SOLID STATE FERMENTATION OF MORINGA LEAF (MORINGA OLEIFERA) BY ASPERGILLUS NIGER TO INCREASE THE YIELD OF POLYPHENOL EXTRACTION USING MACERATION METHOD WITH METHANOL SOLVENT

• Main Author: Efata Ferryka S. K. U., B.
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/65760
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Moringa oleifera is a medicinal plant that is widely grown in Indonesia. Moringa leaf is one part of the plant that is often used because of its high antioxidant and anticancer content. The antioxidant and anticancer properties of moringa leaves come from the polyphenol compounds in them. In general, the polyphenolic compounds in moringa leaves are present in conjugated form with sugar, amine, and lipid moieties. Solid- phase fermentation pretreatment may aid to release the conjugated polyphenolic compounds. This research was conducted to determine the optimal fermentation time of A. niger for extracting polyphenolic compounds from moringa leaves, which resulted in high yields and increased bioactivities. 6 x 105 CFU/mL of A. niger inoculum was added to moringa leaves in a fermentation system. Fermentation was carried out for 7 days at room temperature (25oC) and the container was stored under dark conditions (0 W/m2). Extraction was carried out by maceration method using aqueous methanol for 1 hour. Data collection on leaf lignocellulosic content and extracts was obtained every 2 days. Through the fermentation process, the content of hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin in moringa leaves decreased. The decrease in hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin content in moringa leaves during 7 days of fermentation was 40.3%, 33.87%, and 27.89%, respectively. The highest yield of moringa leaf extract was obtained on the 5th day of fermentation, which was 24.32%. The results of the moringa leaf extract were then analyzed for total phenol content, total flavonoid content, antimicrobial activity, antioxidant activity, and composition of bioactive compounds. The highest total phenol and flavonoid content was found on the 5th day of fermentation, namely 175.48 mg GAE/g extract and 117.16 mg QE/g extract, respectively. The IC50 value obtained from moringa leaf extract was the lowest on the 5th day of fermentation, which was 65.94 ppm. Moringa leaf extract was found to be active as an antimicrobial for gram-positive bacteria Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus, as well as gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli. The composition of the kaempferol compound contained in the unfermented moringa leaf extract was 0.011% and showed an increase in the fermented moringa leaf extract for 5 days with the kaempferol compound composition of 0.078%.