Effects of Pollen Layer Thickness and Botanical Origin on Color and Moisture Content in Dried Bee Pollen
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12928/jafost.v7i3.15944Keywords:
Color, Drying characteristics, Layer thickness, Trigona bee pollen, Water contentAbstract
Bee pollen is used as a substitute ingredient, a fortification material, and a dietary supplement. It contains both macro- and micronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, minerals, and vitamins. In addition, bee pollen has a role as an antioxidant and antibacterial. Its chemical and physical characteristics differ by several factors, particularly its botanical origins. Bee pollen is often incorporated into food products in dried form, which offers a longer shelf life, compared to fresh bee pollen. The drying method is a factor that affects the quality of bee pollen. While previous research has focused primarily on drying temperatures, this study differentiates itself by investigating how the interaction between pollen layer thickness and botanical origin affects color and moisture content. This reveals how different floral species respond to physical heat-and-mass limitations during the drying process. The contribution of this research was to investigate the effect of layer thickness during drying in the container and botanical origin, on the color and moisture content of the dried bee pollen. The research experimental design was a completely randomized design (CRD) with two factors: thickness (0 cm; 1 cm; 1.5 cm) and botanical origins. The experiment consisted of 9 treatments, each executed with 3 repetitions. Data were analyzed using the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA); if there was a significant effect, the Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) was conducted with α=5%. The results showed that the interaction between layer thickness and botanical origins of bee pollen significantly affected a* value, and hue angle. On the contrary, the interaction between the two factors had no significant effect on the moisture content, chroma, and b* value. Dried bee pollen had moisture content of just under 10%. Quantitatively, the applied drying conditions successfully reduced the moisture content below 10%, while maintaining a lightness (L*) of 31–49, an a* value of 4–16, a b* value of 20–30, a hue angle of 58–82 and a chroma 20–30.
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