Effect of Filtrated Osmotic Solution Based on Concentrated Chokeberry Juice and Mint Extract on the Drying Kinetics, Energy Consumption and Physicochemical Properties of Dried Apples

Abstract

Background: Filtration of osmotic solution affects selective penetration during osmotic dehydration (OD), and after drying is finished, this can influence the chemical composition of the material, which is also modified by OD. Methods: Osmotic dehydration was carried out in filtrated and non-filtrated concentrated chokeberry juice with the addition of mint infusion. Then, this underwent convective drying, vacuum-microwave drying and combined convective pre-drying, followed by vacuum-microwave finishing drying. Drying kinetics were presented and mathematical models were selected. The specific energy consumption for each drying method was calculated and the energy efficiency was determined. Results and Discussion: The study revealed that filtration of osmotic solution did not have significant effect on drying kinetics; however, it affected selective penetration during OD. The highest specific energy consumption was obtained for the samples treated by convective drying (CD) (around 170 kJ·g−1 fresh weight (fw)) and the lowest for the samples treated by vacuum-microwave drying (VMD) (around 30 kJ·g−1 fw), which is due to the differences in the time of drying and when these methods are applied. Conclusions: Filtration of the osmotic solution can be used to obtain the desired material after drying and the VMD method is the most appropriate considering both phenolic acid content and the energy aspect of drying.

The influence of the pretreatment of garlic (Allium sativum L.) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) osmotic solution on physical properties of the material

“…The high ΔE* value was most likely due to the influx of pigments present in the tomato juice into the sample and due to the physicochemical transformations of the garlic during pretreatment. When OD is performed in concentrated juices, the significant changes in the color of the material can be observed such as in the studies by Masztalerz, Łyczko, and Lech (2021), Nowicka et al (2015a) or Lech, Michalska, Wojdyło, Nowicka, & Figiel, (2018b). In the case of apples dehydrated in concentrated grape or cranberry juice, the ΔE* ranged from 85 ± 6.04 to 225.67 ± 22.92, depending on the process parameters used.…”

“…Moreover, there are reports of studies that not only used concentrated juices as OSs but also incorporated various extracts in order to modify the sensory properties as well as increase the biological potential of OSs. Masztalerz, Łyczko, and Lech (2021) carried out OD in OSs based on concentrated chokeberry juice with the addition of mint extract while Samborska et al (2019) used bilberry and chokeberry extracts together with sucrose as OSs in the studies on OD of apples.…”

Potential of vacuum impregnation and osmotic dehydration techniques in producing jaggery-fortified apple snacks

“…In the osmotic solution, decreased resistance to mass transfer can also be achieved by modifying particle size. Filtration of the juice used as the osmotic agent has been proved to successfully increase antioxidants infusion into the apple tissue during OD as a result of particle size reduction (44). High pressure homogenization has also been reported to be an interesting technique to reduce particle size in fruit juices and stabilize bioactive compounds, this having a positive impact on impregnation properties (18).…”

Review of osmotic dehydration: Promising technologies for enhancing products’ attributes, opportunities, and challenges for the food industries

“…These bioactive components are often combined with sugars derived from fruit juice concentrates or natural syrups sourced from plants known for their health‐promoting properties. For instance, chokeberry juice concentrate is effectively used to increase the content of ascorbic acid, polyphenols, and antioxidants in fruits and vegetables, enhancing their color attributes and organoleptic qualities (Kowalska et al., 2020; Masztalerz et al., 2021; Samborska et al., 2019). Considering the advantages of process intensification (Figure 4), it can constitute an efficient approach for infusing bioactive components such as those produced by probiotics during OD.…”