D-Allulose, a generally regarded as safe (GRAS) sugar, is rare in nature. It is among the most promising sweeteners for future use due to its low caloric content, sucrose-like taste, and unique functions. D-Allulose has many physiological effects, such as antiobesity, antihyperglycemia, antidiabetes, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects. Therefore, D-allulose has important application value in the food, pharmaceutical, and healthcare industries. However, the high cost of D-allulose production limits its large-scale application. Currently, biotransformation is very attractive for D-allulose synthesis, with the two main methods of biosynthesis being the Izumoring strategy and the DHAP-dependent aldolase strategy. This article reviews recent advances regarding the physiological functions and biosynthesis of D-allulose. In addition, future perspectives on the production of D-allulose are presented.

Aloe vera has been proven to have various medicinal properties, including anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity functions. However, the effects of Aloe vera-fermented beverages (AFB) on obesity and its complications are still not clear. In this study, HepG2 cells in high-fat environment and high-fat diet (HFD) mice were used to investigate the potential obesity-preventing function of AFB. We found that AFB intervention decreased the amount of lipid droplets of HepG2 cells, suppressed the body weight gain and adipose accumulation, and reduced the serum contents of total cholesterol (TC), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and interleukin 10 (IL-10) of HFD-mice. In addition, it also changed the composition of the gut microbiota. The ratio of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes was decreased, while the relative abundance of Muribaculaceae, Alistipes and Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group was increased after the administration of AFB compared with HFD-mice. These results demonstrated that AFB can prevent diet-induced obesity (DIO) and provides a new option to modulate obesity-related gut dysbiosis.

Lipids are essential components of eukaryotic membranes, playing crucial roles in membrane structure, energy storage, and signaling. They are predominantly synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and subsequently transported to other organelles. Diacylglycerol kinases (DGKs) are a conserved enzyme family that phosphorylate diacylglycerol (DAG) to produce phosphatidic acid (PA), both of which are key intermediates in lipid metabolism and second messengers involved in numerous cellular processes. Dysregulation of DGK activity is associated with several diseases, including cancer and metabolic disorders. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of DGK types, functions, cellular localization, and their potential as therapeutic targets. We also discuss DGKs’ roles in lipid metabolism and their physiological functions and related diseases.