Effect of cyclic vacuum-steam blanching on the quality characteristics and functional properties of Malabar spinach (Basella alba) dried by non-water infrared refractance window drying

• Published in: Food chemistry 2025-02, Vol.465 (Pt 1), p.141901, Article 141901
• Main Authors: Durgawati, Balasubramanian, Paramasivan, Xiao, Hong-Wei, Sutar, Parag Prakash
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Basella alba; Blanching; Catechol Oxidase - chemistry; Catechol Oxidase - metabolism; Desiccation - methods; Drying; Food Handling - instrumentation; Food Handling - methods; Green leafy vegetables; Infrared Rays; Peroxidase - chemistry; Peroxidase - metabolism; Plant Proteins - chemistry; Preservation; Spinacia oleracea - chemistry; Steam - analysis; Vacuum
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.141901

In the present work, an effluent-free novel method including cyclic vacuum steam pulsed blanching (VSPB) pretreatment and non-water infrared refractance window drying (non-water IR-RWD) was employed to explore its effect on enzyme inactivation, drying behavior, quality and functional properties of dried Malabar spinach. The highest inactivation of peroxidase (90.23 %) and polyphenol oxidase (94.58 %) was observed in the 4th cycle of the VSPB pretreatment. With the increase in VSPB cycles from 1 to 5, the drying time was significantly reduced by 27.27 % to 54.54 % compared to the untreated sample. The color change values (ΔE) of VSPB pretreated non-water IR-RWD samples varied from 7.37 to 8.03. The findings in the current work indicated that vacuum-steam pulsed blanching combined with a non-water IR-RWD process is a promising technique for Malabar spinach powder production. •Vacuum steam pulsed blanching (VSPB) reduced drying time by 54.54 %.•The 4th cycle VSPB showed an effective reduction in enzyme activity.•VSPB enhanced total chlorophyll and total phenolic content of Malabar spinach.•VSPB combined with drying gives high-quality Malabar spinach powder.