Effect of ultrasound‐assisted osmotic dehydration on cell structure of sapotas

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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Drying is a traditional way of fruit preservation. Because of the high energy costs associated with air‐drying, osmotic dehydration is often applied as a pretreatment to reduce air‐drying time. Ultrasound is an emerging technology with several applications in food processing. The effect of ultrasound on fruit tissue depends on the tissue structure and composition, and ultrasound might be beneficial to improve air‐drying efficiency, with consequent reduction in process costs. In this study the effect of ultrasound and ultrasound‐assisted osmotic dehydration on sapota tissue structure was evaluated.RESULTS: Ultrasound induced cell disruption and breakdown of cells with high phenolic content (dense cells) and also induced elongation of parenchyma cells. Ultrasound application combined with high osmotic gradient enhanced water loss and solid gain because of the formation of microscopic channels. Ultrasound‐assisted osmotic dehydration induced gradual distortion of the shape of cells, cell breakdown and formation of microscopic channels. Micrographs of the fruit tissue showed that ultrasound preferentially affected dense cells.CONCLUSION: Ultrasonic pretreatment was able to preserve the tissue structure of the fruit when distilled water was used as liquid medium. The application of ultrasound‐assisted osmotic dehydration resulted in severe changes in the tissue structure of the fruit, with consequent increase in the effective water diffusivity, because of the formation of microscopic channels and cell rupture. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry

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