Correlation of mechanical properties of peach slices with cell wall polysaccharides and cell morphology during hot air predrying

Abstract

The mechanical properties, cell wall polysaccharides, cell morphology, and cell wall ultrastructure of peach slices during hot air predrying were investigated. A continuous decrease was observed with respect to the elastic modulus and maximum stress, and total pectin, hemicellulose, and cellulose contents of the cell wall in the peach samples with an increase in the drying time. However, an increasing trend was seen in the viscosity index and fractal dimension of the cell cross-sectional area. The elastic modulus and maximum stress were positively correlated and grouped with the cellulose content and total pectin content. The viscosity index was close to the fractal dimension of the cell cross-sectional area and was negatively correlated with the content of cell wall polysaccharides. In this study, the correlations of mechanical properties with cell wall polysaccharides and cell morphology during hot air predrying were constructed for guiding the textural quality improvement of hot air dried products. Practical applications Hot air drying is often used in the dehydrated products of fruits and vegetables. In this study, peach fruit was selected to study the mechanical properties of peach slices during the hot air predrying process by observing the cell wall polysaccharides, the morphology, and microstructure of cells. Their changing trend and correlations were revealed. The results of this study can be useful for the process optimization and textural quality improvement of hot air dried fruits and vegetables.