Base liquor of Baijiu contains a wide variety of trace components with complex interactions. How to predict its grade rapidly and simply was of great importance. To achieve rapid and accurate identification while accounting for interactions between multi-component substances and reducing computational complexity, this study developed an improved permutation combination population analysis (imPCPA) method for feature selection based on near-infrared spectroscopy data. This study established a near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) model to discriminate the quality grades of base liquors in Nongxiangxing Baijiu. The model was developed using 687 samples from four quality grades. A combined feature selection strategy was applied to optimize spectral wavelength selection. The initial screening applied interval partial least squares (iPLS) to remove uninformative variables from preprocessed spectra. The improved permutation combination population analysis (imPCPA) further optimized wave point selection within the retained spectral intervals. Finally, constructed an extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) classification model for grade prediction. The final selection identified 32 characteristic wavelength points. Compared to the original algorithm, the improved method reduced computational time by 80%. The median prediction accuracy of the classification model reached 95.65% on the prediction set. The results demonstrate that this method addresses key limitations of conventional sensory evaluation, including strong subjectivity and poor reproducibility in liquor analysis. It effectively captures synergistic interactions among multi-component substances while maintaining interpretable feature selection. The approach provides a reliable reference for rapid grade assessment of Baijiu base liquors.

CEO-SBA15 complex was prepared in the present study, exploiting mesoporous material SBA15 and cinnamon essential oil (CEO) as raw materials. The conditions of optimal process of CEO-SBA15 complex were obtained by single factor experiment, investigating the effect of different conditions on the load rate and yield of CEO-SBA15. The structure and properties of CEO-SBA15 complex were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and the release behavior of CEO-SBA15. The effect of CEO-SBA15 on preservation of Pneumatophorus japonicus at 4 ℃ was also investigated. Results showed that the optimum preparation conditions of CEO-SBA15 complex were as follows: mass ratio of SBA15 to cinnamon essential oil 1:20, ultrasonic time 20 min, adsorption time 24 h. Under these conditions, the essential oil load rate of CEO-SBA15 complex was 66.22%±0.58%, and the yield was 77.65%±1.62%. SEM investigation showed that CEO-SBA15 was fibrous in shape. FTIR and XPS showed that cinnamon essential oil was loaded into the surface and interior of SBA15 by physical adsorption. The sustained release behavior analysis of CEO-SBA15 showed that the long-term release effect of cinnamon essential oil could be achieved. Moreover, CEO-SBA15 compound could effectively reduce the contents of volatile basic nitrogen, trimethylamine and thiobarbituric acid during the storage period, and could effectively delay the increasing rate pH and the deterioration of color and odor of green fillet, which indicated that CEO-SBA15 had a good preservative effect on green fillet. The present study provided a new idea for the application of CEO-SBA15 compound as the agent of food deodorizer and preservative.

To address the quality deterioration and mold contamination issues in Shanxi walnuts during storage, this study focused on identifying mold species through morphological characterization and molecular biological techniques, evaluating the antifungal efficacy of cinnamon essential oil (CEO) against dominant fungal species, and elucidating its inhibitory mechanisms via mycelial morphology observation, cell membrane damage analysis, membrane lipid peroxidation assessment, and antioxidant enzyme activity determination. The results revealed that the predominant spoilage fungi isolated from moldy walnuts in Shanxi included Penicillium commune, Fusarium solani, Talaromyces verruculosus, Aspergillus tubingensis, Hypoxylon lateripigmentum, Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, and Rhizopus oryzae, with H. lateripigmentum and A. flavus being the dominant species. CEO exhibited significant antifungal activity against H. lateripigmentum, with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.39 g/L that completely suppressed mycelial growth. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrated severe morphological damage to fungal hyphae, characterized by increased surface roughness and granular structures. Mechanistic investigations revealed that CEO treatment at MIC induced membrane dysfunction, evidenced by a increase in relative conductivity, along with reductions in reducing sugars (65%), soluble proteins (61%), and ergosterol content (57.41%). Concurrently, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities decreased, while malondialdehyde (MDA) content significantly increased, indicating aggravated oxidative stress. These findings demonstrate that CEO inhibits H. lateripigmentum by disrupting cell membrane integrity, altering permeability, intensifying lipid peroxidation, and suppressing antioxidant enzyme systems. This study provides theoretical support for developing plant essential oil-based green antifungal technologies to mitigate walnut spoilage during storage and preservation.

In order to evaluate the quality changes of embryo rice during storage, the embryo rice with vacuum packaging of two kinds of materials was stored at 25 and 4 ℃ for 300 d and the changes in the fatty acid value, taste, texture, and other indexes were analyzed. A quality evaluation model was constructed based on principal component analysis and entropy weight method. The volatile compounds were determined using headspace-solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) to further explore the correlation between the indexes. The results showed that with prolonged storage time, fatty acid value, hardness, and chewiness increased significantly (P<0.05), springiness and taste value decreased significantly (P<0.05), and lipase and malondialdehyde (MDA) first increased and then decreased. A quality evaluation model of embryo rice was established based on seven core indexes: Y=0.0803×chewability+0.1170×springiness+0.1221×flavor+0.1182×taste value comprehensive score+0.2215×malondialdehyde+0.2234×lipase activity+0.1175×fatty acid value. According to the comprehensive scores obtained by the model, the quality of the embryo rice at different storage periods was classified as grade I after 0 d of storage, grade II after 60 d of storage, grade III after 120 d of storage, and grade IV after 180 d of storage. A total of 53 volatile compounds were detected, among which aldehydes, ketones, acids, and other compounds appeared in large quantities after 300 d of storage. There was a significant negative correlation between 2,2,6-trimethyloctane and fatty acid value, lipase, malondialdehyde, hardness, chewability, b^*, or ∆E (P<0.05) and a significant positive correlation between the taste value and quality evaluation comprehensive score (P<0.05), followed by 2-n-propyl furan and 3-methylundecane. These results provide a theoretical basis for quality evaluation and storage method selection of embryo rice.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of temperature changes in circulation on the quality and biogenic amine content of frozen fish dumplings and its intrinsic mechanism. The fish dumplings were flash frozen at −25 ℃ and then stored at −7 ℃ (simulated retail temperature), −7/−18 ℃ (simulated transportation temperature and diurnal temperature variation), and −18 ℃ (storage temperature) for 180 d. The results showed that with the increase in storage time, the brightness value L^* and redness value a^* of the fish dumplings showed continuous decrease, and the yellowness value b^* and cooking loss gradually increased (P<0.05). Furthermore, the hardness, elasticity, and chewiness of the meat fillings were significantly reduced (P<0.05). In addition, the thiobarbituric acid content, carbonyl content, total volatile base nitrogen content, and biogenic amine content of the frozen fish dumpling samples subjected to the retail temperature and the transportation temperature were consistently higher than those of the samples subjected to the storage temperature during frozen storage. The results of the correlation analysis further showed that the quality of frozen fish dumpling stored at the retail temperature of −7 ℃ and the temperature fluctuation of −7/−18 ℃ for 90 d was similar to that of the frozen dumpling samples stored at −18 ℃ for 180 d. Therefore, it was important to maintain low and stable storage temperature during the circulation to slow down the deterioration of the dumpling quality and to safeguard its nutritional value.

This study aimed to investigate the hypoglycemic effects and underlying mechanisms of metabolites of Irpex lacteus (MIL) on type 2 diabetic mice. T2DM mice model was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ), and the mice were divided into normal group, model group, metformin group, and MIL high, medium, and low dose groups. After 5 weeks of administration, fasting blood glucose (FBG), oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), liver glycogen, serum creatinine (SCR), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), insulin (INS), and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) levels were measured, and pathological observations of the kidneys were conducted. Network pharmacology was used to predict pathways and targets. RT-qPCR and Western blot were employed to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of related genes of T2DM mice. The results indicated that MIL could significantly reduce the levels of FBG, BUN, SCR, INS, and OGTT-AUC in T2DM mice (P<0.01), and significantly increase the levels of GLUT4 and liver glycogen (P<0.01). Renal pathological observations showed that MIL could improve the inflammatory state of cells in renal tissue and effectively alleviate nephritis symptoms caused by hyperglycemia. Additionally, MIL significantly upregulated the mRNA expression levels of protein kinase B (AKT), GLUT4, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), while downregulating INS expression (P<0.05), significantly increased the protein expression levels of p-PI3K and p-AKT (P<0.05). These findings suggest that MIL may regulate blood glucose disorders by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Objective: To investigate the hepatoprotective effects of bioactive peptides on acute alcoholic liver injury in mice, examine their effects on the intestinal microbiota, and elucidate the underlying mechanisms of their protective action. Methods: A mouse model of acute alcohol-induced liver injury was established, and three formulations of bioactive peptide composite beverages—liquid, solid, and concentrated forms—were administered. The levels of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione (GSH) were assessed, along with serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total cholesterol (TC), and triglycerides (TG). Histopathological examination of liver tissue was performed, and alterations in the intestinal microbiota were analyzed. Results: Compared with the model group, all three formulations of bioactive peptide composite beverages significantly attenuated alcohol-induced hepatic injury, as evidenced by reductions in ALT, AST, TG, and TC levels in mice (P<0.05). Furthermore, the treatment groups exhibited significant decreases in hepatic TNF-α, IL-6, and MDA levels (P<0.05), along with enhanced SOD, CAT, and GSH activity (P<0.05). Histological analysis revealed that bioactive peptide composite beverages markedly alleviated alcohol-induced hepatic steatosis and inflammatory infiltration. Additionally, intestinal microbiota analysis indicated that alcoholic liver injury was associated with alterations in microbial composition, whereas bioactive peptide treatment enhanced microbial diversity and richness, suggesting a regulatory effect on the gut-liver axis. Conclusion: The three different dosage forms of active peptide compound drinks have certain protective effects on alcoholic liver injury. The mechanism may be related to improving lipid metabolism, anti-inflammatory activity, antioxidant activity and improving intestinal flora in mice. Among them, concentrated active peptide drinks have certain advantages.

Objective: To investigate the mechanism of Rhodiola crenulata in alleviating exercise-induced fatigue (EIF) through integrated network pharmacology, animal experiments, and metabolomics. Methods: Network pharmacology was employed to screen potential targets of active components and EIF-related disease targets. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks of overlapping targets were constructed, followed by GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses. C57BL/6N mice were divided into control, EIF model, and low, medium, and high-dose Rhodiola crenulata groups. The EIF model was established via exhaustive swimming and rotarod tests. The body weight, exhaustive swimming time, and other physiological signs were recorded. Histological examination of skeletal muscle was conducted using HE staining. The concentrations of serum lactate, muscle glycogen, and liver glycogen, as well as the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in skeletal muscle, were measured using assay kits. Additionally, the expression levels of VEGFA and AKT1 proteins in skeletal muscle were assessed using Western Blotting and qRT-PCR. Metabolomic profiling of skeletal muscle was performed to identify differential metabolites and associated pathways, which were further integrated with network pharmacology results. Results: Network pharmacological identified 110 overlapping targets between Rhodiola crenulata and EIF. Key targets were identified as TNF, IL-6, VEGFA, and AKT1, while bioactive constituents included epicatechin, quercetin, epigallocatechin gallate and others. Compared to the model group, administration of medium and high doses of Rhodiola crenulata extremely significantly prolonged the exhaustive swimming time (P<0.001), improved skeletal muscle fiber alignment, reduced serum lactate (P<0.001), elevated glycogen levels (P<0.001), and decreased IL-6 and TNF-α levels (P<0.001). High-dose administration markedly downregulated the protein expression of VEGFA and upregulated that of AKT1 (P<0.001). Metabolomics revealed 46 differential metabolites in skeletal muscle, primarily enriched in glycerophospholipid metabolism, α-linolenic acid metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism, and arachidonic acid metabolism. Integrated analysis highlighted glycerophospholipid and arachidonic acid metabolism as pivotal pathways. Conclusion: Rhodiola crenulata alleviates EIF by ameliorating skeletal muscle pathology, promoting glycogen synthesis, reducing lactate accumulation, suppressing inflammation, and modulating lipid metabolism. This effect is potentially mediated via TNF, IL-6, VEGFA, AKT1, and the glycerophospholipid and arachidonic acid metabolism pathways.

In this study, a fatigue mouse model was developed to investigate the effects of different doses of pumpkin seed peptide on fatigue in mice. Forty-five mice were randomly assigned to five groups: normal control group, model group, and three pumpkin seed peptide groups with low, medium, and high-doses. Firstly, the amino acid composition of the pumpkin seed peptide was analyzed. Secondly, the changes in swimming time, serum harmful substances, energy substances, oxidative stress, and inflammation levels in mice were examined following intervention with different doses of pumpkin seed peptide. The results revealed that the pumpkin seed peptide contained 18 amino acids, including Glu, Leu, and Pro. Animal experiments demonstrated that compared to the model group, swimming time, muscle glycogen, and hepatic glycogen levels were significantly increased (P<0.05), while serum urea nitrogen, lactic acid, and lactate dehydrogenase levels were significantly reduced (P<0.05) in mice treated with a high dose of pumpkin seed peptide. Additionally, the high-dose group exhibited significantly greater improvements (P<0.05) in the aforementioned indices compared to the low- and medium-dose groups, except for liver glycogen and lactate dehydrogenase levels. Furthermore, in the high-dose pumpkin seed peptide group, the antioxidant enzymes SOD, GSH-Px, and CAT were significantly elevated (P<0.05) in both serum and liver tissues, whereas MDA levels were significantly reduced (P<0.05). Analysis of inflammatory markers revealed that pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β) were significantly reduced (P<0.05), while anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4 and IL-10) were significantly elevated (P<0.05) compared to the model group. Correlation analysis further revealed that Trp and Leu exhibited significant negative correlations (P<0.05) with pro-inflammatory cytokines and serum markers (lactate dehydrogenase and urea nitrogen). In conclusion, pumpkin seed peptide demonstrates anti-fatigue properties, with high-dose administration exerted the most pronounced effects. This study provides a theoretical foundation for the application of pumpkin seed peptide in fatigue management.

Objective: To investigate the effects and mechanisms of Morinda officinalis How. on the gut microbiota of chronic restraint stress (CRS) depression model mice. Methods: Eight-week-old male Kunming mice were randomly divided into six groups based on their body weight: control, model, fluoxetine, and M. officinalis How. low- (25 mg/kg/d), medium- (50 mg/kg/d), and high-dose (100 mg/kg/d) groups were established. CRS was used to establish a mouse model of depression. Depression-like behavior was observed using the sucrose preference (SPT) and tail suspension tests (TST). Morphological changes in the liver, kidneys, and testes were observed using hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Serum 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Finally, the gut microbiota were analyzed using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. Results: Compared with the control group, the sucrose preference rate of mice in the model group was significantly reduced, tail suspension time was significantly prolonged (P<0.05), and serum 5-HT level was significantly increased (P<0.01). This caused varying degrees of damage in the liver, kidneys, and testicles, as well as gut microbiota imbalance. After the intervention, 50 mg/kg/d M. officinalis How. showed good antidepressant effects. Its sucrose preference rate was significantly increased, and tail suspension time was significantly shortened (P<0.05). 5-HT levels were significantly reduced (P<0.01), liver, kidney, and testicular damage returned to normal levels. The abundance of Proteobacteria was significantly increased (P<0.05), and the abundance of Oscillibacter, Eubacterium_xylanophilum_group, Kurthia and unidentified bacterium were increased (P<0.05). Conclusion: The 50 mg/kg/d M. officinalis How. regulates gut microbiota imbalance and improves depression-like behavior in CRS mice.