In China, Chinese herbal medicines are an important traditional medical heritage, possessing significant medicinal and health benefits. To ensure their quality and efficacy, drying is an essential step in their processing.
However, there are many different types of drying equipment for Chinese herbal medicines, and different equipment varies in their drying performance and nutrient retention.
Here, I will categorize and briefly introduce Chinese herbal medicine drying equipment.
1. Traditional Natural Drying Method
Natural drying is a traditional method for drying Chinese herbal medicines. It is suitable for some herbs that are more resistant to drying, such as astragalus and bupleurum. This method offers the advantages of low cost and minimal impact on the nutrients and efficacy of the herbs. However, it requires suitable weather, a long drying cycle, and is susceptible to environmental and climatic influences.
2. Smoke Drying Method
Smoke drying is a traditional method for drying Chinese herbal medicines, suitable for herbs that require a smoky flavor, such as smoked pine nuts. This method has the advantage of preserving the unique aroma and efficacy of Chinese medicinal materials, but care must be taken with the smoking time and temperature to avoid burning or damaging the nutrients.

3. Solar Drying Equipment

Solar drying equipment is an environmentally friendly and energy-saving method for drying Chinese medicinal materials, suitable for some relatively durable Chinese medicinal materials, such as forsythia and angelica. This equipment offers advantages of environmental friendliness, energy efficiency, and fast drying speeds, but requires sufficient solar resources and appropriate climatic conditions.

4. Hot Air Drying Equipment

Hot air drying equipment is a common type of drying equipment for Chinese medicinal materials, suitable for some relatively durable Chinese medicinal materials, such as wolfberry and bupleurum. This equipment offers advantages of fast drying speed, high efficiency, and reasonable price, but care must be taken with the drying temperature and time to avoid damaging the nutrients and efficacy of the medicinal materials.

5. Vacuum Low-Temperature Drying Equipment

Vacuum Low-Temperature Drying Equipment is a relatively advanced type of drying equipment for Chinese medicinal materials, suitable for some medicinal materials with high drying quality requirements, such as ginseng and ganoderma. This equipment preserves the nutrients and efficacy of the medicinal materials, providing high drying quality, but it is more expensive.

In addition to the equipment mentioned above, some equipment, such as microwave drying equipment, is not suitable for all Chinese medicinal materials. This is because the high drying temperatures of microwave drying equipment can negatively impact the nutritional content and efficacy of some Chinese medicinal materials.

In such cases, we can consider using more suitable drying equipment, such as heat pump drying equipment for Chinese medicinal materials like goji berries.

6. Heat Pump Drying Equipment

Heat pump drying equipment is a new type of Chinese medicinal material drying equipment. It uses heat pump technology to convert ambient heat energy into high-temperature hot air, which is then delivered into the drying chamber for rapid and even drying of the Chinese medicinal materials.

This equipment not only efficiently dries Chinese medicinal materials but also preserves their nutritional content and efficacy. Heat pump drying equipment is particularly suitable for Chinese medicinal materials like goji berries. Because goji berries have a thin, heat-sensitive skin, they are also rich in nutrients and efficacy, which need to be preserved as much as possible during the drying process.

Heat pump drying equipment can control the drying temperature and humidity, ensuring that heat and moisture are evenly distributed throughout the goji berries, thus ensuring optimal drying quality. In short, there are numerous types of Chinese medicinal material drying equipment, each with its own applicable scope and characteristics. When selecting Chinese medicinal material drying equipment, you should choose the appropriate equipment based on the properties of the medicinal material and the drying requirements to achieve the best drying results and benefits.
Drying is a delicate process. The moisture content of the same material can vary greatly depending on the region, and the drying process can also vary significantly.