DEHYDRATION METHODS FOR PRESERVATION OF FLESHY FRUITS FROM ANGIOSPERM PLANTS

Abstract

The bounty of tropical nature is evident in the explosion of flavor, aroma, and nutrition of fleshy fruits. However, their highly perishable nature has been a source of economic and material losses in the agri-food chain. Seeking to address this problem, the research presented in this article was conducted to evaluate the dehydration methods used for preserving fleshy fruits from angiosperm plants. To this end, a descriptive research methodology was applied, employing elements inherent to documentary, field, and experimental designs. This allowed for the identification of the characteristics of fleshy fruits belonging to the species Mangifera indica (mango), Musa x paradisiaca (banana), and Carica papaya (papaya), as well as the most appropriate dehydration methods to prevent microbial or physiological deterioration that could alter their initial characteristics and reduce their shelf life. In this regard, the unified use of osmotic and microwave dehydration, based, among other aspects, on the phenomenological models of Crank and Azuara, enabled the achievement of favorable and effective results in terms of water removal, retention of volatile compounds of interest, acceptable alterations to physicochemical, organoleptic, and sensory characteristics, and increased preservation periods. Consequently, the participants in the research expressed their acceptance of the dehydrated fruits, as they retained a pleasant taste, aroma, and consistency. Therefore, it is recommended that studies be conducted with new combinations of dehydration methods, that procedural methodology be optimized, that the energy and nutritional value of these fruits be determined, and that the effectiveness of these methods be disseminated.