Quality and bioactive compound accumulation in two holy basil cultivars as affected by microwave-assisted hot air drying at an industrial scale

Abstract

Holy basil (Ocimum Tenuiflorum L.) contains several bioactive compounds useful to the pharmaceutical and food industries. Microwave drying (MD) is a powerful technique for rapid drying of food or plant materials while preserving bioactive compounds during the process. However, little is known about the optimal combination of MD power with hot air drying (HAD) that can preserve the quality and yet only consume reasonable energy when drying holy basils. For that purpose, the effects of drying methods using MD combined with HAD at 45°C were examined to prevent losses in quality, antioxidant activities, and volatile flavor compounds in two holy basil cultivars (green and red cultivars). Holy basil leaves were dried at different MD powers of 200, 400, and 600 W combined with HAD and compared with a traditional tray drying (TD) at 45°C. Drying using MD at 600 W with HAD displayed significantly high levels of color retention, chlorophyll, and carotenoid content in both cultivars. The green cultivar showed a greater accumulation of total phenolic compounds (TPC), terpenoids, and DPPH free radical scavenging at 400 W with HAD. However, the red cultivar had the highest TPC, flavonoid, and terpenoid content at 600 W with HAD. The accumulation of major volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was also affected, and treatment at 600 W exhibited the highest methyl eugenol and β-caryophyllene content in both cultivars. The use of the highest power of MD (600 W) with HAD for leaf drying reduced the effective drying time and energy consumption among both cultivars. Taking into consideration the dried quality of antioxidant accumulation and energy consumed for drying, we recommend using MD at 400 or 600 W with HAD for the green cultivar and 600 W for the red.

Enhanced Quick-Cooking Red Beans: An Energy-Efficient Drying Method with Hot Air and Stepwise Microwave Techniques

“…This observation aligns with insights from the study of Li et al [7], which emphasizes the significant role of microwave power in influencing the drying efficiency, moisture migration, gelatinization degree, and texture profile of kidney beans. Similarly, Li et al [11] and Wiset et al [9] provide evidence of microwave power influence on moisture diffusivity and drying efficiency, further supporting these findings. Specifically, the increase in effective moisture diffusivity (D e ) with higher microwave power, as observed in [12], is a testament to the microwave capability to enhance molecular movement and water vapor movement within the product.…”

“…The weight gain on rehydration (WGR) expressed as Equation ( 9) was fitted to the semi-empirical first-order kinetic model (Equation (10)), and the rehydration rate constant was then estimated using a nonlinear regression method. WGR = w e − w t w e × 100 (9) WGR = WGR e − (WGR e − 1) exp(−k r t) (10) The rehydration time (RT) was measured according to Luithui and Meera [19] with some modifications. Briefly, dried red beans (10 g) were immersed in 1 L of boiling water.…”

“…Achieving a balanced approach in drying technologies, especially regarding energy efficiency and quality preservation under variable microwave power, presents a significant challenge. This complexity is further explored in studies focusing on microwave hot-air rolling drying (MHRD) and its impact on kidney beans, where the reduction in drying times is weighed against the necessity for maintaining quality, necessitating precise adjustments in drying parameters [ 8 , 9 ]. Additionally, research into pre-treatment methods and the synergetic effects of combined drying techniques offers insights into quality enhancement for beans.…”