International Journal of ChemTech Research CODEN (USA): IJCRGG ISSN : 0974-4290 Vol.6, No.10, pp 4520-4524, September 2014 RACE 2014 [12 th – 13 th July 2014] Recent Advances in Chemical Engineering Influence of process parameters on the kinetics of the osmotic dehydration of muskmelon (Cucumis melo) using Box Behnken Design A.Sangamithra*, V.Sivakumar, Swamy Gabriela John, K.Kannan Department of Food Technology, Kongu Engineering College, Perundurai - Erode-638 052, TamilNadu, India *Corres.author: asokmithra@gmail.com Abstract: Osmotic dehydration of muskmelon were optimized using response surface methodology with respect to concentration (40-60°Brix), temperature (40-60°C) and immersion time (60-300min) for maximum water loss, maximum weight reduction and minimum solid gain as response variables. Experiments were designed according to Box-Behnken Design with three factors each at three different levels. For each response, a second order polynomial model was developed using multiple linear regression analysis. The osmotic dehydration data was well fitted to the regression model with high correlation coefficient (R 2 > 0.90) using Design Expert. The Second order polynomial model for the water loss, solute gain and weight reduction yielded significant and predictive results. Using the desirability function method, optimized conditions were found to be sucrose concentration of 60°B, temperature 40°C and time 257.3 min. At this optimum condition water loss and solid gain were found to be 54.41 % and 10.74% respectively. Keywords:Muskmelon;Osmotic dehydration;Box-Behnken Design;Model fitting;Optimization Introduction Muskmelon (Cucumis melo) is a tropical fruit with sweet, fragrant yellow- orange colored flesh. It has a significantly high nutritional value and a good source of -carotene, vitamin C, dietary fiber and low in saturated fat and cholesterol and provides number of health benefits to the consumer. Muskmelon possesses a high commercial value and appreciated because of its peculiar sensorial and nutritional characteristics, but presents a very short post harvest shelf life at room temperature. Its highly perishable nature results in enormous decomposition at the time of surplus production. The osmotic dehydration is one of the alternative methods to fulfill the above requirements(Shi and Le Maguer 2002).Osmotic dehydration is a process of partial removal of water that involves immersion of the product in a hypertonic solution leading to loss of water through the cell membranes of the product (Sereno et al. 2001).The osmotic dehydration process can be used as a pre-treatment which inhibits enzymatic changes, retains natural color without addition of sulphites, retains volatile compounds during subsequent dryingand improves the nutritional, sensorial and functional properties of food(Fernandes et al. 2006; Singh et al. 2010). The present study aims at the influence of temperature, sugar concentration, and immersion time of osmotic dehydration process on changes in mass of the sample. It also aims at determining the optimum temperature, sugar concentration, and immersion time using response surface methodology in order to identify the process conditions for maximized water loss with minimized solid uptakes. www.sphinxsai.com