Drying temperatures on the functional properties of purple-fleshed sweet potato

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Purple-fleshed sweet potatoes are rich in phenolic compounds, such as anthocyanins, and also exhibit hypoglycemic properties. Anthocyanins are natural antioxidants with the capacity to inhibit or delay injuries caused by free radicals. Drying is one of the most commonly used vegetable preservation methods; although,it has parameters that affect the sensory and physicochemical properties of the final product. The present study assessed the impact of drying temperatures (40, 50, and 60 °C) on the purple-fleshed sweet potato. Cut, unpeeled potato slices of 4 cm in diameter and 3 mm in thickness were dried in an oven with hot air circulation. The effect of the different temperatures on the antioxidant capacity, phenolic compound content, and total and monomeric quantities of anthocyanins in purple sweet potato were measured, and a mathematical model describing the drying kinetics was determined. According to the results observed, the process at 40 °C better preserved the phenolic compounds; however, drying at 50 °C was more efficient for conserving the antioxidant capacity measured by the H + capture method performed by DDPH, and for the total and monomeric quantities of anthocyanins. The mathematical models that best described the kinetic curves were those of Henderson and Pabis, and Page.