Abstract
The osmotic dehydration (OD) and complementary drying of pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) fillets were studied. Pieces of the dorsal portion of pirarucu (60mm×20mm×10mm) underwent OD in a binary solution (NaCl-water) with the application of vacuum pulse following a central rotatable composite design. The effect of the following process variables was assessed: temperature (20-40°C), osmotic solution concentration (15-25% NaCl), and vacuum pulse pressure (7-101kPa) on water loss (WL), solid gain (SG), and water activity (aw). OD kinetics was obtained and the Peleg model was fitted to WL and SG data. The osmotically dehydrated pirarucu was dried (40-70°C) in a fixed-bed dryer and mathematical models were fitted to the drying data. The optimal operational condition for the OD process was 35°C, solution with 25% NaCl, and atmospheric pressure, which yielded WL of 14.87±1.46%, SG of 8.56±0.45%, and aw of 0.87±0.02. The Peleg model efficiently predicted the WL and SG kinetics. The increase in the water loss in drying was more evident at low temperatures (40-50°C) with effective diffusivity ranging from 10.85×10-9 to 12.30×10-9 m2/s. The Midilli and Page models efficiently predicted the drying kinetics.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
