Mangosteen Pericarp Processing Technology to Create Economic Value and Reduce Biowaste

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Agricultural Engineering
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Mangosteen pericarp is rich in bioactive compounds with potential health benefits.
• Effective processing methods are crucial for preserving these compounds and physical properties.
• Traditional processing may lead to degradation of valuable components.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comparatively investigate the effects of different processing schemes on mangosteen pericarp.
• To evaluate the impact of freezing and drying methods on physical properties and bioactive compounds.
• To determine the most operationally and economically viable processing scheme.

Main Methods:

• Experimental processing schemes included hot air drying (HAD), quick freezing/HAD (QF + HAD), slow freezing/HAD (SF + HAD), and slow freezing/freeze-drying (SF + FD).
• Freezing parameters: QF at -38 °C for 2 h, SF at -25 °C for 2 weeks.
• Drying parameters: HAD at 60 °C for 7 h, FD at -20 °C (primary) and 50 °C (secondary) for 48 h.

Main Results:

• Freezing methods significantly affected moisture content, water activity, and color of dried mangosteen pericarp.
• SF + HAD showed lower antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS) compared to SF + FD.
• α-mangostin and total phenolic content (TPC) were comparable between SF + HAD and SF + FD, with SF + HAD showing slightly lower values.
• Drying process had a negligible effect on bioactive compounds.

Conclusions:

• The SF + HAD processing scheme is the most operationally and economically viable for mangosteen pericarp.
• While SF + FD yields higher antioxidant activity, SF + HAD offers a practical balance of quality and cost-effectiveness.
• Processing methods influence physical properties, but bioactive compounds are relatively well-preserved across schemes.