Vol. 9, Special Issue 12, Part I (2025)

This study investigated the influence of various osmotic pre-treatments on the physicochemical characteristics of banana slices (Kamalapur Red and Grand Naine varieties) over a four-month storage period, focusing on moisture content, yield, drying ratio, sugar profiles, titratable acidity and total soluble solids (TSS). Osmotic Dehydration (OD) significantly impacted all parameters, with the severity of the treatment (solution concentration, contact duration and inclusion of NaCl) being the primary determinant, although a significant variety ($\times$) treatment (V $\times$ T) interaction was consistently observed. Moisture content differed significantly between varieties, with Kamalapur Red generally retaining more moisture (average 45.56%) than Grand Naine (44.42%). Moisture loss was maximized by the most severe osmotic treatment, T8 (60°Brix, 24 h), yielding the driest slices (38.94%), while the fresh control, T13, retained the highest moisture (51.14%). Osmotic treatments, by causing water loss and solid gain, consistently reduced yield (lowest in T13 control) and increased the drying ratio (highest in T13 control, lowest in T12), which is consistent with the mass transfer mechanisms of OD. Total and reducing sugars increased substantially post-OD, peaking with the most rigorous treatments, T9 (70°Brix, 24 h) and T12 (70°Brix + 1% salt, 24 h), due to solute absorption and subsequent sucrose inversion during storage; the reducing sugars continued to increase up to 4 months, while non-reducing and total sugars exhibited minor reductions, which is indicative of ongoing inversion and non-enzymatic browning (Maillard reactions) in the low-moisture matrix. Titratable acidity (TA) was lowest in the control (T13) and the most intense OD treatments (T9, T12) and highest in the milder treatment T1 (50°Brix, 4 h), suggesting that high-severity OD results in greater acid dilution/utilization. Total Soluble Solids (TSS) also tracked treatment intensity: high-intensity protocols (high °Brix, 24 h, $\pm$ salt) resulted in the highest TSS (T9, T12) at all stages, reflecting maximal solute impregnation, while the control (T13) remained the lowest. Kamalapur Red consistently exhibited superior baseline TSS and acidity, leading to higher final TSS and TA values than Grand Naine across equivalent treatments. The results affirm that while solution concentration, contact time and salt addition dictate the overall magnitude of change, the cultivar's intrinsic composition governs the ultimate physicochemical potential and stability in the osmosed product.