Quality Regulation of Wolfberry by Electrohydrodynamic Drying: The Synergistic Mechanism of Ion Wind and Plasma

Electrohydrodynamic drying, a low-temperature green technology, is suitable for wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L.) with thin juicy skin and abundant heat-sensitive active components, helping to address the industrial dilemma of balancing drying efficiency and product quality. This study investigated the regulatory effects of electrohydrodynamic drying on the drying behavior and quality characteristics of wolfberry, using natural air drying as the control and 18, 23, and 28 kV as the voltage levels. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to reveal the quality regulation mechanism, and principal component analysis was applied to optimize the processing parameters through multi-index evaluation. The effects were significantly voltage dependent. The 28 kV group achieved a hydroxyl radical scavenging rate of 75.3% (59.2% higher than the control), reduced drying time by 45.0%, and increased rehydration rate by 60%. The retention rates of wolfberry polysaccharide, carotenoid, and total phenol were 31.6%, 40.8%, and 37.5% higher than those of the control, respectively. This study identified 28 kV as the optimal voltage under the tested conditions, offering a green route for high-quality wolfberry drying, providing theoretical and technical support for the large-scale application of electrohydrodynamic drying in functional berry processing, and delivering new insights into the regulation of “mass transfer enhancement–quality protection” in fruit drying.