Aohan millet has been cultivated for 8000 years and has rich nutritional value, such as high‐quality fatty acids and amino acids. Thermal processing is a conventional approach to food preparation. However, the effect of thermal processing on the formation of flavor substances in millet has not been clarified. Therefore, in this study, the effects of three different thermal processing techniques, namely, steaming, stir‐frying, and puffing, on the amino acids, fatty acids, and volatile flavor substances of Aohan millet were investigated using high‐speed automatic amino acid analyzer, headspace solid‐phase microextraction method, combined with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS‐SPME/GC–MS) and gas chromatography (GC) with Aohan millet from Inner Mongolia as the raw material. All three thermal processing methods notably reduced the levels of protein, starch, polyphenols, and flavonoids in Aohan millet when compared to the raw millet ( p < .05). Amino acid and fatty acid contents demonstrated an increase in fried and puffed millet relative to steamed millet, with notable distinctions in amino acid and fatty acid contents between these two groups. Following the steaming process, there was a significant increase in the flavor compounds of Aohan millet, rising from 53 to 80, while this increase was not observed in the other two groups. The correlation analysis suggested that the formation of flavor compounds was predominantly influenced by the types and levels of amino acids. The study suggested that different heat treatments affected the amino acid, fatty acid, and more significantly flavor material content and composition of Aohan millet. In conclusion, steaming treatment could retain more nutrients and richer flavor substances; while puffing treatment would enhance amino acid and fatty acid content, which provides a fundamental basis for scientifically guided processing and rational culinary application of Aohan millet.

Cynanchum thesioides (C. thesioides) is a sand-dwelling edible and medicinal plant whose fruit softens rapidly after harvest, limiting its storage life. In this study, we investigated the efficacy and underlying mechanisms of alternating magnetic field (AMF) treatment as a non-thermal and eco-friendly preservation method for C. thesioides fruit. Freshly harvested fruits were subjected to AMF at varying field intensities (1.07–1.54 mT) and exposure durations (5–25 min). We monitored the physiological indicators (respiration rate, membrane permeability, and firmness) during storage to determine the optimal conditions and performed transcriptome sequencing to identify differentially expressed genes, with qRT-PCR validation of two key cell wall-degrading genes (β-glucosidase (BG) and polygalacturonase (PG)). The results showed that AMF treatment at 1.28 mT for 15 min best maintained the postharvest quality, significantly reducing respiration and membrane leakage while delaying firmness loss. Transcriptomic analysis identified 2480 differentially expressed genes enriched in hormone signaling and cell wall metabolism pathways, and qRT-PCR confirmed that AMF downregulated BG and PG expression, suggesting suppressed cell wall degradation and delayed softening. In conclusion, AMF treatment effectively prolonged the shelf life of C. thesioides by modulating the expression of cell wall-related genes. These findings provide novel insight into magnetic field-induced fruit preservation and support AMF as a green non-thermal postharvest technology.

Orally disintegrating films (ODFs) has gained significant attention as a nutrient delivery platform due to its ease of intake. But studies on delivering ferulic acid (FA) through ODFs are still scarce. The objective of this study was to assess the physical characteristics of ODFs containing FA/β-cyclodextrin (0.5:1) (FA/β-CD (0.5:1)) and FA/hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (0.5:1) (FA/HP-β-CD (0.5:1)) complexes, as well as analyze the release kinetics of FA in both ODFs. Confirmation of the FA/β-CD (0.5:1) and FA/HP-β-CD (0.5:1) inclusion complexes was achieved through the reduction or attenuation of FA’s distinctive peaks in FT-IR and XRD examinations. Both the ODFs containing FA/β-CD (0.5:1) and FA/HP-β-CD (0.5:1) had a thickness of 0.06 mm, a surface pH of 6.7, and a disintegration time of less than 30 s, all of which met the requirements of ODFs effectively. The release of FA in both ODF formulations exhibited a high degree of consistency with the first-order kinetic model. Furthermore, the FA/HP-β-CD (0.5:1) ODF exhibited a higher cumulative release rate compared to the FA/β-CD (0.5:1) ODF throughout the entire in-vitro digestion process, indicating that FA/HP-β-CD (0.5:1) was more suitable for ODF formulation.