BLUEBERRIES can lose bioactive properties during the dehydration process if this is not done properly - Los ARÁNDANOS pueden perder propiedades bioactivas durante el proceso de deshidratado si este no se hace correctamente

This work consists of a study of the dehydration of blueberry fruits at different temperatures in order to extend their shelf life and provide their consumption at any time of the year, in the form of dried blueberries.

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The current study aimed to evaluate the dehydration process of blueberry fruits at temperatures of 70º, 80º and 90ºC and its effect on their physicochemical and bioactive properties. The values for moisture content and water activity were still high for dehydrated fruits, although at temperatures of 80º and 90ºC, the dried fruits showed a water activity below the limit for contamination by pathogenic microorganisms. The antioxidant activity increased during the first half of dehydration at 80ºC, but after 3 h suffered a significant reduction, which continued up to the end of the process. The anthocyanins showed mean half-lives of 7.7 and 6.8 h for dehydration at 70º and 80ºC, respectively. These results indicated that the stability of the anthocyanins and the antioxidant capacity of the fruits could be related to both the intensity and the duration of the dehydration. The optimization of the drying time and temperature of these products is essential to avoid losses in the bioactive properties of blueberries.
Source: Priscilla M. Reque et al. (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jfpe.12249/abstract)