purified by the 226 purification column, and analyzed by ultra performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Quantification was performed using the isotope internal standard method. The dietary exposure risk of DON for residents was assessed based on adult dietary consumption levels.Results Among the 435 samples, the detection rate of DON was the highest, reaching 90.6%. The average detection value of DON in dried noodle samples was the highest, reaching 244.8 μg/kg. The dietary exposure amounts of DON were different for residents of different genders. The acute and chronic dietary exposure risks of DON in pasta products such as dried noodles and wheat flour for adult males were higher than those for adult females. The chronic exposure risk of DON caused by dried noodles was higher than that of other food categories; however, the acute exposure risk of DON to adult males and females caused by wheat flour were 8.84 μg/(kg·bw) and 8.34 μg/(kg·bw). Conclusion The detection rate of DON is the highest among different grain foods. Meanwhile, the concentration of DON in wheat flour poses a relatively high acute exposure risk to adult men and women. The contamination situation of DON shouldall be highly emphasized, in particular, attention shall be paid to the acute exposure risk of wheat flour to residents, which provides a reference for the risk assessment of DON in grains and subsequent research.

Objective To study the volatile compounds produced by atmospheric cold plasma (AP) treatment on the crude fat of Trachinotus ovatus during storage at 4 ℃, and characterize and analyze them. Methods The volatile organic compounds in the crude fat of Trachinotus ovatus after AP treatment during storage at 4 ℃ were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed by electronic-nose and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and the taste substances of crude fat of Trachinotus ovatus were detected by electronic tongue. Results The types and content of alcohols and acids detected in the AP treatment group were low. The odor activity values showed that isobutyraldehyde, butyl hydroxytoluene, (Z)-3-phenylacrolein, cinnamyl acetate and dibutyl phthalate were the main volatile compounds in the fresh group, AP treatment group and storage control group. The electronic-nose radar map showed that the sensor response of the AP treatment group was weaker than the other two. Conclusion AP treatment can effectively protect the flavor stability of food during storage at 4 ℃. AP treatment group can bring special volatile compounds to the crude fat of Trachinotus ovatus, and slow down the rate of lipid oxidation during storage at 4 ℃. This research is helpful to explore the application of AP treatment in aquatic products.

Objective To explore the impacts of diverse food processing environments on the antioxidant activity of polysaccharides and peptides derived from Auricularia auricula, and analyze the food functional characteristics of these polysaccharides and peptides. Methods Taking Auricularia auricula as the raw material, Auricularia auricula polysaccharides and peptides were prepared through enzymatic hydrolysis. Various conditions of different food additives, metal ions, high temperatures, pH and light intensity were simulated to assess the antioxidant stability, functional characteristics, and morphological features of Auricularia auricula polysaccharides and peptides. Results Exposure to light, strong acids and bases, as well as the presence of Na⁺, K⁺, and the sterilization method, had a minimal impact on the antioxidant activity of Auricularia auricula polysaccharides. However, the addition of Fe³⁺, Cu²⁺, glucose and sucrose caused a decline in the antioxidant activity of Auricularia auricula polysaccharides. In contrast, the addition of erythritol, citric acid, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate enhanced the antioxidant activity of Auricularia auricula polysaccharides. Lighting, a pH range of 5-7, and the sterilization method had little effect on the antioxidant activity of Auricularia auricula peptides. The addition of Fe³⁺, Cu²⁺, glucose and sucrose led to a decrease in the antioxidant activity of Auricularia auricula peptides, while the addition of Na⁺, K⁺, erythritol, citric acid, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate increased the antioxidant activity of Auricularia auricula peptides, with the highest antioxidant activity observed at 60 ℃. Auricularia auricula polysaccharide and polypeptide possessed general water-holding capacity and certain oil-holding capacity. Their foaming property, foam stability, emulsifying property and emulsifying stability increased in a dose-dependent manner. The freeze-dried powder became denatured and inactivated if it could not tolerate high temperatures. Conclusion The polysaccharides and peptides prepared from Auricularia auricula are suitable for use as emulsifiers, foaming agents, or functional ingredients in industries such as food, health products, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, etc. This study can offer a theoretical basis for the deep processing of Auricularia auricula.

Objective To develop a Gastrodia elata Blume enzyme tablet sugar and optimize its formula using response surface methodology. Methods By utilizing the extensive pharmacological activities of the main active ingredients in Gastrodia elata Blume, using Gastrodia elata Blume enzyme concentrate as the main raw material and xylitol, citric acid, maltodextrin and magnesium stearate as auxiliary materials, an experiment was designed using response surface methodology, and sensory evaluation was used as the evaluation index to optimize the tablet sugar formula. Results The optimal ratio was determined by examining the effects of the ratio of concentrated raw materials, sweeteners, and acidifiers on the quality of compressed sugar. The best ratio was: Gastrodia elata Blume enzyme concentrate 215 g, xylitol 596 g, citric acid 11 g and maltodextrin 225 g and magnesium stearate 10 g. Conclusion This study optimizes the formula of Gastrodia elata Blume enzyme tablet sugar, effectively utilizing Gastrodia elata Blume resources to lay a scientific foundation for the research and development of tablet sugar, and opening up new possibilities for the utilization of traditional Chinese medicine.