BACKGROUND: Taioba (Xanthosoma sagittifolium Schott), an unconventional food plant, has superior nutritional characteristics to those of most conventional vegetables
however its high moisture content makes its preservation difficult. The objective of this study was to determine the drying kinetics of the leaves of taioba, adjust the experimental data to mathematical models, and evaluate the effect of temperature on bioactive compounds. The leaves were dehydrated at 25, 30, 35, and 40 °C using a heat-pump dryer and 50, 60, 70, and 80 °C in a conventional convective dehydrator. RESULTS: The modified Midilli mathematical model was the best fitting model for all temperatures. The effective diffusivity coefficient increased with drying air temperature from 9.48 × 10 CONCLUSION: Among the bioactive compounds, vitamin C content was higher in taioba leaves dehydrated using the heat-pump dryer. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.