Authors : K.G. Kaptso, Y.N. Njintang, M.M.G. Nguemtchouin, J. Scher, J. Hounhouigan and C.M.F. Mbofung
Abstract: Bambara groundnuts is an indigenous, underutilized African legume grown primarily for its seeds which are eaten fresh when semi ripe as a pulse when dry and mature or ground into a flour. In this study, the experimental dehydration behavior of two different varieties of of bambara groundnuts, Black variety (BB) of moisture content 0.88 g g-1 and White variety (WB) of moisture content 0.90 g g-1 was investigated and the experiments were carried out under isothermal conditions using convection air-forced dryer at 50, 60 and 70°C. The drying data were fitted to the different mathematical models such as Lewis, Henderson and Pabis, Logarithmic and two-term models. The performance of these models was investigated by comparing the determination of coefficient (R2), reduced Chi-square (χ2) and Standard Estimate Error (SEE) between the observed and predicted moisture ratios. The results obtained showed that the logarithmic and the two term models successfully described the drying behaviour of the seeds. Generally, the moisture diffusivity constants derived from the Fick’s law of diffusion increased with increase in temperature according to the Arrhenius type equation with BB variety exhibiting low values (5.97x10-11 to 8.51x10-11 m2 sec-1) and WB high values (1.44x10-11 to 2.78 x10-10 m2 sec-1).
K.G. Kaptso, Y.N. Njintang, M.M.G. Nguemtchouin, J. Scher, J. Hounhouigan and C.M.F. Mbofung, 2013. Drying Kinetics of Two Varieties of Bambara Groundnuts (Vigna subterranea) Seeds. Journal of Food Technology, 11: 30-37.