From Sun to Air Drying: Comparative Quality Evolution of Dried Octopus vulgaris

Wafa Hajji; Ines Essid; Sihem Bellagha

doi:10.29329/ijiaar.2026.1423.3

Research article | Open Access
International Journal of Innovative Approaches in Agricultural Research Volume 10 (2026)

From Sun to Air Drying: Comparative Quality Evolution of Dried Octopus vulgaris

Wafa Hajji, Ines Essid, Sihem Bellagha

pp. 1 - 14 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.29329/ijiaar.2026.1423.3

Publish Date: March 27, 2026 | Single/Total View: 2/2 | Single/Total Download: 3/2

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Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of two drying methods on the physicochemical and microbiological quality of Octopus vulgaris. Samples were dried using sun drying (SD) at 28 ± 0.75 °C and convective air drying (CAD) at 30 ± 0.12 °C. Drying and rehydration kinetics were investigated. Physicochemical analyses included pH, water activity (aᵥ), color parameters, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), and trimethylamine (TMA), while microbiological quality was assessed through total viable count (TVC) and yeast and mold (YM) enumeration using standard methods. Quality attributes of the dried products were analyzed and compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA). CAD resulted in a significantly higher drying rate, whereas no significant differences were observed in rehydration behavior between the two drying methods. Drying led to the inhibition of yeasts and molds in both treatments, while lower total viable counts were observed in CAD-treated samples. TVB-N content increased after drying, from 5.1 ± 1.2 mg N/100 g in fresh samples to 6.0 ± 0.59 and 9.46 ± 1.81 mg N/100 g in CAD- and SD-treated samples, respectively. A similar trend was observed for TMA levels. Sun-dried octopus exhibited higher total color difference (ΔE) and browning index (BI) values, indicating more pronounced color changes and intensified non-enzymatic browning reactions. Overall, low-temperature convective air drying at 30 °C appears to be a suitable method for preserving the quality of dried octopus.

Keywords: Octopus Vulgaris, Sun Drying, Convective Drying, Kinetics, Quality

How to Cite this Article?

APA 7th edition
Hajji, W., Essid, I., & Bellagha, S. (2026). From Sun to Air Drying: Comparative Quality Evolution of Dried Octopus vulgaris. International Journal of Innovative Approaches in Agricultural Research, 10(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.29329/ijiaar.2026.1423.3

Harvard
Hajji, W., Essid, I. and Bellagha, S. (2026). From Sun to Air Drying: Comparative Quality Evolution of Dried Octopus vulgaris. International Journal of Innovative Approaches in Agricultural Research, 10(1), pp. 1-14.

Chicago 16th edition
Hajji, Wafa, Ines Essid and Sihem Bellagha (2026). "From Sun to Air Drying: Comparative Quality Evolution of Dried Octopus vulgaris". International Journal of Innovative Approaches in Agricultural Research 10 (1):1-14. https://doi.org/10.29329/ijiaar.2026.1423.3

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