Suitable Drying Conditions for Ginger Capsule Production

Abstract

The objective of this work was to study the effects of drying temperature and moisture content on volatile oil content, flowability and microbial contamination of Ginger powder for capsule preparation. The quality of Ginger capsules was consequently investigated. The experiment was divided into 2 parts. The purpose of part I was to select the drying temperature that provided the highest amount of remaining volatile oil. Fresh ground Ginger was dried at 40, 50 and 60°c and the moisture content was less than 10 %v/w. The amount of volatile oil was consequently determined. The results showed that drying Ginger at 60° c gave the highest quantity of the remaining volatile oil (1.80 %v/w). The purpose of part II was to select the range of moisture content after drying which give the highest amount of volatile oil. Raw material was dried at 60° c until it reached 3 ranges of moisture content (3-5, 6-8 and 9-10 %v/w). The results indicated that dried Ginger powder with the moisture content of 6-7 %v/w contained the highest amount of volatile oil (1.75 %พ/'พ) and possessed fair flowability. Disintegration time and weight variation of Ginger capsules produced from this Ginger powder were within The Unites States Pharmocopoeia 27 limits. However, the capsules did not pass Thai Herbal Pharmacopoeia 2000 limits for microbial contamination.

It could be concluded that drying Ginger powder at the temperature of 60° c until the moisture content reached 6-7 %v/w may provide the highest volatile oil content and gave suitable powder properties for capsule filling. The capsules produced by this condition needs further process for microbial decontamination.