Polygonati rhizoma (Huangjing in Chinese) is a common clinical tonic with the traditional effects of tonifying Qi, nourishing Yin. However, the lack of precise control of processing parameters has led to the uneven quality of processed Huangjing. A prediction model using the CRITIC method optimizes processing by correlating method, component contents, and biological activity, ensuring consistent quality and efficacy.

A partial substitution of wheat flour with potato flour processed by various procedures was used to determine an optimal potato pretreatment method for noodle processing. Wheat flour was substituted with 10%, 30%, and 50% potato flour. Potato flour (PF) was processed using two different methods, including freeze-drying (FD) and low-temperature blanching, then oven drying (LTB_OD). The results showed that substituting wheat flour with freeze-dried (FD) flour (44.29 μm) significantly decreased the mean particle size of the blended flour, while LTB_OD flour (223.09 μm) increased the mean particle size. The pasting properties of wheat flour significantly improved when potato flour was added, with FD flour blends having the highest results. The highest dough development time (14.46 min) was attained when LTB_OD potato flour was substituted up to 50%. The microstructure images showed a poor and discontinuous gluten framework when potato flour content reached 50%. Adding potato flour decreased noodles\' brightness (L*) while increasing their yellowness (b*). Noodles made from wheat and LTB_OD flour blends resulted in the highest cooking loss. The texture properties of noodles deteriorated when potato flour content reached 30%. Substituting up to 30% with freeze-dried flour and 10% LTB_OD resulted in noodles with the highest overall liking scores. The study suggests that for optimal noodle processing, substituting wheat flour with FD potato flour is more favorable than using LTB_OD, as it improves particle size, pasting properties, and overall liking scores while minimizing adverse effects on texture and cooking loss.

Background: Seafood allergy is a significant global health concern that greatly impacts a patient\'s quality of life. The intervention efficacy of oral immunotherapy (OIT), an emerging intervention strategy, for seafood allergy remains controversial. This study aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of slightly processed allergen/meat from fish and crustacea in OIT, both in mouse models and clinical patients. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed in four mainstream databases and the EBSCOhost database to identify all relevant case-control and cohort studies. The aim was to elucidate the intervention efficacy, encompassing various processing methods and assessing the efficacy of multiple major allergens in OIT. Results: The meta-analysis included five case-control studies on crustacean allergens in mouse models and 11 cohort studies on meat from fish and crustacea in clinical patients for final quantitative assessments. In mouse models, crustacean allergen substantially decreased the anaphylactic score after OIT treatment (mean difference (MD) = -1.30, p < 0.01). Subgroup analyses with low-level heterogeneities provided more reliable results for crab species (MD = -0.63, p < 0.01, I2 = 0), arginine kinase allergen (MD = -0.83, p < 0.01, I2 = 0), and Maillard reaction processing method (MD = -0.65, p < 0.01, I2 = 29%), respectively. In clinical patients, the main meta-analysis showed that the slightly processed meat significantly increased the incidence rate of oral tolerance (OT, incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 2.90, p < 0.01). Subgroup analyses for fish meat (IRR = 2.79, p < 0.01) and a simple cooking treatment (IRR = 2.36, p = 0.01) also demonstrated a substantial increase in the incidence rate of OT. Sensitivity and meta-regression analyses successfully identified specific studies contributing to heterogeneity in mouse models and clinical patients, although these studies did not impact the overall significant pooled effects. Conclusions: This meta-analysis provides preliminary evidence for the high intervention efficacy of slightly processed allergen/meat from fish and crustacea in OIT, both in mouse models and clinical patients. The Maillard reaction and cooking processing methods may emerge as potentially effective approaches to treating allergen/meat in OIT for clinical patients, offering a promising and specific treatment strategy for seafood allergy. However, these findings should be interpreted cautiously, and further supporting evidence is necessary.

To investigate suitable processing methods for improve the flavor while maintaining quality, hellgrammites were subjected to fifteen different processing methods. The samples were tested by sensory evaluation and were analyzed using HS-SPME-GC-MS. The sensory evaluation revealed that five methods for head and chest removal, three wine-fried methods, and three vinegar-roasting methods significantly reduced the levels of hexanal (3129.05 ± 45.77 μg/kg) and heptanal (436.72 ± 7.42 μg/kg), compounds responsible for fishy and earthy flavors, compared to raw samples. The latter two methods exhibited increased aroma flavor. PCA and OPLS-DA analyses suggested that acids, alcohols, and esters played a crucial role in flavor modification. Notably, vinegar-roasting methods demonstrated the highest acid content and had a substantial impact on volatile compounds. Additionally, boiling methods effectively reduced the levels of hazardous compounds, such as toluene and 1,3-Dimethyl-benzene. However, other methods did not exhibit similar efficacy in reducing hazardous compounds. The accumulation of hazardous compounds showed a decreasing trend in the whole insect, head removal, and head and chest removal groups. Moreover, the relative odor activity value consistently identified aldehyde compounds, including hexanal and heptanal, as the main contributors to aroma. Overall, boiling and head and chest removal procedures were suggested as precautionary measures during the initial processing of hellgrammites-based food products. The vinegar-roasting and wine-fried methods could be employed to impart desired flavors, aligning with consumers\' preferences. These findings lay the foundation for standardizing processing techniques and ensuring the quality control of products derived from hellgrammites.

This study explored the influence of diverse processing methods (cooking (CO), extrusion puffing (EX), and steam explosion puffing (SE), stir-frying (SF) and fermentation (FE)) on highland barley (Qingke) chemical composition using UHPLC-MS/MS based widely targeted metabolomics. Overall, 827 metabolites were identified and categorized into 16 classes, encompassing secondary metabolites, amino acids, nucleotides, lipids, etc. There 43, 85, 131, 51 and 98 differential metabolites were respectively selected from five comparative groups (raw materials (RM) vs CO/EX/SE/SF/FE), mainly involved in amino acids, nucleotides, flavonoids, and alkaloids. Compared to other treated groups, FE group possessed the higher content of crude protein (15.12 g/100 g DW), and the relative levels of free amino acids (1.32 %), key polyphenols and arachidonic acid (0.01 %). EX group had the higher content of anthocyanins (4.22 mg/100 g DW), and the relative levels of free amino acids (2.02 %) and key polyphenols. SE group showed the higher relative levels of phenolic acids (0.14 %), flavonoids (0.20 %) and alkaloids (1.17 %), but the lowest free amino acids (0.75 %). Different processing methods all decreased Qingke\'s antioxidant capacity, with the iron reduction capacity (988.93 μmol/100 g DW) in SE group was the lowest. On the whole, FE and EX were alleged in improving Qingke\'s nutritional value. CO and SF were also suitable for Qingke processing since fewer differential metabolites were identified in CO vs RM and SF vs RM groups. Differential metabolites were connected to 14 metabolic pathways, with alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism being central. This study contributed theoretical groundwork for the scientific processing and quality control of Qingke products.

UNASSIGNED: The nutritional value of duck meat is well acknowledged due to its low cholesterol and high protein content. Nevertheless, the impacts of deep-frying and baking on its quality characteristics are not extensively documented in literature.
UNASSIGNED: The objective of this study is to examine the effects of deep-frying, pre-boilingdeep-frying, baking, and pre-boiling-baking on the quality attributes, water distribution, microstructure, and flavor characteristics of duck jerky.
UNASSIGNED: The findings revealed that the deep-frying group had better quality attributes than the baking, pre-boiling-deep-frying, and pre-boiling-baking groups. The deepfried duck jerky had a higher a* value (4.25) and a lower b* value (5.87), with a more appropriate texture profile, and had the highest comprehensive impression score (5.84). Moreover, the drying rate was faster, and the intensity of the free water and oil signal was significantly elevated in the deep-frying group. The microstructure results indicated that the muscle fibers in the deep-frying group were closely packed, whereas those in the baking group were relatively loose. Furthermore, the GC-IMS test revealed that the deep-fried duck jerky had a wider range of volatile flavor compounds, including 11 unique compounds that were only found in this particular product.

Purpose: This study reviews the use of mirabilite in traditional Chinese medicine and various preparations by describing its chemical composition, processing methods, pharmacology, toxicology, and clinical research progress. Methods: The applications and processing methods of mirabilite are searched in traditional and modern Chinese medical writings, and the articles on chemical composition, pharmacological effects, toxicology, and clinical studies of mirabilite and its combinations in PubMed and China Knowledge Network are reviewed, sorted, and analyzed. Results: The main chemical component of mirabilite is sodium sulfate decahydrate (Na2SO4·10H2O), followed by small amounts of sodium chloride, magnesium sulfate, calcium sulfate, and other inorganic salts. This study systematically organizes the history of the medicinal use of mirabilite in China for more than 2,000 years. This mineral has been used by nine Chinese ethnic groups (Han, Dai, Kazakh, Manchu, Mongolian, Tujia, Wei, Yi, and Tibetan) in a large number of prescription preparations. The Pharmacopoeia of the People\'s Republic of China (2020 edition) records stated that mirabilite can be used for abdominal distension, abdominal pain, constipation, intestinal carbuncle, external treatment of breast carbuncle, hemorrhoids, and other diseases. The traditional processing methods of mirabilite in China include refining, boiling, sautéing, filtration after hot water blistering, and firing. Since the Ming Dynasty, processing by radish has become the mainstream prepared method of mirabilite. Mirabilite can exhibit anti-inflammatory detumescence effects by inhibiting AMS, LPS, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, and NO levels and attenuating the upregulation of TNF-α and NF-κB genes. It can promote cell proliferation and wound healing by increasing the production of cytokines TGFβ1 and VEGF-A and gastrointestinal motility by increasing the release of vasoactive intestinal peptide, substance P, and motilin. It can increase the expression of low-density lipoprotein receptor and AKT phosphorylation in the liver by up-regulating bile acid synthesis genes; reduce TRB3 expression in the liver, FGF15 co-receptor KLB expression, and FGF15 production in the ileum, and JNK signal transduction; and increase the transcription of CYP7A1 to achieve a cholesterol-lowering effect. Mirabilite also has a variety of pharmacological effects, such as regulating intestinal flora, anti-muscle paralysis, anti-colon cancer, promoting water discharge, and analgesic. Only a few toxicological studies on mirabilite are available. External application of mirabilite can cause local skin to be flushed or itchy, and its oral administration is toxic to neuromuscular cells. The sulfur ions of its metabolites can also be toxic to the human body. At present, no pharmacokinetic study has been conducted on mirabilite as a single drug. This mineral has been widely used in the clinical treatment of inflammation, edema, wound healing, digestive system diseases, infusion extravasation, hemorrhoids, skin diseases, breast accumulation, muscle paralysis, intestinal preparation before microscopic examination, and other diseases and symptoms. Conclusion: Mirabilite has good application prospects in traditional Chinese medicine and ethnomedicine. In-depth research on its processing methods, active ingredients, quality control, pharmacokinetics, pharmacological and toxicological mechanisms, and standardized clinical application is needed. This paper provides a reference for the application and research of mirabilite in the future.

Injection molding is a method commonly used to manufacture plastic products. This technology makes it possible to obtain products of specially designed shape and size. In addition, the developed mold allows for repeated and repeatable production of selected plastic parts. Over the years, this technology grew in importance, and nowadays, products produced by injection molding are used in almost every field of industry. This paper is a review and provides information on recent research reports in the field of modern injection molding techniques. Selected plastics most commonly processed by this technique are discussed. Next, the chosen types of this technique are presented, along with a discussion of the parameters that affect performance and process flow. Depending on the proposed method, the influence of various factors on the quality and yield of the obtained products was analyzed. Nowadays, the link between these two properties is extremely important. The work presented in the article refers to research aimed at modifying injection molding methods enabling high product quality with high productivity at the same time. An important role is also played by lowering production costs and reducing the negative impact on the environment. The review discusses modern injection molding technologies, the development of which is constantly progressing. Finally, the impact of the technology on the ecological environment is discussed and the perspectives of the process were presented.

Toxic Chinese materia medica (CMM) has both pharmacological activities and toxic effects. Based on thousands of years of experience in the application of CMMs, people have explored many practical processing methods of CMMs, also known as \"Pao Zhi\", to reduce/control toxicity and preserve/enhance efficacy. Toxic CMMs have been used throughout China\'s hospitals. Yet, the production and use of toxic CMM should be carried out in accordance with the Chinese pharmacopoeia (ChP) and the processing regulations formulated by the health administrative departments of provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities directly under the Central Government. This paper summarizes the current understanding and awareness of toxicity and 45 toxic CMMs, the commonly used processing methods of toxic CMMs recorded in the 2020 edition of ChP, and the changes in the chemical component, toxicity, or efficacy profiles after processing. This review may provide useful information for the processing methods of toxic CMMs worldwide. We believe that with an in-depth study and understanding of toxic CMMs combined with a standardized application, the toxicity of CMMs will be predictable and controllable in the future.

BACKGROUND: Dried root tubers of L.aggregata have been widely used in Chinese herbal medicine for thousands of years to promote qi, relieve pain, warm kidney, and disperse cold.
OBJECTIVE: This review aims to assess the research progress of L.aggregata, to comprehensively understand its development status, to point out the shortcomings of the existing researches, and to provide reference for further research on L.aggregata.
METHODS: By searching various databases for literatures on \"Lindera aggregata\", \"Linderae Radix\" and \"Lindera strychnifolia\", as well as relevant textbooks and digital documents, an overall and critical review of the subject was conducted.
RESULTS: Through phytochemical studies on different parts of L.aggregata, about 260 compounds were isolated, including flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenes, volatile oils, and other compounds. A large number of in vivo and in vitro studies have shown that L.aggregata has a plethora of pharmacological effects such as anti-cancer, anti-arthritis, anti-bacterial, anti-oxidation, anti-diabetic nephropathy, hepatoprotective, lipid-lowering effect and so on.
CONCLUSIONS: While the pharmacological effects of L.aggregata have been confirmed, most studies only use simple in vitro cell lines or animal disease models to evaluate their pharmacological activities. Therefore, future research should be conducted in a more comprehensive clinical manner. Further pharmacological research is also necessary to fully clarify the action mechanism of L.aggregata. It is also interesting to note that L.aggregata is often used to treat frequent urination in ancient times, but its molecular basis and mechanism of action are still unclear, and systematic studies are lacking. In terms of quality control, the source of L.aggregata is single, mostly wild, and the main medicinal part of L.aggregata is the tuber, while the yield of straight root is large. Therefore, further attention should be paid to the rapid propagation technology of L.aggregata and whether straight root can be included in medicinal use. It is also worth thinking whether sulfur-fumigation is necessary for preserving L.aggregata. As vinegar-processing is a common processing method for L. aggregata, the mechanism of such processing method remains to be investigated. In addition, in-depth research on the pharmacokinetics and long-term toxicity of L.aggregata is necessary to ensure its efficacy and safety.