Journal of Aquaculture Research & Development

Abstract

Comparison of Two Isolation Methods for Essential Oils from Orange Peel (Citrus auranticum L) as a Growth Promoter for Fish: Microwave Steam Distillation and Conventional Steam Distillation

Kusuma HS *,Putra AFP ,Mahfud M

Microwave steam distillation (MSD) is an advanced steam distillation (SD) technique utilizing a microwave oven in the extraction process. MSD of essential oils from the peel of orange (Citrus auranticum L.) was studied and the results were compared with those of the conventional SD in terms of extraction time, extraction yield/efficiency, chemical composition, and quality of the essential oils. MSD was superior in terms of saving extraction time (140 min, compared to 7 h in SD) and extraction yield. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of orange peel undergone SD and MSD provided evidences as to a sudden rupture of essential oil glands with MSD. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis of the extracted essential oils indicated that the use of microwave irradiation did not adversely influence the composition of the essential oils. The result of this study demonstrate that MSD can be used as an alternative method to extract orange essential oil as growth promoter for fish