Taste compounds, affecting factors, and methods used to evaluate chicken soup: A review

Effects of Yupingfeng polysaccharide in diet on slaughtering performance and meat flavor of Qingyuan partridge chicken

With the improvement of living standards, people's expectations for chickens' quality and flavor have also grown. Yupingfeng polysaccharide (YPF-P) has pharmacological effects such as regulating fatty acid composition and gut microbiota. In this study, different doses of YPF-P were added to the feed of qingyuan partridge chickens. The results showed that 8 g/kg YPF-P increased thigh muscle yield by 16.8 % and improved chicken breast flavor by elevating its pH1h and protein content, thereby enhancing flavor richness by 17.16 %.The non-targeted metabolomics (LC-MS) analysis of chicken breast revealed significant enrichment in Arachidonic acid metabolism. Correlation analysis showed the results of LC-MS are significantly correlated with flavor, protein and fat content. Taken together, YPF-P could provide better taste by changing muscle metabolism and increasing the deposition of beneficial compounds in muscle. This study provides valuable insights into the impact of YPF-P as feed additive on the meat flavor quality of poultry.

Research on the release and absorption regularities of free amino acids and peptides in vitro digestion of yeast protein

Based on INFOGEST digestion model and Dynamic Human Stomach-Intestine in vitro (DHSI-IV), the content of free amino acids (FAAs) and peptides in yeast protein (YP) digestion products were analyzed, as well as the molecular weight distribution of digestive products. The transport and absorption of FAAs and peptides from YP static digestive products were studied by Caco-2 cells monolayer model. The highest content of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and essential amino acids (EAAs) were highlighted during YP digestion. The digestibility of YP (97.66 %) was close to that of whey protein isolate (WPI), slightly higher than pea protein (PP), but significantly higher than soy protein isolate (SPI) (p < 0.05). More FAAs of YP were released in static digestion (755.40 mg/g) than in dynamic digestion (28.34 mg/g). Accordingly, more peptides of YP were released in dynamic digestion (433.76 mg/g) than in static digestion (44.44 mg/g). The intestinal phase released more FAAs and peptides than the gastric phase both static and dynamic digestion for these four proteins. Molecular weight distribution proportion of digestion products with <150 Da of the four proteins exceeded 50 %. After the absorption and transport, the absorption rate of FAAs for YP (92.75 %) was slightly lower than that of WPI. Large molecular weight peptides (>1000 Da) were not easily absorbed, and the highest distribution ratio of molecular weight with <150 Da (mainly FAAs) was detected. These proved that YP is the protein with a good quality, such as high digestive and absorption properties, which could be used as a beneficial supplement and partial replacement of animal and plant protein sources.

Integration of untargeted lipidomics and targeted metabolomics revealed the mechanism of flavor formation in lightly cured sea bass driven via salt

Salt enhances flavor and salinity in Chinese curing; however, excessive use can pose health risks, while reducing NaCl may harm taste. This study utilized targeted and untargeted metabolomics to investigate the intrinsic molecular mechanisms that drive flavor formation in cured sea bass subjected to salt. Glycine, succinic acid, lactic acid and uridine significantly contributed to the taste profile of the cured sea bass. A total of 668 lipid molecules were annotated in the samples, of which 60 were classified as differential lipids. Non-targeted lipidomic analysis identified phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine as the major flavor precursors, constituting 40.12 % of the total. Elevated salt concentrations significantly enhanced the production and accumulation of key differential volatile flavor components, including 1-octen-3-ol, 2-undecanone and 2-pentylfuran. Thus, salt facilitated the degradation and oxidation of lipids, leading to the formation of key flavor compounds that contribute to the enhancement of the flavor profile of cured sea bass.

Effects of high-pressure and CaCl2 pretreatments on the salt taste-enhancing activity of hydrolysate derived from spent hen meat

BACKGROUND

High-sodium intake has been proven to bring serious risks to public health. A potential sodium substitute of salt taste-enhancing hydrolysate (STEH) of protein has been focused on recently. The salt taste-enhancing activity (STEA) of STEH still needs to be improved. High-pressure and calcium chloride (CaCl2) pretreatments were reported to affect proteolysis and promote the release of bioactive peptides. Hence, we investigated effects of high-pressure and CaCl2 pretreatments on hydrolysis and STEA of STEH derived from spent hen.

RESULTS

The pretreatments significantly influenced STEA of spent hen meat hydrolysate (SHH), especially 200 MPa pressure and 80 mmol L-1 CaCl2 pretreatments increased 27.1% salt taste intensity of SHH compared to that of blank (without pretreatments) according to sensory evaluation, the SHH umami also increased after pretreatments. In SHH, the proportion of peptides < 1000 Da increased up to 79.37% after the pretreatments compared to 73.68% of the blank. The degree of hydrolysis (DH) increased to 19.45% for moderate high-pressure (200 MPa) from 18.02% for blank, and the DH decreased after higher high-pressure and CaCl2 pretreatments, especially for CaCl2 in 80 mmol L-1. The change in particle size distribution of SHH has similar trends to DH.

CONCLUSION

High-pressure and CaCl2 pretreatments increased STEA of SHH by affecting hydrolysis process. The STEA increase may be related to increased small-peptide proportion in SHH. Meanwhile, moderate high-pressure may promote protein unfolding and further increase DH according to particle size distribution of SHH. The combination of proteolysis and pretreatments of high-pressure and CaCl2 is a promising method to produce STEH. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Analysis of the flavor profile of chicken white soup with varying fat addition using GC-MS, GC-IMS and E-nose combined with E-tongue

The research utilized a combination of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS), and E-nose to examine the impact of fat addition on the aroma profile of chicken white soup. The concentration of volatile flavor compounds in the white soup significantly increased with rising fat addition. A total of 105 volatile compounds were detected in the soup through GC-MS, and 72 by GC-IMS. Moreover, adding 2 % fat could effectively enhance the aroma of the chicken soup, and the soup exhibited the highest concentration of free amino acids (211.29 μg/mL) and nucleotides (27.55 mg/100 mL). However, the taste activity value of 5'-nucleotides was below 1, suggesting that fat addition had minimal impact on the umami taste of white soup. The study demonstrates that appropriate fat supplementation can enhance the aroma of chicken white soup and lays a theoretical groundwork for the advancement of premium-quality chicken white soup with rich aroma.

Enhancement of quality induced by ultrasonic-assisted stewing improved the nutritional concentration, emulsifying property, and flavor characteristic of the chicken soup

To investigate the effects of ultrasonic-assisted stewing (UAS) on the quality of chicken soup, the nutritional content, emulsifying properties and flavor characteristic were detected, and the underlying mechanisms were analyzed. The results showed that UAS led to a milky appearance, improved nutrient content and emulsifying properties, attributed to increased rheological properties, absolute Zeta potential, and reduced particle size and surface tension. Laser scanning confocal microscopy revealed that the micro-nano particles in the UAS group were uniformly sized and densely arranged. When treated for 90 min of UAS, the chicken soup achieved the highest emulsibility. Additionally, sensory and electronic tongue evaluations demonstrated that UAS group had superior taste attributes compared to the control group. The relative concentration of marker VOCs in the UAS group was also higher than in the control group. These findings offer scientific and theoretical insights into the impact of UAS on chicken soup quality.

A review of taste-active compounds in meat: Identification, influencing factors, and taste transduction mechanism

Poultry and livestock meat are important parts of the human diet. As living standards have improved, food taste has become a major influence on consumer quality assessment and meat purchasing choices. There is increasing research interest in meat taste and meat taste-active compounds, which include free amino acids, flavor nucleotides, taste-active peptides, organic acids, soluble sugars, and inorganic ions. Taste component research is also an important part of sensory science. A deeper understanding of the meat taste perception mechanism and interactions among different taste compounds will promote the development of meat science and sensory evaluation. This article reviews the main taste compounds in meat, factors influencing their concentrations, and the identification and measurement of taste-active compounds, as well as summarizing the mechanisms of taste sensing and perception. Finally, the future of scientific taste component evaluation is discussed. This review provides a theoretical basis for research on meat taste and an important reference for the development of the meat industry.

Untargeted metabolomics reveals the alteration of metabolites during the stewing process of Lueyang black-bone chicken meat

Introduction

Black-bone chicken meat is rich in nutritional substances and bioactive compounds. Stewing is a traditional and healthy cooking style for black-bone chicken meat. However, the alteration of metabolites in chicken meat during stewing is still unknown.

Methods

A comprehensive analysis of Lueyang black-bone chicken meat metabolites was performed in fresh chicken meat (FM), short-term heat-pretreated meat (PM), fully cooked meat (CM) and chicken soup (CS) via untargeted metabolomics.

Results

By comparison, 200, 992 and 891 significantly differentially metabolites (DMs) were identified in the PM vs. FM, CM vs. FM and CS vs. FM comparisons, respectively. These DMs mainly included amino acids, peptides, carbohydrates and lipids. During the heating process, the abundances of Ser, Ala, Tyr, niacinamide, galactose, guanosine 3'-monophosphate and inosine 5'-monophosphate in chicken meat significantly decreased and were partially dissolved in the soup. Due to the hydrolysis of phospholipids, the relative contents of unsaturated lipids, especially a range of lysophosphatidylcholines, lysophosphatidylethanolamines, arachidonic acid and derivatives, increased in fully cooked meat.

Discussion

Pretreatment had little impact on the changes in metabolites in chicken meat. During stewing, the dissolved amino acids, carbohydrates and nucleic acids could enhance the taste quality of chicken soup, and the high abundance of unsaturated lipids could promote the nutritional quality of black-bone chicken meat. In summary, these data provide helpful information for nutritional quality studies on the metabolite profiles of black-bone chicken meat.

Association of histamine-N-methyl transferase gene polymorphisms with carnosine content in red-brown Korean native chickens

OBJECTIVE

Carnosine and anserine affect the meat flavor. The contents of carnosine and anserine in meat are affected by genetic and environmental factors. This study aimed to discover the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the histamine-N-methyl transferase (HNMT) and histamine-N-methyl transferase-like (HNMT-like) genes and to associate them with the content of carnosine and anserine in Korean native chickenred brown line (KNC-R).

METHODS

This study used a total of 384 birds (males, n = 192; females, n = 192) aged 10 weeks old, for genotyping HNMT and HNMT-like genes. One synonymous SNP (rs29009298C/T) of the HNMT gene was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methods whereas four missense SNPs (rs734406537G/A; rs736514667A/G; rs15881680G/A and rs316765035T/C) of the HNMT gene, and one missense SNP rs737657949A/C of the HNMT-like gene were genotyped by PCR allele competitive extension (PACE) genotyping technology. Two-way analysis of variance of the R program was used to associate HNMT genotypes with the contents of carnosine and anserine in KNC-R chickens.

RESULTS

There were significant associations (p<0.05) between the genotypes of the synonymous SNP:rs29009298C/T, missense SNP rs736514667A/G of the HNMT gene and the content of carnosine in KNC-Rs. This study also reported the sex effect on the carnosine content, where females had more content of carnosine compared to that of male KNC-R.

CONCLUSION

Two SNPs (synonymous: rs735769522C/T) and missense: rs736514667A/G) in the HNMT gene might be used as genetic markers in the selection and breeding of chickens with better taste and high-flavored meat.

Deciphering the Genetic Landscape: Insights Into the Genomic Signatures of Changle Goose

The Changle goose (CLG), a Chinese indigenous breed, is celebrated for its adaptability, rapid growth, and premium meat quality. Despite its agricultural value, the exploration of its genomic attributes has been scant. Our study entailed whole-genome resequencing of 303 geese across CLG and five other Chinese breeds, revealing distinct genetic diversity metrics. We discovered significant migration events from Xingguo gray goose to CLG and minor gene flow between them. We identified genomic regions through selective sweep analysis, correlating with CLG's unique traits. An elevated inbreeding coefficient in CLG, alongside reduced heterozygosity and rare single nucleotide polymorphisms (RSNPs), suggests a narrowed genetic diversity. Genomic regions related to reproduction, meat quality, and growth were identified, with the GATA3 gene showing strong selection signals for meat quality. A non-synonymous mutation in the Sloc2a1 gene, which is associated with reproductive traits in the CLG, exhibited significant differences in allelic frequency. The roles of CD82, CDH8, and PRKAB1 in growth and development, alongside FABP4, FAF1, ESR1, and AKAP12 in reproduction, were highlighted. Additionally, Cdkal1 and Mfsd14a may influence meat quality. This comprehensive genetic analysis underpins the unique genetic makeup of CLG, providing a basis for its conservation and informed breeding strategies.

Unraveling the flavor profiles of chicken meat: Classes, biosynthesis, influencing factors in flavor development, and sensory evaluation

Chicken is renowned as the most affordable meat option, prized by consumers worldwide for its unique flavor, and universally recognized for its essential savory flavor. Current research endeavors are increasingly dedicated to exploring the flavor profile of chicken meat. However, there is a noticeable gap in comprehensive reviews dedicated specifically to the flavor quality of chicken meat, although existing reviews cover meat flavor profiles of various animal species. This review aims to fill this gap by synthesizing knowledge from published literature to describe the compounds, chemistry reaction, influencing factors, and sensory evaluation associated with chicken meat flavor. The flavor compounds in chicken meat mainly included water-soluble low-molecular-weight substances and lipids, as well as volatile compounds such as aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, acids, esters, hydrocarbons, furans, nitrogen, and sulfur-containing compounds. The significant synthesis pathways of flavor components were Maillard reaction, Strecker degradation, lipid oxidation, lipid-Maillard interaction, and thiamine degradation. Preslaughter factors, including age, breed/strain, rearing management, muscle type, and sex of chicken, as well as postmortem conditions such as aging, cooking conditions, and low-temperature storage, were closely linked to flavor development and accounted for the significant differences observed in flavor components. Moreover, the sensory methods used to evaluate the chicken meat flavor were elaborated. This review contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the flavor profile of chicken meat. It can serve as a guide for enhancing chicken meat flavor quality and provide a foundation for developing customized chicken products.

Using temporal dominance of sensations (TDS), multiple-sip TDS, chemical composition evaluation, and microstructural analysis to assess the impact of repeated reheating cycles on chicken soup

Reheating chicken soup is a common culinary practice in daily life. To investigate the impact of reheating frequency on the sensory quality of chicken soup, temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) and multi-TDS were used to characterize changes in dominant sensory attributes during consumption. Additionally, E-nose and E-tongue were utilized to analyze differences in aroma and taste profiles. The alterations in sensory properties were further elucidated by analyzing variations in amino acids, volatile compounds. The findings revealed that there was no significant disparity between fresh soup and heating. However, saltiness and umami, as the most prominent dominant characteristics, intensified with increasing reheating cycles. This can be attributed to an elevation in certain amino acids that contribute to umami perception. Conversely, a reduction in some aldehydes weakened the flavor associated with fat and meat components. Moreover, enlarged oil droplets with uneven distribution within heated soup may account for the heightened greasiness sensation.

Quality evaluation of chicken soup based on entropy weight method and grey correlation degree method

This study aimed to develop an assessment framework for evaluating the quality of different chicken soup variants. Three types of chicken soup, traditional chicken soup (TCS), concentrated chicken soup (CCS), and blended chicken soup (BCS), were prepared and analyzed for various physicochemical parameters, including gross protein content, crude fat content, pH level, solid content, viscosity, and chromatic aberration value. Sensory evaluation was also conducted to assess overall quality. Correlation analysis helped identify three key evaluation indicators: gross protein content, L* value (lightness), and b* value (chromatic aberration). The weight assigned to gross protein content was the highest using the entropy weight method (EWM). Moreover, the grey correlation degree method was comprehensively applied to evaluate the chicken soup's quality. This analysis identified TCS and CCS as varieties with superior overall quality, showing a positive correlation with sensory evaluation, consistent with the results of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) used in this paper. These results provide theoretical support for assessing comprehensive quality and selecting chicken soup varieties.

Enhancing agro-biodiversity in chicken: a sensory comparison of broths from German local chicken breeds and their crossbreeds

The poultry meat production landscape has undergone a reduction in chicken breeds, resulting in a reliance on a limited number of varieties. Motivated by the goal of promoting sustainable chicken production and enhancing agro-biodiversity, this study pioneers a comparison between local chicken breeds (LB) and their crossbreeds (CB) with modern hybrid lines. Serving as an initial exploration within a larger project, this research acts as a prelude to a comprehensive investigation, aiming to complement the human sensory assessment of product quality. Study I assessed chicken broths prepared from 3 German LBs Bielefelder (BIE), Altsteirer (ALT), and Ramelsloher (RAM) utilizing a factorial 3 × 2 × 2 design that incorporated variations in salt content (unsalted/salted) and cooking time (1 h/3 h). The sensory profiles of the LB broths were largely similar, except for BIE, which exhibited a higher skin odor intensity. Both, increased salt content and longer cooking time intensify sensory perception on most attributes. In study II, BIE was compared with 6 CBs, with variations in salt content and cooking time (6 × 2 × 2 + 1 × 2 factorial design). BIE demonstrated higher sensory intensities than the CBs. Those were comparable, with no clear advantages or disadvantages identified from a sensory standpoint. These findings support that crossbreeding with commercial lines is not associated with changes in the sensory profile. It thus represents a strategy for improving the economic viability of local chicken breeds in order to preserve their valuable agro-biodiversity. The provided protocol for evaluating chicken broth from LBs or their CBs aims to offer researchers a standardized foundation for sensory assessments in chicken broth studies.

PKM2 promotes myoblast growth and inosine monophosphate-specific deposition in Jingyuan chicken

Inosine monophosphate (IMP) is widely regarded as an important indicator for evaluating the flavour of poultry meat. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms affecting the specific deposition of IMP. In this study, we functionally verified PKM2 (Pyruvate kinase M2), a candidate gene related to IMP synthesis, in order to reveal the important role of PKM2 in meat flavour and muscle development of Jingyuan chickens. The results showed that the IMP content in breast muscle of Jingyuan chickens was negatively correlated with PKM2 mRNA expression (r = -0.1710), while the IMP content in leg muscle was significantly positively correlated with PKM2 mRNA expression (r = 0.7350) (P < 0.05). During myogenesis, PKM2 promoted the proliferation rate of myoblasts and the expression of proliferation marker genes, inhibited the apoptosis rate and the expression of apoptosis marker genes, and decreased the expression of differentiation marker genes. Up-regulation of PKM2 enhanced the expression of key genes in the purine metabolic pathway and the de novo synthesis pathway of IMP, and suppressed the expression of key genes in the salvage pathway. ELISA assays showed that PKM2 decreased IMP and hypoxanthine (HX) contents, while adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and uric acid (UA) contents were clearly elevated. In summary, these studies revealed that PKM2 regulates myogenesis and specific deposition of IMP, which can be used to improve the quality of Jingyuan chicken meat.

Effects of Supplementing Tributyrin on Meat Quality Characteristics of Foreshank Muscle of Weaned Small-Tailed Han Sheep Lambs

This experiment aimed to evaluate the effects of supplementing tributyrin (TB) on the meat quality characteristics of foreshank muscle of weaned lambs. A total of 30 healthy weaned Small-Tailed Han female lambs with body weights ranging from 23.4 to 31.6 kg were selected and randomly divided into five groups, and each group consisted of 6 lambs. The control group was fed a basic total mixed ration, while other groups were fed the same ration supplemented with 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 g/kg TB, respectively. The experiment lasted 75 d, including 15 d of adaptation. Foreshank muscle obtained at the same position from each lamb was used for chemical analysis and sensory evaluation. The results showed that supplementing TB increased the muscle contents of ether extract (p = 0.029), calcium (p = 0.030), phosphorus (p = 0.007), and intermuscular fat length (p = 0.022). Besides, TB increased the muscle pH (p = 0.001) and redness (p < 0.001) but reduced the lightness (p < 0.001), drip loss (p = 0.029), cooking loss (p < 0.001), shear force (p = 0.001), hardness (p < 0.001), cohesiveness (p < 0.001), springiness (p < 0.001), gumminess (p < 0.001), and chewiness (p < 0.001). In addition, TB increased the muscle content of inosine-5'-phosphate (p = 0.004). Most importantly, TB increased the muscle contents of essential amino acids (p < 0.001). Furthermore, TB increased the saturated fatty acids level in the muscle (p < 0.001) while decreasing the unsaturated fatty acids content (p < 0.001). In conclusion, supplementing TB could influence the meat quality of foreshank muscle of weaned lambs by modifying the amino acid and fatty acid levels.

Bamboo shoots improve the nutritional and sensory quality, and change flavor composition of chicken soup

The effect of adding bamboo shoots to stewing on the quality and flavor of chicken soup has never been reported. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of 4 kinds of bamboo shoots on the edible quality, volatile and water-soluble flavor components of Chahua chicken soup. The results showed that adding bamboo shoots changed the sensory and nutritional quality of chicken soup. A total of 62 volatile flavor components were identified by HS-SPME-GC-MS, of which 12 were identified as characteristic volatile flavor components, and 9 were the main reasons for the flavor differences between bamboo shoot chicken soup with blank chicken soup. LC-MS found that after adding bamboo shoots, the differential water-soluble components in chicken soup significantly increased, and most of the increased components have been proven to have physiological functional activity. In conclusion, adding bamboo shoots improved the nutritional and sensory quality, and changed the flavor components of chicken soup.

Effect of Different Cooking Methods on the Aroma and Taste of Chicken Broth

A single combi oven, known for its versatility, is an excellent choice for a variety of chicken soup preparations. However, the impact of universal steam ovens on the flavor quality of chicken soup remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the impact of different cooking methods on the aroma and taste of chicken soup. Three cooking methods with various stewing times were compared: ceramic pot (CP), electric pressure cooker (EPC), and combi oven (CO). Analyses were conducted using electron-nose, electron-tongue, gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS), automatic amino acid analysis, and chemometric methods. A total of 14 amino acids, including significant umami contributors, were identified. The taste components of CP and CO chicken soups were relatively similar. In total, 39 volatile aroma compounds, predominantly aldehydes, ketones, and alcohols, were identified. Aldehydes were the most abundant compounds, and 23 key aroma compounds were identified. Pearson's correlation analyses revealed distinct correlations between various amino acids (e.g., glutamic acid and serine) and specific volatile compounds. The aroma compounds from the CP and CO samples showed similarities. The results of this study provide a reference for the application of one-touch cooking of chicken soup in versatile steam ovens.

Novel kokumi peptides from yeast extract and their taste mechanism via an in silico study

Yeast extract, a widely utilized natural substance in the food industry and biopharmaceutical field, holds significant potential for flavor enhancement. Kokumi peptides within yeast extracts were isolated through ultrafiltration and gel chromatography, followed by identification using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Two peptides, IQGFK and EDFFVR, were identified and synthesized using solid-phase methods based on molecular docking outcomes. Sensory evaluations and electronic tongue analyses conducted with chicken broth solutions revealed taste thresholds of 0.12 mmol L-1 for IQGFK and 0.16 mmol L-1 for EDFFVR, respectively, and both peptides exhibited kokumi properties. Additionally, through molecular dynamics simulations, the binding mechanisms between these peptides and the calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) were explored. The findings indicated stable binding of both peptides to the receptor. IQGFK primarily interacted through electrostatic interactions, with key binding sites including Asp275, Asn102, Pro274, Trp70, Tyr218, and Ser147. EDFFVR mainly engaged via van der Waals energy and polar solvation free energy, with key binding sites being Asp275, Ile416, Pro274, Arg66, Ala298, and Tyr218. This suggests that both peptides can activate the CaSR, thereby inducing kokumi activity. This study provides a theoretical foundation and reference for the screening and identification of kokumi peptides, successfully uncovering two novel kokumi peptides derived from yeast extract.

Hyaluronan and chondroitin sulfate in chicken-vegetable bone broth delay osteoporosis progression

Bone broth has recently gained worldwide recognition as a superfood that supplements several nutrients lacking in modern human diets; however, little is known of its efficacy on osteoporosis. Therefore, we aimed to identify the components of chicken-vegetable bone broth (CVBB) that are associated with osteoporosis prevention and verified the efficacy of these components using in vivo studies. In biochemical and cell biological experiments, CVBB was fractionated using ion exchange chromatography (IEC), and the effect of each IEC fraction on osteoclast differentiation was evaluated based on tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) activity, TRAP staining, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis using mouse macrophage-like cells (RAW264 cell). In animal experiments, an ovariectomized (OVX) rat model was generated, followed by whole bone broth (OVX/CVBB) or IEC fraction (OVX/CVBB-Ext) administration and bone structural parameter characterization of OVX rat tibia based on micro-CT. Four CVBB fractions were obtained using IEC, and the fraction containing both hyaluronan and chondroitin sulfate (CVBB-Ext) led to the maximum inhibition of RAW264 cell differentiation. CVBB-Ext downregulated the expression of osteoclast differentiation marker genes. In animal experiments, the OVX group showed a clear decrease in bone density compared to that in the Sham operation group. The OVX/CVBB and OVX/CVBB-Ext groups showed increased bone mineral density and bone volume/tissue volume values compared to those in the OVX/control group. These results suggested that CVBB and CVBB-Ext slowed osteoporosis progression. Therefore, we conclude that hyaluronan and chondroitin sulfate in CVBB are key substances that impede osteoporosis progression. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study provides practical information on the effects of bone broth ingredients on osteoporosis to expand the current knowledge on the efficacy of bone broth, which is a widely consumed food. These results may help in the future development of bone broth as a dietary supplement for managing osteoporosis.

Food Flavor Chemistry and Sensory Evaluation

The chemical composition of food plays a crucial role in determining its characteristics and properties [...].

Plant Soup Formulations Show Cholinesterase Inhibition Potential in the Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease

BACKGROUND

As the cholinesterase theory is a prominent hypothesis underlying our current understanding of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the goal of this study was to compose functional vegan lunchtime soups with potential health benefits in the prevention of AD (in the context of cholinesterase inhibition).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The potential of 36 edible plant raw materials in terms of acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterase inhibition was investigated using a 96-well microplate reader. The most promising ingredients were combined to obtain 18 palatable vegetable soup recipes with 6 dominant flavor, appearance, and aroma variants. To shortlist candidates for in-depth analysis and potential consideration in industrial production, our team performed a sensory analysis of the soups.

RESULTS

The white boletus soup exhibited the highest potential for cholinesterase inhibition, further bolstered by the inclusion of other ingredients known for their elevated capacity to inhibit both AChE and BChE. Ingredients such as blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), garlic, and white potato contributed significantly to this inhibitory effect (nearly 100% of AChE inhibition). Notably, intriguing results were also observed for asparagus soup, despite the fact that the inhibitory potential of asparagus itself is negligible compared to other raw materials. The success of the asparagus soup lies in the meticulous selection of various ingredients, each contributing to its overall effectiveness. It was observed that mushroom soups scored the highest in this respect, while the team members' response to nettle soup was the least favorable.

CONCLUSION

The outcomes of our study should serve as a catalyst for further exploration of this important research domain. Our current research focuses on deeper insights into the potential of comprehensive meal options. Furthermore, the synergy/antagonism/non-interaction between respective soup ingredients as well as elements of individual soups' chemical composition is a very interesting topic currently under our intensive scientific investigation.

Freeze-Dried Cooked Chickpeas: Considering a Suitable Alternative to Prepare Tasty Reconstituted Dishes

The current trend in food consumption is toward convenience, i.e., fast food. The present work aims to study the potential of incorporating freeze-dried cooked chickpeas into a complex and traditional dish in Spanish gastronomy, such as Cocido, which has this legume as the main ingredient. Cocido is a two-course meal: a thin-noodle soup and a mix of chickpeas, several vegetables, and meat portions. The textural properties, sensory qualities, and rehydration kinetics of chickpeas of three Spanish varieties were investigated to select the most suitable cooking conditions to obtain freeze-dried chickpeas of easy rehydration whilst maintaining an adequate sensory quality for the preparation of the traditional dish. The sensory quality of various vegetables and meat portions, cooked under different conditions, was evaluated after freeze-drying and rehydration. It was possible to reproduce the sensory quality of the traditional dish after rehydration with water, heating to boiling in a microwave oven for 5 min, and resting for 10 min. Therefore, it is possible to commercialize complex dishes based on pulses and other cooked and freeze-dried ingredients as reconstituted meals with a wide nutrient profile. Nevertheless, additional research is required on the shelf life, together with other economic and marketing issues such as design of a proper packaging, that would allow consumption as a two-course meal.

Identification of Novel Umami Peptides in Chicken Breast Soup through a Sensory-Guided Approach and Molecular Docking to the T1R1/T1R3 Taste Receptor

Ultrafiltration combined with nanoliquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (nano-LC-QTOF-MS) and sensory evaluation was used to separate and identify umami peptides in chicken breast soup. Fifteen peptides with umami propensity scores of >588 were identified from the fraction (molecular weight ≤1 kDa) using nano-LC-QTOF-MS, and their concentrations ranged from 0.02 ± 0.01 to 6.94 ± 0.41 μg/L in chicken breast soup. AEEHVEAVN, PKESEKPN, VGNEFVTKG, GIQKELQF, FTERVQ, and AEINKILGN were considered as umami peptides according to sensory analysis results (detection threshold: 0.18-0.91 mmol/L). The measurement of point of subjective equality showed that these six umami peptides (2.00 g/L) were equivalent to 0.53-0.66 g/L of monosodium glutamate (MSG) in terms of umami intensity. Notably, the sensory evaluation results showed that the peptide of AEEHVEAVN significantly enhanced the umami intensity of the MSG solution and chicken soup models. The molecular docking results showed that the serine residues were the most frequently observed binding sites in T1R1/T1R3. The binding site Ser276 particularly contributed to the formation of the umami peptide-T1R1 complexes. The acidic glutamate residues observed in the umami peptides were also involved in their binding to the T1R1 and T1R3 subunits.

Decoding the Effect of Age on the Taste Perception of Chicken Breast Soup Based on LC-QTOF-MS/MS Combined with a Chemometric Approach

A nontargeted fingerprinting approach combined with the chemometrics method and sensory analysis was used to assess the differences in taste-chemical compositions of chicken breast soup with different ages and their sensory qualities. The sensory evaluation results showed that the overall taste as well as the sourness, saltiness, and umami scores of the soup were increased with the age of chicken. Fifty-nine compounds were identified from four soup samples by liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS/MS), and their total content was the highest in the 90 wk soup samples. Six upregulated compounds (carnosine, hypoxanthine, inosine, inosine 5'-monophosphate (5'-IMP), adenosine 5'-monophosphate (5'-AMP), and lactic acid) were identified as potential contributors to the taste characteristics of the 90 wk soup samples by orthogonal projections to latent structures-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). Additional experiments showed that 5'-AMP particularly contributed to the sourness of the soup, while carnosine contributed to the saltiness and umami of the soup.

Effect of cooking modes on quality and flavor characteristic in Clitocybe squamulose chicken soup

The effects of cooking modes [cooking in stainless-steel pot (SS), ceramic pot (CP), and electrical ceramic stewpot (EC) with different stewing time] on chemical compositions, whiteness, 5'-nucleotides, fatty acids (FAs), sensory quality and flavor substances in chicken soup added Clitocybe squamulose (Pers.) Kumm (a natural edible fungus) were investigated. The results showed that CP chicken soup had higher soluble solid matter (5.83 g/100 mL), total sugar (2.38 mg/mL), crude protein (7.58 g/100 g), and 5'-nucleotides (325.53 mg/mL) than EC and SS chicken soups. 48 volatile flavor compounds, mainly aldehydes and alkanes, were found by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and the characteristic flavor substances were identified by Principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA). Hexanal, (E,E)-2,4-decadienal and 3-methyl-hexadecane were the most abundant differential volatile compounds in the CP chicken soup. Additionally, the results of sensory evaluation showed that the chicken soup cooked in CP had the higher values of aroma, taste, and overall acceptability. Our results indicate that CP mode might be the best option for cooking chicken soup. This study provides a new perspective in the improvement of the quality and flavor of chicken soup by using an appropriate cooking mode. Theoretical support for the use of various cooking modes is also discussed to improve the quality of chicken soup at home and in the industry.

Molecular characterization of adenosine monophosphate deaminase 1 and its regulatory mechanism for inosine monophosphate formation in triploid crucian carp

Inosine monophosphate (IMP) is the main flavoring substance in aquatic animal, and adenosine monophosphate deaminase1 (AMPD1) gene is a key gene in IMP formation. At present, the research on the mechanism of AMPD1 regulating IMP formation in aquatic animal is still blank. In this study, in order to study the mechanism of AMPD1 regulating IMP formation in fish, the full open reading frame (ORF) of AMPD1 which was 2160bp was obtained for the first time in triploid crucian carp (Carassius auratus). It encoded 719 amino acids with a molecular mass of 82.97 kDa, and the theoretical isoelectric point value was 6.31. The homology analysis showed that the homology of triploid crucian carp and diploid Carassius auratus was the highest, up to 99%. And the phylogenetic tree showed that triploid crucian carp was grouped with diploid Carassius auratus, Culter alburnus, and Danio rerio. And real-time fluorescence quantitative results showed that AMPD1 was expressed specifically in muscle of triploid crucian carp (p < 0.05). The results of detection the localization of AMPD1 in cells indicated that the AMPD1 was mainly localized in cytoplasm and cell membrane. Further, we examined the effects of glutamate which was the promotor of IMP formation on the expression of AMPD1 and the formation of IMP in vivo and in vitro experiments, the results showed that 3% glutamate and 2 mg/ml glutamate could significantly promote AMPD1 expression and IMP formation in triploid crucian carp muscle tissue and muscle cells (p < 0.05). Then we inhibited the expression of AMPD1 in vivo and in vitro experiments, we found the formation of IMP in muscle tissue and muscle cells of triploid crucian carp all were inhibited and they affected the gene expression of AMPK-mTOR signaling pathway. The all results showed that AMPD1 mediated glutamate through AMPK-mTOR signaling pathway to regulate the formation of fish IMP.

Integrated multi-omic data reveal the potential molecular mechanisms of the nutrition and flavor in Liancheng white duck meat

The Liancheng white (LW) duck is one of the most valued Chinese indigenous poultry breeds. Its meat is rich in nutrients and has distinct flavors, but the molecular mechanisms behind them are unknown. To address this issue, we measured and compared multi-omic data (genome, transcriptome, and metabolome) of breast meat from LW ducks and the Mianyang Shelduck (MS) ducks. We found that the LW duck has distinct breed-specific genetic features, including numerous mutant genes with differential expressions associated with amino acid metabolism and transport activities. The metabolome driven by genetic materials was also seen to differ between the two breeds. For example, several amino acids that are beneficial for human health, such as L-Arginine, L-Ornithine, and L-lysine, were found in considerably higher concentrations in LW muscle than in MS duck muscle (p < 0.05). SLC7A6, a mutant gene, was substantially upregulated in the LW group (p < 0.05), which may lead to excessive L-arginine and L-ornithine accumulation in LW duck meat through transport regulation. Further, guanosine monophosphate (GMP), an umami-tasting molecule, was considerably higher in LW muscle (p < 0.05), while L-Aspartic acid was significantly abundant in MS duck meat (p < 0.05), showing that the LW duck has a different umami formation. Overall, this study contributed to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms driving the enriched nutrients and distinct umami of LW duck meat, which will provide a useful reference for duck breeding.

Identification of novel biomarkers in chilled and frozen chicken using metabolomics profiling and its application

Merchants used frozen chicken to pass it off as chilled chicken, resulting in Economically Motivated Adulteration incidents. Here in this work, firstly, we established OPLS-DA and OPLS-R models based on metabolomics to obtain differential metabolites in chilled and frozen chicken (with different storage times), the PLS-DA model based on above differential compounds could achieve accuracy of 91% (training) and 100% (testing) for the adulteration identification of uncooked chilled and frozen chicken. Secondly, cooking study was carried out to identify the discrepancy of the cooked chilled and frozen chicken. Higher nicotinamide, o-acetyl-l-carnitine, hypoxanthine, and IMP levels indicated better nutrition quality and more desirable flavor in chilled chicken nuggets, while higher bitter and sour peptides in frozen chicken nuggets indicated the loss of freshness.