Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a malignancy with a very high incidence and mortality rate worldwide. Fusobacterium nucleatum bacteria and their metabolites play a role in inducing and promoting CRC; however, no studies on the exchange of information between Fusobacterium nucleatum extracellular vesicles (Fnevs) and CRC cells have been reported. Our research shows that Fusobacterium nucleatum ATCC25586 secretes extracellular vesicles carrying active substances from parental bacteria which are endocytosed by colon cancer cells. Moreover, Fnevs promote the proliferation, migration, and invasion of CRC cells and inhibit apoptosis; they also improve the ability of CRC cells to resist oxidative stress and SOD enzyme activity. The genes differentially expressed after transcriptome sequencing are mostly involved in the positive regulation of tumor cell proliferation. After detecting differential metabolites using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, Fnevs were found to promote cell proliferation by regulating amino acid biosynthesis in CRC cells and metabolic pathways such as central carbon metabolism, protein digestion, and uptake in cancer. In summary, this study not only found new evidence of the synergistic effect of pathogenic bacteria and colon cancer tumor cells, but also provides a new direction for the early diagnosis and targeted treatment of colon cancer.

Amyloid fibrillization represents an effective strategy for extending and enhancing protein function, particularly for the delivery of hydrophobic active substances. In this study, oat globulin (OG) and its fibrils were complexed with quercetin (Que) to construct the delivery system, and ultrasonic pretreatment was applied during fibril preparation to explore the promoter of complex formation. The results demonstrated that complexation with Que induced a dose-dependent static quenching of the intrinsic fluorescence of the protein/fibrils, with hydrophobic interactions and tryptophan residues being the primary interaction forces and the main fluorescence quenching groups, respectively. In comparison, OG fibrils prepared with ultrasound pretreatment (UOGF) exhibited the strongest encapsulation and loading capacity for Que, ranging from 97.16% at a mass ratio of 200:1 to 42.48% at a ratio of 25:1. Subsequently, complexes were prepared with a ratio of 50:1. Structural analysis revealed that Que primarily interacts with the protein/fibril carriers through hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions, inducing structural changes and ultimately being encapsulated in an amorphous form within the composite material. Additionally, Que promoted the mutual aggregation and cross-linking of protein/fibril units, leading to increased hydrodynamic diameter and zeta-potential. Moreover, UOGF-Que showed the greatest improvement in the thermal stability and the photostability of Que, and enhancing the bioaccessibility. These findings provide valuable insights into using ultrasound as an auxiliary measure for fibril self-assembly to enhance the application potential of fibrils, especially the delivery of hydrophobic functional substances.

Due to its high amylopectin content and absence of gluten proteins, highland barley flour exhibits poor dough-forming capacity and processability. This study investigated combined modification strategies, Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation and pullulanase treatment, to improve the flour’s physicochemical and processing characteristics. Results indicated that these treatments significantly altered the morphological appearance and nutritional composition of highland barley flour, as well as increasing the amylose content. The group subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis followed by fermentation achieved the highest amylose content of 29.09%, while the amylopectin content decreased to 39.99%. Meanwhile, the content of soluble dietary fiber rose from 18.32% to 60.64%. Structural analysis revealed that enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation could disrupt the hydrogen bond network and double-helix structure of starch, thereby reducing gelatinization parameters, with the most pronounced effect observed in the combined treatment of prior enzymatic hydrolysis followed by fermentation. For processing properties, this combination markedly improved the water-holding capacity and reduced the oil-holding capacity of the flour. Additionally, this combined modification exerted the most prominent enhancement on dough springiness, chewiness, viscoelasticity and rheological properties. Consequently, the combined modification of enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation is a promising strategy to improve the nutritional value and processability of highland barley flour.