The SWGEDWGEIW from Soybean Peptides Reduces Insulin Resistance in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes by Activating p-Akt/GLUT4 Signaling Pathway.

Diabetes mellitus, a group of metabolic disorders characterized by persistent hyperglycemia, affects millions of people worldwide and is on the rise. Dietary proteins, from a wide range of food sources, are rich in bioactive peptides with anti-diabetic properties. Notably, the protective mechanism of the single peptide SWGEDWGEIW (TSP) from soybean peptides (SBPs) on insulin resistance of adipocytes in an inflammatory state was investigated by detecting the lipolysis and glucose absorption and utilization of adipocytes. The results showed that different concentrations of TSP (5, 10, 20 µg/mL) intervention can reduce 3T3-L1 adipocytes' insulin resistance induced by inflammatory factors in a dose-dependent manner and increase glucose utilization by 34.2 ± 4.6%, 74.5 ± 5.2%, and 86.7 ± 6.1%, respectively. Thus, TSP can significantly alleviate the lipolysis of adipocytes caused by inflammatory factors. Further mechanism analysis found that inflammatory factors significantly reduced the phosphorylation (p-Akt) of Akt, two critical proteins of glucose metabolism in adipocytes, and the expression of GLUT4 protein downstream, resulting in impaired glucose utilization, while TSP intervention significantly increased the expression of these two proteins. After pretreatment of adipocytes with PI3K inhibitor (LY294002), TSP failed to reduce the inhibition of p-Akt and GLUT4 expression in adipocytes. Meanwhile, the corresponding significant decrease in glucose absorption and the increase in the fat decomposition of adipocytes indicated that TSP reduced 3T3-L1 adipocytes' insulin resistance by specifically activating the p-Akt/GLUT4 signal pathway. Therefore, TSP has the potential to prevent obesity-induced adipose inflammation and insulin resistance.

Identification of a novel α-amylase inhibitory activity peptide from quinoa protein hydrolysate.

α-Amylase inhibitory activity plays an important role in reducing blood glucose. Food-derived α-amylase inhibitors have attracted significant attention due to their safety. This study obtained peptides displaying α-amylase inhibitory activity from pepsin hydrolysate of quinoa protein concentrates. Gel filtration chromatography revealed that the <1 kDa component exhibited significant α-amylase inhibitory capability, while the purified component was identified via mass spectrometry identification. Six peptides with α-amylase inhibitory activity were selected, wherein the inhibitory ability of the peptide MMFPH was 66.41 % higher than the others. Molecular docking indicated that the peptide MMFPH residues restricted the α-amylase activity by binding to the active α-amylase site. The molecular interaction experiments showed that the peptides and α-amylase were in a fast-binding and slow-dissociation mode, allowing the small peptides produced via quinoa protein digestion to bind more rapidly to α-amylase, thus preventing a rise in blood glucose in vivo.

Prospects for Plant-Based Meat: Current Standing, Consumer Perceptions, and Shifting Trends.

Dietary habits have a substantial influence on both planet and individual health. High intake of animal products has significant negative effects on the environment and on human health; hence, a reduction in meat consumption is necessary. The transition towards plant-based meat (PBM) is one of the potential solutions for environmental and health issues. To achieve this goal, it is important to understand the dietary habits and demands of consumers. This review was designed with a focus on PBM alternatives, dietary shifts during the COVID-19 pandemic, the drivers of consumers' perceptions in various countries, and the measures that can promote the shift towards PBM. The PBM market is predicted to grow with rising awareness, familiarity, and knowledge in the coming years. Companies must focus on the categories of anticipated benefits to aid consumers in making the switch to a diet higher in PBM alternatives if they want to win over the target market.

Energy efficient drying technologies for sweet potatoes: Operating and drying mechanism, quality-related attributes.

Sweet potatoes (SPs) are a versatile tuberous crop used as subsistence and cash crop in raw and processed forms. The major issue with SPs is post-harvest losses, which result in noticeable quality decline because of inappropriate handling, storage, delayed transit, and sales, as well as microbiological and enzymatic activity. Drying is an excellent strategy for managing short postharvest storage life, preserving nutrients, and maximizing long-term benefits. However, several parameters must be considered before drying SPs, such as relative humidity, temperature, drying duration, size, and shape. The current review looks at the factors influencing SPs' moisture loss, drying kinetics, diverse drying methods, pretreatments, operating conditions, and their efficacy in improving the drying process, functional, and nutritional qualities. An optimal drying process is required to preserve SPs to obtain concentrated nutrients and improve energy efficiency to be ecofriendly. Drying sweet potatoes using traditional methods such as sun or open-air drying was found to be a slow process that could result in a lower quality. Various advanced drying techniques, like vacuum, infrared, freeze drying, and pretreatments such as ultrasound and osmotic dehydration, have been developed and are successfully used globally. The best-fit thin-layer models (Hii, Page, two-term, logarithmic) utilized for drying SPs and appropriate modeling methods for optimizing drying procedures are also discussed.

Developing ultrasound-assisted hot-air and infrared drying technology for sweet potatoes.

The influence of ultrasound (US) pretreatments combined with infrared (IRD) and hot-air (HAD) drying on drying kinetics, mathematical modeling, bioactive compounds (antioxidant activities, Vitamin C, phenolics, and flavonoid contents), qualitative properties (ß-carotene, total carotenoids, color indexes, textural profile), enzyme inactivation, and exergetic analysis of sweet potatoes. The US pretreatment at 40 kHz combined with IRD and HAD (70 °C) significantly lessened the drying time and water contents. Besides, it did not affect the sweet potato's bioactive components and other quality-related attributes. The samples' activation energy (Ea) ranged from 17.60 to 29.86 kJ/mol for both dryers, with R2 (0.999-0.9809). Control samples had the highest specific energy consumption (SEC) due to the extended drying period, whereas ultrasound (40 kHz) treated samples had the lowest SEC during HAD and IRD at 80 °C. The thermodynamic parameters indicated that increasing the drying temperature lowers the enthalpy and Gibbs free energy, while entropy resulted in negative values. HAD had better textural qualities (hardness and resilience). The US pretreatments followed by HAD or IRD may lead to an energy-efficient method with acceptable quality maintenance.

Rheological and tribological nature of flaxseed gum influenced by concentration and temperature and its application as a coating agent for potato chips.

Influence of different concentrations (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0% w/v) and temperatures (4, 25, 50, and 75°C) on particle size distribution (PSD) and rheological and tribological characteristics of flaxseed gum (FSG) solutions was investigated. Besides, FSG dispersions (0.5, 1.0, and 2.0% w/v) were used as edible coating and their influence on the quality parameters (oil uptake, moisture loss, texture, and sensory properties) of fried potato chips was studied. All FSG dispersions revealed shear-thinning nature and viscous properties (as G″ > G') that were more dominant at higher concentrations and lower temperatures. The power-law model presented a good fit in demonstrating the flow behavior of FSG dispersions. Concentration was the variable that affected the tribology of FSG dispersions, while temperature had little effect on the tribology. Particle size distribution was increased with the increasing concentration of FSG. FSG dispersions as an edible coating effectively reduced the moisture loss, oil uptake, and hardness properties of potato chips. Practical Application Profiling the influence of concentration and temperature on the rheology and tribology of flaxseed gum is particularly valuable during food processing. The results predict the physical properties of coated potato chips that can support the potential application of flaxseed gum as a coating agent. Today's consumers prefer healthier food products with low caloric, higher fiber content, functional properties, and sensory qualities. Food industries can use FSG as a low-cost natural coating material in terms of economic benefits, consumer acceptance, and providing an inordinate potential both for its protective effect and carrying functional compounds such as antioxidants in their coating matrix.

Influence of different extraction techniques on recovery, purity, antioxidant activities, and microstructure of flaxseed gum.

Four extraction techniques (that is, hot water extraction [HWE], alkaline-acidic extraction [AAE], ultrasound assisted extraction [UAE], and microwave assisted extraction [MAE]) were compared for flaxseed gum extraction and their influence on the yield, purity, structural characterization (monosaccharide composition, molecular weight distribution, and microstructure by transmission electron microscope), and antioxidant activity (in terms of scavenging ability of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl [DPPH], 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid [ABTS], and reducing power) was investigated. The HWE achieved higher yield (8.96%) than UAE (7.84%) followed by MAE (7.01%) and AAE (6.44%). Moreover, the four flaxseed gum (FSG) samples exhibited the identical monosaccharide composition, but slight difference was observed in the content, whereas the molecular weight ratios exhibited significant difference. All samples displayed concentration-dependent manner for all antioxidant assays. UAE-FSG showed significant higher scavenging ability on DPPH free radical, ABTS free radical, reducing power, and ß-carotene bleaching assay followed by HWE-FSG, MAE-FSG, and AAE-FSG. Overall results showed that UAE was favorable to the purity of FSG, whereas HWE was more advantageous to improve the extraction yield and facile as it requires no special equipment. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Extraction methods directly affect the recovery and purity of the extracted compound. Thus, this study could help in selection of appropriate extraction method for FSG. The results suggested that FSG possesses potential healthcare application in food industry because of their nutrition composition and antioxidant activities, and thus, it can be used for formulation of functional food as a natural antioxidant agent.

Modeling the drying of ultrasound and glucose pretreated sweet potatoes: The impact on phytochemical and functional groups.

The influence of ultrasonic frequency (20 kHz) and glucose pretreatments either alone or in combination on the drying of sweet potato slices (3 mm) using a hot-air dryer at 60 °C was tested to study the kinetics modeling, phytochemicals, antioxidant activities, and functional and textural changes of the final dried product. The results indicated that total phenolic content and total flavonoid content were significantly higher in glucose-pretreated samples while antioxidant activities were higher in ultrasound- and glucose-pretreated samples. For vitamin C, much degradation occurred in the glucose-pretreated samples when compared with the other pretreated samples apart from the control. Enzymatic browning made a minor contribution to the ultrasound/glucose-pretreated samples, while no significant differences were noted in the glucose-pretreated samples. A modified Henderson and Pabis (MHP) model, followed by the two-term and Hii models, fitted best among the 15 selected mathematical models. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis revealed the presence of glucose, phenols, and flavonols in all samples. Microstructural analysis confirmed the hardness (N) in the final glucose-pretreated samples due to glucose layers and less cell damage.

A study of the mechanism of small-molecule soybean-protein-derived peptide supplement to promote sleep in a mouse model.

Here, the effects of dietary supplementation with small-molecule soybean-protein-derived peptide (SBP) on sleep duration in mice are described. The amounts of the neurotransmitters tryptophan (Trp, W), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HTP), serotonin (5-HT) and melatonin (MT) were determined by using an ELISA kit. Compared with the control group, the group of mice given 0.65 g kg-1 SBP showed 59.21% prolonged sleep at the third day of administration and significantly increased MT levels, by 95.31%. Western blotting analysis of 0.65 g kg-1 SBP revealed the presence of tryptophan hydroxylase (THP) and serotonin-N-acetyltransferase (AANAT) proteins, which increased the release of MT and upregulated the MT1 and MT2 receptor activities to alleviate sleep deprivation. Interestingly, the introduction of 2.60 g kg-1 SBP doubled the 5-HT content in the brain and promoted an awake state. As a result, the produced 5-HT could not be converted into MT in large amounts, so the sleep duration was shorter than that of the control group. These findings suggested the potential of using SBP in appropriate amounts as functional ingredients in various food products to improve sleep in elderly people afflicted with sleep disorders.

Production and Application of Biosurfactant Produced by Bacillus Licheniformis Ali5 in Enhanced Oil Recovery and Motor Oil Removal from Contaminated Sand.

The present study describes the production of biosurfactant from isolate B. licheniformis Ali5. Seven different, previously-reported minimal media were screened for biosurfactant production, and two selected media were further optimized for carbon source. Further, various fermentation conditions such as (pH 2-12, temperature 20-50 °C, agitation speed 100-300 rpm, NaCl (0-30 g·L-1) were investigated. The partially purified biosurfactant was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF MS) and found a lipopeptide mixture, similar to lichenysin-A. Biosurfactant reduced surface tension from 72.0 to 26.21 ± 0.3 and interfacial tension by 0.26 ± 0.1 mN.m-1 respectively, biosurfactant yield under optimized conditions was 1 g·L-1, with critical micelle concentration (CMC) of 21 mg·L-1 with high emulsification activity of (E24) 66.4 ± 1.4% against crude oil. Biosurfactant was found to be stable over extreme conditions. It also altered the wettability of hydrophobic surface by changing the contact angle from 49.76° to 16.97°. Biosurfactant efficiently removed (70-79%) motor oil from sand, with an efficiency of more than 2 fold as compared without biosurfactant (36-38%). It gave 32% additional oil recovery over residual oil saturation upon application to a sand-packed column. These results are indicative of potential application of biosurfactant in wettability alteration and ex-situ microbial enhanced oil recovery.

Flaxseed gum: Extraction, bioactive composition, structural characterization, and its potential antioxidant activity.

Flaxseed gum (FSG) is a heteropolysaccharide consist of neutral and acidic components that makes up approximately 8% of seed mass. FSG was extracted from mixture of brown and golden varieties of flaxseeds by hot water extraction method. The molecular weight distribution, monosaccharide analysis, chemical composition, and surface morphology of FSG were scrutinized in the current study to get a better insight regarding this important polysaccharide. The average molecular weight was recorded as 1,322 kDa with a polydispersity ratio of 1.6 for Mw/Mn and 2.4 for Mn/Mz. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) screening revealed that extracted FSG was comprised of rhamnose, arabinose, mannose, glucose, fucose, xylose, galactose, glucosamine, glucuronic acid, and galacturonic acid, of which mannose and glucosamine have not been reported previously. The antioxidant activities of FSG measured as DPPH, ABTS, reducing power, and total antioxidant activity clearly demonstrated the antioxidant potency of FSG. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and the Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) (1 H, 13 C) s pectra ratified the presence of functional groups typical for polysaccharide. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Flaxseed gum is a natural carbohydrate polymar. This study provides useful information regarding antioxidant potential, chemical, and structural characterization of FSG. The availability of a gum is fully characterized with bioactive composition, structural features, and antioxidant potential provides a toolset for the practical application in the food or drug industry.

Natural compounds with xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity: A review.

Hyperuricemia (HUA), a disease due to an elevation of body uric acid level and responsible for various diseases such as gout, cardiovascular disorders, and renal failure, is a major ground debate for the medical science these days. Considering the risk factors linked with allopathic drugs for the treatment of this disease, the debate has now become a special issue. Previously, we critically discussed the role of dietary polyphenols in the treatment of HUA. Besides dietary food plants, many researchers figure out the tremendous effects of medicinal plants-derived phytochemicals against HUA. Keeping in mind all these aspects, we reviewed all possible managerial studies related to HUA through medicinal plants (isolated compounds). In the current review article, we comprehensively discussed various bioactive compounds, chemical structures, and structure-activity relationship with responsible key enzyme xanthine oxidase.

Impact of ultrasound and conventional extraction techniques on bioactive compounds and biological activities of blue butterfly pea flower (Clitoria ternatea L.).

The present study was conducted to evaluate the influence of ultrasound on bioactive compounds and biological activities of blue butterfly pea flower (Clitoria ternatea L.). For this purpose, optimized conditions (temperature 50 °C, time 150 min, solid to liquid ratio 1 g:15 ml, 70% amplitude and 240 W, 20 kHz frequency, 3 s on and 3 s off) of ultrasound (US) and conventional extraction (AGE: Agitation, water bath for 150 min, 50 °C at 150 rmp) were used. The results showed significant (p < 0.05) effect of US and AGE on total phenolics (TPCs), flavonoids (TFCs) and antioxidant activities (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, reducing activity, Cu2+ and H2O2) of butterfly pea flower extract (BPFE). The results showed an increased trend in yield, TPCs, TFCs and antioxidant activities of US treated BPFE with comparison to AGE. However, insignificant (p > 0.05) effect of US and AGE over TFlaCs and PACs were observed. Moreover, the results of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed little changes in spectrum and US does not affect the functional group of bioactive compounds structure. Additionally, extracts (500-2000 µg/ml) protect pBR322 plasmid DNA damage induced by (1 mM H2O2 and 1 mM FeSO4), plasma oxidation (induced by 250 µM CuCl2) and inhibit erythrocyte hemolysis (induced by 200 mM AAPH, 34.6 to 66.73%). Sonication can be applied successfully for the extraction of bioactive compounds from plant materials with high biological activities.