Anita Alni
Myristica fragrans, most commonly known as nutmeg, is an indigenous evergreen tree found in Maluku Island1 and largely cultivated for various purposes in medical sectors. Among the products of processed nutmeg kernel and mace, the Myristica fragrans essential oil (MFEO) has found extensive applications in the realms of holistic medicine and the fragrance industry1. The MFEO can be extracted by a series of process such as hydro distillation, steam distillation, supercritical fluid extraction, microwave, and ultrasound-assisted techniques2. These processes frequently yielded substantial quantities of solid waste which are often discarded and not maximally harnessed3. We obtained solid waste from PT. Indosains, that collect nutmeg from Sumatera, Maluku Islands and Papua, and carried out an in-depth analysis on post-processed nutmeg waste with the aim of elucidating the constituent compounds therein.
The post-processing residual powders derived from Myristica fragrans, sourced from West Java in the year 2023, were subjected to maceration with methanol for 24 hours then underwent vacuum evaporation, yielding the extract of nutmeg waste. The obtained extract was subsequently employed in a silica gel vacuum liquid chromatography (VLC) procedure for separation led to the isolation of distinct major fractions, denoted as Fractions 1a through 11a. Fractions 6a and 7a were combined and then subjected to a column chromatography step. As a result, Fractions 1b through 40b were obtained. Fractions 22b through 26b were pooled together and subjected to a purification step using radial chromatography, resulting in attainment of Fractions 1c-25c. With the same purification method, Fraction 33b through 40b gave major fractions denoted as Fractions 1d-20d. Subsequently, Fraction 6c, 23c, and 15d were then selected for characterization using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and for antioxidant analysis by DPPH radical scavenging activity method.
Get a value of value chemical compounds from people's distillation residues
Indonesia is one of the largest producers of essential oils in the world. Biological wealth, climate and typical plants that grow both in Indonesia are the main sources of essential oils that are used very broad in the fields of medical, cosmetics, food industries and others. People's distillation has been running for decades to produce essential oils from their respective regions. One of the weaknesses of this people's distillation is the condition that has not been standardized so that the quality of the resulting essential oil is different. PT Indosains became a collector of people's essential oils, which then set quality standards and purified so that essential oils from various standardized and exported areas. In this case, this project is expected to improve the community's economy. Distillation residues contain many beneficial chemicals that have not been explored properly. With proof and characterization with the spectroscopic method carried out on this project, it is expected to contribute to increasing the use value of Indonesia's natural products.