Displaying all 19 publications

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  1. Ye J, Hua X, Shao X, Yang R
    J Sci Food Agric, 2023 Nov 23.
    PMID: 37997448 DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.13155
    BACKGROUND: Developing the stable and healthy emulsion-based food is in accord with the needs of people for health. In the present study, acidification at pH 3.0 of peanut polysaccharide (APPSI) was employed to regulate its conformation and further improve its advantages in preparing oil-in-water emulsion.

    RESULTS: The results indicated that acidification induced conversion of PPSI aggregates into linear chains. Increasing concentration promoted formation of cross-linked network structure shown in transmission electron microscopy images. Consequently, the viscosity, yield stress, storage modulus and flow activation energy significantly increased, further fabricating gel structure. Moreover, aggregation behavior suggested that more exposed proteins were involved in gel structure, thereby forming many hydrophobic cores as verified by fluorescence spectroscopy of pyrene. Afterwards, emulsion characteristics indicated that APPSI produced strong and thick steric hindrance around oil droplets and the coil-like interweaved chains locked the continuous phase, bringing strong elasticity and resistance to stress and creaming. Meanwhile, the lower fatty acid in APPSI-emulsion was released after simulated gastrointestinal digestion, mainly as a result of the high retention ratio of emulsion droplets. Furthermore, the elastic and viscous Lissajous curves suggested that the structure strength of APPSI-emulsion was similar to that of the salad dressing within the strain 53.22%.

    CONCLUSION: The conformation of PPSI after acidification at pH 3.0 was suitable for preparing the stable emulsion. The obtained emulsion could resist digestion and maintain a strong structure, comprising a cholesterol-free and low-fat salad dressing substitute. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

  2. Li Z, Wei Y, Cao Z, Jiang S, Chen Y, Shao X
    J Agric Food Chem, 2021 Sep 15;69(36):10678-10687.
    PMID: 34468130 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.1c04608
    Terpinen-4-ol, the main component of tea tree oil, markedly increases the disease resistance of postharvest strawberry fruit. To understand the mechanism underlying the enhancement of disease resistance, a high-throughput RNA-seq was used to analyze gene transcription in terpinen-4-ol-treated and untreated fruit. The results show that terpinen-4-ol induces the expression of genes in the jasmonic acid (JA) biosynthesis pathway, secondary metabolic pathways such as phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and pathways involved in plant-pathogen interactions. Terpinen-4-ol treatment reduced disease incidence and lesion diameter in strawberry fruit inoculated with Botrytis cinerea. Terpinen-4-ol treatment enhanced the expression of genes involved in JA synthesis (FaLOX, FaAOC, and FaOPR3) and signaling (FaCOI1), as well as genes related to disease defense (FaPAL, FaCHI, and FaGLU). In contrast, treatment with the JA biosynthesis inhibitor salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM) accelerated disease development and inhibited the induction of gene expressions by terpinen-4-ol. We conclude that the JA pathway participates in the induction of disease resistance by terpinen-4-ol in strawberry fruit. More generally, the results illuminate the mechanisms by which disease resistance is enhanced by essential oils.
  3. Zou X, Wei Y, Zhu J, Sun J, Shao X
    Foods, 2023 Sep 28;12(19).
    PMID: 37835272 DOI: 10.3390/foods12193619
    This study aims to evaluate the antifungal effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by a marine biocontrol yeast, Scheffersomyces spartinae W9. The results showed that the VOCs from the yeast inhibited the growth of Botrytis cinerea mycelium and spore germination by 77.8% and 58.3%, respectively. Additionally, it reduced the disease incidence and lesion diameter of gray mold on the strawberry fruit surface by 20.7% and 67.4%, respectively. Electronic micrographs showed that VOCs caused damage to the morphology and ultrastructure of the hyphae. Based on headspace solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS), S. spartinae W9 emitted 18 main VOCs, and the pure substance of VOCs, such as 3-methyl-1-butanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, 2-phenylethanol, and isoamyl acetate, showed antifungal effects against B. cinerea mycelium growth. Among them, 2-phenylethanol exhibited the strongest antifungal activity. It has been concluded that VOCs are the key antifungal mechanism of S. spartinae W9, and a promising strategy for controlling gray mold on strawberry fruit.
  4. Dai K, Han P, Zou X, Jiang S, Xu F, Wang H, et al.
    Food Res Int, 2021 02;140:110021.
    PMID: 33648251 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2020.110021
    Chinese bayberry fruit were treated with hot air (HA) at 48 ℃ for 3 h and then stored at 4 ℃ for 15 d. Changes in fungal communities were analyzed by high-throughput sequencing (HTS), and decay and fruit quality were monitored during storage. The results showed that HA treatment effectively maintains fruit quality and the richness and diversity of fungal communities. Heat treatment inhibited decay development and reduced the growth of fungi in the genera Botryotinia spp., Davidiella spp., Hanseniaspora spp., and Candida spp. Canonical correspondence analysis further revealed that Botryotinia spp. and Davidiella spp. were positively correlated with fruit decay and weight loss. FUNGuild analysis demonstrated that HA-treated bayberries had a lower relative abundance within the plant pathogen guild, but higher relative abundance within the endophyte guild. The results suggest that HA treatment reduces pathogens by favoring the increase of endophytes, providing new insight into the decay development and quality changes during the storage of postharvest Chinese bayberries.
  5. Kong Y, Ma NL, Yang X, Lai Y, Feng Z, Shao X, et al.
    Environ Pollut, 2020 Oct;265(Pt A):114951.
    PMID: 32554093 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114951
    Greenhouse gases (GHGs) carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O), contribute significantly to global warming, and they have increased substantially over the years. Reforestation is considered as an important forestry application for carbon sequestration and GHGs emission reduction, however, it remains unknown whether reforestation may instead produce too much CO2 and N2O contibuting to GHGs pollution. This study was performed to characterize and examine the CO2 and N2O emissions and their controlling factors in different species and types of pure and mixture forest used for reforestation. Five soil layers from pure forest Platycladus orientalis (PO), Robinia pseudoacacia (RP), and their mixed forest P-R in the Taihang mountains of central China were sampled and incubated aerobically for 11 days. The P-R soil showed lower CO2 and N2O production potentials than those of the PO soils (P 
  6. Fan L, Wei Y, Chen Y, Jiang S, Xu F, Zhang C, et al.
    Food Chem, 2023 Mar 01;403:134419.
    PMID: 36191421 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.134419
    This study investigatedthe mechanism of epinecidin-1 against Botrytis cinerea, in vitro, and its effectiveness at inhibiting gray mold on postharvest peach fruit. We found that in vitro, epinecidin-1 had significantly greater antifungal activity against B. cinerea than either clavanin-A or mytimycin, two other marine derived antimicrobial peptides that we tested. Its antifungal activity was heat-resistant (15 min at 40-100 °C) and tolerant to lower concentrations of cations (<100 mM Na+, K+; <10 mM Ca2+). Epinecidin-1 interacted directly with B. cinerea genomic DNA, and that in mycelia, epinecidin-1 exposure induced accumulation of intracellular ROS and increased the permeability of cell membranes resulting in leakage of nucleic acids and aberrant cell morphology. Meanwhile, 200 μM of epinecidin-1 had a significant inhibitory effect on gray mold injected into peach fruit. These results suggested that epinecidin-1 showed promise as a potential method for controlling postharvest gray mold in peaches.
  7. Zou X, Wei Y, Jiang S, Xu F, Wang H, Zhan P, et al.
    J Agric Food Chem, 2022 Nov 16;70(45):14468-14479.
    PMID: 36322824 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c06187
    2-Phenylethanol (2-PE), a common compound found in plants and microorganisms, exhibits broad-spectrum antifungal activity. Using Botrytis cinerea, we demonstrated that 2-PE suppressed mycelium growth in vitro and in strawberry fruit and reduced natural disease without adverse effects to fruit quality. 2-PE caused structural damage to mycelia, as shown by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. From RNA sequencing analysis we found significantly upregulated genes for enzymatic and nonenzymatic reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging systems including sulfur metabolism and glutathione metabolism, indicating that ROS stress was induced by 2-PE. This was consistent with results from assays demonstrating an increase ROS and hydrogen peroxide levels, antioxidant enzyme activities, and malondialdehyde content in treated cells. The upregulation of ATP-binding cassette transporter genes, the downregulation of major facilitator superfamily transporters genes, and the downregulation of ergosterol biosynthesis genes indicated a severe disruption of cell membrane structure and function. This was consistent with results from assays demonstrating compromised membrane integrity and lipid peroxidation. To summarize, 2-PE exposure suppressed B. cinerea growth through ROS stress and cell membrane disruption.
  8. Dai K, Wei Y, Jiang S, Xu F, Wang H, Zhang X, et al.
    Foods, 2021 Dec 31;11(1).
    PMID: 35010225 DOI: 10.3390/foods11010099
    Thinned peach polyphenols (TPPs) were extracted by ultrasonic disruption and purified using macroporous resin. Optimized extraction conditions resulted in a TPPs yield of 1.59 ± 0.02 mg GAE/g FW, and optimized purification conditions resulted in a purity of 43.86% with NKA-9 resin. TPPs composition was analyzed by UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS; chlorogenic acid, catechin, and neochlorogenic acid were the most abundant compounds in thinned peaches. Purified TPPs exhibited scavenging activity on DPPH, ABTS, hydroxyl radical, and FRAP. TPPs inhibited α-amylase and α-glucosidase by competitive and noncompetitive reversible inhibition, respectively. TPPs also exhibited a higher binding capacity for bile acids than cholestyramine. In summary, TPPs from thinned peaches are potentially valuable because of their high antioxidant, hypoglycemic, and hypolipidemic capacities, and present a new incentive for the comprehensive utilization of thinned peach fruit.
  9. Lou J, Wu C, Wang H, Cao S, Wei Y, Chen Y, et al.
    Food Chem, 2023 May 15;408:135185.
    PMID: 36525725 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.135185
    The effect of melatonin treatment on the carotenoid metabolism in broccoli florets during storage was explored. The results indicated that 100 µmol/L of melatonin maintained the sensory quality of broccoli florets, which retarded the increase of the L* value and the decrease of the H value. Melatonin treatment increased the activities of tryptophan decarboxylase (TDC), tryptamine 5-hydroxylase (T5H), serotonin N-acetyltransferase (SNAT) and N-acetylserotonin methyltransferase (ASMT), leading to the enrichment of endogenous melatonin content in broccoli florets. Meanwhile, the treatment inhibited the concentrations of β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin and lutein, which was beneficial in delaying the yellowing of broccoli. In addition, a series of carotenoid biosynthetic genes such as BoPSY, BoPDS, BoZDS, BoLCYβ and BoZEP was also suppressed by melatonin. Further analysis revealed that the lower carotenoid content and the down-regulated BoNCED expression in treated broccoli resulted in less accumulation of abscisic acid precursors, inhibiting abscisic acid production during the yellowing process.
  10. Hou Y, Ren H, Wang K, Cao S, Zheng Y, Wei Y, et al.
    J Food Sci Technol, 2022 Feb;59(2):552-561.
    PMID: 35185175 DOI: 10.1007/s13197-021-05039-y
    Effect of fresh-cut procedure on the accumulation of GABA in carrots via γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) shunt and polyamines degradation pathway was investigated. Results showed that fresh-cut processing enhanced glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) activity and expression levels of DcGAD1 and DcGAD2, while reduced GABA transaminase (GABA-T) activity and DcGABA-T1 expression level, which induced the more glutamate (Glu) conversion to GABA. Polyamines (PAs) in shredded carrots were significantly lower than the whole, due to the elevated activities of diamine oxidase (DAO), polyamine oxidase (PAO) and aminoaldehyde dehydrogenase (AMADH) and DcPAO expression level, which indicated that the polyamines degradation pathway was activated and more PAs were converted to GABA. These results suggested that fresh-cut procedure can induce the accumulation of GABA through activating GABA shunt and polyamines degradation pathway. Besides, fresh-cut processing treatment did not have much adverse effect on the organoleptic quality of carrots.

    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at (10.1007/s13197-021-05039-y).

  11. Yao M, Guo X, Shao X, Wei Y, Zhang X, Wang H, et al.
    Food Chem Toxicol, 2023 May;175:113725.
    PMID: 36925041 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2023.113725
    Lead (Pb) can pollute the environment and food through air, water and other means, resulting in human exposure to lead pollution, and there is no threshold level of lead toxicity, even small doses of lead will have a range of harmful effects in humans. This study demonstrates for the first time that dietary addition of soluble dietary fiber (SDF) from Prunus persica dregs reduces lead bioaccumulation in mice, and eliminates lead through feces. Compared with lead-exposed mice, SDF supplementation effectively prevented lead-induced changes in colon tissue, and increased expression of tight junction proteins (ZO-1 and occludin). We analyzed the effects of SDF on gut microbiota and metabolites by a combination of 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing and untargeted metabolomics. The results showed that SDF altered lead-induced perturbations in the layout and structure of the gut microbiota, including increased Desulfovibrio and Alistipes abundance and decreased Bacteroidetes abundance. Meanwhile, we also provide evidence that SDF supplementation alters the levels of amino acids, bile acids, and lipids in the gut, and that these metabolites are closely associated with microbiota with good lead binding capacity. Therefore, we speculate that SDF has the potential to provide a protective effect against intestinal damage by promoting lead excretion.
  12. Zhou L, Song Y, Jiang Y, Wei Y, Jiang S, Chen Y, et al.
    Food Funct, 2023 Oct 02;14(19):8876-8892.
    PMID: 37698234 DOI: 10.1039/d3fo03041e
    Thinned peach fruit is a by-product with abundant yields. However, it is barely utilized. This study aimed to study the physicochemical properties and anti-diabetic ability of polysaccharides (PPSs) from a thinned peach fruit to investigate its application potential. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) characterizations were performed together with tests to determine rheology properties, monosaccharide composition, and molecular weight of the obtained polysaccharide. Moreover, the antioxidant activity, α-amylase inhibitory activity, binding abilities to bile salts, and effects on type 2 diabetic mice were analyzed. The results indicated that PPS consisted of two components with molecular weights of 287.38 kDa and 12.02 kDa, accounting for 89.83% and 10.17% of the composition, respectively. The dominant monosaccharides were galactose, galacturonic acid, and arabinose, exhibiting α-configurations. The concentration was positively related to the viscosity of PPS. As the temperature was increased from 25 °C to 37 °C and the pH from 2.0 to 7.0, the viscosity decreased. The IC50 values for scavenging DPPH and ABTS were around 0.22 and 1.47 mg mL-1. Also, PPS could inhibit α-amylase ability and bind bile salts. The administration of PPS significantly inhibited emaciation, organ damage, improved oral glucose tolerance and insulin resistance, enhanced the content of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), and regulated blood lipid profiles and the composition and structure of colon microbiota in type-2 diabetic mice. These results provide new evidence for the potential of PPS as a bioactive ingredient with anti-diabetic properties for use in the food industry.
  13. Wang H, Ge Q, Shao X, Wei Y, Zhang X, Wang H, et al.
    PMID: 37079063 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12526-z
    Pseudomonas fragi (P. fragi) is one of the main categories of bacteria responsible for the spoilage of chilled meat. In the processing and preservation of chilled meat, it is easy to form biofilms on the meat, leading to the development of slime on the meat, which becomes a major quality defect. Flavonoids, as one of the critical components of secondary plant metabolites, are receiving increasing attention for their antibacterial activity. Flavonoids in Sedum aizoon L. (FSAL), relying on its prominent antibacterial activity, are of research importance in food preservation and other applications. This article aims to investigate the effect of FSAL on the biofilm formation of P. fragi, to better apply FSAL to the processing and preservation of meat products. The disruption of cellular structure and aggregation properties by FSAL was demonstrated by the observation of the cellular state within the biofilm. The amount of biofilm formation was determined by crystal violet staining, and the content of polysaccharides and proteins in the extracellular wrapped material was determined. It was shown that the experimental concentrations of FSAL (1.0 MIC) was able to inhibit biofilm formation and reduce the main components in the extracellular secretion. The swimming motility assay and the downregulation of flagellin-related genes confirmed that FSAL reduced cell motility and adhesion. The downregulation of cell division genes and the lowering of bacterial metabolic activity suggested that FSAL could hinder bacterial growth and reproduction within P. fragi biofilms. KEY POINTS: • FSAL inhibited the activity of Pseudomonas fragi in the dominant meat strain • The absence of EPS components affected the formation of P. fragi biofilms • P. fragi has reduced adhesion capacity due to impaired flagellin function.
  14. Ge Q, Wang K, Shao X, Wei Y, Zhang X, Liu Y, et al.
    Foodborne Pathog Dis, 2023 May;20(5):197-208.
    PMID: 37172299 DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2022.0083
    Rhizopus nigricans is a widespread phytopathogen in fruits and vegetables that can cause considerable economic effects and resource waste. Flavonoids from Sedum aizoon L. (FSAL) have specific antifungal activities. This study selected FSAL as an antifungal to prolong the preservation of fruits and vegetables. The results showed that the mycelial morphology and ultrastructure were damaged by the FSAL treatment (1.0 minimum inhibitory concentration), led to the increase of reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde, and affected the activity of key enzymes in the glycolytic pathway, such as lactic dehydrogenase, pyruvate kinase, and hexokinase of R. nigricans. Key genes in glycolysis were upregulated or downregulated. In addition, in the treatment and control groups, 221 differentially expressed genes were found, including 89 that were upregulated and 32 that were downregulated, according to the transcriptome results. The differential genes were mainly enriched in glycolysis, pyruvate metabolism, and citrate cycle pathways. The results revealed some insights into the antifungal mechanism of FSAL against R. nigricans and offered a theoretical foundation for its advancement as a novel plant-derived antifungal agent.
  15. Zhang S, Cao K, Wei Y, Jiang S, Ye J, Xu F, et al.
    Plant Physiol Biochem, 2023 Sep;202:107972.
    PMID: 37611487 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.107972
    Brassinosteroids (BRs) are phytohormones that play numerous roles in a plant's response to environmental stress. While BES/BZR transcription factors are essential components in BR signaling, their role in regulating postharvest fruit responses to cold stress is largely unknown. In this study, the application of 24-epibrassinolide (EBR) to peaches alleviated chilling injury (CI) during postharvest cold storage. We further characterized a key BES/BZR gene, PpBZR1, which regulates peach cold resistance. Transient expression PpBZR1 in peaches showed that PpBZR1 inhibits PpVIN2 expression and VIN activity, resulting in an elevated level of sucrose, which protects fruit from CI. Arabidopsis thaliana expressing PpBZR1 that had a high germination and seedling survival rate at low temperatures, which may be due to higher level of sucrose and lower oxidative damage. Mechanistically, we confirmed that PpBZR1 directly binds to the PpVIN2 promoter and functions as a negative regulator for sucrose metabolism. In addition, PpCBF1/5/6 were induced by EBR treatment and AtCBFs were upregulated in PpBZR1 transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana. Combined with previous findings, we hypothesize that PpBZR1 regulates PpVIN2 and may also be mediated by CBF. In conclusion, PpBZR1 expression is induced by EBR treatment during cold storage, which futher inhibite sucrose degradation gene PpVIN2 transcription via direct binding its promoter and indirectly regulating PpVIN2, resulting in slower sucrose degradation and higher chilling tolerance of peach.
  16. Zhao Z, Wei Y, Zou X, Jiang S, Chen Y, Ye J, et al.
    J Agric Food Chem, 2023 Dec 02.
    PMID: 38041637 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c06676
    Previously, we reported that marine yeast Scheffersomyces spartinae exhibited biocontrol efficacy against the gray mold of strawberries caused by Botrytis cinerea. Herein, tryptophol, a quorum-sensing molecule, was identified in the metabolites of S. spartinae. Subsequently, we found that 25 μM tryptophol promoted population density, biofilm formation, and cell aggregation of S. spartinae. Furthermore, 25 μM tryptophol improved the biocontrol efficacy of S. spartinae against B. cinerea in vitro and in the strawberry fruit. Under a scanning electronic microscope, tryptophol facilitated colonization and biofilm formation on strawberry wounds, showing that tryptophol increased the biocontrol efficacy of S. spartinae via quorum sensing. Transcriptome analysis revealed that tryptophol upregulated the gene expression of SDS3, DAL81, DSE1, SNF5, SUN41, FLO8, and HOP1, which was associated with cell adhesion or biofilm formation. Thus, to the best of our knowledge, this study was the first to report that tryptophol improved the biocontrol efficacy of S. spartinae via quorum sensing.
  17. Zhao S, Chen J, Cao S, Wang H, Chen H, Wei Y, et al.
    Plant Physiol Biochem, 2024 Feb 29;208:108480.
    PMID: 38437751 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108480
    It is well established that programmed cell death (PCD) occurred in broccoli during postharvest senescence, but no studies have been conducted on the regulation of broccoli cytochrome f by mannose treatment and its relationship with PCD. In this study, we treated broccoli buds with mannose to investigate the changes in color, total chlorophyll content, gene expression related to chlorophyll metabolism, chloroplast structure, and cytochrome f determination during postharvest storage. In addition, to investigate the effect of cytochrome f on PCD, we extracted cytochrome f from broccoli and treated Nicotiana tabacum L. cv Bright Yellow 2 (BY-2) cells with extracted cytochrome f from broccoli at various concentrations. The results showed that cytochrome f can induce PCD in tobacco BY-2 cells, as evidenced by altered cell morphology, nuclear chromatin disintegration, DNA degradation, decreased cell viability, and increased caspase-3-like protease production. Taken together, our study indicated that mannose could effectively delay senescence of postharvest broccoli by inhibiting the expression of gene encoding cytochrome f which could induce PCD.
  18. Wei Q, Xie K, Wang H, Shao X, Wei Y, Chen Y, et al.
    Plants (Basel), 2023 Jan 04;12(2).
    PMID: 36678938 DOI: 10.3390/plants12020224
    The effect of fructose on γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content and its metabolic pathway in broccoli sprouts was investigated. The results demonstrated that the fructose treatment not only significantly increased the fresh weight, GABA, and glutamate contents in sprouts, but also promoted the activity of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) and the expressions of BoGAD1 and BoGAD2. Meanwhile, fructose treatment inhibited the stem length of broccoli sprouts and enhanced the abscisic acid (ABA) production in comparison with the control. Ca2+, CaM contents, and BoCaM2 expression in broccoli sprouts were also stimulated after fructose treatment. Exogenous fructose increased inositol trisphosphate (IP3) content and activated the activity of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) and the expression of BoPLC2, contributing to Ca2+ influx into the cells. These results suggested that Ca2+ played an essential role in GABA enrichment under fructose treatment, which may be associated with GAD and PI-PLC.
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