Seven varieties of Chinese dwarf cherries were evaluated and compared with respect to their weight, diameter, titratable acidity, total soluble solids, color, polyphenol contents, ascorbic acid levels, anthocyanin profiles, enzymatic activity, and antioxidant capacity. The fruits are rich in phenolic content (339.07–770.30 mg/100 g fresh weight). Nine anthocyanins were obtained from fruits after chromatographic separation and their structures analyzed using HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. Cyanidin-3-glucoside was the major anthocyanin with 50.36–78.39% concentration. Three anthocyanins were reported for the first time in these cherries. They exhibit low polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase activities, but their superoxide dismutase activity is high (572.75–800.17 U/g FW). The highest amounts of soluble solid content (15.67 Brix %), total titratable acid (1.90%), ascorbic acid (18.47 mg/100 g FW), and total anthocyanin (152.66 mg/100 g FW) were observed. Three methods (DPPH-scavenging ability, oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay, and cellular antioxidant activity assay) were employed to evaluate the antioxidant capacity of the phenolic extracts of these cherries. Number 5 has the highest values of ORAC and CAA of 205.68 μmol TE/g DM and 99.67 μmol QE/100 g FW, respectively.

Summary: Shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes) caps were puffed using pulsed microwave‐vacuum puffing (PMVP), microwave‐vacuum puffing (MVP) and microwave puffing (MP). The response surface method was used to optimise the process parameters for using PMVP to puff mushroom caps. The experiments were conducted using a central composite design to determine the visual appearance and initial moisture content (30–50%) of the mushroom caps. The initial moisture content and microwave power intensity showed highly significant linear relations with the expansion ratio and sensory evaluation. The optimal conditions for puffing mushroom caps were initial moisture content, microwave intensity, vacuum pressure and pulse ratio of 35%, 40 W g⁻¹, 77.5 ± 1.5 kPa and 1.35, which resulted in an optimal expansion ratio and sensory score of 163.2% and 6.83, respectively. The caps puffed using PMVP showed better textures, sensory scores and microstructures than those puffed using either MP or MVP.