ABSTRACT
Pepino (Solanum muricatum) was recently introduced to Egypt and is mostly grown in the greenhouse. So, this study aimed to evaluate the physical and chemical characteristics of fresh pepino fruits and the effect of the drying process on the quality attributes of the dried product. The osmotic dehydration method was combined with hot-air drying at 60°C. Products with varying moisture contents (25.8%, 23.23%, 20.55%, and 18.71%, labeled as T1, T2, T3, and T4, respectively) were produced to evaluate the effect of drying on the chemical, physical, microbiological, and sensory characteristics of the treatments and to identify the optimal one. The study revealed significant differences in chemical properties as moisture content decreased: hardness and color change (∆E) values increased, while microbiological counts decreased. Statistical analysis of sensory evaluation data further indicated that treatment T3 (20.55% moisture), followed by T4 (18.71% moisture), achieved the highest general acceptance (IA) scores compared to other treatments. These findings suggest that osmotic dehydration as a partial drying pretreatment for pepino fruit slices enhances sensory properties and improves the final product quality. In conclusion, it is possible to develop gluten-free flatbreads with quality comparable to conventional bread.