Muhamad Insanu

Effect of MgO to Fatty Acid Molar Ratio on the Production of Magnesium Salt of Fatty Acid from Palm Fatty Acid Distillates (PFAD) for Food Additives

Palm Fatty Acid Distillate (PFAD), a by-product of CPO industry, contains approx. 82%-wt of free fatty acids, which can be utilized as raw material for Magnesium Salts of Fatty Acids (Mg-PFAD). The objectives of the experiment were to produce Mg-PFAD salts through saponification-fusion reaction of PFAD at low temperature and ambient pressure and investigate the effect of MgO to fatty acid molar ratio on reaction conversion and yield. Next, washing Mg-PFAD salts with ethanol was able to facilitate the recovery of vitamin E (tocopherol and tocotrienol) from PFAD. Composition of Mg-PFAD were determined by AAS and GC analysis. Based on the data, yield of Mg-PFAD was increased by the increased of MgO to PFAD molar ratio. Mg-content of the product was within the standard according to FAO reference (4-5%-wt). Reaction was completed within 5-7 min after the addition of H2O (as catalyst).Fresh Water and salt are the most important necessities in human life. The scarcity and the difficulty to get fresh water and salt became main problems that emerge in many places such as for people who live in coastal areas and small islands where their main source of water and salt is the sea water. In order to obtain fresh water, people needs to process seawater into fresh water and salt. The term of fresh water used here means water which is free from dirt, bacteria, and other substances that are harmful for human health. To process the sea water into fresh water and salt has been done by distillation technic. The distillation technic requires heat to evaporate seawater before condensed and produce clean water. Heat for distillation process can be derived from a variety of sources, one of them is solar energy. The purpose of this study is to compare between a flat plate with one slope cover and two slope cover to produce fresh water and salt. The distilled water was tested in laboratory to determine whether the quality of water and salt after distillation meets the consumable requirements. The working principle of the distillator is by filled the basin with sea water and then heated with solar power. The water will be evaporated and due to the different of temperature between inside and out side of cover so that the condensation accurs at inside of cover. The condensed water will flow through surface of glass cover and then the distilled freshwater gathered in storage. The process will continue until water runs out and creates salt crystals in the basin. Solar distillation testing by using one slope cover with a size of 140 cm x 220 cm produce 3,482 ml / day of clean water and 322 grams of salt / 4 days at average intensity of 697 W/m2. While solar distillation by using two-slope cover with size of 80 cm x 50 cm produce 1,551 ml clean water/day and 199.9 grams of salt / 4 days.

Correlation of phytochemical content with antioxidant potential of various sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) in West Java, Indonesia

Objective: To determine antioxidant activity and phytochemical content from various tubers extracts of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) and to explore the correlation of phytochemical content with their antioxidant activities. Methods: Antioxidant activities were tested using DPPH and FRAP assays. Total phenolic was calculated by Folin-Ciocalteu reagent, flavonoid content by Chang’s method and correlation with their antioxidant activities were analyzed by Pearson’s method. Results: PO2 showed highest antioxidant activity, which had the lowest IC50 DPPH (10.54 μg/mL) and the lowest EC50 FRAP (11.14 μg/mL). PO2 showed the highest total phenolic (11.91 g GAE/100 g) and total flavonoid content (17.83 g QE/100 g). There were significantly negative correlation between total phenolic content and flavonoid content in sample PO with their IC50 DPPH and EC50 FRAP. IC50 DPPH of sample PP and PO showed significantly positive correlation with their EC50 FRAP. Conclusions: Result of DPPH method shows that all different ethyl acetate and ethanolic tubers extracts of four varieties of sweet potato are classified as strong and very strong antioxidant. Result of DPPH and FRAP methods indicates that phenolic and flavonoid compounds in sample PO contributes together to antioxidant activities. Antioxidant activities of sample PP and PO by DPPH method are linear to FRAP method.