Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Department of Agricultural Science and Engineering, SR.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2
Department of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran
3
Medicinal Plants Research Center, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran
4
Department of Agricultural Science, Technical and Vocational University (TVU), Tehran, Iran
Abstract
This study investigated the effects of various drying methods on the physicochemical and phytochemical properties of Ecballium elaterium L. fruits. A completely randomized design with three replications was employed to evaluate sun, shade, microwave (200, 600, 1000 W), oven (35, 45, 55°C), infrared (0.2, 0.3, 0.4 W), and vacuum oven (35, 45, 55°C) drying methods. Results demonstrated significant (p ≤ 0.01) impacts on all measured parameters except total cucurbitacin (TCu). Vacuum oven drying at 55°C optimally preserved quality parameters, showing the highest antioxidant activity (AA), total phenolic content (TPC), and total flavonoid content (TFC), along with superior color retention (L, a, b*). Conversely, sun and infrared drying caused the greatest degradation of total free amino acids (TFAAs) and total soluble proteins (TSP). Microwave and infrared drying exhibited power-dependent negative effects, with higher power levels significantly reducing TPC, TFC, and color parameters. Shade drying showed intermediate preservation of phytochemicals, while oven drying at 55°C maintained moderate quality. The study revealed strong correlations between drying kinetics and phytochemical preservation, with slower drying methods generally demonstrating better retention of bioactive compounds. These findings provide critical insights for selecting optimal drying techniques to maintain the nutritional and medicinal value of E. elaterium fruits during post-harvest processing, with microwave 200, oven and vacuum oven drying at 45°C emerging as the most effective method for quality preservation.
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