Resumen
In this study, the effect of temperature and pretreatment on the rehydration capacity of nectarine slices dried either with pretreatment and under ambient conditions (?natural?) at 50°C in a cabinet dryer was investigated. Rehydration proceeded with distilled water at three different rehydration temperatures (25, 50, and 75°C). Initial rehydration rates increased with rehydration temperature for all samples and were highest for the potassium carbonate (potas)-pretreated samples. At all rehydration temperatures, the equilibrium moisture content was highest for those pretreated with potas solution. The values of Deff varied from 2.79 to 4.32x10-10, 1.72 to 2.34x10-10, and 1.86 to 2.58x10-10 m2 s-1 for potassium carbonate, citric acid, and natural samples, respectively. The activation energy values were 5.65, 6.06, and 8.29 kJmol-1 for citric acid, natural, and potassium carbonate nectarine slices, respectively. The rehydration data were fitted to Peleg and first-order kinetic models: the first order kinetic model was found to be the most appropriate model for rehydration of nectarine slices.