FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, cilt.34, sa.2, ss.358-364, 2014 (SCI-Expanded)
Mallow leaves (Malva sylvestris L.) with initial moisture of 5.02 +/- 0.003 on dry basis (82.5% on wet basis) were dried using three different drying methods, microwave, convective and vacuum. The leaves that weigh 75 g each were dried until their moisture fell down to 0.10 +/- 0.005 on dry basis (approximately 9% on wet basis). The following drying levels were used in each of the drying processes: 6.67, 8.67, 10, 11.33 W g(-1) microwave power density; 50, 75, 100 and 125 degrees C for convective drying; and 3, 7 kPa at 50 and 75 degrees C for vacuum drying. Drying periods ranged from 6-10, 26-150 and 38-130 min. for microwave, convective and vacuum drying, respectively. Effective moisture diffisuvities ranged from 2.04403 10(-10)-3.63996 10(-12) m(2) s(-1), 1.70182 10(-11)-1.10084 10(-10) m(2) s(-1) and 1.85599 10(-11)-5.94559 10(-10) m(2) s(-1) for microwave, convective and vacuum drying, respectively. According to ascorbic acid content and color parameters, the best microwave power density was found 10 W g(-1) with a drying period of 6.5 min.