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Extraction And Enrichment Of Flavonoids From Oil Palm Leaves

Ringkasan Artikel

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is a major commodity in many countries. In Malaysia, 5.8 millions hectares of oil palm plantation which producing 43.4 millinon tonnes palm oil annually.

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is a major commodity in many countries. In Malaysia, 5.8 millions hectares of oil palm plantation which producing 43.4 millinon tonnes palm oil annually.

In the wake of large-scale cultivation of the crop, a huge amount of biomass is produced that leads to a great challenge to agricultural waste management. Oil palm leaves (OPL) are produced 19.5 million tonnes annually and are considered as an underutilized oil palm biomass with low value.

Interestingly, OPLs contain large amount of flavonoids in particular flavonoid C-glycosides which are known to possess useful biological properties such as wound healing and antioxidative properties.

The conventional methods which often starts with solid-liquid extraction, followed by liquid-liquid extraction and eventually column chromatography are not only produced low efficiency, time-consuming and small scale application, the methods also require high consumption of solvent and energy.

At present, there is no effective method of harnessing OPLs for production of useful fine chemicals such as flavonoids for health and other applications.

Effective extraction/enrichment protocols to produce the enriched fractions of these useful compounds from OPLs exploitation is still lacking.

 

We provide an optimized integrated process of extraction and enrichment of total flavonoids / flavonoid C-glycosides for the production of enriched fractions of the compounds for further applications as nutraceutical products or production of fine chemicals.

 The total flavonoids / flavonoid C-glycosides were extracted and enriched by an optimized ultrasound assisted extraction, optimized acid hydrolysis and optimal macroporous resin which provided an increment up to 59-fold of the compounds. 

The enriched fractions exhibited enhanced wound healing and antioxidative properties.

 

The invented process provides a rapid, simple, low cost with high efficiency and can be applied for industrial scale application. The method also requires low consumption of solvent and energy.

 

SUSTAINABILITY:                                                                                     

The invention provides viable way to utilize oil palm biomass material and may tackle the agricultural waste management problem. 

 

MEDICINAL VALUE:                                                                                     

The invention may reduce the wound care management cost in the future

 

COMMUNITY:                                                                                              

 The invention may benefit underprivileged community who could not afford expensive wound healing drugs or treatment. It may create job opportunity for the fine chemical industries.

 

TRANSFORMATION:                                                                                               

 The invention transforms low value underutilized OPL into high value-added enriched extract.

 

Profesor Dr. Khozirah Shaari

Institute of Bioscience

Khozirah@yahoo.com.my

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