EMPIRICAL MODELLING AND OPTIMIZATION OF DRYING RATE AND QUALITY ATTRIBUTES OF TOMATO (LYCOPERSICON ESCULENTUM RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY (RSM)

Abstract

Empirical modelling and optimization of drying rate and quality attributes surface methodology (RSM). of design expert software version 6.0.6. Process factors or independent variables considered were pre treatments at five levels which include; the control, 40 were coded as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 respectively and drying air temperatures at five levels which include; 50, 55, 60, 65 and 70 o C. Samples (except the control) were pretreated in osmotic solutions with varied concentrations and soaking time. Five model soluble solids (TSS), protein and ash contents. The models developed were all significant as shown by analysis of variance (ANOVA) at p and R 2 Adj values for drying rate, total soluble solids, vitamin C, protein and ash contents were found to be 0.9238 and 0.8693, 0.9115 and 0.9168, 0.8498 and 0.7425, 0.8090 and 0.6725, 0.7804 and 0.6234 respectively. The validation procedure also shows that the exp close to each other. These show that the developed models have good fits and can satisfactorily describe the behaviour of responses with respect to process factors. minimized while others were maximized and best combination of process factors for each response were selected based on desirability value of close to 1, which were 1.000, 1.000, 1.000, 0.831 and 1.000 for d rate, total soluble solids, vitamin C, pr FJPAS Vol 2(1) ISSN: 2616 260 EMPIRICAL MODELLING AND OPTIMIZATION OF DRYING RATE AND QUALITY ATTRIBUTES OF TOMATO (LYCOPERSICON ESCULENTUM RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY (RSM) Obajemihi, Obafemi Ibitayo 2 Sunmonu, Musiliu Olushola ,. 3 Odewole, Michael Mayokun Adeboye, Olajide Abel ,and 5 Omoleyomi, Bamidele David Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, University of Ilorin Department of Agricultural Engineering, Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, Kwara State, Nigeria Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences Available online at www.fuoye.edu.ng Empirical modelling and optimization of drying rate and quality attributes surface methodology (RSM). The experimental design was performed in a rotatable central composite design, of design expert software version 6.0.6. Process factors or independent variables considered were pre treatments at five levels which include; the control, 40 o Bx, 1hr, 40 o Bx, 2hr, 60 were coded as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 respectively and drying air temperatures at five levels which include; 50, 55, 60, 65 C. Samples (except the control) were pretreated in osmotic solutions with varied concentrations and ing time. Five model equations were developed for the responses which were drying rate, vitamin C, total soluble solids (TSS), protein and ash contents. The models developed were all significant as shown by analysis of variance (ANOVA) at p≤0.05, and were 0.0009, 0.0002, 0.0085, 0.0186 and 0.0291 respectively. values for drying rate, total soluble solids, vitamin C, protein and ash contents were found to be 0.9238 and 0.8693, 0.9115 and 0.9168, 0.8498 and 0.7425, 0.8090 and 0.6725, 0.7804 and 0.6234 respectively. The validation procedure also shows that the experimental and predicted model values were close to each other. These show that the developed models have good fits and can satisfactorily describe the behaviour of responses with respect to process factors. Optimization result shows that only ash content w minimized while others were maximized and best combination of process factors for each response were selected based on desirability value of close to 1, which were 1.000, 1.000, 1.000, 0.831 and 1.000 for d rate, total soluble solids, vitamin C, protein and ash contents respectively.