Explore the vast range of titles available.

Pumpkin seed oil (PSO) is becoming increasingly valued for its nutritional profile and minor bioactive constituents. Here, we surveyed PSOs marketed in China and hypothesized that differences in antioxidant constituents help explain variability in oxidative stability across brands. Sixteen commercial products labeled as pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata Duchesne) seed oils, including two imported brands (France), were analyzed for physicochemical quality indices, fatty acid composition, oxidative stability, and bioactive components (tocopherols, total sterols, and total phenolics expressed as gallic acid equivalents). Acid value, peroxide value, and iodine value ranged from 0.22 to 4.30 mg KOH/g, from 4.63 to 11.57 mEq O2/kg, and from 106.64 to 132.77 g I2/100 g, respectively, and all samples complied with applicable regulatory limits. Oleic and linoleic acids predominated (21.79–35.50% and 44.99–57.03% of total fatty acids, respectively), consistent with a highly unsaturated oil matrix. Total phenolics varied widely, reaching 2247.78 mg GAE/kg, while total tocopherols and total sterols ranged from 268.26 to 528.26 mg/kg and 733.64 to 1095.99 mg/kg, respectively. Oxidation induction times ranged from approximately 4 to over 10 h, and radical-scavenging activity differed markedly among samples. Correlation analysis and principal component analysis consistently identified δ-tocopherol, total sterols, and total phenolics as the variables most strongly associated with oxidative stability and antioxidant performance. Overall, these results provide a market-level snapshot of compositional variability in PSOs sold in China and highlight antioxidant-related markers that may support quality differentiation and process optimization.

Improved methods for the extraction of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), an essential and economically important polyunsaturated fatty acid, are urgently required. However, lipid extraction rates using food-grade solvents such as ethanol are usually low. To improve the ethanol-based extraction rate, and to elucidate the relevant mechanisms, we used cellulase and laccase to treat powdered Nannochloropsis, one of the most promising microalgal sources of EPA. Cellulase and laccase synergistically increased lipid yields by 69.31% and lipid EPA content by 42.63%, by degrading the amorphous hemicellulose and cellulose, improving crystallinity, and promoting the release and extraction of lysodiacylglyceryltrimethylhomoserine. Scanning electron microscopy showed that cell morphology was substantially altered, with cell-wall rupture, loss of cell boundaries, and the release of intracellular substances. In conclusion, Nannochloropsis lipid yields may be directly linked to cell-wall hemicellulose structure, and enzymatic treatment to alter this may improve lipid yields.

This study investigated the effects of three extraction methods, including cold pressing (CP), microwave pretreatment pressing (MP), and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), on the yield, physicochemical properties, bioactive compounds content, and antioxidant properties of pumpkin seed oil (PSO). Furthermore, the correlation between bioactive compounds and the antioxidant properties of PSO was determined. The results revealed that the yield of PSO extracted using the three methods was in the order of SFE > MP > CP. Additionally, the PSO generated by SFE showed the highest unsaturated fatty acid content, followed by MP and CP. Additionally, MP-PSO exhibited the highest acid value and saponification value, while SFE-PSO displayed the highest moisture content, peroxide value, and iodine value. Moreover, the PSO generated by MP demonstrated superior antioxidant properties compared to that of PSOs from CP and SFE in the oxidation induction, DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS tests. Finally, the correlation analysis revealed that specific types of bioactive compounds, such as β-sitosterol and γ-tocopherol, were highly correlated with the antioxidant properties of PSOs. Consequently, this study provides comprehensive knowledge regarding PSO extraction, physicochemical properties, bioactive compound extraction, and the correlated antioxidant properties.

In this study, the whey protein isolate–high-methoxyl pectin (WPI-HMP) complex prepared by electrostatic interaction was utilized as an emulsifier in the preparation of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) algal oils in order to improve their physicochemical properties and oxidation stability. The results showed that the emulsions stabilized using the WPI-HMP complex across varying oil-phase volume fractions (30–70%) exhibited consistent particle size and enhanced stability compared to emulsions stabilized solely using WPI or HMP at different ionic concentrations and heating temperatures. Furthermore, DHA algal oil emulsions stabilized using the WPI-HMP complex also showed superior storage stability, as they exhibited no discernible emulsification or oil droplet overflow and the particle size variation remained relatively minor throughout the storage at 25 °C for 30 days. The accelerated oxidation of the emulsions was assessed by measuring the rate of DHA loss, lipid hydroperoxide levels, and malondialdehyde levels. Emulsions stabilized using the WPI-HMP complex exhibited a lower rate of DHA loss and reduced levels of lipid hydroperoxides and malondialdehyde. This indicated that WPI-HMP-stabilized Pickering emulsions exhibit a greater rate of DHA retention. The excellent stability of these emulsions could prove valuable in food processing for DHA nutritional enhancement.

This study evaluates the hydrolysis specificity of newly developed protease from Exiguobacterium sp. SWJS2 (EP) based on the released free amino acid (FAA) during enzymolysis and through comparing with commercially available papain and Alcalase 2.4L. Results showed that EP had great potential in producing hydrolysates with better nutrition and less bitterness. The percentages of essential amino acids in the EP-treated Coilia mystus and soybean protein were 72 and 70 %, respectively. And, corresponding hydrophobic amino acids were 74 and 72 %, respectively (i.e. <60 % for papain- or Alcalase 2.4L-treated samples). The differences in FAA releasing rates between EP and the two commercial proteases suggested that EP could become a new commercial protease that offers different reaction rates and extends protease application scope. Track changes in FAA profiles throughout EP hydrolysis revealed that the release of each amino acid exhibited its distinct regularity as the hydrolysis proceeded, which also varied with the substrate proteins. EP hydrolysis of C. mystus and soybean protein led to greater production rates of Phe, Leu, Val, Ile and Ala, suggesting that EP might have higher preference to these amino acids.

In the arid cultivation region of Xinjiang, China, shrinkage disease severely compromises the quality, yield, and market value of jujube. Published research has achieved high accuracy in detecting larger lesions using RGB imaging and hyperspectral imaging (HSI). However, these methods lack sensitivity in detecting early and subtle symptoms of disease. In this study, a multi-source data fusion strategy combining RGB imaging and HSI was proposed for non-destructive and high-precision detection of early-stage jujube shrinkage disease. Firstly, a total of 317 fruits of the ‘Junzao’ cultivar were collected during multiple stages of natural infection, covering early-stage shrinkage disease detection across different growth stages, including both green and mature red fruits. Secondly, morphological features were extracted from RGB images in multiple dimensions, while a three-stage feature selection strategy combining Principal Component Analysis (PCA), the Successive Projections Algorithm (SPA), and the Genetic Algorithm (GA) was implemented to identify four key wavelengths from HSI. Thirdly, a hybrid convolutional neural network-multilayer perceptron (CNN-MLP) architecture was constructed, with dynamic feature weighting employed to achieve effective multimodal fusion and optimize detection performance. Experimental results demonstrated that compared to the MLP and CNN models, the proposed method achieved approximately 8.0% and 5.4% improvements in accuracy and 38.6% and 32.4% improvements in F1 scores, respectively. It offers a robust and scalable solution for early disease detection and postharvest quality assessment in jujube production.

Endometrial cancer (EC) is a major cause of death among gynecologic malignancies. To improve early detection of EC in patients, we carried out a large plasma-derived exosomal microRNA (miRNA) studies for diagnostic biomarker discovery in EC. Small RNA sequencing was performed to identify candidate exosomal miRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers in 56 plasma samples from healthy subjects and EC patients. These miRNA candidates were further validated in 202 independent plasma samples by droplet digital PCR (ddPCR), 32 pairs of endometrial tumors and adjacent normal tissues by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and matched plasma samples of 12 patients before and after surgery by ddPCR. miR-15a-5p, miR-106b-5p, and miR107 were significantly upregulated in exomes isolated from plasma samples of EC patients compared with healthy subjects. Particularly, miR-15a-5p alone yielded an AUC value of 0.813 to distinguish EC patients with stage I from healthy subjects. The integration of miR-15a-5p and serum tumor markers (CEA and CA125) achieved a higher AUC value of 0.899. There was also a close connection between miR-15a-5p and clinical manifestations in EC patients. Its exosomal expression was not only associated with the depth of muscular infiltration and aggressiveness of EC, but also correlated with levels of reproductive hormones such as TTE and DHEAS. Collectively, plasma-derived exosomal miR-15a-5p is a promising and effective diagnostic biomarker for the early detection of endometrial cancer.

Campylobacter species are zoonotic pathogens, and are considered to be the major foodborne pathogen that causes outbreaks and sporadic gastrointestinal illnesses both in developed and developing countries. In this study, the molecular typing and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolates from patients and raw meat between 2021 and 2022 in Huzhou were analyzed by using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. From September 1, 2021 to December 31, 2022, a total of 342 fecal specimens from diarrheal patients at a sentinel hospital in Huzhou and 168 samples of raw meat products collected from farmers' markets and supermarkets, were subjected to Campylobacter isolation and identification. The agar dilution method was used to determine resistance of the Campylobacter isolates to eleven antibiotics. In addition, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) were performed to compare their genetic relationships. 78 Campylobacter isolates were recovered, comprising 58 isolates (74.36%, 58/78) of Campylobacter jejuni (34 patient isolates and 16 food isolates) and 20 isolates (25.64%, 20/78) of Campylobacter coli (6 patient isolates and 14 food isolates). Campylobacter has emerged as a predominant foodborne pathogen in the local region, with detection rate reached 11.70% among 342 diarrhea samples. The Campylobacter isolation rate in 168 raw meat was 22.62% (38/168), all originating from poultry meat, with chicken been the major source of infection (86.84%, 33/38). Both PGFE type and MLST data confirmed that Campylobacter stains circulating in Huzhou are genetically diverse, with Campylobacter jejuni isolates being more diverse than Campylobacter Coli. PFGE typing revealed 45 band patterns among 54 Campylobacter jejuni strains and 17 band patterns among 19 Campylobacter Coli strains. 50 Campylobacter jejuni strains from different sources were classified into 37 ST types, showing a dispersed distribution and encompassing over 12 clonal complexes (CCs), with CC-21 being the most prevalent CC (22.00%, 11/50). The distribution of ST types in the 18 Campylobacter Coli strains was relatively concentrated, with 83.33% (15/18) of isolates belonging to the CC-828. In this study, 2 groups of Campylobacter jejuni strains (PFGE J2-ST464 and PFGE J9-ST-2328) originated from humans and chickens showed high genetic homologies by comparing PFGE and MLST results. Besides, some disagreement between PFGE and MLST was observed for certain ST, indicating a weak correlation between PFGE and MLST for certain Campylobacter strains. Most of the Campylobacter isolates were highly resistant to nalidixic-acid, ciprofloxacin and tetracycline. The multiple antibiotic resistance of Campylobacter Coli (89.47%) is higher than Campylobacter jejuni (29.63%). Campylobacter is an important foodborne pathogen in both diarrheal patients and raw meat products in Huzhou City, exhibiting multiple antibiotic resistance and high level of genetic diversity.

Klebsiella pneumoniae has become a critical global public health threat due to the rapid spread of hypervirulent and multidrug-resistant clones. A total of 205 non-duplicate K. pneumoniae isolates were collected from seven hospitals in Huzhou, China, between January 2020 and December 2025. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, the string test, whole-genome sequencing, and bioinformatics analysis were applied to determine resistance phenotypes, virulence features, multilocus sequence types (STs), capsular types, plasmid replicons, and phylogenetic relationships. Of the 205 isolates, 180 (87.80%) were identified as hypervirulent K. pneumoniae (hvKP), with ST23-K1 and ST86-K2 being the dominant clones. This unusually high hvKP detection rate may be attributable to our study population composition, with patients aged ≥ 60 years accounting for 77.08% of all subjects. High resistance rates were observed for ampicillin (73.66%), tetracycline (27.32%), and trimethoprim–sulfamethoxazole (25.85%). Eleven isolates carried blaKPC-2 and one harbored mcr-1, displaying corresponding drug-resistant phenotypes. The isolates exhibited high genetic diversity with 62 STs, 25 capsular types, and 38 plasmid replicons. Co-occurrence of virulence and resistance determinants was commonly detected. Five genetic lineages (A to E) were classified among all isolates, and no epidemiological outbreak clusters were detected in our study. The hvKP is highly endemic in Huzhou, while local K. pneumoniae isolates show high resistance to conventional antibiotics but remain largely susceptible to last-resort antimicrobials. The coexistence of hypervirulence and antimicrobial resistance underscores the urgent need for continuous genomic surveillance to curb the dissemination of high-risk clones.

Background Norovirus (NoV) infection is a major pathogen causing acute gastroenteritis (AGE) across all age groups worldwide. In the past few years, there were some situations where non-GII.4 genotypes of NoV became predominant in Huzhou region. To understand the latest prevalence of genotypes, we investigated the prevalence and genetic diversity of NoV in sporadic AGE cases from January 2019 to October 2023 in Huzhou City, Zhejiang, China. Methods Between January 2019 and October 2023, a total of 2846 specimens collected from patients with AGE were tested for NoV in Huzhou. Partial sequences of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and capsid gene of the positive samples were amplified by RT-PCR and sequenced. Genotyping of NoV sequences was carried out by the RIVM online NoV Genotyping Tool. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted using MEGA. Results In total, 460 (16.16%) specimens were identified as NoV-positive. GII genogroup accounted for most of the NoV-positive specimens (83.70%, 385/460), followed by the GI genogroup (13.26%, 61/460), and dual infection with both GI and GII genogroups (3.04%, 14/460). NoV infection was found in all age groups tested. During this period, at least 20 NoV genotypes were observed, with GII.4 Sydney being the most predominant. Phylogenetic analysis of selected strains revealed that all GII.4 Sydney[P16] strains clustered together and were closely related to strains from Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing and the United States, with nucleotide homologies ranging from 96.9 to 99.7%. Conclusions We report that during the period from January 2019 to October 2023, the GII.4 Sydney is undergoing a new wave of resurgence, and becoming the main epidemic strain again, particularly GII.4 Sydney[P16] with P16 polymerase.