Food BiosciencePub Date : 2025-03-21DOI: 10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106417
Zilun Lei, Zhu Zhang, Jun Huang, Qiuxiang Tang, Rongqing Zhou
{"title":"Dynamic patterns of high-temperature Daqu attributes in continuous production: Investigating the impact of Muqu attributes, production site, and process heterogeneity","authors":"Zilun Lei, Zhu Zhang, Jun Huang, Qiuxiang Tang, Rongqing Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106417","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106417","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Quality consistency of high-temperature <em>Daqu</em> (HTD) is crucial for optimizing the production and sensory attributes of Chinese sauce-flavor Baijiu. It is also essential for tracking microbiota succession, enzymatic activity, and metabolic profiles during continuous HTD production. Using multi-phase detection technologies, including high-throughput sequencing and metabolomic analysis, the effects of <em>Muqu</em> (mature HTD) addition and its attributes on HTD properties over multiple production rounds were examined. The results demonstrated that <em>Muqu</em> significantly influenced the microbial community of HTD, particularly increasing the relative abundance of key functional microorganisms, such as <em>Kroppenstedtia</em> and <em>Thermomyces</em>, thereby improving enzymatic activities which were saccharification, fermentation, and esterification activity <em>etc</em>, and optimizing the metabolic profile of HTD. Furthermore, the study revealed that the combined effects of <em>Muqu</em> attributes, production site, and process heterogeneity significantly influence inter-round variations in HTD properties, highlighting the importance of controlling production parameters to achieve consistent quality. These findings provide novel insights into the role of <em>Muqu</em> in shaping HTD microbial communities and metabolic functionally, offering a scientific foundation for optimizing industrial-scale HTD production and improving quality management strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12409,"journal":{"name":"Food Bioscience","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 106417"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143687895","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food BiosciencePub Date : 2025-03-21DOI: 10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106420
Hanyi Li , Zihang Shi , Xiankang Fan , Tao Zhang , Xiaoqun Zeng , Zhen Wu , Weichen Bao , Qiwei Du , Daodong Pan
{"title":"Qualitative and quantitative detection of the quorum sensing signalling molecule autoinducer-2 in fermented milk based on 2,3-diaminonaphthalene derivatization","authors":"Hanyi Li , Zihang Shi , Xiankang Fan , Tao Zhang , Xiaoqun Zeng , Zhen Wu , Weichen Bao , Qiwei Du , Daodong Pan","doi":"10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106420","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106420","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Autoinducer-2 (AI-2) serves as a signaling molecule in the <em>luxS</em>/AI-2 quorum sensing (QS) system of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). However, there is currently a lack of rapid and accurate method for the quantitative and qualitative detection of AI-2 in LAB. In this study, a cost-effective, rapid, and accurate method was developed, involving the derivatization of AI-2 using 2,3-diaminonaphthalene (DAN), followed by detection via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) without the need for external detectors. The results demonstrated that the derivatization process required 40 min, while the HPLC analysis took 24 min. The method exhibited a linear detection range of 250–8000 ng/mL, with a fitting equation of Y = 0.2437X + 26.8111 (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.9991), and the limit of detection (LOD) is 26.10 ng/mL, indicating high accuracy and precision. Furthermore, the method was successfully applied to five different Lactobacillus broth medium and fermented milk systems, demonstrating its ability to resist interference from complex components in these matrices and to reproducibly and accurately detect AI-2. This study provides an excellent technology for rapid quantification of AI-2 in LAB and fermented milk.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12409,"journal":{"name":"Food Bioscience","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 106420"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143725077","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food BiosciencePub Date : 2025-03-21DOI: 10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106416
Na-Na Zheng , Ying Liu , Zhen-Kun Hu , Qing-Feng Zhang , Zhong-Ping Yin , Hai-Xia Xu
{"title":"Lipase-catalyzed synthesis of astilbin fatty acid esters: Effect of key reaction factors on catalysis and physicochemical properties of target products","authors":"Na-Na Zheng , Ying Liu , Zhen-Kun Hu , Qing-Feng Zhang , Zhong-Ping Yin , Hai-Xia Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106416","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106416","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To improve the liposolubility and stability of astilbin, a series of astilbin fatty acid esters (ASE) with different carbon chain lengths were successfully synthesized through lipase-catalyzed transesterification. It was found that the substrate conversions were between 97.86 % and 99.29 % as determined by HPLC analysis. An isomerization reaction was found in the enzymatic transesterification reaction system, and the product was neoastilbin fatty acid ester. The pathway of this isomerization reaction was investigated and a high relative content of ASE (>90 %) was obtained by controlling the reaction time (24 h–48 h). Moreover, the underlying mechanism by which a high substrate molar ratio (acyl donor: astilbin/mM: mM) inhibited the hydrolysis of ASE was revealed. The products were purified using preparative thin-layer chromatography, and their structures were identified by mass spectrometry, <sup>1</sup>H NMR and <sup>13</sup>C NMR analysis. Subsequently, the liposolubility, temperature, and pH stability of ASE were explored. It was found that the liposolubility and temperature stability of ASE were higher than those of astilbin. Additionally, ASE exhibited pH-dependent stability, maintaining structural integrity in acidic conditions but undergoing significant hydrolysis, isomerization, and decomposition in alkaline conditions. This study may expand the application of astilbin in foods and functional foods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12409,"journal":{"name":"Food Bioscience","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 106416"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143687896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food BiosciencePub Date : 2025-03-20DOI: 10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106407
Abdul Basit , Raheem Shahzad , Abdul Mueed , Asim Muhammad , Wang Rong , Liu Ya , Gong Xin , Khanizadeh Shahrokh , Muhammad Arshad , Tao Shutian
{"title":"A critical review on pear Fruit’s polyphenols and its chlorogenic acid: Composition, bioavailability, and pharmacological potential","authors":"Abdul Basit , Raheem Shahzad , Abdul Mueed , Asim Muhammad , Wang Rong , Liu Ya , Gong Xin , Khanizadeh Shahrokh , Muhammad Arshad , Tao Shutian","doi":"10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106407","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106407","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pear fruits contain diverse sources of phenolic compounds such as Chlorogenic acid (CGA), flavonoids, and stilbene. CGA is one the most important and biologically active compounds among phenolic compounds which can be naturally found in pear. Recent studies demonstrated that CGA plays an important role in maintaining human health, offering antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer benefits, and free radicals scavenger. This review discusses the potential use of pears by products as nutraceuticals and highlights polyphenol composition in pear fruit, particularly the bioavailability and potential mechanism of CGA in mitigating chronic diseases and antioxidative role as a free radicals scavenger. The present study will help to deepen our understanding of the application of CGA and their dietary supplement in the prevention of different biological disorders such as lipid and glucose-impaired metabolism, diabetes, cardiac disease, anticancer, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neurological disorders. Moreover, the findings of the studies highlight the vast literature gap concerning the bioavailability of CGA in pears and their possible therapeutic action in human health. Overall, CGA from pear may be particularly use as a functional food, dietary supplement, and pharmaceutical for the management and prevention of chronic disease and antioxidant activity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12409,"journal":{"name":"Food Bioscience","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 106407"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143687211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effects of mitoquinone on various patterns of postmortem apoptosis and beef tenderization","authors":"Bo Zou, Xiaochang Liu, Haojie Yu, Songshan Zhang, Peng Xie, Baozhong Sun, Mingwu Zang","doi":"10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106379","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106379","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Apoptosis encompasses various patterns such as death receptor pathway. However, the specific mechanisms by which these apoptotic patterns contribute to beef tenderization have not been clarified. In this study, changes in various apoptotic patterns of beef were determined and mitoquinone was selected for validation of postmortem apoptosis. Consequently, CYCS, BAX and APAF1 genes and proteins in mitochondrial apoptosis declined with postmortem time. AIFM1 genes and proteins in mitochondrial-DNA cross-linking also exhibit weaker expression. Similarly, FAS proteins in death receptor pathway, and CASP12 proteins in endoplasmic reticulum pathway showed a decreasing trend with postmortem time. These results indicate that numerous apoptotic patterns have a higher potential during early postmortem. Furthermore, mitoquinone decreased the expression of AIFM1, CYCS, BAX, BAK1, APAF1, CASP9, FAS, and CASP12 proteins, suggesting the inhibition of various apoptotic patterns. Mitoquinone also improved mitochondrial structure and restrained caspase-3 activity. Ultimately, mitoquinone reduced MFI and affected the integrity of sarcomere and Z-line. Thus, the increase in the levels of mitochondrial apoptosis, mitochondrial-DNA cross-linking, death receptor and endoplasmic reticulum pathway may promote the destruction of myofibrillar structure, suggesting a positive correlation between these apoptotic patterns and beef tenderization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12409,"journal":{"name":"Food Bioscience","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 106379"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143686466","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food BiosciencePub Date : 2025-03-20DOI: 10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106410
Xinyu Hu , Mengke Cheng , Meng Zhang , Biyue Yang , Rong Wang , Juan Bai , Jiayan Zhang , Wei Wei , Lin Zhu , Xiang Xiao
{"title":"Insights into Leuconostoc-clade as starters in Chinese paocai: Shaping microbial communities for rapid, safe, and flavor-preserving fermentation","authors":"Xinyu Hu , Mengke Cheng , Meng Zhang , Biyue Yang , Rong Wang , Juan Bai , Jiayan Zhang , Wei Wei , Lin Zhu , Xiang Xiao","doi":"10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106410","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106410","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Chinese paocai features diverse vegetable substrates and distinct regional flavors but is prone to food safety issues caused by non-lactic acid bacteria (non-LAB). LAB starter cultures are a key strategy for regulating fermentation, yet developing LAB strains that suppress non-LAB while preserving regional flavors across different paocai types remains a challenge. This study investigated microbial community succession in six vegetable substrates during natural and LAB-inoculated fermentation through dynamic monitoring of pH, nitrite levels, and microbial composition, complemented by genotypic, phenotypic, and direct-inoculation analyses of representative LAB strains. The results revealed that <em>Lactobacillaceae</em>, the dominant group during paocai fermentation (relative abundance increasing from 0.18 %-8.11 % to 58.57 %–81.85 %), can be phylogenetically divided into the <em>Leuconostoc</em>-clade (dominating initial-to-middle stages with a relative abundance of 0.18 %–48.36 %) and the <em>Lactobacillus</em>-clade (dominating late stage with a relative abundance of 3.6 %–71.09 %). Unlike <em>Lactobacillus</em>-clade, which exclusively metabolizes glucose to produce lactic acid via the homofermentation pathway, the <em>Leuconostoc</em>-clade can metabolize glucose, fructose, and sucrose in vegetables indiscriminately, thereby rapidly producing diverse organic acids via the obligate heterofermentative pathway, which initiated fermentation and nitrite degradation while inhibiting <em>Enterobacteriaceae</em>, <em>Erwiniaceae</em>, <em>Pseudomonadaceae</em>, and <em>Micrococcaceae</em>. Meanwhile, as a starter culture, the limited acid tolerance of <em>Leuconostoc</em>-clade prevents over-acidification and preserves the indigenous LAB community, maintaining organic acid and volatile compound profiles similar to natural fermentation. Therefore, the <em>Leuconostoc</em>-clade represents a valuable resource for starter strains that can adapt to various vegetable substrates, rapidly initiate fermentation, inhibit non-LAB, prevent over-acidification, and preserve the regional flavors of Chinese paocai.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12409,"journal":{"name":"Food Bioscience","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 106410"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143715086","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food BiosciencePub Date : 2025-03-20DOI: 10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106404
Haohan Ding , Zhenqi Xie , Wei Yu , Xiaohui Cui , David I. Wilson
{"title":"Artificial intelligence enhances food testing process: A comprehensive review","authors":"Haohan Ding , Zhenqi Xie , Wei Yu , Xiaohui Cui , David I. Wilson","doi":"10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106404","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106404","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study explores the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in food testing, focusing on its applications in food safety, quality assessment, and authenticity verification. Addressing the limitations of traditional detection methods in efficiency and cost-effectiveness, the research systematically analyzes how machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) technologies synergize with advanced measurement techniques such as sensor detection, spectral imaging, and molecular analysis to achieve rapid, non-destructive testing. The paper emphasizes the critical role of data preprocessing and feature engineering in optimizing model performance, while comparing the advantages of supervised, unsupervised, and semi-supervised learning algorithms across diverse detection scenarios. It highlights the necessity of Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) to enhance system transparency and trustworthiness. Future directions are proposed, including the integration of multimodal data, development of adaptive AI systems, and establishment of predictive safety indicators. The study provides a theoretical framework and technical roadmap for advancing AI applications in food testing, offering significant insights for driving intelligent transformation in the food industry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12409,"journal":{"name":"Food Bioscience","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 106404"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143686378","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food BiosciencePub Date : 2025-03-20DOI: 10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106408
Xinyu Wang , Xinyue Liu , Zhijia Liu , Chuanqi Chu , Ming Du , Junjie Yi
{"title":"Unlocking the secrets of stinky fermented foods: A comprehensive overview of processes, flavor characteristics, fermentation microbiomes, and metabolic pathways","authors":"Xinyu Wang , Xinyue Liu , Zhijia Liu , Chuanqi Chu , Ming Du , Junjie Yi","doi":"10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106408","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106408","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Stinky fermented foods, a unique category within traditional fermented foods, have garnered considerable research attention for their distinct flavor profiles. However, a comprehensive review of stinky fermented foods is currently lacking. It is crucial to explore the variety of stinky fermented foods, understand the characteristics and formation mechanisms of stinky-producing compounds, and anticipate future advancements in the food industry. Drawing on thorough literature reviews, this review investigates the connections among the processes, flavor characteristics, fermentation microbiomes, and metabolic pathways found in stinky fermented foods. Notably, the review delves into the key stinky compounds and their production pathways in various fermented foods, with a specific emphasis on the microorganisms responsible for stinky generation. A wide variety of stinky fermented foods exist, categorized into fermented aquatic products, dairy products, soybean products, and vegetables based on raw materials. Common stinky compounds in stinky fermented foods include butyric acid, indole, trimethylamine, sulfide, and <em>p</em>-cresol. Diverse microorganisms predominantly drive the fermentation process of stinky fermented foods through their metabolic activities, including fatty acid oxidation, amino acid metabolism, and sulfur metabolism. Furthermore, future perspectives on stinky fermented foods were proposed to provide valuable suggestions for researchers and industry professionals interested in the production of these foods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12409,"journal":{"name":"Food Bioscience","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 106408"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143687209","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food BiosciencePub Date : 2025-03-20DOI: 10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106412
Ning Tang , Xiaolong Xing , Huipin Li , Shujing Wang , Shengxin Ji , Yong Yang , Zhilu Ai
{"title":"Farnesol regulates morphogenesis and squalene biosynthesis in Saccharomycopsis fibuligera: A multi-omics perspective","authors":"Ning Tang , Xiaolong Xing , Huipin Li , Shujing Wang , Shengxin Ji , Yong Yang , Zhilu Ai","doi":"10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106412","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106412","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Our previous research found that farnesol, a fungal quorum-sensing molecule, may simultaneously regulate the yeast-to-hypha transition and promote squalene biosynthesis in <em>Saccharomycopsis fibuligera</em>. To confirm this, in this study, we conducted farnesol exposure experiments and analyzed the changes in morphology and squalene content of <em>S. fibuligera</em>. The structure and function of <em>S. fibuligera</em> squalene synthase (<em>SfSQS</em>) were analyzed using molecular docking simulations and protein expression. Metabolomics and tandem mass tag (TMT)-labeling proteomics were employed to investigate the mechanisms underlying farnesol-induced morphogenesis and metabolic changes in <em>S. fibuligera</em>.</div><div>The results showed that treatments with 50 μmol/L and 100 μmol/L farnesol significantly increased squalene content by over 1.67-fold in <em>S. fibuligera</em>. High concentrations of farnesol promoted hyphal elongation while suppressing yeast-form cell growth in <em>S. fibuligera</em>. Analysis of <em>SfSQS</em> demonstrated that it forms stable binding complexes with farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) and presqualene diphosphate and exhibits catalytic activity in converting FPP to squalene.</div><div>Metabolomic and proteomic analyses revealed that farnesol enhances squalene biosynthesis and regulates sterol metabolism by modulating the mevalonate pathway in <em>S. fibuligera</em>. Furthermore, the morphologic changes in <em>S. fibuligera</em> are linked to the regulation of its response to farnesol-induced stresses, including oxidative stress and DNA replication stress. This research advances our understanding of quorum sensing in dimorphic yeasts and provides a theoretical basis for yeast-based squalene production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12409,"journal":{"name":"Food Bioscience","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 106412"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143687898","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Food BiosciencePub Date : 2025-03-20DOI: 10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106413
Jian Deng , Wei Lin , Tian Li , Jing Wei , Jingtao Cui , Huaizhong Chen , Weimin Zhang
{"title":"Maturity-dependent variations in metabolites and taste quality of Hainan mulberry leaf green tea by using metabolomics and e-tongue analysis","authors":"Jian Deng , Wei Lin , Tian Li , Jing Wei , Jingtao Cui , Huaizhong Chen , Weimin Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106413","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fbio.2025.106413","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Current research on mulberry leaf tea primarily focuses on biological activity studies, while limited research has been conducted on its taste quality. In this study, we evaluated the taste quality of Hainan mulberry leaf (HNSY) green tea at three maturity levels using sensory evaluation, an electronic tongue, quantitative chemical composition analysis, and metabolomics. Sensory evaluation and e-tongue analysis revealed that astringency decreased while acidity increased with advancing maturity. Moderate bitterness and astringency were identified as favorable taste characteristics of HNSY green tea. Metabolomic analysis identified 185 differential metabolites, and 11 characteristic taste components were subsequently determined through correlation analysis. Specifically, asparagine, leucine, and isoleucine contributed to enhanced umami perception and bitterness intensity in young mulberry leaf tea. Conversely, l-tyrosine, 4-hydroxystachydrine, rutin, kaempferol 3-o-sophoroside, 6-hydroxy luteolin 7-glucoside, isoquercitrin, kaempferol 3-neohesperidoside, and magnolioside were associated with reduced astringency in high maturity tea. Therefore, strategic regulation of harvesting maturity in mulberry leaf tea production could optimize metabolite profiles and improve overall flavor quality. This study provides a theoretical basis for raw material selection and quality control in HNSY green tea processing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12409,"journal":{"name":"Food Bioscience","volume":"68 ","pages":"Article 106413"},"PeriodicalIF":4.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143714973","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}