- The Potency ofKrokot (Portulaca oleracea) as Functional Food Ingredients l 2 l Daisy lrawan • 1, Purwiyatno Hariyadjl, and Hanny Wijaya IDepartment ofFood Technology and Human Nutrition The Faculty ofAgricultural Technology, Bogor Agricultural University 2S eva Saraswati Foundation ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Indonesia has many auxiliary plants that may have Belong to Portulacaceae, krokot or Portulaca nutritional and or environmental benefits, so that it may oleraceae (Figure I) was widely distributed in tropical increase the yield ofthe main crops. Krokot (Portulaca & subtropical areas (Table I) and widely used as food oleracea), one ofthe auxiliary plants, was tradition­ and medicine. However, in Indonesi,l, krokot is ap­ ally consumed in many parts ofthe worldfor its deli­ proaching extinction ethnobotanically. Our survey on cacy and medicinal benefits. Our research indicated 103 agricultural university students revealed that only that krokot has high potency to improve the health sta­ 24% of the respondents knew krokot. The research is II tus ofthe community. It has 5.4 mg/100 g ofb-caro­ aimed to study the potency ofkrokot as functional food tene, 22.2 mg/IOO g ofvitamin C, andsignificant amount ingredients. C?ffolic acid (0.2 mg/100 g). Krokot was traditionally The extinction process is coherent with the scarity used to treat scurvy, and various ofinfectious andskin ofthe plant. Based on oLlr observation, ed ible krokot is diseases. Literature review revealed that krokot has rare in intensively cultivated area in Bogor (West Java), essentialfattyacid, it also has antimutagenic, and an­ Semarang (Central Java), and Blitar (East Java), but timicrohial activity. quite a lot in organic plantation in Central Kalimantan. Ul~fortunately, krokot is approaching extinction both Indeed, the IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) physically and ethnobotanically because they are con­ consider krokot as weed. They suggest to control! ing it sideredas useless plants or even weed. Our survey on by frequent and continuing shallow cultivation, hoe­ i OJ oK/"icliltural university students revealed that only ing, or applying herbicides. However, the organization 24% ofthe respondents knew krokot. Krokot is espe­ also recognize it as vegetable, medicine, forages and cialiF difficult to .find in intensively cultivated area. blue dye (Gallinato, I999). a Along with other indigenous vegetables, Portulaca According to Solomon (1998 ), there are two types oleracea is almost never served again in Indonesian ofedible purslane, they are wi Id purslane (yellow portu­ cllisine. Utilization C?lkrokot asfllnctionalfood ingre­ laca) and garden purslane (green pllfslane. winter dients might helps to conserve the plant as well as en­ purslane or Montia perfoliata). The wild purslane has couraging sustainahle agriculture. slight pink stem and small yellow flower. It is more commonly consumed in tropical countries such as In­ Keyword\': krokot, Portulaca oleracea,functionalfood .,' donesia. indonesian rood and Nutrition Progress. 2003 Vol. 10 no. I t Figure 1. Picture ofPortulaca oleracea L. (Ochse and van den Brink, 1980) Table I. Some ofthe Vernacular Name ofKrokot COUNTRIES NAME Commonwealth pigweed, common purslane, purslane France pourpier Netherlands potselein or porseJein Mexico & Dominican Republic verdoJaga Peru vertolaga Australia munyeroo (in Aborigin) India jangali paJak or kuJva Sri Lanka genda kola Bangladesh bara Jniya, bara nuia, ghee kaJam,nunia. Egypt rigla. China ma ch'ih hsien or kwa-tsz-tsai Japan suberi-hiyu. Malaysia called gelang pasir, segan jantan, or rumput beremi Philippines olasiman or alusiman (B~colano),sim-sim (Bisaya); olasiman or golasiman (Tagalog), ngaluk (I1ocano), and kantataba (Pampango) Cambodia maong dab phkaa Laos taa kongz, biaz, nya en eyan or nya tha kong Vietnam rau sam or sam Myanmar called mye-htauk, mye pa yit, or the pa yit Thailand phakbia-nu, phakbia-Iek, or phakbia yai. Indonesia gelang(Maluku, WestJava), krokot (Java, Tigabinanga, Medan, Lampung, Bogor, Tasikmalaya), and resereyan (Madura). jalu-jalu kiki (Maluku) • Source: Anonymous (1998), Anonymous (2002), Backer and van Siooten (1924), Sivin (1999), GalIinato (1999), Solomon I (1998"), Leml11ens and Bunyaprahatsara in de Padua, et al. (1999), Heyne (1950), and our survey in Indonesia. 2 Indonesian Food and Nutrition Progress. 2003 Vol. /0 no./ Krokot is a succulent plant. It is an erect or ascend­ combined were concentrated with a vacuum evapora­ ing annual herb, up to 50 cm tall. The leaves are obo"' tor to get the b-carotene extract. The extract was ana­ vate to spathulate, 2-40 mm x 1-20 mm. It has ovoid lyzed by HPLC with the following condition: C-18 col­ fruit 4 mm x 3 mmwith granulate seeds 0.5-1.2 mm in umn, mobile phase acetonitrile : methanol : diameter (Susiarti in Siemonsma and piluek (ed), 1994). dichloromethane (60:35:5), flow rate 1 ml/min, column temperature 27-28°C, detector UV (I = 462 nm). METHODOLOGY RESULT Initial Survey ofPortulaca oleracea in Indonesia Portulaca oleracea as Food The survey was conducted by direct observation, interview, and literature study. Direct observation and Portulaca oleracea is believed to as the earliest veg­ et~ble interview was conducted in Jogjakarta, Semarang (Cen­ consumed by human (Susiarti, 1994 in tral Java), Blitar (East Java), and Bogor (West Java). Siemonsma and Piluek (ed), 1994). It can be eaten raw In this activity, ethnobotanical information, and the (dipped in salty fish sauce or mixed into salad), or availability ofthe plant in the aforementioned locations cooked (Solomon, 1998"). It is consumed in many dif­ were also collected. ferent part of the world such as China, India, Middle East countries, South East Asia, Netherlands, Mexico, Nutritional Value and United States (Ohio and Kentucky). According to Mohamed and Hussein (1994), in Middle East, purslane Nutritional value was studied by chemical analysis (krokot) can be consumed raw as salad, or soups. The and by literature review. Prior to analysis, the plant seeds may be ground into flour as ingredient in mush was organically cultivated in pots. Major nutritional bread. values were analyzed with standard method (AOAC, The Chinese stir and fry this vegetable with garlic, 1984). The conversion factor from total N to protein b sesame oil, and light soy sauce (Sol?mon, 1998 ). In was 4.39 instead of 6.25 (Fujihara et aI., 2001). The Sri Lanka, purslane is also stir and fried with maldive minerals were measured by AAS, while the vitamin C fish, garlic,' leek, chili powder and lemon juice content was analyzed with iodine method. c (Solomon, 1998 ). Anonymous(-) mentioned that in Folic acid analysis was conducted by macerating 10 the United Stat~s, purslane may also cooked into cas­ grams of sample in 25 ml acetonitrile for 5 minutes. serole, pickle, pancakes, and Lamb's Quarter and Followed by filtration with Whatman paper No. 45and purslane salad. vacuum evaporation, the filtrate was diluted with 5 ml In Mexico, purslane is a favorite snack food. It is of methanol before HPLC analysis. The HPLC condi­ rolled in an omelet, rolled in tortillas, or added into tion was as followed: C 18 column, mobile phase metha­ soups and stews (Anonymous, 1998). The French mix nol: water (60:40). Column temperature 27-28°C, flow it with sorrel and make it into French soup, bonne rate 1 ml/min. Detector UV (I = 254 nm). femme. Other kind ofwestern soup is purslane and Beta carotene analysis was conducted by macerat­ pea soups. Western salad may consist of purslane, ing 5 g of sample in 50 ml of KOH-methanol (60 g lettuce, chervil, borage flowers, and marigold petals, borage, and mint (Hernando, 1994). KOH in 50 ml of water diluted by methanol into 1 I). The Greece mix raw purslane with sliced potatoes, The suspension was stirred and heated at 60°C for 1 tomatoes, onions, green chilies, parsley, olive oil, hour, at which point, the suspension was dissolved into vinegar and salt into Tomato, Potato and Purslane 20 ml hexane and 50 ml aquadest. The hexane layer Salad (Kochilas, 200 I). The Dutch make it into soup was separated from the aqueous layer by twice extrac­ called sop selam krokot. The soup is made of local tion and partition between them. The hexane layers celery (sederij), lokal leek (prei), citrus, sweet soy Indonesian Food and Nutrition Pror>ress. 2(J(J] Vol. J(J no. J 3 sauce (kecap manis). From the herbs, spices and familiar with krokot. Some of the young generation sauces being used, the dishes might be brought from who ever heard the name, have an image that krokot is Indonesia. an ornamental flowering Portulaca, not the commonly According to Heyne (1950), this plant was a favor­ consumed. Only a few ofthe young generation knows ite lalab in Java. It might be cooked with tamarind. that this plant is edible. Many of the few know it be­ Based on the writers observation, in Central Java, cause ofProf. Hembing's show on television (explain­ purslane (krokot) leaves and young stem used to be ing traditional medicine from China & Indonesia), and stirred and fried with sliced shallot, garlic, red chillies, some read it in articles about traditional medicine.' t. palm sugar, salt, salam leaves, and a slice of Alpinia fi I"· galanga (Iengkuas) to make cuisine called oseng-oseng. Composition ofPortulaca oleracea It may also boiled or steamed, and then served with other vegetable (local spinach, mung bean sprout, long P. oleracea contains many biologically active com­ bean, Marsilea crenata, etc), and poured with peanut pounds and it is a source ofmany nutrients. The major sauce to make cuisine called pecel. Krokot has a pleas­ nutrient data (Table 2) and the mineral data (Table 3) ing sour taste and delicious texture. According to the varied significantly between analysis. According to respondent, krokot was consumed in East Java (Blitar Mohammed and Husein (1994), the nutrient composi­ and Banyuwangi), and also North Sumatera (Medan). tion ofPortulaca varied based on its growth stage and Today's, in Central Java, the popularity ofkrokot as organs.