Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 24 No 1 (2020): 134 - 145

 

 

 

 

INSIGHTS ON THE CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS AND HYDROTHERMAL CARBONIZATION OF Crescentia cujete L.

 

(Pencirian Jujukan Kimia dan Pengkarbonan Hidrotermal bagi Crescentia cujete L.)

 

Judith Clarisse Jose¹, Glenn Oyong², Michael Dominic Ajero³, Irving Chiong³, Esperanza Cabrera^1,2, Maria Carmen S. Tan³*,

 

¹Biology Department

²Molecular Science Unit Laboratory Center for Natural Sciences and Environmental Research

³Chemistry Department

De La Salle University, 2401 Taft Avenue, Manila 0922, Philippines

 

*Corresponding author:  maria.carmen.tan@dlsu.edu.ph

 

 

Received: 12 December 2019; Accepted: 21 January 2020

 

 

Abstract

Crescentia cujete L. is an evergreen tree that presents several medicinal and industrial applications. This study primarily aimed to present preliminary characterization of the fruit extracts and fruit pulp of Crescentia cujete L. using several analytical techniques. Characterization of the crude MeOH extract and pure compound, trans-cinnamic acid, isolated from the fruit extract were performed using gas chromatography-electron ionization-mass spectrometry (GC-EI-MS). Lyophilized pulp was characterized by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Hydrochar samples resulting from hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of fruit pulp were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Eight constituents were eluted from the crude MeOH extract which were mainly composed of furan (5-Hydroxymethylfurfural, 53.99%), a pyranone derivative (2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4H-pyran-4-one, 8.68%) and a carboxylic acid (3-phenyl-2-propenoic acid, 7.94% or compound 5). Other notable compounds of the extract include furaneol (0.78% and 1.56%), phenol, 2,4-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)- (3.73%), benzenepropanoic acid, 3,5-bis(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-hydroxy-, methyl ester (1.15%) and n-hexadecanoic acid (0.59%). GC-EI-MS confirmed the purity of the isolated compound trans-cinnamic acid (100%). EDX analysis showed high levels of K₂O (79.56%), P₂O₅ (9.925%), and SO₃ (9.131%) from the lyophilized pulp. Aliphatic compounds such as alkanes and alkenes were mostly present in both hydrochars as revealed by FTIR analyses. SEM and TGA analyses showed degradation of the lignin components of both hydrochars after the hydrothermal carbonization process. These results present the chemical characterization of the C. cujete fruit and the HTC of the pulp biomass which exhibited promising properties for applications as solid fuel or as an adsorbent.

 

Keywords:  Crescentia cujete L., hydrothermal carbonization, hydrochar

 

Abstrak

Crescentia cujete L. ialah tumbuhan yang digunakan dalam perubatan dan aplikasi industri. Kajian ini dijalankan dengan tujuan melakukan saringan pencirian ekstrak buah dan pulpa Crescentia cujete L. menggunakan beberapa teknik analisis. Pencirian esktrak mentah MeOH dan sebatian tulen, trans-asid sinamik, dipencil dari ekstrak buah dilakukan menggunakan kromatografi gas-pengionan elektron-spektrometri jisim (GC-EI-MS). Pulpa liofili dicirikan melalui spektroskopi sinar-X tenaga serakan (EDX). Sampel hidrochar yang terhasil dari pengkarbonan hidrotermal (HTC) pulpa buah telah dicirikan menggunakan spektroskopi infremerah transformasi Fourier (FTIR), mikroskopi imbasan elektron (SEM) dan analisis termogravimetrik (TGA). Lapan jujukan kimia yang terelusi dari ekstrak mentah MeOH terdiri daripada furan (5-hidroksimetilfurfural, 55.99%), terbitan piranon (2,3-dihidro-3,4-dihidroksi-6-metil-4H-piran-4-on, 8.68%) dan asid karbosilik (3-fenil-2-asid propenoik, 7.94% atau sebatian 5). Sebatian lain yang dikenal pasti dari ekstrak termasuklah furaneol (0.78% dan 1.56%), fenol, 2,4-bis(1,1-dimetiletil)- (3.73%), asid benzenapropanoik, 3,5-bis(1,1-dimetiletil)-4-hidroksi-, metil ester (1.15%) dan asid n-heksadekanoik (0.59%). GC-EI-MS telah membantu mengesahkan ketulenan sebatia trans-asid sinamik yang dipencilkan (100%). Analisis EDX menunjukkan aras tinggi bagi K₂O (79.56%), P₂O₅ (9.925%), dan SO₃ (9.131%) dari pulpa liofili. Sebatian alifatik seperti alkana dan alkena paling banyak dikesan dalam hidrochar seperti yang dibuktikan oleh analisis FTIR, Analisis SEM dan TGA menunjukkan degradasi komponen lignin bagi hidrochar selepas proses pengkarbonan hidrotermal. Hasil kajian ini menunjukkan pencirian kimia bagi C. cujete dan HTC bagi biojisim pulpa menjanjikan potensi aplikasi sebagai bahan bakar atau penjerap.

 

Kata kunci:  Crescentia cujete L., pengkarbonan hidrotermal, hidrochar

 

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