Effect of sonication pre-treatment and drying temperature on avocado seeds (Persea americana) drying kinetics and flour quality

Avocado finds its primary use as a fresh product, but there is a growing interest in its industrial use. Processing of the fruit originates many by-products and wastes, represented by seeds and peels, whose amount can reach 21-30% of the initial weight of the fruit. This study investigated the effects of sonication (35 kHz 30°C) pre-treatment and drying temperature (40-50-60°C) on Avocado Seeds (Persea Americana) drying kinetics and flour quality. For modelling the drying kinetics, five different empirical equations were tested, and the Modified Page model (II) indicated a better fitting to the experimental data. The sonication pre-treatment reduced the drying time. The seeds flour total phenols, and tannins contents showed that only for 60 ºC the sonication of the product before drying resulted in better preservation. However, sonication pre-treatment reported a higher color deterioration, particularly in the samples treated at 50 and 60°C.