Standardization of different desiccants for drying of Helichrysum (Helichrysum bracteatum)

Abstract

The experiment\r\n“Standardization of Different Desiccants for Drying of Helichrysum (Helichrysum\r\nbracteatum) was conducted at the Dry Flower Laboratory, IGKV, Raipur,\r\nduring 2023-24 in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications\r\nand eleven desiccant treatments: T1 Silica gel (Control), T2\r\nBorax, T3 River sand, T4 Vermiculite, T5\r\nSawdust, T6 Cornmeal, T7 Borax + River sand 1:1, T8\r\nBorax + River sand 2:1, T9 Borax + Cornmeal 2:1, T10\r\nSilica gel + River sand 1:1, and T11 Sawdust + River sand 2:1. among\r\nthem, T1 recorded the lowest dry flower weight (0.41 g), highest\r\nmoisture loss (81.22%), and shortest drying time (2.5 days) followed by T10.\r\nQualitative parameters were also significantly influenced by desiccants,\r\ntreatment T1 achieving the highest sensory scores for appearance\r\n(8.02), texture (8.08), and brittleness (7.29) followed by T10.\r\nThese findings indicate that silica gel and its combinations are the most\r\neffective desiccants for preserving Helichrysum flowers with superior drying\r\nquality.