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ABSTRACT The objective of this work was to obtain the drying kinetic curves of white-fleshed ‘pitaya’ peels and characterize the obtained powder regarding physical and chemical parameters. Different mathematical models were fitted to the experimental data of drying kinetics, considering the coefficient of determination (R2), mean square deviation (MSD) and residual distribution as fit criteria. The peels had an initial moisture content of 93.38% (w.b.) and final moisture contents of 5.39% at temperature of 50 °C, 5.27% at 60 °C and 4.40% at 70 °C. After drying, the peels were disintegrated to obtain the powders and characterized for moisture content, reducing sugars, total titratable acidity, ascorbic acid, betacyanins, betaxanthins, water activity and color, in order to evaluate the influence of temperature on the quality of powders. The Page model was the one that best fitted to the experimental data, presenting coefficient of determination higher than 0.998, mean square deviation lower than 0.02 and random distribution of residuals. Increment in drying air temperature promoted increase of pH, ascorbic acid, luminosity and yellowness, and reduction of moisture content, reducing sugars, acidity, betacyanins, betaxanthins, water activity and redness. Considering the retention of betalains, the drying temperature of 50 °C is the most suitable for the production and use of ‘pitaya’ peel powder.
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