Mushroom drying optimization using the Taguchi and Composite desirability methods.

Pleurotus ostreatus

Metabolic health

SpeciesOyster Mushroom

JournalJournal of the science of food and agriculture

Year2025

Key points

METHODS: The effects of drying temperatures (40, 50, 60, and 70 °C), air velocity (1, 2, 3, and 4 m.s -1 ), slice thickness (1, 2, 3, and 4 cm), and pretreatment methods (control, blanching, sonication, and chemical) were evaluated
A Taguchi L 16 orthogonal design with triplicate runs was employed, and multi-objective optimization was performed using principal component analysis combined with a composite desirability function
RESULTS: The highest drying rate (7.086 gmin -1 ) was achieved at 70 °C, 4 m s -1, 1 cm slice thickness, with sonication
For SMER, temperature and slice thickness had the greatest effects (71% and 14.5%), whereas effective D eff (1.18 × 10 -8 -7.22 × 10 -7 m 2 s -1 ) was influenced most by slice thickness (67.8%), temperature (14.5%), and pretreatment (8.9%)
Sonication at 60 °C, 2 m·s -1, and 4 cm thickness resulted in the highest Rh (4.67) and ΔE. Based on composite desirability, the optimal drying conditions were 60 °C, 4 m s -1, 4 cm thickness, with sonication pretreatment
CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that process optimization enhanced drying efficiency and product quality significantly, with sonication emerging as the most effective pretreatment method. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry

Metadata-grounded summary

Citation abstract

BACKGROUND: Oyster mushrooms are perishable and sensitive to heat. Optimization of drying processes is therefore essential to preserve their nutritional and physical qualities.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to optimize the drying kinetics and quality attributes of oyster mushrooms using a heat-pump dryer under varying operating conditions.

METHODS: The effects of drying temperatures (40, 50, 60, and 70 °C), air velocity (1, 2, 3, and 4 m.s -1 ), slice thickness (1, 2, 3, and 4 cm), and pretreatment methods (control, blanching, sonication, and chemical) were evaluated. A Taguchi L 16 orthogonal design with triplicate runs was employed, and multi-objective optimization was performed using principal component analysis combined with a composite desirability function. The responses were drying rate (DR), specific moisture evaporation rate (SMER), moisture diffusion coefficient (D eff ), color change (∆E), rehydration ratio (Rh), total flavonoid content (TFC), and total phenolic content (TPhC).

RESULTS: The highest drying rate (7.086 gmin -1 ) was achieved at 70 °C, 4 m s -1, 1 cm slice thickness, with sonication. Drying temperature contributed 39.2% to the variation in drying rate and air velocity contributed 30.3%. For SMER, temperature and slice thickness had the greatest effects (71% and 14.5%), whereas effective D eff (1.18 × 10 -8 -7.22 × 10 -7 m 2 s -1 ) was influenced most by slice thickness (67.8%), temperature (14.5%), and pretreatment (8.9%). Sonication at 60 °C, 2 m·s -1, and 4 cm thickness resulted in the highest Rh (4.67) and ΔE. Based on composite desirability, the optimal drying conditions were 60 °C, 4 m s -1, 4 cm thickness, with sonication pretreatment.

CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that process optimization enhanced drying efficiency and product quality significantly, with sonication emerging as the most effective pretreatment method. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Citation

El-Kolaly W, Abdelkader TK, Wang Y, Abd-Elhalim H, Li M, Rong J, et al. (2025). Mushroom drying optimization using the Taguchi and Composite desirability methods. Journal of the science of food and agriculture https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.14383 PMID: 40424187

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