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Molecular Research in Food Science

A special issue of Current Issues in Molecular Biology (ISSN 1467-3045). This special issue belongs to the section "Bioorganic Chemistry and Medicinal Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2024 | Viewed by 4509

Special Issue Editors

Department of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Technology, Yuanpei University of Medical Technology, Hsinchu City 300, Taiwan
Interests: physiological activities and applications of tea and plant polyphenols; refined and stabilized fish oil and polyunsaturated fatty acids; antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anticancer, skin care and other functional testing of natural products and microbial fermentation products; microencapsulation engineering and production and release of biologically active substances; biotechnology health product design and development; food safety and health management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taoyuan Branch of Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taoyuan 330, Taiwan
Interests: translational medicine in chronic kidney disease, mineral and bone disorders; uremic toxins and vascular calcification; oxidant and inflammatory signaling transduction pathways; novel biomarkers and pharmaceutical targets in prediction models
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Natural products and functional foods provide medical health benefits to humans, including the prevention and treatment of diseases or syndromes. Food or processing-derived products containing abundant nutrients and bioactive components may serve as functional foods and effective nutraceuticals. Many studies have demonstrated that the activity and efficacy of bioactive materials is not only through chemical action, but also through signaling transduction or protein expression. From the inception of the COVID-19 pandemic and the emphasis on health in an aging society, there is an immediate demand to develop more novel and effective functional food. Further, the routes of interaction between epigenetic mechanisms and the molecular mechanism require extensive elucidation. This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the latest discoveries for biological efficacy in functional food. We heartily invite authors to contribute original reviews and research articles, which help to refresh preventive and medical applications in the future.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Physiological effect of natural products;
  • Antiviral agent or complementary agent for against COVID-19 ;
  • Functional foods with enhanced provide health benefits such as reduced fatigue and increased immunity;
  • Novel active components or processed-derived materials in food for health;
  • Molecular nutrition for older adults;
  • Signal pathway and molecular mechanisms;
  • Future perspectives for health foods;
  • Role of functional food in medicine.

Prof. Dr. Chih-Cheng Lin
Dr. Jia-Feng Chang
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. Current Issues in Molecular Biology is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2200 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

  • functional food
  • food processing
  • molecular mechanism
  • physiological activity
  • signal transduction

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 2905 KiB  
Article
Integrated Analysis of Transcriptome and Metabolome Profiles in the Longissimus Dorsi Muscle of Buffalo and Cattle
by Guansheng Wu, Xinjun Qiu, Zizhuo Jiao, Weijie Yang, Haoju Pan, Hong Li, Zhengyu Bian, Qiang Geng, Hui Wu, Junming Jiang, Yuanyuan Chen, Yiwen Cheng, Qiaoling Chen, Si Chen, Churiga Man, Li Du, Lianbin Li and Fengyang Wang
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2023, 45(12), 9723-9736; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb45120607 - 04 Dec 2023
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Abstract
Buffalo meat is gaining popularity for its nutritional properties, such as its low fat and cholesterol content. However, it is often unsatisfactory to consumers due to its dark color and low tenderness. There is currently limited research on the regulatory mechanisms of buffalo [...] Read more.
Buffalo meat is gaining popularity for its nutritional properties, such as its low fat and cholesterol content. However, it is often unsatisfactory to consumers due to its dark color and low tenderness. There is currently limited research on the regulatory mechanisms of buffalo meat quality. Xinglong buffalo are raised in the tropical Hainan region and are undergoing genetic improvement from draught to meat production. For the first time, we evaluated the meat quality traits of Xinglong buffalo using the longissimus dorsi muscle and compared them to Hainan cattle. Furthermore, we utilized a multi-omics approach combining transcriptomics and metabolomics to explore the underlying molecular mechanism regulating meat quality traits. We found that the Xinglong buffalo had significantly higher meat color redness but lower amino acid content and higher shear force compared to Hainan cattle. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were identified, with them being significantly enriched in nicotinic acid and nicotinamide metabolic and glycine, serine, and threonine metabolic pathways. The correlation analysis revealed that those genes and metabolites (such as: GAMT, GCSH, PNP, L-aspartic acid, NADP+, and glutathione) are significantly associated with meat color, tenderness, and amino acid content, indicating their potential as candidate genes and biological indicators associated with meat quality. This study contributes to the breed genetic improvement and enhancement of buffalo meat quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research in Food Science)
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15 pages, 2215 KiB  
Article
Synergistic Chemopreventive Effects of a Novel Combined Plant Extract Comprising Gallic Acid and Hesperidin on Colorectal Cancer
by Szu-Jung Chen, Jui-Hua Lu, Chih-Cheng Lin, Shao-Wei Zeng, Jia-Feng Chang, Yuan-Chiang Chung, Hsiang Chang and Chih-Ping Hsu
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2023, 45(6), 4908-4922; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb45060312 - 05 Jun 2023
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Abstract
Background/Aim: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer with a high mortality rate worldwide. Although gallic acid and hesperidin exert anticancer activity, synergistic effects of gallic acid and hesperidin against CRC remain elusive. This study aims to investigate the therapeutic mechanism [...] Read more.
Background/Aim: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer with a high mortality rate worldwide. Although gallic acid and hesperidin exert anticancer activity, synergistic effects of gallic acid and hesperidin against CRC remain elusive. This study aims to investigate the therapeutic mechanism of a novel combination of gallic acid and hesperidin against CRC cell growth, including cell viability, cell-cycle-associated proteins, spheroid formation, and stemness. Methods: Gallic acid and hesperidin derived from Hakka pomelo tea (HPT) were detected by colorimetric methods and high-performance liquid chromatography using ethyl acetate as an extraction medium. CRC cell lines (HT-29 and HCT-116) treated with the combined extract were investigated in our study for cell viability (trypan blue or soft agar colony formation assay), cell cycle (propidium iodide staining), cell-cycle-associated proteins (immunoblotting), and stem cell markers (immunohistochemistry staining). Results: Compared with other extraction methods, HPT extraction using an ethyl acetate medium exerts the most potent effect on inhibiting HT-29 cell growth in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the treatment with combined extract had a higher inhibitory effect on CRC cell viability than gallic acid or hesperidin alone. The underlying mechanism was involved in G1-phase arrest and Cip1/p21 upregulation that could attenuate HCT-116 cell proliferation (Ki-67), stemness (CD-133), and spheroid growth in a 3D formation assay mimicking in vivo tumorigenesis. Conclusion: Gallic acid and hesperidin exert synergistic effects on cell growth, spheroids, and stemness of CRC and may serve as a potential chemopreventive agent. Further testing for the safety and effectiveness of the combined extract in large-scale randomized trials is required. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research in Food Science)
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Review

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21 pages, 901 KiB  
Review
Biosynthesis of Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) by Lactiplantibacillus plantarum in Fermented Food Production
by Massimo Iorizzo, Gianluca Paventi and Catello Di Martino
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2024, 46(1), 200-220; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb46010015 - 26 Dec 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1127
Abstract
In recent decades, given the important role of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in human health, scientists have paid great attention to the enrichment of this chemical compound in food using various methods, including microbial fermentation. Moreover, GABA or GABA-rich products have been successfully commercialized [...] Read more.
In recent decades, given the important role of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in human health, scientists have paid great attention to the enrichment of this chemical compound in food using various methods, including microbial fermentation. Moreover, GABA or GABA-rich products have been successfully commercialized as food additives or functional dietary supplements. Several microorganisms can produce GABA, including bacteria, fungi, and yeasts. Among GABA-producing microorganisms, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are commonly used in the production of many fermented foods. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (formerly Lactobacillus plantarum) is a LAB species that has a long history of natural occurrence and safe use in a wide variety of fermented foods and beverages. Within this species, some strains possess not only good pro-technological properties but also the ability to produce various bioactive compounds, including GABA. The present review aims, after a preliminary excursus on the function and biosynthesis of GABA, to provide an overview of the current uses of microorganisms and, in particular, of L. plantarum in the production of GABA, with a detailed focus on fermented foods. The results of the studies reported in this review highlight that the selection of new probiotic strains of L. plantarum with the ability to synthesize GABA may offer concrete opportunities for the design of new functional foods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research in Food Science)
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