Vinegar is one of the most widely used acidic condiments. In recent decades, rapid advances have been made in the area of vinegar research, and the intellectual structure pertaining to this domain has significantly evolved. Thus, it is important that scientists keep abreast of associated developments to ensure an appropriate understanding of this field. To facilitate this current study, a bibliometric analysis method was adopted to visualize the knowledge map of vinegar research based on literature data retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. In total, 883 original research and review articles from between 1998 and 2019 with 19,663 references were analyzed by CiteSpace. Both a macroscopical sketch and microscopical characterization of the whole knowledge domain were realized. According to the research contents, the main themes that underlie vinegar research can be divided into six categories, that is, microorganisms, substances, health functions, production technologies, adjuvant medicines, and vinegar residues. In addition to the latter analysis, emerging trends and future research foci were predicted. Finally, the evolutionary stage of vinegar research was discerned according to Shneider’s four-stage theory. This review will help scientists to discern the dynamic evolution of vinegar research, as well as highlight areas for future research.

Bioactive macromolecule mining is important for the functional chemome dissection of traditional Chinese vinegar. Here, saccharide-bearing macromolecules in Shanxi aged vinegar (SBMSAV) were isolated, characterized, and their immunomodulatory activity was evaluated. Four sub-fractions were obtained through ethanol precipitation followed by refining and DEAE-650M column chromatography. All sub-fractions had a maximum molecular weight of more than 2,667 kDa, with 10 types of monosaccharides identified. Comparative analysis of these sub-fractions with melanoidins from real food and model systems showed that all four sub-fractions had similarities with both melanoidins in elemental composition, spectral signature, and pyrolytic characteristics. Immunological assays showed that the four sub-fractions significantly improved macrophage cell viability and phagocytic activity, and promoted the secretion of NO, TNF-α, and IL-6. Immunomodulatory mechanism investigation indicated that SBMSAV enhanced aerobic glycolysis in macrophages and were recognized through TLR2, TLR4, MR, SR, and Dectin-1. Additionally, the MyD88/PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway was found to be involved in the activation of macrophages.

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.

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.