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The objective of this study was to evaluate the impregnation of ascorbic acid (AA) by ultrasound (US)‐assisted osmotic dehydration (OD). A 25 factorial design was used. The highest water loss (WL) of 42% was obtained with the combined use of OD+US+AA. The effective diffusivities of water (EDw) and solids (EDs) were increased when OD was employed with a temperature of 60°C, a sucrose concentration of 60%, and a simultaneous application of US+AA treatments in plantain thin slices. The use of OD+US favored AA impregnation; in the treatment with 45% sucrose at 40°C, AA increased from 18% to 42%. Tonality did not change significantly in the OD+US+AA treatments at 40°C. However, except for the gumminess, significant differences from the control were observed in the texture profile analysis (TPA). In microstructure analyses, it was observed that by applying OD+US+AA, the cellular structure was not altered. Applying the specified operational conditions for OD, the AA impregnation pretreatments, and US, a plantain dry food could be obtained without reducing the specified quality parameters in this study. Novelty impact statement: Applying the ultrasound pretreatment before osmotic dehydration favors the impregnation of ascorbic acid in the plantain, preserving its original physical and sensory characteristics, such as texture, color, and flavor, and the treatment also promotes the maintenance of the nutritional properties of the food, increases the transfer of mass, and incorporates bioactive compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habanero pepper is a good source of bioactive compounds with antioxidant capacity; however, up to now, some factors for increasing their extraction have not been investigated yet. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of solid‐to‐solvent ratio (1:250, 1:45, and 1:25 w/V), temperature (20, 35, and 50°C), and time (6, 15, and 24 hr) on the extraction of bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity from habanero pepper following a Box–Behnken design. The optimal extract was evaluated in its capsaicinoids content by HPLC and as an antimicrobial against two foodborne pathogens. The response surface models adequately adjusted (R2 >.75) experimental data of bioactive compounds extraction from habanero pepper in the ranges of the variables proposed. Extract obtained under the optimal conditions (1:250 w/V, 50°C, and 24 hr) contains 1,617.9 mg/100 g and 628.0 mg/100 g of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin, respectively, showing a reduction of 1.23 ± 0.14 and 2.37 ± 0.10 log cycles for S. Typhimurium and S. aureus, respectively. Novelty impact statement: Extraction of bioactive compounds from natural sources is currently on the rise. However, regardless the use of traditional or novel extraction technologies is necessary for the evaluation of factors that may affect the yield of bioactive compounds extraction. Habanero pepper is a well‐known source of bioactive compounds with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. However, until the moment, the effect of factors, such as temperature, time, solid‐to‐solvent ratio, etc., has been scarcely studied. Thus, this study may be a good starting point for future research on the extraction of bioactive compounds from the habanero pepper and find potential applications in food, biotechnological, pharmaceutical, among other industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]