Effects of thermal and non-thermal sterilization methods on metabolites in flat peach juice: A comparative metabolomics analysis

This study aimed to investigate the effects of pasteurization (PS), high-temperature short-time treatment (HTST), high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), and ultrasound (US) on the metabolites of flat peach juice (FPJ). Based on orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) analysis, 16, 15, 9, and 8 differential metabolites were identified under PS, HTST, HHP, and US treatments, respectively. Metabolic pathway analysis indicated that all four sterilization methods significantly regulated lipid metabolism. In addition, among thermal sterilization treatments, PS further regulated sulfur-containing amino acid and purine metabolism, whereas HTST regulated carbohydrate metabolism, thereby influencing the formation of flavor precursors. Among non-thermal sterilization treatments, HHP additionally regulated branched-chain amino acid degradation, reflecting a stronger pressure-induced effect on protein structure, while US was more conducive to maintaining amino acid stability. This study provides data support for the industrial production of FPJ.