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Effect of edible natural polymer coating on strawberry slices dried by

convection

Conference Paper · August 2016

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 The 20th International Drying Symposium (IDS 2016)
Gifu, JAPAN, 7-10 August 2016
P1-29

EFFECT OF EDIBLE NATURAL POLYMER COATING ON STRAWBERRY

SLICES DRIED BY CONVECTION

Anabel LÓPEZ-ORTIZ1, Freddy M. TORRES-ANTONIO2, Marcos F. MORALES-

CELAYA2, Juan RODRÍGUEZ-RAMÍREZ3*, Lilia MÉNDEZ-LAGUNAS3, Sadoth
SANDOVAL-TORRES3 and Isaac PILATOWSKY-FIGUEROA1

1
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Méxic-IER.
Priv. Xochicalco s/n, Col. Centro Temixco, Morelos, México, 62580
01(777) 362-0098 EXT 38008
2
Universidad Tecnológica de los Valles Centrales de Oaxaca
Av. Universidad S/N, San Pablo Huixtepec, Oaxaca, México, 71270
Phone +52 1(951)1175313, ana_l_oz@hotmail.com
3
Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CIIDIR-OAXACA
Hornos 1003, Sta. Cruz Xoxocotlán, Oaxaca, México, 71230
Phone +52 (951)5170610, 5170400, ext. 82776, fax +52(951) 5170400
jrodrig@ipn.mx, mendezll@hotmail.com

Abstract: It has been reported protein and glycerol films can improve the color stability of
strawberries. Opuntia ficus indica mucilage is a neutral polysaccharide that contains
arabinose, rhamnose, galactose and xylose. This particular composition can be used as
coating film for protection of the strawberry color. Nevertheless, the drying kinetics and
mass transfer mechanism can be affected by the coating. Therefore experimental design
was performed. Stawberry slices (2 y 4 ± 1 mm of thickness) and tree drying
temperatures (40, 50 y 60°C) were tested. The slices were coating using opuntia ficus
indica mucilage. The mucilage was obtained by maceration with water (1:1 ratio) at 80 °C
during 2 minutes. Moisture content and color (L*, a*, b*) was measured during drying
process. Characteristic curve of drying, chroma, ∆E, Hue were calculated. Drying kinetics
was similar to previous studies founded in the literature. It was found an evaporative and a
diffusive mechanism of mass transfer. Also was found that drying velocity depends of the
thickness and the temperature of drying. Color deterioration was correlated to moisture
content, and thickness, being observed that is major in uncoated samples. Edible natural
coating doesn’t affect the drying time.

Keywords: coating mucilage, drying kinetics color, thickness, drying velocity.

et al., 2009). In convective drying of whole

INTRODUCTION
Strawberry is an antioxidant natural source (Wang,
Cao, and Prior, 1996; Heinonen, Meyer, and Frankel,
1998; Wang and Lin, 2000); such as, anthocyanins,
flavonoids, phenolic acids (Rice-Evans and Miller,
1996; Wang and Lin, 2000). Also, it contains vitamin
C, fiber, potassium and other minerals. Nevertheless,
is highly susceptible to microbial contamination, and
thus hindering their marketing. The conservation of
the strawberry can do it through to the drying
process.
The edible coating in order to minimize the quality
deterioration has been studied in raw food storage
(Baldwin, et al., 1995; Rahman, 1999; Rojas-Graü,
strawberries was demonstrated the decrement in
pigment degradation using alkaline ethyl oleate
solution as coating (Doymaz, 2008). In Ginger was
demonstrated that the drying rate is higher when
Ethyl Oleate is used as edible coating, in 2.5 ± 0.5
mm slices, compared with untreated samples
(Deshmukh, et al., 2013).
Nevertheless, a natural edible coating is not used for
improve quality or diminish pigment deterioration in
convective drying. Therefore, the aim of this work
was evaluate the effect of mucilage opuntia (Opuntia
ficus-indica L.) as coating on strawberry (Fragaria x
anannasa Dutch) air convection (40, 50 y 60ºC).
 METODOLOGY apparent densities according to the definition of
Strawberry (Fragaria x anannasa, Dutch) and porosity as established by Zogzas et al.[26]
Opuntia ficus indica were purchased with a local
All measurements were made by triplicate. An
farmer in Zimatlán de Álvarez, Oaxaca, México. It
ANOVA was performed, α = 0.05, using software
was used samples with maturity index of 6,
NCSS (2003).
determined according to the National Standard;
NMX-FF-062-SCFI-2002. The slices were coated RESULTS
(MG) and uncoated (SM) with edible natural polymer
(mucilage) from Opuntia ficus indica. The Figures 1 and 2, shows a characteristic comportment
of the drying kinetics. Similar curves were reported
experiment was carrying out in a tray drier
(DKN402C, Yamato®, Japón) at 40, 50 and 60 °C. by Doymaz (2008) for strawberry sliced in halves,
dried at 50 °C. In this work it was observed an
Mucilage extraction influence of thickness on the time and rate of drying
as was demonstrated by other authors (Madamba,
The mucilage was obtained by aqueous extraction.
Driscoll, and Buckle, 1996; Nguyen and Price, 2007)
The Cladodes were cut into squares of 1 x 1 cm. The
for different food samples.
samples were weighed and put into a flask with
distilled water in 1:1 ratio. The maceration was
carried out at 80 °C during 2 min. The mucilage was
separated from solid mass by filtration using a
metallic sieve (Tyler No. 35) and stored at 4 ◦C.
Sample preparation
Strawberry (Fragaria x anannasa, Dutch) was cut in
longitudinal slices at two thicknesses of 2 and 4 ± 0.5
mm using an adjustable steel slicer. The samples
were dipped in the mucilage extracted previously
during 3 seconds and placed on two plastic meshes
(27.2 x 34.4 cm.) and then placed in the tray drier.
Sliced strawberry samples were removed from the
drier during the process in order to determine the Fig. 1. Drying kinetic of strawberry slices (2 and
density and color. 4mm of thickness) coated with edible natural
Color determination polymer (MG).
Three strawberry slices were randomly selected for
color measurement. Color (a*, b* y L*) was
determined periodically during drying process using
a mimiscan colorimeter (4500L, HunterLab®, USA).
Chroma and °Hue were determinate by equations
1and 2.

(1)

(2)

Bulk density determination

Apparent density (ρb) was measured in 1 ± 0.25 g of
sample, using the volume displacement method with
Hexane and a density kit (Aux 220, Shimadzu,
Japan). Measurements were carried out within ≈10 s
to prevent the immersion liquid from being absorbed.
This variable was calculated with the following
equation:
(3)
where ρl was 680 kg/m3.
Fig. 2. Drying kinetic of strawberry slices (2 and
4 mm) without coating (SM).
A diffusive and evaporative mechanism was
observed in all experiments with coated samples
(Fig. 3). The drying rates for coated samples were not
affected significantly by treatment with mulilage
diping. Similar results were obtained with starch gels
coated with ethyl oleato (Saravacos and Marousis,
1988). Thus, hating cost is not modified by the use of
natural polimer coating.
Fig. 3. Drying rate of strawberry slices (2 and 4 mm)
coated with edible natural polymer (MG). Fig. 5. a* parameter of strawberry slices (2 and
4) without coating (SM).
Pigmentation deterioration was observed in all Color appearance parameter (°Hue) was decreasing
experiments. The influence of thickess was proven during drying process; the angle was ranged between
for both coated and uncoated samples. a*, the 0.4 and 0.7 indicating a red color. Again, in samples
rednness indicator, was affected by the drying with coating, a critical point was found below to 0.2
process. For slices (2 mm) coated whith mucilage of dimensionless X. Also, 0.2 mm of thickness shows
were observed higher values of a* compared with better results for saturation (Fig. 6).
slices of 4 mm (fig. 4). A critical point was identified
below to 0.2 of dimensionless X. This result is an
indirect measure of concentration of pigments such
as pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside and cyanidin-3-O-
glucoside (Wojdyło, et al., 2009). The increment at
the last stage of the drying can be due to new
pigment components formation.

Fig. 6. °Hue of strawberry slices (2 and 4 mm)

coated with edible natural polymer (MG).

Fig. 4. a* parameter of strawberry slices (2 and 4

mm) coated with edible natural polymer (MG).
For slices without coating was not found an effect of
thickness in a* and the critical point also was not
identified (Fig. 5). The values in a* with coated
samples were higher than uncoated samples. This
comportment can be due the interaction of the
mucilage to prevent oxidation of red components as
anthocyanins. Nevertheless, was not identified an
apparent influence of temperature on a*. Fig. 7. Color saturation (chroma) of strawberry slices
(2 mm) coated (MG) and uncoated (SM) with edible
Many coating substances are used to prevent color natural polymer.
deterioration in fresh products. Carrageenan, whey
protein concentrate was used in fresh apples, Color saturation in samples of 2 mm coated (MG)
maintained the original colour during storage without was higher than in uncoated samples (Fig. 8).
changes in sensory properties (Lee et al., 2003) Nevertheless, this difference was not identified in
samples of 4 mm. Changes in color, Chroma, hue, a*
were a less affected in coating samples. Other natural
polymer in combination with an antioxidant agent
were used in pera (Alginate, gellan, N-
acetylcysteine) for browning prevention for 2 weeks.
In this case, an antioxidant agent was not necessary
for improve the color quality of dried strawberry.
Fig. 8. Bulk density of strawberry slices (2 mm)
coated (MG) and uncoated (SM) with edible natural
polymer.
A non linear relationship was found for bulk density
and moisture content of strawberry slices. The effect
of coating and thickness were negligible for density
values during all process (Fig. 8 and 9). A low
dependency of temperature in density was observed.
This means, that also, coating has not effect in porous
formation during drying.
Fig. 9. Bulk density of strawberry slices (2 and 4
mm) coated (MG) with edible natural polymer.
CONCLUSIONS
The use of edible natural coating allows less color
deterioration. Furthermore, a negligible effect was
identified in density and drying time. The thickness
and temperature effect is observed in mass transfer
and drying rate in both coated and uncoated samples.
NOMENCLATURE
L* luminosity
a* greenness and reednness
b* blueness and yellownnes
MG Mucilage coating
SM Without mucilage coating
ms-a Mass of the strawberry in the air [kg].
ms-li Mass of the strawberry in the liquid [kg].
3
ρ Density of the sample [kg/m ].
Subscripts
0 origin
b Bulk
e equilibrium
li immersion liquid
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to thank the UTVCO for the
facilities provided to carry out this investigation; and
the generous financial support of the project F-
PROMEP-39/Rev-04 and scholarship from
PRODEP.
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