Drying and color in punamuña leaves (Satureja boliviana)

Drying allows water to be removed and food preserved, however, this operation can degrade color. Punamuña leaves are aromatic used for medicinal purposes in the Peruvian Andes. This research aimed determine model drying kinetics, diffusivity coefficient (Def), activation energy (Ea), color of punamuña leaves. A horizontal dryer was at 40, 50, 60 °C airspeed 1.0 0.5 m / s; kinetics modeled with 10 models. Def determined Fick equation, Ea Arrhenius equation; L* a* b* space. It found that triple exponential six parameters better represented (R2> 99.73 E <3.04%); increased temperature air velocity. between 43.62 44.52 kJ/mol speeds m/s respectively; a*/b* decreased, difference ?E * increasing lower velocity