Fullerene Journ. Of Chem Vol.5 No.1: 23-31, 2020 ISSN 2598-1269 Physico-chemical Properties of Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans houtt) of North Sulawesi Nutmeg Dino Rahardiyan*a, Mario Poluakana, Emma Mauren Mokob aAgribusiness Department, Faculty of Agricultural, De La Salle Catholic University, Manado, 95000, Indonesia bBiology Department, Mathematics and Natural Sciences Faculty, Manado State University, Tondano, 95619 Indonesia I N F O A R T I K E L A B S T R A C T Diterima 24 Maret 2020 Essential oil of nutmeg (Myristica fragrans houtt) is one of the many Disetujui 26 April 2020 potentials of nutmeg that has a high economic value although in North Sulawesi it has not been exploited to its full potential. This research was Key word: conducted to compare the yield and properties of Nutmeg oil extract from nutmeg essential oil the seeds and mace of Talaud and North Minahasa -North Sulawesi. The nutmeg oil oil extract was obtained by distillation and was further characterized in North Sulawesi terms of color, solubility in ethanol, density, optical rotation, refractive physico-chemical properties index. Results of this research exhibited that oil of the mace of nutmeg from Talaud had a lighter appearance in color compared to that from *e-mail: [email protected] *Telp: +62 82231939278 North Minahasa, while the density of oil extracted from North Minahasa was more densed compared to Talaud in both seed and mace (0.923 and 0.938 respectively at 25°C). The reflective index of nutmeg oil from North Minahasa was slightly higher than of Talaud both from seed and mace (1.4834 and 1.493 at 25°C), while the optical rotations of oil extracted from the mace were between +6.90° to +9.80° and from the seed were +20.73° to +22.30°.9. Introduction fruit itself would consist of the flesh (77,8%) and seed (13,1%) which would consist of the mace Rismunandar, described the Myristica (4,0%), and the shell (5,1%). The shell of the fragrance houtt, the Indonesian Nutmeg seeds is tough; mainly dark chocolate in color. originated from the island of Banda [1]. The Between the flesh and the seed would appears a nutmeg tree grows well in the tropical climate, layer of reddish aril that would envelope the and found on the continents of the America, seed with a distinct nutmeg aroma and flavor Asia and Africa. Worldwide, there are 250 although more delicate [2, 3]. species of nutmeg, but only a hand fold has economical value including the Myristica Phytochemical analysis of nutmeg fragrans HOUTT (Banda nutmeg), Myristica contains essential oils, protein, lipids, starches specisa WARB (Bacan Nutmeg), Myristica argenia and various residues. The essential oil of were WARB (Papua Nutmeg), Myristica succedena mainly myristicin and myristic acid, while the BLUME (Halmahera Nutmeg), and the oil alone contains approximately 5-15% of pine, Myristica malabarica (Malabar Nutmeg). Along sabinene, camphene, myristicin, elemicin, the Indonesian archipelago, areas of nutmeg isoelemicin, eugenol, isoeugenol, producers are Maluku, North Sulawesi, West methoxyeugenol, safrole, Sumatera, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, West diametricphenylpropanoids, lignans and Jawa and Papua [2]. neolignans [4, 5]. The mature nutmeg fruit appears In several European countries, nutmeg in yellowish green with a tough texture and small amounts is mainly used as spices and whitish flesh. 3-9 cm in diameter, and it can be ingredient in the culinary aspects mainly to harvested at 6-9 months after flowering. The support meaty flavors or in soups. Nutmeg oil Rahardiyan, D., Poluakan, M., Moko, E. M., 2020 as a flavor enhancer should not be more than temperature, very soluble in ethanol but not 0.08%, beyond that may induce intoxication. water soluble [12]. Asside of oil, nutmeg Nutmeg oil is also known for other properties, contains a buttery lipid regarded as oleoresin or such as insecticide, fungicide, and antibacterial. nutmeg butter. The main constituent of this A study on the anti-oxidative activities of butter are oleoresin, and especially trimyristicin nutmeg seeds in comparison with BHT, ascorbic [12]. acid and α-tocopherol. Results of the work of Nutmeg oil composition consists of 61- indicated that nutmeg essential oil had a very 88% hydrocarbons (monoterpen), 5-15% strong anti-oxidative characteristic, which was oxygenated hydrocarbon and 2-18% aromatic due to synergism of each components of the ether, and other smaller compounds in minute essential oil [6]. compositions [3]. The largest constituent of Nutmeg oil in the pharmaceutical monoterpen hydrocarbons are the α-pinene industry has been utilized as abdominal (17,2%), β-pinene (23,9%) and sabinene, medications, diarrhea and bronchitis; meanwhile the myristicin are also considered as moreover, nutmeg may be useful for treating one of the main components especially from the flatulence, increasing metabolism, treating aromatic esther fractions, this includes miristic dysentery (infectious diarrhea), stomach acid that was also found in smaller ammounts. inflammation, a remedy of vomiting, The distinct fragrant aroma of the oil is mainly constipation, bloating and rheumatism. 2-18% caused by the aromatic compound, in this case of the aromatic compounds of myristicin, are the myristicin (16,2%), safrole (3,9%) and elimicin, and safrole contained in the seed and methyl eugenol (1,8%), furthermore there are 25 flowers has the ability to induced hallucination identified components of nutmeg oil (92,1% of [7]. Consumption of up to 5 grams of nutmeg the total oil), that was all obtained by powder or oil may cause intoxication diagnosed hydrodestillation. by vomiting, headaches and dry mouth [8-10] One of the quality parameters of Nutmeg is also a known aphrodisiac, industrially collected nutmeg oil is determined stomachic, carminative while Guenther, (1952), by the myristin content, since myristicin also noted that nutmeg has the function as a contributes to specific fragrant aroma of the stimulant (tonic), nervous stimulant, aromatic, nutmeg [9]. Myristicins are derivatives of the narcotic, astringent, holypolipidemic, anti- phenilepropanoid compounds, a clear to thrombotic, anti-fungi, anti-dysentry and anti- opaque liquid that is not soluble in water but inflammation [11, 12]. Nutmegs are also organic solvents, it has a distinct sharp herbal reported to be very useful in treating paralysis aroma, and is very volatile. With a molecular and help to improve blood circulation [13]. The weight of 192 g/mol, the other name of Nutmeg also exhibited anti-oxidative characters myristicin is 5-alil-1-methoxi-2,3 methilene [6, 14]. dioxibenzene or 5-metoxi saphrole [9]. Petroleum ether extract of the flesh of The nutmeg oil is commonly obtained by Myristica fragans exhibited anti-diarrhea, while the simple steam destillation method or extracts by n-hexane has been reported to have hydrodestillation. Extractions by those methods the capacity to improve memory in rats [15]. will yield about 5% to 15% [16]. Destillation of Nutmeg appears to have anti-bacterial activities the nutmeg oil is commonly from the seeds and towards Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus vulgaris mace of the nutmeg. The seeds that are mostly and Klebsiella pneumonia, but was not active used for oil extraction are usually the younger towards Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella seeds due to the fact that the oil content would typhimurium and Bacillus subtilis [6]. be higher than the older seeds, where the oil would be more pale yellow in color, very The nutmeg oil appears clear and a little volatile and extends a very distinct fragrant yellowish, faintly green at certain species and note [2]. has a mild delicate aroma specific to nutmeg. Nutmeg oil is very sensitive towards light and Aside of the distillation methods 24 Rahardiyan, D., Poluakan, M., Moko, E. M., 2020 commonly used such as steam/water distillation on a flat bamboo tray where the base section or a combination of steam and water distillation was partially perforated due to the spaces method, it is also common to find a method of between the bamboo weavings. This is distillation also with water known as the necessary that the samples would receive ample cohobation method, unfortunately this method is aeration during the drying. Drying the sample less popular due to the quality of the oil wasn’t executed under any source of direct heat obtained varies below the standards [3]. source, not even direct sunlight, only by placing the trays of samples in a cool dry area with Yield and quality of the distillation ample wind. results depends on factors of source material to be extracted, method and conditions of the Destillation Nutmeg Oil distillation, the installation of the distillatory, The destillation of the nutmeg oil was continue that nutmeg oil in Indonesia are most conducted with a simple steam destillation commonly originated from the seeds aging method as described by Adewole and Marzuki about 3-4months with a good yield of 8-17% but with modification to adapt the apparatus to at a very low quality, while the older seeds has develop a simple apparatus that can be made a lower yield of 8-13% but a higher quality of industrial at the farmer level [14, 21]. oil [17]. Physcochemical Analysis Nutmeg oil can also extracted from the mace and leaves, while from the mace it is still The nutmeg essential oil physicochemical achievable to extract between 4-17% but from analysis begins from the oil yield, visual the leaves only could only yield up to 1.7%, thus appearances, and solubility in alcohol, density, trying to extract oil from the leaves would be optical rotation and refraction indexes; where very uneconomical, even though chemically the all were done accordingly to the SNI (Standard characteristics of the oil from the seed, mace Nasional Indonesia). even the leaves were similar quality-wise the leaves were less [18, 19].