Effect of Drying Systems on the Parameters and Quality of Dried Basil

Abstract

The main aim of this study is to investigate the possibility of drying the basil plants under different conditions. Fresh basil was dried using different systems: sun-drying, shadow-drying, room-drying, solar-drying and oven-drying systems. Weight losses, moisture content and oil content were recorded. Drying parameters were studied to determine the equilibrium moisture contents (EMC) using different models. The obtained results indicated that the accumulated weight loss of basil plants increased from 3.57 to 83.76, 2.12 to 70.48, 0.72 to 82.07, 0.44 to 84.34 and 1.29 to 84.90 %, for sun-drying system, shadow-drying system, room-drying system, solar-drying system and oven-drying system, respectively. The moisture content of basil plants decreased from 515.95 to 6.91, 490.18 to 6.59, 479.97 to 4.66, 538.02 to 0.93 and 565.40 to 5.40 % d.b. for sun-drying system, shadow-drying system, room-drying system, solar-drying system and oven-drying system, respectively. The highest value of equilibrium moisture contents were 13.25 and 35.16 % at 10 and 90 % equilibrium relative humidity was found from Modified Chung-Pfost equation under room system. The lowest value of equilibrium moisture contents were 0.91 and 16.58 % at 10 and 90 % equilibrium relative humidity was found for modified Oswin equation for oven system. The basil oil content values were 2.3, 2.5, 2.9, 2.7 and 2.0 % for the sun-drying, shadow-drying, room-drying, solar-drying and oven-drying, respectively.