Novel ultrasonic-assisted vacuum drying technique for dehydrating garlic slices and predicting the quality properties by low field nuclear magnetic resonance.

A novel ultrasonic-assisted vacuum drying technique for dehydrating garlic slices to give high quality products was developed. Garlic slices were dried at 60 °C using four methods: ultrasonic-assisted vacuum drying (USVD), vacuum drying (VD), ultrasonic-assisted drying (USD), and convective drying (CD, the control with no vacuum or ultrasonic applied). Drying kinetics, water-content changes, and properties of the garlic slices were assessed. Univariate linear and partial-least-squares regression models were used to predict the properties from low-field nuclear magnetic resonance parameters. USVD gave the shortest drying time (180 min less than CD) and provided a better garlic color and texture, and allicin retention rate than the other methods. Higher correlations between low-field nuclear magnetic resonance parameters and quality properties were found by partial-least-squares regression (PLSR) than by univariate analysis, with the analysis results being credible. Overall, ultrasonic-assisted vacuum drying produced high-quality products with its properties predicted well by low-field nuclear magnetic resonance.