The effects of drying methods on extract of Dalbergia cochinchinensis Pierre

Dalbergia cochinchinensis Pierre hardwood is widely accepted by consumers as one of the most desirable materials in making furniture and handicrafts for its properties of enriched aroma and sense of touch. The unique characteristics of this wood are attributed to its organic compounds in gum canal and parenchyma cells. However, many valuable organic compounds are not properly protected and retained during the conventional kiln drying. In order to investigate the organic compounds in D. cochinchinensis Pierre and find the favorable drying method which reserves organic compounds, the wood extract was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC–MS) at first. Then the samples were dried to absolute dry state by conventional drying (CD), vacuum drying (VD) and vacuum freeze drying (VFD) respectively, to obtain extract and calculate the yield. Lastly, these extracts from absolute dried wood were also analyzed and compared with each other. Results illustrated that there were some components with obvious medical efficacy existing in D. cochinchinensis Pierre, and VFD outperformed the other two methods in maintaining organic compounds in D. cochinchinensis Pierre.