Next Article in Journal
Efficacy of Mini Wheel-Driven Sweet Potato Transplanting Machine for Mulched Raised Beds
Previous Article in Journal
Temporal and Spatial Dynamics of Groundwater Drought Based on GRACE Satellite and Its Relationship with Agricultural Drought
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Agriculture
Volume 15
Issue 23
10.3390/agriculture15232433
agriculture-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Multi-Index Analysis and Comprehensive Evaluation of Different Drying Techniques for Citrus Peels Based on Entropy Weight Method

by
Yutong Zhu
,
Xiaoyu Tian
,
Chen Wang
,
Jianrong Cai
,
Zhenwei Feng
,
Jingke Zhu
and
Junwen Bai
*
School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Agriculture 2025, 15(23), 2433; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15232433
Submission received: 17 October 2025 / Revised: 21 November 2025 / Accepted: 24 November 2025 / Published: 25 November 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Agricultural Technology)
Versions Notes

Abstract

This study examined the effects of hot-air drying (HAD), infrared drying (IRD), and microwave-infrared combined drying (MICD) on the drying characteristics and quality of citrus peels. Increasing temperature and microwave power significantly shortened drying time, with MICD showing the highest efficiency due to its volumetric heating mechanism. MICD also exhibited the highest effective moisture diffusivity and lowest activation energy, indicating enhanced moisture migration, but caused structural collapse and color deterioration. In contrast, HAD and IRD better preserved color and oil gland integrity. Under optimal conditions, MICD and IRD retained higher total phenolic and flavonoid contents, accompanied by superior antioxidant activity. Electronic nose and PCA analyses revealed better volatile flavor retention in HAD and IRD, while microstructural observations showed that IRD produced more uniform and intact tissues. Correlation analysis indicated strong associations among color, flavor retention, and antioxidant activity. The entropy-weight comprehensive evaluation identified IRD at 70 °C as the optimal drying method, balancing efficiency, bioactive compound preservation, and flavor quality. These findings provide practical guidance for selecting energy-efficient drying technologies to enhance the quality of dried citrus peels.
Keywords: citrus peels drying; drying methods; drying kinetics; bioactive compounds; multi-index evaluation; entropy weight method citrus peels drying; drying methods; drying kinetics; bioactive compounds; multi-index evaluation; entropy weight method

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Zhu, Y.; Tian, X.; Wang, C.; Cai, J.; Feng, Z.; Zhu, J.; Bai, J. Multi-Index Analysis and Comprehensive Evaluation of Different Drying Techniques for Citrus Peels Based on Entropy Weight Method. Agriculture 2025, 15, 2433. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15232433

AMA Style

Zhu Y, Tian X, Wang C, Cai J, Feng Z, Zhu J, Bai J. Multi-Index Analysis and Comprehensive Evaluation of Different Drying Techniques for Citrus Peels Based on Entropy Weight Method. Agriculture. 2025; 15(23):2433. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15232433

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhu, Yutong, Xiaoyu Tian, Chen Wang, Jianrong Cai, Zhenwei Feng, Jingke Zhu, and Junwen Bai. 2025. "Multi-Index Analysis and Comprehensive Evaluation of Different Drying Techniques for Citrus Peels Based on Entropy Weight Method" Agriculture 15, no. 23: 2433. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15232433

APA Style

Zhu, Y., Tian, X., Wang, C., Cai, J., Feng, Z., Zhu, J., & Bai, J. (2025). Multi-Index Analysis and Comprehensive Evaluation of Different Drying Techniques for Citrus Peels Based on Entropy Weight Method. Agriculture, 15(23), 2433. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15232433

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop