ABSTRACT Baru (Dipteryx alata Vogel) is a tree species that is part of the group of native species of the Cerrado and occurs mainly in Central Brazil, being valued for its various uses. Thus, the present work was carried out with the objective of studying the kinetics of drying of the mesocarp of baru fruits, performing the analysis of the thermodynamic properties, as well as evaluating the effect of drying on the color of the flour produced from the mesocarp. The mesocarp of baru fruits was placed in stainless steel trays, and dried at 40, 50, 60 and 70 ºC in a forced circulation oven until the moisture content of 0.12 dry basis (d.b.) was reached. Subsequently, the experimental data of the drying were adjusted with the mathematical models frequently... |