Effect of glycerine on drying of cut foliage of Buxus sempervirens

Preserving plant material with glycol is called glycerinisation. Buxus leaves and fruits are very attractive and used to make various dry flower products. An experiment was conducted to find the effect of glycerine on drying of cut foliage of Buxus sempervirens by using two methods (uptake method and full dip method) in different concentrations viz; 10%, 20% and 40%. Leaves treated with high concentration of glycerine showed minute changes in leaf area, gained more leaf weight. The scores on quality parameters like textural quality (4.83), shape retention (5.00), brittleness (5.00) and overall acceptance (4.94) were maximum when the leaves were treated with 40% glycerine solution by full dip method (T₄M₂). Full dip method of glycerine application was better as compared to uptake method and the best concentration of glycerine solution was 40% for drying of cut foliage.