There is growing interest in the use of bio-based materials as viable alternatives to petrochemical-based packaging. However, the practical application of bio-based films is often hampered by their poor barrier and poor mechanical properties. In this context, cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) have attracted considerable attention owing to their exceptional biodegradability, high aspect ratio, and large surface area. The extraction of CNFs from agricultural waste or non-food biomass represents a sustainable approach that can effectively balance cost and environmental impacts. The functionalization of CNFs improves the economics of raw materials and production processes while expanding their applications. This paper reviews recent advances in cellulose nanofibers, including their sources, surface modification, and characterization techniques. Furthermore, we systematically discuss the interactions of CNFs with different composites in the development of functional food films. Finally, we highlight the application of cellulose nanofiber films in food preservation. Due to their environmentally friendly properties, CNFs are a promising alternative to petroleum-based plastics. The aim of this paper is to present the latest discoveries and advances in CNFs while exploring the future prospects for edible food films, thereby encouraging further research and application of CNFs in the field of active food packaging.

At present, most investigations involving the Maillard reaction models have focused on free amino acids (FAAs), whereas the effects of peptides on volatile products are poorly understood. In our study, the formation mechanism of pyrazines, which were detected as characteristic volatiles in sunflower seed oil, from the reaction system of glucose and lysine-containing dipeptides and tripeptides was studied. The effect of the amino acid sequences of the dipeptides and tripeptides on pyrazine formation was further highlighted. Four different dipeptides and six tripeptides were selected. The results showed that the production of pyrazines in the lysine-containing dipeptide models was higher than that in the tripeptide and control models. Compounds 2,5(6)-Dimethylpyrazine and 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine were the main pyrazine compounds in the dipeptide models. Furthermore, the C- or N-terminal amino acids of lysine-containing dipeptides can exert an important effect on the formation of pyrazines. In dipeptide models with lysine at the C-terminus, the content of total pyrazines followed the order of Arg−Lys > His−Lys; the order of the total pyrazine content was Lys−His > Lys−Arg in dipeptide models with N-terminal lysine. Additionally, for the tripeptide models with different amino acid sequences, more pyrazines and a greater variety of pyrazines were detected in the tripeptide models with N-terminal lysine/arginine than in the tripeptide models with N-terminal histidine. However, the total pyrazine content and the percentage of pyrazines in the total volatiles were similar in the tripeptide models with the same amino acids at the N-terminus. This study clearly illustrates the ability of dipeptides and tripeptides containing lysine, arginine and histidine to form pyrazines, improving volatile formation during sunflower seed oil processing.

Trilobatin was identified as the primary bioactive component in the Lithocarpus polystachyus Rehd (LPR) leaves. This study explored the antiobesity effect of trilobatin from LPR leaves and its influence on gut microbiota in obese rats. Results showed that trilobatin could significantly reduce body and liver weight gain induced by a high-fat diet, and the accumulation of perirenal fat, epididymal fat, and brown fat of SD (Male Sprague–Dawley) obese rats in a dose-independent manner. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) concentrations increased, especially the concentration of butyrate. Trilobatin supplementation could significantly increase the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Prevotella, CF231, Bacteroides, and Oscillospira, and decrease greatly the abundance of Blautia, Allobaculum, Phascolarctobacterium, and Coprococcus, resulting in an increase of the ratio of Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes (except the genera of Lactobacillus and Oscillospira). The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway predicted by the Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt) indicated the different relative metabolic pathways after trilobatin supplementation. This study may reveal the contribution of gut microbiota to the antiobesity effect of trilobatin from LPR leaves and predict the potential regulatory mechanism for obesity induced by a high-fat diet.

The thinned young apple is a by-product and is generally discarded in the orchard during fruit thinning. The polyphenol content of thinned young apples is about 10 times more than that of ripe apples. In our study, the antibacterial effect of thinned young apple polyphenols (YAP) on the halitosis-related bacteria including Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedius, and Fusobacterium nucleatum was investigated. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of YAP against P. gingivalis, P. intermedia, and F. nucleatum were 8.0, 8.0, and 12.0 mg/ml, while the minimum bactericidal concentrations were 10.0, 10.0, and 14.0 mg/ml, respectively. The scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analyses showed that after YAP treatment, the membrane surface of halitosis-related bacterial cells was coarse and the cell wall and membrane were separated and eventually ruptured. The integrity of the cell membrane was determined by flow cytometry, indicating that the cells with the integrity membrane significantly reduced as the YAP concentration treatment increased. The release of proteins and nucleic acids into the cell suspension significantly increased, and the membrane potential reduced after the YAP treatment. This research illustrated the antibacterial mechanism of YAP against halitosis-related bacteria and provided a scientific basis of utilizing the polyphenols from the discarded thinned young apples.

Most research concerning pyrazine formation in the Maillard reaction is mainly focused on free amino acids (FAAs), but limited information is available on the effect of peptides and proteins. In this study, three Maillard model systems (i.e., glucose and native sunflower seed protein, hydrolyzed peptides or FAAs, respectively) were prepared, and their effect on the formation of volatiles were further compared at different heating conditions by using of headspace solid-phase microextraction equipped with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC/MS). It was found that pyrazines were the characteristic volatile compounds in tested Maillard models, and with increasing heating temperature and time, the varieties of pyrazine formation significantly increased. The optimum reaction condition for pyrazine formation was at 140 °C for 90 min, which was subsequently applied to all sets of Maillard models. Further analysis showed that the short chain peptides generated by hydrolyzing sunflower seed protein (SSP), especially the molecular weight ranging from 1.2 to 3.0 kDa, significantly promoted the formation of pyrazines, which highlights the important role of peptides in the Maillard reaction models and is expected to intensify aroma promotion in sunflower seed oil.