Effects of Osmotic Dehydration on Drying Kinetics and Bioactive Properties of Jaboticaba Berries

Abstract

This study examined the vacuum drying of jaboticaba berries at temperatures ranging from 40 to 70 °C. Prior to drying, the berries underwent osmotic dehydration using 70% sugar and 10% salt solutions separately. The drying behavior of the osmotically treated berries differed at higher temperatures (60–70 °C). Instead of the usual two falling rate periods, the osmotically treated berries displayed an increasing rate, followed by a falling rate period. The Midilli–Kucuk model satisfactorily described the drying kinetics, and the moisture diffusivity was approximately 4 × 10^–10 m²/s, increasing to 1 × 10^–9 m²/s at 70 °C. The drying temperature and duration influenced the phenolic compounds, including flavonoids and anthocyanins, as well as the reducing power of the berries. Flavonoids (0.97–1.56 mg of QE/g) were more susceptible to extended drying duration than temperature, while salt-treated berries could prevent rapid degradation of anthocyanins (0.25–0.51 mg of C3G/g) better than sugar-treated berries (0.12–0.50 mg of C3G/g). Nontreated berries demonstrated an IC₅₀ value of 303.50 μg/mL against the proliferation of lung cancer cells.