Delivery of Phenolic Compounds, Peptides and β-Glucan to the Gastrointestinal Tract by Incorporating Dietary Fibre-Rich Mushrooms into Sorghum Biscuits

Incorporating Fresh Durum Wheat Semolina Pasta Fortified with Cardoncello (Pleurotus eryngii) Mushroom Powder as a Mediterranean Diet Staple

Pasta made from durum wheat semolina has a medium-high glycemic index score, high starch digestibility, and limited nutritional value due to its low fiber, vitamin, and bioactive compound content. This study aimed to enhance pasta's nutritional and functional qualities by incorporating Pleurotus eryngii (PE) powder at various substitution levels to achieve one nutritional claim at least. This research involved two phases: evaluating the chemical/physical, nutritional, functional, and sensory properties of laboratory-scale samples and validating the selected formulations through industrial-scale production and shelf-life analyses. The pasta sample with 8.62% PE substitution (SPE8-P) demonstrated significantly improved nutritional qualities, including high fiber content sufficient for a "high fiber content" claim, and potential prebiotic activity indicated by increased bifidobacterial density during simulated fecal microbiota fermentation. Despite its enhanced riboflavin and antioxidant content, regulatory constraints limited the inclusion of claims for vitamin B2 richness and antioxidant activity. Although significantly affecting the color, taste, and odor profiles, the sensory analysis revealed high overall acceptability, supporting the product's potential for consumer acceptance. This study confirms the feasibility of producing innovative, nutritionally enriched pasta with PE powder as a functional ingredient. Future research will focus on in vivo evaluation to establish the potential for classifying this pasta prototype as a functional food.

Ergothioneine, a New Acrolein Scavenger at Elevated Temperature

Acrolein (ACR) present in vivo and in vitro can damage proteins and DNA, linking it to various chronic diseases. In this paper, ergothioneine (EGT), abundant in edible mushrooms, has been studied for its ability to trap ACR and its reaction pathway with ACR at high temperatures using ultraperformance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). We synthesized the adducts (EGT-ACR-1 and EGT-ACR-2), elucidating their structure and reaction site through HRMS and nuclear magnetic resonance. Subsequently, we proved the synergistic trapping effect on ACR of EGT when combined with γ-aminobutyric (GABA) and disodium 5'-guanylate (GMP) in binary or ternary employing the Chou-Talalay methods. Quantitative analysis of the ACR adducts revealed that GABA and GMP enhanced EGT's ability to form additional ACR adducts. Moreover, Boletus eduli and Volvariella volvacea, as the carriers of EGT, GABA, and GMP, show a marked effect on trapping ACR generated during the baking of cookies/cakes. Our finding suggested that EGT, whether as a standalone compound or derived from mushrooms, could act as a potential ACR capturer (including single and multiple uses) in baked food.

Exploring the potential of sorghum with reference to its bioactivities, physicochemical properties and potential health benefits

Sorghum, belonging to the Poaceae family, is a widely consumed grain, particularly in Africa. Sorghum grains have been used in traditional African diets for centuries. These grains, along with their products, are known for their high nutritional value and possess various bioactive properties, including antioxidant, anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, anti-cardiovascular, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer activities. Despite these benefits, sorghum grains face challenges due to the presence of certain anti-nutritional components such as tannins, phytates, trypsin inhibitors, and protein crosslinkers. Processing techniques such as soaking, germination, fermentation, thermal processing, and irradiation can improve the nutritional quality of sorghum by reducing anti-nutritional factors. Among these, fermentation, particularly when combined with other methods like soaking and germination, is considered most effective in enhancing the grain's nutritional value. This review addresses the current knowledge gaps regarding sorghum's nutritional and phytochemical composition and its potential health benefits. It also emphasizes the importance of further research to enhance sorghum's inherent nutritional attributes and promote its use as a sustainable crop to address global food security challenges. The findings highlight sorghum's potential in improving dietary quality and contributing to better health outcomes worldwide.

An appearance quality classification method for Auricularia auricula based on deep learning

The intelligent appearance quality classification method for Auricularia auricula is of great significance to promote this industry. This paper proposes an appearance quality classification method for Auricularia auricula based on the improved Faster Region-based Convolutional Neural Networks (improved Faster RCNN) framework. The original Faster RCNN is improved by establishing a multiscale feature fusion detection model to improve the accuracy and real-time performance of the model. The multiscale feature fusion detection model makes full use of shallow feature information to complete target detection. It fuses shallow features with rich detailed information with deep features rich in strong semantic information. Since the fusion algorithm directly uses the existing information of the feature extraction network, there is no additional calculation. The fused features contain more original detailed feature information. Therefore, the improved Faster RCNN can improve the final detection rate without sacrificing speed. By comparing with the original Faster RCNN model, the mean average precision (mAP) of the improved Faster RCNN is increased by 2.13%. The average precision (AP) of the first-level Auricularia auricula is almost unchanged at a high level. The AP of the second-level Auricularia auricula is increased by nearly 5%. And the third-level Auricularia auricula AP is increased by 1%. The improved Faster RCNN improves the frames per second from 6.81 of the original Faster RCNN to 13.5. Meanwhile, the influence of complex environment and image resolution on the Auricularia auricula detection is explored.

Impact of Lactic Acid Bacteria Fermentation Based on Biotransformation of Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity of Mushrooms

Mushrooms contain phenolic compounds that possess health-promoting properties, including antioxidant effects. However, the low solubility and form of phenolic compounds affect their bioactivity and bioaccessibility. To overcome this limitation, our study investigates the fermentation of mushrooms to increase their free phenolic content and enhance their bioactivity. Our research focused on the impact of fermentation on both free and bound phenolic fractions (FPs and BPs, respectively) in Lentinula edodes and Lactarius deliciosus, which were successively fermented with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum LMG 17673 for 72 h. We examined the total phenolic content (TPC), phenolic profile, and antioxidant activity of both FPs and BPs. Our results showed that the TPC of BPs was higher than that of FPs in both mushrooms, with strong antioxidant capabilities. Fermentation significantly increased the TPC of FPs in both mushrooms, particularly after 24 h of fermentation. The TPC of BPs in mushrooms decreased during fermentation, indicating their release from the matrix. Additionally, we identified 30 bioactive compounds using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. Our study demonstrates for the first time that lactic acid bacteria fermentation of mushrooms with high phenolic content leads to the liberation of bound phenolics, enhancing their bioactivity and bioaccessibility.

Complexation of starch and phenolic compounds during food processing and impacts on the release of phenolic compounds

Phenolic compounds can form complexes with starch during food processing, which can modulate the release of phenolic compounds in the gastrointestinal tract and regulate the bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds. The starch-phenolic complexation is determined by the structure of starch, phenolic compounds, and the food processing conditions. In this review, the complexation between starch and phenolic compounds during (hydro)thermal and nonthermal processing is reviewed. A hypothesis on the complexation kinetics is developed to elucidate the mechanism of complexation between starch and phenolic compounds considering the reaction time and the processing conditions. The subsequent effects of complexation on the physicochemical properties of starch, including gelatinization, retrogradation, and digestion, are critically articulated. Further, the release of phenolic substances and the bioaccessibility of different types of starch-phenolics complexes are discussed. The review emphasizes that the processing-induced structural changes of starch are the major determinant modulating the extent and manner of complexation with phenolic compounds. The controlled release of complexes formed between phenolic compounds and starch in the digestive tracts can modify the functionality of starch-based foods and, thus, can be used for both the modulation of glycemic response and the targeted delivery of phenolic compounds.

Nutritional Quality and Biological Application of Mushroom Protein as a Novel Protein Alternative

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Global concerns about population growth, economic, and nutritional transitions and health have led to the search for a low-cost protein alternative to animal origins. This review provides an overview of the viability of exploring mushroom protein as a future protein alternative considering the nutritional value, quality, digestibility, and biological benefits.

RECENT FINDINGS

Plant proteins are commonly used as alternatives to animal proteins, but the majority of them are low in quality due to a lack of one or more essential amino acids. Edible mushroom proteins usually have a complete essential amino acid profile, meet dietary requirements, and provide economic advantages over animal and plant sources. Mushroom proteins may provide health advantages by eliciting antioxidant, antitumor, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), inhibitory and antimicrobial properties over animal proteins. Protein concentrates, hydrolysates, and peptides from mushrooms are being used to improve human health. Also, edible mushrooms can be used to fortify traditional food to increase protein value and functional qualities. These characteristics highlight mushroom proteins as inexpensive, high-quality proteins that can be used as a meat alternative, as pharmaceuticals, and as treatments to alleviate malnutrition. Edible mushroom proteins are high in quality, low in cost, widely available, and meet environmental and social requirements, making them suitable as sustainable alternative proteins.