Water adsorption isotherms and phase transitions of spray-dried chickpea beverage

Chickpea hydrolysate powders were obtained by spray-drying (70 and 60 °C as outlet and 180 °C inlet air temperatures), using inulin and maltodextrin as adjuvants (12 or 25 g/100 g solids). No effects of the variables studied were observed on solubility (88–93 g/100 g solids) and final moisture (3.50–6.15 g/100 g db). Yields were 49.44–61.24 and 44.53–51.55% at 70° and 60 °C respectively. Moisture adsorption isotherms (25°, 35° and 45 °C) were obtained by dynamic dew point method and modeled with GAB and BET equations. BET monolayer moisture values (5.53–9.66 g/100 g db), were slightly different and higher than those obtained for the GAB model. Critical values of water activity (awc) and critical moisture (Mc), related with phase transitions, were determined using the second derived from moisture change with respect to water activity (Sovitsky-Golay 2nd derivate). At 25 °C the highest awc and Mc values, 0.515 and 0.535, and 8.5 and 9.35 g/100 g db occur for products dried at 60 °C and with the lowest level of both adjuvants, while the product without adjuvant has an awc and Mc f 0.466 and 7.46 g/100 g db. The increase in awc and Mc, due to the presence of the inulin and maltodextrin reflects their protective effect. According to these results spray-drying (Tout = 60 °C) could be used to generate a stable dehydrated hydrolysate chickpea beverage basis using 12.5 g/100 g db of the adjuvants evaluated.