Effect of dehydration techniques on aesthetic and phytochemical parameters of chrysanthemum flower varieties

The floriculture industry holds significant economic importance in India with increasing demand for dry flowers. Study aimed to evaluate four dehydration techniques (sun, shade, vacuum and silica gel embedded drying) on the aesthetic and phytochemical properties of six chrysanthemum varieties (Dolly White, Pacho, Agina Purple, Ratlam Selection, Sunil and Flirt) to identify optimal preservation methods. Study was conducted at Anand Agricultural University from December 2023 to June 2024, the research applied dehydration techniques to harvested flowers targeting 15% moisture content, aesthetic parameters and key phytochemicals were then subsequently analyzed. Results showed that embedded drying with silica gel generally showed higher results for preserving aesthetic and most of the phytochemical parameters including texture, phenols, flavonoids and carotenoids especially in 'Flirt' and 'Agina Purple'. Shade drying excelled in retaining ascorbic acid and antioxidant activity particularly in 'Agina Purple'. Sun drying maximized total soluble sugars in 'Pacho' but led to significant losses in ascorbic acid and flavonoids. Vacuum drying resulted in the lowest retention of anthocyanin and antioxidant activity. Varietal performance also varied with 'Dolly White' showing best aesthetic preservation, 'Flirt' showing highest results in phenols and flavonoids and 'Agina Purple' showing highest results in anthocyanin, ascorbic acid and antioxidant activity. In conclusion, embedded drying was found to be effective for overall preservation while shade drying was optimal for ascorbic acid and antioxidant activity. Specific variety-dehydration technique combinations are crucial for targeted quality retention offering valuable insights for value addition in dried chrysanthemum products.