Abstract:
Purpose
This study aimed at investigating the drying kinetics and nutritional profile of brinjal and bitter gourd using
cabinet dryers. Moreover, this study is new in identifying suitable drying conditions of cabinet dryers for
drying vegetables since the literature related to this work is very limited. Methods
The brinjal (BR) and bitter gourd (BG) were dried at different temperatures: 50 °C, 60 °C and 70 °C. The
drying kinetics using Page, Henderson and Pabis and Logarithmic models was studied along with changes
in physicochemical properties: moisture content, water activity, pH, texture and color; nutritional profile:
crude fiber content, ash content, phenolic content, flavonoid content and antioxidant activity for two
different vegetables: BR and BG. Finally, sensory evaluation was done to check the quality of dried
vegetables. Results
The drying temperature had significantly influenced the drying rate of BR and BG. Moreover, water
activity, pH, texture, colour, nutrient profile and sensory properties of BR and BG also changed with
different drying conditions. Conclusion
The drying temperature of 60 °C was recommended to retain the quality of dried BR and BG in terms of
physicochemical properties: pH, moisture content, water activity, texture and color and nutritional profile:
crude fiber content, ash content, phenolic content, flavonoid content and antioxidant activity. Moreover,
BR dried at 60 °C and BG dried at 50 °C were selected as most preferred samples based on sensory
properties: appearance, aroma, color and overall acceptability. The Page model was the best suited model
to explain drying kinetics of BR and BG in cabinet dryers. The new knowledge created by this work in
optimizing drying conditions for BR and BG will help widen the science behind drying of vegetables under
controlled conditions without any quality deterioration.
