The application of high-voltage pulsed electric field, ultrasound, and fermentation in the processing, resource utilization, and product development of tropical fruits: A review

The high-value development of tropical fruits and the comprehensive utilization of their processing by-products are key to enhancing the development of the fruit industry. This review took non-thermal technology (high-voltage pulsed electric fields, ultrasound and fermentation technology) as the core link to systematically explore its application in tropical fruits such as pineapple, lychee, banana, orange and their processing by-products, with a focus on clarifying the logical connections between non-thermal technology, tropical fruits, processing by-products, nutritional activity and product development. It elaborated on the mechanisms and application effects of these three non-thermal technologies in efficiently extracting nutrients such as polyphenols, polysaccharides and flavor compounds from tropical fruits and their processing by-products while reducing the loss of thermosensitive active substances. Research results indicated that non-thermal processing technology could effectively dissolve nutrients and flavor compounds from tropical fruits and their processing by-products through physical, chemical and biological effects. The active ingredients obtained through non-thermal processing, such as polyphenols and polysaccharides, exhibited significant nutritional activities including antioxidant, anti-aging, regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism and anti-fatigue effects. In addition, this review provided theoretical references for the development of gut-targeted foods and gene-targeted foods by elucidating the mechanisms by which these active ingredients regulated gut microbiota structure and metabolism as well as their role in health-related gene modification. Meanwhile, the enhanced flavor of tropical fruits and their processing by-products after non-thermal processing improved their value in the development of flavored foods in the food industry. Finally, the challenges and potential research directions of non-thermal processing technology in the application to tropical fruits were analyzed, providing references for the high-value development of tropical fruits, the comprehensive utilization of processing by-products and the development of the fruit industry.