Effect of drying method on quality of herb of Southern sweet-grass
2013
Roslon, W. | Osińska, E. | Przybyl, J.
Southern sweet-grass (Hierochloë australis (Schrad.) Roem. & Schult.) is a plant occurring in the undergrowth of light mixed forests. The raw material of this species-herb has been collected for many years due to the presence of coumarin and pleasant smell of hay. According to Wierzchowska-Renke (1972) to obtain high quality of herb it should be dried directly after harvest in a drying chamber at 30- 40°C. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different drying conditions on the quality of the southern sweet-grass raw material. The herb was dried under natural conditions (in a shady, airy place, where the average temperature was 20°C) and in a drying chamber at 35°C and 70°C. In the obtained raw materials the content of coumarins, phenolic acids and flavonoids was determined and compared to the content determined in the fresh herb. The results were calculated on dry matter. The highest content of all determined groups of biologically active compounds was found in the fresh material (8.5% for coumarins, 0.72% for phenolic acids, 4.85% for flavonoids). Among the dried raw materials the highest content of coumarins was found in naturally dried herb (2.23%), and the lowest in the raw material dried at 30°C (0.76%). The content of phenolic acids ranged from 0.38% (raw material dried naturally) to 0.46% (herb dried at 35°C). The content of flavonoids ranged from 1.95% (herb dried at 30° C) to 2.53% (material dried naturally).
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