Effect of drying conditions on the phytochemicals and qualities of herbal tea made from the silk and cobs of red sweet corn

Phornpan Ji-u; Tarit Apisittiwong

Authors

Phornpan Ji-u Program of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Technology and Industrial Technology, Nakhon Sawan Rajabhat University, Nakhon Sawan 60000, Thailand
Tarit Apisittiwong Faculty of Food Technology, College of Agricultural Innovation and Food Technology, Rangsit University, Pathumthani 12000, Thailand

Keywords:

anthocyanins content, corn silk and cobs, hot air dryer, infusion tea, sun drying, total phenolic content

Abstract

This research investigated suitable hot air drying conditions to prepare corn silk and cob herbal tea from the silk and cobs of the red sweet corn “Siam Ruby Queen”. The optimum process conditions and quality of the tea were determined. The drying was performed at four different temperatures: sun drying (37±3), 60, 70, and 80 °C. The optimum drying conditions were 70 °C, 1 h and 70 °C, 5 h for the corn silk and the corn cob, respectively. The herbal tea contained 43.10±2.26 mg/100 g total anthocyanin content, 14.44±0.78 mg/100 g of cyanidin, 28.66±0.74 mg/100 g of peonidin, and 990.11±39.49 mg GAE/100 g total phenolic content. The color values of the infusions, L*, a*, and b*, were 25.53±0.04, 31.50±0.08, and 30.67±0.33, respectively. The moisture content and water activity of the product were 5.7725±0.7407% and 0.3152±0.0760. There was no contamination by yeasts or molds, including Escherichia coli, in the product. Therefore, the corn silk and cob herbal tea developed in this study met the Thai community products standard (TCPS 478/2562).

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