The effects of drying techniques on in-vitro phytochemical content and bioactivities of Salicornia brachiata Nimashi Herath 1 , Dinum Perera 2 , Renuka Attanayake 3 , Priyani Paranagama 1 1 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2 Department of Bioprocess Technology, Faculty of Technology, Rajarata University of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka, 3 Department of Plant and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka Salicornia is a halophyte plant with promising properties that has the potential to be used in a variety of products, including food, nutraceuticals, and pharmaceuticals. The current study aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) by spotlighting Salicornia 's capacity to enhance human health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of freeze drying, microwave-vacuum drying, and heat pump oven drying processes on the phytochemical content, and bioactivity of Salicornia brachiata using several bioactivity assays; total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total condensed tannin (TCT), DPPH•, and ABTS•+ radical scavenging activities, and anti-inflammatory properties. The results showed that the drying process significantly affected (p=0.05) the phytochemical content and bioactivity of S. brachiata . Among the drying methods, Freeze-dryied Salicornia (FDS) had the highest TPC (283.18±0.47 mg GAE/g dw) and TFC (133.55±0.74 mg CE/g dw). Microwave-vacuum dried Salicornia (MVDS) had the second highest TPC (185.10±0.26 mg GAE/g dw) and TFC (110.86±1.13 mg CE/g dw), while heat pump oven dried Salicornia (HPODS) had the lowest TPC (103.55 ±0.39 mg GAE/g dw) and TFC (89.75± 0.66 mg CE/g dw). Nevertheless, FDS, MVDS and HPODS samples demonstrated similar condensed tanin (14.32±0.18, 14.43±0.17 and 14.32±0.24 mg CE/g dw, respectively). Furthermore, FDS exhibited the highest antioxidant activity, with IC 50 values of 24.85±0.59 µg/mL for the DPPH• assay and 37.50±0.49 µg/mL for the ABTS•+ assay. MVDS demonstrated slightly lower antioxidant activity (DPPH• IC 50 : 36.33±1.14 µg/mL, ABTS•+ IC 50 : 45.52±0.40 µg/mL), while HPODS displayed the least antioxidant activity (DPPH• IC 50 : 42.41±0.56 µg/mL, ABTS•+ IC 50 : 54.05±0.40 µg/mL). Additionally, in terms of anti-inflammatory properties, FDS showed the highest effectiveness (IC 50 : 0.31±0.07×10-2 mg/mL), followed by MVDS (IC 50 : 0.52± 0.04×10-2 mg/mL), and HPODS (IC 50 : 0.68±0.05×10-2 mg/mL). Overall, Freeze-drying was the most effective drying process for preserving the phytochemical content and bioactivity of S. brachiata . Furthermore, this study contributes to understanding of different drying processes affect phytochemical composition and bioactivity, emphasizing the importance of selecting appropriate drying methods to maximize its potential benefits. References 1. Benjamin, M.A.Z., Ng, S.Y., Saikim, F.H. and Rusdi, N.A. (2022). The Effects of Drying Techniques on Phytochemical Contents and Biological Activities on Selected Bamboo Leaves. Molecules, 27(19), p.6458. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/ molecules27196458. 2. Ekanayake, S., Egodawatta, C., Attanayake, R.N. and Perera, D. (2023). From salt pan to saucepan: Salicornia , a halophytic vegetable with an array of potential health benefits. Food Frontiers. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/fft2.214.
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