Process of Zanthoxylum armatum DC. oil by a novel low-temperature continuous phase transition extraction: Evaluation of aroma, pungent compounds and quality

Zanthoxylum armatum DC. (ZAD) oil is one of the most popular seasonings for its unique flavor and numbing taste. However, aromatic and pungent components are easily affected by extraction process. In this study, a novel low-temperature continuous phase transition process (CPTP) was applied to extract ZAD oil, and the flavor and quality of oil were compared with the those of products obtained from fried process (FP), fresh squeezed process (FSP) and supercritical carbon dioxide process (SCDP) using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/Olfactometry and UPLC-DAD-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS. The outcome demonstrated that the oil preserved higher volatile aroma components from SCDP and CPTP (606.073 mg/g and 194.905 mg/g, respectively). It's interesting to note that the majority of the alkyl components were only present in the ZAD oil created using CPTP, which further preserved the original makeup of the fragrance components of ZAD. Four ZAD oil had considerably different pungent compounds, with SCDP having the greatest concentration (16697.78 g/mL), followed by CPTP (6425.66 g/mL), FP (2662.6 g/mL), and FSP (719.69 g/mL). Physicochemical properties analysis indicated that unsaturated fatty acid content was highest for FSP oil (91.97%). Overall, as a fresh and effective extraction technique, CPTP may be appropriate for the extraction of natural fragrance components.