Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 19 No 1 (2015): 268 – 274

 

 

 

POTENTIAL SOURCES FOR LIPID SOLUBLE FOOD COLORANTS FROM SELECTED MALAYSIAN TRADITIONAL VEGETABLES

 

(Sumber Pewarna Makanan Larut Lemak daripada Sayuran Tradisional Terpilih)

 

Rashidi Othman¹*, Fatimah Azzahra Mohd Zaifuddin¹, Norazian Mohd Hassan²

 

¹International Institute for Halal Research and Training (INHART), Herbarium Unit,

Department of Landscape Architecture, Kulliyyah of Architecture & Environmental Design,

International Islamic University Malaysia, 53100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

²Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Kulliyyah of Pharmacy,

International Islamic University Malaysia, 25200 Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author: rashidi@iium.edu.my

 

 

Abstract

Colour is one important characteristic to food products as it dictates consumers’ first perception on the foods’ flavour and quality. In the current food industry, most of the colorants used were derived from synthetic sources. However, due to negative health impacts of the synthetic colorants, the urgency to find natural colorants and impose it to food products is of great importance. In this study, a group of plant pigments which are potentially introduced as natural food colorants were quantified from 24 species of local traditional vegetables (ulam), characterized as neoxanthin, violaxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, α-carotene and β-carotene by using HPLC. It was shown that Sauropus androgynus contained the highest amount of neoxanthin, violaxanthin and β-cryptoxanthin at 142.40±3.57, 28.06±0.65 and 0.07±0.00 mg/g dry weight (DW), respectively. In contrast, highest content of lutein  and α-carotene were observed in Centella asiatica at 16.53±0.97 and 2.14±0.12 mg/g DW, accordingly. Meanwhile, Piper sarmentosum contained the highest zeaxanthin level (123.45±12.3 mg/g DW) and Oenanthe javanica has the largest amount of β-carotene (3.09±0.06 mg/g DW). The extracted yellow-to-red lipid soluble pigments can be further developed into commercial food colorant to replace the synthetic colorants in the market thus improving social awareness towards natural products as well as strengthening the national economy.

 

Keywords: food colorant, traditional vegetables, ulam, natural colorants, carotenoids

 

Abstrak

Warna merupakan salah satu ciri penting kepada produk makanan yang membolehkan pengguna mengetahui tentang rasa dan kualiti makanan tersebut. Dalam industri makanan kini, kebanyakan pewarna yang digunakan adalah daripada sumber sintetik atau tiruan. Namun, pewarna sintetik yang diyakini mempunyai kesan yang negatif pada kesihatan,mendorong kepada pencarian pewarna alternatif daripada sumber semulajadi untuk digunakan di dalam penghasilan produk makanan .Di dalam kajian ini, sekumpulan pigmen tumbuhan yang berpotensi untuk diketengahkan sebagai pewarna semulajadi telah ditemui di dalam 24 spesies sayuran tradisi tempatan (ulam), dikenalpasti sebagai neoxanthin, violaxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, β-cryptoxanthin, α-carotene dan β-carotene melalui analisis HPLC. Sauropus androgynus didapati mengandungi kandungan neoxanthin, violaxanthindan β-cryptoxanthin yang amat tinggi iaitu masing-masing pada 142.40±3.57, 28.06±0.65 dan 0.07±0.00 mg/g berat kering (DW).Manakala Centella asiatica mempunyai kandungan lutein dan α-carotene yang tinggi iaitu pada16.53±0.97 dan 2.14±0.12 mg/g DW. Piper sarmentosum pula mempunyai kandungan zeaxanthin tertinggi (123.45±12.3 mg/g DW) manakala Oenanthe javanica mempunyai kandungan β-carotene tertinggi (3.09±0.06 mg/g DW). Pigmen larut lemak berwarna kuning merah yang telah diekstrak ini boleh dikembangkan lagi kepada pewarna makanan komersil untuk menggantikan pewarna sintetik di dalam pasaran dan dipercayai mampu memperbaiki kesedaran masyarakat terhadap produk semulajadi sekaligus menjana ekonomi negara.

 

Kata kunci: pewarna makanan, sayuran tradisional, ulam, pewarna semulajadi, carotenoid

 

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