Exploration of the impact of different drying methods on the quality of Gastrodia elata: A study based on drying kinetics and multidimensional quality evaluation

• Published in: Food chemistry 2025-02, Vol.464 (Pt 2), p.141628, Article 141628
• Main Authors: Li, Ming-xuan, Wang, Bin, Li, Yu, Nie, Xin-ru, Mao, Jing, Guo, Qiang, Xu, Nuo, Fu, Rao, Guo, Zhi-jun, Zhao, Xiao-li, Bian, Zhen-hua, Lu, Tu-lin, Ji, De
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antioxidants - chemistry; Desiccation - instrumentation; Desiccation - methods; different drying methods; drying kinetics; Food Handling; Food Preservation - instrumentation; Food Preservation - methods; Freeze Drying; Gastrodia - chemistry; Gastrodia elata; Kinetics; multidimensional quality evaluation; Quality Control; Taste
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.141628

In this study, the drying kinetics and multidimensional quality of Gastrodia elata (GE) obtained through five different drying methods were analyzed. The Page model provided the best fit. Though widely used, hot-air drying (HA-D) showed mediocre performance. Due to strong heat penetration, microwave drying (MV-D) and infrared drying (IR-D) effectively reduced drying time and energy consumption. However, they experienced Maillard and caramelization reactions, resulting in notable cell structure shrinkage, severe browning, pronounced caramel taste, and poor retention of active ingredients. Conversely, freeze-drying (F-D) and vacuum drying (V-D), due to the involvement of low-temperature or vacuum environments, demonstrated optimal performance in preserving microstructure, antioxidant activity, active ingredients, and flavor. However, F-D was time-consuming (1320 min) and had an energy consumption of 2.69 times that of HA-D, limiting its large-scale application. V-D struck the best balance between energy consumption and product quality, making it a highly promising drying method for GE. •Apply drying kinetics and Deff to evaluate drying characters of the dried GE.•Via microstructure, color attributes, active ingredients, and flavor to evaluate.•Systematic exploration of the impact of five drying methods on GE quality.•Vacuum drying (V-D) is a promising method for large-scale production of GE.