Efficacy of microwave irradiation in enhancing the shelf life of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.). (May 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Misra, Sourav; Rayaguru, Kalpana; Dash, Sanjaya Kumar; Mohanty, Simanta; Panigrahi, Chirasmita
• Is Part Of: Journal of stored products research. Volume 97(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-05
• Subjects: Microwave heating -- Groundnut -- Packaging material -- Storage -- Quality attributes; Food -- Storage -- Periodicals; Farm produce -- Storage -- Diseases and injuries -- Periodicals; Entomology -- Periodicals; Food Contamination -- Periodicals; Food Preservation -- Periodicals; Insect Control -- Periodicals; Aliments -- Entreposage -- Périodiques; Produits agricoles -- Entreposage -- Maladies et dommages -- Périodiques; Electronic journals; 631.568
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jspr.2022.101957
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-474X

Abstract

Abstract: This study aimed to investigate the effect of microwave irradiation on quality attributes of groundnut ( Arachis hypogaea L.) during the storage period of four months. In this experiment, the groundnut seeds of Devi variety (ICGV-91114) were exposed to power density levels (3 and 5 W/g) and treatment time (60 and 90 s) maintaining the initial moisture content (IMC) at 5 ± 0.1 and 7 ± 0.1% db in packaging materials of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and polypropylene (PP). With the increase in power level and exposure time, the moisture content and germination percentage were found to decrease. Groundnut kernels at IMC 5% showed lower infestation and samples treated with 3 W/g for 90 s showed a higher percentage of oil yield. The samples treated with 3 W/g for 60–90 s and 5 W/g for 60 s exposure time, stored in PP retained both seed and grain qualities at the end of 4 months. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was carried out to define the most appropriate descriptors of quality attributes of the microwave treated groundnut samples during the storage period. The highest significant negative correlation was found between moisture content and oil yield (r = −0.815) as well as between germination capacity and free fatty acid content (r = −0.815) whereas infestation percentage was positively correlated with the moisture content (r = 0.719) of microwave treated groundnut samples during the four months of storage study. Highlights: The study on the effect of microwave radiation and packaging materials on seed and grain qualities of stored groundnut is novel and has not been published earlier. The quality attributes of the samples treated with 3 W/g for 90 s and 5 W/g for 60 s could be preserved up to the desired level at the end of 4 months. The microwave irradiated groundnuts with an initial moisture content of 5% stored in polypropylene packaging material showed a lower rate of deterioration of seed and grain qualities during the prolonged storage period. PCA analysis represented the correlation between the quality attributes of stored microwave-treated groundnuts. The outcomes of the research will reduce the post-harvest losses of groundnuts and provide benefits to the farmers, processors as well as consumers directly at the domestic level.