Modeling the intensification of the raw material surface processing process using ultraviolet-C radiation and ultrasonic waves

The application of non-thermal preservation technologies has attracted considerable attention as an alternative to conventional thermal treatments for maintaining the microbiological safety and quality of fresh fruits.In the present study, the combined effect of ultraviolet-C (UV-C) radiation and ultrasound (US) on the preservation of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) during refrigerated storage was experimentally investigated and mathematically modeled.Fresh cherries were treated with UV-C doses of 0, 1, 3 and 5 kJ m -2 in combination with ultrasonic treatment under controlled operating conditions before storage at refrigerated temperature.The physicochemical properties of the fruits, including weight loss, firmness, soluble solids content (°Brix), titratable acidity and moisture content, were periodically determined during storage.In addition, microbiological quality was evaluated by determining total viable bacterial count, yeast and mold population, coliform bacteria and fungal infection incidence.Duncan's multiple range test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to determine statistically significant differences among treatments (p < 0.05).Experimental results demonstrated that the combined UV-C and ultrasound treatment effectively reduced microbial contamination while slowing quality deterioration during storage.Fruits treated with 5 kJ m⁻ ² exhibited lower weight loss, reduced fungal infection and improved preservation of physicochemical characteristics compared with untreated samples.A mathematical model describing the synergistic interaction between ultrasound cavitation and UV-C irradiation was developed and validated using experimental observations.The regression model showed good agreement between predicted and experimental values and may be used for optimization of non-thermal preservation processes.The proposed combined technology provides an effective approach for extending the storage life of sweet cherries while maintaining their microbiological safety and commercial quality.The developed model may also serve as a useful engineering tool for designing industrial UV-C-ultrasound preservation systems

Hali tarjima qilinmagan