Physico-chemical properties of Chakiya variety of Amla (Emblica officinalis) and effect of different dehydration methods on quality of powder

Abstract

In present study a comparative study of wild variety and cultivated variety of Amla were carried out;simultaneously effect of different drying techniques on physicochemical properties of Amla powder were alsostudied. The fruits of wild variety were found smaller than the cultivated variety. In case of wild variety, thetotal phenolic contents were found to be 32.32 g/100 g of gallic acid equivalent (dwb), whereas Chakiya varietyhad 24.50 g/100 g of gallic acid equivalent (dwb). The fruits of Chakiya variety were used to prepare thepowder by different techniques like freeze drying, sun drying, spray drying, hot air drying and vacuum drying.Powder yield varied with type of drying method as sun drying (10.11%), tunnel drying (8.78%) and vacuumdrying (12.48%), spray drying (4.90%) and freeze drying (2.23%). Significant differences (p<0.05) in chemicalcomposition of Amla powder were observed when prepared by different techniques. The freeze dried powderhad the highest ascorbic acid content followed by spray dried powder. The lowest concentration of ascorbicacid was found in sun dried powder. Freeze dried samples showed maximum mineral contents in terms ofcalcium (79.6 mg/100 g), phosphorus (12.38 mg/100 g) and iron (88.03 mg/100 g).