In recent years, the bioactive compounds extracted from Sanghuangporus, especially polysaccharides, phenols, and triterpenoids, have attracted great interest from people due to their extensive biological activity. Among them, polysaccharides are mainly extracted from the seed bodies, mycelium, and fermentation broth of Sanghuangyuan, exhibiting notable effects including immunomodulation, antitumor properties, and hypoglycemic effects. This article provides a comprehensive review of the extraction process, structural characteristics, and antitumor mechanism of Sanghuangyuan polysaccharides. First, the different extraction methods, such as hot water extraction, enzyme-assisted extraction, and ultrasonic-assisted extraction, are summarized. Then, the structure of the Sanghuangporus polysaccharide is studied in detail. Moreover, the antitumor mechanisms demonstrate significant inhibitory impacts on various malignant tumors, spanning gastric, hepatic, colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers. This groundbreaking revelation is of great significance for both the food and pharmaceutical sectors, presenting innovative pathways for Sanghuangyuan utilization and potentially inducing advancements in product development, treatment modalities, and therapeutic interventions.

For the winemaking bioprocess of jujube wine, the selection of optimal starter cultures is one of the major concerns before fermentation. In this study, we investigated the effects of different winemaking yeasts on the composition of aroma-active compounds in the fermented jujube wine and identified the principal components that determine the flavor quality. It showed that the starter winemaking yeasts produced a total of 43 aroma-active compounds, of which esters (e.g., ethyl caprylate, ethyl decanoate, ethyl hexanoate, and phenethyl acetate) contribute more to the wine quality attributes, especially for the improvement of the aroma. Moreover, the composition of aroma-active compounds, for example, the ratio of the content of esters and alcohols, exerts a great impact on the flavor quality of jujube wine. Different starter winemaking yeasts resulted in significant differences in the composition (both species and content) of aroma-active compounds, and thus formed different flavors in the jujube wine. Thus, we propose that screening of a desirable starter winemaking yeast is essential before the fermentation of jujube wine at a large scale, and more considerations should be taken into the resulting composition of aroma-active compounds.

Pectin methylesterase (PME) is a methyl ester group hydrolytic enzyme of either plant or microbial origin. Importantly, endogenous PMEs in fruits can catalyze the demethoxylation of pectin with a bulk release of methanol, largely impacting the fruit juice and wine industries. Here, we demonstrated radio frequency (RF) heating for inactivation of endogenous PMEs and investigated the relevant mechanisms underpinning enzymatic inactivation. The RF heating curve indicated that the optimal heating rate was achieved at an electrode gap of 90 mm (compared to 100 mm and 110 mm) and that the inactivation rate of the enzyme increases with heating time. RF heating exhibited better effects on enzymatic inactivation than traditional water heating, mainly by changing the secondary structures of PMEs, including α-helix, β-sheet, β-turn, and random coil. Moreover, fluorescence spectroscopy indicated changes in the tertiary structure with a significant increase in fluorescence intensity. Significantly, application of RF heating for inactivation of PMEs resulted in a 1.5-fold decrease in methanol during the fermentation of jujube wine. Collectively, our findings demonstrated an effective approach for inactivating endogenous PMEs during the bioprocesses of fruits.

Organic selenium, a bioavailable form of the essential trace element selenium, holds significant potential for improving human health through dietary supplements and functional foods. However, low bioconversion efficiency has primarily limited the biosynthesis of organic selenium compounds. Here, we focused on enhancing the biosynthesis of organic selenium by optimising the expression and activity of two key enzymes, SenB and SenC, involved in the conversion process. We compared several expression systems, including fusion expression and dual‐promoter approaches, and optimised reaction conditions such as temperature, pH and incubation time. Our results showed that mutations of SenC more than doubled enzyme activity, resulting in a corresponding rise in the intermediate SeP. Notably, the fusion expression of SenB and SenC exhibited the highest conversion rate of organic selenium, achieving over 95% under optimal conditions. Our findings provide a basis for organic selenium production through microbial biotechnology.