abstract
Lavander has been used as a medicinal plant and to treat several diseases. Knowledge of moisture desorption isotherms is useful in food dehydration and drying. The equilibrium moisture content for Lavandula officinalis L. flowers were measured by using the gravimetric static method with water activity ranging from 11% to 85% and three temperatures of 30, 40 and 50ºC. Five mathematical models (modified Henderson, modified Oswin, modified Halsey, modified Chung – Pfost and GAB equations) were used to fit the experimental data of desorption. The modified Halsey model was found to be the best model for describing desorption isotherms curves.