Osmotic dehydration of the Indian fig (Opuntia ficus indica) with binary and ternary solutions

• Published in: International journal of food science & technology Vol. 47; no. 11; pp. 2359 - 2365
• Main Authors: Vasconcelos, Janusa I. L. A., Andrade, Samara A. C., Maciel, Maria I. S., Guerra, Nonete B., Vasconcelos, Margarida A. S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.11.2012; Wiley-Blackwell; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cactus pear; Dehydration; Dependent variables; Food industries; Food science; Foods; Fruit and vegetable industries; Fruits; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gain; Glucose; Immersion; Indian; Indian fig; osmotic dehydration; response surface methodology; semi-arid Brazilian Caatinga; sodium chloride; Sucrose; Cactus pear; Cactaceae; Pear; Fruit; Methodology; Sucrose; Fig; response surface methodology; Glucose; Sodium chloride; semi-arid Brazilian Caatinga; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Response surface; Carbohydrate; Spermatophyta; Opuntia ficus indica; Indian fig; Osmotic dehydration; Solution
• ISSN: 0950-5423; 1365-2621
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2621.2012.03110.x

Summary The objective of this work was to study osmotic dehydration (OD) of the Indian fig with two binary solutions (sucrose/water and glucose/water) and a ternary solution (sucrose/NaCl/water) according to a 23 factorial design with independent variables: temperature (30–50 °C), immersion time (90–240 min) and concentration (40–60 °Brix). The dependent variables were water loss (WL), solid gain (SG) and dehydration efficiency index. The temperature had greater influence on the WL in the three hypertonic solutions studied; the concentration had greater influence on the SG in the three hypertonic solutions investigated and the best conditions for the OD of the Indian fig were in glucose solution at 40 °Brix, 40 °C and 165 min.