The arctic strain of Chlorella sp. (Chlorella-Arc) exists in the coldest and driest arctic ecosystems, and it is a new resource of active polysaccharides. The extraction of crude polysaccharide from Chlorella-Arc was optimized using the response surface methodology. A crude polysaccharide yield of approximately 9.62 ± 0.11% dry weight was obtained under these optimized conditions. Three fractions (P-I, P-II, and P-III) were present after purification by 2-diethylaminoethanol Sepharose Fast Flow and Sephadex G-100 chromatography. The P-IIa fraction demonstrated significant antioxidant activities. Moreover, P-IIa was an α- and β-type heteropolysaccharide with a pyran group and contained variable amounts of rhamnose, arabinose, glucose, and galactose based on fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, high-performance liquid chromatography, and ¹H and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance imaging. Production of high amounts of polysaccharide may allow further exploration of the microalgae Chlorella-Arc as a natural antioxidant.

The yields, properties, and bioactivities of polysaccharides extracted by three methods from soybean hulls (SSCPs) were evaluated: hot water extraction (H‐SSCP), microwave‐assisted ammonium oxalate extraction (A‐SSCP), and microwave‐assisted sodium citrate extraction (S‐SSCP). A‐SSCP gave the highest yield of polysaccharides (9.3 ± 0.5%) although all three products had similar physicochemical characteristics and FT‐IR spectra. A‐SSCP and S‐SSCP produced polysaccharides with lower molecular weight distributions and higher total reducing power and scavenging ability for ABTS⁺• and DPPH• free radicals. Furthermore, the effect of SSCPs on carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)‐induced liver injury was investigated in the mice. When compared with H‐SSCP and S‐SSCP, A‐SSCP significantly decreased the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), malondialdehyde (MDA), and reactive oxygen (ROS) to normal (p < .05) and increased the level of glutathione (GSH) to normal (p < .05). A‐SSCP was the most effective polysaccharide, yielding an approximately normal hepatic appearance with well‐preserved cytoplasm, obvious cell boundaries, with legible nuclei and nucleoli. This study indicates that polysaccharides extracted from soybean hulls via microwave‐assisted ammonium oxalate extraction have the potential to be developed as a new functional food contributing to the alleviation of liver damage.

The present study aimed to prepare and evaluate a new probiotic functional beverage, using single‐probiotic and compound probiotic fermentation on okara. Four different forms of fermentation microorganisms used were Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus S24 (Lr), Lacticaseibacillus paracasei 6244 (Lp), Lactobacillus acidophilus 11,073 (La), and mixed fermentation (Lr + Lp + La). The physicochemical properties, antioxidant activity, flavor change, and storage period of fermented okara beverages with probiotics were investigated. The results showed that different fermentation schemes could significantly improve the physicochemical properties, antioxidant activity, and sensory quality of the okara beverages. The number of viable bacteria in the Lp group (3.53 × 10⁸ CFU/mL), isoflavone content (0.514 μg/mL) were the highest; total phenol and flavonoid content were 3.32 and 5.68 times higher than in the CK group, respectively. DPPH and ABTS⁺ free radical scavenging rates were increased by 11.32% and 20%, respectively (p < .05). Through SPME/GC–MS analysis, 44 volatile compounds were identified in the Lr + Lp + La groups, mainly as a result of changes in alcohols and aldehydes produced by fermentation metabolism. It enhances the floral and fruity aroma of the okara beverage. All probiotic‐fermented okara beverages can be stored at 4°C for 15 days, with probiotic activity greater than 10⁷ CFU/mL. This study can obtain a probiotic okara beverage rich in soybean isoflavones and with good flavor. Overall, okara can be used to develop functional beverages containing probiotics and contribute to a zero‐waste approach in the food industry.

Sulfanilamide antibiotics show the highest detection frequencies and concentrations in surface water of China. In this work, we aim to investigate the feasibility of sulfanilamide removal in the anode of two-chambered MFCs and to examine the influence of sulfanilamide on the electricity generation in MFCs. Results show that sulfanilamide can be efficiently removed in the anode of MFCs and exerts exciting positive effect on electricity generation at the studied concentration range (10–30 mg L⁻¹). In comparison with MFCs using glucose as the sole substrate, the peak voltage output is increased by 8.5, 13.9, and 15.7% for addition of 10, 20, and 30 mg L⁻¹ sulfanilamide, respectively. The anode and the cathode polarization curves reveal that the lower anode overpotential with addition of sulfanilamide is responsible for the promoted electric power output of MFCs. Four groups of comparison experiments are conducted. In normal MFCs, sulfanilamide removal efficiency reaches 90% in 96 h, while the removal efficiencies are 58, 10.8, and 7.5% in open-circuit, no co-substrate and abiotic MFCs, respectively. The results of comparison experiments indicate that sulfanilamide removed in MFCs is mainly stemmed from the biocatalytic co-metabolism degradation other than physical adsorption and the current generated in MFCs plays an active role in accelerating the removal efficiency. These experimental results offer theoretical basis for the possibility of the MFCs application on the industrial wastewater treatment containing sulfanilamide and simultaneous electricity generation.

Soybean hull polysaccharides (SHP) exhibit diverse functional properties, yet the influence of extraction methods on their structure–function relationships remains unclear. This study investigated microwave-assisted extraction (M), extractant-assisted (citric acid, MC; sodium citrate, MS), and extractant-enzyme (cellulase/pectinase)-assisted (MCC, MCP, MSC, MSP). The results show that the M have a relatively high extraction yield (3.39 %) and carbohydrate content (92.64 %) compared with others. MS have the highest glucuronic acid content (41.60 %). Structural analysis revealed that M, MC, MCC, and MCP produced RG-I-type pectins with high branching degrees (12.85–16.71), whereas MS, MSP, and MSC generated predominantly linear homogalacturonan (HG) domains (linearity: 1.51–1.81). Moreover, Na⁺ combined with higher HG domains reduced electrostatic repulsion and promoted polysaccharide alignment at the oil–water interface, leading to superior emulsifying activity (277.48 m²/g) and stability (6232.07 min) in MS. These findings clarify SHP structure–function relationships and provide guidance for tailoring polysaccharide properties through optimized extraction strategies.