| Abstract | The effect of passive or active modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) for fresh forms and microwave vacuum and hot air drying for dried forms of Thai sacred basil (Ocimum sanctum Linn.) were investigated as means of maintaining quality and extending shelf life. Two MAP experiments were conducted. In addition, during entire period of experiment, samples were evaluated for its physico-chemical properties (weight loss, in-package atmospheres, visual quality, aroma, chilling injury and overall acceptability) every 3 days until their physical properties became unacceptable. In the first experiment, the effect of perforated and non perforated packaging used in passive MAP were examined. Sacred basil were packed with 1, 2% perforated and non perforated using polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) bags and stored at 12°C. 1% perforation PP were more effective in maintaining quality and increasing shelf life to 15 days. Secondly, the effect of gas initially flushed a known volume of gas into packages in active MAP, PP, nylon laminated with polyethylene (nylon/PE), Oriented polypropylene laminated with polyethylene and linear-low density polyethylene (OPP/PE/LLDPE) were used with a differences initial gas concentrations of 0 and 5% carbon dioxide (C02) and 2, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20.9% oxygen (02), and stored at 12°C. PP bags with 0% CO2 and 8% 02 was found to be the best treatment in maintaining quality and prolonging the storage life to 15 days. Another investigated were done by drying technique, sacred basil leaves were dried using either hot air dryers (40,50 and 60°C) and microwave vacuum dryers (medium, medium high and high power levels). The effect of drying method on drying rate, rehydration rate and retentions of color was evaluated The results revealed that microwave-vacuum dried basil leaves had a drying time of 10 ,6 and 5 min for medium, medium-high and high power levels respectively while hot air dried at 40, 50 and 60°C were 22, 7.5 and 5 hours, respectively. It can be seen that microwave vacuum drying took only few minutes instead of hours in hot air drying of sacred basil. For hot air drying methods, 50°C in hot air drying was found to be the best drying temperature that received an acceptable score for appearance, color, aroma and overall acceptable thus shorter drying time (7.5 hours) as compared to 40°C drying (22 hours). While for microwave vacuum drying, the use of high power levels was found to be the best condition due to it less quality deteriorations in terms of color, rehydration properties and sensory evaluation. The comparison of both drying methods, hot air and microwave vacuum drying, was done taking into account several important characteristic such as drying rates, color, appearance, rehydration and volatile/aroma compound. Results revealed that microwave vacuum dried sample exhibited a higher rehydration rate and higher retention in aroma than those prepared by hot air drying. Basil leaves that were dried using hot air dryer were darker (less `L' value), and had less greenness values (higher `a' values). Less color deterioration occurred when microwave-vacuum drying was applied. Thus, microwave vacuum dried basil leaves were rated as better than hot air dried samples by sensory panel for appearance, color, aroma and overall acceptability |