Cold plasma: An emerging pretreatment technology for the drying of jujube slices. (1st February 2021) - Bao, Tao
Highlights: Jujube slices were subjected to cold plasma pretreatment (CPP) before drying. CPP changed the surface topography of jujube slices by etching larger cavities. CPP significantly enhance drying rate and effective diffusivity. CPP improved polyphenol contents and antioxidant capacity of dried jujube slices. Cold plasma is a very promising pretreatment tool for drying processes. Abstract: Jujube slices were pretreated by cold plasma for 15, 30, and 60 s on each side, followed by hot air drying at 50, 60, and 70 °C. Scanning electron microscopy investigation indicated that the application of cold plasma significantly changed the surface topography of jujube slice by etching larger cavities, which can facilitate moisture transfer and consequently enhance drying rate and effective diffusivity. Modified Henderson & Pabis model and Two‐term model were the two most recommended models for describing the drying kinetics of jujube slices. Cold plasma pretreatment improved the contents of procyanidins, flavonoids, and phenolics by 53.81%, 33.89%, and 13.85% at most, respectively, and thereby enhanced antioxidant capacity by 36.85% at most. Besides, cold plasma pretreatment can reduce the production of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural by 52.19% at most. In summary, cold plasma can be used as a promising pretreatment tool for drying processes of jujube slices.