In order to explore the formation pathways of 5-(α-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-6)-α-D-glucopyranosyloxymenthyl)-2-furancarboxaldehyde (5-GGMF), a pigment formed during the process of sugar smoking, the thermal decomposition reaction site of sucrose, the dehydration reaction modes between glucose and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) and between two molecules of glucose, and the formation pathways of 5-HMF and 5-GGMF were analyzed by quantum chemical calculation. The results showed that the initial position of thermal decomposition of sucrose was the cleavage of fructosyl-oxygen bond. van der Waals force played a leading role in the complexes formed by the interaction between glucose and 5-HMF and between two molecules of glucose, and the intermolecular dehydration reaction was promoted by strong hydrogen bonding. The formation of 5-HMF from the glucose moiety formed after the pyrolysis of sucrose needed more activation energy than from the fructose moiety formed with a lower reaction rate, indicating that the fructose moiety was more prone to form 5-HMF. Among the two formation pathways of 5-HMF from the fructose moiety, pathway 5 was more prone to occur than pathway 4, because pathway 5 showed obvious advantages in energy and reaction kinetics. In the formation pathways of 5-GGMF from sucrose, the energy barrier of the transglycosylation pathway was overall lower, which was more favorable than the disaccharide dehydration and trisaccharide dehydration pathways. Among them, pathway C2, including three steps: the pyrolysis of sucrose to produce fructose and glucose, the reaction of glucose with 5-HMF to form 5-glucosyloxymethylfurfural (5-GMF), and the reaction of 5-GMF with a molecule of free glucose to produce 5-GGMF, was most conducive to the generation of 5-GGMF from both an energy barrier and kinetic perspective. The results of this study can provide a theoretical basis and reference for controlling and intervening in the color of sugar smoked products in the future.

Sweetness is an important driver for food intake and one of the most popular taste sensations. At present, there is a preliminary understanding of the signaling pathways of sweetness and the mechanisms that affect sweetness sensation. Human sweetness sensation is expressed through at least two types of signaling pathways, one of which is mediated by heterodimers formed by the taste receptor family 1 member 2 (T1R2) and the taste receptor family 1 member 3 (T1R3), whereas the other by sodium glucose co-transporters (SGLT) and glucose transporters (GLUT). This article reviews the structure of T1R2/T1R3 heterodimer and the mechanism of sweet signal transduction, and discusses the effects of internal and external factors such as bitterness, sourness, umami, anti-sweetness substances, aroma compounds, saliva, obesity and age on sweetness sensation. The shortcomings of the current research are presented, such as little effect of the current available noncaloric sweeteners (NCSs) in attenuating obesity and diabetes, few studies on the interactions of sweet taste with the other four taste sensations, unclear understanding of the molecular basis of the regulation mechanisms of antisweetness substances at the receptor level, and limitations of using rodents as an experimental substitute for humans in sweet taste research. This article aims to understand how sweet substances exert their functions in complex food matrices, hoping to provide theoretical support and ideas for future development and application of NCS-containing foods.

In this study, we studied the effect of the addition of citrus fibers on the yield and quality of sauced beef. Sauced beef added with different types of citrus fibers (CF100L80, CF400L80 and CF100H60) by tumbling at different amounts (0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5%) was prepared and evaluated for yield, moisture distribution, pH, residual citrus fiber, color, texture, distribution of citrus fiber and sensory evaluation. The results demonstrated that the incorporation of citrus fibers significantly enhanced the yield of sauced beef, with the highest values of 78.73% and 78.35% being observed in sauced beef supplemented with 1.5% CF400L80 and 0.5% CF100H60, respectively. Furthermore, it was found that the addition of citrus fibers improved the water retention capacity of sauced beef not through pH changes but rather through water adsorption of residual citrus fiber in the meat. Among the prepared samples, sauced beef with the addition of 1.5% CF400L80 and 1.0% CF100L80 had the highest residual rate of citrus fiber of 68.57% and 66.31%, respectively. The scanning electron micrograph (SEM) results showed that citrus fibers accumulated on the surface of the muscle bundles and increased the yield of sauced beef through water adsorption and swelling. Also, the addition of citrus fibers decreased the hardness, stickiness and chewiness of sauced beef (P < 0.05). The sensory evaluation results demonstrated that the incorporation of citrus fibers significantly enhanced the texture and taste attributes of sauced beef, with the highest sensory evaluation score being observed for the samples with the addition of 0.5% CF100H60. In conclusion, the addition of 0.5% CF100H60 citrus fibers was the most effective in enhancing both the yield and sensory quality parameters of sauced beef.

Our aim was to study the effects of three different heating temperatures (95, 120 and 145 ℃ ) on the physicochemical properties and flavor of lard diacylglycerols (DAG). The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum, melting and crystallization characteristics, crystal form, rheological properties, thermogravimetric properties, fatty acid composition and volatile components of DAG were determined. The results showed that the crystal form of DAG changed from β’- to β-type with increasing temperature. Infrared spectroscopy showed that heating changed the functional group distribution of DAG. The rheological and thermogravimetric analysis showed that the viscosity increased while the thermal stability decreased. The content of volatile flavor substances such as aldehydes and alcohols gradually increased with increasing temperature, and the content of unsaturated fatty acids increased first and then decreased. Different heating temperatures affected the physicochemical properties and flavor of DAG. The most suitable temperature for processing lard DAG was 120 ℃ .

The study aimed to explore the effect of cumin on flavor and protein oxidation of roasted lamb patties at different roasting time (10, 15 and 20 min). The results showed that the addition of cumin and then the reduction of aldehydes and the increase in the content of esters and heterocyclic flavor compounds in roasted lamb patties effectively improved the ester and roasted flavors of roasted lamb patties, suppressed the fishy and bloody flavors, and improved the overall acceptability to consumers. The carbonyl content of the cumin group was significantly lower than that of the blank group, and the total sulfhydryl and active sulfhydryl contents were significantly increased. A total of 16 amino acids were detected in the roasted lamb patties, and the amino acid content of the cumin group was higher than that of the blank group, with the highest content of glutamic acid reaching 7.21% of meat in the cumin group at 20 min of roasting. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis results showed that the cumin group had a lower loss of myosin heavy chain and light chain. Therefore, the addition of cumin to roasted lamb not only increased its ester flavor, umami, and characteristic cumin flavor, but also reduced the degree of protein oxidation in the roasted lamb. The results of this study may provide valuable reference data for the flavoring and antioxidant effects of cumin in meat processing.

Enzymatic hydrolysis of proteins can enhance their emulsifying properties and antioxidant activities. However, the problem related to the hydrolysis of proteins was the generation of the bitter taste. Recently, high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment has attracted much interest and has been used in several studies on protein modif ication. Hence, the study aimed to investigate the effects of enzymatic hydrolysis by Corolase PP under different pressure treatments (0.1, 100, 200, and 300 MPa for 1–5 h at 50 ℃) on the emulsifying property, antioxidant activity, and bitterness of soybean protein isolate hydrolysate (SPIH). As observed, the hydrolysate obtained at 200 MPa for 4 h had the highest emulsifying activity index (47.49 m²/g) and emulsifying stability index (92.98%), and it had higher antioxidant activities (44.77% DPPH free radical scavenging activity, 31.12% superoxide anion radical scavenging activity, and 61.50% copper ion chelating activity). At the same time, the enhancement of emulsion stability was related to the increase of zeta potential and the decrease of mean particle size. In addition, the hydrolysate obtained at 200 MPa for 4 h had a lower bitterness value and showed better palatability. This study has a broad application prospect in developing food ingredients and healthy foods.

This work investigated the changes in properties of saliva-participating emulsions during different oral processing stages (the whole process from intake to swallowing was divided into five stages, i.e., 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% stage). The stewed pork with brown sauce was masticated and the emulsion was collected for the determination of emulsion stability, droplet size, ζ-potential, interfacial tension, and microstructure. The results showed that the emulsion stability increased gradually during the oral processing and reached the highest level near the swallowing point. The droplet size of emulsion showed a significant downward trend (P < 0.05). Microstructure observations also found different degrees of reduction in fat droplets size at different stages of oral processing. In addition, the ζ-potential of food boluses emulsion was decreased from −16.4 mV to −41.2 mV and the interfacial tension decreased by 52.6% before and after oral progressing. In conclusion, the oral processing of stewed pork with brown sauce was essentially a process in which fat was constantly emulsified, and saliva might act as an emulsifier. This study provides new insights on understanding the oral processing process and sensory changes of fat.