This study focused on 14 edible fungi species—including Flammulina velutipes, Volvariella volvacea, Pleurotus ostreatus, Lyophyllum decastes, Agrocybe cylindracea, Lentinula edodes, Phallus indusiatus, etc. The ash content, protein content, crude polysaccharide content, amino acid composition and content of these edible fungi were systematically determined and analyzed. The volatile flavor substances were analyzed using HS-SPME/GC-MS, while the non-volatile flavor components such as free amino acids and 5'-nucleotides were also evaluated. The results showed that among the 14 edible fungi, the protein content of Agrocybe cylindracea was the highest, reaching 40.12 g/100 g, the ash content of Volvariella volvacea was significantly higher than that of other species (P<0.05). Agaricus subrufescens contained the highest polysaccharide content, reaching 11.77 g/100 g. More than 150 volatile substances were detected, with 60 kinds of volatile components being the richest in Tricholoma matsutake, and the key flavor substances of 14 edible fungi were mainly alcohols and aldehydes, including 1-octen-3-ol and isovaleraldehyde. The results of the determination of non-volatile substances showed that the total content of flavor nucleotides ranged widely, with the highest total content in Volvariella volvacea, followed by Agaricus bisporus, Tricholoma matsutake and Pleurotus ostreatus, with contents of 3.45, 2.50, 2.42 and 2.35 mg/g respectively, all categorized as medium levels. Agaricus bisporus had the highest Glu content, and its equivalent umami concentration (EUC) reached 1142.12 g MSG/100 g, belonging to the top umami grade. The main organic acid was succinic acid, which had the highest content in Volvariella volvacea, Agrocybe cylindracea and Agaricus subrufescens. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis indicated that there were significant differences in the nutritional and flavor components of different edible fungi. Volvariella volvacea, Agrocybe cylindracea and Agaricus bisporus formed independent clusters due to their unique nutrient compositions. This study revealed the nutritional composition and flavor characteristics of different edible fungi through multi-faceted analysis, providing a theoretical basis for the development of high-value-added products and functional food design.

Starch, the primary source of carbohydrates in food, plays a crucial role in nutrition and health owing to its digestive properties and functional regulation and has been a subject of extensive research. Recently, researchers have non-covalently combined polyphenols with starch, which significantly altered its structural and functional properties. As research has progressed, it has been observed that polyphenols can form covalent bonds with starch chains through chemical agent coupling, free radical grafting, enzymatic catalysis, and acid-mediated pathways. Synthesized covalent conjugates exhibit superior structural and functional performance compared to non-covalent complexes and have become a focal point in the field of starch functional regulation, achieving significant advancements. This review aims to comprehensively summarize the binding mechanisms of starch and polyphenols through non-covalent and covalent interactions, compare them with non-covalent interaction mechanisms, and analyze the advantages of covalent interactions in binding modes and structural characteristics using structural characterization techniques. Additionally, by analyzing the functional characteristics of both, it emphasizes the significant advantages of covalent conjugates in thermal stability, digestion resistance, and antioxidant activity. Subsequent researchers can focus on starch-polyphenol covalent binding technology, which is expected to provide innovative approaches for the combination of natural ingredients and functional foods and contribute to the sustainable development of the food industry.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of different heat treatment methods (atmospheric pressure cooking, high-pressure cooking, atmospheric pressure steaming, high-pressure steaming, and microwave heating) and time (2 to 10 minutes) on the quality of Antarctic krill. The results showed that under the same heating time, the heat treatment loss rate of atmospheric pressure steaming was the lowest, and it was significantly lower than the other four methods within 6 minutes (P<0.05). Microwave heating performed best in terms of crude protein, crude fat, astaxanthin content, L^*, b^* values, and sensory scores, while atmospheric pressure cooking had the highest a^* value. As the heating time increased, the heat treatment loss rate of all five methods rose, and the differences were significant within 6 minutes (P<0.05), the contents of crude protein and crude fat decreased, and there was no significant difference within 6 minutes and 8 minutes or more (P>0.05), but the difference between 6 and 8 minutes was significant (P<0.05), the astaxanthin content and sensory scores first increased and then decreased, reaching the highest at 6 minutes, and then significantly decreased after 6 minutes (P<0.05), L^* and b^* values increased, while a^* value decreased, and the color differences were significant between 6 and 8 minutes (P<0.05). Through a comprehensive analysis of the overall impact of heat treatment methods and time on various quality indicators of krill, it was concluded that microwave heating was preferred within 2 to 6 minutes, followed by high-pressure steaming; both microwave heating and high-pressure steaming were optimal within 6 to 8 minutes; and microwave heating and atmospheric pressure steaming performed better at 8 minutes or more. This study provides a theoretical basis for the processing of Antarctic krill, which is helpful for optimizing the processing flow, improving product quality, and promoting industrial development.

This study investigated the antioxidant activity and stability of walnut peptide-metal chelates using walnut peptides (WP, Mw<1 kDa) as raw material. The antioxidant capacity of WP chelates with different metal ions prepared by coordination was systematically evaluated, followed by screening of optimal-activity chelates and comprehensive assessment of their antioxidant capacity and stability. Molecular docking was employed to identify the peptide segment exhibiting the strongest antioxidant capacity within walnut peptides and elucidate its specific binding interactions. Results showed that the walnut peptide-calcium chelates (WP-Ca) exhibited significantly enhanced antioxidant activity（P<0.05）, achieving 74.00%±0.54% DPPH and 85.27%±0.67% ABTS⁺ radical scavenging rates, surpassing other metal-ion chelates. WP-Ca also maintained high stability across various pH, temperatures, and simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Molecular docking identified NALVAPHY as the optimal peptide for DPPH chelation, with its antioxidant activity mediated by electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding with DPPH. This study provides theoretical support for valorizing walnut processing by-products and advances the development of novel metal-chelated peptide antioxidants, with particular implications for functional foods and nutraceuticals.

In recent years, with the popularization of the concept of healthy diet, foods with glycemic index (GI) less than or equal to 55 (low GI) have gradually become the focus of consumers' attention. Among them, low GI noodles is a staple food that can regulate the level of blood sugar after meals, which have the advantages of reducing post-meal blood sugar fluctuations, preventing cardiovascular disease, regulating insulin levels, and enhancing satiety. In this manuscript, the research status of low GI noodles in recent years are summarized. The concept, classification, measurement method and influencing factors of GI are briefly described firstly, and then the influence mechanism of different types of raw materials, raw and auxiliary materials and different processing methods on the texture characteristics, sensory evaluation and starch content of low GI noodles are discussed, mainly focuses on the effects of different types of products on the level of postprandial blood glucose. Finally, the development prospect of low GI noodles is anticipated, in order to provide a theoretical basis for future research and market application in this field.

Thirteen commercially available fermented rice cakes were selected to assess their quality. We evaluated the color, specific volume, texture, and volatile flavor compounds. The differences and correlations among these indicators were also investigated. Furthermore, a comprehensive evaluation was conducted using principal component analysis (PCA) to identify key indices representing overall quality. The results showed that 13 commercially available fermented rice cakes exhibited variations in specific volume, color, texture, types and contents of volatile flavor substances, and sensory characteristics. In the correlation analysis between specific volume, color index, and sensory evaluation indice: rice white color was significantly negatively correlated with b^* value (P<0.05), and extremely significantly positively correlated with L^* value and specific volume (P<0.01). In the correlation analysis between texture and sensory evaluation indices: moderate stickiness and uniform air pores were significantly correlated with adhesiveness, cohesiveness, springiness, gumminess, and chewiness (P<0.05). In the correlation analysis between flavor substances and sensory evaluation indices: isoamyl alcohol and phenylethanol were extremely significantly positively correlated with fermented flavor (P<0.01), and isoamyl alcohol was significantly positively correlated with cereal flavor (P<0.05). Through principal component analysis, four principal components were ultimately identified with a cumulative variance contribution rate of 91.166%, namely cohesiveness, viscosity, isoamyl alcohol content, and b^* value, which could serve as core quality indicators for fermented rice cake and characterize the overall quality characteristics of fermented rice cake.

To investigate the influence of lemongrass extract on the fishy odor of Yellow River carp, this study focused on the fishy smell value and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) and sensory score as evaluation indicators to optimize the deodorization process. Using the electronic nose and gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) technology, combined with orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis, the volatile components before and after deodorization were analyzed. The results showed that under the conditions of LE concentration of 1.5%, material-liquid ratio of 1:5 (g:mL), and soaking time of 46 min, the fishy degree value and TBA value were the lowest, which were 1.248 points and 0.264 mg MDA/kg respectively. Electronic nose analysis showed that LE treatment had an inhibitory effect on fishy substances containing sulfur, alcohol, aldehydes and ketones. A total of 42 volatile flavor substances were identified by GC-IMS. Among them, the content of aldehyde compounds was the highest before deodorization, and it was significantly reduced by 76.62% after deodorization treatment. By using the relative odor activity value and the variable projection importance factor, the characteristic compounds of carp before deodorization were screened out as valeraldehyde, butyraldehyde, heptanaldehyde, propionaldehyde, 1-hexaldehyde-M, and 1-hexaldehyde-D. After deodorization treatment, the main characteristic aroma compounds were acetone and ethyl acetate, which could bring pleasant fruity and floral flavors to the fish body. In conclusion, lemongrass extract can effectively reduce the characteristic fishy smell of Yellow River carp and improve its overall flavor quality, providing a certain theoretical basis for its industrial application in aquatic product processing in the future.

Peptidoglycan (PG) is a class of microbial polysaccharides with the functions of immunomodulation, anti-tumor, anti-inflammation, adsorption and toxicity reduction, which mainly exists in the bacterial cell wall. Due to its unique biological functions and structural properties, it has attracted much attention in scientific research and practical applications, and is now widely used in many fields such as medical, aquatic, and food. This paper summarizes the research progress of peptidoglycan in terms of its structure, biosynthetic pathway, extraction, function and application. In terms of extraction, the traditional physical and chemical methods, enzyme digestion and the emerging combined extraction method are described, and the advantages and disadvantages of each method are analyzed. The potential link between the biological functions of peptidoglycan and bacterial pathogenicity and immunomodulation is explored in depth. The results and challenges in practical applications are discussed, and the broad prospects of peptidoglycan research in multiple fields are envisioned for the future. By reviewing the current status of peptidoglycan research from multiple perspectives, it provides a reference for the subsequent in-depth study of its properties and the expansion of its applications.

In this study, soaking solutions prepared from rosemary, clove, and mint extracts were used for the pretreatment of Undaria pinnatifida. Combined with electronic sensory analysis and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques, the effects of different extract addition amounts, solid-liquid ratios, and soaking times on the quality and deodorization effect of Undaria pinnatifida were analyzed, and the optimal pretreatment process was screened out. The results showed that the optimal deodorization process was as follows: extract concentration of 4 g/L, solid-liquid ratio of 1:4 (g/mL), and soaking time of 40 min. Mint and rosemary extracts exhibited color-protecting effects (ΔE<2, moderate color difference), while clove extract could improve the texture properties of Undaria pinnatifida (P<0.05). The electronic nose results indicated that the contents of nitrogen oxides and inorganic sulfides in Undaria pinnatifida soaked with clove and rosemary extracts were the highest. A total of 52 volatile compounds were identified in Undaria pinnatifida by GC-MS, among which 6 were key flavor substances. Rosemary extract reduced the contents of fishy substances such as hexanal, 1-pentanol, and 2-heptanol in Undaria pinnatifida, and increased the contents of floral and fruity compounds including 3-octanone, β-ionone, 1-octen-3-ol, eugenol, eucalyptol, and 4-allylanisole. This study provides a theoretical basis for deodorization and quality preservation during the deep processing of Undaria pinnatifida.

This study aimed to investigate the moisture distribution, eating quality and flavor properties of Xinjiang-style roasted chicken made from different chicken breeds. Five chicken breeds from Xinjiang, namely Liangfenghua, Huangma, Suqinhuang, 817, and Hyline Brown, were selected as research subjects. A comprehensive analysis, including color, texture, water-holding capacity (WHC), moisture distribution, and volatile flavor compounds, was conducted to evaluate the quality characteristics of roasted chicken products made from five chicken breeds. Additionally, a multidimensional quality assessment was implemented using fuzzy mathematics-based sensory evaluation methodology. The results showed that Liangfenghua breed had superior water-holding capacity, with a 30.69% reduction in roasting loss relative to Suqinhuang breed. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) analysis demonstrated that Liangfenghua and 817 breeds contained higher levels of immobilized water, along with high and uniformly distributed hydrogen ion content, exhibiting stronger moisture retention capacity. Moreover, 817 and Liangfenghua breeds showed higher redness (a^*) and yellowness (b^*) values, presenting a glossy and bright surface. Hyline Brown breed had a tight texture and significantly higher shear force (P<0.05), which was unfavorable for chewing. The comprehensive scores of the five roasted chicken products, based on the fuzzy mathematics sensory evaluation, were ranked as follows: 817 > Liangfenghua > Suqinhuang > Huangma > Hyline Brown. Among the 29 important volatile compounds identified from the five roasted chicken samples, methylpyrazine, 2-pentanone, pentanal, (E)-2-octenal, (E)-2-nonenal, 1-octen-3-ol, and α-pinene were served as the characteristic flavor compounds that distinguish roasted chicken from different breeds. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the selection of Xinjiang roasted chicken breeds, roasted chicken product quality regulation, and the modernization of ethnic meat processing technologies.