Journal of Food Process Engineering最新文献

{"title":"Hybrid Food Packaging Films: The Synergistic Role of Polyphenols and Metallic Nanoparticles","authors":"Hamza Bentaleb,&nbsp;Zineb Lahboub,&nbsp;Hanae El Monfalouti,&nbsp;Abdelhakim Bouyahya,&nbsp;Waleed Al Abdulmonem,&nbsp;Mohammed Alorini,&nbsp;Adil El Yadini,&nbsp;Badr Eddine Kartah","doi":"10.1111/jfpe.70746","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpe.70746","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Food spoilage, which is driven largely by microbial contamination and oxidative degradation, remains a major contributor to global food waste, prompting growing interest in active food packaging materials with built-in antimicrobial and antioxidant functions. This review examines hybrid films that combine natural polyphenols with metallic nanoparticles (MNPs) as innovative packaging solutions. Polyphenols, extracted from plant sources, exhibit strong free radical scavenging and antimicrobial properties, while MNPs such as silver (Ag), zinc oxide (ZnO), and titanium dioxide (TiO₂) enhance mechanical strength, thermal stability, and microbial inhibition. When combined, these components frequently produce additive and, in several reported systems, synergistic improvements in antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, thereby extending shelf life and reducing reliance on synthetic additives. Challenges such as compound stability, nanoparticle migration risks, regulatory hurdles, and environmental impact are discussed, along with strategies to optimize release profiles and enhance film performance. By critically examining the mechanisms underlying polyphenol-MNP interactions alongside the experimental evidence for their combined bioactivity, this review provides a mechanistic framework to guide the rational design of hybrid food packaging films.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":15932,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Food Process Engineering","volume":"49 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148848984","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of Beef Quality Changes During Storage by Using Dynamic Stress Method Based on Contactless Airflow-Optical Technique","authors":"Ke He,&nbsp;Xiuying Tang,&nbsp;Yuan Su","doi":"10.1111/jfpe.70756","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpe.70756","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In the present study, the airflow–optical detection technique was evaluated as a novel, contactless approach for assessing dynamic viscoelastic changes in beef during storage. Understanding the viscoelastic behavior of meat is essential for monitoring its quality, as changes in mechanical properties are closely linked to biochemical and structural alterations during storage. Beef apparent dynamic viscoelastic parameters, including apparent storage modulus and apparent loss modulus, were measured using the developed airflow–optical detection device. Concurrently, key quality attributes—total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) content and Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF)—were determined through standard physicochemical analyses. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) models were constructed to predict beef freshness and tenderness based on the collected strain data. During storage, TVB-N content of beef increased gradually, while WBSF values decreased, accompanied by a rise in apparent viscosity. This resulted in a significant increase in the apparent loss modulus (from 9.43 × 10² ± 267.45 to 1.95 × 10³ ± 9662.65 Pa), whereas the apparent storage modulus remained largely unchanged. The PLSR models showed satisfactory predictive performance: for TVB-N, the prediction set achieved a correlation coefficient (<i>R</i>) of 0.736 with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.262 mg/100 g; for WBSF, the prediction set yielded <i>R</i> = 0.741 with RMSE = 1.598 N. These findings demonstrate that the airflow–optical detection technique can effectively capture dynamic viscoelastic changes in beef and provide predictions of key quality parameters. The approach offers a promising, non-destructive tool for real-time monitoring of meat freshness and tenderness during storage.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":15932,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Food Process Engineering","volume":"49 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148811308","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing Yogurt Functionality With Bee Pollen Extract and Ascorbic Acid: Process Optimization and Shelf-Life Stability","authors":"Lynda Benchekhchoukh,&nbsp;Yassine Benchikh,&nbsp;Nadia Amessis-Ouchemoukh,&nbsp;Nawel Guenaoui,&nbsp;Lynda Moumeni,&nbsp;Salim Ouchemoukh","doi":"10.1111/jfpe.70750","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpe.70750","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study aimed to optimize and evaluate the quality of yogurt enriched with bee pollen extract. During a 28-day storage period, physicochemical (pH, titratable acidity, syneresis, water retention capacity, viscosity, color), antioxidant (phenolic content, ascorbic acid, antioxidant activity), microbiological, and sensory parameters were assessed across four formulations: control yogurt, yogurt with ascorbic acid, yogurt with bee pollen, and yogurt with both bee pollen extract and ascorbic acid. The manufacturing conditions were initially investigated through preliminary sequential experiments to define the experimental domain and identify the factors affecting yogurt pH prior to Response Surface Methodology (RSM) optimization. Building on the knowledge gained from this stage, a response surface methodology based on a central composite design was used to improve the procedure and model the impacts of the chosen variables. The effects of three independent variables—incubation time (3–10 h), bee pollen extract incorporation rate (10%–16%), and starter culture concentration (0.03%–0.17%)—were studied with final pH as the response. The optimal conditions were an incubation time of 3 h 17 min, a bee pollen extract incorporation rate of 11.59%, and a starter concentration of 0.05%. Results showed that enriched yogurts, especially those with bee pollen extract and ascorbic acid, exhibited better physicochemical stability (lower syneresis, higher viscosity), higher antioxidant capacity, and acceptable microbiological quality. Sensory analysis revealed no significant differences in texture, consistency, or aroma, but improvements in taste, acidity, and color were observed. This study highlights the potential of bee pollen extract and ascorbic acid as functional ingredients to improve yogurt quality and stability during refrigerated storage while enhancing its nutritional value, offering perspectives for developing value-added dairy products with improved consumer appeal.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":15932,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Food Process Engineering","volume":"49 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148811230","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Food-Grade Chitosan-Coated Nano Zero-Valent Iron as a Functional Material for Gut–Liver Axis Regulation","authors":"Yuchen Hou","doi":"10.1111/jfpe.70745","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpe.70745","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Environmental organic pollutants (EOPs) disturb host metabolism through direct toxicity and changes at the intestinal interface. This study evaluated chitosan-coated nano zero-valent iron (C-nZVI) as a food-grade, lumen-active nano system for gut–liver axis regulation under contaminant exposure. Eighteen male C57BL/6J mice were assigned to control, EOP, and EOP + C-nZVI groups (<i>n</i> = 6 each). The EOP group received drinking water containing bisphenol A and PCB153 (50 μg/L each), whereas the EOP + C-nZVI group received the same EOP exposure plus oral C-nZVI (10 mg/kg) for 8 weeks. C-nZVI was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, polydispersity index, and zeta potential, and its functional relevance was interpreted through a food-process-engineering framework. EOP exposure increased body weight, liver index, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and hepatic triglycerides (TGs), steatosis, and inflammatory cytokines (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05), whereas the EOP + C-nZVI group showed lower values for these pollutant-associated readouts (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). EOP exposure altered gut microbiota structure (PERMANOVA <i>R</i>² = 0.286, <i>p</i> = 0.002), decreased <i>Coprococcus</i>, and increased <i>Desulfovibrio</i>; the EOP + C-nZVI group showed shifts in the opposite direction (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). Fecal butyrate and propionate were 52.90% and 40.00% higher, respectively, in the C-nZVI group than in the EOP group (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). <i>Coprococcus</i> and butyrate were negatively correlated with hepatic injury markers (all <i>r</i> &lt; −0.65, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.01), whereas <i>Desulfovibrio</i> was positively correlated with these markers (all <i>r</i> &gt; 0.58, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.01). These findings are consistent with associations among C-nZVI exposure, nano-iron interfaces, microbial metabolism, and gut–liver axis responses; they do not establish mechanism or efficacy and require validation in larger, independent cohorts.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":15932,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Food Process Engineering","volume":"49 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148811317","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spice-Enhanced Wheat Bran Biodegradable Bowls: Volatile Profiling and Sustainable Edible Bowl Development","authors":"Kanchan Ramesh Bodade,&nbsp;Veeranna Hitlamani,&nbsp;Madanagopalan Saravanan,&nbsp;Aashitosh A. Inamdar","doi":"10.1111/jfpe.70744","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpe.70744","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The widespread use of single-use plastics in the food service industry contributes substantially to persistent solid waste, microplastic pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions, creating an urgent need for sustainable, biodegradable alternatives. In this study, wheat bran, an abundant agro-industrial by-product of wheat milling, was valorized into biodegradable edible bowls by incorporating functional spice blends to enhance structural and sensory properties. Textural analysis of dough showed significant variations among formulations, with hardness ranging from 60 to 240 N, indicating that spice composition influences gluten network development. Structural characterization using FTIR and microscopy suggested changes in starch-protein-fiber interactions and a more cohesive matrix after baking. Thermal analysis (TGA) showed thermal degradation onset well above typical food-serving temperatures, indicating their suitability for hot-food applications. The optimized formulation (BSP3) exhibited high mechanical strength (239 ± 11 N) and excellent leak resistance exceeding 140 min at both room temperature (150 ± 0.22 min at 27°C) and hot-water conditions (144 ± 0.24 min). GC–MS/MS analysis identified increased levels of key aroma compounds, including cuminaldehyde (33.1%) and α-terpinyl acetate (15.5%), which may have contributed to the higher sensory scores for BSP3. Soil burial tests further revealed ~94% biodegradation within 42 days, indicating high biodegradation potential under the tested soil burial conditions. Overall, this study demonstrates a scalable approach for converting wheat bran into functional biodegradable tableware, supporting circular bioeconomy strategies and reducing reliance on plastic-based food-service products.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":15932,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Food Process Engineering","volume":"49 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148811309","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of Different Fat Sources on the Rheological, Functional, Microstructural, and Quality Attributes of Spreadable Cheese Analogues","authors":"Hani S. Abdelmontaleb,&nbsp;Amr A. Metwally,&nbsp;Mahmoud A. Deghedie,&nbsp;Shaimaa M. Hamdy","doi":"10.1111/jfpe.70759","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpe.70759","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study investigated how fat source influences the structural, rheological, functional, and sensory properties of spreadable cheese analogues. Six formulations were prepared using butter as the control, palm kernel oil (PKO), cocoa butter substitute (CBS), a 50:50 PKO–CBS blend, flaxseed oil (FO), or sunflower oil (SO). Fat source significantly affected texture, viscoelasticity, particle-size distribution, meltability, oil separation, color, and sensory properties (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.05). Structured fats produced stronger matrices: CBS showed the highest hardness (330 gf) and storage modulus (796.07 Pa), whereas FO and SO generated softer structures with markedly greater meltability (60.0% and 59.5%, respectively). However, FO showed pronounced oil separation, indicating reduced emulsion stability. Fatty-acid composition and lipid physical state were closely associated with these differences. Multivariate analysis clearly discriminated the formulations, with PC1 and PC2 explaining 47.6% and 25.4% of the variance, respectively. The PKO–CBS blend occupied an intermediate multivariate position, providing a useful compromise between structural strength, meltability, oil retention, and sensory properties. These findings demonstrate that rational selection and blending of fat sources can be used to tailor the technological performance of spreadable cheese analogues.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":15932,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Food Process Engineering","volume":"49 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148811183","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Segmentation of Mandarin Oranges With Deep Learning for Postharvest Quality Analysis","authors":"Raj Singh,&nbsp;C. Nickhil,&nbsp;Konga Upendar,&nbsp;Debabandya Mohapatra,&nbsp;Sankar Chandra Deka","doi":"10.1111/jfpe.70749","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpe.70749","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study contributes to advancements in agricultural technology and food security by employing YOLO-based deep learning techniques on Raspberry Pi for fruit segmentation and quality assessment. The research utilizes two object detection architectures, namely YOLOv5 and YOLOv7, to segment mandarin oranges using state-of-the-art deep learning architectures. The dataset encompasses three classes: over-ripe, ripe and unripe mandarin oranges. Polygon techniques are applied during preprocessing to ensure precise segmentation. YOLOv5 demonstrates impressive performance, achieving a recall score of 0.984 and a precision score of 0.977 for both box detection and mask segmentation, with mean average precisions (mAPs) of 0.994 at an IoU threshold of 0.5. Conversely, YOLOv7 exhibits relatively lower performance, with box detection and mask segmentation accuracies of 0.925 and recall scores of 0.972, yielding mAPs results of 0.992 for box detection and mask segmentation at an IoU threshold of 0.5. Across a broader IoU spectrum from 0.5 to 0.95, YOLOv7 achieves mAPs of 0.882 for box detection and 0.87 for mask segmentation. Utilizing a YOLO-based deep learning model has led to the development of an accurate and economical system for categorizing oranges based on their maturity levels.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":15932,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Food Process Engineering","volume":"49 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148811229","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Blanching-Assisted Freeze–Thaw Pretreatment Improves Drying Efficiency and Preserves Anthocyanin and Aroma Quality in Black Carrot","authors":"Xiaoyue Lan,&nbsp;Jialu Wang,&nbsp;Yuanyue Jin,&nbsp;Yushuang Lu,&nbsp;Xianrui Liang,&nbsp;Sheng Fang","doi":"10.1111/jfpe.70758","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpe.70758","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Black carrot is an anthocyanin-rich vegetable with potential as a natural colorant and functional ingredient. Hot-air drying is widely used to extend its shelf life but often leads to quality deterioration. Pretreatments such as freeze–thaw (FT) and blanching can modify drying behavior and quality; however, their combined effects on black carrot remain unclear. One FT cycle shortened the drying time by approximately 27%, while additional cycles provided only limited further improvement. Blanching also promoted drying and, when combined with FT, further improved drying efficiency. However, FT alone caused pronounced quality deterioration. After one FT cycle, DPPH scavenging activity decreased to approximately one-third of the FT-0 level, and anthocyanin content decreased by approximately 65%. Anthocyanin profiling revealed acylated cyanidin derivatives as the dominant pigments, which were extensively degraded after FT treatment. In contrast, blanching before FT retained more than 95% of anthocyanins. Volatile analysis showed that FT increased aldehydes associated with off-flavor, whereas blanching mitigated these changes and maintained a terpene-dominated aroma profile. FT improves drying efficiency but compromises quality, whereas blanching prior to FT effectively balances drying performance and quality retention. Blanching followed by one FT cycle provided the best balance between drying acceleration and the retention of anthocyanin, antioxidant, and aroma quality.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":15932,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Food Process Engineering","volume":"49 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148811228","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development and Evaluation of a Low-Cost IoT-Assisted Onion Storage System for Reducing Postharvest Losses in Bangladesh","authors":"Nafis Sadique Sayem,&nbsp;Sagor Chowdhury,&nbsp;M. Rahat Miah,&nbsp;Md. Rostom Ali,&nbsp;Anisur Rahman,&nbsp;Al Amin","doi":"10.1111/jfpe.70763","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpe.70763","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Post-harvest losses of onion remain a major challenge in developing regions due to inadequate storage infrastructure, resulting in substantial economic losses for smallholder farmers. This study presents the design and evaluation of a low-cost IoT-assisted onion storage system that integrates real-time environmental monitoring with automated ventilation control under ambient tropical conditions. A distinguishing feature of the proposed system is the integration of locally available construction materials, sensor-assisted ventilation control, and a techno-economic assessment within a low-cost IoT-assisted onion storage platform for resource-constrained farming conditions. The system incorporates a microcontroller-based platform with temperature–humidity and MQ-series gas sensors for environmental monitoring, automated ventilation, and indicative spoilage detection. An 80-day storage experiment was conducted using 134 kg of <i>Murikata</i> onions, with storage performance evaluated at eight sampling dates by comparing the proposed system with conventional storage practices. The IoT-assisted system maintained temperature and relative humidity within ranges of 18.81°C–28.17°C and 54.32%–82.60%, respectively, while exhibiting improved environmental stability relative to traditional storage. Exploratory statistical comparisons of the repeated observations indicated statistically significant reductions in interval weight loss (<i>p</i> = 0.027) and sprouting loss (<i>p</i> = 0.033), whereas rotten loss did not differ significantly (<i>p</i> = 0.952). Total weight loss decreased from 27.27% in traditional storage to 19.96% in the proposed system, while sprouting loss declined from 1.53% to 0.37%. Consequently, marketable yield increased from 68.22% to 76.81%. The MQ-136 sensor demonstrated an average spoilage-detection efficiency of approximately 85%. A preliminary techno-economic assessment estimated an implementation cost of approximately 110USD. Additionally, periods with approximately 7 h day⁻¹ of fan operation were associated with favorable storage performance during the experimental period. Overall, the findings suggest that integrating IoT-based monitoring with controlled ventilation may provide an approach for reducing onion post-harvest losses and improving marketable yield under resource-constrained tropical conditions.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":15932,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Food Process Engineering","volume":"49 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148849175","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing the Functional and Prebiotic Properties of Chinese Quince Pectin by Modifying Its Structure Through Acidic and Alkaline Extraction at Elevated Temperatures","authors":"Run-Yang Zhang,&nbsp;Jia-Ke Li,&nbsp;Zheng-Kai Zhang,&nbsp;Zhao Qin,&nbsp;Guo-Qiang Zhang,&nbsp;Hua-Min Liu","doi":"10.1111/jfpe.70761","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpe.70761","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Chinese quince (<i>Chaenomeles sinensis</i> (Thouin) Koehne) represents an underutilized resource abundant in pectin. In this work, pectin was extracted using either an acidic extraction solution (ACP, pH = 2) or an alkaline method (ALP, pH = 12) at elevated temperatures of 100°C, 120°C, 140°C, and 160°C, yielding samples designated as ACP-1, −2, −3, −4 and ALP-1, −2, −3, −4. The structural characteristics of these pectins (e.g., molecular weight, degree of esterification, and monosaccharide composition) were examined, followed by evaluation of their antioxidant activity, rheological properties, and in vitro fermentation profiles. The results showed that alkaline-extracted pectins (ALPs) exhibited smooth surface morphologies and variable yields (4.28%–16.19%), whereas acid-extracted pectins (ACPs) displayed wrinkled surfaces with stable yields (11.17%–12.79%). ACPs exhibited better thermal stability and a higher degree of esterification (61.41%–64.18%) compared to ALPs (44.96%–49.56%). The molecular weight of both ALPs and ACPs decreased with increasing extraction temperature. Furthermore, the structural differences between the pectins influenced their functional properties. ALP-4 and ACP-4 demonstrated enhanced antioxidant activity, whereas ALP-2 and ACP-2 displayed better apparent viscosities. Notably, ALP-4 promoted more efficient colonic fermentation, yielding elevated levels of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). These findings provide valuable guidance for the extraction and application of Chinese quince pectin.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":15932,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Food Process Engineering","volume":"49 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148811316","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}