Quality characteristics and antioxidant activites of ‘Chuwhangbae’ (P. pyrifolia Nakai) dried with different methods

Abstract

This study was to prepare the pear-dried fruit for revitalizing the pear fruit industry, measuring the fruit quality characteristics and antioxidant activity according to different drying methods for both normal and physiological disorder fruit. The moisture content was significantly decreased with the lower in drying temperature. The L* value of freeze-drying, while a* and b* value were hot-air and vacuum drying were the greatest, leading to slight browning with yellow color. The soluble sugar content had the highest sucrose content in hot-air and freeze-drying, and fructose was found highest in vacuum drying. The total polyphenol content was found to decrease with increasing drying temperature, but the total flavonoid content did not differ according to the drying method. Four phenolic compounds were detected, namely, arbutin, catechin, chlorogenic acid, and gallic acid; fruits dried using hot-air drying had greater contents of these compounds than fruit treated with the other drying methods. Although there was no difference in the quality of dried fruit production using physiological disorder fruit, it would have to be used as a component of processed food as the area of disorder part was clearly brown. Also, because the effects on colors, ingredients, and texture vary depending on the drying method, which can be used to produce dried fruits that can be stored for a long period of time.