Effect of some postharvest treatments on properties of spear and peppermint herbs prepared for exportation
The present study was carried out in Sabahia Horticulture Research Station, Alexandria, Egypt, through the two successive season of 2010/2011 and 2011/2012. Two storage experiments in ambient atmosphere were conducted using natural drying (ND) and artificial drying (AD) spearmint and peppermint herbs. The packaging types paper bag of one single layer (p.s), paper bag of double layer (p.d), paper bag of one single layer, lined with plastic layer in side (p.s+po) and paper bag of double layer, lined with plastic layer in side (p.d+po), were tested. The experiment started on it October 2010 and October 2011 (12 months each). During each season of storage, the herb was sampled once every 3 months (5 samples). The essential oil % was determined by water distillation and the components of the oil were determined by (G.L.C). Results of this study can be summarized as follow:1-Artificial drying (AD) is fare better to keep the essential oil of spearmint and peppermint herbs at the accept level (AL) in the storage.2-AD kept the major components of herbs, carvon, menthone and menthol better than (ND). As well as the microbial load at low level.3-ND saved α-pinene, β-pinene and limonene at high level than (AD).4-Extended storage period resulted in the reduction of all the studied components of the two herbs. 5-Packaging containing polyethylene (po) showed superiority in their keeping capacities to their contents among all the tested ones.