Effects of Different Osmotic Pre-Treatments on the Drying Characteristics, Modeling and Physicochemical Properties of Momordica charantia L. Slices

Tugce Ozsan Kilic, Ismail Boyar, Cuneyt Dincer, Can Ertekin () and Ahmet Naci Onus
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Tugce Ozsan Kilic: Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Akdeniz University, Antalya 07070, Turkey
Ismail Boyar: Department of Agricultural Machinery and Technologies Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Akdeniz University, Antalya 07070, Turkey
Cuneyt Dincer: Department of Food Processing, Akdeniz University Finike Vocational School, Antalya 07740, Turkey
Can Ertekin: Department of Agricultural Machinery and Technologies Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Akdeniz University, Antalya 07070, Turkey
Ahmet Naci Onus: Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Akdeniz University, Antalya 07070, Turkey

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 10, 1-21

Abstract: A significant vegetable in the Cucurbitaceae family, the bitter gourd ( Momordica charantia L.) is widely recognized for its beneficial health properties, including anti-diabetic, anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, antiviral activities. With a total of three Brix values (50, 60, and 70) and three different dipping times (10, 20, and 30 h), the goal of the current study was to identify the proper sugar and grape molasses solutions (pekmez) and dipping times for osmotic pre-treatments of bitter gourd samples to make it sweet and widely consumed. In the present study, mathematical modeling of drying processes, moisture content and water activity, total color changes, total phenolic content-antioxidant activity, and carotenoid contents were assessed. As a result of 13 different mathematical modeling tests, “Diffusion Approach”, “Logarithmic” and “Midilli et al.” models were the best models, giving the highest R 2 and lowest X 2 -RMSE values. There were samples that were dipped at 50 °Brix grape molasses, which decreased below the 10% wet basis (w.b.) limit in the shortest time with 180 min, in a 10 h dipping time. The samples were dipped in 60 °Brix sugar, which fell below the same limit in the shortest time with 135 and 165 min, respectively, at 20 and 30 h dipping times. The highest total phenolic and carotenoid contents were found in 30 h dipping time in 60 °Brix grape molasses with 8296.87 mg/kg and 10 h dipping time in 50 °Brix sugar solutions with 89.22 mg/kg, respectively. While the phenolic content was higher in all samples dipped in grape molasses, the carotenoid content was higher in all samples dipped in sugar, which was one of the most important results of the study.

Keywords: bitter gourd; osmotic pre-treatments; hot air drying; modeling; antioxidant activity; total phenolic content; carotenoid content; color change (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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