Effect of High- and Low-Temperature Drying Methods on Fatty Acid Profile and Antimicrobial and Anti-Inflammatory Traits of Papaya (Vasconcellea pubescens)

Papaya (Vasconcellea pubescens) can be dehydrated to produce snacks or powder for food and pharmaceutical products. Here, we investigated how freeze-drying (FD), vacuum-drying (VD), convective-drying, infrared-drying, and low temperature vacuum drying (LTVD) affect the fatty acid profile and antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of papaya pulp. VD caused an enrichment of the polyunsaturated fatty acid content, and LTVD and FD increased the content of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, respectively. We found that polar fractions from dried papaya extracts have higher antimicrobial activity than nonpolar fractions. Topical application of papaya extracts obtained from VD, LTVD, and FD caused a severe inhibition (42.8- 60.7%) of the mouse ear edema induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. Overall, our results suggest that drying processes under vacuum conditions or by convection are the most suitable for drying papaya pulp, depending on the selected application.

Automated summary

In this study, the effects of different drying methods (freeze-drying, vacuum-drying, convective-drying, infrared-drying, and low temperature vacuum drying) on the fatty acid composition and antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of papaya pulp were investigated. Vacuum-drying enriched the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, while low temperature vacuum drying and freeze-drying increased the content of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, respectively. Polar fractions from dried papaya extracts exhibited higher antimicrobial activity compared to nonpolar fractions. Topical application of papaya extracts obtained from vacuum-drying, low temperature vacuum drying, and freeze-drying showed significant inhibition of mouse ear edema induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. Overall, the results suggest that drying papaya pulp under vacuum conditions or by convection is the most suitable method, depending on the intended application.