Quality evaluation and drying characteristics of mango cubes dried using low-pressure superheated steam, vacuum and hot air drying methods

Ripe mango cubes were dried using different methods to process shelf-stable, nutrient-rich and convenient snack. To develop nutritive dried mango cubes as snack (MCS) low-pressure superheated drying (LPSSD) was carried out at 60-80 °C at ∼10 kPa and its effect on quality parameters and on drying behavior were compared to vacuum drying (VD) and hot air drying (HAD). In MCS higher retention of ascorbic acid, β-carotene, total phenol content and antioxidant activity followed the order of LPSSD, VD and HAD. Differences in color parameters, rehydration ratio and activation energy were not significant in MCS dried using LPSSD and VD as compared to HAD. Page model was found to fit best to the experimental data. Higher moisture diffusivity and lower activation energy was obtained in MCS dried by VD, followed by LPSSD and HAD. But, the differences were not significant in the activation energy in between VD and LPSSD process. The appropriate drying conditions for retaining the quality of MCS were found to be at 70 °C using LPSSD and at 60 °C using VD and HAD.