Innovative technologies optimizing the production process of "Castagne del Prete": Impact on microstructure and volatile compounds

"Castagne del Prete" are traditional processed chestnuts from the Campania Region obtained through a treatmentinvolving a drying, roasting and rehydration phase. The last one is a long, costly and non-standardized treatmentthat is therefore in need of improvement. In the present study, different technologies (heat treatment, steam andthermosonication) were evaluated to optimize the chestnuts rehydration phase. To this end, microstructure,thermal properties and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of "Castagne del Prete" obtained by different rehydrationmethods were evaluated.Results highlighted that thermosonication strongly influenced the starch gelatinization process, responsible forthe total destructuration and denaturation of the crystalline network.VOCs analysis showed that the samples rehydrated by thermosonication with chestnuts/water ratio 1:5 had avolatile compounds pattern very similar to the control sample obtained by classic rehydration method. Inaddition, the time for obtaining "Castagne del Prete" by using thermosonication (approx. 5 h) as rehydrationtreatment was significantly reduced in comparison to the classic method which took approximately 7 days. Thus,thermosonication emerged as the most promising technique among those investigated for the production of"Castagne del Prete", as it saves energy and time, while guaranteeing the flavor and structural characteristics ofthe finished products.