{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,29]],"date-time":"2026-10-29T20:18:20Z","timestamp":1793305100420,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":54,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"16","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]],"date-time":"2026-08-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786924800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["31801537"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["31801537"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"award":["31801537"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["31801537"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/01h0zpd94","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Foods"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge) is a medicinal and edible fruit whose sour taste and dense surface structure limit its application in food industries. Conventional sugar impregnation has long processing times and uneven sugar distribution. However, the combined effects of vacuum impregnation (VI) and ultrasonic impregnation (UI) on infusion uniformity in freeze-dried hawthorn remain unclear. This study therefore aimed to elucidate the mechanisms by which combined vacuum and ultrasonic impregnation (VI-UI) affect surface structure and sugar infusion uniformity, and to test the hypothesis that VI-UI can achieve uniform sugar distribution while maintaining an intermediate sugar content. Results showed that the VI-UI treatment (195 min) disrupted cell structures and expanded intercellular spaces in hawthorn, thereby achieving a uniform sugar infusion at an intermediate sugar content of 47%. The ultrasound treatment increased surface porosity from 16.8% to 19.3%. The VI-UI treatment achieved the highest overall uniformity index (OUI = 79.65), higher than vacuum impregnation (OUI = 50.99) and ultrasound impregnation (OUI = 60.69). In conclusion, VI-UI offers a promising strategy for producing uniformly infused, high-quality preserved hawthorn products by combining the efficiency of VI with the uniformity of UI.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/foods15162873","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]],"date-time":"2026-08-17T16:35:08Z","timestamp":1786984508000},"page":"2873","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Surface Modification and Sugar Infusion of Freeze-Dried Hawthorn via Combined Vacuum-Ultrasound Treatment"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Fei","family":"Shi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Food Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jiguang","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Shandong Commune Union Food Co., Ltd., Linyi 276034, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Anlun","family":"Sun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Shandong Commune Union Food Co., Ltd., Linyi 276034, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yuchuan","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Food Science and Technology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bo","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Food Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"117229","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jep.2023.117229","article-title":"Traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and safety concerns of hawthorn (Crataegus genus): A comprehensive review","volume":"319","author":"Cui","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Ethnopharmacol."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"147506","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodchem.2025.147506","article-title":"Sustainable cultivated meat scaffolds from waste bioresources: Pioneering the future of cellular agriculture","volume":"500","author":"Qin","year":"2026","journal-title":"Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Xu, J.Y., Zhao, Y.H., Zhang, X., Zhang, L.J., Hou, Y.L., and Dong, W.X. (2016). Transcriptome Analysis and Ultrastructure Observation Reveal that Hawthorn Fruit Softening Is due to Cellulose\/Hemicellulose Degradation. Front. Plant Sci., 7.","DOI":"10.3389\/fpls.2016.01524"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Hu, X., Zhang, B., Du, X., Zhang, H., Zhu, T., Zhang, S., Yang, X., Zhang, Z., Yang, T., and Wang, X. (2025). Recent Advances and Future Perspectives on Heat and Mass Transfer Mechanisms Enhanced by Preformed Porous Media in Vacuum Freeze-Drying of Agricultural and Food Products. Foods, 14.","DOI":"10.3390\/foods14172966"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Du, Q.P., Yang, R., Wang, W., Li, W., Sun, T.L., Huang, S.H., Han, X.Y., and Ai, M.X. (2025). Effects of Sugar Impregnation Methods on Physicochemical Properties and Flavor Profiles of Prune Preserves Using GC-IMS and Electronic Tongue. Foods, 14.","DOI":"10.3390\/foods14162852"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e70252","DOI":"10.1111\/jfpe.70252","article-title":"Effect of Pretreatments and Assistant Treatments on Mass Transfer and Product Quality in Osmotic Dehydration Process of Fruit and Vegetables","volume":"48","author":"Abshar","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Food Process Eng."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"132281","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodchem.2022.132281","article-title":"Effect of vacuum impregnation assisted probiotics fermentation suspension on shelf life quality of freshly cut lotus root","volume":"381","author":"Zhang","year":"2022","journal-title":"Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101615","DOI":"10.1016\/j.afres.2025.101615","article-title":"Vacuum impregnation as a useful method to improve the technological and nutritional properties of tuber-based snacks","volume":"6","author":"Correa","year":"2026","journal-title":"Appl. Food Res."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"140729","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodchem.2024.140729","article-title":"Vacuum impregnation: Effect on food quality, application and use of novel techniques for improving its efficiency","volume":"460","author":"Gautam","year":"2024","journal-title":"Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"142350","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodchem.2024.142350","article-title":"Ultrasound assisted osmotic dehydration of sweet lime (Citrus limetta) slices: Process optimization and mass transfer kinetics","volume":"467","author":"Kailaje","year":"2025","journal-title":"Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"102132","DOI":"10.1016\/j.afres.2026.102132","article-title":"A systematic review of recent advances in ultrasound-assisted food processing: Applications, hybrid technologies, and sustainability","volume":"6","author":"Hussein","year":"2026","journal-title":"Appl. Food Res."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100135","DOI":"10.1016\/j.meafoo.2024.100135","article-title":"Microwave and ultrasound assisted extraction techniques with citric acid of pectin from Pomelo (Citrus maxima) peel","volume":"13","author":"Hossain","year":"2024","journal-title":"Meas. Food"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"108200","DOI":"10.1016\/j.plaphy.2023.108200","article-title":"Occurrence, structure, and function of short cells in maize leaf epidermis","volume":"206","author":"Dong","year":"2024","journal-title":"Plant Physiol. Biochem."},{"key":"ref_14","unstructured":"Huang, R., Dai, X., Liu, Z., Zou, L., Zhang, K., Han, J., Li, H., Yin, X., Qiu, C., and Li, Y. (2025). Combined Administration of Bifidobacterium adolescentis XA-1069 and Lactobacillus plantarum XA-6827 Attenuates Obesity in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice. Food Sci. Hum. Wellness, in press."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"132360","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodchem.2022.132360","article-title":"Investigation on the rehydration mechanism of freeze-dried and hot-air dried shiitake mushrooms from pores and cell wall fibrous material","volume":"383","author":"Qiu","year":"2022","journal-title":"Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"687","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodres.2012.08.019","article-title":"The impact of freeze-drying on microstructure and rehydration properties of carrot","volume":"49","author":"Voda","year":"2012","journal-title":"Food Res. Int."},{"key":"ref_17","first-page":"232","article-title":"The influence of tissue mechanical properties on cavitation effect under high intensity focused ultrasound","volume":"44","author":"Chen","year":"2025","journal-title":"Tech. Acoust."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"588","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodchem.2018.08.012","article-title":"Effect of different drying methods on the product quality and bioactive polysaccharides of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) slices","volume":"271","author":"Yan","year":"2019","journal-title":"Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"15","DOI":"10.30954\/2277-9396.01.2025.2","article-title":"Effect of Osmo-microwave Vacuum Drying Kinetic of Pineapple Cubes and their Quality Evaluation","volume":"15","author":"Patil","year":"2025","journal-title":"Int. J. Food Ferment. Technol."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"134510","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodchem.2022.134510","article-title":"Effect of salt penetration and water migration on cooked salted egg yolk gel during storage: Physicochemical properties, structural characteristics and flavor changes","volume":"404","author":"Li","year":"2023","journal-title":"Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e28294","DOI":"10.1016\/j.heliyon.2024.e28294","article-title":"Determination of impregnation parameters and volatile components in vacuum impregnated apricots","volume":"10","author":"Demir","year":"2024","journal-title":"Heliyon"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"126883","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodchem.2020.126883","article-title":"Effect of freeze-thaw cycles pretreatment on the vacuum freeze-drying process and physicochemical properties of the dried garlic slices","volume":"324","author":"Feng","year":"2020","journal-title":"Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_23","first-page":"101743","article-title":"A novel coefficient of variation based distance weighted control chart for the monitoring of nuclear event data","volume":"18","author":"Hashem","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Radiat. Res. Appl. Sci."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"363","DOI":"10.1016\/j.applthermaleng.2016.08.205","article-title":"Human breath simulator using controlled evaporator mixer to test the performance of a breath alcohol analyzer","volume":"110","author":"Kang","year":"2017","journal-title":"Appl. Therm. Eng."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103819","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ifset.2024.103819","article-title":"Developing a radio frequency-hot air spouting treatment for efficient dehydration of carrot cubes: Evaluation of the heating and moisture distribution uniformity","volume":"97","author":"Zheng","year":"2024","journal-title":"Innov. Food Sci. Emerg. Technol."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103347","DOI":"10.1016\/j.flowmeasinst.2026.103347","article-title":"Predicting irrigation uniformity and droplet characteristics using machine learning algorithms for rotating spray plate sprinklers","volume":"110","author":"Hussain","year":"2026","journal-title":"Flow Meas. Instrum."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"130600","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodchem.2021.130600","article-title":"Effects of ultrasound on the thawing of quick-frozen small yellow croaker (Larimichthys polyactis) based on TMT-labeled quantitative proteomic","volume":"366","author":"Wang","year":"2022","journal-title":"Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"119193","DOI":"10.1016\/j.lwt.2026.119193","article-title":"Dynamic changes of volatile compounds and water distribution in microwave freeze-dried dumplings: Governed by endpoint moisture control","volume":"243","author":"Wang","year":"2026","journal-title":"LWT"},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ang, L., Guo, J., Zhao, W., and Sun, C. (2026). Effect of Adsorbent Pretreatments on Methanol Content and Quality of Jujube Wine. Foods, 15.","DOI":"10.3390\/foods15071223"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104228","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ifset.2025.104228","article-title":"Freeze-thaw cycle synergistic pulsed light pretreatment improves vacuum freeze drying of Chinese bayberry","volume":"105","author":"Suo","year":"2025","journal-title":"Innov. Food Sci. Emerg. Technol."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"37","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodchem.2016.03.032","article-title":"Discrimination of honeys using colorimetric sensor arrays, sensory analysis and gas chromatography techniques","volume":"206","author":"Tahir","year":"2016","journal-title":"Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"139287","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodchem.2024.139287","article-title":"Effects of ultrasonic pretreatment on drying characteristics and water migration characteristics of freeze-dried strawberry","volume":"450","author":"Zhang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"106883","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ultsonch.2024.106883","article-title":"The effect of ultrasonic power on the physicochemical properties and antioxidant activities of frosted figs pectin","volume":"106","author":"Deng","year":"2024","journal-title":"Ultrason. Sonochem."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"50","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodchem.2014.11.125","article-title":"Changes in physicochemical characteristics and free amino acids of hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida) fruits during maturation","volume":"175","author":"Li","year":"2015","journal-title":"Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103511","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fbio.2023.103511","article-title":"Recovery of antioxidants and oils from blackcurrant and redcurrant wastes by ultrasound-assisted extraction","volume":"57","author":"Piasecka","year":"2024","journal-title":"Food Biosci."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"118","DOI":"10.1016\/j.eng.2022.12.006","article-title":"Structures and Functions of Cuticular Wax in Postharvest Fruit and Its Regulation: A Comprehensive Review with Future Perspectives","volume":"23","author":"Wu","year":"2023","journal-title":"Engineering"},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"115383","DOI":"10.1016\/j.lwt.2023.115383","article-title":"Effects of different drying methods on the physicochemical and functional properties of Pyracantha fortuneana (Maxim.) Li fruit","volume":"187","author":"Xu","year":"2023","journal-title":"LWT"},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"432","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodchem.2019.05.145","article-title":"Effect of vacuum and ethanol pretreatment on infrared-hot air drying of scallion (Allium fistulosum)","volume":"295","author":"Wang","year":"2019","journal-title":"Food Chem."},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"103392","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fochx.2025.103392","article-title":"Freeze\u2013microwave vacuum drying optimizes structure and dual antidiabetic activities of Pyracantha fortuneana fruit polysaccharides","volume":"33","author":"Sun","year":"2026","journal-title":"Food Chem. X"},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"113808","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijsolstr.2025.113808","article-title":"Modeling of sorption-induced deformations of porous materials due to surface adsorption, capillary effects, and cavitation","volume":"327","author":"Leng","year":"2026","journal-title":"Int. J. Solids Struct."},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"110744","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodres.2021.110744","article-title":"Recent development in high quality drying of fruits and vegetables assisted by ultrasound: A review","volume":"152","author":"Xu","year":"2022","journal-title":"Food Res. Int."},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"106267","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ultsonch.2022.106267","article-title":"Application of simultaneous ultrasonic curing on pork (Longissimus dorsi): Mass transport of NaCl, physical characteristics, and microstructure","volume":"92","author":"Guo","year":"2023","journal-title":"Ultrason. Sonochem."},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"108991","DOI":"10.1016\/j.lwt.2019.108991","article-title":"Response surface methodology centred optimization of mono-frequency ultrasound reduction of bacteria in fresh-cut Chinese cabbage and its effect on quality","volume":"122","author":"Alenyorege","year":"2020","journal-title":"LWT"},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"496","DOI":"10.1016\/j.watcyc.2026.02.003","article-title":"In-situ ultrasonic treatment for effective clogging mitigation in sand filters","volume":"7","author":"Liu","year":"2026","journal-title":"Water Cycle"},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"88","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jfoodeng.2017.10.002","article-title":"Effect of ultrasound on the preparation of resveratrol-loaded zein particles","volume":"221","author":"Liang","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Food Eng."},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"114034","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodres.2024.114034","article-title":"Evaluation of multiscale mechanisms of ultrasound-assisted extraction from porous plant materials: Experiment and modeling on this intensified process","volume":"182","author":"Li","year":"2024","journal-title":"Food Res. Int."},{"key":"ref_47","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"114245","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodres.2024.114245","article-title":"Ultrasound pretreatment enhances moisture migration and drying quality of mulberry via microstructure and cell-wall polysaccharides nanostructure modification","volume":"184","author":"Wang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Food Res. Int."},{"key":"ref_48","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"122331","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jnoncrysol.2023.122331","article-title":"Dielectric spectroscopy of the low-losses sugar lyophilises: IV. Comparative study of four disaccharides at different moisture contents and temperatures","volume":"611","author":"Ermolina","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Non-Cryst. Solids"},{"key":"ref_49","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1085","DOI":"10.1515\/revce-2021-0086","article-title":"Ultrasonic viscosity-reduction vacuum residue oil","volume":"39","author":"Pan","year":"2022","journal-title":"Rev. Chem. Eng."},{"key":"ref_50","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"112373","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foodres.2022.112373","article-title":"Effect of sweeteners and carbonation on aroma partitioning and release in beverage systems","volume":"164","author":"Yeo","year":"2023","journal-title":"Food Res. Int."},{"key":"ref_51","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"fyae006","DOI":"10.1093\/fqsafe\/fyae006","article-title":"Comparative metabolomics analysis of unique yellow hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida) and red-skinned cultivars reveals a different polyphenol biosynthesis flux and antioxidative and antidiabetic potential","volume":"8","author":"Liu","year":"2024","journal-title":"Food Qual. Saf."},{"key":"ref_52","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e28023","DOI":"10.1016\/j.heliyon.2024.e28023","article-title":"Recent advances in vacuum impregnation of fruits and vegetables processing: A concise review","volume":"10","author":"Vinod","year":"2024","journal-title":"Heliyon"},{"key":"ref_53","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100344","DOI":"10.1016\/j.foostr.2023.100344","article-title":"Effects of pectin and glucose on the texture properties and microstructures of freeze-dried restructured fruits: Pectin-glucose sponge as a model","volume":"37","author":"Feng","year":"2023","journal-title":"Food Struct."},{"key":"ref_54","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"106087","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ultsonch.2022.106087","article-title":"Measurement of microstructural changes promoted by ultrasound application on plant materials with different porosity","volume":"88","author":"Calahorro","year":"2022","journal-title":"Ultrason. Sonochem."}],"container-title":["Foods"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2304-8158\/15\/16\/2873\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T04:27:05Z","timestamp":1787113625000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2304-8158\/15\/16\/2873"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]]},"references-count":54,"journal-issue":{"issue":"16","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8]]}},"alternative-id":["foods15162873"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/foods15162873","relation":{},"ISSN":["2304-8158"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2304-8158","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]]}}}