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The study aimed to investigate the effects of fucoidan (FU) and ferulic acid (FA) on the pasting, thermal, rheological, microstructural and moisture migration properties of potato starch (PS) gels. Pasting results showed that the presence of FU and FA significantly enhanced the thermal stability and resistance to breakdown, and inhibited the stickiness of starch, with the ternary system (PS-FU-FA) showing the best performance. Thermodynamic results indicated that the PS-FU-FA ternary system markedly reduced the retrogradation rate, with FA counteracting the aging phenomenon induced by FU. Rheological tests revealed that all gel systems exhibited weak gel and pseudoplastic fluid behaviors. FA increased the elasticity of PS gels, while FU and FU-FA reduced the viscoelasticity and thickening coefficient of PS, and improved its resistance to shear thinning. Scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance results suggested that the changes in the above results were due to the interactions among FU, FA and PS, which increased the short-range order structure, and made the microstructure more uniform, compact and continuous, unfavorable for moisture movement, with better water-holding capacity and thermal stability. This study confirmed that the addition of FU and FA had positive effects on the gel properties of PS, providing new insights for the design strategy of starch-based foods, and promoting the practical application of FU, FA and PS in food industry. [Display omitted] • PS-FU-FA ternary system significantly retarded the aging process of PS gel. • PS-FU-FA gels displayed good pasting properties. • All gel systems exhibit weak gel and pseudoplastic fluid behaviors. • The microstructure of the PS-FU-FA gels was homogeneous and thick. • Water migration in PS gels was hampered by the presence of FU and FA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A rapid, sensitive and selective UHPLC-MS/MS method was developed and validated. • Twenty components were quantified in rat plasma and brain orally administrated by JWQFY. • These results were further applied to pharmacokinetic and brain distribution studies. • Six compounds were considered as the potential effective components of JWQFY. A rapid ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QqQ MS/MS) approach with high sensitivity and selectivity was developed for the quantification of twenty compounds, including 9 saponins, 8 flavonoids, 2 oligosaccharide esters and 1 phenolic acid, in rat plasma and brain, which was administrated intragastrically with Jia-Wei-Qi-Fu-Yin (JWQFY), Mass spectrometric detection was operated under multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode. All calibration curves possessed good linearity with correlation coefficients (r2) higher than 0.9916 in their respective linear ranges. For intra- and inter-day precision, all the relative standard deviations (RSDs) at different levels were less than 14.68 %. Based on the UHPLC-QqQ MS/MS quantitative results, pharmacokinetic study and brain distribution of multiple components in JWQFY was then successfully performed. As a result, constituents with discrepancy structures showed diverse pharmacokinetic and distribution characteristics. For instance, ferulic acid (phenolic acid), 3, 6′-disinapoyl sucrose and tenuifoliside A (oligosaccharide esters) showed short T max (< 10 min), whereas the T max of ginsenosides Rb 1 , Rb 2 and Rc (ppd-type terpenoid saponins) were much longer (> 4 h). Besides, ferulic acid, epimedin C, icariin, glycyrrhizin, ginsenoside Rb 1 and ginsenoside Rg 1 were considered as the potential effective ingredients of JWQFY because of their relatively high exposure to blood and brain. Our study would provide relevant information for discovery of pharmacodynamic ingredients, as well as further action mechanisms investigations of JWQFY. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]