Secagem da laranja Kinkan (Fortunella margarita): análise cinética e influência da temperatura nos compostos bioativos

Abstract

Kinkan orange (Fortunella margarita) is a small citrus fruit with a thin, edible, and sweet-tasting peel. Native to Southeast Asia, it is rich in bioactive compounds such as vitamin C, carotenoids, and phenolics. The fruit has a notably sweet peel that contrasts with its tart inner flesh. Its consumption provides antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune-boosting benefits. In addition to being consumed fresh, it is used in culinary applications, health maintenance, and research on the industrial utilization of its peel. This study aimed to investigate the drying of Kinkan orange peel at different temperatures (45 °C, 55 °C, and 65 °C), evaluating its influence on effective diffusivity and the preservation of phenolic compounds, vitamin C, and carotenoids. The methodology involved tray drying with controlled temperatures and physicochemical analysis of the bioactive compounds. The results showed that increasing the drying temperature from 45 °C to 65 °C raised the effective diffusivity from 0.00062 to 0.00178 cm²·min⁻¹. Although higher temperatures accelerate the drying process, they also intensify the degradation of thermosensitive compounds. At 45 °C, better preservation of phenolic compounds and vitamin C was observed, while 55 °C was more efficient for maintaining carotenoids, with a shorter drying time and no significant losses.