eng Enviro Research Publishers Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science Journal 2347-467X 2322-0007 2026-10-23 14 3 27026 article Phitchanan Thongreuk 1 Sunisa Siripongvutikorn 1 Worrapanit Chansuwan 1 Worapong Usawakesmanee 1 Department of Food Technology, Faculty of Agro-Industry, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Thailand Direct dietary consumption of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) remains fundamentally restricted by its pungent organoleptic profile, which creates a critical barrier to utilizing its therapeutic curcuminoids and high antioxidant capacities. This study presents a novel, clean-label mitigation strategy that enhances turmeric palatability through the engineering of a pickled functional food matrix, substituting commercial synthetic vinegar with an aqueous extract of dried Garcinia atroviridis as a biocompatible organic acidulant. Fresh turmeric rhizomes were subjected to a texturizing and stabilizing blanching pre-treatment (2% NaCl, 0.5% CaCl₂) prior to a 28-day pickling period under three distinct acidic matrices: a conventional control (1:1 v/v commercial vinegar) and two experimental G. atroviridis aqueous systems at weight-to-volume ratios of 1:4 (T1) and 1:6 (T2). Physicochemical dynamics, bioactive compound retention rates, and radical scavenging capacities (DPPH and ABTS) were systematically mapped throughout the process. Over the 28-day cycle, the T1 matrix achieved the most robust acidification kinetics, yielding a highly stable terminal pH of 2.04– 2.07 and the peak total titratable acidity (0.4855% as acetic acid). Although the pickling process induced a statistically significant down-regulation in total curcuminoids and antioxidant activity across all experimental cohorts, the T1 formulation demonstrated superior phytochemical preservation mechanics—retaining 47.45 and 22.06 mg BHT/g db for DPPH and ABTS, respectively—and significantly outperforming both T2 and the conventional vinegar control. Crucially, consumer hedonic optimization modeling indicated that T1 achieved the highest scores across all evaluated sensory dimensions, culminating in an overall acceptability score of 6.96. These outcomes collectively demonstrate that a 1:4 G. atroviridis extract ratio successfully bridges the historical gap between functional compound preservation and sensory optimization, offering a highly scalable biorefinery approach for the clean-label manufacturing of antioxidant-rich functional foods. https://www.foodandnutritionjournal.org/volume14number3/sensory-acceptability-and-microbiological-quality-improvement-of-turmeric-rhizome-via-pickling-using-dried-garcinia-atroviridis/ Antioxidant Activity Bioactive Compounds Curcumin Food Preservation Functional Food Organic Acids.