title: [Effect of slice thickness on drying process of Polygonum multiflorum root tuber].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the effect of slice thickness on drying process of Polygonum multiflorum root tuber.
  
  
  METHODS
  The root tuber of Polygonum multiflorum was sliced with thickness of 2, 5 and 8 mm. Drying experiments were conducted at temperatures of 45, 55, 65 and 75 degrees C. The experimental data were fitted to ten thin-layer drying models to select a suitable model for describing the drying characteristic of Polygonum multiflorum root tuber. Based on thin-layer drying theory, the kinetics parameters of drying process were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The drying processes of Polygonum multiflorum root tuber were consisted of two regions, 1st and 2nd falling rate periods when the slice thickness was thick or the drying temperature was high. Aghbashlo model was the best one to describe its drying behavior. The variation of thickness had significant effect on effective moisture diffusivity (D), but had little effect on activation energy E(a).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thin-layer drying theory can be an effective tool for the study of drying behavior of Polygonum multiflorum root tuber. The result provides experimental basis for the quality control of Polygonum multiflorum root tuber drying process.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China. sci.blin@gzu.edu.cn
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China.
authors.forename: Li-Qing
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China.
authors.forename: Mei-Na
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China.
authors.forename: Hu-Juan
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D003890:Desiccation; D007700:Kinetics; D035281:Plant Tubers / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D028502:Polygonum / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D013696:Temperature