Drying Curves and Colour Changes of Cassia Alata Leaves at Different Temperatures

Cassia alata plant has been commonly used as medicinal herbs for treating fungal infection such as ringworm and eczema. Nevertheless, a few studies on drying characteristics have focused on C. alata. This work aims to investigate the drying characteristics of C. alata leaves at different temperatures. Moreover, the effects of different drying temperatures on colour qualities of C. alata leaves had been determined. The leaves were dried at different temperatures (40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90 degrees C) using a laboratory oven. Dried and fresh leaves were analyzed for the moisture content and colour analysis. The EMC of C. alata leaves decreased from 0.30 to 0.10 g water/dry matter as the temperature increased from 40 degrees C to 90 degrees C. The colour qualities of C. alata leaves were lower with increasing drying temperature.