Submit to Foods Review for Foods Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

Food Polysaccharides, Starch, and Protein: Processing, Characterization, and Health Benefits

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Physics and (Bio)Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 December 2023) | Viewed by 22992

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Jianhua Xie

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
Interests: polysaccharide; functional foods; microbiome; hydrocolloids; biopolymers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Yanjun Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Spice and Beverage Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Wanning 571533, China
Interests: starch; properties; structure; physical modification
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Hansong Yu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

College of Food Science and Engineering, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun 130118, China
Interests: protein; dietary fibre; functional foods; carbohydrate; high-value processing
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Mingyue Shen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
Interests: polysaccharide; functional foods; microbiome

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Natural components such as polysaccharides, starch, protein, pectin, and fiber are prevalent in the organs of plants and animals. There have been attempts to apply these natural components in various industries to take advantage of their unique physicochemical properties (dependent on the botanical origin, geographical origin, culture conditions, etc.). Today, with the advancement of isolation technology, as well as with the development of enzyme engineering and the application of modern modification technologies, natural components are gradually becoming incredibly important raw material for the production of numerous products in the food industry.

The application of natural components directly isolated from raw materials is limited due to their undesired characteristics, such as solubility at lower temperatures, instability under certain conditions, viscosity change, lack of functional properties, etc.

Aiming to improve on these disadvantages and expand their practical application in in food and non-food industries, physical and enzymatic modification procedures (in combination with each other) are employed to enhance natural components’ physicochemical and functional properties. Although an increasing number of studies have recently addressed the positive effects of physical and enzymatic modification processes on the processing properties of natural components, most of the critical properties and mechanisms remain unknown.

Therefore, we believe that this Special Issue of Foods focused on research and improvement of natural components in food processing, including polysaccharides, starch, protein, pectin, and fiber, will be pivotal in providing an overview of the current status and future developments in the field.

The Special Issue will cover the following scientific topics:

Physicochemical and functional properties of native polysaccharides, starch, protein, pectin, and fiber;

Food processing technologies for polysaccharides, and starch, protein, pectin, and fiber;
Modification and application of polysaccharides, and starch, protein, pectin, and fiber;
Structure and functional properties changes in natural components during modification;
Processing–structure–function relationship of natural components during modification;
Future industry of polysaccharides, starch, protein, pectin, and fiber;
Novel natural bioactive food carbohydrates, protein, and their prospective applications;
Any topics that are deemed relevant to the main scope of this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Jianhua Xie
Dr. Yanjun Zhang
Prof. Dr. Hansong Yu
Dr. Mingyue Shen
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

polysaccharide
starch
protein
pectin
fiber
properties
modification
bioactivities

Published Papers (14 papers)

Download All Papers

Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

4 pages, 160 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Food Polysaccharides and Proteins: Processing, Characterization, and Health Benefits

by Liyuan Rong, Mingyue Shen, Yanjun Zhang, Hansong Yu and Jianhua Xie

Foods 2024, 13(7), 1113; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13071113 - 5 Apr 2024

Viewed by 640

Abstract

Natural macromolecular substances are prevalent in the organs of plants and animals, such as polysaccharides, resins, proteins, etc [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Polysaccharides, Starch, and Protein: Processing, Characterization, and Health Benefits)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

24 pages, 4525 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Calcium and pH on Rheological Thermal Resistance of Composite Xanthan Gum and High-Methoxyl Apple Pectin Matrices Featuring Dysphagia-Friendly Consistency

by Huaiwen Yang, Liang-Yu Chou and Chi-Chung Hua

Foods 2024, 13(1), 90; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13010090 - 26 Dec 2023

Viewed by 919

Abstract

High-methoxyl apple pectin (AP) derived from apple was employed as the main ingredient facilitating rheological modification features in developing dysphagia-friendly fluidized alimentary matrices. Xanthan gum (XG) was also included as a composite counterpart to modify the viscoelastic properties of the thickened system under different thermal processes. The results indicate that AP is extremely sensitive to thermal processing, and the viscosity is greatly depleted under a neutral pH level. Moreover, the inclusion of calcium ions echoed the modification effect on the rheological properties of AP, and both the elastic property and viscosity value were promoted after thermal processing. The modification effect of viscoelastic properties (G′ and G″) was observed whne XG was incorporated into the composite formula. Increasing the XG ratio from 7:3 to 6:4 (AP:XG) triggers the rheological transformation from a liquid-like form to a solid-like state, and the viscosity value shows that the AP-XG composite system exhibits better thermal stability after thermal processing. The ambient modifiers of pH (pH < 4) and calcium chloride concentration (7.5%) with an optimal AP-XG ratio of 7:3 led to weak-gel-like behavior (G″ < G′), helping to maintain the texture properties of dysphagia-friendly features similar to those prior to the thermal processing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Polysaccharides, Starch, and Protein: Processing, Characterization, and Health Benefits)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 5458 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rheology, Texture and Swallowing Characteristics of a Texture-Modified Dysphagia Food Prepared Using Common Supplementary Materials

by Xin Wang, Liyuan Rong, Mingyue Shen, Qiang Yu, Yi Chen, Jinwang Li and Jianhua Xie

Foods 2023, 12(12), 2287; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12122287 - 6 Jun 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2247

Abstract

A dysphagia diet is a special eating plan. The development and design of dysphagia foods should consider both swallowing safety and food nutritional qualities. In this study, the effects of four food supplements, namely vitamins, minerals, salt and sugar, on swallowing characteristics, rheological and textural properties were investigated, and a sensory evaluation of dysphagia foods made with rice starch, perilla seed oil and whey isolate protein was carried out. The results showed that all the samples belonged to foods at level 4 (pureed) in The International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI) framework, and exhibited shear thinning behavior, which is favorable for dysphagia patients. Rheological tests showed that the viscosity of a food bolus was increased with salt and sugar (SS), while it decreased with vitamins and minerals (VM) at shear rates of 50 s⁻¹. Both SS and VM strengthened the elastic gel system, and SS enhanced the storage modulus and loss modulus. VM increased the hardness, gumminess, chewiness and color richness, but left small residues on the spoon. SS provided better water-holding, chewiness and resilience by influencing the way molecules were connected, promoting swallowing safety. SS brought a better taste to the food bolus. Dysphagia foods with both VM and 0.5% SS had the best sensory evaluation score. This study may provide a theoretical foundation for the creation and design of new dysphagia nutritional food products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Polysaccharides, Starch, and Protein: Processing, Characterization, and Health Benefits)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

14 pages, 4336 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Insoluble Dietary Fiber from Soybean Residue (Okara) Exerts Anti-Obesity Effects by Promoting Hepatic Mitochondrial Fatty Acid Oxidation

by Jiarui Zhang, Sainan Wang, Junyao Wang, Wenhao Liu, Hao Gong, Zhao Zhang, Bo Lyu and Hansong Yu

Foods 2023, 12(10), 2081; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12102081 - 22 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1738

Abstract

Numerous investigations have shown that insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) has a potentially positive effect on obesity due to a high-fat diet (HFD). Our previous findings based on proteomic data revealed that high-purity IDF from soybean residue (okara) (HPSIDF) prevented obesity by regulating hepatic fatty acid synthesis and degradation pathways, while its intervention mechanism is uncharted. Consequently, the goal of this work is to find out the potential regulatory mechanisms of HPSIDF on hepatic fatty acid oxidation by determining changes in fatty acid oxidation-related enzymes in mitochondria and peroxisomes, the production of oxidation intermediates and final products, the composition and content of fatty acids, and the expression levels of fatty acid oxidation-related proteins in mice fed with HFD. We found that supplementation with HPSIDF significantly ameliorated body weight gain, fat accumulation, dyslipidemia, and hepatic steatosis caused by HFD. Importantly, HPSIDF intervention promotes medium- and long-chain fatty acid oxidation in hepatic mitochondria by improving the contents of acyl-coenzyme A oxidase 1 (ACOX1), malonyl coenzyme A (Malonyl CoA), acetyl coenzyme A synthase (ACS), acetyl coenzyme A carboxylase (ACC), and carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1 (CPT-1). Moreover, HPSIDF effectively regulated the expression levels of proteins involved with hepatic fatty acid β-oxidation. Our study indicated that HPSIDF treatment prevents obesity by promoting hepatic mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Polysaccharides, Starch, and Protein: Processing, Characterization, and Health Benefits)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 4101 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Protective Effect of Anoectochilus formosanus Polysaccharide against Cyclophosphamide-Induced Immunosuppression in BALB/c Mice

by Anqi Xie, Hao Wan, Lei Feng, Boyun Yang and Yiqun Wan

Foods 2023, 12(9), 1910; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12091910 - 7 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1698

Abstract

In this study, Anoectochilus formosanus polysaccharide (AFP) was acquired a via water extraction and alcohol precipitation method. The immunoregulatory activity of AFP was first evaluated on cyclophosphamide (Cy)-treated mice. Galacturonic acid, glucose and galactose were confirmed to be the main components of AFP. AFP demonstrated the ability to stimulate the production of TNF-α and IL-6 in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Not surprisingly, the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway by AFP was validated via Western blot analysis. Furthermore, AFP could alleviate Cy-induced immunosuppression, and significantly enhance the immunity of mice via increasing the thymus index and body weight, stimulating the production of cytokines (IgA, IgG, SIgA, IL-2, IL-6 and IFN-γ). The improvement in the intestinal morphology of immunosuppressed mice showed that AFP could alleviate Cy-induced immune toxicity. These results have raised the possibility that AFP may act as a natural immunomodulator. Overall, the study of AFP was innovative and of great significance for AFP’s further application and utilization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Polysaccharides, Starch, and Protein: Processing, Characterization, and Health Benefits)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

14 pages, 1106 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Entanglement between Water Un-Extractable Arabinoxylan and Gliadin or Glutenins Induced a More Fragile and Soft Gluten Network Structure

by Fan Li, Tingting Li, Jiajia Zhao, Mingcong Fan, Haifeng Qian, Yan Li and Li Wang

Foods 2023, 12(9), 1800; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12091800 - 26 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1019

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effects of water-unextractable arabinoxylan (WUAX) on the gluten network structure, especially on gliadins and glutenins. The results indicated that the free sulfhydryl (free SH) of gliadins increased by 25.5% with 100 g/kg WUAX, whereas that of glutenins increased by 65.2%, which inhibited the formation of covalent bonds. Furthermore, β-sheets content decreased 5.63% and 4.75% for gliadins and glutenins with 100 g/kg WUAX, respectively, compared with the control. WUAX increased β-turns prevalence for gliadins, while the content of α-helixes and random coils had less fluctuation. In glutenins, the contents of α-helixes and β-sheets decreased and β-turns increased. Moreover, compared with the control, the weight loss rate for gliadins and glutenins increased by 2.49% and 2.04%, respectively, with 60 g/kg WUAX. The dynamic rheological analysis manifested that WUAX impaired the viscoelasticity property of gliadin and glutenin. Overall, WUAX weakened the structure of the gliadins and glutenins, leading to quality deterioration of gluten. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Polysaccharides, Starch, and Protein: Processing, Characterization, and Health Benefits)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

15 pages, 3147 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sulfated Chinese Yam Polysaccharides Alleviate LPS-Induced Acute Inflammation in Mice through Modulating Intestinal Microbiota

by Shihua Wu, Xianxiang Chen, Ruixin Cai, Xiaodie Chen, Jian Zhang, Jianhua Xie and Mingyue Shen

Foods 2023, 12(9), 1772; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12091772 - 25 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1561

Abstract

This study aimed to test the preventive anti-inflammatory properties of Chinese yam polysaccharides (CYP) and sulfated Chinese yam polysaccharides (SCYP) on LPS-induced systemic acute inflammation in mice and investigate their mechanisms of action. The results showed that SCYP can efficiently reduce plasma TNF-α and IL-6 levels, exhibiting an obvious anti-inflammation ability. Moreover, SCYP reduced hepatic TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β secretion more effectively than CYP, and significantly altered intestinal oxidative stress levels. In addition, a 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis showed that CYP regulated the gut microbiota by decreasing Desulfovibrio and Sutterella and increasing Prevotella. SCYP changed the gut microbiota by decreasing Desulfovibrio and increasing Coprococcus, which reversed the microbiota dysbiosis caused by LPS. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) effect size (LEfSe) revealed that treatment with CYP and SCYP can produce more biomarkers of the gut microbiome that can promote the proliferation of polysaccharide-degrading bacteria and facilitate the intestinal de-utilization of polysaccharides. These results suggest that SCYP can differentially regulate intestinal flora, and that they exhibit anti-inflammatory effects, thus providing a new reference to rationalize the exploitation of sulfated yam polysaccharides. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Polysaccharides, Starch, and Protein: Processing, Characterization, and Health Benefits)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 3476 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Soybean Trypsin Inhibitor on Pancreatic Oxidative Damage of Mice at Different Growth Periods

by Chunmei Gu, Qiuping Yang, Shujun Li, Linlin Zhao, Bo Lyu, Yingnan Wang and Hansong Yu

Foods 2023, 12(8), 1691; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12081691 - 18 Apr 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1787

Abstract

The bioactive components in soybeans have significant physiological functions. However, the intake of soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI) may cause metabolic disorders. To investigate the effect of STI intake on pancreatic injury and its mechanism of action, a five-week animal experiment was conducted, meanwhile, a weekly monitor on the degree of oxidation and antioxidant indexes in the serum and pancreas of the animals was carried out. The results showed that the intake of STI had irreversible damage to the pancreas, according to the analysis of the histological section. Malondialdehyde (MDA) in the pancreatic mitochondria of Group STI increased significantly and reached a maximum (15.7 nmol/mg prot) in the third week. Meanwhile, the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), trypsin (TPS), and somatostatin (SST) were decreased and reached minimum values (10 U/mg prot, 87 U/mg prot, 2.1 U/mg prot, 10 pg/mg prot) compared with the Group Control. The RT-PCR results of the expression of SOD, GSH-Px, TPS, and SST genes were consistent with the above. This study demonstrates that STI causes oxidative structural damage and pancreatic dysfunction by inducing oxidative stress in the pancreas, which could increase with time. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Polysaccharides, Starch, and Protein: Processing, Characterization, and Health Benefits)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

24 pages, 6024 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Cavitation Jet on the Structural, Emulsifying Features and Interfacial Features of Soluble Soybean Protein Oxidized Aggregates

by Yanan Guo, Caihua Liu, Yichang Wang, Shuanghe Ren, Xueting Zheng, Jiayu Zhang, Tianfu Cheng, Zengwang Guo and Zhongjiang Wang

Foods 2023, 12(5), 909; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12050909 - 21 Feb 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1444

Abstract

A cavitation jet can enhance food proteins’ functionalities by regulating solvable oxidized soybean protein accumulates (SOSPI). We investigated the impacts of cavitation jet treatment on the emulsifying, structural and interfacial features of soluble soybean protein oxidation accumulate. Findings have shown that radicals in an oxidative environment not only induce proteins to form insoluble oxidative aggregates with a large particle size and high molecular weight, but also attack the protein side chains to form soluble small molecular weight protein aggregates. Emulsion prepared by SOSPI shows worse interface properties than OSPI. A cavitation jet at a short treating time (<6 min) has been shown to break the core aggregation skeleton of soybean protein insoluble aggregates, and insoluble aggregates into soluble aggregates resulting in an increase of emulsion activity (EAI) and constancy (ESI), and a decrease of interfacial tension from 25.15 to 20.19 mN/m. However, a cavitation jet at a long treating time (>6 min) would cause soluble oxidized aggregates to reaggregate through an anti-parallel intermolecular β-sheet, which resulted in lower EAI and ESI, and a higher interfacial tension (22.44 mN/m). The results showed that suitable cavitation jet treatment could adjust the structural and functional features of SOSPI by targeted regulated transformation between the soluble and insoluble components. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Polysaccharides, Starch, and Protein: Processing, Characterization, and Health Benefits)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 3854 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Molecular Mechanism of Yam Polysaccharide Protected H₂O₂-Induced Oxidative Damage in IEC-6 Cells

by Mingyue Shen, Ruixin Cai, Zhedong Li, Xiaodie Chen and Jianhua Xie

Foods 2023, 12(2), 262; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12020262 - 6 Jan 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1511

Abstract

Oxidative stress is involved in maintaining homeostasis of the body, and an in-depth study of its mechanism of action is beneficial for the prevention of chronic illnesses. This study aimed to investigate the protective mechanism of yam polysaccharide (CYP) against H₂O₂-induced oxidative damage by an RNA-seq technique. The expression of genes and the function of the genome in the process of oxidative damage by H₂O₂ in IEC-6 cells were explored through transcriptomic analysis. The results illustrated that H₂O₂ damaged cells by promoting cell differentiation and affecting tight junction proteins, and CYP could achieve cell protection via restraining the activation of the MAPK signaling pathway. RNA-seq analysis revealed that H₂O₂ may damage cells by promoting the IL-17 signaling pathway and the MAPK signaling pathway and so forth. The Western blot showed that the pretreatment of CYP could restrain the activation of the MAPK signaling pathway. In summary, this study demonstrates that the efficacy of CYP in modulating the MAPK signaling pathway against excessive oxidative stress, with a corresponding preventive role against injury to the intestinal barrier. It provides a new perspective for the understanding of the preventive role of CYP on intestinal damage. These findings suggest that CYP could be used as oxidation protectant and may have potential application prospects in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Polysaccharides, Starch, and Protein: Processing, Characterization, and Health Benefits)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 4234 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Characterization of Novel Exopolysaccharides from Enterococcus hirae WEHI01 and Its Immunomodulatory Activity

by Kaiying Jia, Min Wei, Yao He, Yujie Wang, Hua Wei and Xueying Tao

Foods 2022, 11(21), 3538; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11213538 - 7 Nov 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1385

Abstract

Exopolysaccharide (EPS) from probiotic Enterococcus hirae WEHI01 was isolated and purified by anion exchange chromatography and gel chromatography, the results of which show that the EPS consists of four fractions, namely I01-1, I01-2, I01-3, and I01-4. As the main purification components, I01-2 and I01-4 were preliminarily characterized for their structure and their immunomodulatory activity was explored. The molecular weight of I01-2 was 2.28 × 10⁴ Da, which consists mainly of galactose, and a few other sugars including glucose, arabinose, mannose, xylose, fucose, and rhamnose, while the I01-4 was composed of galactose only and has a molecular weight of 2.59 × 10⁴ Da. Furthermore, the results of an evaluation of immunomodulatory activity revealed that I01-2 and I01-4 could improve the viability of macrophage cells, improve phagocytosis, boost NO generation, and encourage the release of cytokines including TNF-α and IL-6 in RAW 264.7 macrophages. These results imply that I01-2 and I01-4 could improve macrophage-mediated immune responses and might be useful in the production of functional food and medications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Polysaccharides, Starch, and Protein: Processing, Characterization, and Health Benefits)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 1893 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Hydrothermal Treatment on the Structure and Functional Properties of Quinoa Protein Isolate

by Xingfen He, Bin Wang, Baotang Zhao, Yuecheng Meng, Jie Chen and Fumin Yang

Foods 2022, 11(19), 2954; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11192954 - 21 Sep 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1904

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of hydrothermal treatment at different temperatures and times on the structure and functional properties of quinoa protein isolate (QPI). The structure of QPI was investigated by analyzing changes in the intrinsic fluorescence spectrum, ultra-violet (UV) spectrum, and Fourier transform infrared spectrum. The solubility, water/oil-holding capacity, emulsifying activity, and emulsion stability of QPI were studied, as were the particle size and the thermogravimetric properties of QPI. The results showed that the average particle size of QPI gradually increased with the increase in hydrothermal treatment time and temperature, and reached a maximum value of 121 °C for 30 min. The surface morphology also became rough and its thermal stability also increased. The endogenous fluorescence and UV spectral intensity at 280 nm decreased gradually with increasing hydrothermal treatment time and temperature, and reduced to the minimum values at 121 °C for 30 min, respectively. After hydrothermal treatment, the secondary structure of QPI tended to be disordered. The functional properties of QPI after treatment were all superior to those of the control. The results of this study might provide a basis for the processing and utilization of QPI. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Polysaccharides, Starch, and Protein: Processing, Characterization, and Health Benefits)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research

25 pages, 2205 KiB

Open AccessReview

Complement in Human Brain Health: Potential of Dietary Food in Relation to Neurodegenerative Diseases

by Yihang Xing, Dingwen Zhang, Li Fang, Ji Wang, Chunlei Liu, Dan Wu, Xiaoting Liu, Xiyan Wang and Weihong Min

Foods 2023, 12(19), 3580; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12193580 - 26 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1336

Abstract

The complement pathway is a major component of the innate immune system, which is critical for recognizing and clearing pathogens that rapidly react to defend the body against external pathogens. Many components of this pathway are expressed throughout the brain and play a beneficial role in synaptic pruning in the developing central nervous system (CNS). However, excessive complement-mediated synaptic pruning in the aging or injured brain may play a contributing role in a wide range of neurodegenerative diseases. Complement Component 1q (C1q), an initiating recognition molecule of the classical complement pathway, can interact with a variety of ligands and perform a range of functions in physiological and pathophysiological conditions of the CNS. This review considers the function and immunomodulatory mechanisms of C1q; the emerging role of C1q on synaptic pruning in developing, aging, or pathological CNS; the relevance of C1q; the complement pathway to neurodegenerative diseases; and, finally, it summarizes the foods with beneficial effects in neurodegenerative diseases via C1q and complement pathway and highlights the need for further research to clarify these roles. This paper aims to provide references for the subsequent study of food functions related to C1q, complement, neurodegenerative diseases, and human health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Polysaccharides, Starch, and Protein: Processing, Characterization, and Health Benefits)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 2715 KiB

Open AccessReview

Isolation and Extraction of Monomers from Insoluble Dietary Fiber

by Junyao Wang, Jiarui Zhang, Sainan Wang, Wenhao Liu, Wendan Jing and Hansong Yu

Foods 2023, 12(13), 2473; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12132473 - 24 Jun 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2171

Abstract

Insoluble dietary fiber is a macromolecular polysaccharide aggregate composed of pectin, glycoproteins, lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose. All agricultural by-products contain significant levels of insoluble dietary fiber. With the recognition of the increasing scarcity of non-renewable energy sources, the conversion of single components of dietary fiber into renewable energy sources and their use has become an ongoing concern. The isolation and extraction of single fractions from insoluble dietary fiber is one of the most important recent research directions. The continuous development of technologies for the separation and extraction of single components is aimed at expanding the use of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin for food, industrial, cosmetic, biomedical, and other applications. Here, to expand the use of single components to meet the new needs of future development, separation and extraction methods for single components are summarized, in addition to the prospects of new raw materials in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Polysaccharides, Starch, and Protein: Processing, Characterization, and Health Benefits)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Food Polysaccharides, Starch, and Protein: Processing, Characterization, and Health Benefits

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (14 papers)

Editorial

Research

Review

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI