Comparison between airborne ultrasound and contact ultrasound to intensify air drying of blackberry: Heat and mass transfer simulation,energy consumption and quality evaluation

This study aimed at investigating the performances of air drying of blackberries assisted by airborne ultrasound and contact ultrasound. The drying experiments were conducted in a self-designed dryer coupled with a 20-kHz ultrasound probe. A numerical model for unsteady heat and mass transfer considering temperature dependent diffusivity, shrinkage pattern and input ultrasonic energies were applied to explore the drying mechanism, while the energy consumption and quality were analyzed experimentally. Generally, both airborne ultrasound and contact ultrasound accelerated the drying process, reduced the energy consumption and enhanced the retentions of blackberry anthocyanins and organic acids in comparison to air drying alone. At the same input ultrasound intensity level, blackberries received more ultrasound energies under contact sonication (0.299 W) than airborne sonication (0.245 W), thus avoiding the attenuation of ultrasonic energies by air. The modeling results revealed that contact ultrasound was more capable than airborne ultrasound to intensify the inner moisture diffusion and heat conduction, as well as surface exchange of heat and moisture with air. During air drying, contact ultrasound treatment eliminated the gradients of temperature and moisture inside blackberry easier than airborne ultrasound, leading to more homogenous distributions. Moreover, the total energy consumption under air drying with contact ultrasound assistance was 27.0% lower than that with airborne ultrasound assistance. Besides, blackberries dehydrated by contact ultrasound contained more anthocyanins and organic acids than those dried by airborne ultrasound, implying a higher quality. Overall, direct contact sonication can well benefit blackberry drying in both energy and quality aspects.     

Influence of sequential exogenous pretreatment and contact ultrasound-assisted air drying on the metabolic pathway of glucoraphanin in broccoli florets

In this investigation, the combinations of exogenous pretreatment (melatonin or vitamin C) and contact ultrasound-assisted air drying were utilized to dry broccoli florets. To understand the influences of the studied dehydration methods on the conversion of glucoraphanin to bioactive sulforaphane in broccoli, various components (like glucoraphanin, sulforaphane, myrosinase, etc.) and factors (temperature and moisture) involved in the metabolism pathway were analyzed. The results showed that compared with direct air drying, the sequential exogenous pretreatment and contact ultrasound drying shortened the drying time by 19.0–22.7%. Meanwhile, contact sonication could promote the degradation of glucoraphanin. Both melatonin pretreatment and vitamin C pretreatment showed protective effects on the sulforaphane content and myrosinase activity during the subsequent drying process. At the end of drying, the sulforaphane content in samples dehydrated by the sequential melatonin (or vitamin C) pretreatment and ultrasound-intensified drying was 14.4% (or 26.5%) higher than only air-dried samples. The correlation analysis revealed that the exogenous pretreatment or ultrasound could affect the enzymatic degradation of glucoraphanin and the generation of sulforaphane through weakening the connections of sulforaphane-myrosinase, sulforaphane-VC, and VC-myrosinase. Overall, the reported results can enrich the biochemistry knowledge about the transformation of glucoraphanin to sulforaphane in cruciferous vegetables during drying, and the combined VC/melatonin pretreatment and ultrasound drying is conducive to protect bioactive sulforaphane in dehydrated broccoli.     

Vacuum pressure combined with osmosonication as an innovative pre-drying technique for Ghanaian ginger: Evidence from the metabolome and quality characteristics of the dried product

We assessed the impact of selected pretreatment techniques, thus, vacuum-assisted osmotic dehydration (VOD), vacuum-assisted sonication (VSON) and vacuum-assisted osmosonication (VOS) on the metabolomes and quality characteristics of infrared-dried ginger slices. We found marked metabolome differences between the pretreated ginger samples, evidenced by differential amounts of 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol, total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and antioxidant activities. We also found distinct differences in the drying kinetics and sensory characteristics of the pretreated samples. Generally, VOS pretreatment gave the best outcomes. The VOS-pretreated samples contained the highest contents of the marker compounds, TPC, TFC and gave the best antioxidant activity. The VOS-pretreated samples also recorded the shortest drying time and exhibited the best sensory attributes. Overall, the general order observed was, VOS > VSON > VOD > control for all quality parameters examined. VOS pretreatment of ginger before drying therefore holds a great potential for large-scale industrial application.     

Effects of preliminary treatment by ultrasonic and convective air drying on the properties and oil absorption of potato chips

The initial water content was closely related to the oil absorption and properties of fried food. The effects of convective air drying (D) and ultrasound combined convective air drying (UD) pretreatment on the properties and oil absorption of potato chips have been investigated. The oil contents were 48.48 ± 1.42% and 39.78 ± 3.08% for control samples (without D and UD pretreatment) and ultrasound treated samples (without D pretreatment). When the mass loss of samples was reached the proportion of quality to without drying samples quality 80%, 50%, and 20%, the oil contents of D pretreated samples decreased by 12.67%, 28.24% and 62.07%, respectively, and the oil contents of UD pretreated samples decreased by 7.42%, 24.10% and 51.76% (compared to the ultrasound pretreated samples ), respectively. By applying ultrasound before frying, more cracks and pores were exhibited of fried potato chips. After drying process, potato chips exhibited less disruption of cell structure and less deformation of cell irregular. The hardness of the D and UD pretreated potato chips increased with the extension of drying. The FTIR analysis stated the formation of amylose-lipid complexes. This research could contribute to providing evidence for the development and application of the pretreatment strategies.     

Combining ultrasound,vacuum and/or ethanol as pretreatments to the convective drying of celery slices

This work studied three emerging approaches to improve the convective drying (50 °C, 0.8 m/s) of celery. Celery slices of 2 mm thick were pretreated for 5 min using ultrasound (32 W/L, 40 kHz), vacuum (75 kPa vacuum pressure) and ethanol (99.8% v/v, as drying accelerator) applied individually or in combination. To evaluate individual effects of ultrasound and vacuum, the treatments were also performed with distilled water or air medium, respectively. Moreover, the cavitational level was characterized in each condition. Drying kinetics was evaluated tending into account the drying time required by each treatment and the Page’s model parameters. In addition, microstructural effects and shrinkage were evaluated. As results, ethanol combined with ultrasound significantly improved drying kinetics reducing drying time by around 38%. However, vacuum pretreatment did not affect drying kinetics even in combination with ethanol and/or ultrasound. Microstructural evaluation did not evidence cell disruption, suggesting changes in intercellular spaces, pores and/or cell wall permeability. The use of ethanol and vacuum showed a greater effect on shrinkage after pretreatment and after drying, respectively. In conclusion, at the studied conditions, the drying acceleration by vacuum and ultrasound is lower compared to the effect produced using ethanol.     

Sonochemical effects on free phenolic acids under ultrasound treatment in a model system

Sonochemical effects on seven free phenolic acids under ultrasound treatment in a model system have been investigated. The degradation products have also been tentatively identified by FTIR and HPLC-UV-ESIMS. Five phenolic acids (protocatechuic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, p-coumaric acid, and ferulic acid) proved to be stable, while two others (caffeic acid and sinapic acid) were degraded under ultrasound treatment. The nature of the solvent and the temperature has been identified as important factors in determining the degradation reaction. Liquid height, ultrasonic intensity, and duty cycle of the ultrasound exposure affected only the degradation rate and did not change the nature of the degradation. The degradation rates of caffeic acid and sinapic acid decreased with increasing temperature. The degradation kinetics of these two acids under ultrasound conformed to zeroth-order reactions at ?5 to 25 °C. Both decomposition and polymerization reactions occurred when caffeic acid and sinapic acid were subjected to ultrasound. Degradation products, such as the corresponding decarboxylation products and their dimers, have been tentatively identified.     

黑米花色苷酰化修饰红外光谱分析

黑米花色苷易受外部环境影响发生降解致使局部分子结构破坏而使营养价值和保健功能有所下降。利用有机酸提供酰基对黑米花色苷进行修饰来提高花色苷结构的稳定性。利用红外光谱分析经咖啡酸酰化修饰黑米花色苷的结构变化。结果表明：黑米花色苷酰化修饰前后于官能团区3 650~3 200和1 680~1 620 cm-1处均有吸收峰，且其于指纹区1 282.68和1 277.51 cm-1处出现酚羟基吸收峰，于1 056.07和1 054.03 cm-1处出现醇羟基吸收峰，719.90和719.71 cm-1处出现苯环上C-H面外弯曲振动吸收峰。由此可见，黑米花色苷酰化修饰后主要结构框架仍为花色苷的芳环结构。此外，黑米花色苷酰化修饰前后于1 900~1 650 cm-1间1 714.28和1 728.13 cm-1处均出现共轭羰基的特征吸收峰，对应于可直接连接在苯环上的α-羰基结构，由此说明黑米花色苷结构中存在着酰基基团。黑米花色苷经酰化修饰后红外图谱于1 517.20 cm-1处出现新吸收峰，其正好处于1 800~900 cm-1双键(不含氢)伸缩振动区，指纹区876.65 cm-1处亦出现了苯环上的C-H面外弯曲振动吸收峰。与之相呼应在经二阶导数处理后红外光谱图中在2 500～2 000 cm-1间出现了新的波动，此波段为累积双键伸缩振动区，而官能团区3 650~3 200 cm-1间3 370.20 cm-1处的吸收峰正好处于多分子缔合区。由此可见，在咖啡酸作为酰基供体，酰化修饰黑米花色苷时由于分子间的重新缔合于结构中引入了新的酰基基团而呈现出一种双酰化的空间结构。黑米花色苷酰化结构中有机酸与糖链相连，将有机酸置于2-苯基苯并吡喃骨架的表面，这种堆积作用模式可以较好地抵抗水的亲核攻击和其他降解反应进而提高黑米花色苷结构的稳定性。     

Enhancing carrot convective drying by combining ethanol and ultrasound as pre-treatments: Effect on product structure,quality, energy consumption,drying and rehydration kinetics

Ultrasound was combined with ethanol to improve different aspects of carrot convective drying, evaluating both processing and product quality. The ultrasound in water treatment resulted in cellular swelling and small impact on texture. Differently, the ultrasound in ethanol and ethanol treatments modified both carrot microstructure (cell wall modifications of parenchymatic tissue) and macrostructure (shrinkage and resistance to perforation). Pre-treatments with ultrasound in ethanol and ethanol improved the drying kinetics, reducing the processing time (~50%) and the energy consumption (42–62%). These pre-treatments also enhanced rehydration, whose initial rate and water retention were higher than the control. In addition, the carotenoid content was preserved after drying, for all the treatments. Any impact on shrinkage was observed. A mechanistic discussion, based on structural modification (microstructure and macrostructure) and physical properties of water and ethanol, was provided. As conclusion, this work not only described positive aspects of combining the technologies of ultrasound and ethanol as pre-treatments to convective drying, but also proposed mechanisms to explain the phenomena.     

Effect of ultrasound on the extraction of total anthocyanins from Purple Majesty potato

This study examined anthocyanin extraction using the application of ultrasound to raw freeze dried, microwaved and raw sliced Purple Majesty potato, a new pigmented potato variety rich in anthocyanins. A 20 kHz probe was used for the sonication at 3 different amplitudes (30%, 50% and 70%) and ethanol in water at different ratios (50:50 and 70:30 v/v) was used for the extraction. Anthocyanin extraction from raw freeze dried purple potato was optimal at an ethanol:water ratio (70:30; v/v) after 5 min of ultrasonication, while the least amount of anthocyanins was extracted from raw sliced potatoes. The application of microwaves (as a pre-treatment) before the UAE resulted in an increase in the amount of anthocyanins extracted and a decrease in the amount of solvent used. Analysis of variance showed that potato form, ultrasonication time, ultrasonication amplitude and solvent ratio as well as two and three way interactions between some of these factors had a very significant effect (p < 0.000) on the amount of anthocyanins extracted.     

Effect of ultrasound,heating and enzymatic pre-treatment on bioactive compounds in juice from Berberis amurensis Rupr.

The aim of the study was to assess the influence of ultrasound (frequency 20 kHz, amplitude 70%, power 140 W for 10 min), heating (80 °C, 5 min) and enzymatic pre-treatment of mash (50 °C, Rohapect 10L at a dose of 0.23 g/1000 g, maceration time 60 min) on the yield, the content of phenolic compounds (including anthocyanins), ascorbic acid, and the antioxidative capacity of Berberis amurensis juice. Additionally, the polyphenols profile of this raw material and juices was identified. 25 phenolic compounds were identified in the fruit and 24 in juices. The content of phenolics in the fruit was 636 mg/100 g. Chlorogenic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoate and quercetin-3-O-glicoside were predominant. The content of anthocyanins in the fruit was 217 mg/100 g f.w., where peonidin-3-O-glucoside (98%) was predominant. The content of ascorbic acid amounted to 16.60 mg/100 g. The yield of the barberry juice pressing process ranged from 56% to 60% – there were no differences between the mash treatment methods. The enzymatic and thermal treatment of the mash resulted in the highest content of phenolic compounds in the juice. The sonication resulted in the highest content of anthocyanins, including peonidin-3-O-glucoside, as the main anthocyanin. The thermal treatment of the mash resulted in a lower loss of ascorbic acid than the other methods. The juice from the mash subjected to pectinolysis or heat treatment exhibited the highest antioxidative capacity.     

Simultaneous extraction of phenolic compounds of citrus peel extracts: effect of ultrasound

Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) has been widely applied in the extraction of a variety of biologically active compounds including phenolic compounds. However, there is an insufficiency of information on simultaneous extraction of these compounds in this area. In the present study, seven phenolic compounds of two families including cinnamic acids (caffeic, p-coumaric, ferulic, sinapic acid), and benzoic acids (protocatechuic, p-hydroxybenzoic, vanillic acid) from citrus (Citrus unshiuMarc) peels were evaluated by UAE. The effects of ultrasonic variables including extraction time, temperature, and ultrasonic power on the yields of seven phenolic acids was investigated. Results showed that the yields of phenolic compounds increased with both ultrasonic time and temperature increased, whereas the opposite occurred with increasing time at higher temperature to some certain. In the case of 40 degrees C, the decrease in the yields of some phenolic compounds was observed with increased time, whereas those of other compounds did not significantly declined. Ultrasonic power has a positive effect on the yields of phenolic acids under study. Among all ultrasound variables, temperature is the most sensitive on stability of phenolic compounds. Moreover, when phenolic compounds from citrus peel extracts were subjected to ultrasound process, the benzoic acids were more stable than the cinnamic acids. Meanwhile, the optimal ultrasound condition was different one compound from another. These were partly attributed to both the differently chemical structures of phenolic acids and the combination effects of ultrasonic variables.     

Application of ultrasonication at different microbial growth stages during apple juice fermentation by Lactobacillus plantarum: Investigation on the metabolic response

In this work, low-intensity ultrasonication (58.3 and 93.6 W/L) was performed at lag, logarithmic and stationary growth phases of Lactobacillus plantarum in apple juice fermentation, separately. Microbial responses to sonication, including microbial growth, profiles of organic acids profile, amino acids, phenolics, and antioxidant capacity, were examined. The results revealed that obvious responses were made by Lactobacillus plantarum to ultrasonication at lag and logarithmic phases, whereas sonication at stationary phase had a negligible impact. Sonication at lag and logarithmic phases promoted microbial growth and intensified biotransformation of malic acid to lactic acid. For example, after sonication at lag phase for 0.5 h, microbial count and lactic acid content in the ultrasound-treated samples at 58.3 W/L reached 7.91 ± 0.01 Log CFU/mL and 133.70 ± 7.39 mg/L, which were significantly higher than that in the non-sonicated samples. However, the ultrasonic effect on microbial growth and metabolism of organic acids attenuated with fermentation. Moreover, ultrasonication at lag and logarithmic phases had complex influences on the metabolism of apple phenolics such as chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, procyanidin B2, catechin and gallic acid. Ultrasound could positively affect the hydrolysis of chlorogenic acid to caffeic acid, the transformation of procyanidin B2 and decarboxylation of gallic acid. The metabolism of organic acids and free amino acids in the sonicated samples was statistically correlated with phenolic metabolism, implying that ultrasound may benefit phenolic derivation by improving the microbial metabolism of organic acids and amino acids.     

Application of ultrasound technology in the drying of food products

This study presents a state-of-the-art overview on the application of ultrasound technology in the drying of food products, including the ultrasound pre-treatment and ultrasound assisted drying. The effect of main parameters and ultrasound technology on the drying kinetics and food quality were discussed. Inconsistencies were pointed out and analyzed in detail. Results showed that for ultrasound pre-treatment, the food products may lose or gain water and increase of ultrasonic parameters (sonication time, amplitude and ultrasound power) promoted the water loss or water gain. When ultrasound technology was applied prior to drying, an increase in drying kinetics was always observed, though some different results were also presented. For ultrasound assisted drying, the ultrasound power always gave a positive effect on the drying process, however, the magnitude of ultrasound improvement was largely dependent on the process variables, such as air velocity, air temperature, microwave power and vacuum pressure, etc. The application of ultrasound technology will somehow affect the food quality, including the physical and chemical ones. Generally, the ultrasound application can decrease the water activity, improve the product color and reduce the nutrient loss.     

Ultrasound processing to enhance drying of cashew apple bagasse puree: Influence on antioxidant properties and in vitro bioaccessibility of bioactive compounds

The present study has evaluated the effects of power ultrasound pre-treatment on air-drying and bioactive compounds of cashew apple bagasse. The sonication induced the disruption of cashew bagasse parenchyma, which resulted in lower resistance to water diffusion, less hysteresis, and increased rehydration rate. The processing did not affect the lignocellulose fibers or the sclerenchyma cells. For sonicated samples, water activity reached values below 0.4, after 2 h of drying, which is appropriate to prevent bacterial and fungi growth. The sorption isotherms of cashew apple bagasse presented sigmoid-shape for all samples and followed the type II according to BET classification. Sonicated cashew apple bagasse showed higher antioxidant activity, higher total phenolic compounds (TPC) and higher vitamin C content when compared to the non-sonicated sample. The increase in TPC and vitamin C contributed to the product antioxidant activity. A slight reduction on Vitamin C bioaccessibility was observed, but the TPC bioaccessibility has increased. Sonication reduced the quality loss of conventional drying treatments improving the quality of the dried product.     

Osmotic dehydration and convective drying of kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) – The influence of ultrasound on process kinetics and product quality

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of ultrasound on two subsequent processes – initial osmotic dehydration and convective drying of kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa). The effect of ultrasound (at a frequency of 25 kHz) was assessed both in terms of process kinetics and product quality. During the study, three different osmotic agents were used – erythritol, sorbitol, and sucrose – in an aqueous solution at a concentration of 50% (w/w). The essential kinetic parameters were analyzed – water loss and increase of dry matter during osmotic dehydration, and evolution of moisture content and temperature of samples during convective drying (drying curves). Product quality was assessed on the basis of color, water activity, and content of relevant bioactive components – polyphenols and carotenoids. It was found that the application of ultrasound during osmotic dehydration resulted in higher water loss and solid gain. This surely results from the phenomena occurring during the propagation of the elastic waves in the liquid medium (mainly related to cavitation) and enhancement of the mass transfer. The use of ultrasound during convective drying also had a positive effect on the kinetics of this process. In most cases, during the ultrasonically assisted drying operations, a significant increase in drying rate was observed, leading to a reduction in drying time. This may be due to the intensification of both heat and mass transfer as a result of the mechanical and thermal effects of ultrasound. The assessment of product quality showed that the use of sugar alcohols was a good alternative to sucrose, and ultrasound-assisted convective drying increased the retention of valuable carotenoids and polyphenols. Moreover, in all dried kiwifruit slices, water activity was below 0.6, which can guarantee the microbiological stability of the tested samples.     

Sonication enhances polyphenolic compounds,sugars, carotenoids and mineral elements of apple juice

A study was initiated with the objective of evaluating the effects of sonication treatment on quality characteristics of apple juice such as polyphenolic compounds (chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, catechin, epicatechin and phloridzin), sugars (fructose, glucose and sucrose), mineral elements (Na, K, Ca, P, Mg, Cu and Zn), total carotenoids, total anthocyanins, viscosity and electrical conductivity. The fresh apple juice samples were sonicated for 0, 30 and 60 min at 20 °C (frequency 25 kHz and amplitude 70%), respectively. As results, the contents of polyphenolic compounds and sugars significantly increased (P < 0.05) but the increases were more pronounced in juice samples sonicated for 30 min whereas, total carotenoids, mineral elements (Na, K and Ca) and viscosity significantly increased (P < 0.05) in samples treated for 60 min sonication. Losses of some mineral elements (P, Mg and Cu) also occurred. Total anthocyanins, Zn and electrical conductivity did not undergo any change in the sonicated samples. Findings of the present study suggest that sonication technique may be applied to improve phytonutrients present naturally in apple juice.     

Power ultrasound as a pretreatment to convective drying of mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaves: Impact on drying kinetics and selected quality properties

The effect of ultrasound pretreatment prior to convective drying on drying kinetics and selected quality properties of mulberry leaves was investigated in this study. Ultrasound pretreatment was carried out at 25.2–117.6 W/L for 5–15 min in a continuous mode. After sonication, mulberry leaves were dried in a hot-air convective dryer at 60 °C. The results revealed that ultrasound pretreatment not only affected the weight of mulberry leaves, it also enhanced the convective drying kinetics and reduced total energy consumption. The drying kinetics was modeled using a diffusion model considering external resistance and effective diffusion coefficient D_e and mass transfer coefficient h_m were identified. Both D_e and h_m during convective drying increased with the increase of acoustic energy density (AED) and ultrasound duration. However, D_e and h_m increased slowly at high AED levels. Furthermore, ultrasound pretreatment had a more profound influence on internal mass transfer resistance than on external mass transfer resistance during drying according to Sherwood numbers. Regarding the quality properties, the color, antioxidant activity and contents of several bioactive compounds of dried mulberry leaves pretreated by ultrasound at 63.0 W/L for 10 min were similar to that of mulberry leaves without any pretreatments. Overall, ultrasound pretreatment is effective to shorten the subsequent drying time of mulberry leaves without damaging the quality of final product.     

Optimisation of ultrasound assisted extraction of phenolic compounds from Sparganii rhizoma with response surface methodology

The present study reports on the extraction of phenolic compounds from sparganii rhizome. Box–Behnken Design (BBD), a widely used form of response surface methodology (RSM), was used to investigate the effect of process variables on the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE). Three independent variables including ethanol concentration (%), extraction time (min) and solvent-to-material ratio (mL/g) were studied. The results showed that the optimal UAE condition was obtained with an ethanol concentration of 75.3%, an extraction time of 40 min and a solvent-to-material ratio of 19.21 mL/g for total phenols, and an ethanol concentration of 80%, an extraction time of 33.54 min and solvent-to-material ratio of 22.72 mL/g for combination of ρ-hydroxybenzaldehyde, ρ-coumaric acid, vanillic acid, ferulic acid, rutin and kaempferol. The experimental values under optimal conditions were in good consistent with the predicted values, which suggested UAE is more efficient process as compared to solvent extraction.     

Ultrasonic drying of foodstuff in a fluidized bed: Parametric study

The application of high power ultrasound for dehydration of porous materials may be very effective in processes in which heat-sensitive materials such as foodstuffs have to be treated. In fact, high-intensity ultrasonic vibrations are capable of increasing heat and mass transfer processes in materials. The application of ultrasonic energy can be made alone or in combination with other kind of energy such as hot-air. In this case, ultrasound helps in reducing temperature or treatment time. The aim of this work is to study the effect of air flow rate, ultrasonic power and mass loading on hot-air drying assisted by a new power ultrasonic system. The drying chamber is an aluminium vibrating cylinder, which is able to create a high intensity ultrasonic field in the gas medium. To that purpose the chamber is driven at its centre by a power ultrasonic vibrator at 21.8 kHz. Drying kinetics of carrot cubes and lemon peel cylinders were carried out at 40 degrees C for different air velocities, with and without ultrasound. The results show that the effect of ultrasound on drying rate is affected by air flow rate, ultrasonic power and mass loading. In fact, at high air velocities the acoustic field inside the chamber is disturbed and the effect of ultrasound on drying kinetics diminishes.     

The impact of ultrasound and steam blanching pre-treatments on the drying kinetics,energy consumption and selected properties of parsley leaves

In current study the influence of ultrasound pre-treatment and drying conditions (microwave power, air temperature) was analysed by the means of drying kinetics, energy consumption and selected quality properties of dried parsley leaves. Ultrasound treatment (US) was compared with conventional treatment – steam blanching. In comparison to untreated material, ultrasound applied at 21 kHz, 12 W/g, contributed to significant reduction of the drying time up to 29.8%. Moreover, the energy expenditures were reduced maximally by 33.6% for parsley dried at 30 °C and 300 W. For this sample the colour retention was the highest, as well. In turn, steam treated parsley was dried maximally by 28.9% faster and thus specific energy consumption decreased to 72.0% of the value for intact leaves when 20 °C and 300 W were set. The influence of pre-drying treatment on the quality properties depended on the drying conditions. Pre-drying treatment (US, blanching) did not affect the lutein content significantly, whereas the most considerable increase of chlorophyll a and b resistance and their relative concentration (Chl a/b ratio) was achieved in US-treated leaves dried at 30 °C and 100 W. The utilisation of drying pre-treatment and dehydration parameters should be considered with respect to further utilisation of dried parsley leaves. Nonetheless, sonication is worth to be taken into account due to a significant reduction of energy expenditures and an improvement of resistance of bioactive components.