Flaxseed-based milk has great potential for health promotion and disease prevention, due to its rich in α-linolenic acid and plant-derived nutrients. However, the tough seed coat of flaxseed is covered with dense protective layers, such as colloids and fibrous cells, which severely limits the effective release of endogenous proteins, fats and nutrients in flaxseed-based milk. Moreover, the presence of cyanogenic glycosides in flaxseed also increases the obstacles to the daily consumption of flaxseed-based milk. Therefore, it is necessary to enhance the dissolution of nutrients with the reduced antinutritional factors for the high quality and safety of the flaxseed milk. Furthermore, food safety, nutrition, sensory properties and stability can also be strengthened for the development of the flaxseed-based milk industry. In this study, moisture modulation and microwave processing were combined to prepare the flaxseed-based milk. A systematic evaluation was made to clarify the effects of moisture and microwave treatment on the physical and chemical stability, nutrient dissolution, safety index-cyanogenic glycosides content, and volatile components of flaxseed-based milk. The highly toxic hydrocyanic acid was evaporated along with the moisture during the microwave process, and then rapidly reduced the cyanogenic glycoside content of the seeds. Moderate moisture modulation (<17%) reduced the microwave energy absorption of flaxseed, in order to avoid the destruction of the oil body membrane structure for the high stability of the system. In addition, the contents of total phenolics and lignans in flaxseed-based milk with the moisture (20%) treatment were 1.77 and 1.66 times higher than those without moisture treatment. Notably, the total phenols and lignans in the flaxseed-based milk increased sharply, when the moisture content increased to 12.79%, but slowly increased as the moisture content continued to increase, especially the lignans. Microwave treatment promoted the molecular vibrations in the flaxseed constituents, and then destroyed the integrity of the cell wall, as well as breaking the glycosidic bonds via high-frequency electromagnetic waves. During microwave irradiation, the moisture molecules were penetrated mainly from the inside out, leading to drastic changes in the cell structure for the migration and dissolution of nutrients. Therefore, proteins and polysaccharides in natural complex systems were more conducive to the dissociation from compounds. But the moisture modulation was adverse to the production of flaxseed-based milk flavor. Meanwhile, the excessive input of microwave energy caused the extreme distortion of molecules, even the breaking of valence bonds, leading to the irreversible degradation of nutrients. The flavor properties of the flaxseed-based milk were enhanced to increase the microwave terminal temperature. There was a 105-fold increase in the nutty flavor and an 81-fold increase in roasted nut, coffee and sweet flavor in the flaxseed-based milk after 8 min of microwave. Furthermore, the flavor value of flaxseed-based milk was reduced after further excessive microwave (microwave time 10 min), due to the decomposition of aroma substances. Thus, the appropriate moisture content and microwave input can be expected to ensure the edible safety and nutritional quality of flaxseed-based milk. The combined treatment of moisture modulation (12.79%) and microwave (8 min, 140-145 ℃) promoted the dissolution of nutrients for the higher flavor value, thus improving the comprehensive quality of flaxseed milk. The findings can provide theoretical and data support for the high-value production of flaxseed plant-based milk.

Sunflower oil is known as “healthy edible oil”, rich in linoleic acid, vitamin E, sterols, squalene and other bioactive substances, and it has a variety of physiological functions such as anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, anti-cholesterol, and antioxidant. Sunflower seed meal is a by-product of the production of sunflower seed oil, containing various high value-added components such as protein, chlorogenic acid and carbohydrate, so that it has great application potential in the food field. In this review, we elaborate on recent significant progress in the sunflower seed processing industry, focusing on the new technologies and methods used for sunflower seed pretreatment, oil extraction, and comprehensive utilization of meal, in order to provide a reference for the quality improvement of sunflower oil and the high-value development of sunflower meal.

In this research, the critical micelle concentrations (CMC) of various minor components (phospholipids, oleic acid, β-sitosterol and diglyceride (DAG)) in stripped flaxseed oil were determined, and the effects of the formation of reverse micelles on the oxidative stability of the flaxseed oil and the antioxidant activity of α-tocopherols were studied. The results showed that phospholipid (DOPC) was an important component for the formation of reverse micelles, and its critical micelle concentration was 125 μmol/kg oil. Compared with the control group, the addition of low concentrations (< CMC) of microcomponents had no significant effect on the thermal stability of flaxseed oil. But the formation of reverse micelles could reduce the initial oxidation temperature (~12%) and oxidation induction time (~33%) of the oil, and increase the concentrations of hydroperoxide (~36%), propionaldehyde (~13%) and hexanal (~200%) during storage, showing pro-oxidant activity. Compared with the control group, α-tocopherol inhibited the oxidation of oil, but the formation of reverse micelles exhibited higher oxidation product concentration, reducing the antioxidant activity of α-tocopherol. Therefore, controlling the formation of reverse micelles in flaxseed oil is beneficial to improve its oxidative stability, and can provide a new strategy and approach for the steady-state control of oil rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA).

Flaxseed is one of the eight major oil crops in China, and flaxseed oil is a healthy vegetable oil rich in α-linolenic acid, which is highly favored by consumers. Volatile flavor substances are a key attribute affecting the quality of flaxseed oil and its popularity among consumers. This article provides a systematic overview of recent advances in the research on volatile flavor substances in flaxseed oil, with a focus on the techniques and methods for the extraction, analysis and detection of volatile flavor substances in flaxseed oil from the perspective of molecular sensory science, the material basis and aroma characteristics of volatile flavor in flaxseed oil, and the factors affecting the flavor formation of flaxseed oil. Moreover, it also summarizes the possible formation pathways of some key flavor substances during the processing of flaxseed oil. It is hoped that this review will provide a theoretical basis for improving the flavor of linseed oil.

The plant milk market has a promising future and flavor is a critical quality attribute of plant milk. The good flavors of plant milk such as milky, fruity, nutty, and cereal-like aromas are well-liked by consumers, while the undesirable flavors such as bitterness, bean-like odor, green odor, and mushroom-like odor severely limit the development of the plant milk industry. Based on the current state of development and future trends in raw material screening and processing technology for plant milk production and research on the flavor composition of plant milk, this paper summarizes the methods used for the extraction and identification of volatile substances from plant milk and the material basis of its flavor composition, highlighting the formation pathways of aroma and off-odor, the interaction between macromolecules and small molecules in plant milk, and the influential factors of and the regulatory strategies for the formation of aroma and off-odor in plant milk. This review is expected to provide scientific research ideas and strategies for maximizing the preservation of the good flavor of plant milk and avoiding the generation of undesirable flavors.

The market for functional and nutraceutical foods is one of the fastest growing markets in the new food creation area, especially in the era of great health. Because of its nutritional and functional qualities, plant-based fermented milk has great development prospects. This review summarizes the quality characteristics of plant-based raw materials, probiotic fermentation characteristics, and the effects of probiotics on the flavor, nutrition and gel stability of plant-based fermented milk during the fermentation process. Additionally, we discuss future prospects for the development and application of plant-based fermented milk. This review aims to offer scientific guidelines for the production of high-quality plant-based fermented milk.

Dietary supplementation with plant-derived α-linolenic acid (ALA) has the potential to alleviate the insufficient intake of global n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFAs), but faces the bottleneck of high β-oxidation consumption, oxidative susceptibility, and low conversion efficiency. The current study investigated how flax lignans with different degrees of polymerization and glycosylation affect the conversion of ALA to n-3 LCPUFAs in mice over 35 days of administering sunflower phospholipid-stabilized flaxseed oil nanoemulsions. Results showed that flax lignan macromolecules (FLM) increased hepatic protein expression of elongase of very long chain fatty acid 5 (Elovl5, 24.2%) and fatty acid desaturase 2 (Fads2, 44.7%), thereby positively regulating ALA conversion pathways and raising serum eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) levels (52.7%) via liver lipid re-efflux. Secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) enhanced ALA desaturation by upregulating hepatic protein expression of Fads1 (30.4%) and Fads2 (45.6%), increasing serum EPA levels (55.9%) and hepatic docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) levels (10%). Secoisolariciresinol (SECO) elevated hepatic protein expression of Elovl2 (30.7%), Elovl5 (11.7%), Fads1 (37.9%), and Fads2 (24.1%), but also increased carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1a (45.2%), leading to decreased ALA, EPA, and DHA levels in serum and liver. Therefore, in comparison, FLM and SDG emerge as the dominant structural units that positively regulate the conversion of ALA. These findings lay a groundwork for designing precise dietary delivery systems to enhance the conversion to n-3 LCPUFAs.

Plant-based milk is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, polyphenols and other bioactive compounds. This study investigated the effect of 3 plant-based milk (flaxseed milk, oat milk and soy milk) on the ceftriaxone-induced intestinal disorders, and compared the regulation patterns associated with gut microbiome and metabolome. The results showed plant-based milk alleviated the ceftriaxone caused cecum swelling, colonic tissue damage and intestinal microecological disorders. Meanwhile, administered plant-based milk decreased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokine (tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and oxidative stresses (malondialdehyde (MDA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in the colon, as well as increasing the levels of tight junction proteins (Occludin, Claudin-1, and ZO-1) in the colon. Moreover, administration of plant-based milk modulated the intestinal microbiota by promoting the relative levels of beneficial bacteria (Bifidobacterium), and inhibiting the harmful bacteria genus (Enterococcus). Furthermore, plant-based milk treatment significantly modulated glycerophospholipids metabolism (e.g. glycerophosphocholine) and arachidonic acid metabolism (e.g. prostaglandin G2 and arachidonic acid) in the serum. In conclusion, plant-based milk could alleviate antibiotic-related imbalance of barrier function damage, gut microbiota disorders and the reduction of metabolic disorders, which lays a foundation for exploring anti-inflammatory and intestinal micro-ecological approach to plant-based milk.

Flaxseed lignan macromolecules (FLM) are a class of important secondary metabolites in flaxseed, which have been widely concerned due to their biological and pharmacological properties, especially for their antioxidative activity. For the composition and structure of FLM, our results confirmed that ferulic acid glycoside (FerAG) was directly ester-linked with herbacetin diglucoside (HDG) or pinoresinol diglucoside (PDG), which might determine the beginning of FLM biosynthesis. Additionally, p-coumaric acid glycoside (CouAG) might determine the end of chain extension during FLM synthesis in flaxseed. FLM exhibited higher antioxidative activity in polar systems, as shown by its superior 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging capacity compared to the 2,2’-azinobis(3-ehtylbenzothiazolin-6-sulfnic acid) (ABTS) cation free radical scavenging capacity in non-polar systems. Moreover, the antioxidative activity of FLM was found to be highly dependent on its composition and structure. In particular, it was positively correlated with the number of phenolic hydroxyl groups (longer FLM chains) and inversely related to the steric hindrance at the ends (lower levels of FerAG and CouAG). These findings verified the potential application of FLM in non-polar systems, particularly in functional food emulsions.

This study characterized and compared the physical and emulsifying properties of pea protein (PP) and its modified proteins (ultrasound treated- PP (PPU), flaxseed gum (FG) treated PP (PPFG) and ultrasound treated- PPFG (PPFGU)). The results showed FG triggered the formation of loosely attached complex with PP via physical modification under gentle magnetic stirring at pH 7.0, while ultrasound played an important role in reducing protein size, increasing surface hydrophobicity and molecular fluidity onto oil-water interface. So ultrasound further enhanced the interaction of PP with FG, and produced the PPFGU complex with smaller droplet size, higher ζ-potential and lower turbidity. Further, combination of FG and ultrasound improved the physical properties of PP with higher viscosity, stiffer gels (defined as higher elastic modulus), stronger hydrophobic properties, better thermal stability, and fast protein absorption rate. Therefore, the PPFGU coarse emulsion performed highest emulsifying activity index (EAI) and emulsion stability index (ESI) that the stabilized nanoemulsion obtained smallest droplet size, higher ζ-potential, and longest storage stability. The combination of FG and ultrasonic treatment will be an effective approach to improving the emulsifying property and thermal stability of PP, which can be considered as a potential plant-based emulsifier applied in the food industry.