Latest ArticlesThe incidence of hyperuricemia continues to rise. Although chemical drugs are effective in lowering uric acid levels, their long-term use is associated with significant side effects. Food-derived bioactive peptides have become a new research focus in this field due to their natural origin, high safety and diverse mechanisms of action. This article systematically reviewed recent progress in the study of food-derived uric acid-lowering peptides, covering preparation and screening methods, mechanisms of action, characteristic properties and bioavailability. Enzymatic hydrolysis combined with physical pretreatment and fermentation techniques was becoming increasingly established, while the application of bioinformatics approaches such as molecular docking had significantly improved the efficiency of active peptide discovery. Current understanding had moved beyond the traditional view of simply inhibiting xanthine oxidase;these peptides act through multiple complementary pathways, including reducing uric acid production, promoting renal excretion, exerting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and modulating the gut microbiota. Low molecular weight and specific amino acid composition were key structural determinants of activity. Most active peptides exhibited good digestive stability, and the use of stabilized delivery systems provides a viable strategy to enhance their efficacy in vivo.However, several challenges remain, including unclear metabolic pathways in the body, a lack of crystallographic validation of binding modes, insufficient evidence from population studies and bottlenecks in large-scale production.Future research should focus on elucidating the underlying mechanisms, clarifying metabolic processes and optimizing scalable preparation techniques. This article integrates existing research findings and aims to provide a theoretical reference for the development of novel functional foods for uric acid management.
To study the quality characteristics of 4 kinds of typical fresh Zea mays L. varieties in Beijing-Zhangjiakou Region.
This study systematically compared the differences among 4 typical fresh Zea mays L. varieties grown in Beijing-Zhangjiakou Region, including 2 sweet-waxy varieties (336# and 368#), one sweet Zea mays L. variety (Meizhen 209) and one waxy Zea mays L. variety (Wannuo 2000). Through measurements of ear length, ear weight, moisture content, protein, crude fiber, soluble solids, total sugar, sucrose, reducing sugar and folic acid, combined with non-targeted metabolomic analysis using ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry, the quality attributes of each variety were comprehensively evaluated.
The results showed that Wannuo 2000 had the highest single-ear weight and the lowest moisture content, while Meizhen 209 exhibited significantly higher soluble solids, total sugar and sucrose content than the other varieties, indicated prominent sweetness. The 336# demonstrated a significant advantage in folic acid content, reached 141 μg/100 g, along with higher reducing sugar levels. Metabolomic analysed further revealed significant difference in metabolite composition among the varieties, with sweet-waxy varieties showed similar metabolic profiles, whereas sweet Zea mays L. and waxy Zea mays L. each possessed distinct metabolic characteristics.
This study clarifies the quality differences among the 4 kinds of fresh Zea mays L.varieties under the current experimental conditions, providing a scientific basis for consumer choice, variety breeding and nutrition-oriented product development.
To establish a method for the simultaneous deterction of chlorate and perchlorate in liquid milk by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).
Using liquid milk as the base, the contamination levels of chlorate and perchlorate were determined by LC-MS/MS. The instrument conditions, sample extraction and sample purification were tested and optimized, and the methodology of the optimized method was investigated.
The optimized detection method employed an ACQUITY UPLC®HSS T3 chromatographic column (2.1 mm×100 mm, 1.8 µm), with the mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution, at a flow rate of 0.1 mL/min and an injection volume of 5 µL. The extract from the sample was 2.0 mL of 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution and 8.0 mL of acetonitrile. The solid-phase extraction column was used the SelectCore HLB-V high chlorate-specific column (150 mg/3 mL). The internal standard method was used for quantitative detection of chlorate and perchlorate in liquid milk. The linear relationship of chlorate and perchlorate in their respective linear ranges was good. The determination coefficient of chlorate was 0.9995, and that of perchloric acid salt was 0.9998. The limit of detection chlorate was 2.4 µg/kg and that of perchlorate was 0.8 µg/kg. The recovery rate of actual sample detection with spiked samples was between 81.9% and 105.4%. The relative standard deviation (RSD) was less than to 10%, meeting the requirements for quantitative detection.
This method has the characteristics of simple operation, high sensitivity, accurate quantification and good repeatability. It is suitable for the simultaneous detection of chlorate and perchlorate in complex liquid milk matrices.
To enhance the utilization efficiency of the residual fruit residues after the fermentation of Actinidia chinensis residue, develop a new types of solid-state fermented liquors, and analyze the characteristics and differences of its volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
Using sorghum and Actinidia chinensis residue as raw materials, a new types of liquor was brewed by mixed fermentation based on the brewing process of Xiaoqu light-aroma type Baijiu. The VOCs characteristics and differences of mixed fermentation liquor fermented from Actinidia chinensis residue were analyzed via sensory evaluation, electronic nose, gas chromatography with flame ionization detector, and headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
The mixed fermentation liquor fermented from Actinidia chinensis residue had the sensory flavor of traditional Xiaoqu light-aroma type Baijiu and a pleasant aroma of Actinidia chinensis. Additionally, the total acid content of mixed fermentation liquor fermented from Actinidia chinensis residue was similar to that of traditional Xiaoqu light-aroma type Baijiu, and a total of 102 kinds of VOCs were detected in mixed fermentation liquor fermented from Actinidia chinensis residue. The variable importance in projection (VIP) values of the partial least squares discrimination analysis model were used to screen out 27 kinds of key differentiating compounds (VIP>1), including hexadecanoic acid ethyl ester, dodecanoic acid ethyl ester,acetic acid and decanoic acid ethyl ester, etc.
This study analyzes the characteristics and differences of VOCs in mixed fermentation liquor fermented from Actinidia chinensis residue, and provides a reference for the development of new liquor products and the comprehensive utilization of fruit residues.
To systematically evaluate the applicability of adenosine triphosphate fluorescence method in the commercial aseptic rapid detection of dairy products.
The detection ability of 35 kinds of representative microorganisms was tested by the inclusion experiment using the adenosine triphosphate fluorescence method. The anti-interference performance of adenosine triphosphate fluorescence method in 70 dairy product matrices of 7 types was evaluated through exclusive experiments. Through artificial contamination experiments, using the plate streptography method and GB 4789.26—2023 National food safety standard-Microbiological testing of food-Commercial sterility testing as reference methods, the detection sensitivity of 7 kinds of representative contamination bacteria in 7 types of dairy products was systematically compared. The 2 laboratories were arranged to perform inter-laboratory comparison tests for evaluating the reproducibility of the established method.
The inclusive experiment and exclusive experiment results of the adenosine triphosphate fluorescence method were both 100%. In the sensitivity test, the limit of detection at 50% positive rate (LOD50) of the developed method for Lactobacillus plantarum was 0.32 CFU/ sample, slightly superior to the streak plate method (0.37 CFU per sample) and the national standard GB 4789.26—2023 (0.37 CFU per sample). The LOD50 values for the other 6 kinds of target bacterial strains were basically consistent with those of the reference methods, with the relative limit of detection(RLOD) approaching 1. Interlaboratory comparison results verified favorable reproducibility of this method, as the RLOD for most strains were close to 1. This method could achieve early detection of Aspergillus niger, Enterococcus faecalis and other microorganisms following 3 days of incubation. In comparison with GB 4789.26—2023, which required a detection period of 7–10 days, the assay duration was reduced by 4–7 days.
The adenosine triphosphate fluorescence method features rapid detection speed, simple operation, as well as good inclusivity and specificity. Its sensitivity is comparable to that of traditional methods, making it suitable for the rapid screening and process monitoring of commercial sterility in dairy products. This study provides experimental evidence for shortening the detection cycle of commercial sterility in dairy products and promoting the application of rapid detection technologies. Meanwhile, it constructs a reusable methodological validation framework, providing a reference for the validation of other rapid detection technologies in food matrices, and offers experimental evidence for the “primary screening-rechecking” process in practice.
Aptamer, as a single-stranded nucleic acid molecule screened by systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX), has shown broad application prospects in the field of food safety detection due to its advantages of high specificity, easy synthesis and modification and good stability. This paper reviewed the research progress of aptamer screening techniques for different target analytes (such as food-borne pathogens, microbial toxins, pesticides, heavy metal ions, etc.) in food safety detection, emphatically introduced the principles, characteristics and application scenarios of traditional SELEX (such as capture-SELEX, genomic-SELEX, capillary electrophoresis-SELEX, fluorescent‑magnetic-SELEX, real-SELEX, cell-SELEX, graphene oxide-SELEX). At the same time, this paper systematically expounded the mechanism of aptamer optimization strategy to improve the binding performance and detection applicability of aptamers, summarized the existing problems in the application of aptamers in food safety detection, introduced the current aptamer screening and optimization techniques and prospected their future development directions, providing a reference for the application of this technology in rapid and accurate detection of food safety.
To analyze the content of main bitter and sour components and antioxidant activities of 9 kinds of specialty coffee beans and 9 kinds of commercial coffee beans of 2 different grades of coffee beans, and investigate the differences between specialty coffee beans and commercial coffee beans.
Water extraction was adopted to isolate the major bitter and sour components from coffee beans. High performance liquid chromatography was applied for their qualitative and quantitative analysis, and the antioxidant activities of 2 grades of coffee beans were determined simultaneously.
The content of trigonelline, oxalic acid, quinic acid and chlorogenic acid in specialty coffee beans (the content was 5.61–7.91, 3.12–4.67, 203.30–456.10 and 3.83–9.33 mg/g, respectively) were significantly higher than those in commercial coffee beans (the content was 1.56–5.43, 1.67–2.16, 37.17–230.31 and 1.03–6.66 mg/g, respectively). The content of caffeine (excluding decaffeinated coffee), lactic acid and malic acid in specialty coffee beans (the content ranged from 10.28 to 13.00, 6.35 to 7.94 and 10.38 to 15.20 mg/g, respectively) were significantly lower than those in commercial coffee beans (the content was 13.62–15.00, 7.82–9.22, and 15.78–24.41 mg/g, respectively). The total phenol content in the 2 kinds of grades of coffee beans ranged from 20 mg/g to 30 mg/g. The flavonoid content of commercial coffee beans (30.30–52.12 mg/g) was lower than that of specialty coffee beans (42.64–69.11 mg/g); some commercial coffee bean samples exhibited flavonoid content above the lower limit of specialty coffee beans. In addition, the antioxidant capacity of specialty coffee beans was higher than that of commercial coffee beans. Principal component analysis revealed that trigonelline and quinic acid were the physicochemical indexes most closely correlated with coffee bean quality. Correlation analysis indicated that total flavonoids and total phenols were the primary substances responsible for the antioxidant capacity of coffee.
Specialty and commercial coffee beans exhibit significant differences in their primary bitter and acidic components.Compared to commercial coffee beans, specialty coffee beans demonstrate slightly superior antioxidant activity. Based on these compositional differences, the 2 types of coffee beans can be effectively differentiated.
To develop a non-thermal sterilizing agent suitable for fresh fruit juices using Fe3O4 nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) as the core antibacterial material.
Magnetic separation-capable antibacterial hydrogel microspheres were prepared by combining the antibacterial activity of Fe3O4 NPs with sodium alginate. The preparation conditions were optimized to endow the hydrogel microspheres with optimal antibacterial performance, and the resulting microspheres were subsequently applied to the sterilization of not from concentrate (NFC) Citrullus lanatus juice.
The hydrogel microspheres prepared with a mass ratio of Fe3O4 NPs to sodium alginate of 2:1 and solidified in 7.5% CaCl2 solution for 0.5 h exhibited the best antibacterial performance. Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) structural characterization, water content, water solubility and component retention tests showed that Fe3O4 NPs were uniformly embedded in the sodium alginate hydrogel network via physical interactions. The water content of 72% ensured that the hydrogel microspheres possessed flexible mechanical properties with low deformability, and the structure and main components of the hydrogel were well retained. Antibacterial experiments demonstrated that the microspheres significantly inhibited both Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus(Gram-positive), and maintained good antibacterial activity after 7 cycles of reuse and after 1 month of storage. When applied to the non-thermal sterilization of fresh Citrullus lanatus juice, the hydrogel microspheres achieved commercial sterilization requirements while largely preserving the juice color and heat-sensitive nutrients, and remained reliable in sterilization efficacy even after the 6th reuse cycle.
The prepared Fe3O4 NPs-antibacterial hydrogel microspheres not only possess good stability and physicochemical properties, but also exhibit excellent repeatable sterilization performance and quality retention capability for NFC Citrullus lanatus juice. This study provides an efficient and reusable antibacterial agent for non-thermal sterilization of NFC juice, with promising application prospects.
To develop fermented purple sweet potato clear juice using Bacillus natto.
Single-factor experiments and orthogonal tests were conducted to investigate the effects of solid-liquid ratio, isomalt-oligosaccharide addition, inoculation amount, fermentation temperature and fermentation time on the pH, soluble solid content and sensory score of the fermented product.
The optimal fermentation conditions were determined as follows: solid-liquid ratio of 1:4 (g:mL), isomalt-oligosaccharide addition of 10%, inoculation amount of 4%, fermentation temperature of 39 ℃, and fermentation time of 8 h. Under these conditions, the flavor of purple sweet potato clear juice was well integrated with the fermentation flavor, with the main odor components being nitrogen-containing compounds and sulfides.
The beverage developed in this study can enhance the absorption of purple sweet potato nutrients in the human intestine and has multi-level health benefits. The production process minimizes the use of food additives, meeting consumer demand for healthy functional foods. This study also provides a reference for improving the added value of purple sweet potatoes and enriching the variety of probiotic plant-based beverages.
To know the status of veterinary drug residues and assess the dietary exposure risk in 4 kinds of freshwater fish sold in the Taicang Area in 2025.
A total of 355 samples of freshwater fish were collected, and the residues of 16 kinds of veterinary drugs were detected, following the national standard method of determination. Coupling the dietary intake of residents, the index of food safety (IFS) was used to evaluate the dietary exposure risk of veterinary drug residues.
The total detection rate of veterinary drug residues in freshwater fish was 72.39% (257/355), with an exceedance rate of 5.92% (21/355). Among the 4 kinds of freshwater fish species, bream had the highest detection rate and exceeding rate of veterinary drug residues, which were 88.00% (66/75) and 17.33% (13/75), respectively. The 6 kinds of veterinary drug residues out of 16 kinds of veterinary drug residues were detected.The highest detection rate and exceeding rate were both for enrofloxacin (calculated as the sum of enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin), which were 70.99% (252/355) and 5.35% (19/355), respectively. The dietary exposure of all age groups was in the range of 0.0025–2.0321 µg/(kg•d), with the IFS values in the range of 0.0007–0.6774.
The exposure risk of veterinary drug residues intake through freshwater fish among Taicang residents is relatively low, remaining within a safe level. The residue phenomenon of enrofloxacin is relatively common and should be attached importance.
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