Abstract

AYALA-APONTE, Alfredo et al. Influence of osmotic pre-treatment on convective drying of yellow pitahaya. Dyna rev.fac.nac.minas [online]. 2014, vol.81, n.188, pp.145-151. ISSN 0012-7353.  https://doi.org/10.15446/dyna.v81n188.41321.

Cylinders of pitahayas were osmotically dehydrated in sucrose 55 % (w/w) during 45 minutes as a pretreatment of convective drying. Hot air drying was performed at 50, 60 and 70ºC. Drying kinetics of osmodehydrated samples was compared to untreated samples. Effective moisture diffusion coefficients were determined. Values of activation energy were 29.56 and 16.93 kJ mol^-1 for pretreated samples and untreated samples, respectively. Mathematical modeling was applied to simulate the experimental drying curves of pitahayas. Results indicated that the Weibull model could be used to simulate experimental drying data. Furthermore, shrinkage of samples due to changes in volume was more pronounced for fruits dehydrated without pretreatment.

Keywords : drying kinetics; effective diffusion coefficient; mathematical modelling; shrinkage; pitahayas.

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