The aim of the present work was to fabricate Schiff base compounds between chitosan and aldehydes and use the resultant aldehyde-chitosan Schiff bases for broccoli preservation. Using an element analyzer, the degree of substitution was calculated as 68.27–94.65%. The aldehyde-chitosan Schiff bases showed acidic sensitivity to rapid hydrolysis for releasing aldehyde at a buffer solution of pH 4–6, in which more than 39% of the aldehydes were released within 10 h. The release of aldehydes endows the aldehyde-chitosan Schiff bases with a better antibacterial activity at pH 5 than at pH 7. In a simulated CO₂ (5–15%) atmosphere with high humidity (92%), the hydrolysis of imine bonds (C=N) was triggered and continuously released aldehyde, even without direct contact with the aqueous phase. The application of aldehyde-chitosan Schiff bases significantly extended the shelf life of broccoli from 4 d to 5–7 d and decreased the weight loss of broccoli during storage. In summary, the fabrication of aldehyde-chitosan Schiff bases and the strategy of using pH-response imine bond (C=N) hydrolysis (thus releasing aldehyde to kill microorganisms) were feasible for use in developing EO-incorporated intelligent food packages for vegetable preservation.

Research on the use of polysaccharides as hydrophobic bioactive carriers instead of proteins is still scarce. Sugar beet pectin (SBP) contains a small amount of protein and is a potential carrier for loading curcumin. In this work, SBP encapsulation, genipin crosslinking, and laccase-induced gelation were used to develop novel jelly food and improve the stability of curcumin without the incorporation of oil. By mixing the SBP solution (40 mg/mL) with curcumin powder (25 mg/mL SBP solution), an SBP–curcumin complex (SBP–Cur) was fabricated with a loading amount of 32 mg/g SBP, and the solubility of curcumin improved 116,000-fold. Fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that hydrophobic interactions drove the complexation of curcumin and SBP. Crosslinked by genipin (10 mM), SBP–Cur showed a dark blue color, and the gel strength of laccase-catalyzed gels was enhanced. Heating and UV radiation tests suggested that the genipin crosslinking and gelation strategies substantially improved the stability of curcumin. Because of the unique UV-blocking capacity of blue pigment, crosslinked samples retained 20% more curcumin than control samples. With the enhanced stability of curcumin, the crosslinked SBP–curcumin complexes could be a functional food ingredient used in functional drinks, baked food, and jelly food.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) on the physicochemical properties, biological activities, and intestinal flora regulatory capacity of jackfruit polysaccharides (JPs). Under optimized UAE conditions (liquid-to-solid ratio 30 mL/g, extraction time 30 min, power 90 W), the yield of JP reached 8.70 ± 0.11%. Compared with hot-water-extracted jackfruit polysaccharides (HAE-JPs), ultrasonic-assisted extracted jackfruit polysaccharides (UAE-JPs) exhibited a lower molecular weight, a smaller particle size, and a significant 11.5-fold increase in galacturonic acid content. Structural analyses confirmed that UAE-JPs retained a triple-helix and highly branched conformation but with enhanced exposure of acidic monosaccharides. These structural modifications contributed to superior antioxidant activity and enzyme inhibition ability, demonstrated by its lower IC₅₀ values against DPPH, ABTS radicals, and α-glucosidase. Crucially, in vitro fecal fermentation revealed that UAE-JPs and HAE-JPs differentially modulated the gut microbiota. UAE-JPs preferentially promoted the proliferation of Lactobacillus (an increase of 27.04%) and Bifidobacterium, facilitating short-term acidification. In contrast, HAE-JPs enriched butyrate-producing bacteria like Clostridium (increase of 18.56%). Both polysaccharides significantly inhibited the growth of Fusobacterium (a decrease of 5.23%) related to cancer. Consequently, this study establishes UAE as a green and efficient technique capable of not only modifying the structure of JPs but also precisely tailoring their prebiotic functionality, which ultimately demonstrates the potential of UAE-JPs as a functional food ingredient with enhanced bioactivity.

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