{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,20]],"date-time":"2026-09-20T03:26:05Z","timestamp":1789874765680,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,10]],"date-time":"2026-03-10T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1773100800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Project","award":["2025BBF01099"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2025BBF01099"]}]},{"name":"Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region Agricultural Science and Technology Independent Innovation Funds Project","award":["NGSB2021-2-04"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["NGSB2021-2-04"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Metabolites"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background:\u00a0Lycium barbarum L. is gaining significant interest as a medicinal and culinary raw material. The quality and aroma are significantly influenced by metabolite accumulation, which differs based on origins and drying methods. Methods: This study utilizes gas chromatography\u2013mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to analyze the metabolic profiles of the \u2018Ningqi\u2019 No. 1 variety from three distinct origins employing two drying techniques (natural sun drying, NSD; hot-air drying, HAD). The samples include Zhongping, Ningxia, with HAD (1-1); Zhongning, Ningxia, with NSD (1-2); Wuwei, Gansu, with NSD (1-3); Nuomuhong, Qinghai, with NSD (1-4); and Nuomuhong, Qinghai, with HAD (1-5). Results: The study found that aldehydes, esters, ketones and alcohol are key secondary metabolites generated during NSD and HAD treatments of goji berry from various regions. Flavor analysis revealed the compound Ethanol, 2-phenoxy- (balsamic) was up accumulated in goji berry from Qinghai drying with NSD compared with HAD; goji berry drying with HAD collected from Ningxia compared with Qinghai; goji berry drying with NSD collected from Gansu compared with Ningxia; and goji berry drying with NSD collected from Qinghai compared with Ningxia. The compound 2-Thiophenemethanol (burnt) was up accumulated in goji berry drying with HAD collected from Ningxia compared with Qinghai. Further flavor analysis revealed that the compound Undecanal (floral) was up accumulated in goji berry drying with NSD collected from Qinghai compared with Ningxia and Gansu. 1H-Pyrrole-2-carboxaldehyde (burnt), 1-ethyl- (burnt) was up accumulated in goji berry drying with NSD collected from Qinghai compared with Gansu. KEGG enrichment analysis suggests that \u2018Arginine and proline metabolism\u2019 could be the primary metabolic pathway in the goji berry drying process. Conclusions: This study examined how origins and drying methods affected the metabolites and metabolic pathways of goji berries to elucidate the mechanisms impacting their quality and flavor. The findings provide important insights into the use of goji berries in functional foods and pharmaceuticals.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/metabo16030183","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,10]],"date-time":"2026-03-10T09:55:38Z","timestamp":1773136538000},"page":"183","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Comprehensive Characterization of Flavor Compounds in Dried Goji Berry (Lycium barbarum L.) Obtained from Different Origins with Different Drying Methods"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Guoli","family":"Dai","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Life Science, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China"},{"name":"Institute of Goji Berry Science, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Yinchuan 750002, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xinru","family":"He","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Goji Berry Science, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Yinchuan 750002, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bo","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Goji Berry Science, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Yinchuan 750002, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Linyuan","family":"Duan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Goji Berry Science, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Yinchuan 750002, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yujing","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Goji Berry Science, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Yinchuan 750002, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yuzhou","family":"Zhang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Life Science, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Huiling","family":"Ma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Life Science, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,10]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1451","DOI":"10.1111\/ijfs.15507","article-title":"Phytochemicals and bioactivities of Goji (Lycium barbarum L. and Lycium chinense Mill.) leaves and their potential applications in the food industry: A review","volume":"57","author":"Lei","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int. 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