Drunken jujube: Ancient preservation unveils enhanced flavor and bioactives

Drunken jujube, a traditional Chinese delicacy, involves brief ethanol immersion (40–50 %, 10–30 min) and sealed storage (7–14 days) to develop its non-fermented sweet-sour flavor, rich aroma, and extended shelf-life. This study compared drunken jujube (ethanol + sealing) with untreated controls using physiological analyses (flavor, senescence, antioxidants) and untargeted LC-MS/MS metabolomics. The combined treatment optimally enhanced flavor (highest sensory score, minimal shrinkage), yielding higher soluble solids (19.4 °Brix vs. control 12.5 °Brix) and retained titratable acidity (1.08 g kg −1 vs. control 0.64 g kg −1 DW). Critically, it substantially elevated esters (185.3 mg kg −1 DW, +114.9 % vs. control; sealing alone reduced esters) and key volatiles (e.g., phenylacetaldehyde). It potently delayed senescence, completely inhibiting decay and reducing weight loss after 14 days, while suppressing lipid oxidation and mitigating firmness loss. Antioxidants were better preserved, with significantly enhanced superoxide dismutase activity (+52.8 % peak) and maintained catalase activity. Metabolomics revealed 288 differential metabolites, including flavor-enhancers (glutamic acid), antimicrobials (physcion, 4-hydroxycoumarin), and antioxidants (naringenin), linked to enriched ascorbate/glutathione and phenylpropanoid pathways. This provides the first scientific validation of drunken jujube's physiological and metabolomic basis for improved quality/storability, highlighting synergistic effects of ethanol and sealing, supporting industrial standardization. • The first report on the characteristics of drunken jujube. • Synergistic ethanol-sealing optimizes flavor and storability. • Retarded senescence via preserved antioxidants and enzyme activation. • Metabolomics confirms physiological traits via pathway associations. • Caution advised for alcohol-sensitive consumers.