Moisture sorption isotherms and thermodynamic properties of whole black peppercorns (Piper nigrum L.)

•Moisture sorption isotherms of whole black peppercorns were developed.•The sorption isotherms had a shape of type III according to BET classification.•Eleven sorption isotherm models were fitted to the experimental data.•The GAB and Peleg model were the best models to describe the sorption isotherms.•Monolayer moisture content ranged from 3.5 to 4.8 g/100 g (dry weight basis).

Adsorption and desorption isotherms for whole black peppercorns (Piper nigrum L.) were developed at 22, 30 and 37 °C using standard static gravimetric method. The sorption isotherms exhibited a type III behaviour according to Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) classifications. The equilibrium moisture content (EMC) decreased with increasing temperature at a particular water activity (aw). Hysteresis existed over the entire aw range at 30 and 37 °C. At 22 °C, an intersection of the curves was found at aw closer to 0.75. The goodness of fit of the models was evaluated using several statistical indices and residual plots. The Guggenheim-Anderson-de Boer (GAB) and Peleg models were determined to best describe the experimental sorption data. The monolayer moisture content (M0) were 4.78, 3.56 and 3.49 g/100 g at 22, 30 and 37 °C for adsorption. The maximum isosteric heat of sorption was 28.1 and 73.3 kJ/mol for adsorption and desorption, respectively. The net isosteric heat of sorption and sorption entropy increased with increase in EMC; both curves dropped off exponentially after M0. The Gibbs free energy change for adsorption ranged from 100.6 to 9370.6 J/mol. The black peppercorns can be stored at 22, 30 and 37 °C, by reducing their MC to 10, 8 and 7 g/100 g, respectively, with aw below 0.60.