Método de secagem de pimenta longa: uso de aparelho de microondas.

Abstract

The Database of Aromatic Plants from the Amazon, created by the Phytochemistry Group of the Botany Department, allowed the selection of a species rich in safrole for the establishment of a production system that leads to the commercial exploitation of this plant, the Piper hispidivervium, commonly known as long pepper. This is a 2-meter high, rustic shrub, with high resistance and adaptability, which could become the successor of the long vegetative cycle species, exploited in China to supply safrole essential oil. The present work aims to establish the best drying time of the leaves and thin branches, for processing by steam dragging (distillation). Previously it was observed that it is necessary that the crude material has a maximum of 30% of unity so that the yield of oil, in the distillation process, is economically assured in the shortest time possible. A microwave oven was used for rapid drying of the long pepper crude material, at times of 5, I0, 15,20,25 and 30 minutes, with repetitions, and then hydrodistillation was processed. The results were expressed as a function of the oil yield and its chromatographic analysis. It was observed that this type of drying, at commercial level, can be used without prejudice to the yield observed for drying at room temperature and to the quality of the oil. The results will be presented in tables, chromatograms and graphs.