Effects of pre-drying treatments combined with explosion puffing drying on the physicochemical properties, antioxidant activities and flavor characteristics of apples

• Published in: Food chemistry Vol. 338; p. 128015
• Main Authors: Feng, Lei, Xu, Yayuan, Xiao, Yadong, Song, Jiangfeng, Li, Dajing, Zhang, Zhongyuan, Liu, Chunquan, Liu, Chunju, Jiang, Ning, Zhang, Min, Zhou, Cunshan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 15-02-2021
• Subjects: Antioxidant activities; Antioxidants - chemistry; Apples; Color; Desiccation - methods; Electronic Nose; Explosion puffing drying; Flavonoids - analysis; Flavor characteristics; Flavoring Agents - analysis; Food Quality; Food-Processing Industry - methods; Freeze Drying; Fruit - chemistry; Malus - chemistry; Microwaves; Phenols - analysis; Taste; Vacuum; Volatile Organic Compounds - analysis; Apples; Antioxidant activities; Explosion puffing drying; Flavor characteristics
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.128015

•MDEPD and FDEPD products had better color stability and textural properties.•MDEPD and FDEPD better preserved antioxidant activity of apples.•Flavor characteristics of apples obviously changed with different drying methods.•Drying qualities of apples could be classified in terms of flavor characteristics.•MDEPD and FDEPD could improve the drying qualities of apple products.
The purpose of this research was to study the effect of hot air drying, microwave vacuum drying and freeze drying combined with explosion puffing drying (HDEPD, MDEPD and FDEPD) on physicochemical properties, antioxidant activities and flavor characteristics of apples. The results showed that MDEPD and FDEPD products had better color and textural properties, exhibited a homogeneous porous structure. MDEPD and FDEPD better preserved scavenging abilities of DPPH, hydroxyl radical and FRAP, retained values of TFC and TPC. Aroma characteristics and taste properties of apples obviously changed with different drying methods, and drying qualities of products could be classified in terms of volatile compounds and taste profiles. Two principal components were able to describe 90.12% and 69.43% of the total volatile compound variance and total taste profile variance, respectively. Three main clusters of dried apples were identified, MDEPD and FDEPD can be used to enhance drying qualities of apple products.