Study on multi-dimensional dynamic changes and quality control of Aurantii Fructus during the stir-frying with bran...

Aurantii Fructus (AF), a medicine-food homology substance, is valued for its distinctive aroma and health-promoting properties, and has been widely used in food, condiments, and traditional Chinese medicine. However, the raw form's irritating properties limit its direct application, and stir-frying with bran mitigates this drawback, enhancing its suitability for food applications. This study investigated the dynamic changes in AF's multi-dimensional parameters (including physical, chemical, and biological) during the stir-frying with bran process, aiming to elucidate the underlying processing mechanisms. Furthermore, fourier transform near-infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIRS) was employed for rapid, non-destructive quality control of processing, ensuring that the processed AF meets the quality requirements. The results revealed a notable transformation in AF's microstructure and color, changing from dense to porous, with a reduction in lightness and enhancement of the redness, yellowness and color difference. Moisture content and mobility decreased, volatile compounds such as d-limonene decreased, and non-volatile compounds, including 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and corresponding aglycones increased. Notably, the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and gastrointestinal motility-promoting activities of processed AF were enhanced. The above multi-dimensional parameters supported each other to elucidate the processing mechanisms. In addition, FT-NIRS effectively monitored the processing endpoint, and a CNN-based model accurately predicted the moisture content. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the processing science and provides a data-driven strategy to standardize AF production, ensuring safety, efficacy, and market adaptability for functional food industries.