Thailand is an agricultural country, and its products range from world famous jasmine rice to various vegetables, fruits and herbs. Most of the products need some kind of preservation to enhance their shelf life since the production usually exceeds market demand at the harvest season. Drying is one of the most used methods for product preservation, and as a result, it adds higher value to the products. A dryer can achieve this purpose by supplying more heat which in turn increases the vapor pressure of the moisture in the product, reduces relative humidity of the air, then increases its moisture loading capacity and ensures sufficiently low equilibrium moisture content. Solar energy can be used as an important and environmental compatible source of renewable energy. The use of solar energy for drying effectively reduces the problems arising from generating energy by convention method. This is because the use of the conventional energy source for drying purposes is costly and hazardous to environment. Solar drying system may be classified into direct, indirect and mixed modes. In direct solar dryers, the air heater contains the product and solar energy passes through a transparent cover and is absorbed by the product. Essentially, the heat required for drying is provided by radiation to the upper layers and then conducted to the product bed. In indirect drying system, solar energy is collected in separate equipment, called solar air heater, and the heated air then passes through the product bed [1]. Andrographis paniculata is an annual plant with characteristic white-purple or spotted purple flowers that flourishes in South-East Asia, China and India. It has been valued for centuries by herbalists as a treatment for upper respiratory infections, fever, sore throat and herpes. Other reported applications include its use in cases of malaria, dysentery and even snakebites. Now, important new research has confirmed a host of pharmacological benefits for this herb, including potent anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anti-viral effects. In addition, scientists have discovered that Andrographis paniculata helps boost the immune system, protects against cancer, prevents blood clots and maintains efficient digestive functioning [2]. The purpose of this paper is to present the developments and potentials of solar drying technologies for drying Andrographis paniculata.
Thailand is an agricultural country, and its products range from world famous jasmine rice to various vegetables, fruits and herbs. Most of the products need some kind of preservation to enhance their shelf life since the production usually exceeds market demand at the harvest season. Drying is one of the most used methods for product preservation, and as a result, it adds higher value to the products. A dryer can achieve this purpose by supplying more heat which in turn increases the vapor pressure of the moisture in the product, reduces relative humidity of the air, then increases its moisture loading capacity and ensures sufficiently low equilibrium moisture content. Solar energy can be used as an important and environmental compatible source of renewable energy. The use of solar energy for drying effectively reduces the problems arising from generating energy by convention method. This is because the use of the conventional energy source for drying purposes is costly and hazardous to environment. Solar drying system may be classified into direct, indirect and mixed modes. In direct solar dryers, the air heater contains the product and solar energy passes through a transparent cover and is absorbed by the product. Essentially, the heat required for drying is provided by radiation to the upper layers and then conducted to the product bed. In indirect drying system, solar energy is collected in separate equipment, called solar air heater, and the heated air then passes through the product bed [1]. Andrographis paniculata is an annual plant with characteristic white-purple or spotted purple flowers that flourishes in South-East Asia, China and India. It has been valued for centuries by herbalists as a treatment for upper respiratory infections, fever, sore throat and herpes. Other reported applications include its use in cases of malaria, dysentery and even snakebites. Now, important new research has confirmed a host of pharmacological benefits for this herb, including potent anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anti-viral effects. In addition, scientists have discovered that Andrographis paniculata helps boost the immune system, protects against cancer, prevents blood clots and maintains efficient digestive functioning [2]. The purpose of this paper is to present the developments and potentials of solar drying technologies for drying Andrographis paniculata.
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