Effects of osmosis dehydration conditions on sensory value and biological activities of Ficus Auriculata (L.) dried fruits

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of osmotic dehydration conditions on the total polyphenol content (TPC), antioxidant activity, and sensory evaluation of dried fig products. The experimental design used a one-factor-at-a-time approach to test the effects of different factors such as sugar syrup concentration, temperature, and time on the product quality. The study found that the optimal osmotic dehydration conditions for maintaining high biological activity and favorable sensory qualities were soaking the figs in a 55 % concentrated sugar syrup at 55 °C for 150 minutes. Under these conditions, the resulting dried figs achieved: sensory evaluation score 4.37 ± 0.08 (on a 5-point scale), TPC of (706.24 ± 11.53) mg GAE/g dry basis, antioxidant activity of (422.78 ± 14.32) mg TE/g dry basis. This study provides a foundation for the development of products made from fig, hence a valuable raw material.