Comparative study on the effect of drying methods on the plant Punica granatum using shade, solar, and convective drying in the southwest of Algeria

Punicagranatum (commonly known as: Pomegranate) is widely used in the food and medical industries in the Mediterranean region. is a potential source of raw material for food and other bioprocessing industries, such as (fights acne, pimples and rashes, helps in detoxification of body, cures sore throats and coughs, arrests hair loss and prevents dandruff, improves dental hygiene). Despite various studies on different drying techniques for Punicagranatum, there is limited information available on solar drying of this fruit in the literature. In this study, thin layers of Punicagranatum were dried using three methods: [22-28]C° shade drying, 40°C solar drying, and 40°C convective drying. The study was conducted in Béchar, a realistic region in southwestern Algeria, known for its hot and dry summers and cold dry winters. The results showed that solar drying achieved a drying rate of 65.26%, shade drying achieved a drying rate of 43.33%, and convective drying achieved a drying rate of 36%. this comparative study to find what is the best method to dry these plants and to prepare pomegranate peels for biological project to produce natural disinfectant.