Changes in nutrient content and bioactivity are important indicators to evaluate the quality of products. Berries are rich in antioxidant anthocyanins, which are prone to degradation during drying. The effects of different variables on the stability of anthocyanins in berry puree during microwave assisted foam-mat drying (MFD) was investigated by path analysis and degradation kinetics analysis. The experimental results showed that the degradation of anthocyanins mainly occurred in the last drying stage. The temperature and the moisture content have both direct and indirect effects on the anthocyanin stability. The direct path coefficient of the moisture content on anthocyanins was 0.985, and the direct path coefficient of temperature on anthocyanins was −0.933. The moisture content to temperature ratio (M/T) was first put forward to estimate the anthocyanin degradation. The results of the regression analysis confirmed that the anthocyanins were stable at M/T of 0.96–3.60. A finite element simulation model was established to predict the anthocyanin degradation rate and content. These research results could provide a theoretical reference for use in optimizing the MFD processing technologies.

As a globally cultivated and economic crop, beets are particularly important in the cane sugar and feed industries. Beet pigments are among the most important natural pigments, while various chemical components in beets display beneficial biological functions. Phenolic substances and betalains, as the main bioactive compounds, determine the functional characteristics of beets. This review categorizes the basic types of beets by the chemical composition of bioactive substances in their leaves, stems, and roots and emphatically summarizes the research progress made on the functions of two major substances in different types of beets: phenolic compounds and betalain pigments. This study provides useful insights for the comprehensive and effective application of beets in the health food and pharmaceutical industries.

To investigate the respective contributions of cations (Na⁺, K⁺, Zn²⁺, Fe³⁺) and anions (Cl⁻ and SO₄²⁻) to the formation of whey protein isolate (WPI)-based nanofibrils, eight salts with a 4 × 2 factorial design were added to WPI solutions. The morphology and aggregation process of the fibril aggregates were examined under fixed low salt concentration (10 mmol/L) to isolate ion-specific effects. The salts altered the pH, conductivity, and fibril yield. Notably, the Na⁺, K⁺, and Zn²⁺ salts increased fibril production, whereas Fe³⁺ salts reduced it. Mechanistically, Fe³⁺ strongly suppressed fibrillation via strong electrostatic interaction and accelerated protein hydrolysis, while SO₄²⁻ partially alleviated this inhibition. All the ions altered the kinetic parameters. Compared with Cl⁻ salts, SO₄²⁻ salts induced shorter, clustered fibrils and stronger kinetic suppression, preserving elongated fibrils. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed anion incorporation, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed secondary structural changes. These results demonstrate that while cations contribute to fibril formation, anions play a deterministic role in regulating assembly kinetics and morphological outcomes, independent of cation valence. In this study, we establish a mechanistic basis for tailoring WPI fibril aggregation states through anion-specific salt selection.