Abstract

IMPACT OF DRYING METHODS ON CONTENT AND QUALITY OF ESSENTIAL OIL FROM LEAVES OF ARTEMISIA NILAGIRICA (CLARKE) PAMP.

Nishat Anjum, A. K. Singh and Y. C. Tripathi*

ABSTRACT

Impact of different drying methods on yields and certain quality ascertaining parameters including physicochemical characteristics and chemical composition of essential oil from leaves of Artemisia nilagirica were investigated. The highest essential oil percentage (0.610.45 %) was obtained from leaves dried under the shade and the lowest essential oil percentage (0.210.34%) was obtained from oven dried leaves. GC-FID compositional analysis of essential oil from leaves dried by sun, shade and oven drying methods showed similarity of major components of essential oils except the constituents, -myrcene and γ-terpinine were absent in essential oil samples obtained from sun and oven dried leaves respectively. In total, twenty nine compounds were identified in the essential oils extracted from leaves dried by shade drying and twenty eight compounds each in the case of sun and oven dried leaves. GC-FID analysis of essential oil samples derived from differently dried leaves evidently showed that shade dried leaves of the plant contain higher percentage of chemical constituents as compared to sun and oven dried leaves. Drying mode, however have no significant effect on physicochemical properties of the oil. Finally the study concluded that shade drying method is suitable to achieve optimal yield and composition of essential oil from A. nilagirica leaves.

Keywords: Artemisia nilagirica, Leaves, Drying methods, Essential oil, Oil yield & quality.