Currently, the average salt intake per capita in China far exceeds recommended levels, leading to a range of health issues. As a representative seasoning, Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim. (ZBM) has been demonstrated to enhance salty taste perception. However, the production of the pericarp generates substantial waste of by-product resources annually. This study presented a novel, simple, and green one-pot method for producing edible pickering emulsions from ZBM by-products. β-Cyclodextrin (β-CD) served as both an extraction enhancer and solid particle for emulsions innovatively. The optimized emulsion (6:4 oil-water ratio, 5% w/w β-CD) exhibited inherent saltiness while effectively delaying the oxidative degradation of hydroxy-α-sanshool (HAS) and inhibiting lipid oxidation. At the molecular level, main compounds primarily interacted with TMC4 through hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. The development of this new flavouring products is not merely the efficient usage of ZBM by-product resources, but also of great significance to low-salt diets. • β-CD as both an extraction enhancer and solid particles of pickering emulsions. • The phytochemicals and oil in the emulsion were more stable. • The prepared emulsion had a salt reduction effect and unique ZBM flavour. • Elucidating the mechanism of saltiness enhancement through molecular docking.
Cai et al. (2026) studied this question.