Cattleyak, the interspecies hybrid from cattle (males) and yak (females), displays a faster growth rate and higher feeding efficiency than yak with usually one-year shorter raising cycle. This study aimed to assess the carcass characteristics and meat quality attributes of cattleyak by compared to yak at a similar bodyweight. Results showed that cattleyak exhibited an elevated dressing percentage (58.33%) and a significantly higher content of healthy fatty acids, including eicosapentaenoic acid (5.64%) and docosahexaenoic acid (0.46%) (P < 0.05). Compared to yak meat, the tenderness of cattleyak meat was significantly enhanced (P < 0.05), with the lower Warner-Bratzler shear force (59.53 N) and hardness value (580.92 g), as well as the significant reduction of more than 20% of muscle fiber diameter (P < 0.05). Additionally, myofibrillar proteins in cattleyak, including desmin, tropomyosin, and troponin-T, degraded faster than those in yak (P < 0.05), indicating their role in tenderization improvement in cattleyak. These findings suggest that, in comparison to yaks of the similar bodyweight, cattleyaks with less than one year of the raising cycle have improved meat quality and economic efficiency.

The increased global incidence of chronic metabolic diseases, a vital threat to human health and a burden on our healthcare systems, includes a series of clinical metabolic syndromes such as obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. One of the well-known probiotic microorganisms, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum plays an important role in promoting human health, including inhibiting the occurrence and development of a variety of chronic metabolic diseases. The present study provides an overview of the preventive and therapeutic effects of L. plantarum on diabetes, obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, kidney stone disease, and cardiovascular diseases in animal models and human clinical trials. Ingesting L. plantarum demonstrated its ability to reduce inflammatory and oxidative stress levels by regulating the production of cytokines and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), the activity of antioxidant enzymes, and the balance of intestinal microbial communities to alleviate the symptoms of chronic metabolic diseases. Furthermore, updated applications and technologies of L. plantarum in food and biopharmaceutical industries are also discussed. Understanding the characteristics and functions of L. plantarum will guide the development of related probiotic products and explore the modulatory benefit of L. plantarum supplementations on the prevention and treatment of multiple chronic metabolic diseases.

This study was to explore the immunity-promoting activity of porcine placenta as a potential raw material for functional foods. Porcine placenta was subjected to the analysis for its bioactive substances, and their immunity-promoting activity was determined in mice supplemented with porcine placenta extract (PPE) and freeze-dried porcine placenta powder at high (PPH) and low (PPL) dosage. Results showed that porcine placenta contained placental peptides and 15 free amino acids, and the amounts of estrogen and progesterone in products developed from porcine placenta were within the limit of national standard. Mice model experiment revealed that compared with the control, the PPH treatment significantly improved the spleen index (P < 0.05) by increasing the phagocytic rate of macrophages from 20% to 60% and the conversion rate of T lymphocytes from 8% to 60%. The qPCR analysis disclosed that the porcine placenta powder enhanced mice immunity via promoting the expression of Th1 cytokines of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and IFN-γ, especially the former, by almost 8 times in the spleens of male mice, while inhibited Th2 cytokines of IL-4 and IL-10. This investigation has provided a reference for the development of porcine placenta as a raw material applied in functional foods to improve human immunity.

This study explored the antibiofilm efficacy of 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM) on Staphylococcus aureus and its disinfection on common food-contact surfaces. The minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC) of DIM on S. aureus was 62.5 μmol/L, while it did not impede the bacterial growth evaluated by growth curve and XTT reduction assay. DIM in the concentration range of 31.2−62.5 μmol/L demonstrated a dose-dependent antibiofilm activity to S. aureus, as confirmed by light microscopic (LM), confocal laser scanning microscopic (CLSM), and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analyses. At DIM of 62.5 μmol/L, the biomass of S. aureus biofilm was significantly reduced by 97% and its average thickness by 58% (P < 0.05). DIM of 62.5 μmol/L inhibited the bacterial initial adhesion and proliferation, as well as cell motility; the release of extracellular DNA (eDNA) and extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) were reduced by 75% and 69%, respectively. DIM exhibited a strong inhibition to S. aureus biofilm formation on common food-contact surfaces, including 304 stainless steel, glass, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) but not disperse the mature biofilm. Overall, our investigation identified DIM as a promising antibiofilm agent and its suitability to prevent the biofilm formation of S. aureus on common food-contact surfaces utilized during food processing.