Exosomes, small molecules with phospholipid bilayer structures derived from cell membranes, usually contain many biomacromolecules, such as proteins, mRNAs, and miRNAs. Exosomes have been verified to be among the most important mediators of material and information exchange within or between individuals. In recent decades, exosomes have attracted increasing attention from researchers. In this review, the structure, methods of separation and identification, and cell origination of exosomes are described in detail. The potential applications of exosomes, such as anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects, tissue damage repair and regeneration, antioxidant function, drug delivery, and cancer therapy, are summarized. Food-derived exosomes from animals, plants and microorganisms have become a research hotspot. Exosomes carrying biomacromolecules are important mediators of signal transduction and regulation between cells from the same individual and between individuals of the same or different species. It is widely considered a promising intermediate for food nutrition and chronic disease prevention.

As a chronic inflammatory and autoimmune disease, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) leads to joint dysfunction and deformities due to joint inflammation, bone erosion, and cartilage destruction, potentially resulting in permanent disability, which significantly reduces patients’ quality of life. Compared with refined grains, whole grains retain components such as the endosperm, germ, and bran, which are rich in higher levels of phytochemicals and nutrients. Recent studies suggest that the components in whole grains may play essential roles in the alleviation of RA. This review summarizes the potential effects of whole grain ingredients on alleviating RA via the inhibition of synovial fibroblast migration, cartilage degradation, and osteoclast activity and further elaborates their mechanisms that phytochemicals and nutrients in whole grains inhibit RA via anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immune system modulation pathways. We anticipate that nutritional interventions with whole grains may offer new avenues for the prevention and treatment of RA.

Whole wheat flour is a food raw material rich in macronutrients, but its application in baking industry is limited due to the existence of a large amount of insoluble dietary fiber in bran. In order to make full use of this resource, we first screened twelve cellulase-producing strains, and then extracted soluble dietary fiber (SDF) from whole wheat flour after fermentation with 3 strains of Aspergillus sp. and 2 strains of Bacillus sp., respectively. The effects of different strains on nutritional characteristics, SDF yield, structure improvement, and antioxidant activity of whole wheat flour were compared. The results showed that fermentation of whole wheat significantly increased the yield of SDF, the content of nutritive active substances, and improved the physicochemical structure and antioxidant activity of SDF in vitro. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction and liquidity characteristics show that the fermentation to make whole wheat SDF has more porous microstructure and crystallinity of lower molecular weight. Fourier transform infrared spectrum showed that there were differences in functional group types between soluble dietary fiber in control group (C-SDF) and soluble dietary fiber in the fermentation group (F-SDF). These changes together improved the hydration performance and antioxidant activity of whole wheat SDF, including water holding capacity, oil holding capacity, cholesterol adsorption, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and hydroxyl radical scavenging, and lipase activity inhibition. Bacillus sp.SH and Aspergillus oryzae Y21 are ideal strains for fermentation of improved whole wheat, which has the potential of antioxidant properties while improving nutritional properties and food quality.

Ferulic acid (FA), the most abundant phenolic acid in cereals, widely exists in both free and bound forms in grains, legumes and other plant-based foods. FA has various functional activities, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, thus exhibiting high application values in the fields of food and medicine. To date, although a large number of in vivo and in vitro experiments have shown the importance of cereal FA in maintaining intestinal health, it is still unclear how FA is metabolized by the gut microbiota. In order to offer new insights into the molecular mechanism of the regulatory effect of FA the gut microbiota and offer a theoretical reference for better development and utilization of cereal FA and its metabolites, this paper provides a systematic review of the recent literature concerning intestinal microbial metabolism of cereal FA from three aspects of the existing forms, intestinal release and metabolism, and physiological health effects.

Compared to refined wheat flour, whole wheat flour contains higher nutrients, but its high content of dietary fiber can have a significant impact on the quality of the final product. Therefore, how to enable consumers to obtain health benefits from whole wheat flour and improve the processing performance of whole wheat products has become a concern. The purpose of this study is to apply 2 strains Bacillus sp. SH and Aspergillus oryzae Y21 with cellulase production capacity and study their adaptability in whole wheat dough. The results indicate that the addition of cellulase-producing strains enhanced the acid production ability of whole wheat dough, rapidly reduced its pH value and insoluble dietary fiber content, and significantly increased the water-soluble arabinoxylan and water-soluble dietary fiber content. During the fermentation process, the viscoelasticity of the dough decreased, free sulfhydryl content increased, wet gluten content decreased, and the degree of reduction was consistent with the degree of acidification. Moreover, the proteolytic activity of the dough was increased, and the hydrolysis of gliadin was the most extensive. SH showed a higher advantage and has been used in whole wheat bread making. Increasing the proportion of strain SH in whole wheat bread can improve the structural characteristics and texture of the bread. When SH (5 × 10⁷ CFU/g) is added to whole wheat bread, its hardness, elasticity, chewiness, and resilience can be similar to those of bread made from control group wheat flour, far exceeding that of whole wheat bread without adding SH. The addition of cellulase producing strains has obvious advantages in the development of whole-wheat dough, and also promote the development of whole wheat fermented foods as staple foods.