Application of Box-Behnken design in optimization of ultrasound effect on apple pectin as sugar replacer

Abstract

Ultrasound treatment is widely used in food industries in order to improve the food quality. In present study, the Box-Behnken design was used to determine the optimum experimental conditions of sugar replacement with ultrasound treated pectin in both the cake batter and final cake product. The variables involved in Box-Behnken design included sonication time (5–25 min), amplitude (20–60%), and sugar replacement level with ultrasound treated pectin (10–30%) to determine the effects on batter density and consistency index, and cake density, volume, hardness and chewiness. Predicted values of parameters using model equations were in good agreement with the experimental values with R2 ≥ 0.8. The high quality of aerated cake product was obtained at optimized conditions of 10% sugar replacement with ultrasound treated pectin at 20% amplitude for 25 min. The results shown that 10% of sugar replacement with ultrasound treated pectin in batter system gave higher batter consistency index and thus produced bigger cake volume together with lower hardness and chewiness. Pectin treated with longer sonication time and higher ultrasound amplitude results in lower batter density and thus enhances the cake volume with less dense crumb structure.