Moisture sorption characteristics of dried acid casein from buffalo skim milk

Adsorption and desorption isotherms of dried acid casein prepared from buffalo skim milk were determined at 25°, 35° and 45 °C over a water activity range of 0.11–0.97 using static moisture gain/loss from test samples. Both the adsorption and desorption isotherms exhibited sigmoid shape corresponding to type II, typical to many foods. There was generally a negative temperature effect on equilibrium moisture content. The effect of temperature was, however, statistically not significant over the temperature range of 25–45 °C. Of the seven sorption models tested for fitting the sorption data, the GAB model gave the best fit at all the three temperatures. The temperature dependence of GAB parameters has been determined in the form of Clausius–Clapeyron equation. The calculated values of monolayer moisture content from BET isotherm equation have been found to be lower than the corresponding values found by using GAB equation. However, in both cases the monolayer moisture was higher in desorption than the adsorption and deceased with increase in temperature. The net isosteric heat of sorption decreased exponentially with increasing moisture content and approached a constant value of 0.331 kJ/mol at moisture content 28 g/100 g (d.b.). The moisture sorption hysteresis observed at 25°, 35° and 45 C was statistically significant. The extent of hysteresis was negligible in monolayer moisture content region, occurred predominantly in the water activity range 0.35–0.60 and decreased at higher water activities. Total hysteresis energy was evaluated from the sorption data using Everett and Whitton plot. The effect of increase in temperature was to decrease the amount of hysteresis.