THE APPLICATION OF MICROWAVE-ENERGY IN PREPARING MEDICINALLY USED PLANT DRUGS .2.

On the basis of various plant organs the relation between the used mic rowave energy and the drying processes, temperatures of the surface an d the interior of the drying materials as well as the remaining moistu re in the drugs was investigated. Leaf, flower and herb drugs showed a similar drying behaviour. Plant material of high humidity, e.g. meaty fruits or roots, should be dried by means of pulsed microwave applica tion to avoid too high temperatures. In almost all investigated drugs microwave drying resulted in a lower remaining moisture than air dryin g. The effect of microwave irradiation on carbohydrates, fats and prot eins in plant materials was preliminarily investigated.