Banana Microstructure Changes during Oven Drying Process

To learn about banana microstructure changes on affecting moisture dehydration performance and its quality during oven drying process, this experiment chose scanning electron microscopy to observe the microstructure changes on outer surface, inner surface and cross section of banana peel and its flesh during drying process, in order to examine the relationship between dehydration performance and its microstructure shape and microstructure pore structures changes. The results showed that during drying process, all surfaces of banana peel and its flesh endured shape deformation from regularly to irregularly. Microstructure shrank evenly in beginning, while became conglomerate later, appeared to be significantly distortion and breakage. Microstructure pore quantity and area showed great changes, those average diameter over 10um pore numbers increased steadily, while pore area just reduced in beginning and then increased rapidly afterwards. As banana microstructure shape and pore shrinkage and deformation increased greatly, which also increased the resistance of moisture evaporating greatly. This may be an important reason that cause banana drying speed and quality decreased, it is an urgent problem that needs to be solved during fruit and vegetable drying process and storage.