Kazachstania humilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae are the most commonly used yeasts for producing sourdough bread. This study compared the microbiological properties of sourdough isolates of K. humilis and S. cerevisiae and evaluated their respective impacts on bread quality. Kazachstania humilis lacked maltose fermentation and exhibited lower gas production and leavening ability than S. cerevisiae. Consequently, bread fermented with K. humilis (Sample K) showed lower specific volume but higher yellowness (b*) and textural values, including hardness and elastic modulus, compared to bread produced using S. cerevisiae (Sample S). Flavor analysis revealed that Sample K had higher concentrations of compounds attributed to lipid oxidation and lower concentrations of yeast-derived metabolites. Sensory evaluation confirmed that Sample K was significantly harder and more elastic, aligning with instrumental findings. Notably, Sample K was preferred for its elasticity. These results demonstrate that K. humilis and S. cerevisiae impart distinct characteristics to sourdough bread, indicating that specific yeast species significantly influence the final sensory attributes of sourdough bread.

Sansho (Zanthoxylum piperitum) has a unique aroma (essential oils) and pungent taste (sanshools) with a numbing sensation. We developed an inexpensive method to simultaneously fractionate and prepare sanshools and essential oils. This method utilizes the characteristic that, among organic solvents approved for food use, hexane dissolves aromatic components well but does not readily dissolve sanshools. Powdered, dried sansho pericarps were vigorously suspended in hexane containing α-tocopherol at 20 °C and filtered. The filtrate can be used as a concrete for sansho flavors and fragrances. The hexane extraction residue was vacuum dried to remove the hexane, and the dried material was suspended in ethanol or vegetable oil and filtered. Most of the sanshools in the sansho pericarps were recovered in the filtrate. The filtrate was free of the aroma of sansho pericarps and could be used to develop food products utilizing only the pungency of the pericarps.

Food-derived bioactive peptides have attracted attention for their potential benefits for cognitive function. Gln-Gln is a natto-derived dipeptide previously reported to improve cognitive function in mice. This study investigated the effects of Gln-Gln on neurotrophic signaling in differentiated SH-SY5Y cells. Gln-Gln treatment increased cell viability within the tested concentration range and significantly upregulated the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc). Selective inhibitor analysis demonstrated that inhibition of the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) or phospholipase C (PLC), as well as intracellular Ca2+ chelation, significantly attenuated Gln-Gln-induced BDNF upregulation. Furthermore, Gln-Gln increased the phosphorylation of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), whereas extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation was not significantly affected. These findings suggest that Gln-Gln modulates neurotrophic signaling through a pathway involving CaMKII and CREB activation in neuronal cells, supporting a potential role for Gln-Gln in cognitive function.

Understanding how time-varying sensory perceptions shape momentary liking is essential for characterizing dynamic eating experiences. This study proposes a framework for deriving moment-wise temporal drivers of liking by linking Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS) and Temporal Liking (TL) data using a time-series modeling approach. Using strawberry datasets, sensory patterns were related to corresponding liking trajectories, and the contributions of individual attributes were quantified over time. The results revealed distinct temporal roles of sensory attributes: sweetness and juiciness contributed positively over extended periods, whereas sourness and fruitiness exerted more localized effects. A human evaluation task showed that the derived temporal patterns were identified at a rate significantly above chance level, indicating perceptual plausibility. These findings provide a fine-grained characterization of sensory–hedonic dynamics and offer a general framework for analyzing temporal drivers of liking in food evaluation.

Edible mushrooms are highly valued worldwide for their excellent nutritional and pharmacological properties. In this study, the effects of mushroom-derived crude polysaccharides on skin cells were evaluated to develop novel applications for commonly consumed mushrooms. The four species studied were Hypsizygus marmoreus, Pleurotus ostreatus, Lyophyllum shimeji, and Grifola frondosa. After hot water extraction, polysaccharides rich in β-glucans were analyzed for antioxidant activity and in vitro wound closure using L929 fibroblasts. Polysaccharides derived from L. shimeji exhibited radical scavenging activity, with the second-highest activity after G. frondosa. Furthermore, L. shimeji extract exhibited the highest wound closure capacity among all the tested species. These findings suggest that this approach could be a promising and sustainable strategy for developing functional foods and medical products. Moreover, commercially available mushrooms and discarded non-standard mushrooms may be used as raw materials for bioactive polysaccharides, potentially enabling effective resource utilization.

Highly sensitive detection of bioactive peptides is often required for their bioavailability study, due to their low abundance in biological systems. This study evaluated the analytical performance of trapped ion mobility spectrometry (TIMS) coupled with liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-qTOF/MS) for detecting the anti-dementia dipeptide YP and the anti-muscle atrophy pentapeptide DGYMP. For YP, derivatization with 3-aminopyridyl N-hydroxysuccinimidyl carbamate (APDS) enhanced mass spectrometric detection by LC-qTOF/MS in TIMS-OFF mode, whereas detection of the pentapeptide DGYMP was not affected by amine derivatization. Under optimized TIMS parameters, including mobility window width and accumulation/ramp times, the developed LC-TIMS-qTOF/MS method achieved limits of detection of 0.97 nmol/L for APDS-YP and 0.88 nmol/L for DGYMP. These findings demonstrate that integrating TIMS with LC-qTOF/MS offers an effective platform for highly sensitive analysis of bioactive peptides, likely due to enhanced ion accumulation and ion mobility-based separation within the TIMS chamber.

Ready-to-eat foods are not cooked, increasing the risk of microbial contamination. Mannitol–yolk–polymyxin agar (MYPA) is often used to detect microbes but is limited by low selectivity for common contaminants, necessitating more effective supplements. Thus, we evaluated aztreonam supplementation (AZ-MYPA) for detecting Bacillus cereus. Target strain growth was not significantly inhibited at 16 µg/mL aztreonam. In seven foods artificially inoculated with Bacillus cereus/thuringiensis, the recovery on AZ-MYPA was comparable to or higher than that on conventional MYPA, showing significant increases in soybean paste, cabbage salad, and saengsik. Competing microflora were also suppressed, reducing background colonies to countable levels in red pepper powder and soybean paste. This suppression minimized acidification and masking effects, enhancing the visibility of eosin-pink pigmentation and lecithinase halos. However, in diverse samples, like cabbage salad, background interference remained. Overall, AZ-MYPA is a reliable and practical medium for detecting B. cereus in food matrices with high microbial loads.

Apple pomace, an agricultural by-product, is rich in bioactive components; however, its effects on chondrocyte function remain unclear. We investigated the effects of apple pomace extract (APE) on the human chondrosarcoma-derived cell line OUMS-27. APE treatment markedly increased type II collagen and proteoglycan production, as confirmed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Alcian Blue staining. Quantitative reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed upregulation of COL2A1 and ACAN expression, accompanied by downregulation of basal expression of MMP3, MMP13, and ADAMTS5. Western blotting demonstrated that APE induced the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinase, and protein kinase B, indicating that these signaling pathways are associated with its anabolic effects. These findings suggest that APE promotes extracellular matrix production in this cell model by modulating key metabolic and signaling pathways. Our study highlights the potential of upcycling apple pomace into a functional food ingredient for supporting extracellular matrix metabolism in cartilage.

This study investigated differences in the quality of chicken sauces (CSs) prepared by combining different types of koji and starter cultures for the efficient utilization of whole chicken extract residue (WCER). Chicken koji (CK), produced from WCER, and commercial rice koji (RK), together with soy sauce lactic acid bacteria (Tetragenococcus halophilus) and yeast (Zygosaccharomyces rouxii), were evaluated for their effects on the physicochemical properties of CS mash (moromi) and the quality of the final products. Salt-soluble nitrogen, formol nitrogen, and the protein degradation ratio were higher in the CK group than in the RK group. Multivariate analysis integrating taste sensor data, physicochemical parameters, and extractive components clearly distinguished the taste characteristics between the CK- and RK-based products.

In a previous study, we developed a graphite sheet-assisted laser desorption ionization-mass spectrometry (GRAMS) method to simultaneously detect both hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds in a sample without chromatographic separation. In this study, we applied the GRAMS method to a comprehensive analysis of food-related compounds. As a result, a wide range of food-related compounds were detected, including amino acids, fatty acids, sterol lipids, sugars, aroma compounds, vitamins, organic acids, polyphenols, advanced glycation end products, pesticides, and drugs. Using beer as a representative sample, GRAMS successfully detected common flavor compounds and discriminated among four commercial products based on their chemical profiles. Furthermore, combining GRAMS with trapped ion mobility spectrometry time-of-flight mass spectrometry enabled the separation of isomers such as maltotriose and raffinose, thereby substantially improving molecular identification accuracy. The proposed GRAMS platform therefore provides a powerful tool for comprehensive, high-throughput food chemical profiling.

This study investigated the effects of different formulations on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in forest frog paste and its immunomodulatory activity. Gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) coupled with electronic nose and multivariate statistics analyzed VOCs, and the immunomodulatory activity was evaluated in cyclophosphamide (CTX)-induced immunosuppressed BALB/c mice. A total of 22 VOCs were detected, and 3 key differential markers (variable importance in the projection, VIP > 1), namely (E,E)-2,4-heptadienal, methyl isobutyrate and 2-furanmethanol, were screened out. Compared with the model group, the high-dose group elevated thymus and spleen indices by 26 % and 22 %, and serum immunoglobulin M (IgM), immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels increased by 38.95 % and 20.90 %, respectively. In conclusion, GC-IMS-electronic nose can distinguish flavor profiles of different formulations; the key markers and immunomodulatory results lay theoretical and experimental foundations for forest frog paste’s quality regulation and functional product development.

Objective: To develop a rapid, cost-effective, and eco-friendly method that combines solid-phase extraction (SPE) with microplate reader technology for quantifying hesperidin in Citri Reticulatae Pericarpium (CRP) slices, thereby enhancing quality evaluation standards for CRP slices. Methods: Ultrasonic methanol extraction of CRP slices, purification on octadecylsilyl (ODS) SPE, and direct microscale detection by a microplate reader to enable high-throughput quantification without chromatographic separation. Results: The method achieved 96.48 % recovery (relative standard deviation, RSD = 5.88 %) with linearity (correlation coefficient, r > 0.998), and its results are comparable to Pharmacopoeia HPLC standards. Conclusions: The SPE–microplate reader approach is simple, rapid, and sustainable for hesperidin determination in CRP slices, advancing high-throughput quality assessment of traditional Chinese medicines and promoting green analytical practices. It provides a scientific basis for improving CRP slices quality standards and supports broader applications in herbal medicine analysis.

The accelerating impacts of the Anthropocene have intensified pressure on marine ecosystems. In this context, cellular aquaculture—the production of blue foods through controlled cell cultivation—has emerged as an essential alternative for mitigating marine biodiversity loss and ensuring global food security. However, its advancement is constrained by a critical trilemma comprising economic viability, textural fidelity, and sensory complexity. This review proposes biophysical convergence as a strategic framework to overcome these bottlenecks, emphasizing the integration of bioprocessing agility with food physics. Recent advances in bio-orchestration, including double-network emulsion gels and adaptive materials designed to emulate adipose tissue rheology, are examined alongside physical engineering strategies such as juiciness design via pulsed field gradient stimulated echo nuclear magnetic resonance (PFG-STE NMR), lipid stabilization using artificial oil bodies (AOBs), and monodisperse lipid structuring through microchannel emulsification (MCE). By integrating biological innovation with physical engineering, this review outlines a roadmap toward a regionally harmonized framework for safe and high-fidelity cellular aquaculture.