Mathematical modeling and polysaccharide content of Ganoderma lucidum by hot air impingement drying

Abstract

<abstract> <bold>Abstract.</bold> Drying kinetics of Ganoderma lucidum was investigated in an air impingement dryer at the drying temperature of 55 – 70 ^oC with a constant air velocity of 15 m/s. The drying time decreased significantly with the increase of drying temperature. The experimental drying curves showed only a falling rate period. The experimental results were fitted to 10 thin-layer drying models and it was found that modified Page models best described the drying curves. The moisture effective diffusivity ranged from 1.96×10^-9 to 6.01×10^-9 m²/s calculated using the Fick’s second law of diffusion. Activation energy for moisture diffusion of the Ganoderma lucidum samples was found to be 69.05 kJ/mol. Ganoderma lucidum samples dried at 65 ^oC revealed the highest polysaccharide content than dried at other temperatures.