In this study, three different brands of commercially available marinated tofu were analyzed and compared with homemade products to explore the effect of key flavor substances on their sensory quality, sensory properties, texture characteristics, and volatile components. The texture characteristics and flavor substances of the three brands of commercially available marinated tofu were significantly different from those of homemade products. A total of 64 volatile components were identified by headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS), mainly including 11 hydrocarbons, 11 alcohols, 10 ketones, 15 aldehydes, 4 esters, 1 acid, and 12 other volatile substances. Among these, nine key flavor compounds (ROAV > 1, VIP > 1) were identified using the relative odor activity value (ROAV) combined with a partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) and variable importance in projection, including α-Pinene, β-Myrcene, α-Phellandrene, 1-Penten-3-one, Butanal, 3-Methyl butanal, acetic acid ethyl ester, 1,8-Cineol, and 2-Pentyl furan. The correlation heatmap showed that sensory evaluation was positively correlated with hardness, gumminess, chewiness, and springiness while negatively correlated with 2-Pentyl furan, α-Pinene, resilience, α-Phellandrene, 1-Penten-3-one, acetic acid ethyl ester, and 1,8-Cineol. Overall, this study provides a theoretical reference for developing new instant marinated tofu snacks.

Beiwudu Hulatang, a traditional Chinese culinary delicacy, is valued for its complex flavor profile; however, its characteristic aroma compounds and the determinants of sensory quality remain insufficiently studied. This study evaluated the flavor characteristics of four commercial samples and one laboratory-made sample of Beiwudu Hulatang using gas chromatography–ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS), electronic nose (E-nose), electronic tongue (E-tongue), and sensory evaluation. The results of E-tongue analysis indicated that bitterness and saltiness were the dominant taste attributes. E-nose analysis demonstrated strong responses to sulfur-containing compounds, alcohols, and alkanes, indicating their significant contribution to the overall aroma. A total of 60 volatile compounds were identified by GC-IMS, with ethers, alcohols, and terpenes being the most abundant chemical groups. Among these, 13 key aroma compounds were screened as discriminative markers (OAV > 1, VIP > 1) by integrating the odor activity value (OAV) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA). The Pearson correlation analysis further revealed that sensory attributes, particularly aroma and overall acceptability, were positively correlated with propanal, heptaldehyde, and 1,8-cineol, and negatively correlated with linalool and limonene. Overall, this study provides a systematic characterization of the flavor profile of Beiwudu Hulatang and establishes a scientific basis for its quality standardization and flavor-oriented product development.

This study utilized gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) to analyze the volatile flavor compounds present in various commercially available sausages. Additionally, it conducted a comparative assessment of the distinctions among different samples by integrating sensory evaluation with textural and physicochemical parameters. The results of the GC-IMS analysis showed that a total of 65 volatile compounds were detected in the four samples, including 12 hydrocarbons, 11 alcohols, 10 ketones, 9 aldehydes, 12 esters, and 1 acids. Fingerprinting combined with principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the volatiles of different brands of sausages were significantly different (p < 0.05). The volatiles of S1 and S4 were more similar and significantly different from the other two samples (p < 0.05). Among them, there were 14 key volatile substances in the four samples, of which 3-hydroxy-2-butanone and diallyl sulfide were common to all four sausages. Combined textural and sensory evaluations revealed that smoked sausages exhibited superior characteristics in resilience, cohesiveness, springiness, gumminess, and chewiness. Additionally, smoked sausages were found to be more attractive in color, moderately spicy, and salty, while having a lower fat content. In conclusion, smoked sausages are preferred by consumers over flavored oil sausages.

Obesity is a multi-factorial metabolic disease for which safe, food-compatible interventions remain of interest. This narrative review evaluates the leaf-specific evidence for Eriobotrya japonica in obesity-related metabolic dysfunction and examines its bioactive constituents, extraction technologies, and combination research. Direct studies of loquat leaf preparations were distinguished from indirect evidence obtained with isolated compounds or other plant matrices. Preclinical studies indicate that loquat leaf extracts and triterpenoid-acid fractions can reduce lipid accumulation, body-weight gain, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and inflammatory markers in cell and rodent models; however, clinical evidence for obesity is not yet available. Loquat leaves contain triterpenic acids, flavonoids (including flavonols and flavan-3-ols), and phenolic acids, although reported contents vary with origin, harvest stage, and extraction method. Among the technologies reviewed, subcritical water extraction has direct leaf-specific evidence for concentrating corosolic and ursolic acids, whereas evidence for microwave- and enzyme-assisted extraction is less mature or concerns other compound classes. A 1:1 mixture of loquat- and lotus-leaf extracts produced stronger preclinical anti-obesity effects than either extract alone, but formal synergy was not tested; proposed combinations with curcumin or epigallocatechin-3-gallate remain hypotheses. Future work should standardize extracts, link composition to activity, test physical compatibility, and use factorial preclinical designs before clinical translation. Overall, loquat leaf is a promising but still preclinical resource for obesity-related metabolic dysfunction.

This study compared the effects of air freezing (AF), immersion freezing (IF), and ultrasound-assisted immersion freezing (UIF) at different power levels on the physicochemical properties, oxidative characteristics, and the structural and functional properties of myofibrillar protein (MP) of fresh beef. The results showed that UIF treatments generally outperformed AF and IF, with UIF-400 W exhibiting the best performance in maintaining beef quality. Specifically, UIF-400 W mitigated muscle fiber damage by inhibiting ice crystal growth, significantly improved water-holding capacity and color stability, reduced shear force, and effectively delayed protein and lipid oxidation. In addition, UIF-400 W brought the rheological properties, emulsifying properties, water distribution, and gel microstructure of MP closer to those of fresh beef. These findings highlight that UIF-400 W can effectively preserve beef quality as well as the structural and functional characteristics of MP, reduce oxidative damage, and thus become a promising technology for quality improvement of beef during freezing.

The global rise in obesity and associated metabolic disorders has fueled the demand for safe, multi-target therapeutics derived from natural sources. In this study, an artificial neural network combined with a genetic algorithm (ANN-GA), was employed to optimize the ultrasound-assisted extraction of loquat leaf extract (LLE). The optimal parameters—0.6% Tween 80, 328 W ultrasonic power, and 49 °C—enhanced extraction efficiency while minimizing energy consumption and surfactant use. In vitro, LLE exhibited potent dose-dependent inhibition of α-glucosidase (IC₅₀ = 3.75 μg/mL, 21.6-fold stronger than acarbose) and pancreatic lipase (IC₅₀ = 78.3 μg/mL), indicating strong inhibitory activity against these digestive enzymes. In high-fat diet-induced obese mice, LLE supplementation dose-dependently reduced body weight gain, serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and fasting blood glucose while elevating high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). In addition, LLE ameliorated liver injury (decreased ALT/AST) and oxidative stress (lowered MDA, increased SOD). These findings highlight LLE as a promising multi-target natural product for managing obesity and related metabolic disorders.