Evaluating the pungency perception of Zanthoxylum armatum DC. oil by facial recognition techniques and machine learning.

ABSTRACT: Zanthoxylum armatum DC. (ZAD) oil is a kind of popular seasoning for its unique flavor and numbing taste. Pungency is characterized as a numbing and stimulating sensation in ZAD oil. This study aimed to objectively assess ZAD oil pungency by combining sensory evaluations with facial expression analysis. The contents of four major pungency compounds, including hydroxy-α-sanshool, hydroxy-β-sanshool, hydroxy-ε-sanshool, and hydroxy-γ-sanshool, were determined. Among them, the content of hydroxy -α-sanshool was 242.741 ± 18.293 mg/mL. The pungency intensity increased with higher Scoville pungency units (SPU). There was a demarcation point for the degree of preference. That is, before Sample 2 (with an SPU of 11,200), the degree of preference showed an upward trend as the numbing degree increa

SUBMITTER: Zheng S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12578923 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature