High-voltage electric field sterilization, one of the most promising low-temperature sterilization technologies, requires very small energy consumption with no pollution and high sterilization efficiency and has little effect on the quality of foods so that it has broad prospects in the field of food sterilization in the future. This article introduces the two common types of high-voltage electric field (high-voltage pulsed electric field and high-voltage electrostatic field) with respect to their installation features, electric field parameter settings for sterilization and the mechanism of high-voltage electric field sterilization, outlines the recent progress in the application of the two types of high-voltage electric field in the sterilization of solid and liquid foods, and summarizes the efforts of researchers from China and abroad to improve the shortcomings of traditional electric field equipment. It also points out the synergistic effect of high-voltage electric field in combination with other sterilization technologies and discusses the future prospects of high-voltage electric field.

Previous studies have shown that trans fatty acids (TFA) are associated with several chronic diseases, the gut microbiota is directly influenced by dietary components and linked to chronic diseases. Our research investigated the effects of elaidic acid (EA), a typical TFA, on the gut microbiota to understand the underlying mechanisms of TFA-related chronic diseases. 16S rDNA gene sequencing on faecal samples from Sprague-Dawley rats were performed to explore the composition change of the gut microbiota by EA gavage for 4 weeks. The results showed that the intake of EA increased the abundance of well-documented harmful bacteria, such as Proteobacteria, Anaerotruncus, Oscillibacter and Desulfovibrionaceae. Plus, EA induced translocation of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and the above pathogenic bacteria, disrupted the intestinal barrier, led to gut-liver axis derangement and TLR4 pathway activation in the liver. Overall, EA induced intestinal barrier damage and regulated TLR4-MyD88-NF-κB/MAPK pathways in the liver of SD rats, leading to the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and inflammatory liver damage.

Elaidic acid (EA) stimulation can lead to endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), accompanied by a large release of Ca²⁺, and ultimately the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in Kupffer cells (KCs). Mitochondrial instability or dysfunction may be the key stimulating factors to activate NLRP3 inflammasome, and sustained Ca²⁺ transfer can result in mitochondrial dysfunction. We focused on KCs to explore the damage to mitochondria by EA. After EA stimulation, cells produced an oxidative stress (OS) response with a significant increase in ROS release. Immunoprecipitation experiments and the addition of inhibitors revealed that the increase in the level of intracellular Ca²⁺ led to Ca²⁺ accumulation in the mitochondrial matrix via mitochondria-associated membranes (MAMs). This was accompanied by a significant release of mROS, loss of MMP and ATP, and a significant increase in mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening, ultimately leading to mitochondrial instability. These findings confirmed the mechanism that EA induced mitochondrial Ca²⁺ imbalance in KCs via MAM, ultimately leading to mitochondrial dysfunction. Meanwhile, EA induced OS and the decrease of MMP and ATP in rat liver, and significant lesions were found in liver mitochondria. Swelling of the inner mitochondrial cristae and mitochondrial vacuolization occurred, with a marked increase in lipid droplets.