Effect of drying temperature on yield and phytochemical quality of essential oil extracted from Schinus terebinthifolius

Abstract

Among the post-harvest stages processing of medicinal and aromatic plants, drying stands out as a critical and essential step for the bioactive compounds conservation. Schinus terebinthifolius is a very important species due to its medicinal properties and food industry uses.  This work aimed to evaluate the drying temperature effect on S. terebinthifolius essential oil yield and phytochemical quality. The ripe fruits were harvested and dried in a forced air oven. The essential oils were extracted in Clevenger apparatus. Chemical constituents were identified by gas chromatography coupled to the mass spectrophotometer. There was no significant variation in the essential oils yield  and phytochemical quality independent of drying temperature. Considering that the drying temperatures did not influence the yield and the phytochemical quality of the essential oil, these results may contribute to the optimization of the post-harvest drying process of S. terebinthifolius fruits.