Fuente: Foods - Revista científica (MDPI) Foods, Vol. 15, Pages 540: Economic Uses, Specific Metabolites and Molecular Biology Research of the Genus Zanthoxylum
Foods doi: 10.3390/foods15030540
Authors:
Xing-Dou Wang
Wei He
Wen-Jun Wang
Yuan-Yuan Ren
Nian Wang
Zhi-Hua Hou
Na Guo
Xiao-Qiao Zhai
Guo-Qiang Fan

Zanthoxylum plants are a perennial economic crop which have garnered significant attention owing to their distinctive smell and taste. Their main flavor characteristics include a numbing sensation, bitterness, and aroma, which are mostly contributed by secondary metabolites, including alkaloids, flavonoids, and terpenes. As an important spice and a natural food additive, Zanthoxylum has broad application prospects and economic value in the production of food, medicine, animal feed, and raw chemical materials. This review aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the economic uses and main flavor metabolites of Zanthoxylum. Furthermore, molecular biology research into the plant was summarized in detail. This will provide a reference for the future development and utilization of Zanthoxylum, and reveal the molecular mechanisms involving the biosynthesis of its flavor metabolites.