Water diffusivity and quality attributes of fresh and partially osmodehydrated cactus pear (opuntia ficus indica) subjected to air-dehydration Article uri icon

abstract

  • Water diffusivity, vitamin C degradation, and color change were assessed in two batches of cactus pear that were dried; one by regular air-drying; and the other one by applying partial osmodehydration followed by air-drying. The drying was done with a convection oven at 40, 50, 60, and 70°C. The pretreatment was performed by immersing the samples for 3 hours in a 40°Brix sucrose solution at 40 C. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) with a confidence level of 95%25 (p < 0.05) revealed that water diffusivity was mainly affected by the temperature and the pretreatment. Both the vitamin C loss and the color change behaved as a first-order reaction; the set temperature used was found to be the most important factor in the process.

publication date

  • 2008-01-01