Novel cooking techniques and their impact on livestock meat quality: A comprehensive review of processing, eating, nutritional, and safety quality.

Objectives. To examine associations of ultraprocessed foods (UPFs, defined by Nova) with cardiometabolic risk factors, prevalent conditions, and mortality, before and after comprehensively adjusting for nutritional quality. Methods. We analyzed data from 47 999 adults in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)1999-2018. Survey-weighted, multivariable adjusted linear or logistic regression evaluated cross-sectional associations with risk factors and disease prevalence, and Cox models evaluated prospective associations with all-cause mortality. Models were compared before and after adjustment for each individual's Food Compass Score (i.FCS) to test independence from nutritional quality. Results. Every 10% of energy supplied from UPFs was associated with higher body mass index, HbA1c, diastolic blood pressure, total-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C); lower HDL-C and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C); greater prevalence of metabolic syndrome (odds ratio [OR] = 1.07; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.05, 1.09), diabetes (OR = 1.03; 95% CI = 1.00, 1.07), and cancer (OR = 1.05; 95% CI = 1.02, 1.08); and higher risk of all-cause mortality (hazard ratio = 1.04; 95% CI = 1.02, 1.07). When we adjusted for i.FCS, associations were only partly attenuated, remaining significant. By comparison, adjustment for saturated fat, added sugar, or sodium had little effect. Findings were consistent in population subgroups, except for stronger associations among lower-income adults. Conclusions. UPF consumption is associated with adverse risk factors, disease conditions, and all-cause mortality, only partly explained by nutritional quality. (Am J Public Health. 2026;116(7):1015-1024. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2026.308499).

Nano-polystyrene influences energy flow dynamics in stream brown-green food chains: Evidence from feeding preference shifts of a river snail.

Selenium (Se) deficiency is a widespread nutritional problem. Agronomic biofortification of microgreens through seed nutripriming is a promising approach to enhance Se intake. Microgreens, comprising nutrient-dense foods that can be produced year-round, are ideal targets for biofortification and may help alleviate malnutrition. This study evaluated the effects of Se nutripriming on germination, growth performance, chemical composition and antioxidant properties of pea (Pisum sativum L.) microgreens. Nutripriming significantly increased seed Se content, with the 100 μm-12-h Se treatment resulting in a four-fold accumulation compared to controls, at the same time as preserving membrane integrity. Microgreens from primed seeds exhibited enhanced Se translocation to aerial tissues and an improved mineral profile. Short-term treatments (6 h) increased glucose and oxalic acid levels, whereas prolonged priming (12 h) favored sucrose accumulation. However, this 12-h duration significantly reduced the emergence rate and aerial biomass yield. The optimal antioxidant profile, characterized by the highest total phenolic content and strongest inhibition of lipid peroxidation, was achieved with the 50 μm-12-h Se treatment. Se nutripriming enhanced the nutritional quality of pea microgreens but revealed a critical trade-off: although 12-h priming maximized Se uptake and antioxidant properties, it severely reduced agronomic production. Conversely, 6-h priming promoted better biomass yield, although germination remained lower than in the NP control. Therefore, optimizing priming duration is essential to balance the biofortification benefits with overall crop productivity. © 2026 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

This study investigated the potential of Cucurbita moschata and Cucurbita maxima as functional ingredients in cookie formulations. Pumpkin powders were incorporated as partial wheat flour substitutes to evaluate their effects on the physicochemical, nutritional profile, and functional properties of cookies. The results showed that pumpkin incorporation improved moisture retention and water absorption capacity, contributing to enhanced technological performance of the dough and baked products. Nutritional analysis revealed significant increases in protein, dietary fiber, fat, ash, and carotenoid contents in enriched cookies compared with the control formulation.Texture profile analysis demonstrated variety-dependent effects. Cookies enriched with C. moschata showed increased hardness at lower substitution levels but a softening effect at higher concentrations, whereas C. maxima maintained relatively stable firmness across formulations. Thermal analysis indicated improved thermal stability in enriched cookies, while mineral analysis confirmed better retention of essential elements. Confocal laser scanning microscopy further revealed a more homogeneous ingredient distribution and stronger matrix integration in cookies containing C. maxima powder.Furthermore, the incorporation of pumpkin powders significantly enhanced the bioactive profile of cookies, as reflected by higher total polyphenol content and increased DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity. These results highlight the potential of pumpkin powders as valuable functional ingredients for improving both the nutritional quality and functional properties of bakery products. The study supports the development of nutritionally enriched cookies with enhanced health benefits and technological performance.

Development of ready-to-cook, shelf-stable, Malabar parota by gamma irradiation.

Partial replacement of fish meal with Chlorella meal improved flesh quality without compromising growth and health condition in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)

Metabolic profiling of different developmental stages of Coriandrum sativum L. leaves using 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Phyllosphere-microbe-plant interactions underlying nanoscale hydroxyapatite (nHAP)-mediated disease control remain poorly understood. Here, foliar application of nHAP (100-400 mg/L) was evaluated for controlling rice blast caused by Magnaporthe oryzae under greenhouse conditions. The optimal treatment (200 mg/L) reduced disease severity by 42.6% and outperformed ionic Ca and P controls, as well as a commercial fungicide. Mechanistically, nHAP exhibited superior foliar retention (6.88%), enhancing local Ca and P bioavailability, and reshaping the phyllosphere microbiome by enriching beneficial and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria. These shifts were associated with a 23.5% increase in salicylic acid biosynthesis relative to that of the infected control and activation of systemic acquired resistance. Metabolomic analysis further revealed an enhanced energy metabolism and secondary metabolite biosynthesis. In addition, nHAP increased grain yield by 51.9% and improved grain nutritional quality (e.g., starch and protein) by 40.5-63.0%. These findings support nHAP as a promising strategy for sustainable crop-disease management and food production.

Exploring the impact of cooking methods on the nutritional, oxidative, and sensory qualities of Sichuan fragrant rapeseed oil using integrated metabolomics and flavoromics.

Resources and care structures for management of urea cycle disorders in Japan and the United States: A system-level comparison.

Guiding generation Z to healthier beverages: Exploratory comparative RCT findings on four front-of-package labels in a policy-gap context.

Triazine herbicide prometryn impaired trophic link between phytoplankton and zooplankton Brachionus plicatilis by diminishing polyunsaturated fatty acids contents.

Agronomic biofortification of durum wheat with selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) represents a promising strategy to combat micronutrient deficiencies in human populations relying on cereal-based diets. This study evaluated the effectiveness of soil Zn application (S0Zn: no application; S50Zn: 50 kg of ZnSO4·7H2O ha− 1) and foliar applications of Se and Zn (0 F: no application; ZnF: two applications of 4 kg ZnSO4·7H2O ha− 1; SeF: 10 g Na2SeO4 ha− 1; ZnF + SeF: combined ZnF and SeF) on nutrient accumulation and yield in durum wheat semolina and pasta under Mediterranean rainfed conditions over two growing seasons. Semolina and pasta were analyzed for nutrient concentrations, phytic acid content, and indices of Zn bioavailability, including phytic acid–Zn molar ratios and modelled fractional and total absorbed Zn (FAZ and TAZ). Foliar treatments significantly increased Zn and Se concentrations in both semolina and pasta, with the combined Zn + Se treatment reaching 36.7 mg Zn kg⁻¹ and 43.1 µg Se kg⁻¹ in semolina and 32.7 mg Zn kg⁻¹ and 41.6 µg Se kg⁻¹ in pasta. These treatments also reduced PA: Zn ratios and increased estimated Zn absorption, while improving semolina yield by up to 4%. Processing from grain to semolina and pasta resulted in moderate but consistent micronutrient losses, with retention rates ranging from 66 to 74%. Overall, combined foliar application of Zn and Se proved to be an effective strategy to improve the nutritional quality of durum wheat-derived products under Mediterranean conditions.

Co-assembly of rice and macadamia proteins for enhanced plant protein functionality: Fabrication, properties, and mechanism.

Microbial-enzymatic co-fermentation of feather meal for bioactive peptide production and its multi-pathway synergistic regulation of intestinal health in broilers.

Onion aqueous extract enhances the nutritional quality of fresh-cut potatoes and its subsequent processing flavor

The GOLDEN2-LIKE (GLK) gene family, known for its role in chloroplast development, has recently been implicated in involvement of anthocyanin biosynthesis in kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.), but the underlying regulatory mechanism remains unclear. Here we report the characterization of a kiwifruit GLK homolog AcGLK2 in regulating anthocyanin accumulation. We found that expression of AcGLK2 is much higher exclusively in the red pigment-accumulated fruit tissue. Overexpression of AcGLK2 in Arabidopsis and kiwifruit significantly enhanced anthocyanin content, whereas its RNAi-mediated silencing compromised anthocyanin accumulation. RNA-Seq analysis revealed significant upregulation of many structural genes and transcription factors (TFs) associated with the flavonoid pathway in AcGLK2-overexpressing kiwifruit. ChIP-Seq analysis indicated that AcGLK2 directly binds to AcMYB5 and AcTRY. We showed AcMYB5, an R2R3-MYB TF, promotes anthocyanin accumulation by interacting with the bHLH protein AcbHLH42, while AcTRY, an R3-MYB protein, competitively inhibits the interaction between key MYBs and AcbHLH42, thereby repressing anthocyanin biosynthesis. Transgenic and molecular assays in tobacco, tomato, and kiwifruit demonstrated that AcGLK2 positively participates into regulation of anthocyanin accumulation through transcriptionally activating AcMYB5 expression and concomitantly suppressing AcTRY expression. This study reveals the dual regulatory mechanism of AcGLK2 in anthocyanin biosynthesis, broadening the understanding of GLK gene functions and providing a valuable genetic resource for molecular breeding of nutritional quality in kiwifruit and other crops.

Isoflavones are flavonoids with antioxidant and health-promoting properties; however, the genetic basis underlying their accumulation remains unclear. Here, we integrate metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses to investigate isoflavone biosynthesis in two sister soybean lines differing in seed isoflavone content. UPLC-MS/MS reveals that GD10 consistently accumulates higher levels of isoflavone glycosides during late seed maturation. Transcriptomic profiling shows that isoflavone 7-O-glucosyltransferase (IF7GT3) and chalcone isomerase (CHI4) are upregulated in GD10, whereas GD12 exhibits higher expression of flavonol synthase (FLS1) and flavonoid 3'-monooxygenase (CYP75B1), redirecting flux toward competing flavonoid branches. Co-expression network analysis identified 20 transcription factors potentially involved in isoflavone regulation, of which colocalize with previously identified flavonoid QTLs. Hairy-root assays demonstrate that IF7GT3 promotes daidzin accumulation, whereas Y1H and dual-luciferase assays demonstrate that TF_NAC_2 directly binds to the IF7GT3 promoter and activates its expression. These findings provide molecular targets for breeding soybean cultivars with enhanced isoflavone content.

Propyl gallate-mediated photodynamic inactivation: Mechanistic insights and applications for grass carp fish preservation.