Effects of Different Drying Methods on Quality and Volatile Components of Zanthoxylum bungeanum

GE Bangguo; ZHAO Huijuan; GAO Ling; XU Man; CUI Ruiguo; LV Xuqiang; SONG Lijun; MENG Xiaofeng; XU Rong

doi:10.19590/j.cnki.1008-1038.2026.07.006

Abstract：To systematically compare the effects of different drying methods on the main quality indicators of fresh green Zanthoxylum bungeanum,this study used'Jiuyeqing'fresh green Z.bungeanum as raw material and investigated four drying treatments:hot air drying,superheated steam pretreatment combined with hot air drying,heat pump drying,and vacuum microwave drying.The changes in hydroxy-α-sanshool content,and volatile flavor compounds were evaluated.The results showed that superheated steam treatment at 150 ℃ for 5 min significantly increased the hydroxy-α-sanshool content,maintained a vibrant green color,and caused no significant loss of flavor compounds.Among the four drying methods,superheated steam pretreatment combined with 65 ℃ hot air drying for 4 h yielded the highest hydroxy-α-sanshool content,reaching 28.51 g/100 g.Heat pump drying at 65 ℃ reduced the drying time by half compared to hot air drying,but resulted in lower hydroxy-α-sanshool content.Microwave drying(600 W,-0.095 MPa,6 min)gave a content of 8.82 g/100 g with uneven drying issues.GC-IMS analysis revealed that the flavor profiles of the combined superheated steam and hot air drying group were highly similar to those of the hot air drying alone group,while the heat pump and microwave drying groups showed distinct differences.Comprehensive comparison indicated that superheated steam pretreatment at 150℃ for 5 min followed by hot air drying at 65 ℃ for 4 h was the optimal treatment combination.This study provides a theoretical basis for reducing hydroxy-alpha-sanshool loss and improving the quality of dried Z.bungeanum products.