Estimation of Thermodynamic Parameters for Better Conservation of Fresh Tomato (<i>Lycopersicum esculentum</i>)

Abstract

Knowledge of the state of water balance of agro-food products is an essential step in drying or storage operations for preservation. Our study made it possible to determine the thermodynamic parameters which influence the storage conditions of fresh tomatoes grown in the south of Benin; and to predict its hygroscopic behavior during post-harvest storage. The desorption isotherms obtained at 40℃, 50℃ and 60℃, by the static gravimetric method using saturated saline solutions, are compared with those of the theoretical models of Brunauer, Emmet and Teller (BET), SMITH, PELEG and Guggenheim-Anderson-Boer (GAB). An adjustment of the experimental points, on the theoretical models, was made thanks to the numerical method which exploits the fminsearch algorithm under the MATLAB software, version R2018a. The GAB model at 50℃ faithfully reproduces the experimental desorption curves for water activities from 5.5% to 82.3%. The net isosteric heat of sorption was determined using the Clausius-Clapeyron equation, it increases when the degree of dehydration of the product increases. The applied isokinetic theory and enthalpy-entropy compensation are consistent.