Drying is one of the complex processes, comprising parallel heat and mass transfer reactions. It extends the shelf life of perishable agricultural produces (like green leafy vegetables) by decreasing the level of water activity. In the present work, hot water and ultrasound pretreatments were conducted, prior to the dehydration of fresh morisa xak (Amaranthus caudatus) leaves by microwave drying for improving color stability. In order to assess the color degradation kinetics of chlorophyll, the impact of drying techniques on hunter color parameters (L*, a*, b*) and total color difference (TCD) has been evaluated. Thermal degradation of chlorophyll of the green leaves followed the first order kinetics and Arrhenius equation was employed to describe the temperature dependence of the reaction rate constant. From the study, the protective effect of ultra sound pretreatment on the color stability of morisa xak leaves prior to microwave drying can be observed. Practical Applications Morisa xak is popular and an important green leaves consumed by North Eastern Part of India. As it has high moisture content, morisa xak leaves has been prone to deterioration during post‐harvest storage. Microwave drying has been preferred over traditional hot air drying method due to its high drying rates and better drying quality. As chlorophyll is the main coloring pigment in green leaves, its deterioration is very common during drying. In the current investigation, different pre‐treatments (hot water and ultra sound) were applied to morisa xak leaves before microwave drying to improve the chlorophyll content. The results of the study indicated that the application of ultra sound pretreatment before microwave drying could be a promising technique in comparison with hot air drying method for drying of green leaves with minimum degradation in chlorophyll.
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