Ekstraksi dan Karakterisasi Pektin dari Kulit Buah Kakao

Tulisan ini dibuat ketika aku masih di Biotek Bogor, dan merupakan bagian dari RUT pak Djoko. Produksi pektin hanya dilakukan dalam skala lab. Pelaksana utama kegiatan penelitiannya adalah Tari dengan sedikit keterlibatanku dan bimbingan jarak jauh dari pak Djoko yang waktu itu lagi tugas riset di Belanda. Artikel lengkapnya terbit di majalah ilmiah Gakuryoku edisi … (2005, kalo ga salah). Berikut ringkasannya ….

Cacao husk is an abundant by-product of cacao plantation in Indonesia. It has a great potential for pectin production. It contains pectin (18%), tannin (2%), catekin (0.01%) and antocianin (1.04%). Pectin is commonly used as gelling agent in food industries. During 1998, pectin consumption in Indonesia reached more than a thousand metric ton, which was imported with value of 5.2 US $. This experiment aims to determine initially the effects of extracting acid and extraction time to the yield and properties of the pectin produced from cacao husk. The husks are processed with three acid compounds, which were chloride acid, acetic acid and citric acid. Extraction times were 45 and 60 minutes at 70 – 80°C and pH 1.5. For economic reason, these extraction times were tested for chloride acid only. The results indicated that the highest yield, which is 9.34% of the fresh weight, is from the husk processed with acetic acid. Other variables such as water, ash and methoxyl content are similar to the standard of Indonesian Food Codex. The yield from 60 minutes extraction time, which was 5.02%, was higher than that of 45 minutes.

Author: Arief Rachmawan, Lestari Dwi Putri, Dwierra Evvyernie Ammiroenas dan Djoko Santoso