Post-harvest Processing Methods Research Articles

Effects of different post-harvest processing methods on changes in the active ingredients of licorice based on LC-MS and plant metabolomics.

Licorice, the dried roots and rhizomes of the Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., holds a prominent status in various formulations within the realm of Chinese medicinal practices. The traditional processing methods of licorice hinder quality assurance, thus prompting Chinese medicine researchers to focus on the fresh processing methods to enhancing processing efficiency and quality. This study aimed to identify the differential compounds of licorice between traditional and fresh processing methods and provide a scientific basis for the fresh processing of licorice and for further research on the processing mechanism. A methodology integrating ultra-performance liquid chromatography with quadrupole-time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry combined with multivariate statistical analysis was employed to characterize the differential compounds present in licorice between traditional processing and fresh processing. The results derived from principal component analysis and heat map analyses underscored significant differences in the content of bioactive compounds between the two processing methods. By applying conditions of VIP > 1.5 and p < 0.05, a total of 38 differential compounds were identified through t tests, and the transformation mechanisms of select compounds were illustrated. The adoption of fresh processing techniques not only improved processing efficiency but also significantly enhanced the preservation of bioactive compounds within licorice. This research has established a rapid and efficient analytical method for the identification of differential compounds present in differently processed licorice products.

Effect of processing methods on physicochemical and cup quality of coffee at Jimma, Ethiopia

Coffee quality is a complex attribute influenced by a variety of factors, including postharvest processing methods. The goal of this study was to investigate the impact of coffee processing methods on coffee quality (raw, cup, and biochemical makeup) in Jimma, which represents the midland areas. Coffee samples were collected for Jimma agricultural research center and processed with three methods (washed, Semi-washed and dry process). The result indicated that washed coffee beans scored significantly the highest color (13.43) and odor [10] score than the other processing methods. The statistically best raw quality score (35.57 %) was therefore reported for washed coffee in Jimma. Cup quality attributes however were not significantly affected by processing methods. Among chemical composition studied, lipid was significantly affected by processing methods and highest lipid 13.74 and 13.17 g/100g was reported for semi-washed and washed coffee beans respectively. Generally, washed and semi-washed coffee were preferable in terms of bean color and odor quality. Correlations were found among cup quality attributes and chemical compositions. However, further research into the accessibility and economics of coffee processing methods in the area is necessary.

Development and Performance Analysis of an Automatic Core Cutter for Elephant Apple (Dillenia indica L.) Processing.

Elephant apple, a fruit with numerous bioactive compounds, is rich in therapeutic qualities. However, its use in processed products is limited due to insufficient postharvest processing methods. To address this issue, an automatic core cutter (ACC) was developed to handle the hard nature of the fruit while cutting. The physical characteristics of the elephant apple were considered for designing and development of the cutter. The cutter is divided into four main sections, including a frame, collecting tray, movable coring unit, and cutting base with five fruit holders. The parts that directly contact the fruit are made of food-grade stainless steel. The efficiency of the cutter was analyzed based on cutting/coring capacity, machine efficiency, loss percentage, and other factors, and was compared to traditional cutting methods (TCM) and a foot-operated core cutter (FOCC). The ACC had an average cutting/coring capacity of 270-300 kg/h, which was significantly higher than TCM's capacity of 12-15 kg/h and comparable to FOCC's capacity of 115-130 kg/h. The ACC offered a higher sepal yield of 85.68 ± 1.80% compared to TCM's yield of 65.76 ± 1.35%, which was equivalent to the yield obtained by FOCC. Therefore, the ACC outperforms TCM in terms of quality, quantity, and stress associated and is superior to FOCC in terms of higher efficiency of machine and labor.

The Review of Household Agri-product Processing in Cambodia

In Cambodia, domestic processing accounts for about 10% of total agricultural output, while processed agricultural exports make up only 8% of all official exports by value. Processing and handling of agricultural products after harvest need private investment if Cambodia is to benefit economically from adding value to its produce. There aren't many big businesses involved in agro-processing. Among the possible activities include the processing of dairy products, cashew nuts, sugar, fruits, fish products, meat, and cassava. Publicly available studies on Cambodian household agriproduct processing are also included in this review. An article based on literature research is this study. Food processing includes postharvest processing methods as well as packhouse, transport, market, and processing. The key to handling the issue of processing these productions is agro-processing. Items like candy, pickles, sausages, meatballs, fish balls, Prahok, frozen dairy, and soy milk, among others. The majority of agriculturally processed products are exported informally since they lack branding, packaging, certification, or licencing. However, implementing agro-processing in Cambodia is fraught with difficulties involving labour, knowledge, machinery, equipment, and exporters' maintenance of the machinery.

Effect of postharvest processing on quality traits of Radix Gentianae Macrophyllae: A integrative analysis of metabolomics and proteomics

The dried roots and rhizomes of Radix Gentianae Macrophyllae are widely used as food material or medicinal crops. “Sweating” is a traditional postharvest processing method, the basic processing procedure consists of softening, stacking and drying. The aim of this paper is to unveil the scientific connotation responsible for the “Sweating” processing in Radix Gentianae Macrophyllae during postharvest. Thus, the effect of different postharvest processing methods on the metabolic pathways of Radix Gentiasnae Macrophyllae was studied by the non-targeted metabolomic technique in combination with the label-free proteomics approach. The results showed that the differentially accumulated metabolites and abundant proteins were mainly enriched in the pathways of phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, polyphenols and terpenoids biosynthesis. “Sweating” has a greater up-regulation effect on these pathways than “Non-sweating”, and can induce protein expression and metabolite accumulation associated with the quality traits of Radix Gentianae Macrophyllae. The results provide a detailed explanation of the scientific connotation of crucial steps of “Sweating” processing wherein opportunities existed for taking appropriate measures to enhance the accumulation of bioactive ingredients. These findings will serve as significant references for enhancing the postharvest processing technology of Radix Gentianae Macrophyllae and similar plants, resulting in higher product quality for food or plant materials production.

Sensory quality of different coffee varieties submitted to controlled fermentation

The consumer market for specialty coffees has been growing every day in most countries, especially in the Brazilian domestic market. Post-harvest processing and preparation methods have been extremely relevant in this context. Brazil is the largest producer and exporter of coffee in the world, and one of the largest consumers of the beverage, making it necessary to develop research involving strategies to improve the quality of the coffee beverage. These researches have provided Brazil with recognition not only as a major producer but also as a supplier of good quality coffee. The objective of this study was to evaluate the sensory quality of the beverage of different coffee varieties submitted to controlled fermentation compared to natural drying in the yard process. The experiment was carried out in the Planalto de Araxá, in the experimental design in randomized blocks, in the factorial scheme of 8 X 3, being: 8 varieties; 3 types of fermentation (120 and 168 hours of controlled fermentation and a third, which was natural drying in the yard), all with 4 repetitions. The sensory quality of the drink was evaluated through the scores of 3 qualified referees, called Q Arabica Graders, following the SCA classification methodology. It was concluded that the inoculation of fermentation yeasts added to the sensory quality in the 8 varieties evaluated, compared with natural drying. Controlled coffee fermentation, provided that it is carried out under satisfactory environmental and technical conditions, can improve the sensory quality of coffee grown in the Cerrado of Minas Gerais.

Analisis komponen bioaktif dan atribut sensori seduhan kopi Arabika Kalosi Enrekang dengan pengolahan pascapanen berbeda [Analysis of bioactive compounds and sensory attributes of Kalosi-Enrekang Arabica coffee prepared different postharvest processing

Postharvest processing affects the chemical components and sensory attributes of coffee beans. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of postharvest processing on caffeoylquinic acids and alkaloids (bioactive compounds) and sensory attributes (aroma and taste) of brewed coffee. Coffee beans of Kalosi-Enrekang were processed using three postharvest processing methods (honey, natural, and full-washed), roasted at a medium degree, and brewed with tubruk brewing techniques. Bioactive compounds were analyzed using UPLC-PDA and sensory attributes were analyzed using the Quantitative Descriptive Analysis method. The data were analyzed using single-factor ANOVA and Principal Component Analysis. The research showed that postharvest processing did not affect the bioactive compound of brewed coffee. Postharvest processing affected the aroma and taste attributes of brewed coffee. Natural processing had dominant attributes of fruity, spicy, sweet, and caramelized. Honey processing had dominant attributes of nutty and roasted, while full-washed processing did not have dominant attributes. The result also showed that caffeoylquinic acids and alkaloids did not affect coffee brewed's aroma and taste attributes.

A flavour perspective of Tiepishihu (Dendrobium officinale) - an emerging food ingredient from popular traditional Chinese medicinal plants: a review.

Many Dendrobium orchid stems are used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The most popular and premium species is Dendrobium officinale, and its stem in TCM is called Tiepishihu. Tiepishihu has a sweet flavour and is an ingredient in Chinese tea and desserts. There is no comprehensive understanding of its flavour compounds. It is, therefore, essential to understand compounds responsible for its flavour, and how they are formed. This review assesses twelve diverse studies in Tiepishihu flavour (2013-2022). Thirty aroma compounds were compared - furfural and nonanal were identified as common compounds. Four of seven essential amino acids were taste-active, with lysine being the most potent. Pre-harvest factors such as environment impact specific aroma compounds. Post-harvest processing methods, including drying and grinding, can control Tiepishihu's flavour. Methodological consistency is a challenge, but controlling Tiepishihu's flavour could increase its commercial value as a food ingredient.

Enhancement of Shelf Life of Jackfruit Bulbs through Edible Coating: A Mini Review

Jackfruit (Artopus heterophyllus) is an important fruit crop grown in india. This highly nutritious fruit contains carbohydrate, protein, fibre, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin A, vitamin C, thiamine and riboflavin, fructose, glucose and sucrose and fatty acids of palmitic, oleic, stearic, linoleic, lauric, arachidic acids. It is highly perishable and loses its flavor, texture and turns into brown colour. The fruit softening makes it more susceptible to bruising and mechanical injury and result in rapid decomposition. Minimally processed jackfruit bulbs can provide convenience for consumers and an appropriate post-harvest technology for enhancement of shelf-life. Jackfruit is commonly available for consumers as a fresh cut product because of the convenience in its utilization. Fresh-cut produce are mostly preferred by the consumers in today's food market. Scientists and industrialists have taken numerous efforts to extend the shelf life of jackfruit bulbs and preserve their nutritional quality through post-harvest technologies and processing methods. Edible coatings can be applied to minimally processed fruits, with the goal of increasing their shelf life. It is the best postharvest treatment to preserve fruits quality to extend the shelf life of fruits both at ambient conditions and low temperature preservation. Physiological changes cannot be inhibited completely but it can be delayed by using edible coatings. In this review effects of edible coating on physiological and physicochemical parameters, as well as effects on shelf life and sensory attributes are discussed. Evidence shows that minimal processing technique of edible coating is a feasible option that can be used on jackfruit bulbs, which preserve quality and sensory attributes by reducing metabolic reactions like respiration rate and ethylene production.

Screening and isolation of milk-clotting enzymes from seaweed

Cheese-making involves milk coagulation as a crucial step where calf rennet has been used traditionally as the milk-clotting enzyme in the cheese industry. This study investigated milk-clotting enzymes from seven species of seaweed and evaluated the parameters for their isolation and partial purification including post-harvest processing, extraction and purification methods. The saturation degree of ammonium sulphate and the precipitation stages were evaluated to obtain optimal purification conditions, and three desalting methods, namely dialysis, desalting column and the combination of dialysis and desalting column, were investigated to determine the most suitable method for ammonium sulphate removal. Protein extracts of all seven species of seaweeds exhibited some caseinolytic activity, but the extract of unprocessed (whole) dried samples had higher protein yields and stronger caseinolytic activities. The extract from one species, Gracilaria edulis, demonstrated the ability to clot milk. The evaluation of the purification method for G. edulis extract revealed an optimum single step of 50% saturation and ammonium sulphate precipitation with dialysis as the desalting method.

INOVASI PEMANFAATAN TUMBUHAN SERAI WANGI (CYMBOPOGON NARDUS) MENJADI MINYAK ATSIRI GUNA MEWUJUDKAN EKONOMI KREATIF MASYARAKAT DESA SEDAU

Sedau Village is one of the villages in the Narmada sub-district, West Lombok district, West Nusa Tenggara province. Most of the people in Sedau Village are more interested in growing fruits, some other residents are planting medicinal plants. Citronella plants are cultivated by some residents of Sedau Village in small quantities, so they have not been able to provide economic benefits for the local community. In addition, there is also no community in Sedau Village who can process citronella plants into essential oil which can increase the selling price of the citronella. The purpose of this series of socialization and training activities by the Unram Thematic KKN team is to increase people's understanding and creativity about medicinal plant demonstration plots, how to cultivate several medicinal plants in the demonstration plot, especially citronella and post-harvest processing methods of citronella into essential oils , so as to increase the selling price of the fragrant citronella. The method used in this activity is the socialization method, participative through training and learning. While the technique used in distillation is the steam distillation process to obtain essential oils. Citronella oil is usually light yellow to dark yellow in color, and is volatile. Essential oil itself is an oil produced by plants. The resulting aroma is fragrant according to the producing plant, generally insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents. The citronella oil distillation process consumes around 15-20 kilograms of raw materials with a distillation time of approximately 3 hours. From the distillation of citronella, 125 ml of essential oil was obtained.

Effect of post-harvest processing methods on the microbial safety of edible seaweed

The American seaweed industry is growing, primarily into the edible sector, and more seaweed products are available for human consumption. It is necessary to evaluate the safety of industry’s current post-harvest storage and processing methods to ensure the risk of foodborne pathogens on edible seaweed remains low. We evaluated the pathogen load of edible kelp post-harvest under three different storage temperatures (4˚C, 10˚C, 20˚C) and two different drying methods (air- and freeze-drying). The focal pathogens for this research included: Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella enterica, Staphylococcus aureus, pathogenic Escherichia coli, Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. We tested all six pathogens under each treatment condition on both sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) and rockweed (Ascophyllum nodosum) as these are the most commonly farmed and wild-harvested species in Maine, respectively. We inoculated a known concentration of pathogen onto freshly harvested kelp, treated it under a storage temperature or drying method, and sampled it over time to determine the impact of treatment on pathogen load. Our results showed that storage at 20˚C can lead to replication while storage at 4˚C and 10˚C halted the replication of focal pathogens. Both air-drying and freeze-drying produced significant log scale reductions in surface pathogen load for all focal pathogens. Additionally, air-drying reduced pathogen load more than freeze-drying for a majority of pathogens and storing dried kelp for 6-weeks further reduced pathogen load across all cases. These results are promising for industry as they corroborate historical evidence that current post-harvest storage and processing conditions are producing products safe for human consumption.

Physical and Chemical Properties of Indonesian Coffee Beans for Different Postharvest Processing Methods

The purpose of this study was to identify the physical and chemical properties of Indonesian coffee beans for different postharvesting methods after being roasted. Several types of Indonesian export coffee, i.e., Gayo Luwak coffee, Wamena coffee, Toraja coffee, Gayo coffee, Flores coffee and Kintamani coffee, were used in the present study. Each coffee has its own aroma and taste according to the location, soil type, and land elevation. The roasting process started with preheating the roasting machine, after which the samples were roasted for about 15 minutes at 215℃ to obtain the medium-to-dark (MTD) roasting level. The physical properties measured included density, mass loss, porosity, water content, and morphology using a scanning electron microscope. The transmittance spectrum was observed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The physical properties of the coffee were successfully measured. The bulk density varied from 0.6 to 0.7 g/cm3, and particle density was about 0.9 g/cm3 for green beans. The roasting process reduced the bulk and particle density to 0.3 g/cm3 on average and 0.8 g/cm3, respectively. The fully-washed condition gave an overlapping spectrum for green and roasted beans, which shows that the roasting process did not affect the spectrum. The results can be used to study the coffee quality resulting from different postharvest processing methods.

Responses of the nutritional value of the orange fleshed ‘Bophelo’ sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) cultivar under various processing techniques

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is a nutrient-dense root crop that is high in antioxidants. However, consumption was observed to decline, mainly as a result of the limited post-harvest processing methods. The boiling method is commonly used, however, leaching of the essential nutrients into the boiling water affects its nutritional value. Therefore, the objective of the study was to investigate the effect of various processing techniques on the nutritional value of the orange fleshed ‘Bophelo’ sweet potato cultivar. A 2 × 3 factorial experiment, arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD), was conducted. Factors A comprised 2 preparations (unpeeled and peeled) methods and factor B comprised three processing (boiling, deep-frying and roasting) methods, which served as treatments, in triplicates. The unprocessed, raw-peeled and unpeeled samples represented the control. Data on vitamin C, beta carotene, total phenolic, starch and protein were determined and recorded. In the peeled form, roasted samples had the highest nutritional accumulation (vitamin C 21.03 mg/100 mL, beta-carotene 64.6 μg/100 g, starch 5.86 g/mL and protein 0.3 mg/L), whereas in the unpeeled form, higher total phenolic (80.7 mg/GAE/g) was retained. The deep-frying method favoured vitamin C (10.00 mg/100 mL) and starch (13.6 g/mL) in the peeled form, but in the unpeeled form, beta-carotene (32.0 μg/100 g), total phenolic (66.2 mg/GAE/g) and protein (1.5 mg/L) were retained. The boiling method retained low levels of vitamin C (3.35 mg/100 mL), beta carotene (54.8 μg/100 g), total phenolic (43.5 mg/GAE/g) and protein (1.3 mg/L) in peeled forms, whereas starch (8.59 g/ml) was retained in the unpeeled samples. In conclusion, the roasting method demonstrated high retention of the tested nutritional value in ‘Bophelo’ sweet potato samples.

Sustainable postharvest processing methods for millets: A review on its value‐added products

AbstractIn the era of climate change, where major crops like rice, wheat, maize are struggling to survive, millets (small seeded cereals), have been emerged as sustainable food sources to end hunger and poverty. They can grow well in harsh climatic conditions and being used as a major source of human food. They are better sources of proteins, fiber, minerals, carbohydrates, vitamins, essential amino acids, phytochemicals, and antioxidants than major cereals. The health beneficial properties of millets have challenged food engineers and technologists to mechanize the processes and to develop different value‐added products from them. Although millets are rich in nutrients but they need to be processed to remove antinutrient factors and to increase their nutrients availability. Various food processing methods like decortication/dehulling, milling, soaking, germination, malting, fermentation, puffing, and so forth are being employed these days for the millets to make them into the edible form and fit for human consumption. However, the nutrients and the functional properties of the grains get influenced by these food‐processing techniques. The present review endeavors to provide the insights into the nutritional and antinutritional characteristics of millets, various traditional and modern processing methods, which are being adopted to ease their processing and utilization in preparation of nutritious food products. The involvement of value‐added products of millets in our diets can ensure food and nutritional security.Practical applicationsThe processing of millets with sustainable thermal or nonthermal processing methods will not only make them fit for consumption but also enhance its nutritive value by reducing its antinutritional factors. The utilization of millets in different product development and the involvement of its value‐added products in our diets can ensure food and nutritional security.

The Impact of Wet Fermentation on Coffee Quality Traits and Volatile Compounds Using Digital Technologies

Fermentation is critical for developing coffee’s physicochemical properties. This study aimed to assess the differences in quality traits between fermented and unfermented coffee with four grinding sizes of coffee powder using multiple digital technologies. A total of N = 2 coffee treatments—(i) dry processing and (ii) wet fermentation—with grinding levels (250, 350, 550, and 750 µm) were analysed using near-infrared spectrometry (NIR), electronic nose (e-nose), and headspace/gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) coupled with machine learning (ML) modelling. Most overtones detected by NIR were within the ranges of 1700–2000 nm and 2200–2396 nm, while the enhanced peak responses of fermented coffee were lower. The overall voltage of nine e-nose sensors obtained from fermented coffee (250 µm) was significantly higher. There were two ML classification models to classify processing and brewing methods using NIR (Model 1) and e-nose (Model 2) values as inputs that were highly accurate (93.9% and 91.2%, respectively). Highly precise ML regression Model 3 and Model 4 based on the same inputs for NIR (R = 0.96) and e-nose (R = 0.99) were developed, respectively, to assess 14 volatile aromatic compounds obtained by GC-MS. Fermented coffee showed higher 2-methylpyrazine (2.20 ng/mL) and furfuryl acetate (2.36 ng/mL) content, which induces a stronger fruity aroma. This proposed rapid, reliable, and low-cost method was shown to be effective in distinguishing coffee postharvest processing methods and evaluating their volatile compounds, which has the potential to be applied for coffee differentiation and quality assurance and control.

Mathematical Model of Drying Edamame (Glycine max (L.) Merill) Using Food Dehydrator Technology Based on Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN)

Edamame is included in perishable products or products that have a fairly short shelf life if post-harvest processing is not carried out. One of the post-harvest processing methods commonly used by the community is drying. The purpose of this study was to analyze the drying process of edamame related to the MLRL and ANN models. This study used a completely randomized design (CRD) with three variations of air velocity, namely 1 m/s, 3 m/s, and 5 m/s. Data collection was repeated three times every 30 minutes until 330 minutes. Multiple linear regression (MLR) model training and validation produce accuracy values of 88.03 and 82.23, and the value of R2 of 0.93 and 0.90. While the training and validation of the artificial neural network (ANN) model resulted in accuracy values of 88.34 and 82.15, and R2 values of 0.93 and 0.90. Keywords: ANN, Drying, Edamame, Food dehydrator

Effects of Processing Methods on the Quality of Black Pepper (Piper nigrum L.)

Summary The quality of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.), the ’king of spices’, is largely dependent on the postharvest handling and processing methods. Pungency and aroma are the most important qualities of black pepper, which are attributed to its oleoresin and volatile oils, respectively. Conventional open sun drying and shade drying were tested for different pretreatment curing of black pepper. The quality improvement and reduction in drying duration were exhibited for the sun-dried samples. The highest oleoresin content (8.15% w/w) was recorded in direct open sun-dried samples, whereas in shade-dried samples it was as low as 6.96% w/w. The highest essential oil content of 2.00 mL/100g (v/w) was obtained from the berries blanched for 2 minutes and sun-dried samples. Blanching followed by direct sun drying of berries had the highest acceptability score relative to the overall quality. Therefore, the physicochemical quality analyses performed proved that blanching and sun drying are effective in producing high-quality black pepper for export.

Post-Harvest Processing Methods Have Critical Roles in the Contents of Active Ingredients of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi

To find the best post-harvest processing method for Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, we explored the effects of fresh and traditional processing on the active ingredients in S. baicalensis and evaluated three drying techniques to determine the optimal post-harvest processing technique. We quantified four active ingredients (baicalin, baicalein, wogonoside, and wogonin) in 16 different processed S. baicalensis samples that were harvested from Tongchuan, Shaanxi province, by HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography). In addition, we performed a similarity analysis (SA), a hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), and a principal component analysis (PCA) on the common peaks in S. baicalensis that were identified by the HPLC fingerprints. Compared to the traditional processing method, the fresh processing method could better preserve the four active ingredients in S. baicalensis, meanwhile, the similarity analysis (0.997-1.000) showed that the fresh processing was more similar to the traditional processing, and it did not change the type of 18 active ingredients in S. baicalensis. The cluster analysis results showed that the shade drying and sun drying methods results were more similar to each other, while the oven drying (60 °C) method results were clustered into one category. According to the results of the principal component analysis, S9, S7, and S8 had higher scores, and they were relatively well processed under these processing settings. Fresh processing could be an alternative to traditional processing; the moisture content was reduced to 24.38% under the sun drying condition, and it was the optimal post-harvest processing solution for S. baicalensis.

Effect of processing methods on the content of phenolic compounds in Vicia faba L. tissues grown in field and greenhouse

Environmental conditions during the growth of Vicia faba plants and post-harvest processing methods influence its contents of secondary metabolites. In this study, total phenolic compounds (TP) and total flavonoids (TF) were quantified in broad bean plants at 10, 15 and 20 days after emergence (DAE), in floral buds and open flowers developed in the field or in a greenhouse with soil (GH-S) or tezontle (GH-T) as substrate. The effects of post-harvest processing, namely oven-drying and freeze-drying, were also evaluated. The analysis of variance showed, in all growth conditions, that the content of TP and TF varied significantly (P≤0.05 or P≤0.01) according to the age of the plant or the flowering stage, the processing methods and the interaction between those factors. Field-grown plants at 10, 15 and 20 DAE exhibited a higher mean value of TP (113.55 mg·g·-1 of gallic acid equivalent) and TF (126.60 mg·g·-1 of quercetin equivalent) with oven-dried samples, compared with those plants harvested in GH-S and GH-T conditions. Drying in the oven was most efficient in conserving phenolic compounds in field plants while freeze-drying preserved the levels of metabolites in greenhouse plants more effectively. In order to obtain the maximum content of phenolic compounds in minimal time, it is suggested to grow broad beans in the field, harvest plants at 10 DAE, and process them by oven-drying.