Optimization of Microwave Hydrodiffusion and Gravity (MHG) for Pre-treatment of Dehydration and Obtaining a Jaboticaba Extract

The present study verified for the first time the application of an experimental design to find the ideal condition of dehydration of jaboticaba samples, using microwave hydrodiffusion and gravity (MHG) as pre-treatment. The condition determined by the experimental design was 525 W (power) and 225 g (mass), providing a reduction of more than 50% in the moisture content of the fruit in just 11 min of extraction. As a result, the pre-treatment reduced the total dehydration time compared to isolated conventional processes. Furthermore, pre-treatment with MHG allowed the preservation of bioactive compounds, such as anthocyanins, one of the berry’s most abundant phenolics; its subsequent dehydration in an oven simultaneously obtained a dehydrated fruit and aqueous extract sources of anthocyanins. MHG combined with a conventional process makes it possible to reduce the final dehydration time and receive a lower moisture content; the berry is fully utilized, being acquired in two simultaneous ways: a dehydrated berry and an aqueous extract.