This study investigated the improvement of gel properties in low-salt chicken breast mince and its underlying mechanism by adding different proportions of egg yolk (EY). Results showed that adding 1.0% EY significantly improved the textural properties of the low-salt chicken breast mince, the hardness increased from 900 to 1 059 g, and the springiness rose from 0.88 to 0.95. Meanwhile, the cooking loss decreased from 12.3% to 9.02%, and the water-holding capacity (WHC) increased from 60.67% to 82.67%. The relaxation peaks of immobilized water (T₂₂) and free water (T₂₃) both shifted toward lower relaxation time, which resulted in a dense microstructure and enhanced WHC, comparable to the positive control group. Further extraction of myofibrillar protein (MP) revealed that 1.0% EY addition significantly increased particle size and surface hydrophobicity while reducing free sulfhydryl content, the particle size increased from 44.29 to 96.63 μm, the surface hydrophobicity rose from 151.9 to 164.20 μg, and the free sulfhydryl content decreased from 18.99 to 15.14 μmol/g, this was accompanied by a structural shift from α-helix to β-sheet and enhanced fluorescence intensity. Additionally, increased disulfide bond and hydrophobic interactions enhanced cross-linking between EY and MP. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and laser confocal analysis confirmed protein aggregation, forming a compact gel network structure. This study elucidates the improvement of EY on the gel properties of low-salt minced meat and its mechanism of action, providing a theoretical basis for its application in low-salt minced meat products.

Egg yolk is a complex supramolecular system composed of diverse proteins with high nutritional value and outstanding functional characteristics. Cryopreservation is commonly used in the food industry as an effective way to prolong egg yolk shelf life and improve transportation convenience. However, low temperature induces the aggregation of protein in egg yolk, resulting in egg yolk gelation and consequently reduced fluidity and solubility, affecting the functional properties of egg yolk, which are not conducive to the application of egg yolk in food processing. This article introduces the composition, structure and functional characteristics of egg yolk as well as the causes of egg yolk freezing and the mechanism of egg yolk gelation, and discusses the effect of egg yolk gelation induced by freezing on egg yolk quality. This review focuses on the physical, chemical and biological pretreatments for inhibiting protein aggregation during egg yolk, which is of guiding significance for inhibiting egg yolk gelation induced by freezing and for improving the quality of frozen egg yolk.

The effect of coix seed flour (0%–25%) on the rheological and structural properties of wheat dough and noodle quality was investigated. The addition of coix seed flour was found to enhance the elasticity of dough, which may be attributed to the fact that small starch particles increase the filling capacity within the dough matrix. This increase subsequently resulted in more complete and uniform structure of dough. Moreover, setback viscosity rose to 1095 cP. The rapid water absorption of coix seed starch led to changes in the secondary structure of proteins in dough. The proportion of β-sheet markedly increased, whereas the proportion of α-helix decreased with increasing level of coix seed flour substitution. Meanwhile, coix seed flour substitution significantly reduced the estimated glycemic index of noodles. Correlation analysis revealed that pasting parameters had significant effects on the evaluation of noodle quality. This study provides a foundation for researchers to substitute wheat flour with coix seed flour.

Hyperoside and quercetin are similar in molecular structures. In this study, the antioxidant regulatory targets of hyperoside and quercetin are mainly in the nuclear factor (erythroid-2-derived)-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway predicted by network pharmacology. And the antioxidant effect and mechanism of hyperoside and quercetin were measured and compared in H₂O₂-induced HepG2 cells and Caenorhabditis elegans. The findings indicated that quercetin was more effective than hyperoside in reducing oxidative damage, which was proved by improved cell viability, decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, decreased cellular apoptosis, and alleviated mitochondrial damage. In addition, quercetin was more efficient than hyperoside in enhancing the expression of Nrf2-associated mRNAs, increasing the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and catalase (CAT), and reducing the cellular malondialdehyde (MDA) content. Quercetin was superior to hyperoside in prolonging the lifespan of worms, decreasing the accumulation of lipofuscin, inhibiting ROS production, and increasing the proportion of skn-1 in the nucleus. With the Nrf2 inhibitor ML385, we verified that quercetin and hyperoside primarily protected the cells against oxidative damage via the Nrf2 signalling pathway. Furthermore, molecular docking and dynamics simulations demonstrated that the quercetin- Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) complex was more stable than the hyperoside-Keap1 complex. The stable structure of the complex might hinder the binding of Nrf2 and Keap1 to release Nrf2 and facilitate its entry into the nucleus to play an antioxidant role. Overall, quercetin had a better antioxidant than hyperoside.

Naringin exists in a wide range of Chinese herbal medicine and has proven to possess several pharmacological properties. In this study, PC12, HepG2 cells, and female Drosophila melanogaster were used to investigate the antioxidative and anti-aging effects of naringin and explore the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that naringin inhibited H₂O₂-induced decline in cell viability and decreased the content of reactive oxygen species in cells. Meanwhile, naringin prolonged the lifespan of f lies, enhanced the abilities of climbing and the resistance to stress, improved the activities of antioxidant enzymes, and decreased malondialdehyde content. Naringin also improved intestinal barrier dysfunction and reduced abnormal proliferation of intestinal stem cells. Moreover, naringin down-regulated the mRNA expressions of inr, chico, pi3k, and akt-1, and up-regulated the mRNA expressions of dilp2, dilp3, dilp5, and foxo, thereby activating autophagy-related genes and increasing the number of lysosomes. Furthermore, the mutant stocks assays and computer molecular simulation results further indicated that naringin delayed aging by inhibiting the insulin signaling (IIS) pathway and activating the autophagy pathway, which was consistent with the result of network pharmacological predictions.

The interaction amid Monascus pigment (MP) and ovalbumin (OVA) was studied using multispectral and computer simulations. The fluorescence results demonstrated that MP could effectively quench the fluorescence emission of OVA. According to Stern-Volmer and the double logarithmic equation, the quenching reaction of MP to OVA was static quenching, which was brought on by the combination of two molecules to shape a complex. At 298 K, the conjunction constant K_a of MP and OVA was 1.045 2 × 10⁹ L/mol, and the count of conjunction sites n was 1.955 7. The thermodynamic constant of MP-OVA binding was counted according to Van’s Hoff equation, and the reaction belonged to the active process of reducing Gibbs free energy. The ultraviolet–visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectroscopy indicated an interaction between MP and OVA. The interaction force between MP and OVA and the steadiness of the conjunction were examined by using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation. The findings suggested that MP formed a complex with OVA via non-covalent binding, the formation and steadiness of the complex were promoted through hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interaction, and Van der Waals force.

Meat products are an important part in our daily diet, providing valuable nutrients for the human body. However, heating processes cause the meat to become more appetizing with changes in texture, appearance, flavor, and chemical properties by the altering of protein structure and other ingredients. As one kind of cooking-induced contaminants, heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) are widely present in protein aceous food products with strong carcinogenic and mutagenic properties. In order to promote the safety of traditional meat products, this review focused on the formation, metabolism, biological monitoring and inhibitory mechanism of HAA. An overview of the formation pathways, hazards, and control methods of HAAs during food processing in recent years was studied, aiming to provide some valuable information for exploring effective methods to inhibit the production of associated hazards during food processing. Systematic selection of different types of flavonoids to explore their effects on the formation of HAAs in an actual barbecue system can provide theoretical reference for effectively controlling the formation of HAAs and reducing their harm to human health.