The Change of Drying Time and Quality Parameters of Lemon Balm Melissa officinalis L. with Different Temperature Profiles of Drying Air

Year 2019, Issue: 9, 1 - 10, 01.01.2019

Murat Ertuğrul Sefa Tarhan

Abstract

Lemon balm Melissa officinalis L. , one of commercially important medicinal and aromatic plants, must be dried immediately after harvest because of its high initial moisture content 72.99% to 80.11%, wb . Its quality parameters such as its color and essential oil conditions are very sensitive to drying conditions. The most important factor of drying conditions is the drying air temperature profile. Five different drying air temperature profiles were used to maintain the quality parameters of lemon balm samples while reducing the drying time as much as possible. Drying trials with the constant low temperature 35 °C and the increasing temperature profile gave the most closest color values of dried samples to the ones of fresh samples. The maximum color changes occurred with the constant high temperature 60 °C and the triangle temperature profile. The drying trials with the constant low temperature gave the lowest essential oil loss 24.28% loss while the drying trials with the constant high temperature gave the highest essential oil loss 63.95% loss . The increasing temperature profile in which the drying air temperature increased from 35 °C to 60 °C in 8 hours became the most convenient drying air temperature profile for drying lemon balm when the results obtained in this study were evaluated altogether.

Keywords

Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Essential Oil Content, Color Change, Convective Hot Air Drying.

Melisa Bitkisinin Melissa officinalis L. Kurutma Süresi ve Kalite Parametrelerinin Kurutma Havası Sıcaklık Profili ile Değişimi

Abstract

Yüksek ilk nem içeriği %72.99 ila %80.11, yb nedeniyle, önemli ticari değere sahip tıbbi ve aromatik bitkilerden olan melisa bitkisi Melissa officinalis L. hasattan hemen sonra kurutulmalıdır. Renk ve uçucu yağ içeriği gibi kalite parametreleri kurutma koşullarına çok duyarlıdır. Kurutma havası sıcaklığı profili kurutma koşullarını etkileyen en önemli faktördür. Melisa bitkisinin kalite parametrelerini korumak ve kurutma süresini oldukça azaltmak için beş farklı kurutma havası sıcaklığı profili kullanılmıştır. Sabit düşük sıcaklık 35 °C veya artan sıcaklık profili ile kurutma denemeleri, taze örneklere en yakın renk değerlerini vermiştir. Sabit yüksek sıcaklık 60 °C ve üçgen sıcaklık profilleri ise maksimum renk değişimlerine neden olmuşlardır. Sabit düşük sıcaklıktaki kurutma denemeleri, en düşük uçucu yağ kaybına %24.28 kayıp neden olurken, sabit yüksek sıcaklıktaki kurutma deneyleri, en yüksek uçucu yağ kaybına %63.95 kayıp neden olmuştur. Bu çalışmada elde edilen sonuçlar birlikte değerlendirildiğinde, kurutma hava sıcaklığının 8 saatte 35 °C'den 60 °C'ye yükseltildiği artan sıcaklık profili, melisa bitkisinin kurutulması için en uygun kurutma havası sıcaklık profili olmuştur.

Keywords

Tıbbi ve Aromatik Bitkiler, Uçucu Yağ İçeriği, Renk Değişimi, Konvektif Sıcak Havalı Kurutma

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