RESUMO
OBJECTIVE:To study the effects of different drying technologies and slicing on the quality of Tetrastigma hemsley-anum,and optimize the drying methods for T. hemsleyanum. METHODS:2 treatment methods(slicing and no slicing)and 5 dry-ing methods(drying in the shade,drying in the sunlight,hot-air drying,microwave drying and freeze drying)were respectively ad-opted for the T. hemsleyanum root. After drying for 3.5-213.0 h,using the total flavonoids,total polyphenols,polysaccharides andβ-sitosterol as indexes,effects of different drying technologies on the quality of T. hemsleyanum were comparatively analyzed. RE-SULTS:Compared with no slicing,sliced T. hemsleyanum can shorten the drying time and reduce the loss of active ingredients. In the 5 drying methods,freeze drying was the best for keeping the active ingredients in T. hemsleyanum. After drying,the contents of total flavonoids,polysaccharides,total polyphenols and β-sitosterol were 18.5 mg/g,92.7 mg/g,9.19 mg/g and 0.344 mg/g respec-tively,followed by microwave drying,hot-air drying,drying in the shade and drying in the sunlight. The contents of active ingredi-ents had statistical significance by each drying methods (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS:Different drying technologies have obvious effects on the quality of T. hemsleyanum. Slicing and hot-air drying at 60 ℃ were suggested as suitable method for T. hemsleyanum in terms of cost,content of active ingredients and practicability.