Effects of ultrasound-assisted air-drying on vitamins and carotenoids of cherry tomatoes

ABSTRACT

This work examined the influence of the ultrasonic-assisted air-drying on the dehydration of cherry tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme) and on the availability of vitamins B, E, and carotenoids in the dried product. This study allowed estimating the effective water diffusivity for the air-drying process and for the air-drying process subjected to ultrasonic waves. The water effective diffusivity increased by 33–89%, depending on the operating conditions, when subjected to ultrasound. The application of ultrasound increased the availability of vitamins B₁, B₂, B₃, B₆, and B₅, releasing the vitamins bounded to membrane, protein, or apoenzyme. The use of ultrasound allowed the retention of carotenoids in the dried product when drying was carried out at a low temperature (45°C) and low air velocities (1 m/s).

KEYWORDS:

• Cherry tomato
• drying
• ultrasound
• vitamins