The Effect of Solvent Type in Ginger Oleoresin (Zingiber officinale) Extraction on Yield and Oleoresin Quality

Abstract

Ginger is one of the export commodities that has high economic value. However, in reality, the use of ginger remains low due to limited community knowledge, resulting in significant waste. One way to increase the economic value of ginger is by producing ginger oleoresin. Oleoresin is a flavor-forming component that contains volatile compounds (essential oils) and non-volatile compounds (resins and gums) that determine taste and aroma, where the quality of oleoresin itself is greatly influenced by the type of solvent used. This study was conducted to determine the effect of different solvents on ginges oleoresin extraction and its impact on the yield and quality of the final product. The method used was to collect and review various sources on the quality of ginger oleoresin. Based on the test results, polar solvents, especially ethanol, tended to yield the highest oleoresin oil and ash contents compared with semi-polar and non-polar solvents such as acetone and hexane. This study confirms that solvent selection is crucial for producing high-quality oleoresin tailored to specific needs, especially in the food industry. The limitations of this study are differences in extraction methods across studies and the lack of complete numerical data in the journals. The novelty of this article lies in its attempt to summarize and compare various solvents in a single analysis, making it easier to see the relationship between solvent selection and ginger oleoresin quality.