Vol. 10, Issue 6 (2021)

Author(s):
Akram, Thaneshwari and Priyanshu Sharma

Abstract:
The present experiment was conducted on standardizing dehydration technique for Cleretum bellidiforme and Calendula officinalis by using embedding drying methods in room temperature and hot air oven at 55 °C. The experiment consisted of 10 treatments with 3 replications designed in completely randomized design. Treatments used were as; T₁- fine silica (room temperature), T₂- fine silica+borax (room temperature), T₃-borax (room temperature), T₄-soil (room temperature), T₅-sand (room temperature), T₆- sand (hot air oven at 55 °C), T₇-borax (hot air oven at 55 °C), T₈- fine silica (hot air oven at 55°C), T₉- fine silica+ borax (hot air oven at 55 °C), T₁₀- soil (hot air oven at 55 °C). In case of Cleretum bellidiforme dehydration, maximum reduction in flower weight (0.41g) was recorded in treatment T₈ (fine silica embedding in hot air oven at 55 °C), T₇ (0.41g) (borax embedding in hot air oven at 55˚ C) and T₉ (0.41g) (fine silica+ borax embedding in hot air oven at 55˚ C). Minimum reduction in flower weight (0.27g) was recorded in treatment T₅ (sand embedding, room temperature). Maximum flower diameter reduction (0.50 mm) after drying was reported in T₈ (fine silica embedding in hot air oven at 55 ˚C) and minimum flower diameter reduction (0.10 mm) was recorded in T₅ (sand embedding, room temperature). In case of Calendulla officinalis, maximum flower weight reduction (0.95g) was reported in T₈ (silica embedding in hot air oven at 55˚C), which was found to be statistically superior to all other treatment. Minimum flower weight reduction (0.72g) was recorded in T₄ (soil embedding, room temperature) and T₅ (sand embedding, room temperature). Maximum flower diameter reduction (0.50 mm) was recorded in T₄ (soil embedding, room temperature), which was found to be statistically highest diameter reduction from all other treatment. Minimum flower diameter reduction (0.10 mm) was recorded in T₈ (fine silica embedding in hot air oven at 55 ˚C) and T₁ (fine silica embedding in room temperature). Among all treatment, embedding drying with silica was found to be best in term of appearance and texture of these flowers after drying.