Aging-induced taste sensitivity decline, recognized as a world-wide health issue, has shown considerable modulatory effects on the oral microbiome that serves as an etiological driver for multiple dysbiosis-associated diseases. However, the underlying ecological interactions remain poorly characterized. Therefore, this study conducted oral metagenomic/metabolomic analysis for youth/elderly individuals with different taste sensitivities. Results showed that elevated fatty acid levels in elderly samples with low taste sensitivity drove a metabolic adaptation of the oral microbiome that the substrate preference of energy metabolism altered from monosaccharides to fatty acids, which resulted in the remodelling of the oral microbiome composition. In addition, the up-regulation of Prevotella species engaging in active quorum sensing interactions with other oral bacteria in elderly samples was found to affect oral microbiome remodelling. Furthermore, community-level metabolic modeling and synthetic co-culture experiments revealed and validated that interspecies nutrient feeding contributed to the oral microbiome remodelling. Collectively, these findings elucidated the modulatory effects of aging-induced taste sensitivity decline on the oral microbiome by decoding the ecological Interactions of key oral bacteria and metabolites, paving the way for developing viable strategies for oral microbiome rehabilitation.

Bitter taste receptors (TAS2Rs), a subfamily of G protein-coupled receptors, have been recently recognized for their regulatory roles beyond gustation. They are widely expressed in the oral cavity, gastrointestinal (GI) tract, respiratory system, cardiovascular system, endocrine organs, reproductive tissues, and nervous system, playing crucial roles in immune modulation, metabolic homeostasis, microbiota interactions, and cancer progression. This review systematically summarizes the physiological functions and implications of TAS2Rs across multiple organ systems and microbial environments, emphasizing their roles in health. Specifically, we highlight the key role of TAS2R38 in maintaining oral microbiota balance and preventing dental caries. TAS2Rs are abundantly expressed in the GI tract. They regulate gut microbiota, promote hormone secretion, maintain intestinal barrier function, and influence metabolic processes. TAS2Rs and their subtypes play key roles in various tissues, regulating immune responses, cell signaling, and organ function, such as TAS2R38 in respiratory defense, TAS2R14 in cardiovascular regulation and metabolic control, TAS2R14 and TAS2R43 in reproductive health. Natural compounds can regulate health by influencing different subtypes of TAS2Rs, either promoting or inhibiting their activity. Recent studies suggest that TAS2Rs could serve as promising therapeutic targets for many diseases. Understanding the intricate interactions between TAS2Rs and diverse physiological pathways may pave the way for regulating appetite and metabolism, dietary intervention.

Rapid and on-site detection of Bifidobacterium bifidum (B. bifidum) throughout the food manufacturing process serves as an essential sentinel for assessing product quality and healthy potency. Herein, we introduce a sandwich-type surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) aptasensor for B. bifidum quantification, which integrates aptamer-functionalized magnetic beads (Apt-Fe₃O₄) for target-specific capture and aptamer-modified gold nanoparticles/metal-organic framework composites (Apt-AuNPs@MIL-101) for SERS-based signal amplification. Experimental results revealed a strong linear correlation between the intensity of the characteristic Raman peak and the logarithmic of the B. bifidum concentrations within the range of 2.0 × 10¹ to 2.0 × 10⁶ CFU/mL, and the limit of detection was as low as 2.5 CFU/mL. In addition to superior sensitivity, the proposed approach demonstrated exceptional specificity against non-target bacterial strains, particularly in multi-strain coexistent systems. The method further demonstrated great potential in analysis of B. bifidum in commercial samples, showing high consistency with the results obtained from the classic qPCR method. The study established an innovative analytical platform for rapid and on-site probiotic assessment, highlighting its applicability in probiotic food products’ quality control and evaluation.

The mechanism of flavor formation in fermented aquatic foods is complex. The microbial interactions during the fermentation process leads to the formation of a variety of flavor components, so it is difficult to analyze the flavor components of fermented aquatic foods from a single perspective. In recent years, multiple-level omics which researches the regulation of gene expression, protein transcription and translation, protein-protein interactions, and the qualitative and quantitative analysis of metabolites has been applied to determine the characteristic flavor components and the mechanism of flavor formation in fermented aquatic foods. More broadly, omics can be used to build the metabolic network of flavor compounds and explore the relationship between flavor-related microorganisms and enzymes. This article reviews the main metabolic pathways involved in flavor formation in fermented aquatic products and recent progress in the application of multi-omics technology for analyzing flavor formation in aquatic products during fermentation and highlights its important role in the study of the flavor of fermented aquatic products.

Central fatigue is closely linked to disruptions in the microbiota–gut–brain axis (MGBA), yet the molecular mechanisms involved remain largely unclear, and effective nutritional interventions are still limited. Tartary buckwheat polyphenols (TBP) have demonstrated potential in modulating the gut microbiota and supporting neuronal function. However, the specific pathways through which TBP exert their anti-fatigue effects are not fully understood. Clarifying these mechanisms is crucial for the development of precision dietary strategies to alleviate central fatigue. In this work, we established a mouse model of overexercise-induced central fatigue to systematically evaluate the effects of TBP through behavioral assessments, histological examination, neurotransmitter profiling, and inflammatory and oxidative stress marker analysis. The results showed that TBP significantly improved fatigue-related behaviors, alleviated intestinal and brain tissue damage, and modulated the expression of various neurotransmitters. Furthermore, TBP significantly reduced serum levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1β and TNF-α), and mitigated oxidative stress by enhancing GSH-Px and CAT activity and reducing MDA levels. 16S rRNA sequencing revealed that TBP altered gut microbiota composition, promoting the abundance of beneficial taxa such as Lachnospiraceae, Lactobacillus, and Roseburia, while suppressing potentially harmful microbes. Short-chain fatty acids analysis further demonstrated that TBP modulated levels of acetic, propionic, and butyric acids, contributing to intestinal barrier integrity and energy homeostasis. Metabolomics analysis revealed that TBP influenced several key pathways, including alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism, as well as neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions, thereby restoring the metabolic balance under central fatigue. Collectively, this work provides supportive evidence that TBP alleviates central fatigue through modulating the MGBA.

Not only do biogenic amines present in aquatic products reduce the quality and shorten the shelf life of aquatic products, but also excessive biogenic amines pose serious threats to consumers’ health. In this context, establishing a safe and efficient biogenic amines control system is of great practical significance to guarantee the quality and safety of aquatic products. This paper begins with a summary of the formation, harms and limit standards of biogenic amines in aquatic products, focusing on the recent progress in the development of control techniques for biogenic amines based on processing techniques, food composition regulation and food antibacterial packaging, in order to provide a reference for establishing a more safe and efficient biogenic amines control system.

It is found that endogenous enzymes, microorganisms, lipid oxidation and environmental factors are important factors causing the spoilage of aquatic products. How to improve the preservation of aquatic products to reduce the spoilage loss of aquatic products and ensure the safety of consumers of aquatic products is key for the sustainable development of the aquatic industry, which has aroused widespread concern. In recent years, with people paying more attention to food safety and food packaging, active packaging has gradually developed, which has been applied to significantly improve food preservation and has become a research hotspot. In this context, this paper begins with a discussion of the spoilage mechanism of aquatic products. This is followed by an analysis of the mechanism of the effect of active packaging on the quality preservation of aquatic products from four aspects: endogenous enzyme activity, microbial growth, lipid oxidation and environment factors. This review also discusses the possible synergistic mechanism of active packaging. We anticipate that this review will provide support for future targeted active packaging of aquatic products.

Prepared aquatic products have recently shown a momentum of rapid development due to its convenience and easy availability. With the characteristics of high protein content, high water content, and neutral pH, prepared aquatic products are susceptible to oxidation, microorganisms, and endogenous enzymes, leading to flavor deterioration. With the continuous development of the prepared aquatic products industry, understanding the mechanism of flavor deterioration in prepared aquatic products is of great significance for their quality maintenance and flavor regulation. In this context, the mechanism of flavor deterioration in prepared aquatic products is reviewed herein from the perspectives of protein oxidation, lipid oxidation, microorganisms, and endogenous enzymes. Furthermore, the methods for the flavor regulation of prepared aquatic products through processing techniques, exogenous additives, and packaging methods are discussed. We expect that this review will provide a reference for the flavor maintenance of prepared aquatic products and the development of the prepared food industry.

Ethoxyquin (EQ) is a widely used feed additives for aquaculture, but the potential hazard to fish and consumers are not fully understood. In this work, EQ was applied to tilapia fed with either high-fat or low-fat feed, and the changes in growth performance and intestinal barrier integrality of genetically improved farmed tilapia was observed. Additionally, the microbiota in the intestinal content and flesh was analyzed by 16S rDNA sequencing, and the flesh metabolites was measured by LC-MS/MS untargeted metabolomics. In the low-fat group, EQ increased weight gain and feed conversion rate, but reduced survival rate. In the high-fat group, only weight gain decreased, and there was no significant effect on feed conversion rate and survival rate. Additionally, the intestinal villi and microbiota diversity was impaired in both feeding conditions. Microbiota analysis revealed that EQ resulted in different composition and lower diversity of the flesh microbiota and upregulated the proportion of potential pathogens. EQ also changed the flesh metabolome, decreasing beneficial metabolites and increasing potential harmful components. This work elucidated the effect of EQ on growth performance of tilapia and implied that it has adverse effects on tilapia and may be passed on to consumers.

Large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) is one of economic important mariculture fish species with abundant nutritional value, and usually stored at refrigerated temperature. Our study investigated the effects of temperature fluctuation and abuse on the quality of the large yellow croaker and further analyzed the volatile compounds as temperature abuse sensitivity or indicators during temperature fluctuations. We simulated a cold chain model that mapped the temperature of chilled large yellow croaker during land-sea freight. Temperature fluctuation caused a non-negligible effect on the quality of the large yellow croaker. Samples exposed to greater temperature fluctuation had a higher rise in total viable count (TVC), total volatile basic nitrogen content, K value, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances value. Among them, TVC is the sensitive index to temperature fluctuation. A total of 81 typical target compounds were identified by using headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry. During temperature fluctuations, the concentration of volatile aldehydes, including pentanal, heptanal, nonanal, and octanal decreased, while the concentration of ketones and nitrogenous and heterocyclic compounds increased. Principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis showed that 2-pentanone and ethyl acetate were significantly correlated with the quality changes during temperature fluctuations, which could be the potential indicators for observing quality changes in large yellow croaker during temperature fluctuation.