Development of Osmotic and Osmo-dried Asparagus racemosus Substitute using Maltitol and Applications of Linear Programming for Product Planning

This study aimed to develop osmotic and osmo-dried Asparagus racemosus (Shatavari) using maltitol as a sucrose substitute and to optimize production planning through linear programming (LP). Shatavari samples were subjected to osmotic dehydration using sucrose or maltitol solutions at varying concentrations, followed by drying to produce osmo-dried products. Physicochemical properties, water activity, and sensory characteristics were evaluated to determine product quality and consumer acceptance. Results showed that substitution with maltitol yielded products with desirable sensory attributes comparable to those obtained with sucrose, particularly in osmo-dried samples, which demonstrated higher scores for color, texture, and overall acceptability, with overall liking scores ranging from 5.4 to 6.3 on a 7-point hedonic scale, indicating moderate to high consumer acceptance. The osmo-dried product exhibited lower water activity (0.65±0.021), which may contribute to improved microbial stability by inhibiting the growth of most bacteria and yeasts, although some molds may still grow under favorable conditions. Production optimization using the LP graphical method indicated that the maximum profit 385.35 THB could be achieved by producing 1.08 kg of osmo-dried Shatavari. A mixed production of 1.01 kg osmotic and 0.20 kg osmo-dried Shatavari yielded a profit of 293.23 THB. The integration of osmotic dehydration technology with sugar alcohol substitution and mathematical optimization demonstrates a promising approach for developing value-added, health-oriented products. These findings highlight the potential of Asparagus racemosus as a functional ingredient and underscore the relevance of LP modeling for small-scale food production and resource-efficient process design.