In this study, the flavonoids of Artemisia argyi leaf were extracted and identified. Subsequently, the lipid-lowering effects of Artemisia argyi leaf flavonoids extract (AALE) and its underlying mechanisms were investigated using a combination of the Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) model and in vitro lipase inhibition assays. The results showed that AALE exhibited significant inhibitory activity against pancreatic lipase, with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 8.085±0.28 mg/mL, and this inhibition was non-competitive. Furthermore, AALE significantly reduced triglyceride (TG) levels in a high-fat nematode model (P<0.05). The TG content in the high-fat control group was 2.35 mmol/g, whereas in the treatment groups supplemented with 240 and 360 µg/mL of AALE, the TG levels decreased 37.45% and 34.04% (P<0.05), respectively. Further studies revealed that AALE significantly downregulated the expression of key genes involved in fat synthesis pathways in nematodes, including fat-6, fat-7, pod-2, and fasn-1, while upregulating the expression of acs-2, a gene associated with lipolysis. Moreover, the effect of AALE in reducing TG levels was dependent on the critical fatty acid synthesis genes fat-6 and fat-7. In conclusion, AALE can inhibit pancreatic lipase activity and reduce the TG content in nematodes, demonstrating a good lipid-lowering effect. This study provides a theoretical basis for the high-value utilization of Artemisia argyi.

Pesticide residues in food seriously damage consumers' health, and research on novel detection methods is of great significance for ensuring food safety. Upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs), characterized by high fluorescence intensity, strong anti-interference ability, and ease of modification, have become a research hotspot in the field of food safety detection. This paper systematically reviews the synthesis and modification of UCNPs and their related research in pesticide residue detection, with a focus on the advantages and disadvantages of synthesis methods such as thermal decomposition and co-precipitation, hydrophilicity and targeting surface modification strategies, and the detection performance and sensing mechanisms for pesticide residues including organophosphorus, neonicotinoid, pyrethroid, carbamate, and benzimidazole classes. Future research should focus on signal amplification, real-time detection, and standardization to expand the application scope of UCNPs-based detection methods.

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.), as an important dual-purpose crop for both food and feed in China, not only serves as a major source of high-quality plant protein, but also contains rich functional components, particularly estrogen-like isoflavones. This paper provides a systematic review of recent advances in the structure, properties, physiological functions, extraction and analysis methods, as well as glycoside conversion techniques of soybean isoflavones. The article compares various extraction methods and concludes that extraction using organic solvents is the most commonly used method, whilst ultrasonic and microwave methods are more efficient; Supercritical extraction is suitable for the enrichment of highly active compounds. Regarding analytical methods, liquid chromatography has become the main technique for analyzing isoflavone monomers. Additionally, this paper systematically summarizes the application of acid hydrolysis, alkaline hydrolysis, and enzymatic hydrolysis in glycoside conversion. Among these methods, enzymatic hydrolysis shows promising prospects due to its mild conditions and stable product quality. Finally, the paper points out the current research challenges, including unclear physiological mechanisms of monomers and insufficient green, efficient extraction and conversion technologies. It proposes future directions for in-depth studies on physiological mechanisms, development of green preparation processes, and functional products rich in high-activity aglycones, thereby providing a theoretical basis for advancing the high-value utilization of soybean resources.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are complex disorders characterized by chronic intestinal inflammation, exhibiting a steadily rising global incidence. The pathogenesis of IBD involves multifactorial interactions among genetic susceptibility, gut microbiota dysbiosis, immune dysregulation, and environmental factors (notably dietary patterns). While current pharmacological therapies have advanced, significant challenges persist in achieving sustained clinical remission and preventing relapse. The dietary intervention strategies hold considerable therapeutic potential for IBD management due to their favorable safety profile and unique capacity to modulate the gut microbiome. Recent studies demonstrated that dietary interventions could alleviate IBD through multiple mechanisms, including restructuring the gut microbiota, promoting the production of short-chain fatty acids, enhancing epithelial barrier function, and balancing the immune responses of Th17/Treg. These strategies exhibit multi-target efficacy and offer a promising direction for innovating preventive and therapeutic approaches against IBD. Therefore, this review systematically summarizes the principal pathological subtypes and pathogenic mechanisms of IBD, with a specific focus on the regulatory effects and underlying mechanisms of dietary interventions, including functional oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, probiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation. The findings will offer the novel theoretical insights and therapeutic approaches for IBD prevention and clinical management.

Starter cultures are regarded as the ''chips'' of fermented foods, playing a pivotal role in enhancing sensory attributes, nutritional value, probiotic functionality, and production efficiency. Therefore, the exploration and preparation of starter cultures are of great significance for the high-quality development of the fermentation industry. This review summarizes recent advances in modern starter culture preparation technologies, with emphasis on strain screening, high density culture, and freeze-drying. Efficient screening strategies, such as automation, microfluidics, and artificial intelligence, are highlighted for improving accuracy and throughput in microbial strain screening. The limitations and optimization strategies of high-density culture are systematically analyzed, with a focus on fed-batch and multi-stage continuous culture to improve biomass yield. Furthermore, the mechanisms of microbial inactivation during freeze-drying and corresponding protection strategies, such as optimization of culture conditions, stress adaptation, addition of protective agents, and genetic engineering, are elaborated to enhance cell viability and stability. This review aims to provide theoretical insights and practical guidance for the efficient exploration of food microorganisms and the development of high-density and stable starter cultures.

Dietary fiber (DF) modification has emerged as a crucial strategy for enhancing its functional value by precisely tailoring its molecular structure, physicochemical properties, and performance. This approach continues to attract growing interest in the fields of food science and nutrition due to its broad application potential. This review systematically examines the principal techniques for modifying DF, including physical, chemical, biological, and combined methods. And highlights recent advances in their application within food systems. It further synthesizes the effects of various modification strategies on the structural attributes, physicochemical properties, and functional behaviors of DF. The analysis indicates that appropriate modification methods can markedly improve the water-holding, oil-binding, swelling, and adsorption capacities of DF, while also enhancing functional properties such as antioxidant, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic activities. These improvements significantly broaden the potential applications of DF in a diverse range of health-promoting foods. Moving forward, research should prioritize the development of efficient and environmentally sustainable modification technologies, elucidate the structure-function relationships of modified DF, and establish standardized protocols for safety and efficacy evaluation. Such efforts will accelerate the innovative utilization of DF in high-value functional foods and precision nutrition.

The poor storage stability of green tea beverages results in short shelf life. To investigate the influence of raw material grade on the storage stability of green tea beverages, first-grade and third-grade Huangshan Maofeng green teas were used to prepare tea infusions. The changes in the sensory quality, physicochemical properties, and chemical composition (including basic components, catechins and their main degradation products, key flavonol glycosides, and volatile compounds associated with aroma deterioration) of tea infusions during storage were analyzed. The results showed that the tea infusion made from third-grade Huangshan Maofeng (MF3) exhibited fewer changes in taste, aroma, and color after storage compared with the tea infusion made from first-grade Huangshan Maofeng (MF1), indicating that MF3 had better sensory stability. Additionally, the changes in turbidity and pH of MF3 were smaller than those of MF1. The composition analysis revealed that the decrease in total catechins (particularly epicatechins) and myricetin glycosides was more pronounced in MF1 than in MF3. Furthermore, correlation analysis demonstrated a significant association between the reduction in these components and taste deterioration, suggesting their possible contributions to the less stable taste of MF1. In addition, the increase in volatile compounds (such as benzaldehyde, benzeneacetaldehyde, and linalool) associated with the retort odor was greater in MF1, which might explain the worse aroma stability of MF1. In conclusion, using lower-grade green tea as raw material for tea beverage production contributes to better storage stability of green tea beverages.

In this study, fresh leaves of Jinxuan tea, both infested and uninfested with Empoasca onukii, were used as raw materials. A systematic comparison was conducted to analyze differences in the sensory quality characteristics, primary biochemical components, and aroma substances of cicada tea products and control tea products (black and green teas), leading to the identification of key aroma compounds. The sensory evaluation results indicated that the cicada tea exhibited distinct nectar-like aroma characteristics. The biochemical composition analysis revealed that the soluble sugar content of cicada green tea (4.75%~5.54%) was significantly higher than that of the control green tea (4.41%) (P<0.05). Similarly, the soluble sugar content of cicada black tea (4.62%~5.49%) was significantly greater than that of the control black tea (4.17%). The total flavonoid content of cicada green tea (4.88%~5.30%) was significantly higher than that of cicada black tea (3.41%~4.49%), whereas the tea polyphenol content of cicada green tea (24.53%~25.18%) was significantly greater than that of cicada black tea (14.36%~18.92%). A total of 88 volatile compounds were identified, with the total volatile components in cicada tea exceeding those in the control tea. Furthermore, dehydrolinalool, o-cymene, and benzaldehyde were identified as the characteristic aroma compounds that distinguished cicada green tea from the control green tea. Additionally, cis-linalool oxide (furan type), geraniol, phenylethanol, methyl salicylate, trans-linalool oxide (pyran type), and 2-(5-methyl-5-vinyl tetrahydrofuran-2-yl) propyl-2-yl carbonate were characteristic aromatic substances that differentiated cicada black tea from the control black tea. The relative odor activity value analysis indicated that key aroma components, such as β-ionone, benzyl alcohol, o-cymene, and geraniol, were present at significantly higher levels in the cicada tea than in the control tea (P<0.05), which may contribute to the distinctive "honey aroma" of cicada tea. In this study, the biochemical basis of the distinctive flavor of cicada tea was analyzed, and theoretical support for its quality enhancement was provided.

The volatile composition of tea is a key determinant of its sensory quality, with processing methods significantly influencing the formation and retention of aroma compounds. This study investigated the impact of traditional manual versus mechanized processing on the aroma profile of green tea produced from fresh leaves sourced from Wugang City, Henan Province. Sensory evaluation, headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS), and relative odor activity value (ROAV) analysis, differences in volatile components were systematically examined. Results indicated that both methods yielded tea samples with favorable sensory quality, with manually processed tea showing more uniform appearance and mechanically processed tea exhibiting brighter liquor color. Traditional manual processing was more effective in retaining key aroma compounds such as alcohols, ketones and aldehydes, while mechanized processing excelled in preserving esters, terpenes and offered higher process stability. ROAV-based analysis of key aroma components revealed higher levels of trans-2-nonen-1-ol and indole in mechanically processed tea, whereas geraniol, 2,3-butanedione, and geranyl acetone were more prominent in manually processed tea. These findings suggested that traditional processing yielded a richer diversity and concentration of aroma compounds, whereas mechanized processing ensured greater consistency in product quality. This study enhanced the theoretical understanding of tea processing and provided a foundation for optimizing green tea aroma quality by integrating the advantages of both manual and mechanized methods.

To investigate the characteristic flavor compounds and quality of ancient-tree green tea from Tongzi, Guizhou. This study analyzed 12 baked green-tea samples produced from individual arbor-type large-leaf ancient trees. Sensory evaluation, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and headspace solid-phase micro-extraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) were employed to determine sensory quality, key physicochemical components and volatile aroma compounds, followed by hierarchical clustering and correlation analyses for comprehensive assessment. Results showed that all teas scored above 90 points in sensory evaluation, exhibiting typical "floral aroma and fresh mellow taste". Key quality indices revealed high amino-acid contents (up to 5.27%), phenol-to-amino ratios of 5.68~8.58, total catechins at 9.14%~15.68%, and low ratios of galloylated catechins tonon-galloylated catechins (1.22~2.54). GC-MS identified 24 key aroma compounds, linalool, methyl salicylate, jasmonate, α-farnesene and 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,3-pentanediol diisobutyrate were the core contributors to the dominant floral-fruity aroma. Cluster analysis divided the 12 samples into two groups: Group Ⅰ (samples 6, 7, 8) featured high amino acids and a sweet-mellow profile, while Group Ⅱ was characterized by intense floral and fruity aromas. In conclusion, Tongzi ancient-tree green tea possesses outstanding quality, and its unique flavor profile is closely linked to specific volatile aroma constituents and their concentrations. This study provides a scientific basis for quality evaluation, resource utilization and product positioning of Tongzi ancient-tree green tea.