Evaluation of Steaming and Drying of Black Sesame Seeds for Nine Cycles Using Grey-Correlation Analysis Based on Variation-Coefficient Weight

Abstract

This study aimed to improve the steaming process of black sesame seeds. A comprehensive evaluation was conducted using the grey-correlation method based on the variation-coefficient weight to observe the treatments of normal-pressure (NPS) and high-pressure (HPS) steaming (with/without soaking in water) for nine cycles. Their effects on the contents of water, protein, fat, ash, melanin, sesamin, and sesamolin of black sesame seeds, as well as the sensory score of the black sesame pill, were determined. We found that with varied steaming methods and increased steaming cycles, the contents of the nutritional and functional components of black sesame seeds and the sensory score of the black sesame pill differed. The results of the variation-coefficient method showed that water, protein, fat, ash, melanin, sesamin, sesamolin, and sensory score had different effects on the quality of black sesame seeds with weighting factors of 34.4%, 5.3%, 12.5%, 11.3%, 13.9%, 11.3%, 7.8%, and 3.5%, respectively. The results of two-factor analysis of variance without repeated observations indicated that the grey-correlation degree of HPS was the largest among the different steaming treatments, and the following sequence was HPS after soaking in water (SNPS), NPS, and SNPS. There was no significant difference between NPS and SNPS (p < 0.05). Moreover, with increased cycles, the value of the grey-correlation degree increased. The comprehensive score of the procedure repeated nine times was significantly higher than other cycles (p < 0.05). The results of the grey-correlation degree and grade analysis showed that the best steaming process of black sesame seeds was HPS for nine cycles, followed by HPS for eight cycles and NPS after soaking in water (SNPS) for nine cycles. These findings could provide a scientific basis for replacing SNPS with HPS to simplify steaming and realize the parametric steaming of black sesame seeds, and thus, ensure the quality of black-sesame products.

Evaluation of acetic acid treatment of fresh–cut water chestnuts using gray–correlation analysis based on the variation–coefficient weight

“…can affect the evaluation unit, resulting in inconsistent results; secondly, there can be both positive and negative correlations between things, and using a correlation model when there is a negative correlation can lead to incorrect conclusions; thirdly, it is not suitable for situations where the evaluation indicator information is duplicated, so the selection of indicators has a significant impact on the evaluation results. Given the simple calculation and reasonable evaluation, gray–correlation analysis had been used to comprehensively evaluate the effects of processing methods on turnip chips ( 40 ), Chinese yam chips ( 30 ), Hypsizygus marmoreus ( 31 ), black sesame seeds ( 56 ), South China ecotypic cucumber ( 57 ), and fresh–peach ( 39 ). The application of gray correlation analysis in the preservation of fresh–cut water chestnuts has not been reported yet.…”

Historical evolution and processing mechanism of ‘nine steaming and nine drying’ of traditional Chinese medicine preparation

“…Therefore, sesame seeds need to undergo various processes such as baking, frying, steaming, and sun drying before consumption (Zhang et al. 2023 ). Steaming and drying can cause serious damage to the shell of black sesame, deepen its color, increase its oil yield, decrease its protein content, and reduce the relative content of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs).…”