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Studies on how temperature affects the postharvest quality of litchi have focused mainly on pericarp browning but rarely on the metabolites in postharvest litchi pulp. In this study, the differences in respiration rates, total soluble solid content, and titratable acid content demonstrated that room and low temperatures have different effects on the quality of "Feizixiao" litchi pulp. UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS analysis was performed to compare the differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) in litchi pulp after 8 days of storage at room temperature (RT-8 d) with those in litchi pulp after 28 days of storage at low temperature (LT-28 d). Nineteen carbohydrates (phosphohexoses, sorbitol, and mannose), fifteen acids, seven amino acids, nine energy metabolites and nucleotides, and six aliphatic and secondary metabolites were identified as common DEMs in RT-8 d and LT-28 d pulps. These findings indicated active fructose and mannose metabolism and increased catabolism of nicotinate, nicotinamide, alanine, aspartate, and glutamate. Four carbohydrates (mainly phosphohexoses), five acids, ten amino acids, three aliphatic and secondary metabolites, and one hormone were identified as unique DEMs in RT-8 d pulp, the consumption of key metabolites in glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid cycle, and accumulation of phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan. Active consumption of nucleotide metabolites and biosynthesis of aliphatics in LT-28 d pulp were indicated by unique DEMs (eleven carbohydrates, four acids, seven amino acids, seven energy metabolites and nucleotides, and six aliphatic and secondary metabolites). These results provided an unambiguous metabolic fingerprint, thereby revealing how room and low temperatures differentially influenced the quality of litchi pulp., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they do not have any conflict of interest., (© 2019 The Authors. Food Science & Nutrition published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Litchi polysaccharide (LP) was extracted from litchi pulp. Its chemical composition, microstructure, zeta potential, flow and viscoelastic behavior were investigated. LP contained uronic acid (41.18%), neutral sugar (42.23%), and protein (2.72%). The monosaccharide composition was mostly arabinose, galactose, and a small amount of mannose, rhamnose and glucose. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed LP was porous network structure. LP concentration had no effect on its zeta potential value while salts reduced them. LP showed shear-thinning behavior during the tested shear rate range. The power-law model was used to evaluate the flow behavior of LP; both its flow behavior index and consistency index changed with different concentrations. The viscosity of LP increased under acidic conditions (pH2-4), but was stable with heat treatment. The LP dispersion displayed as a liquid viscoelastic behavior in 1% and 2% concentrations and behaved as an elastic gel at 3% concentration as well as the addition of NaCl and CaCl 2 ., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Three water-soluble hetero-polysaccharides, designated LP1-3, were isolated from litchi pulp. Their structures, solution properties and immunomodulatory activities were evaluated. LP1 contained (1→4,6)-β-d-Glc and (1→4)-α-l-Gal, while LP2 contained (1→3)-α-l-Ara and (l→2)-β-d-Gal, and LP3 contained α-l-Ara and (l→4)-β-Rha. Their molecular weights ranged from 105,880 to 986,470g/mol. LP1 had a spherical conformation with hyper-branched structure and LP2 was semi-flexible chain, while the polysaccharide chains of LP3 were cross linked to form network-like conformation in solution. In addition, all fractions strongly stimulated mesenteric lymph node cell proliferation, IFN-γ and IL-6 secretion in the dose range of 25-100μg/mL compared with untreated control group (p<0.05). LP1 exhibited the strongest stimulation of mesenteric lymph node cell proliferation and cytokine secretion, which may be attributed to its unique chemical structure and chain conformation. This is the first report on the solution properties and intestinal immunity activities of polysaccharides from litchi pulp., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)