Convective hot air drying of Aloe vera slices and its quality evaluation Mali Ashwini Ramchandra, Swami Shrikant Baslingappa* Department of Post-Harvest Engineering, Post Graduate Institute of Post-Harvest Technology and Management, Killa-Roha, Dist: Raigad (Maharashtra State) (Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli-Campus Roha) India *Corresponding author: swami_shrikant1975@yahoo.co.in
Online published on 29 November, 2024. Abstract In the present study, the convective hot air drying of Aloe vera slices was performed at 45, 55, and 65°C. The drying characteristic i.e. moisture content versus time, Drying rate versus moisture content, and moisture ratio versus time, was discussed. Three mathematical models were fitted to the experimental data on moisture ratio versus time i.e. Newton, Page and Henderson pabis models were fitted to the experiment data. The page model was fitted well. The dried slices were evaluated for their various nutritional and functional quality parameters i.e. moisture content, protein, fat, ash, fiber, carbohydrate bulk density, water absorption capacity, and wettability. The protein decreased from 7.10 ± 0.03 to 5.57 ± 0.03, fatwas decreased from 2.02 ± 0.12 to 1.97 ± 0.10, ash increased from 16.33±0.29 to 17.33±0.29, fiber decreases was from 14.98 ± 1.38 to 14.92 ± 2.65, carbohydrates was increases from 54.68 ± 1.71 to 54.97 ± 2.75, bulk density decreases from 0.48 ± 0.01 to 0.45 ± 0.01, water absorption capacity increases from 1.34 ± 0.06 to 2.35 ± 0.50, and wettability increases from 35.00 ± 1.00 to 36.67 ± 0.58 respectively when the temperature of drying increases form 45 to 65°C. The functional properties can be helpful for the development of herbal cookies etc. Top Keywords Aloe vera, Convective hot air drying, Physico-chemical properties, Functional properties. Top |