Abstract

Characterization of dehydrated functional fractional spinach powder

Author(s): Ankita,K.Prasad

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) leaves respire and transpire even after harvesting. Moisture of spinach leaf during post harvest period loss rapidly due to transpiration, which reduces the cell turgor and results in the leaves of reduced acceptability and quality. The rate of faster deterioration of this important leafy winter vegetable thus categorized among highly perishable commodity. Processing of such commodities is therefore essential to utilize for their future use. Dehydration is an important unit operation applied mainly to remove the moisture in form of vapor from its surface into the surrounding to obtain relatively shelf stable dried form. For easier handling, storability and usability, the leaves are generally crushed into powdered form and often fractionated to incorporate the functionality in it. The efforts have been made under the present study to obtain the functional spinach powder. The prepared powder was characterized and suggested for the possible benefits and their uses during off season as the ready to use nutritional and functional material.