This study evaluates the effects of alkaline and micellisation extraction methods, alongside freeze-drying and spray-drying, on the protein subunits, amino acid profiles, and proteome data of hempseed protein isolate (HPI). Findings revealed that the extraction methods affect protein profiles more than the drying methods. Micellisation-extracted HPI showed higher albumin, oleosin, and sulphur-containing protein levels than alkaline-extracted HPI. The alkali-extracted undried sample (AU) gave more potentially allergenic proteins, including Hsp70 and triosephosphate isomerase, than its micellization-extracted counterpart (MU). Unique potential allergens were identified, including malate dehydrogenase and enolase in AU, and RuBisCo in MU samples. Both drying processes impacted the HPI proteome and reduced RuBisCo in the micellisation-extracted HPI. These insights highlight the crucial role of method selection in HPI processing for optimising production in the food industry.

BACKGROUND: Licorice, the dried roots and rhizomes of the Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., holds a prominent status in various formulations within the realm of Chinese medicinal practices. The traditional processing methods of licorice hinder quality assurance, thus prompting Chinese medicine researchers to focus on the fresh processing methods to enhancing processing efficiency and quality.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify the differential compounds of licorice between traditional and fresh processing methods and provide a scientific basis for the fresh processing of licorice and for further research on the processing mechanism.
METHODS: A methodology integrating ultra-performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry combined with multivariate statistical analysis was employed to characterize the differential compounds present in licorice between traditional processing and fresh processing.
RESULTS: The results derived from principal component analysis and heat map analyses underscored significant differences in the content of bioactive compounds between the two processing methods. By applying conditions of VIP > 1.5 and p < 0.05, a total of 38 differential compounds were identified through t tests, and the transformation mechanisms of select compounds were illustrated.
CONCLUSIONS: The adoption of fresh processing techniques not only improved processing efficiency but also significantly enhanced the preservation of bioactive compounds within licorice. This research has established a rapid and efficient analytical method for the identification of differential compounds present in differently processed licorice products.

BACKGROUND: Red Panax notoginseng (RPN) is one of the major processed products of P. notoginseng (PN), with more effective biological activities. However, the traditional processing method of RPN has some disadvantages, such as low conversion rate of ginsenosides and long processing time.
RESULTS: In this work, we developed a green, safe, and efficient approach for RPN processing by aspartic acid impregnation pretreatment. Our results showed that the optimized temperature, steaming time, and concentration of aspartic acid were 120 °C, 1 h, and 3% respectively. The original ginsenosides in PN treated by aspartic acid (Asp-PN) were completely converted to rare saponins at 120 °C within just 1 h. The concentration of the rare ginsenosides in Asp-PN was two times higher than that in untreated RPN. In addition, we examined the protective effect of RPN and Asp-PN on acetaminophen-induced liver injury in a mouse model. The results showed that Asp-PN has significantly more potent hepatoprotective action than the RPN. The hepatoprotection of Asp-PN in acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity may be due to its anti-oxidative stress, anti-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory activities.
CONCLUSIONS: These results indicated that aspartic acid impregnation pretreatment may provide an effective method to shorten the steaming time, improve the conversion rate of ginsenosides, and enhance hepatoprotective activity of RPN. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

China Xihu Longjing tea is famous for its good flavor and quality. However, information on its related metabolites, except for flavonoids, is largely deficient. Different processing methods for China Xihu Longjing tea fixing-by machines at both the first and second step (A1), first step by machine and second step by hand (A2), first step by hand and second step by machine (A3), and by hand at both the first and second step (A4)-were compared using a UHPLC-QE-MS-based metabolomics approach. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to analyze the metabolic profiles of the processed samples. A total of 490 metabolites (3 alkaloids, 3 anthracenes, 15 benzene and substituted derivatives, 2 benzopyrans, 13 coumarins and derivatives, 128 flavonoids, 4 furanoid lignans, 16 glycosides and derivatives, 5 indoles and derivatives, 18 isocoumarins and derivatives, 4 chalcones and dihydrochalcones, 4 naphthopyrans, 3 nucleosides, 78 organic acids and derivatives, 55 organooxygen compounds, 5 phenols, 109 prenol lipids, 3 saccharolipids, 3 steroids and steroid derivatives, and 17 tannins) were identified. The different metabolic profiles were distinguished using PCA and OPLS-DA. There were differences in the types and contents of the metabolites, especially flavonoids, furanoid lignans, glycosides and derivatives, organic acids and derivatives, and organooxygen compounds. There was a positive correlation between flavonoid metabolism and amino acid metabolism. However, there was a negative correlation between flavonoid metabolism and amino acid metabolism, which had the same trend as prenol lipid metabolism and tannins. This study provides new valuable information regarding differences in the metabolite profile of China Xihu Longjing tea processed based on machine fixing and on manual fixing methods.

Angelicae Sinensis Radix is one of the main Chinese medicinal materials with both medicinal and edible values. It has the functions of tonifying and activating blood, regulating menstruation and relieving pain, and moistening intestines to relieve constipation. It is mainly produced in the southeastern Gansu province, and that produced in Minxian, Gansu is praised for the best quality. The chemical components of Angelicae Sinensis Radix mainly include volatile oils, organic acids, and polysaccharides, which have anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, anti-tumor, anti-oxidation, immunomodulatory and other pharmacological effects. Therefore, this medicinal material is widely used in clinical practice. By reviewing the relevant literature, this study systematically introduced the research status about the chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of processed Angelicae Sinensis Radix products, aiming to provide a theoretical reference and support for the future research, development, and clinical application of related drugs.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of Gynostemma pentaphyllum dried with two different methods(air drying and heating) on inflammation in acute lung injury(ALI) mice in vivo and in vitro. Lipopolysaccharide(LPS) was sprayed into the airway of wild type C57BL/6J male mice to establish the model, and the drug was injected into the tail vein 24 h after modeling. Lung function, lung tissue wet/dry weight(W/D) ratio, the total protein concentration, interleukin 6(IL-6), IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF), and pathological changes of the lung tissue were used to evaluate the effects of different gypenosides on ALI mice. The results showed that total gypenosides(YGGPs) and the gypenosides substituted with one or two glycosyl(GPs_(1-2)) in the air-dried sample improved the lung function, significantly lowered the levels of IL-1β and TNF-α in BALF, and alleviated the lung inflammation of ALI mice. Moreover, GPs_(1-2) had a more significant effect on inhibiting NO release in RAW264.7 cells. This study showed that different drying methods affected the anti-inflammatory activity of G. pentaphyllum, and the rare saponins in the air-dried sample without heating had better anti-inflammatory activity.

Lonicerae Japonicae Flos (LJF) has been globally applied as an herbal medicine and tea. A number of reports recently revealed fungal and mycotoxin contamination in medicinal herbs. It is essential to analyze the fungal community in LJF to provide an early warning for supervision. In this study, the fungal community in LJF samples was identified through DNA metabarcoding. A total of 18 LJF samples were collected and divided based on the collection areas and processing methods. The results indicated that Ascomycota was the dominant phylum. At the genus level, Rhizopus was the most abundant, followed by Erysiphe and Fusarium. Ten pathogenic fungi were detected among the 41 identified species. Moreover, Rhizopus, Fusarium, and Aspergillus had lower relative abundances in LJF samples under oven drying than under other processing methods. This work is expected to provide comprehensive knowledge of the fungal community in LJF and a theoretical reference for enhanced processing methods in practical manufacturing.

This study exposed high-oleic rapeseed oil (HORO) to different pretreatment (microwave or roasting) and processing methods to investigate (cold pressing, hexane extraction, subcritical butane extraction, and aqueous enzymatic extraction) the effects of processing technologies on HORO parameters associated with its physicochemical properties, endogenous antioxidant substances, and antioxidant capacity. The oil yield of various processing technologies was between 35.4% and 59.7%, and the fatty acid composition did not significantly differ. Hierarchical clustering and principal component analyses were used for evaluation. The results revealed that the microwave pretreatment-hexane extraction (M-HE) method resulted in significantly higher levels of tocopherols (688.4 mg/kg), polyphenols (1007.76 mg/kg), and phytosterols (1810.6 mg/kg) in HORO, implying strong free radical scavenging capacity (DPPH-oil: 79.63, DPPH-nonpolar: 71.42, DPPH-polar: 6.65, FRAP: 55.4, ABTS: 3043.7 μmol TE/kg). Hence, M-HE is a promising method for producing HORO with a higher stability and nutritional value.

Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) meat, as a product of national geographical indication, is mainly produced in the northwest regions of China. This study systematically evaluated the edible quality, nutritional quality, and carcinogenic substances of Bactrian camel meat using different heating times in four thermal processing methods (steaming, boiling, frying, and microwaving). Compared with the control group (uncooked), the thermal processing of meat demonstrated lower redness and moisture content; higher shear force values and protein, fat, and ash contents; and sharply increased the levels of amino acids and fatty acids. The moisture content of the fried and microwave-treated meat was significantly lower than that of the steamed and boiled meat (p < 0.05). Steamed meat was higher in protein but had a lower fat content than the other three processing methods (p < 0.05). Compared with frying and microwaving, meat from steaming and boiling showed higher levels of essential amino acids and lower shear force values. However, the smoke generated during frying led to the formation of large amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and nitrites, and the levels of these substances increased with heating time. In addition, with the extension of the heating time, the shear force of the meat also increased gradually (p < 0.05). In summary, steaming and boiling were proven to be suitable processing methods for preserving better nutritional values while delivering less carcinogenic risk. With our results, we have established a nutritional database for Bactrian camel meat, providing a reference for selecting a suitable thermal processing method.

Hihatsumodoki (Piper retrofractum Vahl) is a traditional spice from Okinawa (Japan) that can be processed in different ways to create the desired flavor. Herein, we examined the effects of processing (sun-drying, oven-drying, roasting, and steaming) on the volatile aroma constituents of hihatsumodoki fruits. Among the 106 chromatographic peaks observed in total, 58 were assigned to known aroma compounds. The relative contents of terpenes, for example, linalool, β-caryophyllene, α-caryophyllene, and germacrene D, ranged from 57.6% to 88.1%. Sun-drying decreased the content of aldehydes such as hexanal and trans-2-hexenal but did not significantly affect the total content of aroma compounds. The amount of aroma compounds released during oven-drying and roasting increased with temperature up to a certain point (90°C) and decreased at an excessively high temperature of 180°C. High-temperature roasting generated Maillard reaction products such as furans and furanones, which could impart sweet caramel odors. Steamed fruits had the lowest content of aroma compounds, which was ascribed to the loss of these compounds to vapor. Meanwhile, drying steamed fruits resulted in an approximately 3.6-fold increase in their aroma compound content, and the content of sesquiterpenes in the steamed-dried fruits was similar to that in fruits exposed to high temperatures. The effects of processing on aroma quality were visualized using multivariate statistical analysis. The aroma characteristics of roasted (180°C), steamed, and steamed-dried fruits were different from those of the control. The combined findings provide useful information for the selection of processing methods to achieve the desired flavor of hihatsumodoki. Practical Application: This study reveals the effects of different processing methods on the aroma profile of hihatsumodoki (Piper retrofractum Vahl), a subtropical spice from Okinawa (Japan). The results facilitate the selection of preferred hihatsumodoki flavors for household and industrial applications in foods and beverages. In addition, they inspire research on the processing-induced flavor changes of other tropical or subtropical spices.