AUTHOR=Espinoza-Espinoza Luis Alfredo , Juárez-Ojeda Carlos Eduardo , Ruiz-Flores Luis Alberto , Moreno-Quispe Luz Arelis , Anaya-Palacios Mirtha Susana , Cárdenas-Quintana Haydée TITLE=Influence of convection drying with hot air on the physicochemical and phytochemical properties of green banana flour (Musa cavendish) JOURNAL=Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems VOLUME=Volume 7 - 2023 YEAR=2023 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2023.1204349 DOI=10.3389/fsufs.2023.1204349 ISSN=2571-581X ABSTRACT=The present study focuses on the effect of different drying temperatures (DT) (40, 60 and 80 ºC) and the combination of banana slice thicknesses (BST) (2 and 4 mm) on the physicochemical properties and phytochemicals of green banana flour (GBF). The influence of the drying temperature and thickness of the banana pulp slice were significant (p<0.05) on the TPC and % inhibition of the DPPH radical. As the temperature increased from 60 to 80 ºC and the thickness decreased from 4 to 2 mm, the TPC values (225.69 ± 5.13 GAE/100 g DW) and % inhibition of the DPPH radical (91.08 ± 2.28%) were higher, respectively. Physicochemical properties such as: soluble solids, titratable acidity, pH and ashes were not influenced by DT and BST; and the humidity values were <10%. These findings indicate that drying with hot air from 60 to 80 °C and thicknesses < 4mm favor a greater conservation of the antioxidant capacity in banana flour.