Methanolic Extract of Gletang Flower as Natural Antioxidant for Crude Palm Oil

Abstract

Crude palm oil (CPO) is a primary raw material used in the production of cooking oil, margarine, and cosmetics. The quality of CPO deteriorates due to an increase in free fatty acid levels caused by oxidation reactions; therefore, antioxidants are required to inhibit this process. Natural antioxidants can be obtained from plants, one of which is the gletang flower. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of gletang flower methanolic extract as a natural antioxidant by determining its ability to reduce free fatty acid (FFA) levels and peroxide value in CPO. In this study, gletang flower was utilized as a natural source of antioxidants. The method employed was maceration extraction, followed by analysis of free fatty acid (FFA) levels and peroxide value in CPO samples. The study was conducted by comparing the FFA levels and peroxide value before and after the addition of natural antioxidants. The results showed that the addition of the natural antioxidant reduced the average free fatty acid (FFA) content by 20.3% and decreased the peroxide value by an average of 7.33%. These findings indicate that gletang flower extract has potential as a natural antioxidant to improve the quality and stability of CPO