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 also
studied. The fruits of wild variety were found smaller than the cultivated variety. In case of wild variety, the
total phenolic contents were found to be 32.32 g/100 g of gallic acid equivalent (dwb), whereas Chakiya variety
had 24.50 g/100 g of gallic acid equivalent (dwb). The fruits of Chakiya variety were used to prepare the
powder 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 vacuum
drying (12.48%), spray drying (4.90%) and freeze drying (2.23%). Significant differences (p<0.05) in chemical
composition of Amla powder were observed when prepared by different techniques. The freeze dried powder
had the highest ascorbic acid content followed by spray dried powder. The lowest concentration of ascorbic
acid was found in sun dried powder. Freeze dried samples showed maximum mineral contents in terms of
calcium (79.6 mg/100 g), phosphorus (12.38 mg/100 g) and iron (88.03 mg/100 g).