Effects of high-energy fluidic microfluidizer treatment on the physical stability, quality optimization and antioxidant activity of whole jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) slurry

Whole fruit juice retains most nutrients present in the fruit slurry; however, its high insoluble macromolecule content often leads to stratification and a compromised sensory quality. In this study, a high-energy fluidic microfluidizer (HEFM) was employed to prepare a whole Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam. slurry (WAS) and to investigate the effects of different treatment pressures (0, 30, 60, 90, 120 MPa) on the physicochemical properties and quality optimization of WAS. The results showed that HEFM treatment decreased the particle size by 74.1%, reduced the viscosity, while increasing the sediment weight ratio by 28.4% and lowering the instability index to 0.247. This was attributed to the formation of a water-retaining fiber network, which significantly improved the physical stability of WAS. Concurrently, HEFM treatment enhanced flavonoid release within the 0–90 MPa range, resulting in an approximate 30.7% increase at 90 MPa compared to the untreated group. However, at 120 MPa, HEFM treatment caused partial degradation of flavonoids, the total phenol content gradually decreased with increasing pressure, and the ABTS free radical scavenging ability was decreased by 77%, which was associated with increased color variation in WAS. Considering indicators such as physical stability, antioxidant activity and color, 90 MPa was identified as the optimal processing pressure for HEFM. This study pioneers the application of HEFM technology in jackfruit whole-fruit juice processing. Through parameter optimization, the juice stability was significantly improved while well preserving the active ingredients and sensory quality, providing practical processing insights for the industrial production of natural additive-free whole fruit juice. • High-energy fluidic microfluidizer processing was applied to whole jackfruit slurry. • HEFM significantly improved the physical stability of whole jackfruit slurry. • Particle size and viscosity of the slurry decreased with increasing HEFM pressure. • Excessive HEFM pressure caused undesirable color changes in the slurry. • HEFM influenced phenolic degradation and flavonoid release in jackfruit slurry.