Research Status of Preservation and Processing Technology of Zanthoxylum schinifolium in China

Zanthoxylum schinifolium (Z. schinifolium) is a traditional Chinese medicinal and edible plant resource that not only imparts special fragrance and numbness to food, but also has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic biological activities. Currently, the Z. schinifolium market mainly consists of fresh Z. schinifolium and dried Z. schinifolium and other primary processed products, with low processing depth and few product varieties, which are difficult to meet the diversified market needs. In order to deeply develop and utilize the Sichuan pepper resources, this article reviews the current research status of Z. schinifolium preservation, drying, and deep processing technologies, compares and analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of different technologies, in order to provide direction for improving the quality of existing Z. schinifolium products and promoting the development of Z. schinifolium deep processing.