Effect of Polycarbonate Sheet Color on Andrographolide Content in Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees

Abstract

The quality of dried Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees (Fa-Talai-Jorn) is important to determine its effectiveness in traditional medicine. The present study was aimed to investigate the effect of the color of polycarbonate sheet on andrographolide content. Four colors of polycarbonate sheets (clear, green, blue, and gray) were used as covers for household solar dryers. Drying experiments of Andrographis paniculata with an initial moisture content of 85% w.b. were conducted to achieve a final moisture content of 7% w.b. by using four household solar dryers with different colors of polycarbonate sheets and natural sun drying. The andrographolide contents of the dried Andrographis paniculata samples were evaluated using the HPLC technique. The results indicated that the color of polycarbonate sheet affected andrographolide content. The highest andrographolide content of 3.40% was obtained from the solar dryer covered with gray polycarbonate sheet. © 2024 by King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Thailand.