Preserving early harvested Zanthoxylum schinifolium quality flavor retention via integrated packaging temperature control.

This study compared the effects of vacuum packaging (VP), nitrogen-filled packaging (NP), and Air condition packaging (AC) on the storage quality of fresh Zanthoxylum schinifolium Siebold&Zucc at 0 °C and 25 °C for 21 d. The results showed that VP was the most effective in maintaining moisture, while NP was more conducive to maintaining green appearance and numbing substances (the highest content was found in the NP0 at 21 d, reaching 2.63 mg/g). The polyphenol content of fresh Z. schinifolium treated with three packaging treatments exceeded 110 (GAE mg/g) at 25 °C, and the flavonoid content remained above 489 (RE mg/g). A total of 41 volatile substances were identified, mainly consisting of olefins (87%), among which myrcene and linalool were key flavor components, jointly imparting spicy, earthy, and woody aromas. Correlation analysis showed that moisture was positively correlated with antioxidant activity and color, while linalool is positively correlated with polyphenol content and DPPH scavenging rate, and negatively correlated with elasticity. This study provides a theoretical basis for precise post harvest storage and quality control of Z. schinifolium.