Changes in the quality of blue honeysuckle fruit following exposure to air or controlled atmospheres (CA1: 20% O2 and 20% CO2; CA2: 5% O2 and 20% CO2; CA3: 5% O2 and 10% CO2) were investigated. The 'Lanjingling’ blue honeysuckle was stored at a temperature of −1 °C for a duration of 28 d. An elevated concentration of CO2 led to a reduction in fruit weight loss, ethanol content, and respiration rate, while simultaneously increasing the epicuticular wax coverage index, firmness, TSS, ascorbic acid, polyphenols, and antioxidant capacity. Notably, treatment with high levels of carbon dioxide (20% CO2) led to an approximately 150% increase in total anthocyanin content compared to control conditions. Additionally, it was observed that reducing the oxygen content from 20% to 5% had a detrimental effect on the antioxidant capacity of blue honeysuckle during storage. Specifically, there were decreases of 10.4%, 16.8%, and 6.7% in DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP, respectively. The respiration rate is increased by treatment with 5% O2 and 5% CO2, which may result in accelerated senescence of blue honeysuckle. After 28 d, the treatment resulted in a respiration rate that was 1.49 times higher than the control. Hence, it can be deduced that maintaining a controlled atmosphere containing 20% O2 and 20% CO2 can be deemed an effective method of blue honeysuckle for prolonging storage life and safeguarding its bioactive components.

Cork taint has devastating effects on the aroma and quality of the wine, which can cause an annual loss of may be up to more than one billion dollars. There are many causes of cork taint, but 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (2,4,6-TCA) is a major contributor, giving the wine a wet-moldy smell. This study provided a comprehensive overview of the occurrence, detection, and control/remediation of 2,4,6-TCA. The occurrence and formation mechanisms of 2,4,6-TCA mainly include microbial O-methylation of chlorophenols and chlorination of anisole. The source of 2,4,6-TCA in wine is the cork or other woodworks, but it is also possible to contaminate wine from the environment. Due to the extremely low odor threshold concentration of 2,4,6-TCA, the effective sample pre-enrichment for instrument identification and quantification is more important. The control/remediation strategies of 2,4,6-TCA mainly include eliminating 2,4,6-TCA in cork and removing 2,4,6-TCA from wine by adsorption. Finally, the challenges and possible future research directions in this research field were discussed and proposed.

Serum albumin can bind with a diverse range of small molecules. It could therefore serve a protective or carrier function, and effectively address the issue of anthocyanins' susceptibility to decomposition. The anisotropic effect of the magnetic field (MF) can influence their interaction, thereby playing a distinct role in molecular bonding. In this study, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (C3G) were used as raw materials. The mechanism underlying the formation of BSA-C3G complexes induced by static magnetic field (SMF) was investigated through analyses of secondary structure, functional groups, dipole moment, crystal cell dimensions, and microstructural characteristics. BSA and C3G were treated with 50, 100, 150, and 200 mT, respectively. As the magnetic intensity increased, the secondary structure of the complex changed, the α-spiral content, β-corner content, and irregular curl content decreased, while, the β-folding content increased. The average grain size of the BSA-C3G composite was observed to decrease. Furthermore, alterations in the crystal cell dimensions of the BSA-C3G complex were noted, accompanied by a tendency for the microstructure to become more flattened. This study offers valuable insights into the influence of SMF on the assembly behavior and structural characteristics of proteins and anthocyanins.

The dissolution patterns of different teas determine the sensory quality and health attributes of the tea infusion. In this study, the chemical profiles of two typical selenium-enriched green teas, Xiazhou Bifeng (Se-BF), Enshi Yulu (Se-YL), and their corresponding regular green teas (BF and YL) were determined. Under the application of selenium fertilizer, the contents of caffeine, polyphenols, and gallic acid decreased, while the contents of theaflavins, theabrownins, and chlorophylls increased. The selenium content in BF and YL is 0.05−0.16 mg/kg and 0.33−0.43 mg/kg respectively, while after the application of exogenous selenium, the selenium content in Se-BF and Se-YL reached 1.28 to 2.17 mg/kg and 0.37−2.23 mg/kg respectively. The dissolution patterns of Se-BF and Se-YL were investigated under different brewing conditions (temperature and duration), and the main components of Se-YL were more easily dissolved out than Se-BF, which might be attributed to the steaming process of Se-YL. Based on the sensory evaluation of tea infusion, 100 °C and 5 min were the optimal brewing conditions. Based on a daily tea consumption model, the increased brewing time reduced the content of dissolved components in tea infusions, along with the decreased in vitro antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities. Collectively, Se-YL demonstrated superior sensory and nutritional attributes compared to Se-BF. This study explored the influence of brewing conditions on the dissolution patterns and in vitro bioactivities of selenium-enriched green teas, providing guidance for scientific tea brewing and consumption.

The loss of pericarp greenness, wrinkling of the pericarp, and alteration of aroma are indicators of the ripening and senescence of lemons. In this study, lemons were soaked in 100 mg∙L-1 of gibberellin (GA) solutions for 5 min and stored at 14°C for 36 d under three relative humidity (RH) levels of 30%, 60%, and 90%, respectively. The changes in visual appearance, pigment metabolism, pericarpic microstructure, and volatile compounds of lemons during storage were evaluated. The results showed that GA pretreatment inhibited the color transformation from green to yellow of the flavedo and restrained fruit senescence. In addition, RH 90% effectively maintained the structural integrity of the oil gland, waxes, and stomata in the flavedo. GAs + RH 90% treatment maintained the fruit color index (L*, a*, b*, a*/b*, H°, C*) by inhibiting chlorophyll degradation and regulating carotenoid biosynthesis. Green lemons treated with GAs + RH 90% also showed reduced epidermal wrinkling, well-preserved cuticle, and stomatal structure, with a smooth and intact wax layer on the lemon pericarp. In addition, GAs + RH 90% treatment maintained the content of volatile aroma compounds, especially terpene. GAs + RH 90% had a great advantage in maintaining visual quality, delaying the deformation of tissue microstructure, preserving nutritional quality, and improving aroma. Thus, this treatment is potentially applicable for maintaining the storage quality of green lemons and extending their shelf life.

Chilling injury (CI) is a highly common physiological disorder in pomegranates during cold storage. Although several approaches have been investigated to mitigate the CI symptoms among some pomegranate cultivars, the fundamental and crucial environmental factor — the precise storage temperature for the 'Mengzi' cultivation remains unknown. This research evaluated the impact of storage temperatures of 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 °C on the post-harvest quality of pomegranates. Results indicated that pomegranates stored at 2 °C exhibited the slightest color change and browning index. After storage of 130 d, pomegranates stored at 2 °C exhibited the lower CI index (82.79% reduction) and the lowest decay incidence (24.68% reduction) compared to those stored at 0 °C. The respiratory rate of pomegranates (2 °C) was also evidently suppressed (16.60%), along with a reduction in weight loss (3.46%). Furthermore, pomegranates stored at 2 °C exhibited the lowest activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD), accompanied by the highest total phenolic content, which contributed to a reduction in malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation. Relatively higher concentrations of soluble solids and titratable acid, as well as a higher sensory evaluation, were found in pomegranates stored at 2 °C. Consequently, it was inferred that the optimal temperature maintained cell membrane integrity modulated normal respiratory metabolism, and oxidative balance, and therefore alleviated CI and deterioration. This report can provide the guiding significance for the long-term storage of 'Mengzi' pomegranates under the condition of precise temperature control in phase temperature storage.

Marselan wine, one of the most important wines in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China, has attracted much attention due to its unique quality. This study focused on determining and analyzing the changes in volatile flavor compounds and antioxidant activity during different stages of Marselan winemaking. A total of 40 volatile aroma compounds were identified by headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS). Among these compounds, ethyl hexanoate, isoamyl acetate, ethyl formate, ethyl acetate, ethyl butanoate, ethyl octanoate, 3-methyl-1-butanol, ethanol, and 2-methyl-1-propanol showed significant increases after fermentation. Flavonoid and phenol contents in Marselan wine samples also significantly increased after fermentation, demonstrating high antioxidant capacity. Principal component analysis (PCA) successfully distinguished the fruit juice processing stage, alcohol fermentation stage, and malolactic fermentation stage, while the malolactic fermentation stage and wine stable stage could not be distinguished, This indicates that the formation of aroma profiles primarily occurs during the malolactic fermentation stage. The study successfully established flavor fingerprints of samples from different stages of Marselan wine production based on the detected volatile compounds.

The objective of the study was to examine the physicochemical properties and emulsification stability of three different Auricularia auricula polysaccharides (AAP) obtained through hot water extraction (AAP-W), hot acid extraction (AAP-A), and hot alkaline extraction (AAP-AL), respectively. The findings indicated that AAP-W exhibited superior emulsification stability compared to the other two polysaccharides. AAP-W was employed as a natural emulsifier for emulsion preparation, to examine the influence of varying polysaccharide concentrations and oil-water ratios on emulsion stability. Additionally, an investigation was conducted into the stability of the emulsions with respect to pH and salt ion concentration. The findings revealed that the most favorable polysaccharide concentration for the AAP-W emulsion was determined to be 1%, while the volume fraction of the oil phase was established at 0.5. It was also observed that the emulsion exhibited robust stability even in challenging conditions characterized by strong acidic (pH 3−5) or basic environments (pH 9−11), as well as high concentrations of salt ions (0−500 mM). Furthermore, the construction of an AAP-W emulsion system incorporating β-carotene was undertaken to enhance the preservation, bioavailability, and digestive stability of β-carotene, thereby expanding the potential applications of Auricularia auricula polysaccharides. This endeavor also presents a novel approach towards the advancement of novel functional food products.

The Leuconostoc citreum SJ-57 strain isolated from the sweet potato starch production showed great potential as a microbiological flocculant, but its underlying flocculation mechanisms are yet unknown. In this study, infrared spectroscopy and thermodynamic analysis were performed to elucidate the short-range and long-range interactions between Leuc. citreum SJ-57 and starch granules, revealing that bacteria cells bond starch granules via metal-bridging ionic bonds. A high repulsive energy barrier of ~8 × 10−18 J must be overcome to initiate the flocculation process. Heat, protease, lipase, lysozyme, dextranase, and guanidine hydrochloride were used to treat the bacterial cell, confirming that its flocculation ability originated from surface proteins, including GW structural domain proteins, DnaK, GroEL, elongation factor Tu, and lysozyme M1. The primary flocculation mechanisms of Leuc. citreum was proposed to provide a deep understanding of microbiological flocculants and a foundation for future industrial applications in starch production.

Strong κ-carrageenan (KC) hydrogels were fabricated via solvent replacement with sorbitol, and the effects of KC mass fraction and solvent replacement on the structural characteristics encapsulation capability of the hydrogels were evaluated. Microstructural observation showed that the 3D network structures of hydrogels exhibited a complete and continuous skeleton. FTIR spectra of KC hydrogels revealed the formation of intermolecular hydrogen bonds after sorbitol replacement. The stability against heating and freeze-thawing of hydrogels was enhanced due to the addition of sorbitol and the rise in KC mass fraction. The hydrogel with 1.5 wt% KC after sorbitol replacement presented the best stability. Frequency sweep tests suggested that storage modulus of the samples were influenced by sorbitol replacement and KC concentration. Swelling tests revealed that the hydrogels after replacement with a higher KC content (1.25, 1.50 wt%) presented higher swelling capacity, and they were more stable in alkaline and acidic solutions. When epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) was incorporated within the hydrogels, the hydrogels after sorbitol replacement offered higher protection capability. The information obtained in this study indicated that sorbitol replacement strengthened KC hydrogels, and they could act more appropriately as accountable carriers for bioactives.