Comparison of Different Treatments and Drying Methods on the Physicochemical Properties and Antioxidant Activity of Cucumber Chips
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Abstract:
Cucumber slices were subjected to steam blanching or hot water blanching pretreatment, followed by drying using three different methods: hot air frying, hot air drying, and vacuum freeze-drying. The hardness, color, rehydration, electronic nose, chlorophyll, antioxidant activity, and other physiological indices of cucumber chips were determined to explore the effects of different pretreatment and drying methods on the physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity of cucumber chips. The results showed that the hardness of unpretreated freeze-dried cucumber chips was the lowest at 0.22 N. After blanching and freeze-drying, the rehydration rate and chlorophyll content of cucumber chips were the highest at 13.37% and 1.85 mg/g, respectively. The samples treated using air fryer and hot air drying had a darker color and were prone to browning, but the color of cucumber chips could be better maintained by blanching during pretreatment. The LDA analysis conducted using the electronic nose successfully differentiated the cucumber chips subjected to different drying methods. The antioxidant capacity of unpretreated freeze-dried cucumber chips was the highest, and the DPPH• scavenging rate and O2-• scavenging rate were 66.30 and 46.12%, respectively. Thus, the color characteristics of cucumber chips could be better maintained after pretreatment and blanching, but the antioxidant activity was lower. Freeze-drying preserved the color characteristics of cucumber chips better and enhanced their nutritional value, although at higher production costs.
