Comparative evaluation of drying techniques for physico-economic optimization of dehydrated matured raw soft flesh jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) bulbs

Introduction

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.), a member of the Moraceae family, is an important tropical fruit crop believed to have originated in the rainforests of the Western Ghats of India. In India, it is cultivated over about 1, 92,000 ha with a production of 45, 77,000 metric tons (Anonymous, 2026) [1] . The fruit is nutritionally rich, containing carbohydrates (37.4-42.5%), protein (1.9 g/100 g in flakes; 5.3-6.8% in seeds), vitamin C (7-10 mg/100 g), and essential minerals such as potassium and calcium (Subburamu et al., 1992) [5] . Despite its high nutritive value, its utilization remains limited due to high perishability and bulkiness.Traditional fried products from tender jackfruit are becoming less popular due to high oil absorption, health concerns, rancidity, and storage issues. Hence, there is a need for alternative processing methods that enhance shelf life while maintaining quality. Dehydration is an effective preservation technique that reduces moisture content, thereby extending shelf life and enabling long-distance storage and transportation. Dehydrated jackfruit bulbs retain much of their nutritional value and can serve as ingredients in processed foods and health products. Their reduced weight and longer shelf life make them suitable for export, especially with increasing global demand for exotic and functional foods. Additionally, dehydration helps utilize surplus and substandard fruits, reducing postharvest losses and supporting sustainable practices. In regions like Konkan, increased jackfruit production offers scope for employment generation through processing and value addition.In this context, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of different drying methods on the quality of raw jackfruit bulbs.

Material and methodology

The research was carried out in the year 2022 and 2023 at the Pomology Laboratory and Fruit Processing Unit of the College of Horticulture, Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, and Dapoli.

Fruits: Fruits of jackfruit and kokum were collected from the nursery no.10 and Rukhi block of Dr. Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli, and Dist.-Ratnagiri. Selected fruits were washed with running tap water to remove adhering dirt and then used for making value added products.

Packaging material

Aluminium foil pouches of 100 g capacity were used for storage of dehydrated raw soft flesh jackfruit bulbs

Equal initial weight was taken for drying per treatment i.e. 16000 g per each treatment with the help of electronic weighing balance.

The selected soft fleshed raw jackfruit bulbs were dried according to treatment details till constant moisture content and then weighed on electronic weighing balance and average of 7 replications was recorded in grams

A required number of cleaned petri dishes were taken and weighed. Ten grams of prepared sample was taken in cleaned petri dishes and replicated seven times. The petri dishes were kept in hot air oven at 60±2℃ until a constant weight was obtained. The per cent moisture content was estimated by using following formula

Statistical analysis

The data obtained over the two-year research on different parameters was statistically analysed using conventional analysis of variance producers according to Panse and Sukhatme (1985) [3] . The standard error of the mean (S.Em) and critical difference at (C.D.) at 1% level in the laboratory were computed. Tables, charts and plates were used to support the data and critical outcomes.

Effect of different drying methods on physical parameters of dehydrated matured raw soft flesh jackfruit bulbs.

The data of physical parameters of dehydrated matured raw soft flesh jackfruit bulbs is given in Table 1.

Equal initial weight was taken for recording physical observations i.e. 16000 g per each treatment.

According to pooled data, highest final weight of dried bulbs (4443.2 g) was recorded in treatment T3 (sun drying) while lowest final weight of dried bulbs (3833.6 g) was recorded in treatment T2 (cabinet dryer). Highest final weight of dried bulbs recorded in treatment T3 (sun drying) might be due to lower drying temperature present inside the drier viz. 25 -35 °C±2 °C. However, it was higher in case of other treatments (45 -55 °C for solar drying and 60 °C for cabinet dryer). Analogous findings were also reported by Hyandavi et al. (2022) [2] in case of tender jackfruit powder.

According to pooled data, highest dried bulbs recovery (27.77%) was recorded in treatment T3 (sun drying) while lowest dried bulbs recovery (23.96%) was recorded in treatment T2 (cabinet dryer). Highest dried bulbs recovery recorded in treatment T3 (sun drying) might be due to lower drying temperature present inside the drier viz. 25 -35 °C±2 °C. However, it was higher in case of other treatments, as stated above. The drying time showed an inverse relationship with temperature, decreasing from 26-28 hours in sun drying (25-35 °C±2 °C) to 14 -16 hours in solar drying (45 -55 °C) and further to 10 -12 hours in cabinet drying at 60 °C, indicating that higher drying temperatures, although reducing drying time, may lead to greater moisture loss and shrinkage, thereby reducing recovery. Analogous findings were also reported by Hyandavi et al. (2022) [2] in case of tender jackfruit powder.

According to pooled data of 2022 and 2023, lowest moisture (5.87%) was recorded in treatment T2 (cabinet dryer) while highest moisture (6.67%) was recorded in treatment T3 (sun drying). Lowest moisture (%) recorded in treatment T2 (cabinet dryer) might be due to higher drying temperature present inside the drier viz. 60 °C±2 °C which might have evaporated more moisture as compared to other treatments. This might be due to the maintained high temperature inside the cabinet dryer, which can favor more water loss and short time for drying. Similar findings were also reported by Phyu et al. (2024) [4] in fresh Yinkwae mango slices and Hyandavi et al. (2022) [2] in case of tender jackfruit powder.

Cost of processing

The data regarding effect of different drying methods on cost of processing of dehydrated matured raw soft flesh jackfruit bulbs are presented in Table 2. The total cost of processing for the preparation of 100 g dehydrated matured raw soft flesh jackfruit bulbs was highest ₹ 27.35 under treatment T2 (cabinet drying) and lowest ₹ 14.27 in T3 (sun drying). According to sensory score for overall acceptability, the range of selling price of 3 treatments were adjusted. For overall acceptability score 7.5 and above sale price of dehydrated jackfruit bulbs was taken as 500 kg -1 . For overall acceptability score 7.0 -7.5 sell price were taken as 400 kg -1 and overall acceptability score 6.5 -7.0 sell price were taken as 300 kg -1 . As per sensory evaluation is concerned, treatment T2 (cabinet drying) was most acceptable. Selling price of dehydrated jackfruit bulbs was found to be highest in T2 (₹ 50/100 g) and its benefit cost ratio was 1.83 which was lowest among all treatments under study. Depend on overall acceptability, minimum selling price (₹30/100 g) was of T1 (solar drying) and its B:C ratio was 1.93. Highest benefit cost ratio was recorded in treatment T3 (sun drying) i.e. 2.80. It might be due to, it did not include electricity cost.

Plate 1: Dehydrated matured raw soft flesh jackfruit bulbs

References

1. Anonymous. Area and production of horticulture crops for 2024-25 (final estimates). National Horticulture Board (NHB), Government of India; 2026.
2. Hyandavi M, Narayana Swamy A, Swetha B, Ravindra M. Effect of drying techniques and packaging methods on shelf life of tender jackfruit powder. Int J Proc Post Harv Tech. 2022;13(1):104-109.
3. Panse VG, Sukhatme PV. Statistical methods for agricultural workers. 4th ed. New Delhi: Indian Council of Agricultural Research; 1985.
4. Phyu TA, Soe TT, Theingi M, Kyaw PND. Influence of different drying methods on physico-chemical properties of dried mango slices (cv. Yinkwae mango) (Mangifera indica L.). Acta Sci Nutr Health. 2024;8(3):22-26.
5. Subburamu K, Singaravelu M, Nazar A, Irulappan I. A study on the utilization of jack fruit waste. Bioresour Technol. 1992;40(1):85-86.