Table 2.
Effect of different drying treatments on chlorophylls and total carotenoids in the leaves var. Butternut squash (C. moschata).
| Postharvest drying |
Total chlorophyll (mgg–1) |
% loss |
Carotenoids (mg100g–1) |
% loss |
Ascorbic acid content (mg100g–1) |
%loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raw leaves | 4.49 ± 0.52a | 2.23 ± 0.04a | 62.37 ± 1.86a | |||
| Freeze-drying | 7.15 ± 0.12a | 59.24 ± 0.04d | 1.01 ± 0.05b | −54.71 ± 1.11c | 46.24 ± 0.92b | 25.86 ± 0.12e |
| Microwave-drying | 4.54 ± 0.13cd | −1.11 ± 1.25b | 0.11 ± 0.01d | −95.06 ± 0.45a | 34.41 ± 0.86e | 44.62 ± 1.31b |
| Oven-drying | 3.75 ± 0.30d | −16.48 ± 2.18a | 0.08 ± 0.02d | −96.41 ± 2.01a | 26.88 ± 186f | 56.90 ± 0.43a |
| Solar-drying | 5.89 ± 0.50c | 31.18 ± 1.33c | 0.47 ± 0.01c | −78.92 ± 1.65b | 39.78 ± 1.22c | 36.22 ± 0.11d |
| Sun-dying | 6.13 ± 0.13b | 36.52 ± 0.25c | 0.15 ± 0.09d | −93.27 ± 0.77a | 37.63 ± 0.44d | 39.67 ± 0.71c |
Means followed by the same letter within the column are not significantly different, p < 0.05, according to Fisher's LSD test.
Sun-dried leaves are included as control since they are used traditionally.