Qualitative and Quantitative Changes in the Essential Oil of Lemon Verbena (Lippia citriodora) as Affected by Drying Condition

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of drying air temperature and air flow rate on the quantity and quality of the essential oil of lemon verbena. A completely randomized design was applied with a factorial arrangement of two factors: temperature (30, 40, and 50°C) and air flow rate (0.5, 1, and 1.5 m/s). The leaves were harvested in full blooming stage and placed in the drying machine at different temperatures and air flow rates. The essential oil of leaves was extracted by hydrodistillation in a Clevenger apparatus and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The results showed that the interaction between different temperatures under various air flow rates had a significant effect on the content and chemical composition of the essential oil. Seventeen compounds were identified in essential oil of lemon verbena, of which geranial, neral, and limonene were the major components. The maximum oil content and majority compounds of essential oil were obtained at 50°C and a 0.5 m/s air flow. Finally, seven mathematical models of thin-layer drying such as correlation coefficient (R ²), sum of square errors (SSE), and root mean square error (RMSE) were evaluated and the modified Page model was found to be the best drying model for lemon verbena.