Author(s): I. BISWAS, S. MANDAL, M. SAMADDER AND S. MUKHERJEE

Abstract: Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia), a seasonal vegetable is a source of many essential nutrient and contain low energetic and anti-diabetic property. To increase the self-life, a drying operation was done by using hot air oven dryer at different thickness of fruit slice (3,6 and 9mm) and temperature (60,70 and 80°C). The sliced bitter gourds were treated by NaCl solution before drying and dried up to 5 per cent moisture content (MC) on dry basis (db) and grinded to powder for further experiment. The drying rate increases with increase of temperature and decrease of thickness whereas diffusion and activation energy increase with increase of temperature and thickness and they are significantly variable. The maximum value of diffusion coefficient, activation energy, ascorbic acid and the protein were found at 80°C and 9mm thickness (1.9149×10-9(m2 s-1), 118.77 KJ kg-mol-1, 77.65 mg100g-1 and 5.65% (d.b.)) and minimum at 60°C and 3mm (0.0085×10-9(m2 s-1), 74.93 KJ kg-mol-1, 17.65 mg 100g-1 and 3.77% (d.b.)). Losses of nutrients were non-significantly variable.

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