Potatoes were susceptible to light-induced greening during storage, which seriously affects their quality and commodity value. The purpose of this study was to explore the inhibitory effect of sodium copper chlorophyllin coating on postharvest potato greening. Potato tubers were treated with sodium copper chlorophyllin coating, and their a^* value, chlorophyll content and respiration rate were measured regularly, which the effects of coating on greening were evaluated. Non-target metabolomics was employed to analyze metabolite changes, and the metabolic mechanism of inhibition of green change was analyzed. The results showed that after 60 days of storage, compared with untreated potato tubers, the potato tubers treated with composite coating exhibited increase in a^* value, while chlorophyll content and respiration rate decreased, indicating that the composite coating treatment could effectively slow down the greening process of potato tubers. Metabolomics analysis revealed that the sodium copper chlorophyllin coating effectively suppressed respiratory intensity by reducing the levels of key respiratory substrates such as pyruvate and citrate within these pathways. The coating also reduced chlorophyll content by inhibiting the biosynthesis process of key precursors for chlorophyll synthesis, such as glutamic acid and glutamine. This study validated the effectiveness of sodium copper chlorophyllin coating in preventing postharvest greening of potatoes, providing a new technical approach for improving potato quality.

To evaluate the effectiveness of intelligent sensory technologies in monitoring the dynamic changes in fruit quality and flavor compounds of Pyrus ussuriensis 'Hongxiangsu' during storage, five sampling time points were set, including cold storage for 0, 60 and 120 days, as well as 3 and 6 days of ambient shelf life following 120 days of cold storage. The flavor difference and other quality indicators of Pyrus ussuriensis 'Hongxiangsu' under 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) treatment during storage were assessed using electronic nose (E-nose) and electronic tongue (E-tongue) analysis combined with physicochemical measurements and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that 1-MCP treatment delayed the decline in the absorbance difference value (I_AD), sucrose content, total organic acids content, malic acid content, and most sensory attributes (except aroma), while suppressing increased in peel a^* value, as well as glucose and fructose contents in fruit flesh and sensory aroma intensity. No significant effects of 1-MCP were observed on fruit firmness, soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), peel L^* value, peel b^* value, fructose content, sorbitol content and glucose content. A total of 51 volatile compounds were detected, among which 1-MCP treatment decreased the relative abundance of ester but increased that of aldehydes, delaying the aroma changes during fruit ripening. Notably, the E-nose sensor array effectively distinguished the aroma characteristics of 'Hongxiangsu' pear during storage, with the W5S sensor closely correlated with sensory aroma. The sourness signal of the E-tongue showed positive correlations with texture, acidity, astringency, as well as pulp firmness, total organic acids, and aldehydes level, but negative correlations with pulp sweetness, L^* value, a^* value, b^* value, esters content, and alkanes level. Overall, this study demonstrates that E-nose and E-tongue technologies can partially reflect traditional sensory evaluation and link pear flavor components, thereby providing a reliable theoretical basis for intelligent postharvest quality monitoring of fruit.

To systematically evaluate the protective effect and mechanism of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis ABSN20244504 against skin photodamage, this study investigated the inhibitory effect of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis ABSN20244504 (LDSL-ABSN20244504) on ultraviolet B (UVB)-induced photodamage. In this study, a UVB-induced mouse photodamage model was used to evaluate the protective effects of LDSL-ABSN20244504 against skin photodamage by assessing skin tissue sections, levels of oxidative stress in serum and skin, inflammatory markers, the mRNA expression of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells p65 subunit (NF-κB p65), inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B alpha (IκB-α), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-10, superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), SOD2, catalase (CAT), AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), liver kinase B1 (LKB1), sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1-alpha (PGC-1α), adaptor protein phosphotyrosine interacting with PH domain and leucine zipper 1 (APPL1), and forkhead box O (FOXO), the levels of glutathione 1 (GSH1), as well as the protein expression of NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC), and nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf2). Treatment with LDSL-ABSN20244504 alleviated UVB-induced photodamage in mice, as evidenced by reduced epidermal hyperplasia and dermal loss, decreased mast cell production, and mitigation of epidermal structural damage. Compared with the model group, LDSL-ABSN20244504 increased the levels of total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), catalase (CAT), IL-4, and IL-10 in the serum and skin tissue of skin-injured mice, while decreasing the levels of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), advanced glycation end products (AGEs), IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α. Additionally, LDSL-ABSN20244504 elevated the levels of Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide kinase (NADK) in the skin tissue of skin-injured mice. RT-qPCR results showed that LDSL-ABSN20244504 upregulated the mRNA expression of SOD1, SOD2, CAT, GSH1, IκB-α, IL-10, AMPK, LKB1, SIRT1, PGC-1α, APPL1, and FOXO, and downregulated the mRNA expression of NF-κB p65, TNF-α, IL-6, and mTOR in the skin tissue of skin-injured mice. Moreover, LDSL-ABSN20244504 also upregulated the protein expression of NQO1, GCLC and Nrf2 in the skin tissue of skin-injured mice. These findings indicate that LDSL-ABSN20244504 inhibits UVB-induced skin damage, with an effect superior to that of the antioxidant vitamin C, and that oral administration of live LDSL-ABSN20244504 is more effective than topical application of inactivated LDSL-ABSN20244504 to the skin.

Based on the synergistic potential of microbial fermentation technology in enhancing the efficacy of medicinal and edible homologous substances, this study investigated the effects of compound microbial fermentation on bioactive components and flavor profiles of Pueraria lobata, Penthorum chinense, and Hovenia dulcis. Through combined enzymatic hydrolysis (cellulase) and microbial fermentation (Lactobacillus, Acetobacter, yeast), dynamic changes in bioactive compounds, functional activities, and flavor characteristics were systematically analyzed. Results demonstrated that enzymatic hydrolysis significantly increased the content of active compounds such as puerarin (250.43 μg/mL) and afzelin (44.34 μg/mL) (P<0.05), while generating epicatechin (41.16 μg/mL). During fermentation, macromolecules like flavoskyrin A were degraded. Total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) exhibited an initial decline followed by an upward trend. The enzymolysis-fermentation (M7D) group showed superior ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (76.00 μg TE/mL) and DPPH radical scavenging capacity (IC₅₀=0.2447 mg/mL), significantly outperforming control and other experimental groups (P<0.05), though its ABTS⁺· scavenging capacity was relatively weaker (IC₅₀=0.3022 mg/mL). Notably, the M7D group retained effective α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (IC₅₀=0.0898 mg/mL). Volatile component analysis revealed: Compared to the control group, substantial increased in alcohols (increase of 299.23% and 230.89%, respectively), aldehydes (increase of 237.78% and 207.02%, respectively), and esters (increase of 51.86% and 46.29%, respectively) in fermented groups (S7D and M7D) (P<0.05). Core aroma compounds, including β-ionone (fruity/floral), phenethyl alcohol (floral/honey), and isoamyl acetate (fruity), synergistically enhanced olfactory complexity. Sensory evaluation indicated that the M7D group achieved optimal flavor integration, balancing herbal characteristics with moderate fermentation acidity, eliminating astringency, and harmonizing medicinal and fermented aromas. This research provides theoretical support for developing fermented beverages with dual antioxidant and flavor-enhancing properties.

This study aimed to investigate the anti-obesity effects of Lactobacillus gasseri TF08-1 and its potential mechanisms. An obesity rat model was established by feeding a high-fat diet (HFD) and administered a suspension of L. gasseri TF08-1 (1×10⁵ CFU/d) via oral gavage for five weeks. The therapeutic efficacy were systematically evaluated by monitoring body weight, food efficiency ratio, serum biochemical parameters, and histopathological changes in the liver and adipose tissues. Meanwhile, metagenomic sequencing and targeted metabolomic analysis were employed to investigate alterations in the gut microbiota and the short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) profile. The results showed that, compared to the HFD group, TF08-1 intervention significantly suppressed body weight gain (P<0.01), reduced the food efficiency ratio (P<0.001), and alleviated hepatic steatosis and hypertrophy of epididymal adipocytes. It also improved the lipid profile by decreasing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C, P<0.001), triglyceride (TG, P<0.001), total cholesterol (TC, P<0.001) and free fatty acid (FFA, P<0.05). Moreover, TF08-1 intervention significantly mitigated obesity-associated systemic inflammation, reducing the levels of pro-inflammatory factors, including lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (P<0.001), C-reactive protein (CRP) (P<0.001), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) (P<0.001), while increasing the level of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) (P<0.05). Metagenomic and targeted metabolomic analysis revealed that TF08-1 effectively modulated the HFD-induced structural dysbiosis of the gut microbiota, improved metabolic pathway disturbances related to bile acids, vitamins, and inositol, and restored intestinal SCFA levels. These findings suggest that L. gasseri TF08-1 can markedly improve HFD-induced obesity and related metabolic disorders through effective microbiome modulation, demonstrating its considerable potential as a probiotic candidate for weight management.

This study aimed to investigate the protective mechanism of Cordyceps militaris ferment (YCC) against senescence in skin fibroblasts induced by continuous passage. The activities of catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were evaluated to discuss the biological activities of YCC. In order to study the in-depth protective mechanism of YCC on replicative senescence, transcriptome sequencing technology was employed. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened and further performed Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) functional annotation and KEGG functional enrichment analysis. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of DEGs was constructed to find out the hub genes and its regulatory networks by STRING database. The selected IL-17 signaling pathway was further validated by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR). The results showed that YCC significantly enhanced the activity of antioxidant enzymes in replicative senescent cell models (CAT, 37.82 units/mg protein; GSH-Px, 7.76 units/mg protein; SOD, 50.58 units/mg protein), while markedly reduced MDA release (approximately 2.49 μmol/mg protein) (P<0.0001). Venn analysis revealed that the sample group could reverse 207 genes that were abnormally expressed in replicative senescence cells. The PPI network analysis selected the top 10 core targets in Betweenness ranking, which were mainly involved in biological processes such as inflammation, apoptosis and oxidative stress regulation. The IL-17 signaling pathway was influenced obviously by DEGs (P<0.01). The qRT-PCR detection results verified that YCC could significantly inhibit the expression of genes related to the IL-17 signaling pathway (IL-17A, IL-17C, Akt1, AP-1, and IL-6) (P<0.05). In conclusion, YCC attenuated inflammation and exerted anti-aging effects by suppressing the IL-17 signaling pathway and subsequent downstream inflammatory factor activation. These findings provide a solid theoretical basis for the application of YCC as a functional food ingredient.

Objective: To optimize ultrasonic assisted high-pressure water extraction method (UHPE), ultrasonic assisted hot water extraction method (UHWE), and ultrasound assisted enzymatic hydrolysis method (UEH) for polysaccharide extraction from Ganoderma lucidum and examine the bidirectional immunomodulatory activities of polysaccharides extracted using these optimized methods. Methods: Optimization of UHPE, UHWE, and UEH were performed using single factor and response surface experiments, examining the effects of material-liquid ratio, ultrasound time, extraction temperature, extraction time, enzyme concentration, and enzymatic hydrolysis temperature on the polysaccharide yield. UHPE-GLP, UHWE-GLP, and UEH-GLP were prepared separately under the optimal extraction conditions. Based on RAW264.7 macrophages, UHPE-GLP, UHWE-GLP, and UEH-GLP were subjected to investigate the immunomodulatory activities, and their anti-inflammatory activities against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory models. Results: The experimental results of process optimization showed that the optimal extraction process of UEH-GLP was as follow: Material-liquid ratio of 1:31 g/mL, ultrasound time of 24 min, enzyme concentration of 5% and enzymatic hydrolysis temperature of 53 ℃. Under these conditions, the GLP yield reached the highest among the three processes, at 10.92%±0.05%. The results of cell experiments showed that, UHPE-GLP, UHWE-GLP, and UEH-GLP could not only enhance immune function of RAW264.7 macrophages by promoting the proliferation, and secretion of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and nitric oxide (NO), but also inhibit immune function by reducing the secretion of TNF-α and NO to suppress the excessive activation of macrophages. These results indicated that UHPE-GLP, UHWE-GLP, and UEH-GLP exhibited excellent bidirectional immunomodulatory activities, among which UEH-GLP showed the most prominent bidirectional immunomodulatory activities. Conclusion: UEH-GLP has significant advantages in yield and bidirectional immunomodulatory activities. This study provides a theoretical basis for the development and utilization of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the preventive and protective effects of gastrodigenin (p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, HBA) on acute liver injury (ALI) induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) as well as its regulatory effect on intestinal flora, and to explore its underlying protective mechanism. Methods: A mouse model of ALI induced by CCl₄ was established, and mice were administered different doses of HBA (18, 36, and 72 mg/kg/d) 7 days prior to model induction. The detection indicators included: The activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST), the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), the liver content of malondialdehyde (MDA), and histopathological examination of liver tissue. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the serum levels of inflammatory factors, while quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and Western Blot were employed to determine the expression levels of inflammatory factors in liver tissue. Additionally, 16S rRNA sequencing technology was applied to analyze the intestinal microbiota composition of in mice based on cecal contents. Results: Compared with the model group, low-, medium-, and high-dose HBA intervention showed protective effedts on CCl₄-induced ALI mice in a dose-dependent manner. High-dose HBA significantly reduced the serum levels of ALT (P<0.01) and AST (P<0.0001), as well as the hepatic content of MDA (P<0.001) in mice. It also increased the activities of SOD (P<0.05) and CAT (P<0.001) and decreased the serum levels of inflammatory factors in both serum and liver. In addition, it could effectively alleviated weight loss (P<0.001), liver tissue swelling, and steatosis in mice, and exerted the optimal hepatoprotective effect on ALI mice. Therefore, the high-dose HBA group was selected for 16S rRNA sequencing analysis. Intestinal microbiota analysis revealed that CCl₄ induction altered the species richness of intestinal microbiota. High-dose HBA intervention effectively mitigated the reduction in species richness, improved the microbiota structure at the genus level, promoted the proliferation of the beneficial bacterium Alistipes, and inhibited the colonization of the harmful bacterium Helicobacter. Conclusion: This study confirms that HBA exerts significant protective effects on ALI mice, potentially through enhancing the body’s antioxidant capacity, inhibiting inflammatory responses, and modulating the intestinal microbiota.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) was a chronic gastrointestinal disorder, and dietary intervention was an important approach for symptom relief. Fermented leaf mustard are nutrient-rich vegetables containing bioactive compounds and probiotics, but their effects on colitis remain unclear. In this study, the nutritional composition of fermented mustard was analyzed, and a 3% (w/w) dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis mouse model was used to evaluate their protective effects. Systemic assessments included phenotypic indicators, such as body weight and disease activity index (DAI), histopathology, serum/colonic inflammatory cytokines, and antioxidant markers in mice fed with either salt brine-fermented (Sb-FM) or aged brine fermented leaf mustard (Ab-FM). Gut microbiota modulation was analyzed via 16S rRNA sequencing. Results showed that Sb-FM group had significantly higher lactic acid content (86.55 mg/g) than Ab-FM (69.31 mg/g) and lower contents of malic acid and acetic acid. Compared with the control group, both treatments markedly reduced inflammatory responses, with a significant 10.2%~29.9% decrease in TNF-α levels. Sb-FM group greater efficacy than Ab-FM in alleviating hepatic injury, as indicated by improved catalase activity and reduced MDA, AST and ALT levels. Both fermented leaf mustard improved the gut microbiota composition in DSS induced UC mice by increasing the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria and reducing that of harmful ones. At the genus level, the relative abundance of Romboutsia increased by 2.6% in Ab-FM, while norank-Muribaculaceae and Akkermansia increased by 4.1-fold and 36-fold, respectively in Sb-FM. In summary, dietary intervention with both types of fermented leaf mustard effectively alleviated DSS induced UC.

This study aimed to investigate the immune-regulating mechanism of the ginseng sea buckthorn complex (GSC) using network pharmacology, molecular docking, cellular experiments, and animal experiments. Network pharmacology was applied to predict potential immune-regulating pathways and key targets of GSC. Molecular docking was performed to assess the binding properties between GSC components and these key targets. Cellular and animal experiments were designed to verify the immune-regulating effect of GSC. Results showed that network pharmacology predicted GSC might regulate immune function by acting on signaling pathways such as lipid and atherosclerosis and MAPK signaling pathway, as well as key targets including tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Molecular docking results indicated that GSC components exhibited good binding properties with the key target TNF, with all binding energies below −6.00 kcal/mol. Cellular experiments demonstrated that GSC increased TNF-α secretion in RAW264.7 macrophages: Low, medium, and high doses elevated TNF-α secretion from 1201.96 pg/mL to 1908.63 pg/mL (P<0.001), 1859.04 pg/mL (P<0.001), and 1737.38 pg/mL (P<0.001), respectively. In animal experiments, GSC showed a significant immune-enhancing effect: The spleen index was increased to 0.3273% (P<0.05), the optical density difference was raised to 0.06 (P<0.001), the toe thickness difference was increased to 0.58 mm (P<0.001), and the half-hemolysis value was enhanced to 106.10 (P<0.01). In conclusion, GSC may exert immune-regulating effects by modulating signaling pathways such as lipid and atherosclerosis, MAPK signaling pathway to affect immune cell activity, while regulating TNF-α concentration.