Effect of air-drying conditions on physical and nutritional properties of osmotically pre-treated pomegranate seeds

Poster (2012, June 01)

Contribution to pomegranate seeds conservation (Punica granatum L.) by osmotic dehydration

Doctoral thesis (2011)

The aim of this work was to create a complete conservation process of pomegranate seeds (Punica granatum L.). This process is essentially based on osmotic dehydration (OD), which was associated to ... [more ▼]

The aim of this work was to create a complete conservation process of pomegranate seeds (Punica granatum L.). This process is essentially based on osmotic dehydration (OD), which was associated to freezing and air-drying process. Several parameters were studied to optimize the process such as osmotic solution (sucrose, glucose, and sucrose/glucose and date juice with sucrose added), temperature (30, 40, and 50°C) and state of the fruit (fresh and frozen). All these conditions were linked to seed proprieties (texture, structure, and colour). The study of osmotic dehydration parameters (water loss (WL), solids gain (SG) and weight reduction (WR)) showed that most significant changes of mass transfer took place during the first 20 min of dewatering using frozen seeds, independently of temperature and sugar type. During this period, seeds water loss was estimated at 46% in sucrose, 41% in sucrose/glucose mix, 39% in date juice, and 37% in glucose. Mass transfer was slower starting from fresh fruit but led to a higher rate of WL at the end of the process. This fact can be explained by scanning electron microscopy, which showed damage of seed cell structure after freezing. This has practical consequences in terms of the modification of seeds texture. The same process also revealed a modification of seed texture and cell structure after osmotic dehydration. Using a sucrose solution and a temperature of 50°C favoured the best mass transfer. The determination of different water fractions of seed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed that the % of frozen water decreased 3.5 times contrary the % of unfreezable water that increased 2.5 times. This favours a better seeds conservation. During osmotic dehydration, there was a non negligible leaching of natural solutes from seeds into the solution, which might have an important impact on the sensorial and nutritional value of seeds. Using only osmotic dehydration could not maintain the stability of seeds during conservation. In fact, after the osmotic process, water activity of seeds was found to be higher than 0.9, allowing to the development of microorganisms and some undesirable reactions. As a consequence, a drying of the pomegranate seeds (during four hours) was investigated at three different temperatures (40, 50, and 60 °C) with air flow rate of 2 ms-1. Prior to the drying process, seeds were osmodehydrated in a sucrose solution (55°Brix) during 20 min at 50°C. The drying kinetics and the effects of OD and air-drying temperature on antioxidant capacity, total phenolic, colour, and texture were determined. This work is a contribution to the study of physico-chemical properties of pomegranate seeds (Punica granatum L.) during freezing, osmotic dehydration and drying. After the global process, the pomegranate seed characteristics lead to new industrial developments. [less ▲]

Effect of Air-Drying Conditions on Physico-chemical Properties of Osmotically Pre-treated Pomegranate Seeds

in Food and Bioprocess Technology (2010)

The drying of pomegranate seeds was investigated at 40 °C, 50 °C and 60 °C with air velocity of 2 m/s. Prior to drying, seeds were osmodehydrated in 55 °Brix sucrose solution for 20 min at 50 °C. The ... [more ▼]

The drying of pomegranate seeds was investigated at 40 °C, 50 °C and 60 °C with air velocity of 2 m/s. Prior to drying, seeds were osmodehydrated in 55 °Brix sucrose solution for 20 min at 50 °C. The drying kinetics and the effects of osmotic dehydration (OD) and air-drying temperature on antioxidant capacity, total phenolics, colour and texture were determined. Analysis of variance revealed that OD and air-drying temperature have a significant influence on the quality of seeds. Both anthocyanin and total phenolic contents decreased when air-drying temperature increased. The radical diphenylpicril-hydrazyl activity showed the lowest antioxidant activity at 60 °C. Both chromatic parameters (L*, C* and h°) and browning index were affected by drying temperatures, which contributed to the discolouring of seeds. The final product has 22%, 20% and 16% of moisture; 0.630, 0.478 and 0.414 of aw; 151, 141 and 134 mg gallic acid equivalent/100 g fresh matter (FM) of total phenolics; 40, 24, 20 mg/100 g FM of anthocyanins and 46%, 39% and 31% of antioxidant activity, for drying temperatures of 40 °C, 50 °C and 60 °C, respectively. In view of these results, the temperature of 40 °C is recommended as it has the lowest impact on the quality parameters of the seeds. Differential scanning calorimetry data provided complementary information on the mobility changes of water during drying. Glass transition temperature (Tg′) depends on moisture content and as consequence, on drying conditions. In fact, Tg′ of seeds dried at 60 °C (Tg′=−21 °C) was higher than those dried at 50 °C (Tg′=−28 °C) or 40 °C (Tg′=−31 °C) and osmodehydrated seeds (Tg′=−34 °C). During OD and drying process, the texture of seeds changed. The thickness of seeds shrank by 55% at 60 °C. [less ▲]

Osmotic Dehydration Kinetics of Pomegranate Seeds Using Date Juice as an Immersion Solution Base

in Food and Bioprocess Technology (2010)

Pomegranate seeds were osmodehydrated using date juice added with sucrose (final °Brix, 55) as immersion solution. The kinetics of osmotic dehydration showed that the most significant changes of mass ... [more ▼]

Pomegranate seeds were osmodehydrated using date juice added with sucrose (final °Brix, 55) as immersion solution. The kinetics of osmotic dehydration showed that the most significant changes of mass transfer took place during the first 20 min of the process, regardless of date juice varieties. During this time, seed water loss and solid gain were estimated to be ∼39% and ∼6%, respectively. After 20 min of the process, the percentage of water loss and solid gain varied slightly and ranged on average close to ∼40% and ∼9%, respectively. During osmotic dehydration, there was a leaching of natural solutes from seeds into the solution, which is quantitatively not negligible, and might have an important impact on the sensorial and nutritional value of seeds and date juices. Both scanning electron microscopy and texture (compression) analysis revealed that osmotic dehydration process induced modifications of seed texture and cell structure. Sucrose was found to be the essential element which influences the texture of seed and the viscosity of date juice. Additionally, natural sugar present in date juice permits substituting 35% of the total quantity of sucrose added to the osmotic solution. [less ▲]

Osmotic dehydration of pomegranate seeds: mass transfer kinetics and differential scanning calorimetry characterization

in International Journal of Food Science & Technology (2009)

Osmotic dehydration of pomegranate seeds was carried out at different temperatures (30, 40, 50 C) in a 55 Brix solution of sucrose, glucose, and mixture sucrose & glucose (50:50, w⁄ w). The most ... [more ▼]

Osmotic dehydration of pomegranate seeds was carried out at different temperatures (30, 40, 50 C) in a 55 Brix solution of sucrose, glucose, and mixture sucrose & glucose (50:50, w⁄ w). The most significant changes of water loss and solids gain took place during the first 20 min of dewatering. During this period, seeds water loss was estimated to 46% in sucrose, 37% in glucose and 41% in mix glucose ⁄ sucrose solution. The increase of temperature favoured the increase of water loss, weight reduction, solids gain and effective diffusivity. Differential scanning calorimetry data provided complementary information on the mobility changes of water and solute in osmodehydrated pomegranate seeds. The ratio between % frozen water and % unfreezable water decreased from 5 to 0.5 during the process. That involving the presence of very tightly bound water to the sample, which is very difficult to eliminate with this process. It also appeared that glass transition temperature depends on the types of sugar [less ▲]