Effect of various dehydration methods on proximate composition and retention of antioxidants in different fruit powders

Abstract

Attached

Present study was carried out to assess the effect of various dehydration techniques such as sun drying, solar drying, drying after freezing (Freeze for one hour followed by drying using lab scale air oven), vacuum drying and drying using lab scale air oven on physiochemical and retention of antioxidant in different fruit powder prepared from Bael (Aegle marmelos), Sour Sop (Annona muricata) and Palmyra (Borassus flabellifer). Moisture content, Total Ash, Crude fiber %, Fat %, Crude protein %, ascorbic acid and β-Carotene were tested. All fruit powders prepared by using sun drying showed minimum moisture content and the highest level of moisture content was recorded by the samples dehydrated using vacuum drying. Among different drying treatments the highest fat percentage recorded by the solar dried sample and there is no any significant difference (α= 0.05) between sun drying and vacuumed drying. Higher concentration of β-Carotene was recorded in vacuum dried samples both in bael and Palmyra fruit powders and it significantly different (α= 0.05) from other treatments tested. Maximum retention of ascorbic acid content (26.59 Mcg/100g) was recorded by the soursop powder prepared by vacuum drying