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Trichosanthis Fructus (TrF) is an edible medicinal fruit with a sweet taste and pleasant flavor. In this study, different concentrations of TrF were added into the media to brew Monascus rice wine using a pure culture method, and the physicochemical properties, volatile compounds, antioxidant activity, and sensory quality of the brewed samples were characterized. In addition, the effect of TrF on the growth and metabolism of Monascus purpureus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae was investigated. The results show that addition of TrF reduces the growth and metabolism of M. purpureus and S. cerevisiae in a dose-dependent manner, but also enriches the flavor components, in addition to increasing the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, and antioxidant activity of rice wine. Combined with the results of sensory evaluation, we find that 15% TrF is optimal for improving the flavor of Monascus rice wine. The results from this study can serve as a basis for improving the quality and flavor of rice wine brewed using pure strain culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendrobium officinale leaves have the potential to be processed into natural antioxidants, functional foods, and food additives. To maximally maintain their quality, fresh D. officinale leaves were dehydrated using different drying methods, i.e., hot air drying (HD), microwave drying (MD), infrared drying (IRD), and freeze drying (FD), and then the physicochemical properties, microstructure, and biological activities of the dried samples were compared. The results showed that, with the FD method, the samples had a porous microstructure, maintained the highest phenolic content, and demonstrated the highest antioxidant and hypoglycemic activities. Among the three thermal drying methods, with the IRD method, the samples retained higher phenolic contents, showed stronger DPPH free-radical scavenging, ferric ion reducing, ferrous ion chelating, and α-glucosidase inhibitory abilities, and more strongly promoted glucose metabolism in insulin-resistant HL-7702 cells than the samples with the MD and HD methods. These results suggested that FD was the most suitable method. However, IRD might be a promising alternative, owing to the high cost and long time needed for FD for the large-scale drying of D. officinale leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cynanchum bungei Decne is an agricultural crop with a high starch content and contains bioactive compounds with anti-tumor, anti-depressant, anti-oxidant, and other activities. In this work, three concentrations of C. bungei Decne, namely, 5%, 15%, and 25%, were added to media to brew C. bungei Decne rice wine. The basic physical and chemical properties, antioxidant activities, sensory characteristics, and volatile components of C. bungei Decne rice wine were determined. Furthermore, the effects of C. bungei Decne extract on the cell viability, alcohol dehydrogenase activity, and glucose absorption capacity of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were analyzed. The results showed that the main active compound contents and antioxidant activity of the rice wine were increased with the increase in the C. bungei Decne added. However, the vitality of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was inhibited by C. bungei Decne to some extent. Combined with a sensory evaluation, 15% C. bungei Decne was found to be the optimal additive concentration with which to brew C. bungei Decne rice wine. These data provide a theoretical basis for the development of C. bungei Decne rice wine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]