John ISA, Ayoola OLALUSİ, Omoba OLUFUNMİLAYO

Quality Evaluation of Foam Dried Watermelon Flakes

Watermelon is mostly eaten in fresh form due to its high moisture content which is responsible for its deterioration within a short time. Foam-mat drying of watermelon was carried out using a mechanical dryer. In the foam mat drying experiments, 10% egg albumen and 2% carboxyl methylcellulose were used as the foaming agent and stabilizing agent, respectively. Thin layer drying was carried out in the mechanical dryer under temperatures of 60 and 70C. Some nutritional qualities and chemical compositions of the watermelon were determined before and after drying. The result of the phytochemical properties revealed that the watermelon flakes have a high value of flavonoid content of 1.18±0.02 and 1.09±0.00 mg 100 g-1 with low terpenoid contents of 0.10±0.00 and 0.11±0.00 mg 100 g-1 for the sample dried using 60 and 70C respectively. High ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) value of 38.73±0.90 and 41.25±0.90 mg g-1 with low lycopene value of 0.312±0.00 and 0.323±0.01 mg g-1 was observed for the antioxidant properties of watermelon dried at 60 and 70⁰C. The vitamin content shows that the flakes are highly rich in vitamin C (46.26±0.03 and 47.35±0.02 mg g-1 for 60 and 70C, respectively) and had a low vitamin B1 content (0.15±0.01 and 0.13±0.00 mg g-1 for drying temperature of 60 and 70C, respectively). Therefore, the results of the foam-dried watermelon flakes showed that the qualities of the watermelon were preserved during drying and safe for consumption.

Keywords:

 Watermelon,  Nutritional qualities  Evaluation,  Drying,  Moisture content,

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