The Impact of Pulsed Electric Field Pretreatment on Clitoria ternatea Flower Drying Properties and Bioactive Compounds

The increase in consumption of functional beverages is promoting the utilization of natural ingredients high in bioactive compounds, including Clitoria ternatea flower. Therefore, this work examines the impact of pulsed electric field (PEF) pretreatment on the drying performance and bioactive content of C. ternatea flowers. The experiment was conducted using pulse strength variations of 1.5, 3, 4.5, and 6 kV/cm as drying pretreatment. The properties analyzed were drying rate, total phenolic, flavonoid, anthocyanin, tannin, and antioxidant capacity (FRAP, ABTS, and DPPH). The PEF significantly increased the drying rate and maintained the bioactive compounds. A pulse strength of 6 kV/cm caused a 20% reduction in drying time compared to the untreated sample and produced the highest increase in all bioactive properties. These included total phenolic (101.97 GAE/mL), flavonoid (75.64 QE/mL), anthocyanin (11.61 mg/L), tannin (21.03 TAE/mL), and antioxidant activity (DPPH 63.59%, ABTS 58.17%, and FRAP 107.76 AAE/mL). The mechanism of the increase could be related to the cell electroporation, which facilitated the release of water, accelerated the drying rate, and maintained bioactive compounds. In line with the analysis, this research showed the potential of PEF as an effective pretreatment in the drying of C. ternatea -based food materials.