We are conducting a research on mangrove leaves as larvicide. I just want to ask if what is the best approach we can use to preserve the leaves? Another thing is, do we have to air dry the leaves we collected? Is air drying is the most reliable way to dry the leaves before extraction? If it is air drying, how long does it take to determine if it is already 'dry' or how much time do we have to wait so it can be ready for extraction
I am NOT an expert. I have had a long term interest in and only dabbled with distillation.
In drying, you may loose some of the essential oils. You would be better to use fresh material and store the oil for later use.
You may also find, at one particular time of year, the leaf material is higher or lower in the constituents you wish to experiment with.
Based on the little information you have given, if I were you, I would distill leaf material every month and analyse it for the constituents you seek. In this manner, you will soon see if there is a variation for the harvest dates and be able to predict the best time for harvest (if indeed it does vary).
In general, it is better to isolate the oil from fresh samples. The time required for air-drying depends on the moisture content. But in all cases, avoid exposure to direct sun light. Drying should be in shade with regular stirring until drying
Sun drying may cause damage for some metabolites. You may dry the samples in shade or ideally by freeze-drying and then preserve in minus twenty degree celsius. Alternatively, you may easily extracts oily compounds with low polar organic solvents such as n-hexane/dichloromethane/ethyl acetate after crushing the leaves, and then preserve at refrigerator until bioassay.
In my experience with the preservation / extraction of the Phytochemicals & with the Biological materials , no doubt the best choice is to process the materials in the earliest possible time but if one is forced to preserve these biological specimens , if one can have the facility of the Liquid Nitrogen or the dry ice freezers , they can be useful for their preservation for the longer lives of the desired biomaterials.
You can freeze dry your leaves. Just make sure to wash them with water before it, so you do not include any other organic component. After, you can put them in a hermetic bottle and keep it freezed.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Engineering
- Materials Engineering
- Powders