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ObjectiveNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a major public health burden in China, and its prevalence is increasing. This study aimed to determine the risk factors and biomarkers of NAFLD.DesignAn observational cross-sectional primary survey.SettingCentral China.ParticipantsThe study included 1479 participants aged over 18 and below 80 years, not currently being treated for cancer or infectious disease or no surgery in the previous year, and no history of cancer or an infectious disease. Participants underwent clinical examination, metabolomic assay and anthropometric assessment. Univariate and logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate associations between covariates and NAFLD.Main outcome measuresRisk factors and metabolic biomarkers including sex, body mass index, hypertension, body fat ratio, blood triglycerides, blood fasting glucose, liver enzyme elevation, uric acid and oleic acid-hydroxy oleic acid (OAHOA).ResultsData from the 447 participants (mean age 44.3±11.9 years) were analysed, and the prevalence of NAFLD was 24.7%. Male sex (OR 3.484, 95% CI 2.028 to 5.988), body mass index ≥24 kg/m2 (OR 8.494, 95% CI 5.581 to 12.928), body fat ratio (≥25 for women, ≥20 for men) (OR 1.833, 95% CI 1.286 to 2.756), triglycerides ≥1.7 mmol/L (OR 1.340, 95% CI 1.006 to 1.785), fasting glucose ≥6.1 mmol/L (OR 3.324, 95% CI 1.888 to 5.850), blood pressure ≥140/90 mm Hg or antihypertensive drug treatment (OR 1.451, 95% CI 1.069 to 1.970), uric acid (≥357 μmol/L for women, ≥416 μmol/L for men) (OR 2.755, 95% CI 2.009 to 3.778) and OAHOA (<5 nmol/L) (OR 1.340, 95% CI 1.006 to 1.785) were independent predictors of NAFLD (all P<0.05). These results were verified by all 1479 participants.ConclusionsNAFLD was common among the study participants. In particular, NAFLD was correlated with uric acid. We identified OAHOA as a novel marker of NAFLD prevalence. It provides a reference on the prevention of NAFLD and related metabolic diseases with the rapid urbanisation, technological advancement and population ageing in China over the recent decades.

To improve the water solubility, antioxidant activity, and chemical stability of curcumin, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) were fabricated using equal masses of propylene glycol monopalmitate and glyceryl monostearate as the lipid matrix and sodium caseinate-lactose (NaCas-Lac) Maillard conjugate as the emulsifier. The entrapment efficiency was more than 90% when curcumin was 2.5% and 5.0% of lipid mass, and the SLNs were stable during 30-day storage. SLNs stabilized by NaCas-Lac showed better physicochemical properties than those prepared with NaCas, including higher sphericity and homogeneity; higher entrapment efficiency; better stability against pH, ionic strength, and simulated gastrointestinal digestions; and more controlled release. SLNs also greatly enhanced the antioxidant activity of encapsulated curcumin and the retention of curcumin during storage. Therefore, the present SLNs may find applications to deliver lipophilic compounds in functional foods and beverages.

Sequential enzymatic cross-linking and heat pretreatments were used in this work to enhance the heat stability of whey protein isolate (WPI). In the first route, WPI was cross-linked by transglutaminase before incorporation in microemulsions for heat pretreatment at 90 degrees C for 20 min. In the second route, WPI was cross-linked by transglutaminase within microemulsions before thermal pretreatment. Particles produced from the two routes were different in dimension and heat stability and were also affected by the ratio of WPI and enzyme and cross-linking duration. At appropriate conditions, for example, 10 h of cross-linking by transglutaminase equivalent to 5% mass of WPI using the first route, a 5% dispersion (pH 6.8 and 100 mM NaCl) of the produced nanoparticles remained clear after heating at 90 degrees C for 20 min. In comparison, nanoparticles produced by thermal pretreatment only in a microemulsion corresponded to a translucent, flowable dispersion, whereas native WPI formed a gel. This novel approach can be used to manufacture heat-stable whey protein ingredients for clear beverage applications.

To develop edible delivery systems suitable for food applications, regulations require that solvents and ingredients are either generally recognized as safe or listed by the Food and Drug Administration as processing aids. In this work, we studied a food grade polymer-corn zein, a category of alcohol-soluble proteins, as the carrier material for microencapsulating bioactives. Zein is insoluble in aqueous solutions; zein-based delivery systems may thus maintain the integrity in aqueous food products during processing and storage. Three alcohols, i.e., ethanol, methanol, and isopropanol, with an appropriate amount of water were used to dissolve zein. A supercritical anti-solvent process was applied to synthesize micro-and nanoparticles of zein for edible delivery systems of bioactive compounds. We studied critical variables during the particle formation: polymer concentration, CO 2 flow rate, and co-solvent chemistry. Particles were produced only when mass transfer was fast enough that the co-solvent in the atomized droplets could be extracted by the reservoir CO 2 and polymers could nucleate and grow into particles. Manipulation of the above variables enabled the production of micro-and nanoparticles, which can be used as bases for microencapsulating bioactives. Our results demonstrated promising applications of the supercritical antisolvent technology to synthesize food grade delivery systems of bioactive food ingredients that can enhance the healthfulness, safety, and quality of food products.