Optimization of Scutellaria baicalensis Drying Using Combined Ultrasound and Vacuum Far-Infrared Technology: Drying Kinetics and Bioactive Preservation

Optimization of Scutellaria baicalensis Drying Using Combined Ultrasound and Vacuum Far-Infrared Technology: Drying Kinetics and Bioactive Preservation | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Optimization of Scutellaria baicalensis Drying Using Combined Ultrasound and Vacuum Far-Infrared Technology: Drying Kinetics and Bioactive Preservation Zewen Zhu, Xiaopeng Huang, Guojun Ma, Fangxin Wan, ZePeng Zang, and 6 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7228256/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 14 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract To address the thermal degradation and efficiency limitations of traditional drying methods on the active compounds of Scutellaria baicalensis, a novel drying technique combining ultrasonic pretreatment with vacuum far-infrared drying (US-VFIRD) was developed. The ultrasonic cavitation effect (power: 40-80 W, frequency: 20-60 kHz, time: 10-30 min) was employed to disrupt the hydrogen bond network of the cell wall, promoting the release of bound water and reducing mass transfer resistance. This was subsequently coupled with vacuum far-infrared drying (50°C, -20 kPa), which created a mild thermal environment to inhibit the degradation of heat-sensitive components. The results demonstrated that this synergistic approach significantly optimized the drying kinetics, with the peak drying rate of the 60 W/40 kHz/20 min group reaching 0.02853 g/(g·min), a 30% increase compared to the untreated group. The XGBoost multi-objective model (R² > 0.99, MSE = 0.00013) was used to quantify the effects of ultrasonic parameters on water migration, revealing that the interaction between power and frequency was the dominant influencing factor. Quality analysis indicated that the 60 W/40 kHz/30 min group exhibited the highest total flavonoid retention rate (218.7 mg/g), with total phenolic content increasing by 34.2% and antioxidant activity improving by 46.00%. These improvements were attributed to the preservation of cell microstructure (confirmed by SEM) and minimized thermal damage. This integrated technology not only enhances energy efficiency (COPd up to 0.0144) but also ensures quality retention, providing valuable theoretical support for the high-quality and efficient processing of Scutellaria baicalensis. Ultrasonic pretreatment Vacuum far-infrared drying Scutellaria baicalensis slices XGBoost model Drying characteristics Quality analysis Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 31 Aug, 2025 Reviews received at journal 25 Aug, 2025 Reviews received at journal 23 Aug, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 19 Aug, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 18 Aug, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 17 Aug, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 15 Aug, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 15 Aug, 2025 Reviews received at journal 11 Aug, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 06 Aug, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 05 Aug, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 29 Jul, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 29 Jul, 2025 First submitted to journal 27 Jul, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7228256","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":496537086,"identity":"ce31af18-5732-4348-95a2-0140d922a1ca","order_by":0,"name":"Zewen Zhu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Gansu Agricultural University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Zewen","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhu","suffix":""},{"id":496537087,"identity":"82493808-a428-45e0-938b-e6f41eac83fb","order_by":1,"name":"Xiaopeng 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The ultrasonic cavitation effect (power: 40-80 W, frequency: 20-60 kHz, time: 10-30 min) was employed to disrupt the hydrogen bond network of the cell wall, promoting the release of bound water and reducing mass transfer resistance. This was subsequently coupled with vacuum far-infrared drying (50°C, -20 kPa), which created a mild thermal environment to inhibit the degradation of heat-sensitive components. The results demonstrated that this synergistic approach significantly optimized the drying kinetics, with the peak drying rate of the 60 W/40 kHz/20 min group reaching 0.02853 g/(g·min), a 30% increase compared to the untreated group. The XGBoost multi-objective model (R² \u003e 0.99, MSE = 0.00013) was used to quantify the effects of ultrasonic parameters on water migration, revealing that the interaction between power and frequency was the dominant influencing factor. Quality analysis indicated that the 60 W/40 kHz/30 min group exhibited the highest total flavonoid retention rate (218.7 mg/g), with total phenolic content increasing by 34.2% and antioxidant activity improving by 46.00%. These improvements were attributed to the preservation of cell microstructure (confirmed by SEM) and minimized thermal damage. 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