Myrica rubra pomace accounts for 20% of the fruit’s weight that is not utilized when it is juiced. The pomace contains bioactive phenolic substances such as anthocyanins and flavonoids. To improve the utilization value of Myrica rubra pomace, an optimized extraction method for the residual polyphenols was developed using response surface methodology (RSM). The resulting extract was analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and the in vitro hypoglycemic activity and antioxidant activity of the polyphenolic compounds obtained were also investigated. The optimum extraction conditions (yielding 24.37 mg·g⁻¹ total polyphenols content) were: extraction temperature 60 °C, ultrasonic power 270 W, ethanol concentration 53%, extraction time 57 min, and solid to liquid ratio 1:34. Four polyphenolic compounds were identified in the pomace extract by HPLC: myricitrin, cyanidin-O-glucoside, hyperoside, and quercitrin. DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging tests showed that the Myrica rubra polyphenols extract had strong antioxidant abilities. It is evident that the residual polyphenols present in Myrica rubra pomace have strong hypoglycemic activity and the juiced fruits can be further exploited for medicinal purposes.

(1) Background: Plant growth regulators (PGRs) can accelerate growth or improve the quality and quantity of bean sprouts but are forbidden to use in bean sprout cultivation, as the sprouting process’s increased chemicals will disturb the PGRs analysis. This article aimed to increase the accuracy and level of sensitivity of the LC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous analysis of 10 PGRs after mixed solid phase extraction (SPE) purification. (2) Methods: An LC-MS/MS detection method for 10 kinds of PGRs was established based on ESI ionization in the positive ion mode for 6-furfurylaminopurine (6-KT), paclobutrazol (PBZ), indole-2-acetic acid (IAA), and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and in the negative ion mode for gibberellin A3 (GA₃), 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D), 4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (4-CPA), forchlorfenuron (FCF), thidiazuron (TDZ), and 6-benzyl adenine (6-BA). (3) Results: The 10 PGR compounds were detected within a concentration range of 1.0–50 ng/mL. The average recovery was 68.3–97.3% with relative standard deviations (RSD) of 4.6–15.2% (n = 6); the limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were found to be 2 and 5 ng/g, respectively. PGRs were surveyed in 36 soybean sprouts and 33 mungbean sprouts; the results showed that 4-CPA and IAA were detected in 10 soybean sprouts and 10 mungbean sprouts, respectively. Five samples contained both 4-CPA and IAA. (4) Conclusions: The established method is simple, rapid, accurate, and highly sensitive for the detection of PGR residues in bean sprout products.

β₂-agonists are a class of synthetic sympathomimetic drugs with acute poisoning effects if consumed as residues in foods. To improve the efficiency of sample preparation and to overcome matrix-dependent signal suppression in the quantitative analysis of four β₂-agonists (clenbuterol, ractopamine, salbutamol, and terbutaline) residues in fermented ham, an enzyme digestion coupled cation exchange purification method for sample preparation was established using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Enzymatic digests were subject to cleanup treatment on three different solid phase extraction (SPE) columns and a polymer-based strong cation resin (SCR) cartridge containing sulfonic resin was found to be optimal compared with silica-based sulfonic acid and polymer sulfonic acid resins based SPEs. The analytes were investigated over the linear range of 0.5 to 10.0 μg/kg with recovery rates of 76.0–102.0%, and a relative standard deviation of 1.8–13.3% (n = 6). The limit of detection (LOD) and the limit of quantification (LOQ) were 0.1 μg/kg and 0.3 μg/kg, respectively. This newly developed method was applied to the detection of β₂-agonist residues in 50 commercial ham products and only one sample was found to contain β₂-agonist residues (clenbuterol at 15.2 µg/kg).

The content of differentially abundant metabolites in the fermentation broth of grapefruit peels fermented by Cordyceps militaris at different fermentation times was analyzed via LC–MS/MS. Small molecule metabolites and differential metabolic pathways were analyzed via multivariate analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment. A total of 423 metabolites were identified at 0, 2, 6, and 10 days after fermentation. Among them, 169 metabolites showed differential abundance, with significant differences observed between the fermentation liquids of every two experimental groups, and the metabolite composition in the fermentation liquid changed over the fermentation time. In summary, the upregulation and downregulation of metabolites in cancer metabolic pathways collectively promote the remodeling of cancer cell metabolism, facilitating increased glycolysis, alterations in TCA cycle flux, and enhanced biosynthesis of the macromolecules required for rapid proliferation and survival. This study provides new perspectives on the development of high-value-added agricultural and forestry byproducts and the development and research of functional foods.