This study prepared chromium(Ⅲ)-chelating peptides derived from steam-exploded pea protein (SEPPs-Cr(Ⅲ)) and evaluated its biological activities. The preparation conditions were optimized by one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) method and response surface methodology (RSM) using the chelation rate of chromium(Ⅲ) as the response variable. The structures of steam-exploded pea protein-derived peptides (SEPPs) and SEPPs-Cr(Ⅲ) were characterized by ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, zeta potential, particle size, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Their antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities in vitro were evaluated. The results showed that the optimal preparation conditions were determined as: peptide/chromium(Ⅲ) volume ratio of 1:3.7, pH 4.6, temperature of 37.5℃, and reaction time of 70 min. Under these conditions, the chelation rate of chromium(Ⅲ) was (31.67±0.75)%. Compared with SEPPs, SEPPs-Cr(Ⅲ) exhibited an increased particle size, significantly reduced amounts of negative surface charge, increased β-sheet content, and decreased random coil content, showing a rough, folded, and compact granular aggregate morphology. Spectral analysis confirmed that chromium(Ⅲ) primarily bound to amino, carbonyl, and carboxyl groups in the SEPP peptide chain, forming stable chelate structures. In vitro bioactivity studies indicated that the half maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀) of SEPPs-Cr(Ⅲ) against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazylradical (DPPH) and hydroxyl radicals were 5.14 and 4.6 mg/mL, respectively, which were significantly lower than those of SEPPs (11.6 and 8.79 mg/mL). The IC₅₀ against α-amylase and α-glucosidase were also significantly lower than those of SEPPs (0.39 versus 3.14 mg/mL and 0.59 versus 9.18 mg/mL). Furthermore, SEPPs-Cr(Ⅲ) exhibited a significantly stronger reducing capability than SEPPs. The findings provide a theoretical basis for developing organic chromium(Ⅲ) supplements.

High-temperature meat products are popular among consumers due to their unique color, aroma and taste. However, harmful substances such as heterocyclic amines can be formed from reducing sugars and amino acids through free radical pathway or Maillard reaction during the high-temperature processing of meat products. In this paper, we review the formation pathways and prevention methods of heterocyclic amines in high-temperature meat products and the regulation of their metabolism in the human body. We recommend that the proper heating methods as well as the proper edible oils, sugars and metal ions, natural spices and antioxidants should be selected. In order to reduce the digestion and absorption of heterocyclic amines and regulate their metabolism the human body, we recommend that the activity of heterocyclic amines should be reduced, the activation process should be inhibited, the genotoxicity should be reduced by enzymatic trapping of metabolites, and the rate of metabolism, digestion and absorption in the body should be reduced by nucleotide excision repair after ingestion of heterocyclic amines. The information gathered in this review will be helpful to optimize the processing technology for high-temperature meat products, promote the green development of the meat industry and enhance consumer health.

Mycotoxins are ubiquitous in agricultural products and their derivatives. Mycotoxins poses severe health threats to humans and animals and thus have received increasing attention. This necessitates the detoxification of mycotoxins in foods. Traditional detoxification methods are easy to operate and widely applied, but have limitations. Therefore, more efficient and stable methods are needed to detoxify mycotoxins. Nanomaterials have attracted extensive attention due to their large specific surface area, many active sites and high stability, and intensive research has demonstrated that nanomaterials hold great potential in detoxifying mycotoxins in foods. In this article, we summarize the current status of mycotoxin pollution and the limit standards for mycotoxins, and focus on recent progress in the application of nanomaterials in mycotoxin detoxification. Next, we elaborate the properties and detoxification mechanisms of nanomaterials in various applications, discuss problems associated with nanomaterials in the detoxification of mycotoxins, and forecast future development trends.Through this review, we hope to provide a reference for the development of new nanomaterials for mycotoxin detoxification.

Mycotoxins are highly toxic and carcinogenic to humans and animals, and mycotoxin pollution in foods is difficult to prevent and control, which has sparked increasing concern. Therefore, it is necessary to detect mycotoxins in foods. Traditional mycotoxin detection methods, although accurate and reliable, require expensive equipment and long detection time, which do not meet the requirements of the rapid detection of mycotoxins. Thus, it is necessary to develop fast, sensitive, accurate, and economical methods for detecting mycotoxins. Fluorescent sensors based on the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) effect are widely used in the detection industry because of their simple operation, fast reaction speed, reliable results and low cost. This article mainly introduces the detection mechanism of fluorescence sensors based on the FRET effect, summarizes their applications in mycotoxin detection, and proposes existing problems and an outlook for future development trends, in order to provide a reference for the design of novel fluorescence sensors and the optimization of the sensitivity of mycotoxin detection.