Early evidence for beer drinking in a 9000-year-old platform mound in southern China

Origin, Function, and Implications of Intestinal and Hepatic Macrophages in the Pathogenesis of Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease

Macrophages are members of the human innate immune system, and the majority reside in the liver. In recent years, they have been recognized as essential players in the maintenance of liver and intestinal homeostasis as well as key guardians of their respective immune systems, and they are increasingly being recognized as such. Paradoxically, they are also likely involved in chronic pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract and potentially in the alteration of the gut-liver axis in alcohol use disorder (AUD) and alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD). To date, the causal relationship between macrophages, the pathogenesis of ALD, and the immune dysregulation of the gut remains unclear. In this review, we will discuss our current understanding of the heterogeneity of intestinal and hepatic macrophages, their ontogeny, the potential factors that regulate their origin, and the evidence of how they are associated with the manifestation of chronic inflammation. We will also illustrate how the micro-environment of the intestine shapes the phenotypes and functionality of the macrophage compartment in both the intestines and liver and how they change during chronic alcohol abuse. Finally, we highlight the obstacles to current research and the prospects for this field.

Amazonian fermentations: an analysis of industrial and social technology as tools for the development of bioeconomy in the region

This review article explores the potential of fermentations in the Amazon region as catalysts for economic and social development. It highlights the rich cultural and gastronomic diversity of the Amazon, focusing on indigenous fermented products. Two main products, tucupi and caxiri, are discussed in detail, emphasizing their significance in local cuisine and culture. The review examines the challenges and opportunities for industrial applications of these products, as well as their potential for social technology initiatives, particularly in the context of family farming. The sustainable production of native fermented products in the Amazon is seen as a means to preserve biodiversity, empower local communities, and promote cultural heritage. The article concludes that both industrial and social technologies have complementary roles in promoting economic growth, cultural preservation, and the well-being of the Amazon region, making it a promising hub for innovative and sustainable fermented food products on a global scale.

Research on Coix seed as a food and medicinal resource, it's chemical components and their pharmacological activities: A review

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Coix lacryma-jobi var. ma-yuen (Romanet du Caillaud) Stapf is a plant of the genus Coix in the Gramineae family. Coix seed is cultivated in various regions throughout China. In recent years, with the research on the medicinal value of Coix seed, it has received more and more widespread attention from people. Numerous pharmacological effects of Coix seed have been demonstrated through modern pharmacological studies, such as hypoglycemia, improving liver function, anti-tumor, regulating intestinal microbiota, improving spleen function, and anti-inflammatory effects.

AIMS OF THE STUDY

This article is a literature review. In recent years, despite the extensive research on Coix seed, there has yet to be a comprehensive review of its traditional usage, medicinal resources, chemical components, and pharmacological effects is still lacking. To fill this gap, the paper provides an overview of the latest research progress on Coix seed, aiming to offer guidance and references for its further development and comprehensive utilization.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

To gather information on the traditional usage, phytochemical ingredients, and pharmacological properties of Coix seed, we conducted a literature search using both Chinese and English languages in five databases: PubMed, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Springer.

RESULTS

This article is a literature review. The chemical constituents of Coix seed include various fatty acids, esters, polysaccharides, sterols, alkaloids, triterpenes, tocopherols, lactams, lignans, phenols, flavonoids and other constituents. Modern pharmacological research has indeed shown that Coix seed has many pharmacological effects and is a natural anti-tumor drug. In addition to its anti-tumor effect, it also has pharmacological effects such as hypoglycemia, improving liver function, regulating intestinal microbiota, improving spleen function, and anti-inflammatory effects.

CONCLUSIONS

This article provides a brief overview of the traditional uses, biotechnological applications, chemical components, and pharmacological effects of Coix seed. It highlights the importance of establishing quality standards, discovering new active ingredients, and exploring pharmacological mechanisms in Coix seed research. The article also emphasizes the significance of clinical trials, toxicology studies, pharmacokinetics data, and multidisciplinary collaboration for further advancements in this field. Overall, it aims to enhance understanding of Coix seed and its potential in pharmaceutical development and wellness products.

Beer-gut microbiome alliance: a discussion of beer-mediated immunomodulation via the gut microbiome

As a long-established fermented beverage, beer is rich in many essential amino acids, vitamins, trace elements, and bioactive substances that are involved in the regulation of many human physiological functions. The polyphenols in the malt and hops of beer are also important active compounds that interact in both directions with the gut microbiome. This review summarizes the mechanisms by which polyphenols, fiber, and other beneficial components of beer are fermentatively broken down by the intestinal microbiome to initiate the mucosal immune barrier and thus participate in immune regulation. Beer degradation products have anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, antioxidant, and glucolipid metabolism-modulating potential. We have categorized and summarized reported data on changes in disease indicators and in vivo gut microbiota abundance following alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer consumption. The positive effects of bioactive substances in beer in cancer prevention, reduction of cardiovascular events, and modulation of metabolic syndrome make it one of the candidates for microecological modulators.

Beer and Microbiota: Pathways for a Positive and Healthy Interaction

Beer is one of the most consumed drinks worldwide. It contains numerous categories of antioxidants, phenolic products, traces of group B vitamins, minerals (selenium, silicon, potassium), soluble fibers and microorganisms. Low or moderate beer consumption, with or without alcohol, showed positive effects on health by stimulating the development of a healthy microbiota. In the present review we focused on four components responsible with interaction with gut microbiota: microorganisms, polyphenols, fiber and melanoidins, their presence in usual beers and on perspectives of development of fortified beers with enhanced effects on gut microbiota. Though microorganisms rarely escape pasteurization of beer, there are new unpasteurized types that might bring strains with probiotic effects. The polyphenols from beer are active on the gut microbiota stimulating its development, with consequent local anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Their degradation products have prebiotic action and may combat intestinal dysbiosis. Beer contains dietary fiber such as non-starchy, non-digestible carbohydrates (β-glucans, arabinoxylans, mannose, fructose polymers, etc.) that relate with gut microbiota through fermentation, serving as a nutrient substrate. Another type of substances that are often considered close to fiber because they have an extremely low digestibility, melanoidins (melanosaccharides), give beer antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Though there are not many research studies in this area, the conclusion of this review is that beer seems a good candidate for a future functional food and that there are many pathways by which its ingredients can influence in a positive manner the human gut microbiota. Of course, there are many technological hinderances to overcome. However, designing functional beers fortified with fiber, antioxidants and probiotics, with a very low or no alcoholic content, will counteract the negative perception of beer consumption, will nullify the negative effects of alcohol, while simultaneously exerting a positive action on the gut microbiota.

Changes of Neolithic subsistence in south Hangzhou Bay coast, eastern China: An adaptive strategy to landscape processes

The transition from hunting and gathering to agricultural subsistence is a striking feature of the Neolithic revolution worldwide. Known as the cradle of a series of representative Neolithic cultures, south Hangzhou Bay (SHB) witnessed substantial changes in both landscape and human subsistence during the Holocene, yet the relationship between them was not well established. Here, we combined archaeobotanical results from sediment cores with archaeological findings to illustrate the subsistence changes during the Neolithic regime in the context of the landscape process in SHB. Our result showed that SHB was inundated by marine transgression 8,200 years ago without significant human imprints. At 8,200-7,600 cal yr. BP, the initial coastal wetland formation at locations with the semi-enclosed landscape would have facilitated the activities of hunting-gathering, incipient rice cultivation, and collecting seafood if accessible. Pollen and phytoliths evidence from multiple sediment cores in the Yaojiang Valley (YJV) suggested a desalinization process of wetland in the following hundreds of years. This amelioration of the environment had favored the intermittent rice cultivation at various locations in the YJV, where archaeological evidence was absent. Since 7,000-6,600 cal yr. BP, as freshwater wetland expanded with coastal progradation, a wide variety of food resources became available. Meanwhile, rice domestication began to serve as a crucial food supplement as evidenced by both microfossil results and archaeological findings. With the expansion of the coastal plain after 5,500 cal yr. BP, rice farming became widespread and rice consumption was increasingly important in the diet, as supported by discoveries of upgraded farming tools, abundant rice remains, and ancient rice paddies. Above all, the change of subsistence from hunting-gathering to rice farming exhibited an adaptive strategy in response to landscape evolution from an initial marine-influenced setting to a later coastal plain.

China's Changing Alcohol Market and Need for an Enhanced Policy Response: A Narrative Review

This study describes trends in alcohol consumption in the context of an expanding commercial context, current policy responses, and flaws in relation to international best practice for alcohol control in China. We surveyed the literature and other documents in Chinese or English up to December 2020 on policy responses to alcohol consumption and harm, industry structure, and marketing practices in China. Databases searched included PubMed, China National Knowledge Internet, Wanfang Data, Web of Science, and Baidu Scholar. We also scanned the official websites of government organizations and gathered information using snowballing. We analyzed existing alcohol policy against evidence-based, cost-effective policies for reducing alcohol harm. Our findings show that although some restrictive policies have been enacted with potential impacts on alcohol harm, they are not comprehensive, and some are poorly executed. The long history of alcohol use remains an important element in alcohol consumption by the Chinese population. However, alcohol marketing and promotion, ease of access, and affordability have become increasingly prominent. The gaps identified in alcohol policy suggest improved strategies and measures to reduce the harmful use of alcohol are urgently needed in China.

Preserving the food preservation legacy

This paper deals with the question about how early humans managed to feed themselves, and how they preserved and stored food for times of need. It attempts to show how humans interacted with their environments and demonstrate what lessons can be learnt from the about 3.4 million years of food processing and preservation. It includes a discussion about how hominins shifted from consumption of nuts and berries toward meat and learnt to control and use fire. Cooking with fire generated more food-related energy and enabled humans to have more mobility. The main trust of the paper is on historical food preservations, organized from the perspectives of key mechanical, thermal, biological and chemical processes. Emerging food processes are also highlighted. Furthermore, how humans historically dealt with food storage and packaging and how early humans interacted with their given environments are discussed. Learnings from the history of food preservation and culinary practices of our ancestors provide us with an understanding of their culture and how they adapted and lived with their given environments to ensure adequacy of food supply. Collaboration between food scientists and anthropologists is advocated as this adds another dimension to building resilient and sustainable food systems for the future.

Brewing and Serving Alcoholic Beverages to Erlitou Elites of Prehistoric China: Residue Analysis of Ceramic Vessels

The Bronze Age in China is characterized by the appearance of bronze ritual vessels, such as gui and he pitchers and jue cups, which were symbols of high social status and likely used in ritual feasting events. Their forms imitate similar ceramic vessels made of white clay. This transformation of such ceramic vessels into their bronze counterparts took place at the Erlitou site in the Yiluo basin, North China (ca. 1,800–1,500 BC). Such white pottery types are commonly regarded as alcohol-related vessels, but there is a lack of scientific analysis of organic remains on vessels’ interior surfaces to understand their functions. In this study, we analyzed microfossil remains on 16 ceramic vessels unearthed from Erlitou and discovered direct evidence of the production and consumption of fermented beverages that were prepared using qu starter as a saccharification agent. Dakouzun wide-orifice vats may have been used for fermentation, likely in semi-solid-state fermentation conditions; narrow-orifice jars zun for storage; gui and he pitchers for heating and/or pouring the beverages; and jue cups for drinking. Monascus mold and herbs were probably used to make qu starter. Fermentation ingredients were primarily rice and wheat, sometimes mixed with broomcorn millet, Job’s tears, roots of snake gourd, among other plants. Rice and wheat were minor crops in the region, probably cultivated for special uses and received by the Erlitou elites as tributary items for making alcoholic beverages. This research demonstrates that Erlitou feasting activities involved serving luxury drinks with prestige utensils in socially exclusive spaces, which emphasized social status, wealth, and power. The development of such drinking materiality and social values coincided with increased social differentiation at the time of early state formation.

Nutritional Contributions and Health Associations of Traditional Fermented Foods

The growing interest in the consumption and study of traditionally fermented food worldwide has led to the development of numerous scientific investigations that have focused on analyzing the microbial and nutritional composition and the health effects derived from the consumption of these foods. Traditionally fermented foods and beverages are a significant source of nutrients, including proteins, essential fatty acids, soluble fiber, minerals, vitamins, and some essential amino acids. Additionally, fermented foods have been considered functional due to their prebiotic content, and the presence of specific lactic acid bacterial strains (LAB), which have shown positive effects on the balance of the intestinal microbiota, providing a beneficial impact in the treatment of diseases. This review presents a bibliographic compilation of scientific studies assessing the effect of the nutritional content and LAB profile of traditional fermented foods on different conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and gastrointestinal disorders.