Manal Lehmad, Youssef EL Hachimi, Patrick Lhomme, Safa Mghazli, Naji Abdenouri
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) are gaining attention as an alternative protein source in food and feed, promoting a circular economy, particularly in their dried form. In the literature, monitoring the behavior of larvae in a humid environment has not been established under different conditions of temperature and relative humidity as well as the quality of dried larvae is not always correlated to the conditions of drying. Therefore, this study comprehensively analyses the adsorption–desorption isotherms, drying kinetics, and subsequent quality changes of dried BSFL. Sorption isotherms were assessed at 40, 50, 60, and 70 °C using the gravimetric method, followed by mathematical modelling and determination of thermodynamic variables. Thin-layer drying kinetics were studied in a forced-air oven at the same temperatures, with a subsequent proximate analysis of the dried larvae. Among eight sorption isotherm models evaluated, the Peleg model provided the best fit, revealing type II sorption isotherms with an optimal storage water activity of 0.38. The Page model accurately described the drying kinetics of BSFL across all temperatures. Moisture diffusion coefficients ranged from 6.15 × 10–11 to 2.63 × 10–10 m2/s, with an activation energy of 48.66 kJ/mol. The dried larvae displayed impressive protein levels, varying from 39.67 ± 0.28% to 45.29 ± 0.07%, exceeding the minimum requirements set in the global insect production industry. Higher drying temperatures significantly impacted the proximate composition, reducing larvae quality. These findings underscore the potential of BSFL as a valuable protein source and enhance the understanding of their sorption behavior and quality attributes during drying. This study contributes to the optimization of drying conditions for improving the quality of BSFL as a sustainable protein alternative.
期刊介绍:
Biophysical studies of foods and agricultural products involve research at the interface of chemistry, biology, and engineering, as well as the new interdisciplinary areas of materials science and nanotechnology. Such studies include but are certainly not limited to research in the following areas: the structure of food molecules, biopolymers, and biomaterials on the molecular, microscopic, and mesoscopic scales; the molecular basis of structure generation and maintenance in specific foods, feeds, food processing operations, and agricultural products; the mechanisms of microbial growth, death and antimicrobial action; structure/function relationships in food and agricultural biopolymers; novel biophysical techniques (spectroscopic, microscopic, thermal, rheological, etc.) for structural and dynamical characterization of food and agricultural materials and products; the properties of amorphous biomaterials and their influence on chemical reaction rate, microbial growth, or sensory properties; and molecular mechanisms of taste and smell.
A hallmark of such research is a dependence on various methods of instrumental analysis that provide information on the molecular level, on various physical and chemical theories used to understand the interrelations among biological molecules, and an attempt to relate macroscopic chemical and physical properties and biological functions to the molecular structure and microscopic organization of the biological material.