Characterization of okra powder solution by laser-light backscattering imaging and multifractal analysis

Okra is a food source with potential industrial applications. While previous studies have examined color, moisture, viscosity, and other external characteristics of okra powder solutions, the present research discusses the use of laser backscattered images at 633 nm to analyze okra powder solutions at different concentrations and temperatures and characterize their structure. This analysis employs multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MFDFA) along with several image-processing techniques to gain insights into inner structures. In the present work, the concentration ranges from 2 to 10 g/l and the temperature ranges from 20°C to 60°C. Their effects are quantified. A wide set of fractal properties such as power spectral density, autocorrelation function, height-height correlation function, spectrum width, Hurst exponent, and its slope were studied. The findings show the importance of concentration on the spatial organization and aggregation of the Okra powder solution that are more important than temperature.