The Impact of Different Drying Techniques on the Physicochemical and Quality Characteristics of Oil Palm Fruit Mesocarp (Elaeis guineensis)

Abstract

Drying is one of the traditional means of preserving food. However, various drying methods can influence the nutritional and bioactive constituents of the food product. This study is aimed at evaluating the effect of different drying methods on the proximate composition, physicochemical properties, and minor constituents of palm oil fruit mesocarp. Two varieties of fresh oil palm fruit (dura and tenera) were processed to separate the mesocarp from the other part of the fruit. The fresh fruit mesocarp was divided into five groups and subjected to different drying methods. Proximate and physicochemical characteristics of the oil palm fruit mesocarp were determined. The dried mesocarp had low moisture content (1.49-3.28%), high crude fat content (78.10-90.60%), carbohydrate (4.41-15.12%), crude protein (0.93-3.40%), and ash (0.53-1.15%). The free fatty acid (FFA) (1.06-3.54) and acid value (AV) (2.17 to 8.83 mgKOH/g) were lower because the samples were heated at 100°C for 30 min. The lower pH, FFA, AV, titratable acidity, moisture content, and high antioxidant activity of the oil palm fruit products could be an indication of shelf stability against microbial contamination and rancidity.

Food consumption and nutritional status of sedentarized Baka Pygmies in Southern Cameroon: wild foods are less important for those who farm

“…A generalized linear model (GLM) was used to assess food intake, energy, and macro-and micronutrients in relation to the following: village's distance to Mintom (in kilometers), season (coded as 1 to 4), participation in the ZyL agricultural training program (coded as 0 or 1), quantities of cultivated, purchased, and wild foods (in grams), HDDS (coded as 1 to 7), and red palm oil (coded as 0 or 1). Red palm oil, derived from the African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis), was included because of its nutritional and antioxidant properties (Oguntibeju et al 2009, Tonukari et al 2013, Rodríguez et al 2016, Boadu et al 2021. It is considered a healthier alternative to standard palm oil because of its minimal refining process, which retains more nutrients and is very high in vitamin A.…”

Analysis of the effect of time and heat on free fatty acid levels in dura and tenera palm oil

“…The two main types of palm fruits cultivated in Ghana are the dura palm fruit and the tenera palm fruit. The tenera palm fruit, characterized by its thick mesocarp, shorter cultivation period, and high yield, is particularly prevalent [33][34][35][36][37]. Local and small-scale farmers predominantly cultivate and harvest dura palm fruits, whereas industrial firms primarily rely on tenera palm fruits.…”

Development and application of edible coating on dried pineapple exposed to electrical blanching

“…Hence, there is increased research on the development of different processing techniques to preserve the nutritional, organoleptic, and shelf stability of fresh pineapple and pineapple food products to reduce losses (Chakraborty et al, 2015; Zziwa et al, 2021). Some common processes include drying, freezing, dehydration, canning, salting, pasteurization, and extraction (Azizan et al, 2020; Boadu et al, 2021; Cropotova et al, 2016; Dhar et al, 2021; Silva et al, 2017; Tayyab Rashid et al, 2020; Workneh et al, 2014). Among these, drying is one of the most convenient preservation methods.…”