Moisture Sorption Isotherms of Medicinal Plants Determined by DVS
- Publication Type
- Poster
- Authors
- Kohler, R; Argyropoulos, D; Alex, R; Müller, J
- Year of publication
- 2012
- Conference name
- XVI. Workshop: “Transport in porösen Medien”
- Conference location
- Bad Soden
- Conference date
- 13 - 14 November 2012
For medicinal plants and herbs the handling, optimal drying and storage are essential. Stability and the preservation of the active ingredients depends mainly on the environmental conditions, i.e. temperature and relative humidity. Relevant information is obtained from the knowledge of water vapor sorption, equilibrium and kinetics, not only about the optimal conditioning but potentially about the plant microstructure.
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.) is a perennial herb in the mint family Lamiaceae. It is characteristic for its lemon-scented leaves and cultivated for its versatile uses, not only as a seasoning herb but more important in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries due to its flavoring, medicinal and therapeutic properties.