Application of Ultrasound and Ultrasound-Assisted Osmotic Dehydration in Drying of Fruits

This work examines the influence of ultrasonic and ultrasonic assisted osmotic dehydration pretreatments on the dehydration of eight fruits (banana, genipap, jambo, melon, papaya, pineapple, pinha, and sapota). An overview of the effects of ultrasound application on water loss, sugar gain, and effective diffusivity of water during the dehydration process is presented. The results showed significant differences for water loss and sugar gain among the fruits that were studied, which were analyzed based on the changes observed on the tissue structure of the fruit. The results also showed that the effective diffusivity of water in the fruit increased after application of ultrasound reducing air-drying time.