This study investigated nutritional composition and bioactive properties of thinned Shinanogold apples to evaluate their potential as functional food and cosmetic ingredients. Thinned Shinanobold apples exhibited markedly higher vitamin C (16.22 mg/100 g), total phenolics (886.27 mg GAE/100g), and total flavonoids (31.54 mg QE/g) levels than mature apples. The antioxidant capacity, assessed using DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays, was significantly higher in thinned apples (74% and 72%, respectively) than in mature apples (48% and 52%, respectively). The tyrosinase inhibitory activity, which is important for melanin reduction, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, which play a role in delaying glucose absorption, were higher in thinned apples (67% and 70%, respectively) than in mature apples (X and X, respectively), suggesting potential use of thinned apples as skin-whitening and antidiabetic agents. Furthermore, lipoxygenase inhibitory activity was higher in thinned apples (52%) than in mature apples (42%), suggesting potential use of thinned apples as an anti-inflammatory agent. These findings demonstrate that thinned Shinanobold apples contain bioactive constituents with superior activities compared with mature fruits. In addition, these results highlight the potential use of thinned apples as functional food ingredients and cosmetic agents.
This study investigated the effects of high pressure (HP) treatment combined with enzymatic hydrolysis on the antigenicity and allergenicity of soybean 2S proteins. HP treatment alone (100–600 MPa) did not induce noticeable changes in the protein profiles or antigenicity. Enzymatic hydrolysis resulted in enzyme-dependent changes in protein degradation and antigenicity. Among the enzymes tested, alkaline protease showed the most substantial degradation of soybean 2S proteins, resulting in the residual antigenicity of < 10%. IgE-binding analysis using sera from patients with soybean allergy further demonstrated that alkaline protease treatment markedly decreased allergenicity to a level comparable to that of the negative control, whereas papain treatment only resulted in limited allergenicity reduction due to partial protein degradation. Alkaline protease treatment conditions were optimized to reduce the enzyme concentration or hydrolysis time while maintaining the low antigenicity level of soybean 2S proteins; however, the ideal conditions were not achieved yet, necessitating further investigation. These findings suggest that alkaline proteasemediated hydrolysis shows promise for hypoallergenic soybean protein production.
This study examined nondestructive analysis of internal quality characteristics and physical changes in fresh agricultural products using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and evaluated its potential as a quality assessment tool. Korean melons, pears, and onions were selected, and changes in internal tissues, damage, and heterogeneity were qualitatively analyzed. After seven days of storage, moisture was redistributed from the flesh to the peel and stem-end regions in melon samples, resulting in increased signal intensity in the two regions on MRI. In pear samples, normal tissues exhibited strong and uniform signal intensity during storage, whereas damaged tissues showed reduced signal intensity and enlarged abnormal regions, owing to moisture loss and tissue degradation, respectively. In onion samples, the signal intensity of the central sprouting region was approximately twice than that of the surrounding shell tissue, and the outer shell tissue exhibited higher signal intensity than the inner shell tissue due to magnetic susceptibility. These results demonstrate that MRI can evaluate the internal quality of fresh agricultural products in a nondestructive manner and grade them objectively, suggesting broad application potentials in agro–food science field.
Obesity is a multifactorial condition resulting from complex interactions between lifestyle factors and genetic predispositions. As genetic susceptibility to obesity differs across ethnic groups, identifying population-specific genetic markers is essential for effective obesity prevention and management. This study reviewed obesity-related genetic studies conducted in Korean populations to identify obesity-associated genetic predisposition markers in this population. An exploratory literature review was conducted on studies published between 2010 and 2025 that utilized data from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES). A scoping review of 11 eligible studies, including two polygenic risk score studies and nine single nucleotide polymorphism-based studies, identified several genes associated with obesity in the Korean population, including FTO, CD36, ESR1, APOB, SPRY1, NPY, PDGFC, and CAB39. Although KoGES-validated markers have been partially incorporated into domestic genetic testing services, most services predominantly rely on genetic markers originally identified in Western populations. Only a limited number of obesity-associated genetic predisposition markers specific to the Korean population have been consistently validated, and these markers partially differ from those reported in non-Asian populations. Further large-scale KoGES-based studies are required to establish genetic markers optimized for obesity risk assessment in the Korean population.
Soybean pulp, a nutrient-rich byproduct of soymilk and tofu production, offers potential functional benefits. This study investigated the effects of soybean pulp supplementation on the nutritional and functional properties of dried sweet potato strips. In order to evaluate these properties, protein and dietary fiber content, color parameters, antioxidant activity, and free amino acid levels were analyzed. Soybean pulp supplementation significantly increased the protein and dietary fiber content, antioxidant activity, and free amino acid levels. In particular, glutamic acid, arginine, phenylalanine, threonine, and histidine were identified as the major contributors to the free amino acid profile influenced by the supplementation. Among the tested concentrations, 3% soybean pulp supplementation was found to be the most effective at enhancing the nutritional and functional attributes. These findings therefore suggest that soybean pulp can serve as a functional ingredient to enhance the nutritional and functional properties of dried sweet potato strips, while offering an environmentally sustainable approach to utilizing food byproducts in functional food development.
This study investigated potential application of Peucedanum japonicum Thunberg root extract as a functional food ingredient by evaluating the quality characteristics and antioxidant activity of tofu containing different extract concentrations. No significant differences were observed in the pH, acidity, moisture content, or color between the control and root extract-treated groups. Textural analysis showed that hardness, cohesiveness, chewiness, springiness, and gumminess decreased, whereas adhesiveness increased with increasing root extract concentrations. Compared with the control, antioxidant activity revealed that 2,2′-azino-bis(3- ethylbenzothiazoline- 6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging activity, total polyphenol content, and total flavonoid content increased in parallel with the increase in root extract concentrations; however, no significant differences were detected beyond root extract concentration of 7.5%. Sensory evaluation showed that higher root extract concentration resulted in higher bitterness, aftertaste, and texture scores but lower brightness and savory scores. While no preferential decrease was observed with root extract concentration of 7.5% compared with the control, preferential decrease was observed with root extract concentration of 10%. These results suggest that incorporation of P. japonicum root extract does not significantly affect tofu quality characteristics. Therefore, P. japonicum root has a potential to be used as a natural bioactive food ingredient owing to its high consumer acceptability and improved antioxidant activity.
Based on previously established probiotic function of Lactiplantibacillus pentosus SC65, this study aimed to produce synbiotic yogurt using L. pentosus SC65 as a probiotic and fructooligosaccharide (FOS) as a prebiotic. Functional properties of the resulting yogurt were evaluated after incubating for 21 days. The pH of the yogurt slightly decreased with the increase in incubation time, whereas titratable acidity and lactic acid production increased. Syneresis degree in the FOS-containing yogurt decreased as the water-holding capacity increased. Moreover, the antioxidant effect of probiotic-supplemented yogurt was higher than that of nonprobioticsupplemented yogurt. In addition, RAW 264.7 macrophages showed higher nitric oxide production when treated with probiotic or synbiotic yogurt than when treated with probiotic alone, suggesting that probiotic or synbiotic yogurt is beneficial to human health. Therefore, L. pentosus SC65 shows promise as a candidate ingredient for synbiotic yogurt.
Probiotics provide benefits for gut health, immune modulation, and skin and mental health. However, their use is limited by concerns regarding antibiotic resistance, poor intestinal colonization, strain-specific effects, and inter-individual variability. In contrast, postbiotics, including culture broth, are inactivated by heat or pressure yet retain immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, intestinal barrier–protective, and antioxidant activities through cell wall components, proteins, and metabolites. They contribute to the alleviation of intestinal inflammation and restoration of gut microbial balance. Postbiotics can serve as alternatives to live probiotics in animal feed by improving productivity, suppressing pathogens, and also reducing stress. Their applications are currently expanding to areas such as anticancer activity, metabolic disease management, gut–brain axis modulation, and oral health. Although postbiotics offer superior safety and stability, challenges still remain, including an insufficient mechanistic understanding, lack of standardized production, and limited large-scale clinical evidence. With further strain-specific mechanistic studies and regulatory establishment, postbiotics have a strong potential as functional ingredients in regard to food and feed applications.