By Tengku Nursharina Tengku Amri
Pictures by Faculty of Science and Technology

SHAH ALAM, 29 October 2016 – UKM’s Faculty of Science and Technology student, Zetty Syafiqa Othman won a gold medal at the Invention Innovation Design Exposition (IIDEX) 2016 through her research on the Optimization of bio-active (rotenone) extraction using green solvents (ionic liquids and alcohol based deep eutectic solvents).

The research emphasizes on the extraction of bioactive, a material found in insecticide rotenone, by utilising green alternatives such as ionic liquid alcohol-based solvent [BMIM] OTF.

“Conventional organic solvents used for the extraction of bioactive, are mostly unstable, toxic and flammable, and its use is harmful to human and the environment.

“I chose to use an ionic liquid and solvent eutectic for this research process because the material is more natural, has a high thermal stability and anti-toxic,” she said.

According to her, the research helped identified a greener and safer approach for the extraction of bioactive and consequently increased the potential for solvent systems to be used in food productions and other productions without any harmful effects.

“The usage of green solvents in the process of extracting the bioactive rotenone is a new development in the field of extraction,” she said.

Zetty Syafiqa said the research took about two years to complete, under the supervision of Dr Saiful Irwan Zubairi and two co-supervisors, Dr Nur Hasyareeda Hassan and Dr Huda Abd Karim.

IIDEX 2016 was held at the Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Shah Alam, recently.