Chemical properties of pumpkin dried by different methods

• Author(s): Henriques, F ; Guiné, Raquel ; Barroca, MJ
• Date: 2012
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.19/1134
• Origin: Repositório Científico do Instituto Politécnico de Viseu
• Subject(s): pump; drying; fibre; ash; vitamin c; sugars; antioxidant activity; phenolic compounds
• Document Type: Article
• Language: English

Description

The present work evaluates the effect of drying treatments such as convective air drying and freeze-drying on the chemical properties (mois- ture contents, fi bre, ash, vitamin C and sugars), antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima L.). The trials in the convective chamber were done at 40 ºC and 60 ºC, in the drying tunnel were done at 60 ºC and in the freeze dryer were done at -50 ºC. From the results obtained it was possible to verify that all drying treatments affected the chemical composition of pumpkin in terms of fi bre, ash, vitamin C and sugars. Furthermore, the freeze drying originated products with less reduction in sugars, but with a higher degree of degrada- tion of fi bre and vitamin C. With respect to antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds it is possible to conclude that the different dried products are quite similar and do not reveal important differences when compared to the fresh product.