Effect of Position of Old Oil Palm Trunk Segment on The Chemical Contents of the Extracted Sap

¹ Department of Agricultural Product Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Lampung, Bandar Lampung 35141, Indonesia
² Department of Agroindustrial Technology, Faculty of Industrial Technology, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, South Lampung 35365, Indonesia
³ Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Lampung, Bandar Lampung 35141, Indonesia

Abstract

Replanting oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) produces a significant amount of trunk biomass, which is frequently permitted to break down naturally on the ground and may result in phytopathogenic problems. The sap from trunk oil palms is abundant in bioactive substances and fermentable sugars that can be converted into various valuable products. The aim of this study was to assess how the chemical contents of sap from old oil palm trunks was affected by the trunk's position. The research employed a completely randomized design with trunk position as treatment. The sap was extracted in the following method: the felled unproductive oil palm trunks were cut into 1 m sections at 3, 4, and 5 meters above the ground. The trunks were split vertically in half and then planed using a planer thicknesser. The resulting pith was then pressed with a screw press and filtered. The chemical content analysis included reducing sugars, starch, phenolics, flavonoids, antioxidant activity (DPPH). Results showed the best position of the trunk that produced good oil palm sap was found to be at the bottom with a sap yield of 12.26% and chemical characteristics pH of 5.33; total soluble solid of 11,68°brix; reducing sugar of 2,91%; starch content of 166.64 ppm; total phenolic content of 46.08mg/100g GAE; flavonoid content of 8.92mg/100g QE and antioxidant activity of 93.52%.