Effect of drying conditions on properties, pigments and antioxidant activity retentions of pretreated orange and purple-fleshed sweet potato flours.

Pigmented sweet potatoes (SPs) are outstanding sources of anthocyanin, β-carotene and other color-related phytonutrients. However, fresh SP roots are highly perishable and difficult to store. To reduce losses and extend their uses, fresh SP could be converted into flour. SP cultivars with deep purple (Phichit 65-3) and orange-fleshed (T101) colors newly developed in Thailand were studied. The influence of drying methods on physico-chemical properties, anthocyanin, β-carotene and antioxidant activity retentions of purple and orange-fleshed SP flours (SPFs) was investigated. Peeled purple and orange SPs were pretreated by blanching (100 °C, 5 sec) and soaking in 0.5 % (w/v) sodium metabisulphite, then dried in either hot air oven at 50-80 °C or steamed for 10 min and placed to the drum dryer at 80-110 °C and 3-7 rpm drum speed. The drying processes significantly enhanced anthocyanin contents of SPFs by 1.8 to 3.8 times; however, there was a significant loss of β-carotene occurred during drying processes. Drum drying yielded SPFs with better color, higher total phenolic contents and antioxidant activity than the hot air drying. Pasting temperatures of hot air dried orange-fleshed SPFs (84-85 °C) were slightly higher than those of purple-fleshed SPFs (80-83 °C). Drum drying process produced pre-gelatinized (instant) SPFs as indicated by RVA and DSC results. The optimal conditions for drum dried and hot air dried SPF manufactured were 95 °C at 5 rpm and 70 °C, respectively, based on anthocyanin, β-carotene, total phenolic, antioxidant activity, color retentions, and pasting properties.