Dynamic profiling of bioactive compounds, flavor metabolites, and quality-related microorganisms during the freshening-drying-aging process of citri reticulatae pericarpium: Implications for quality formation mechanisms

This study systematically explored the dynamic evolution of bioactive components, flavor metabolites, and microbial communities in citri reticulatae pericarpium (CRP) throughout its processing from fresh materials through drying to controlled aging. Using UPLC, GC-MS, and high-throughput sequencing, we found that during the fresh-to-dry phase (0-7 days), water activity decreased significantly (<i>p</i> < 0.05), while total flavonoids, hesperidin, and volatile oil yield increased by 3.3 %-10.8 %. Drying at 30 °C enhanced microbial diversity (<i>p</i> < 0.05). In the dry-to-aged phase (7-360 days), total flavonoids accumulated, while volatile oil decreased by 50.7 %. <i>Aspergillus</i> emerged as a dominant species from 270 to 360 days. Correlation analysis showed positive links between <i>Aspergillus</i> and flavonoid levels (<i>p</i> < 0.05). This research provides a framework for monitoring CRP processing and highlights the impact of drying methods on quality through microbial diversity.