Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Medicinal plants are generally harvested with a high-water content. It is therefore essential to dry them as quickly as possible to prevent degradation before use. Most compounds in medicinal plants are sensitive to drying, so it is important to adjust the drying conditions. This study aimed to describe the drying of Matricaria pubescens leaves, select the most suitable models for each drying condition, and determine the activation energy and thermodynamic properties. The leaves were harvested with a water content of 4% (± 0.3%, dry basis). The drying experiments were conducted at three drying air temperatures (30°C, 40°C, and 50°C), and for three air velocities (0.5 m/s, 1 m/s, and 1.5 m/s). The Midilli and Kucuk model was selected as the most appropriate for predicting the drying characteristics of Matricaria pubescens leaves. the calculated water diffusivities ranged from 1.58×10 − 11 to 1.58×10 − 11 m²/s. A relatively high activation energy of 80.18 kJ/mol was observed at low air velocity, indicating that the drying kinetics are strongly temperature-dependent.
Source: Research Square
Institution: University of Bechar
Language: English
Topic: Food Drying and Modeling
Subfield: Food Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7204087296