Lactic acid bacteria effectively utilize the nutrients and active compounds in plant-based materials via their powerful metabolic pathways and enzyme systems, achieving a combination of nutrition, functionality, and deliciousness. Currently, the majority of review articles predominantly concentrate on summarizing the fermentation of fruits and vegetables by lactic acid bacteria, devoting comparatively less attention to researching other plant species varieties and plant-based by-products. Furthermore, the summary of the research on the active substances and functional properties lacks sufficient depth. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the status of and technological progress in lactic acid bacteria fermentation of various plant species and plant-based by-products, and the effects of lactic acid bacteria on the active substances and functional properties are emphasized. In addition, this review emphasizes that active substances give products more functionality. The aim of this review is to emphasize the significant contribution of lactic acid bacteria to the active substances and functional properties of plant-based products, which will assist researchers in better comprehending the application value of lactic acid bacteria in the plant-based domain and direct attention towards the interaction mechanisms between active substances and product functionality. Concurrently, this review provides a certain theoretical foundation and reference for the application of fermented functional products in promoting health and preventing diseases.

Remarkable changes have occurred in poultry farming and meat processing in recent years, driven by advancements in breeding technology, feed processing technology, farming conditions, and management practices. The incorporation of probiotics, prebiotics, and phytoextracts has made significant contributions to the development of poultry meat products that promote both health and functionality throughout the growth phase and during meat processing. Poultry fed with these substances improve meat quality, while incorporating probiotics, prebiotics, and phytoextracts in poultry processing, as additives or supplements, inhibits pathogens and offers health benefits to consumers. However, it is vital to assess the safety of functional fermented meat products containing these compounds and their potential effects on consumer health. Currently, there's still uncertainty in these aspects. Additionally, research on utilizing next-generation probiotic strains and synergistic combinations of probiotics and prebiotics in poultry meat products is in its early stages. Therefore, further investigation is required to gain a comprehensive understanding of the beneficial effects and safety considerations of these substances in poultry meat products in the future. This review offered a comprehensive overview of the applications of probiotics and prebiotics in poultry farming, focusing on their effects on nutrient utilization, growth efficiency, and gut health. Furthermore, potential of probiotics, prebiotics, and phytoextracts in enhancing poultry meat production was explored for improved health benefits and functionality, and possible issues associated with the use of these substances were discussed. Moreover, the conclusions drawn from this review and potential future perspectives in this field are presented.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is the major component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. It is found from intestinal microbes in the circulatory system and considered a trigger factor for low-grade inflammation in obesity. High-fat diet intake and its related obesity can cause gut microbiota disorder, leading to increased gut permeability, paracellular absorption and transcellular transport of endogenous endotoxin in the cardiovascular system. High-fat diet intake can also increase plasma LPS levels, and causing chronic or “low-grade” inflammation. In this review article, we summarize the recent research advancements on the mechanism of low-grade inflammation and its related obesity. We also propose several approaches that can be used to reduce endogenous endotoxin absorption. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/08830185.2021.1996573 . GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Flavonoids have been attracting increasing research interest because of their multiple health promoting effects. However, many flavonoids with similar structures are present in foods, often at low concentrations, which increases the difficulty of their separation and identification. Liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) has become one of the most widely used techniques for flavonoid detection. LC-Q-TOF-MS/MS can achieve highly efficient separation by LC; it also provides structural information regarding flavonoids by Q-TOF-MS/MS. This review presents a comprehensive summary of the scientific principles and detailed methodologies (e.g., qualitative determination, quantitative determination, and data processing) of LC-Q-TOF-MS/MS specifically for food flavonoids. It also discusses the recent applications of LC-Q-TOF-MS/MS in determination of flavonoid types and contents in agricultural products, changes in their structures and contents during food processing, and metabolism in vivo after consumption. Moreover, it proposes necessary technological improvements and potential applications. This review would facilitate the scientific understanding of theory and technique of LC-Q-TOF-MS/MS for flavonoid detection, and promote its applications in food and health industry.

Microbial degradation is an effective and attractive method for eliminating aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), which is severely toxic to humans and animals. In this study, Aspergillus niger RAF106 could effectively degrade AFB1 when cultivated in Sabouraud dextrose broth (SDB) with contents of AFB1 ranging from 0.1 to 4 μg/mL. Treatment with yeast extract as a nitrogen source stimulated the degradation, but treatment with NaNO₃ and NaNO₂ as nitrogen sources and lactose and sucrose as carbon sources suppressed the degradation. Moreover, A. niger RAF106 still degraded AFB1 at initial pH values that ranged from 4 to 10 and at cultivation temperatures that ranged from 25 to 45 °C. In addition, intracellular enzymes or proteins with excellent thermotolerance were verified as being able to degrade AFB1 into metabolites with low or no mutagenicity. Furthermore, genomic sequence analysis indicated that the fungus was considered to be safe owing to the absence of virulence genes and the gene clusters for the synthesis of mycotoxins. These results indicate that A. niger RAF106 and its intracellular enzymes or proteins have a promising potential to be applied commercially in the processing and industry of food and feed to detoxify AFB1.