Sen Cao

Harvest maturity critically determines the balance between eating quality (evaluated by soluble solids, sugars, acidity, and firmness) and nutritional bioactive compounds in fleshy fruits, yet the optimal window for ‘Fengtang’ plum—a high-sugar cultivar from Guizhou—remains unclear. This study systematically investigated the dynamic changes in fruit quality traits, flavonoid accumulation, antioxidant activity, and their underlying regulatory mechanisms across three on-tree maturity stages (PG, PB, and PY) using integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic approaches. As ripening progressed, soluble solids, soluble sugars, and reducing sugars increased significantly while firmness and titratable acidity declined, optimizing fresh-eating quality at the PY stage, whereas total flavonoid content and DPPH/ABTS antioxidant activities continuously decreased, peaking at the PG stage. Metabolomic analysis identified 35 differentially accumulated flavonoid-related metabolites, comprising 32 reliably annotated flavonoids and 3 tentatively annotated xanthones (MSI Level 3); the reliably annotated flavonoids, particularly flavan-3-ols and flavonols, exhibited persistent downregulation, whereas only a few, including dihydromyricetin-3-O-glucoside and apigenin-5-O-glucoside, showed PY-specific upregulation. Transcriptomic profiling revealed systemic reprogramming of the R2R3-MYB transcription factor family: the progressive downregulation of positive regulators, coupled with the PY-stage upregulation of repressive MYBs, was associated with the overall decline in flavonoid biosynthesis, while certain branch-specific MYBs positively correlated with the few upregulated flavonoid components, suggesting a possible association with localized activation of specific metabolic branches against a background of global downregulation. Collectively, these findings delineate a trade-off pattern between edible quality improvement and bioactive compound decline during ‘Fengtang’ plum ripening and establish a MYB-mediated regulatory network model, providing a theoretical basis for tailoring harvest timing according to industrial end-use and offering candidate gene resources for molecular breeding aimed at nutritional quality enhancement.

Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) undergo rapid postharvest deterioration owing to their high moisture content, fragile surfaces and absence of endogenous protective tissues, which trigger water loss, browning and microbial spoilage. Multifunctional biodegradable packaging with antibacterial and antioxidant activities is urgently needed to mitigate such quality loss. In this study, clove essential oil nanoemulsion (CEO-NE) was prepared through high-speed shearing combined with ultrasonication, employing tea saponin and Tween 80 as composite emulsifiers. CEO-NE incorporated gelatin–chitosan composite films (CEO-NE/GC) were fabricated via solvent casting. The effects of CEO-NE concentration on microstructure, mechanical performance, antibacterial and antioxidant properties of composite films were systematically evaluated. The film loaded with 1.5 % CEO-NE exhibited the best comprehensive performance, with tensile strength of 24.24±0.10 MPa and elongation at break of 67.97±0.66 %. This optimised film displayed strong inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, alongside improved antioxidant capacity compared with neat gelatin–chitosan film. FT-IR and XRD analyses confirmed hydrogen-bond interactions between CEO-NE and polymer matrix, indicative of favourable interfacial compatibility. SEM observations revealed smooth film surfaces without evident pores or particle aggregation. The CEO-NE/GC film possessed excellent biodegradability; its primary structure degraded in soil within 17 days and could be fully metabolised by microorganisms without toxic residues. In practical preservation tests, the composite film delayed softening, browning, weight loss and cap unfolding of oyster mushrooms, maintaining physicochemical quality and extending shelf life. This work provides a promising strategy for postharvest preservation of mushrooms.

Background: The characteristics of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Dictyophora rubrovalvata (DR) were systematically elucidated under varying hot‐air drying temperatures (40–80 °C). The dynamic evolution of key flavor‐synthesizing enzymes and precursor substances, and their correlations with characteristic VOCs, were highlighted. Results: Odor activity value analysis (OAV) identified 34 characteristic VOCs in DR, with aldehydes dominating the aroma profile. Orthogonal partial least squares‐discriminant analysis (OPLS‐DA) demonstrated that the abundance of VOCs peaked at 80 °C. Enzymatic reactions predominated during the early drying stage, as indicated by initial increases in enzyme activity within 2–6 h at lower temperatures (40–60 °C). Conversely, thermal degradation and Maillard reactions became the dominant processes in the later stages, particularly at higher temperatures. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that pyruvate kinase (PK), pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), glucosamine, and aldehydes were strongly correlated. Aromatic amino acid aminotransferase (ARAT) and branched‐chain amino acid aminotransferase (BCAT) catalyzed the conversion of most amino acids into alcohols, aldehydes, and acids. Palmitic acid and linoleic acid exhibited strong correlations with seven characteristic VOCs (e.g., heptanal‐D and n ‐hexanal‐D); however, the correlation between fatty acids and lipoxygenase (LOX) was relatively weak, suggesting that fatty acids might generate volatiles mainly through non‐enzymatic reactions. Conclusion: Overall, the optimal aroma quality of DR was achieved at 80 °C, where the abundance and diversity of characteristic VOCs were highest. This superior flavor formation was predominantly governed by non‐enzymatic pathways (thermal degradation and Maillard reactions), with enzymatic reactions playing an auxiliary role during the early drying stage. These results provide a theoretical basis for precisely controlling high‐temperature drying processes to maximize aroma retention in DR and offer practical guidance for the flavor‐oriented production of DR. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.

This study systematically evaluated thermal drying methods effects on characteristic volatile organic compounds of Dictyophora rubrovolvata volva (DRV) using E-nose, GC-MS, GC-IMS combined with multivariate statistical analysis. The results showed GC-MS was more sensitive in detecting lipids, alkanes, and phenols, while GC-IMS was more sensitive in detecting aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, and other compounds. Multiple Factor Analysis confirmed that the combination of these two methods was shown to more comprehensively evaluate the volatile flavor compounds and aroma characteristics of DRV. Overall, VMD exhibited the best retention of characteristic volatile organic compounds (e.g., Nonanal, 2-Decanone, Decanal), generated new compounds (e.g., 2-Pentylfuran, Isobutyl acetate, Butanoic acid-D) and enriched the aroma characteristics (e.g., floral, woody, tropical fruit). Therefore, VMD was recommended as the optimal pretreatment method for obtaining the best aroma quality of DRV. Besides, methyl nonanoate could serve as an key marker for evaluating the aroma quality of DRV dried by VMD.

This study systematically evaluated the effects of HAD, HPD, MD, and VMD on the quality, structure, and processing characteristics of DRV using sensory, chemical, spectroscopic, microscopic, and rheological analyses. A machine learning strategy was also employed to assess overall quality, identify key markers via OPLS-DA and RFA, and construct a CQI model using the entropy weight method. Results showed that VMD delivered the best overall performance, with superior retention of VC, total sugar, starch, and protein, along with the highest thermal stability. It also produced fine, uniform micropores and exhibited moderate complex viscosity and loss factor, ensured excellent shear-thinning and processing properties while maintained weak gel structure stability. The clustered heatmap further revealed specific advantages of other methods: HPD most effectively reduced sourness, HAD showed the best water absorption and protein-to-amino acid conversion, and MD provided optimal browning inhibition and the highest intrinsic consistency and network rigidity. Overall, VMD achieved the best quality, providing a theoretical basis for directional processing and utilization of DRV. These findings provided critical data support for the integrated and directional deep processing of DRV, which was of great significance for enhancing the added value of DRV and promoting the sustainable development of the DR industry.

This study systematically evaluated thermal drying methods effects on characteristic volatile organic compounds of Dictyophora rubrovolvata volva (DRV) using E-nose, GC-MS, GC-IMS combined with multivariate statistical analysis. The results showed GC-MS was more sensitive in detecting lipids, alkanes, and phenols, while GC-IMS was more sensitive in detecting aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, and other compounds. Multiple Factor Analysis confirmed that the combination of these two methods was shown to more comprehensively evaluate the volatile flavor compounds and aroma characteristics of DRV. Overall, VMD exhibited the best retention of characteristic volatile organic compounds (e.g., Nonanal, 2-Decanone, Decanal), generated new compounds (e.g., 2-Pentylfuran, Isobutyl acetate, Butanoic acid-D) and enriched the aroma characteristics (e.g., floral, woody, tropical fruit). Therefore, VMD was recommended as the optimal pretreatment method for obtaining the best aroma quality of DRV. Besides, methyl nonanoate could serve as an key marker for evaluating the aroma quality of DRV dried by VMD.

This study was to systematically investigate the effects of HAD, HPD, MD, and VMD on the sensory quality, nutritional quality, structure, and processing characteristics of RRP by using sensory evaluation, chemical analysis, spectroscopic, microscopic techniques and rheology combined with machine learning. Machine Learning-Assisted confirmed the results that VMD had the best overall performance in retaining vitamin C, total sugar, starch, protein, and total dietary fiber, had the highest thermal stability, had a more compact and continuous pomace structure, and exhibited the best fluidity and processing adaptability. Besides, the differentiated advantages of different drying methods in specific indicators were revealed by the clustering heatmap. HPD had a better retention effect on total phenols and the most significant reduction effect on sour/astringent tastes. HAD had the best retention of volatile flavor substances and the capacity of converting proteins into free amino acids. MD had the optimal browning inhibition effect.

Capsicum L. is valued for its pungency and nutrition but is susceptible to postharvest deterioration such as weight loss, softening, and decay, leading to reduced quality and marketability. While conventional methods like refrigeration and chemical treatments extend shelf life, they raise safety and environmental concerns. Recently, environmentally friendly preservation techniques have gained attention, including physical (modified atmosphere packaging, cold storage, plasma), chemical (ozone, 1-MCP, chlorine dioxide, nano selenium), and biological (biopolymer films, essential oils, melatonin) approaches. Studies show that combining two or more methods often yields synergistic effects, outperforming individual treatments. This review systematically outlines the physiological and quality changes in postharvest capsicum fruits and summarizes recent advances in key preservation technologies, with emphasis on combined strategies. It aims to provide insights into preservation mechanisms, suggest future research directions, and support the development of safe, effective, and sustainable practices for the capsicum industry.