This study systematically evaluated the sensory profiles of five Actinidia arguta varieties by integrating intelligent sensory techniques with volatile metabolomics. The results showed that Longcheng 2 had the highest skin brightness, whereas Tianyuan Hong exhibited the greatest skin saturation, both traits being important for consumer preference. Electronic nose data revealed that sensors W2W (aromatic and organosulfur compounds) and W1W (terpenes) exhibited strong responses to all varieties. Electronic tongue analysis identified sweetness as the key taste attribute differentiating A. arguta varieties. Ziyu received the highest overall sensory score. Volatile metabolomics identified terpenes, esters, alcohols, ketones, and heterocyclic compounds as the main aroma constituents in these kiwifruits. Based on relative odor activity values (ROAVs), ten aroma attributes were identified, including sweet, fruity, and floral notes. Furthermore, 14 key differential aroma compounds were selected. The unique citrus-like aroma of Ziyu was jointly contributed by o-cymene and p-cymene, the typical rose aroma of Tianyuan Hong was attributed to tetrahydro-4-methyl-2-(2-methyl-1-propenyl)-2H-pyran, and the grassy-fruity aroma of Huanyou 1 originated from (1S)-(+)-3-carene. These findings elucidate the differences in sensory attributes among A. arguta varieties at the volatile compound level. This study provides a theoretical basis for structural optimization and targeted processing in the A. arguta industry, along with scientific support for informed consumer choice.

This study investigated the effects of partially replacing wheat flour with kiwifruit starch (KS) at varying ratios (15%, 20%, and 25%; m/m) on the properties of mixed flours, dough processing performance, biscuit quality, digestibility, and storage properties. The results indicated that KS substitution significantly improved the water-holding and oil-holding capacities of mixed flours, facilitated starch gelatinization, and increased the viscoelastic modulus of doughs, but it reduced the stability of the gluten network. Both the mass and thickness of biscuits decreased significantly with increasing KS substitution. The product with 15% and 20% KS substitution showed improved texture and was more crumbly and easier to chew, which was more aligned with the standards for high-quality crispy biscuits. The biscuit with 20% KS substitution received the highest sensory score (8.51) for overall acceptability, having the dual advantages of blood glucose regulation and good sensory acceptability. KS substitution significantly increased the resistant starch content in biscuits to 41.75%-50.11% while significantly decreasing the starch digestion rate and estimated glycemic index (eGI). Notably, 20% and 25% KS substitution reduced the glycemic index (GI) from high to low-medium. Additionally, KS substitution significantly reduced the rates of lipid oxidation and water absorption and improved the storage stability. This study provides theoretical support for the application of fruit-derived starches such as KS in low GI foods.

Metabolomics can be used to identify the changes and metabolic pathways of nutrients and flavor substances in foods at specific processing or fermentation stages. This study revealed the accumulation and degradation of phytochemicals during the fermentation of kiwifruit juice (KJ) by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) through widely targeted metabolomics and explored the impact of different fermentation strategies on the nutritional quality and functional characteristics of KJ. LAB utilized the original sugars, acids, amino acids, and nucleotides of the matrix to produce numerous bioactive compounds, including phenols, organic acids, free fatty acids, and vitamins, while achieving bacterial proliferation and reduced anti-nutritional factors such as alkaloids, thus improving the nutritional and functional properties of KJ. Moreover, compared with monoculture fermentation, mixed fermentation promoted the production of more biologically active phenols and alkaloids, among which vanillic acid and luteolin-8-C-arabinoside were the characteristic metabolites of mixed and mono-fermentation. Subsequently, the metabolic pathways of key metabolites were predicted, including the glycolytic Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathway, pentose phosphoketolase pathway, organic acid metabolic and arginine deiminase pathways for improving the acid resistance of LAB, and the phenolic-acid-based phenylalanine and tyrosine metabolic pathway.

In this study, the effects of treatment with different doses of electron beam irradiation on physicochemical characteristics and functional components of Aronia melanocarpa juice, being rich in anthocyanins, were investigated. Meanwhile, targeted metabolomics was employed to explored the effect of irradiation treatment on the composition and content of anthocyanin metabolites in the fruit juice, and its sensory quality was evaluated as well. Irradiation treatment at 3-9 kGy increased the browning of A. melanocarpa juice, and significantly reduced the total anthocyanin content (TAC) and total polyphenol content (TPC) by 18.10%-33.72% and 2.47%-12.03%, respectively (P < 0.05). The major monomeric anthocyanins in the fruit juice were cyanidin-3-O-galactoside, cyanidin-3-O-arabinoside, cyanidin-3-O-xyloside and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, among which cyanidin-3-O-glucoside was more stable under irradiation treatment; the content of cyanidin-3-O-glucoside was not significantly changed after irradiation with 3 kGy dose (P > 0.05), whereas the contents of the other three anthocyanins were reduced significantly (P < 0.05). In term of sensory quality, irradiation treatment increased the redness and yellowness and reduced the contents of volatile sulphides and volatile terpenoids in the fruit juice. This study is expected to provide some technical references for the selection and parameter determination of irradiation processing for anthocyanin-rich foods.