Cistanche deserticola Y. C. Ma (C. deserticola), a holoparasitic desert plant traditionally revered as “desert ginseng”, has emerged as a versatile resource with significant applications in both medicinal and dietary contexts. This comprehensive review systematically explores its bioactive constituents, including phenylethanol glycosides (PhGs), iridoids, lignans, and polysaccharides, and elucidates their multifaceted pharmacological properties. Contemporary research substantiates the therapeutic potential of C. deserticola, demonstrating its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antitumor, neuroprotective, and immunomodulatory effects. Mechanism analysis elucidated its anti-fatigue and immune-enhancing activities, primarily through the modulation of pivotal signaling pathways, including NF-κB, AMPK, and TLR4. The review also highlights recent regulatory advancements in China, which have approved C. deserticola as a functional food ingredient, complementing its traditional uses in kidney yang tonification and promoting intestinal health. Despite its promising attributes, challenges related to sustainable cultivation and clinical application remain. By integrating ethnopharmacological wisdom with modern scientific evidence, this work lays a robust foundation for advancing the applications of C. deserticola in nutraceuticals and therapeutics.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a halophilic and heat-labile gram-negative bacterium and is the most prevalent foodborne bacterium in seafood. In order to develop a rapid and sensitive method for detecting the foodborne pathogenic bacterium Vibrio parahaemolyticus, an aptamer-modified magnetic nanoparticle and an aptamer-modified upconversion nanoparticle were synthesised and used as a capture probe and a signal probe, respectively. The aptamer-modified magnetic nanoparticle, V. parahaemolyticus cell, and aptamer-modified upconversion nanoparticle formed a sandwich-like complex, which was rapidly separated from a complex matrix using a magnetic force, and the bacterial concentration was determined by fluorescence intensity analysis. The results showed that the fluorescence intensity signal correlated positively with the concentration of V. parahaemolyticus in the range of 3.2 × 10² to 3.2 × 10⁵ CFU/mL, with a linear equation of y = 296.40x − 217.67 and a correlation coefficient of R² = 0.9610. The detection limit of the developed method was 4.4 CFU/mL. There was no cross-reactivity with other tested foodborne pathogens. This method is highly specific and sensitive for the detection of V. parahaemolyticus, and can achieve the qualitative detection of this bacterium in a complex matrix.

The oral infections were mainly caused by Streptococci and Staphylococcus aureus. Antibiotic therapies can eliminate these harmful bacteria. However, it can break beneficial microbes and lead to the persistence of resistant strains. The objective of our study was to select potential probiotic strains for the prevention of oral bacterial infections and evaluate their potential probiotic properties in oral cavity. AR113 (Lactobacillus plantarum) and AR340 (Lactobacillus paracasei) with significantly antimicrobial β-hemolytic streptococci and Staphylococcus aureus activity were isolated from Chinese pickle through agar well diffusion assay. Through the analyses of probiotic properties in antibiofilm, lysozyme and hydrogen peroxide tolerance, bacterial surface properties, adherence ability, tooth degradation and anti-inflammatory activity, the AR113 and AR340 showed anti-adhesion activity of 45.2–71.1% and 20.3–56.8% against β-hemolytic streptococci and 15.4–52.6% and 30.7–65.9% against Staphylococcus aureus, respectively, at different concentration. The two strains with high hydrophobicity, autoaggregation and survival rate adhered strongly to FaDu cells. AR113 and AR340 exhibited low calcium released from teeth (0.04 μg/mL and 0.03 μg/mL, respectively). ELISA analysis showed that AR113 and AR340 significantly inhibited the LPS-induced increase of NO and TNF-α expression. Strains-fermented skim milk inhibited the growth of β-hemolytic streptococci or Staphylococcus aureus. AR113 and AR340 were considered as probiotic candidates because of their higher antibacterial activity against some oral pathogenic bacteria, no potential of primitive cariogenicity. These candidates were expected as new probiotics with potential oral health benefits and no harmful effects.

Milk-clotting enzyme (MCE) is the essential active agents in dairy processing. The traditional MCE is mainly obtained from animal sources, in which calf rennet is the most widely used in cheese industry. Traditional MCE substitute is becoming necessary due to its limited production and increased cheese consumption. A novel traditional MCE substitute was produced from Bacillus velezensis DB219 in this study. The DB219 MCE exhibited a notable specific activity of 6,110 Soxhlet units/mg and 3.16-fold purification yield with 28.87% recovery through ammonium sulfate fractionation and DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow. The purified DB219 MCE was a metalloprotease with a molecular weight of 36 kDa. The DB219 MCE was weak acid resistance and stable at pH 6.0 to 10.0 and temperature <45°C. The highest milk-clotting activity was observed in substrate at pH 5.5 added with 20 to 30 mM CaCl₂. The Michaelis constant and maximal velocity for casein were 0.31 g/L and 14.22 μmol/min. The DB219 MCE preferred to hydrolyze β-casein instead of α-casein. The DB219 MCE hydrolyzed α-casein, β-casein, and κ-casein to generate significantly different peptides in comparison with calf rennet and ES6023 MCE (fungal MCE) through SDS-PAGE and reversed-phase HPLC analysis. The DB219 MCE mainly cleaved Thr124-Ile125 and Ser104-Phe105 bonds in κ-casein and had unique casein cleavage sites and peptide composition through LC-MS/MS analysis. The DB219 MCE was potential to be a new milk coagulant and enriched kinds of traditional MCE substitute.