Investigation of the effect of drying methods on the quality properties of wild saffron corm (Joghasem)

Salehi, Fakhreddin; Ghorbani, Hamidreza; Samary, Kimia

doi:10.22104/ift.2025.7616.2215

Investigation of the effect of drying methods on the quality properties of wild saffron corm (Joghasem)

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

¹ Associate Professor, Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Food Industry, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran.

² BSc Student, Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Food Industry, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran

³ MSc Student, Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Food Industry, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran

10.22104/ift.2025.7616.2215

Abstract

In this study, three drying methods include hot air, microwave, and infrared radiation were used to dry Joghasem (wild saffron corm) (Crocus haussknechtii). Initially, the outer skin of fresh Joghasem corm was removed, and the drying process was conducted at 70°C for hot air, at power levels of 220, 330, and 440 watts for microwave drying, and at 250 watts for infrared drying. After drying, the effective moisture diffusivity coefficient was calculated, and drying kinetics data were fitted using various mathematical models that ultimately, the Page model was selected as the most appropriate model. The dried samples were ground and evaluated for total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, and color indexes including lightness, redness, and yellowness. The results showed that the highest total phenolic content (1184.92 μg gallic acid per gram) was observed in the sample dried with infrared radiation, which was significantly different from other methods (p<0.05). On the other hand, the highest antioxidant capacity (96%) was recorded in the sample dried using microwave at 440 watts, which also corresponded with the highest effective moisture diffusivity coefficient (1.99 × 10⁻⁸ m²/s) and the shortest drying time. Meanwhile, the lowest lightness index and the highest redness and yellowness indexes were found in the infrared-dried Joghasem powder, showing significant differences compared to other samples (p<0.05). Therefore, considering the high moisture diffusivity, preservation of bioactive compounds, and desirable product color, microwave drying at 440 watts is recommended as the appropriate method for drying Joghasem.

Graphical Abstract

Highlights

Three drying methods include hot air, microwave, and infrared radiation were used to dry Joghasem.
The highest total phenolic content was observed in the Joghasem dried with infrared radiation
Page model had a good fit to the experimental data of Joghasem drying.
Microwave drying at 440 watts was as the appropriate method for drying Joghasem.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Food engineering

References

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