Integrating GC–MS, high-throughput sequencing, and machine learning to elucidate flavor development and microbial succession in Italian-style dry-cured ham

Research Abstract

This study investigated effects of ripening on physicochemical, aroma profiles, and microbial succession in Italian-style dry-cured ham (ISDCH). Results showed that moisture content and pH decreased significantly during ripening, while the proteolytic index, cohesiveness, and hardness increased. Seventeen key volatile compounds were identified, with aldehydes dominating early ripening and esters becoming enriched in later stages. High-throughput sequencing showed dynamic microbial shifts, with Staphylococcus and Tetragenococcus emerging as dominant genera at the mid-to-late ripening stages. Sixteen potential biomarkers were identified through random forest analysis. Correlation analysis further indicated that Tetragenococcus was closely associated with ester formation, contributing to enhanced aroma complexity. These results provide new insights into microbial contributions to flavor development in ISDCH and offer guidance for selecting potential starter cultures to improve product quality.

Research Authors
Xiangxiang Sun, Mengwei Shi, Wenxiang Jiang, Xiaohui Li, Ahmed SM Saleh, Hongyan Zhang
Research Date
Research Department
Department of Food Science and Technology
Research Journal
Food Research International
Research Member
Ahmed Salah Moussa Saleh

Influence of emulsifier type on sunflower oil oleogels structured with ethylcellulose

Research Abstract

This study aimed to clarify the effect of different emulsifiers on the structural and functional properties of
ethylcellulose (EC) based oleogels prepared with sunflower oil. Oleogels were formulated with 4 wt% EC as the
oleogelator and 1 wt% emulsifier, including glyceryl monostearate (GMS), sorbitan monooleate (SMO), sorbitan
monostearate (SMS), soybean lecithin (SBL), glyceryl monolaurate (GML), and sorbitan monolaurate (Span20).
The incorporation of emulsifiers significantly influenced oleogel appearance, transparency, and color: EC-Span20
exhibited the highest clarity, EC-GMS appeared opaque and whitish, and EC-SBL showed a distinctive orange-red
hue. Microscopic analysis showed emulsifiers induced distinct crystalline morphologies, while FTIR analysis
indicated that emulsifier-EC interactions mainly relied on van der Waals forces. Small-angle X-ray scattering
revealed that GMS and SBL promoted highly ordered lamellae, whereas Span20 and SMO formed short-range
lamellar clusters. Despite these structural modifications, X-ray diffraction confirmed that all oleogels retained
the β-crystalline form of EC. Functionally, emulsifiers enhanced performance: GMS, GML, SBL, and SMO
significantly increased hardness, and all improved oil-binding capacity (OBC), among which EC-GMS had the
highest OBC (55.25 %), over twice of the control’s (26.17 %). These findings show emulsifiers can effectively
modulate EC based oleogels’ structural and functional properties, supporting their use in tailored food system
design.

Research Authors
Linghua Zhang, Shu Yang, Ahmed S.M. Saleh, Rui Wang, Zhigang Xiao
Research Date
Research Department
Department of Food Science and Technology
Research Journal
LWT-Food Science and Technology
Research Member
Ahmed Salah Moussa Saleh
Research Year
2025

Effectiveness of a Biological Agent Trichoderma reesei and Its Culture Filtrate on Anthracnose Fruit Rot Disease and Improving the Quality and Shelf Life of Tomatoes

Research Authors
2. Abo-Elyousr KAM, Mansour M. El-Fawy, Hosny H.A. Hofny and Moshref M. Sh. Ahmed, Bassem N. Samra, Abeer S. Alqurashi4, Hatim M. Al-Yasi, Esmat F. Ali, Nashwa M Sallam
Research Date
Research Department
Department of Plant Pathology
Research Journal
Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection
Research Member
Kamal Ahmed Mohamed Abo-Elyousr
Nashwa Mohamed Atef Ahmed Sallam
Research Pages
https://link.springer.com/journal/41348
Research Publisher
https://link.springer.com/journal/41348
Research Rank
Q2
Research Website
https://link.springer.com/journal/41348
Research Year
2026

Impact of organic bio-stimulant on bacterial blight of beans: Mechanism of Pathogenesis-related proteins and defense system

Research Authors
Munirah F Aldayel, Muhammad Imran, Nashwa M.A Sallam, Abo-Elyousr
Research Date
Research Department
Department of Plant Pathology
Research Journal
Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection
Research Member
Kamal Ahmed Mohamed Abo-Elyousr
Nashwa Mohamed Atef Ahmed Sallam
Research Pages
https://doi.org/10.1007/s41348-026-01237-y
Research Publisher
https://doi.org/10.1007/s41348-026-01237-y
Research Rank
Q2
Research Website
https://doi.org/10.1007/s41348-026-01237-y
Research Year
2026

Redox-primed biocontrol application reshapes Fusarium wilt resistance and metal homeostasis in tomato under arid conditions

Research Authors
Muhammad Imran, Nashwa M.A Sallam, Ibtisam A. M. Alghabban, Munirah F. Aldayel, Abo-Elyousr KAM
Research Date
Research Department
Department of Plant Pathology
Research Member
Kamal Ahmed Mohamed Abo-Elyousr
Nashwa Mohamed Atef Ahmed Sallam
Research Pages
BMC Plant Biology
Research Publisher
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-08349-5
Research Rank
Q1
Research Website
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-08349-5
Research Year
2026

The antioxidant function of Piper sarmentosum Roxb. alcoholic extract in heat-stressed broilers

Research Authors
Khaled Abouelezz, Luli Zhou, Mohamed Abdelhameed Mohamed Sayed, Ahmed Khalaf Hassan, Abdelmotaleb Elokil, Ashraf Mohamed Abdelmalek, Wael A Omar, Esmat Farouk Ali, Guanyu Hou, Dingfa Wang
Research Date
Research Department
Department of Poultry Production
Research Journal
Poultry Science
Research Member
KHALED ABOUELEZZ FOUAD MOHAMMED
Mohamed Abdelhameed Mohamed Sayed
Research Year
2026

Effect of dietary mint leaf powder (Mentha piperita) supplementation on growth, intestinal integrity and molecular responses in broilers under heat stress

Research Abstract
Heat stress (HS) has a significant negative effect on production and affects growth performance and intestinal health in broilers. The current study assessed the effectiveness of adding increased dietary levels of mint leaf powder (MLP) as a feed additive on growth performance, physiological indicators of stress, intestinal morphology and molecular indicators of stress in broilers subjected to HS. A total of 192 male Cobb broiler chicks from day 14 to 42 were randomized in a 2 × 4 factorial design with the treatment being two ambient temperature regimens (thermo-neutral: 25°C vs HS: 35°C) and four levels of MLP (0%, 0.6%, 1.2% and 1.8%). HS decreased final body weight by 13.60% (P < 0.01), feed intake by 15.4% (P < 0.01), and increased breathing frequency by 77.50% (P < 0.001). Supplementation with 1.8% MLP improved body weight (3.4%; P < 0.02), breathing frequency (-25%; P < 0.001), and body temperature (P < 0.044) while experiencing HS groups. HS also decreased ileal villus height area and villus width (P < 0.01); whereas 1.8% MLP supplementation preserved intestinal morphology. Changes at the molecular level showed that HS markedly upregulated of ileal heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) of 3.83-fold in the MLP groups over in the control group (0.96-fold, P < 0.001) and HSP90 (1.73-fold, P < 0.001). MLP supplementation modulated HSP expression; HSF3 decreased (P < 0.012), and had significant degrees of suppression of inflammatory cytokines, specifically tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) expression by 68% under HS (P < 0.001). Results concluded that using 1.8% MLP as a continuous phytogenic additive is effective in mitigating HS by mechanisms involving multi-level amelioration of HS, improved thermoregulation, intact intestine morphology, regulated molecular responses to stress, and powerful anti-inflammatory properties.
 
Research Authors
Yantao Lv, Abdelmotaleb Elokil, Beiyi Feng, Mohamed Elsharkawy, Shuang Wang, Yanan Zhang, Weiguang Xia, Shenglin Wang, Khaled Abouelezz, Haoyun Wang, Chuntian Zheng, Wei Chen
Research Date
Research Department
Department of Poultry Production
Research Journal
Poultry Science
Research Member
KHALED ABOUELEZZ FOUAD MOHAMMED
Research Year
2026

Effects of dietary energy and protein levels during brooding on performance, blood parameters, metabolome and gut microbiota in native chickens

Research Authors
Dingfa Wang, Luli Zhou, Khaled Abouelezz, Ting Cao, Liguang Shi, Guanyu Hou
Research Date
Research Department
Department of Poultry Production
Research Journal
Poultry Science
Research Member
KHALED ABOUELEZZ FOUAD MOHAMMED
Research Year
2026

The impact of active components from Piper sarmentosum on the growth, intestinal barrier function, and immunity of broiler chickens

Research Abstract

Objective

Pellitorine (PT) and vitexin-2-O-rhamnoside (VR) are two bioactive compounds found in Piper sarmentosum (PS). Their contents are relatively high in the ethanol extract of PS (PSE). However, it remains unknown whether PT and VR are the primary components of PS that exert beneficial effects on gut health. In this study, we aimed to confirm that these two compounds are the primary anti-inflammatory active ingredients in PSE.

Methods

Total of 300 female one-day-old Danzhou chickens were randomly divided into five groups with five replicates each. Chickens were given a basal diet (CON group), a basal diet with added PSE (200 mg/kg), VR (1.321 mg/kg), PT (0.563 mg/kg), and a combination of VR+PT (1.321 mg/kg VR and 0.563 mg/kg PT) until they reached 35 days of age.

Results

The findings reveal that the VR+PT group exhibited increased liver, thymus and spleen indices compared to the CON group, along with elevated mRNA levels of ZO-1 and Claudin-1 (p<0.05). In contrast, the VR+PT group exhibited reduced serum levels and the ileum mucosa mRNA expression levels of IL-1β and IL-6 compared to the CON group (p<0.05). Additionally, the chickens in the VR+PT group had a greater final weight and average daily gain than those in the CON and PSE groups, with a significantly lower level of D-lactic acid in serum (p<0.05). The serum IgM level increased significantly (p<0.05) in the VR+PT group compared to the PSE group, while the kidney epinephrine level decreased significantly (p<0.05).

Conclusion

The present study provides preliminary evidence that VR and PT are two of the main active compounds in PSE, which can cooperatively improve growth performance, intestinal barrier integrity, and immune function in chickens.

Research Authors
Luli Zhou, Hou Guanyu, Zhou Hanlin, Abouelezz Khaled, Ye Yuxiu, Wang Dingfa
Research Date
Research Department
Department of Poultry Production
Research Journal
Asian-Australasian Association of Animal Production Societies
Research Member
KHALED ABOUELEZZ FOUAD MOHAMMED
Research Year
2025

Dietary apparent metabolizable energy and crude protein levels influence slaughter performance, meat quality, and amino acid composition in slow-growing Danzhou chicken meat

Research Abstract

Dietary nutrient composition is an important factor influencing the ultimate properties of poultry carcass and meat quality. This study investigated the effects of varying dietary apparent metabolizable energy (ME) and crude protein (CP) levels on the slaughter performance, meat quality, and amino acid profiles in native Danzhou chickens aged from 120 to 150 days. A total of 720 120-day-old female Danzhou chickens were randomly assigned to six experimental diets with two ME levels (11.70 and 12.50 MJ/kg ME) and three CP levels (13, 14 and 15% CP). The results showed that dietary ME and its interaction with CP had a significant impact on the semi-eviscerated carcass percentage and eviscerated carcass percentage of the chickens (P < 0.05). Irrespective of ME level, the dietary 14% CP reduced (P < 0.05) the drip loss and shear force of thigh muscle than those in the 15% CP group, increased (P < 0.05) the intramuscular fat (IMF) content in both breast and thigh muscles compared to 13% CP, and enhanced (P < 0.05) L-arginine and L-ornithine levels in breast muscle relative to both 13% and 15% CP groups. A significant interaction between dietary ME and CP levels were observed for L-threonine and L-proline content in the breast muscle, as well as for L-glutamic acid in the thigh muscle (P < 0.05). In summary, a dietary metabolizable energy level of 12.50 MJ/kg paired with a 14% crude protein content can enhance the slaughter performance and meat quality in native growing Danzhou chickens. Appropriate dietary energy and protein levels will provide a scientific support for the precise formulation of diets for Danzhou chickens in the future.

Research Authors
Dingfa Wang, Luli Zhou, Liguang Shi, Ting Cao, Khaled Abouelezz, Guanyu Hou
Research Date
Research Department
Department of Poultry Production
Research Member
KHALED ABOUELEZZ FOUAD MOHAMMED
Research Year
2025
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