This study investigated the impact of varieties and anatomical parts on the quality characteristic of chicken, with the aim of providing a reference for the selection of chicken and the assessment of edible quality in the processing of Chinese meat products. Yellow-feathered broiler, spent laying hen and Jianmen native chicken were selected for this particular research to comparatively analyze the differences in their food quality, basic nutritional composition and microstructure differences of chicken meat. It elucidated the influence of varieties and parts of the characteristic chicken on the quality characteristics of characteristic chicken meat. The results indicated that, in terms of breed, spent laying hen of their legs had the greatest hardness and shear force values, as well as the highest protein and moisture contents. The amino acids content and equivalent umami concentration (EUC) values were significantly higher relative to those of yellow-feathered broiler (P<0.05), while the inosine monophosphate in the breast muscle was the highest at 235.53 mg/100 g. This indicated that the spent laying hen was rich in taste-active compounds, contributing to a prominent umami taste. The yellow-feathered broiler exhibited the highest fat content (1.93 g/100 g), with orderly arranged myofibrils and well-organized sarcomeres. While the Jianmen native chicken had the lowest hardness and shear force values, while the glutamic acid content and EUC values were significantly higher than those of the other two chicken meat types (P<0.05). With respect to the muscle parts, in comparison to the breast muscle, the thigh muscle had higher contents of fat and moisture. The muscle fibers in the leg meat of yellow-feathered broiler and spent laying hen had a larger diameter and lower density, and a high shear force values, resulting in lower tenderness. In conclusion, the chicken variety had a significant impact on the nutritional components and microstructure of chicken meat. The Jianmen native chicken meat stood out with the best tenderness, elevated levels of umami amino acids, and excellent edible quality, offering clear advantages in chicken meat type. Meat from the spent laying hen was relatively tender yet nutrient-dense, while the yellow-feathered broiler meat had the highest fat content, whilst really tender and juicy.

Tuna samples were processed using steaming, roasting, air frying, and low-temperature boiling methods. Changes in sensory attributes, color, texture, moisture content, pH, crude protein, and crude fat were systematically analyzed. Three prediction models—Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR), Support Vector Regression (SVR), and Back-Propagation Neural Network (BPNN)—were developed based on moisture content as the characteristic parameter, combined with spectral preprocessing techniques, to establish a non-destructive detection method using hyperspectral imaging technology. The results demonstrated that moist-heat treatments (low-temperature boiling and steaming) resulted in lower hardness, effectively preserved moisture, and yielded a soft texture. In contrast, dry-heat treatments (roasting and air frying) promoted the Maillard reaction and moisture evaporation, imparting a crisp texture and rich aroma. As the thermal processing intensity increased, the moisture content decreased significantly (P<0.05), while the relative contents of protein and fat increased due to the concentration effect. Among the three models developed, the BPNN model exhibited superior prediction accuracy and stability compared to the PLSR and SVR models, achieving optimal performance (R²=0.9239, RMSEP=2.0284). The BPNN model enables accurate and rapid non-destructive detection of moisture content in tuna, providing a highly reliable spectral analysis solution for quality monitoring of thermally processed tuna products.

To explore the effects of various pretreatment methods on the extraction, separation, and processing properties of Chlorella protein, freezing, freeze-drying, and spray-drying were applied. Proteins were subsequently extracted by high-pressure homogenization and separated using chitosanase combined with ethanol precipitation, followed by determination of extraction yield, purity, amino acid composition, and molecular weight distribution. The protein isolates underwent different storage conditions-refrigeration, freezing, hot-air drying, and freeze-drying-after which their functional properties were evaluated. Results indicated that spray-drying significantly improved the protein extraction rate to 67.3% (ethanol concentration was 80%) and increased purity to 48.8% (ethanol concentration was 50%), outperforming both freezing and freeze-drying while better preserving RubisCo and essential amino acids, with total amino acids reaching 74.8% and essential amino acids accounting for 40.8%. Refrigerated storage resulted in superior functional performance, yielding an emulsifying activity index (101.4 m²/g) 3.4 times higher than that of whey protein, along with significantly improved solubility (52.9%) and foaming capacity (137.5%). These findings demonstrate that spray-drying enhances extraction efficiency through effective cell wall disruption, while refrigeration maintains structural stability, reduces hydrophobic group exposure, and optimizes functional properties, providing a theoretical basis for efficient extraction and industrial application of Chlorella protein.

This study investigated the enzymatic production of bioactive peptides from hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) protein with potent pancreatic lipase (PL) inhibitory activity. Through a comparative evaluation of proteases, papain yielded a hydrolysate with the highest PL inhibitory activity and was consequently selected for process optimization using Box-Behnken response surface methodology. The optimal conditions were determined as follows: enzyme-to-substrate ratio, 4.3%; hydrolysis temperature, 62 ℃, and pH6.1, resulting in 57.06%±1.64% PL inhibition with an IC₅₀ value of 5.12±0.31 mg/mL. The hydrolysate exhibited an irregular amorphous microstructure, accompanied by a reduced average molecular weight and an increased proportion of 1~3 kDa peptides. After enzymatic hydrolysis, the β-sheet proportion of the protein decreased significantly, while the α-helix and β-turn proportions increased remarkably. Additionally, the levels of amino acids such as glycine, alanine, proline, serine, and arginine underwent significant changes. A total of 1195 peptides were identified by LC-MS/MS, from which 15 candidate peptides (with sequences FEW, LLFSP, LAF, LLF, FYL, LSF, VLF, LLSF, LFL, LFY, LVF, LFR, LFF, LLLF, and FLF) were screened based on two criteria: relative content >1% and PeptideRanker score ≥0.6. The cumulative relative content of these 15 candidate peptides reached 28.79%. Molecular docking results indicated that the binding energies between these peptides and PL ranged from −7.4 to −10.0 kcal/mol, suggesting their potential as PL inhibitors. In conclusion, papain can efficiently generate PL-inhibitory peptides from hemp protein. Additionally, the enzymatic hydrolysis process significantly alters the structural characteristics of hemp protein. The optimized hydrolysis conditions established here, along with the identification of 15 potential bioactive peptides, provide a solid foundation for the high-value development of hemp protein and its industrial application in functional foods for the intervention of obesity.

This study investigated the effects of varying addition levels (0, 2.5%, 5.0%, 7.5%) of two edible mushroom powders, Pleurotus eryngii and Hypsizygus marmoreus, on the quality of pork patties during high-temperature roasting. A comprehensive evaluation was conducted on the taste, volatile flavor compounds, lipid oxidation, α-dicarbonyl compounds (α-DC), and sensory attributes of roasted meat patties. Mushroom powders addition increased the moisture content, redness (a^*), and yellowness (b^*), enhanced flavor nucleotides (guanosine monophosphate (GMP) and xanthosine monophosphate (XMP)), free amino acids, taste activity value, equivalent umami concentration (EUC), as well as improved sensory attributes (color, odor, taste, and acceptability) in roasted patties. The umami amino acid content increased by 4.2-fold in roasted patties containing 7.5% H. marmoreus powders. The EUC of roasted patties with P. eryngii, and H. marmoreus powders increased by 1.1 to 4.3-fold and 1.1 to 3.4-fold, respectively. All treatment groups significantly reduced the contents of undesirable aldehydes, including pentanal, hexanal, and heptanal. H. marmoreus powders reduced the percentage of aldehydes in total volatile compounds from 88.09% in the control group to 42.15%~78.94% and introduced mushroom-specific flavors, improving overall flavor harmony. Additionally, mushroom powder treatments significantly reduced malondialdehyde levels by 57.81%~89.69%. H. marmoreus groups decreased α-DC, such as glyoxal (19.86%~34.76%) and methylglyoxal (52.57%~76.38%). These results indicated that edible mushrooms, serving as fat substitutes, particularly when 5.0%~7.5% H. marmoreus powder was added, enhanced the odor, taste, texture, and overall acceptability of roasted pork patties. Simultaneously, they reduce lipid oxidation and α-DC formation, indicating H. marmoreus potential to enhance product quality.

This study utilized chickpea, a distinctive resource from Xinjiang, combined with soybean in a 1:1 ratio to produce compound tofu. The okara slurry underwent ultrasound treatment at varying power levels (0, 100, 200, 300, and 400 W), and the effects of three coagulants (MgCl₂, CaSO₄, and GDL) on yield, water-holding capacity, texture, gel strength, whiteness, and intermolecular interactions were examined. Results revealed that ultrasound treatment significantly enhanced tofu quality compared to untreated samples (P<0.05). At 200 W, the yields for tofu coagulated with MgCl₂, CaSO₄, and GDL peaked at 186.85%, 192%, and 182.03%, respectively. Correspondingly, gel strength increased by 25.81%, 46.77%, and 77.80%, while water-holding capacity improved by 14.74%, 14.10%, and 14.97%. Additionally, ultrasound treatment resulted in tofu with a white color and notable improvements in hardness, chewiness, cohesiveness, and adhesiveness, and the sensory evaluation scores also showed a notable increase compared to the control group (P<0.05). The treatment also enhanced protein interactions within the tofu gel, increasing hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonds, and ionic bonds. In conclusion, ultrasound treatment of the bean mixture markedly improves tofu quality. This study provides a theoretical foundation for advancing the utilization of soybean raw materials and chickpea processing.

To explore the efficient preparation method and biological activities of feruloyl oligosaccharides (FOs) from rice bran, FOs were prepared by mixed fermentation of Lactobacillus plantarum and Bacillus licheniformis using rice bran as raw material. The fermentation conditions were optimized and the structure and biological activities of FOs were analyzed. The results showed that the optimal fermentation conditions were inoculation ratio of 3:7, inoculation amount of 1×10⁸ CFU/mL, solid-liquid ratio of 1:3 (g/mL), and fermentation for 3 days. Under these conditions, the content of FOs reached 64.9 μmol/L. The structure of fermented rice bran and FOs was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, ultraviolet, infrared spectroscopy and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results showed that the mixed fermentation destroyed the cell wall structure of rice bran, and the prepared FOs were feruloyl esterified oligosaccharides, mainly composed of feruloylated arabinooligosaccharides, xylo-tetraose and xylo-pentaose. At the concentration of 10 mg/mL, the inhibitory rates of FOs on α-amylase and α-glucosidase were 58.34% and 95.70%, respectively, which could significantly reduce the hydrolysis rate of rice starch (P<0.05), with a reduction of 6.39%. At the concentration of 1 mg/mL, the scavenging rates of DPPH and ABTS⁺ free radicals were 78.15% and 87.80%, respectively, and FOs could inhibit the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) with an inhibition rate of 75.45%. This study provides a theoretical basis for the green preparation of FOs and the efficient utilization of rice bran resources.

Objective: To compare the structural characteristics and antitumor activities of pectin (PC) and its degradation products, and to analyze their structure-activity relationships. Methods: Pectin was degraded using pectate lyase, rhamnogalacturonase, and hydrogen peroxide. The structures of pectin and its degradation products were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Their in vitro antitumor activities were evaluated using MTT assay, live/dead cell staining, flow cytometry, wound-healing, and cellular uptake experiments. The relationship between structural parameters and biological activity was analyzed by partial least squares (PLS) regression. Results: Three degradation products were obtained rhamnogalacturonase product (RE), pectate lyase product (PL), and hydrogen peroxide product (HPX). Compared with native pectin, all three shared the basic pectic structure but exhibited distinct molecular weight distributions, ranked as PC (530.49 kDa)>RE (381.65 kDa)>HPX (27.14 kDa)>PL (main peak 3.80 kDa). The particle size followed the order: PC (651.48 nm)>RE (612.44 nm)>PL (225.18 nm)>HPX (159.04 nm). Monosaccharide composition analysis revealed that pectin and its degradation products mainly consisted of galacturonic acid (GalA) and galactose (Gal), but with markedly different molar ratios. Comparative analysis of their antitumor activities showed that PL and HPX exhibited significantly stronger inhibitory effects on tumor cell proliferation than PC, while displaying negligible cytotoxicity toward normal cells. Both PL and HPX induced apoptosis and cell death more effectively and suppressed tumor cell migration. Cellular uptake experiments demonstrated that the degradation products exerted a synergistic effect when combined with doxorubicin (DOX), outperforming DOX alone or in combination with native pectin. PLS analysis indicated that GalA content, molecular weight, and particle size were highly correlated with antitumor activity. Conclusion: PL and HPX exhibited superior antitumor activity compared with native pectin. Their key structural features lower molecular weight, smaller particle size, and higher GalA content jointly contributed to the remarkable enhancement in bioactivity.

This study used Macrobrachium rosenbergii shrimp sourced from salt-alkaline water (BS group) in Cangzhou, Hebei Province, as raw materials. After steamed, freeze-dried, and pulverized, shrimp powder-enriched Senbei (a type of Japanese rice cracker) was prepared. Senbei containing freshwater-cultured Macrobrachium rosenbergii (FS group) and those without shrimp powder (BC group) were served as the control samples. The basic nutritional components, texture characteristics, color parameters, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, water distribution, heavy metal content, sensory characteristics, and volatile flavor compounds of the three groups were systematically determined. The results showed that the protein content of the BS group (20.12%) was significantly higher than that of the FS group (17.62%) and the BC group (8.47%) (P<0.05). The addition of shrimp powder significantly lowered the L^* value of Senbei, increased the a^*, b^*and ΔE values, at the same time, this treatment made color deeper. Hardness, crispness, and chewiness were significantly enhanced compared to those of the BC group. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) indicated that bound water was the primary water form in the samples,while the incorporation of shrimp powder led to decreased water mobility. FTIR analysis showed that the proportion of α-helix and β-folded structure increased in the BS group, which indicated that the addition of shrimp powder contributed to the formation of a more stable internal structure. ICP-MS analysis confirmed that the levels of Pb, Cd, Hg, As, Sn, and Cr in all three groups met national food safety standards. The BS group received the highest sensory scores, with better color compared to the BC group. The aroma and taste scores were significantly higher than those of the FS and BC groups, showing the best overall acceptability. In terms of flavor characteristics, based on HS-GC-IMS technology, 40 volatile compounds were identified, and the OPLS-DA model revealed differences in the volatile components among the different sample groups. Thirteen key differential markers were screened by VIP analysis. This study provides a theoretical basis for the high-value utilization of salt-alkaline water aquatic products and the development of flavor-functional foods.

To enrich the gel properties and enhance the nutritional profile of unwashed Litopenaeus vannamei surimi, this study integrated broccoli powder (BP) at varying concentrations (0, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 10%) to create surimi gels. The impact of BP incorporation on the physicochemical properties, nutritional composition, and antioxidant activity of the surimi was thoroughly investigated. The results revealed a notable enhancement in the water-holding capacity, hardness, and gel strength of the surimi gels with increasing BP levels, reaching peak values at 10%. These improvements amounted to 54.4%, 149.22%, and 158.14%, respectively, compared to the control group. Sensory evaluation results indicated that the surimi gel with 6% BP achieved the highest overall sensory rating. Furthermore, the integration of BP notably improved short-term frozen storage stability of the surimi gels, as evidenced by a significantly smaller decrease in water-holding capacity and gel strength after frozen storage compared to the control group. Mechanistic analyses unveiled a significant increase in disulfide bond formation within the BP-added gels, a progressively denser microstructure, and a transformation in protein secondary structure from α-helix and random coil conformations to β-structure. Regarding nutritional enhancement, the addition of BP also led to significant increases in dietary fiber, vitamin C, and amino acid content, with a positive correlation observed with BP concentration. In vitro antioxidant assays showed that the scavenging rates for DPPH, ·OH, and ABTS⁺ radicals peaked at 10% BP addition, showing increases of 83.23%, 36.02%, and 57.2%, respectively, over the control. In summary, incorporating broccoli powder into unwashed Litopenaeus vannamei surimi enhanced the gel properties while achieving a complementary reinforcement of plant and animal nutrients. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the value-added utilization of plant resources and the advancement of nutritionally balanced surimi products.