Osmotic Dehydration of Coconut Slices In Hypertonic Sugar Solution: Optimization of Process Variable Using RSM

摘要

In this study osmotic dehydration of coconut slices was performed to determine the weight reduction (WR), solid gain (SG) and Water loss (WL) over the range of concentration of sugar solution(43.18 to 76.82 % w/w), temperature (26.59 to 43.41 °C) and processing time (1.32 to 4.68 hours). A statistical tool of the Central Composite design has been used to design the experimental run and optimization. The quadratic regression equation describing the effects of these factors on WL, SG and WR were developed. Analysis of the regression coefficients showed that concentration of sugar solution with temperature and temperature with processing time for WR ,the concentration of with processing time for SG and concentration of sugar solution with temperature and temperature with processing time for WL were the most important factor that affects the osmotic dehydration of coconut slices. Optimum conditions for maximum percentage of weight reduction (20.852%), minimum percentage of solid gain (2.267%) and maximum percentage of water loss (23.119%) was found to be concentration of (61.189 % w/w), temperature (34.915 °C) and processing time (3.084 hours).