Optimum drying conditions for thin-layer drying of sweet basil [electronic resource].

Includes references.

The drying characteristics of sweet basil leaves as a medicinal and aromatic plant at initial moisture content of 567%(d.b) were studied and investigated under different drying conditions. Three different drying air temperatures (35, 40 and 45 oC ), three different drying air relative humidities (34, 27.3 and 22.4 %) and three different drying air velocities (1.1, 1.5 and 2.0 m/s) were functioned during this laboratory experiment. Drying equations and the values of corresponding drying constants were determined for different drying conditions. The experiment were carried out in Bhnay village, EL-Bagour center, Minofiea Governorate, Egypt in 2006.The obtained results revealed that, the drying method of sweet basil leaves gave the average drying rates of 43.4, 47.4 and 59.4 % d.b/hr for drying periods of 12,11 and 9 hr, with an average drying air temperatures (35, 40 and 45 oC ) respectively. The total chlorophyll of 84, 64 and 48 % mg/100 gms samples was obtained respectively. The obtained data also showed that, the drying rate increased as the air speed increased, although the effect is not as pronounced when the air speed increased from 1.1 to 2.0 m/s. The volatile oil percentage for the three different drying air temperatures was 88.2, 84.6 and 78.9 %, respectively.

Summary in Arabic.

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