EFFECT OF SOLAR DRYING ON THE COMPOSITION OF ESSENTIAL OIL OF SACHA CULANTRO (ERYNGIUM FOETIDUM L.) GROWN IN THE PERUVIAN AMAZON JAN BANOUT 1 , 6 , JAROSLAV HAVLIK 3 , MICHAL KULIK 1 , PAVEL KLOUCEK 4 , BOHDAN LOJKA 2 and IRENAVALTEROVA 5 1 Department of Engineering, Economics and Rural Development in Tropics and Subtropics Institute of Tropics and Subtropics 2 Department of Crop Sciences and Agroforestry in Tropics and Subtropics Institute of Tropics and Subtropics 3 Department of Microbiology, Nutrition and Dietetics Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources 4 Department of Crop Production Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Kamycka 129 165 21 Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic 5 Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Flemingovo n. 2,166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic Accepted for Publication January 20, 2008 ABSTRACT Two solar drying methods (direct cabinet solar dryer and indirect cabinet solar dryer) were tested under tropical conditions for drying aerial parts of sacha culantro (Eryngium foetidum L.) in Pucallpa City (Peruvian Amazon). The drying behavior was monitored during all experimental runs. Dried samples and fresh leaves were hydrodistilled and isolated oils were analyzed using gas chromatography with flame ionization detector and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. (E)-2-dodecenal was determined as the main constituent of the sacha culantro essential oil, averaging 61.8–62.2%, followed by n-dodecanal (10.9–15.5%), (E)-2-tetradecenal (6.7–7.6%) and 1-tetradecene (3.6–5.7%). When comparing both solar drying methods, the 6 Corresponding author. TEL: +420-224382306; FAX: +420-234381829; EMAIL: banout@its.czu.cz Journal of Food Process Engineering 33 (2010) 83–103. All Rights Reserved. © Copyright the Authors Journal Compilation © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-4530.2008.00261.x 83