الفهرس 
IntroductionOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 74 |  |  |
| | | from | 74 | | |
Abstract
Two experiments were conducted out during 2016 and 2017 growing seasons at Sakha agricultural research station, Kafr El-Sheikh governorate to study the effect of drying temperatures and storage period on the quality of stevia leaves. To extend shelf- life of leaves and prevent microbial activity stevia plants were harvested after five months from sowing at afternoon to determine the important quality i.e. stevioside, rebaudioside, rebaudioside/ stevioside ratio and carbohydrate content as well as loss in leaves weight during storage and correlation coefficient during both seasons. Leaves cut from stem were washed and left to dry under room condition (27 °C) for 72 hours to dry suitable drying for the next treatment of this study and then ground to very fine as tea. Samples were taken and divided to five parts and dried i.e. drying under room condition (control) shade, drying at (60, 70, 80, and 90°C) for 6 hours. All samples were dried and storage for (one, two, three and four month) in addition control without storage. All mentioned characters of quality were determined and statistically analyzed. The obtained results showed that drying stevia leaves after harvest at shade without drying recorded the lowest values of stevioside, rebaudioside, rebaudioside/stevioside and carbohydrate contents, this was true in both seasons. As well as storability and correlation coefficient, comparing with other drying temperatures, 60, 70, 80 and 90 °C which gave the highest values in both seasons. On the other direction storage stevia leaves for four months after drying temperatures recorded significant (p≤0.05) decrease in the ratio between rebaudioside and stevioside with increasing storage times to four months after harvest in the first season whereas, in the second season the opposite trend was found.