Tomato skin drying: Mathematical modeling and effect on lycopene content extracted with Moringa oleifera oil.

Abstract

The aim of this work was to study the convective drying of tomato skin as by-product of tomato processing industry and the influence of this operation on the lycopene content extracted with Moringa oleifera oil. The effect of combining of air temperatures (40, 55 and 70°C) and air velocities (1, 2 and 3 m/s) on the drying kinetics of tomato skin were studied. Diffusional and empirical models were fitted to the experimental data. The effect of the drying conditions on the lycopene content was determined from its extraction in moringa oil. Temperature and air velocity combination had a significantly (p > 0.05) influence on the drying kinetic. This combination can promote a reduction on the lycopene content. Drying process was satisfactory described by diffusional and empirical models and their coefficients were reported for the material investigated. A threshold range of air velocity with influence on the external resistance to the moisture transfer was detected.