Abstract

The present study assessed the effects of drying at different temperatures (35, 45 and 55 °C) and air velocities (1 and 2 m s^-1) on the content and chemical characteristics of Hyptis pectinata essential oil. Drying was conducted in a fixed-bed dryer, and the temperatures and air velocities were controlled and recorded by an automated system. A 350±0.12 g quantity of fresh leaves was used for each of the four repetitions in each dryer. From the material obtained after drying, 60 g of each repetition was used to extract essential oil by the hydrodistillation method. Dichloromethane was used as the solvent, and anhydrous sodium sulfate was used as the desiccating agent. Gas chromatography in the forms of GC-MS and GC-FID were used for the chemical characterization of the essential oil compounds. Decreasing drying times and decreasing concentrations of essential oils were observed with increasing temperatures. A GC-MS analysis of the essential oil from H. pectinata leaves led to the identification of 19 compounds. A sesquiterpene called caryophyllene oxide was the most abundant compound under all drying conditions, with the highest concentration at a temperature of 55 °C, ranging from approximately 42 to 53%.

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