Brain insulin resistance has emerged as a significant etiological factor in various neurodegenerative disorders (NDs), contributing to pathological hallmarks such as protein aggregation, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation. This review examines the mechanisms by which distinct flavonoid subclasses – anthocyanins, flavanols, flavanones, flavones, isoflavones, and flavonols – from phytochemical extracts enhance neuronal insulin sensitivity and maintain synaptic plasticity to mitigate pathophysiological processes driving NDs. We elucidate key molecular pathways, focusing on insulin-regulated PI3K/AKT signaling cascade and its downstream effects on GSK3β activity, autophagy, apoptosis, and neuroinflammation. Furthermore, we evaluate nanoencapsulation technologies as an advanced drug delivery system designed to improve the bioavailability and blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability of various flavonoids. Overall, plant flavonoids emerge as promising compounds for addressing NDs, particularly when coupled with innovative pharmacokinetic strategies to enhance their efficacy.

Packaging maintains quality and decreases food loss and waste (FLW); however, it creates environmental problems such as climate change. This review elucidates the contributions of packaging to the environmental impacts of the life cycle of foods and supports environmentally proper packaging that maintains the quality of foods and minimizes FLW. Many studies report that the food production stage is the most relevant process. This shows that additional production compensating for the FLW can increase the environmental burdens, and FLW reduction by packaging decreases the burden of the food life cycle. The lower the energy density of food (kcal/100 g) is, the greater the contribution of packaging. This supports decision making on which stages we should prioritize to minimize the environmental impacts. Food packaging systems requires environmentally optimized packaging that balances the direct (i.e., environmental burden for packaging production) and indirect (i.e., reduction in FLW and FLW-related environmental burden) influences.

We investigated the quality characteristics of fish sauces prepared by processing residues of dried small-sized Japanese amberjack from Hokkaido. Two types of moromis were prepared by processing the residue containing rice koji mold and Zygosaccharomyces rouxii into soy sauce yeast (KY sauce) or commercial proteinase powder and soy sauce yeast (EY sauce). KY and EY sauce moromis were fermented at 35 °C for three and one months, respectively. The increase in halotolerant bacterial counts and lactic acid levels in both moromis in the early stages of fermentation correlated with a decrease in pH. Halotolerant yeast counts in both moromis were 5.9 × 10³ cfu/mL throughout fermentation. No histamine accumulation was observed in the moromis. The extractive components of the final products were richer in EY sauce than in KY sauce. According to taste sensor analysis, umami was stronger in EY sauce than in KY sauce while saltiness and sourness showed opposite trends.

This study focused on investigating the life cycle of soy sauce via the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to quantify its environmental burden. MiLCA software was used to assess the environmental impact. The production of chemicals during soybean cultivation constituted an environmental burden hotspot during the life cycle of soy sauce, as determined via the characterized and single score results. The potential for environmental burden reduction in the three impact categories was demonstrated on the basis of the introduction of organic cultivation. The sensitivity analysis results revealed that the yield of organic soybeans affected the reduction in environmental burden during the life cycle of organic soy sauce. The results showed that substituting organic soybeans as a material for soy sauce could reduce the environmental burden during the life cycle of soy sauce. Future studies, such as assessments of environmental impacts using different impact categories, should be conducted in the future.

Cyclodextrins (CDs) are cyclic oligosaccharides with attractive applications in the food industry. The most common CDs are α-CD, β-CD, and γ-CD, consisting of 6, 7, and 8 glucose units, respectively. This study aimed to compare the digestion, fermentation, and modulation of microbial composition among the 3 types of CDs in a rat model. Feeding of the diet containing 2.5% (w/w) of α-CD or β-CD, but not γ-CD, for 2 weeks significantly increased the pool of succinate in the cecal content compared to the control. Feces collected during the first week of feeding contained α-CD and β-CD at detectable levels. Fecal microbial analysis revealed that α-CD and β-CD, but not γ-CD, showed an increasing trend in the relative abundance of the family Coriobacteriaceae, and decreased Clostridiaceae. Taken together, undigested α-CD and β-CD were utilized fermentatively with the production of succinate and lactate, particularly with changes in the microbial composition.

This study explored the effects of chickpea flour (CkpF) supplementation on corn cakes’ nutritional content, amino acid profile, texture, antioxidant activity, and sensory qualities. Chickpea flour notably increased the fat, protein, and ash content, with the (corn flour) CF + CkpF3 sample (40 % CkpF) showing the highest levels—22.10 % protein, 3.71 % fat, and 2.23 % ash versus the control’s (0 % CkpF) 10.50 %, 1.9 %, and 1.51 %. The supplementation reduced fiber and carbohydrates while enhancing essential amino acids, particularly in the CF + Ckp3 sample. Textural improvements included greater hardness, cohesion, and chewiness, and antioxidant activity increased significantly to 71.70 % in CF + Ckp3 compared to 21.30 % in the control. Sensory evaluations indicated better taste, texture, and overall acceptability, though the pale brown color from chickpea flour slightly diminished visual appeal. These findings suggest chickpea flour is a beneficial ingredient for improving the nutritional and sensory properties of gluten-free baked goods.

This study aimed to investigate whether adzuki bean protein could be functionally modified through glycation, similar to soybean 11S globulin, using the Maillard reaction. Optimal preparation conditions, identified via random-centroid optimization, indicated that maximum hydroxyl radical antioxidant activity was achieved at a temperature of 59 °C, relative humidity of 57 %, reaction time of 35.8 h, and glucose-to-adzuki bean protein ratio of 10.51:1 (w/w). SDS-PAGE analysis revealed that glucose-conjugated adzuki bean protein exhibited glycation, with an increase in molecular weight after 8 h. The hydroxyl radical antioxidant capacity of optimally glycated adzuki protein was determined to be 78.61 ± 49.3 µmol of gallic acid equivalent/g of protein. This antioxidant capacity was improved compared to the native adzuki protein, and was equivalent to that of glycated soybean 11S globulin. These results suggest that functional alteration of adzuki bean protein can be achieved to the same extent as that of soybean protein.

Koji-amazake is a non-alcoholic sweet rice beverage popular in Japan, and commercial products are now available in Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand. It is made from boiled rice and rice-koji, a Japanese traditional fermentation starter using Aspergillus oryzae. The citrate-producing Aspergillus luchuensis is also used for the fermentation. Unpolished brown rice containing various nutrients is a promising ingredient; however, reduced phytate in the rice bran layer is desirable, as its strong chelating action may inhibit mineral absorption. Rice-koji made with A. luchuensis was found to be superior to that made with A. oryzae in dephosphorylation of phytate to myo-inositol in brown rice-koji-amazake. As citrate from A. luchuensis affects the flavor and degree of saccharification of the product, the combined use of rice-koji made with those two species should be considered to optimize the flavor and nutritional benefits of the product.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of hydrolyzed eggshell membrane (HESM) and hydrolyzed egg white (HEW) on the reddening of cured meat products, focusing on their reducing properties. HESM significantly enhanced meat redness of the model sausage, as indicated by the increased redness (a*) values observed compared with those obtained with treatments using HEW, egg white (EW), and control samples. Although HEW improved redness relative to EW and control samples, its efficacy was less than that of HESM. Additionally, 70 % ethanol-extract of HESM effectively reduced Fe³⁺ and lowered the oxidation-reduction potential. The HESM extract also significantly facilitated the formation of nitrosyl myoglobin (NOMb) in myoglobin solutions. However, this effect was significantly lower than that of the maleimide-treated HESM extract, indicating that the thiol groups in HESM are crucial for NOMb formation. Therefore, HESM enhances the coloration of cured meat products by the reducing potential of its thiol groups.

Because polyphenols are bioactive components in foods, an accurate and simple method for their determination is required. Currently, the Folin-Ciocalteu and iron tartrate methods are utilized for analyzing the total polyphenol content (TPC) in black tea. However, there are no scientifically based comparative data for these colorimetric methods. Therefore, in this study, an appropriate method for analyzing the TPC in black tea was proposed. Comparison of the efficacy of these colorimetric methods for the analysis of fresh and fermented black tea leaf samples, including quantitative HPLC data, showed that both colorimetric methods provided characteristic data depending on the degree of tea-leaf fermentation. The iron tartrate method was affected by the type of polyphenols in tea leaves, whereas in the Folin-Ciocalteu method, the reducing power of the polyphenols directly affected the total polyphenol equivalents. Both colorimetric methods were effective for analysis of the TPC in black tea leaves.