False indigo (Amorpha fruticosa L., A. fruticosa) is the preferred tree indigenous for windbreak and sand control in Northwest China, while information on nutritional and bioactive characteristics of its honey is rare. Herein, 12 honey of Amorpha fruticosa L. (AFH) were sampled in Northwest China and the nutritional composition was determined. Sixteen mineral element and ten dominant polyphenols content were identified and quantified by ICP-MS (Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry) and HPLC-QTOF-MS (High performance liquid chromatography-Quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry), respectively. Moreover, AFH demonstrated high levels of DPPH (1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity (IC50 100.41 ± 15.35 mg/mL), ferric reducing antioxidant power (2.04 ± 0.29 µmol FeSO₄·7H₂O/g), and ferrous ion-chelating activity (82.56 ± 16.01 mg Na₂EDTA/kg), which were significantly associated with total phenolic contents (270.07 ± 27.15 mg GA/kg) and ascorbic acid contents (213.69 ± 27.87 mg/kg). The cell model verified that AFH exhibited dose-dependent preventive effects on pBR322 plasmid DNA and mouse lymphocyte DNA damage in response to oxidative stress. Taken together, our findings provide evidence for the future application of AFH as a potential antioxidant dietary in food industry.

Chronic alcohol consumption is a major contributor to gastric injury, yet current therapeutic strategies predominantly rely on chemical agents with limited efficacy and potential side effects. Natural products, with their multi-target biocompatibility and safety advantages, offer promising alternatives for gastric protection. We examined the phenolic compounds of Elaeagnus angustifolia honey (EAH) and investigated its prophylactic potential against ethanol-induced chronic gastric injury in mice. HPLC-DAD-Q-TOF-MS analysis showed that 21 phenolic compounds were tentatively and qualitatively identified in EAH, as well as 14 phenolic compounds. Moreover, gastric ulcer indices, histopathological morphology, oxidative stress markers (MDA, GSH, SOD), inflammatory mediators (NO, PGE2), and cytokine gene expression (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, iNOS) were evaluated via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and quantitative real-time PCR. Western blot was employed to assess COX-2 protein expression, while 16^S rRNA sequencing analyzed gut microbiota composition. The results demonstrated that EAH could play a role in gastric injury caused by long-term alcoholism by protecting gastric tissue structure, interfering with oxidative stress and inflammatory response, and remodeling the intestinal microbial community.

As the principal dietary source of lipids, edible oils (notably vegetable oils) exist in crude form predominantly as triacylglycerols (about 95%), with the remainder comprising impurities and diverse minor components. Therefore, the refining processes of vegetable oil are particularly important. The application potential of safflower seed oil (SSO) in both nutraceutical and pharmaceutical domains is attributed to its exceptionally high linoleic acid concentration and abundant polyphenolic constituents. However, a systematic analysis of SSO during physical refining has yet to be conducted. This study aims to investigate the effects of refining processes on the fatty acids of SSO compared with flaxseed oil (FSO). In this study, chemical analysis, gas chromatography and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography were used to analyze and compare the physicochemical indexes, fatty acid composition, and the lipidomics of SSO and FSO. Results indicated that optimized refining significantly enhances quality parameters in both SSO and FSO. A total of 40 and 43 fatty acids were identified in SSO and FSO, respectively. Deacidification significantly altered their fatty acid profiles, particularly polyunsaturated fatty acids, with C18:2 and C18:3 being the most affected. A total of 20 significantly different lipids were screened (variable importance in projection > 1.5, p < 0.05) and were mainly classified as glycerophospholipids and glycerolipids, of which two lipids (C18:2 and C18:3 (9, 12, 15)) demonstrated particularly marked differences, suggesting that these lipid species represent significant discriminators between SSO and FSO groups; these two lipids exhibited significant alterations during the refining processes of SSO and FSO, respectively.

Rapeseed meal (RSM), a major agricultural byproduct, is limited in application due to high anti-nutritional factors like glucosinolates, while microbial fermentation can improve its nutritional and flavor profiles. This study combined physicochemical analyses, volatile metabolomics, and quantitative proteomics to investigate flavor evolution and protein dynamics during RSM fermentation. Results showed RSM reached optimal quality at 40 h fermentation, with increased soluble protein and peptides, decreased glucosinolates, and HS-SPME-GC-MS and electronic nose analysis identified that esters, terpenoids, ketones as dominant volatile compounds, 3(2H)-furanone, dihydro-2-methyl-, Benzenemethanethiol is a key volatile differential metabolite. Proteomics analyzed a total of 51 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs), which are mainly involved in organonitrogen compound, peptide and protein metabolic. Additionally, these DEPs were identified to have significant correlations with 13 differentially accumulated volatile metabolites. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the high-value valorization of rapeseed meal, proposing feasible pathways for its use as a condiment base or a functional ingredient in bakery products.

Pomegranate peel, a rich source of polyphenols, is largely underutilized. To address the challenges of high polarity, poor solubility, and instability of these bioactive compounds, a green ultrasound-enzyme combined extraction system was developed for sour pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) peels from Xinjiang, China. Process parameters were optimized via single-factor tests, Plackett–Burman design, and Box–Behnken response surface methodology. The optimal conditions (cellulase:pectinase = 7:3, enzyme concentration 2.5%, enzymatic hydrolysis at 40 °C for 60 min, followed by ultrasound at 50 °C for 27 min with a solid–liquid ratio of 1:20) yielded a total polyphenol content of 216.2 mg/g, which closely matched the predicted value (0.76% deviation). This combined approach significantly outperformed individual methods in polyphenol yield and antioxidant activity. HPLC identified punicalagin, ellagic acid, gallic acid, catechin, and chlorogenic acid as major phenolics. The extract exhibited antibacterial activity against the two tested bacterial strains, with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 12.5 mg/mL against both E. coli and S. aureus. This efficient, eco-friendly process offers a promising strategy for valorizing pomegranate peel waste.