Abstract
Kinetic simulation and drying process optimization of corn malt by Simulated Annealing (SA) for estimation of temperature and time parameters in order to preserve maximum amylase activity in the obtained product are presented here. Germinated corn seeds were dried at 54-76 °C in a convective dryer, with occasional measurement of moisture content and enzymatic activity. The experimental data obtained were submitted to modeling. Simulation and optimization of the drying process were made by using the SA method, a randomized improvement algorithm, analogous to the simulated annealing process. Results showed that seeds were best dried between 3h and 5h. Among the models used in this work, the kinetic model of water diffusion into corn seeds showed the best fitting. Drying temperature and time showed a square influence on the enzymatic activity. Optimization through SA showed the best condition at 54 ºC and between 5.6h and 6.4h of drying. Values of specific activity in the corn malt were found between 5.26±0.06 SKB/mg and 15.69±0,10% of remaining moisture.
Highlights
Drying is used in some countries to preserve the product quality, especially in food and pharmaceutical industries
With the enzyme activity measured in each dry sample, this was divided by the specific activity of the malt (AE0), with the results presented dimensionlessly (AE)
As it can be seen in this table, the removal of moisture in the corn malt ranged between 40% and 42% (w/w) and high rate of moisture removal was achieved at 76 °C drying temperature
Summary
Drying is used in some countries to preserve the product quality, especially in food and pharmaceutical industries. It is defined as the removal of volatile substances (commonly but not exclusively, water) from a solid product, or as a transaction in which the water activity of a product is decreased by water removal through evaporation (BIAZUS et al, 2006a; OMID et al, 2009; PHOUNGCHANDANG et al, 2008; SANTOS & SILVA, 2008; SIMAL et al, 2005). (CHIN et al, 2008; OMID et al, 2009; PARK et al, 2006; REINATO & BORÉM, 2006). New techniques have been developed using solar energy, ultrasound and microwave energy (CHAVAN et al, 2008; CUI et al, 2008; FERNANDES & RODRIGUES, 2008; GANESAPILLAI et al, 2008, JESUS, 2002), the most common techniques are wood and gas (AFONSO JÚNIOR et al, 2006; REINATO & BORÉM, 2006)
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