Comprehensive quality evaluation of ultrasound-assisted fermented Yuluxiang pear juice: Physicochemical characteristics, antioxidant activity, and multi-dimensional flavor analysis

Key Points

• This research aims to comprehensively evaluate the quality of ultrasound-assisted fermented Yuluxiang pear juice by analyzing its physicochemical properties, antioxidant activity, and flavor profile.
• Utilized enzyme activity assays to measure polyphenol oxidase and antioxidant enzyme levels at different ultrasound power settings (300 W, 400 W)
• Employed electronic nose and tongue for flavor analysis and gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) for volatile fingerprinting
• Conducted correlation analysis to explore mechanistic pathways of altered juice quality due to ultrasound treatment.
• At 400 W, the peak ABTS radical scavenging activity reached 75.6%.
• 300 W treatment inhibited polyphenol oxidase by 70.6% while enhancing superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activities significantly (p < 0.05).
• GC-IMS identified linalool, 2-methylbutyl acetate, and (Z)-4-heptenal as key flavor components, indicating enhanced flavor diversity.