White tea has been scientifically proven to exhibit positive biological effects in combating chronic diseases, including cancer, metabolic syndrome, etc. Nevertheless, the anti-aging activity and mechanism of white tea on organisms exposed to a high-fat diet remain unexplored. Herein, we prepared a white tea aqueous extract (WTAE) from white peony in Fuding and assessed its in vivo antioxidant and anti-aging effects by employing a Drosophila melanogaster senescence model induced by lard, delving into the underlying molecular mechanisms through which the WTAE contributes to lifespan improvement. Notably, the WTAE significantly extended the lifespan of Drosophila fed a high-fat diet and partially restored the climbing ability of Drosophila on a high-fat diet, accompanied by increased activities of copper-zinc superoxide dismutase, manganese-superoxide dismutase, and catalase and decreased lipid hydroperoxide levels in Drosophila. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis indicated that the WTAE countered aging triggered by a high-fat diet via activating oxidative phosphorylation, neuroactive ligand–receptor interactions, and more pathways, as well as inhibiting circadian rhythm-fly, protein processing in the endoplasmic reticulum, and more pathways. Our findings suggest that WTAE exhibits excellent inhibitory activity against high-fat diet-induced senescence and holds promising potential as an anti-aging agent that can be further developed.

Global warming has prompted scientific communities to consider how to alleviate thermal stress in humans and animals. The present study assessed the supplementation of hsian-tsao extract (HTE) on thermal stress in Drosophila melanogaster and preliminarily explicated its possible physiological and molecular mechanisms. Our results indicated that the lethal time for 50% of female flies fed on HTE was significantly longer than that of male flies at the same heat stress temperature. Under thermal stress, the survival time of females was remarkably increased in the HTE addition groups compared to the non-addition group. Thermal hardening by acute exposure to 36°C for 30 min (9:00 to 9:30 a.m.) every day could significantly prolong the longevity of females. Without thermal hardening, HTE increased the antioxidant capacity of females under heat stress, accompanied by an increment of catalase (CAT) activity, and the inhibition for hydroxyl radicals (OH⋅) and superoxide anions (⋅O₂^–). Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and the inhibition for ⋅O₂^– was significantly affected by thermal hardening in the non-HTE addition groups, and significant differences were shown in CAT and SOD activities, and the inhibition for ⋅O₂^– among groups with thermal hardening. After heat exposure, heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) was only up-regulated in the group with high levels of added HTE compared with the group without and this was similar in the thermal hardening group. It was concluded that the heat stress-relieving ability of HTE might be partly due to the enhancement of enzymatic activities of SOD and CAT, and the inhibition for OH⋅ and ⋅O₂^–. However, the expression levels of Hsp70 were not well related to thermal tolerance or heat survival.

Corrigendum: Hsian-Tsao (Mesona chinensis Benth.) extract improves the thermal tolerance of Drosophila melanogaster

Kelp and laver are large economic macroalgae in China, which are rich in nutrients, especially Mn and Zn. Excessive intake of Mn and Zn can be harmful to the human body. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a convenient and efficient method to detect the contents of Mn and Zn in macroalgae. In this experiment, red carbon dots (R-CDs) doped with N and S elements were prepared by the thermal solvent method. The obtained R-CDs displayed excitation wavelength-independent fluorescent emission in the red spectral region. The R-CDs were used to construct a fluorescent probe for specific recognition of Mn²⁺ and Zn²⁺, achieving high-sensitivity detection of Mn²⁺ and Zn²⁺. The detection results showed a good linear relationship between fluorescence intensity and Mn²⁺ concentration, and the calculated detection limit was 0.23 nmol/L. For the detection of Zn²⁺, the detection limit was estimated as 19.1 nmol/L. At the same time, the content distribution of Mn and Zn elements in macroalgae produced in Fujian was investigated by the constructed fluorescence probe. It was found that kelp, laver, and their products are rich in Mn and Zn elements, and the content of Mn and Zn elements in laver is higher than that in kelp, which can be used as the optimal food supplement for Mn and Zn elements.

Residual pesticides in Agrocybe aegerita mushroom have emerged as a significant concern and bring much uncertainty due to processing procedures. In this study, a modified QuEChERS sample preparation procedure and UPLC-MS/MS were used to analyze the residual levels of four commonly used pesticides in A. aegerita from field to product processing. The field results showed that dissipation of these targeted chemicals was consistent with the first-order kinetics, and the half-life time ranged from 20.4 h to 47.6 h. The terminal residues of the four pesticides at harvest time ranged from 9.81 to 4412.56 μg/kg in raw mushroom. The processing factors (PFs) of clothianidin, diflubenzuron, chlorbenzuron, and pyridaben ranged from 0.119 to 0.808 for the drying process and from 0.191 to 1 for the washing process. By integrating the data from the field trials, the PFs, and the consumption survey, the chronic dietary risks of the target chemicals via A. aegerita intake ranged from 2.41 × 10⁻⁵ to 5.69 × 10⁻² for children and from 6.34 × 10⁻⁶ to 1.88 × 10⁻² for adults, which are considerably below the threshold of 1, indicating no unacceptable risk to consumers in the Fujian province of China. This research offers foundational data for appropriate use and the maximum residue limit (MRL) establishment for these four insecticides in A. aegerita.

White tea (WT) and Indocalamus latifolius leaves (ILLs) are valued for their distinctive aromas and bioactive properties. In this study, flavonoid extraction from ILLs was optimized using total flavonoid yield as the response variable through single-factor experiments and response surface methodology. The resulting Indocalamus latifolius leaf extract (ILLE) was vacuum-concentrated and sprayed onto WT to produce Indocalamus latifolius leaf–white tea (IT). The effects of spray ratio, spraying liquid temperature, and drying temperature on the sensory and chemical qualities of IT were further evaluated. Untargeted metabolomics was performed to compare the metabolite profiles of IT and WT. The optimal extraction conditions for ILLs’ flavonoids were 95 °C, 120 min, and a liquid-to-solid ratio of 60:1 mL/g, yielding 4.39 mg/g total flavonoids. The optimal processing parameters for IT were a spray ratio of 1:1.75 g/g, a spraying liquid temperature of 50 °C, and a drying temperature of 105 °C. Compared with WT, IT showed improved sensory and biochemical qualities, including a richer and more persistent ILLs aroma, a more refreshing and more layered taste, and significantly higher levels of water extracts, flavonoids, tea polyphenols, soluble sugars, and amino acids (p < 0.05). Metabolomic analysis revealed clear compositional differentiation between IT and WT, including the enrichment of several metabolites, some with potential functional relevance, as well as aroma-active compounds. These findings provide chemical and sensory evidence for the distinctive quality of IT and support further development of this novel specialty tea.