Acerola processing waste: Convective drying with ethanol as pretreatment

Area of Science:

• Agro-industrial waste valorization
• Food science and technology
• Biochemical engineering

Background:

• Acerola seeds are agro-industrial waste rich in bioactive compounds but have high moisture content.
• Drying is essential for preserving acerola seeds, but conventional methods can be time-consuming.
• Ethanol pretreatment (ET) offers a potential method to improve the drying efficiency and quality of acerola seeds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of ethanol pretreatment on acerola seed drying kinetics.
• To analyze the effects of ET on bioactive compound content, cell wall thickness, and color.
• To determine the optimal drying conditions for pretreated acerola seeds.

Main Methods:

• Acerola seeds underwent a 2-minute immersion in ethanol followed by convective drying at 40°C and 60°C.
• Drying kinetics were monitored until equilibrium moisture content was reached.
• Analysis included bioactive compound quantification, cell wall thickness measurement, and color assessment.

Main Results:

• Ethanol pretreatment reduced drying time by up to 36.36%.
• ET increased effective diffusivity, decreased cell wall thickness, and preserved seed color.
• Ascorbic acid content was enhanced, and anthocyanin bioactivity increased post-drying.

Conclusions:

• Ethanol pretreatment is an effective method for improving acerola seed drying efficiency and quality.
• Drying at 60°C with ethanol pretreatment yielded the best results for bioactive compound preservation.
• This process enhances the valorization of acerola seed waste into a valuable ingredient.