Enzymatic Extract Fractionation of (Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt) Citronella through Supercritical Carbon dioxide (SC-CO2)

Cymbopogon winterianus Jowitt or citronella is said to be an insect repellant and usually planted in the yard in the Philippines. In this study enzymatic extracts of citronella were fractionated using supercritical carbon dioxide extraction to have different oil extracts in three different parameters, 10 megapascal (10 MPa), 20 megapascal (20 MPa) and 30 megapascal (30 MPa) at constant temperature at 40° Celsius. The highest oil yield is at 20 MPa with an average of 10.21 for three trials of extraction, followed by 10 MPa and 30 MPa with 4.89 and 2.15. Oil extract at 10 MPa was subjected to gas chromatography- mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and found four components in which 2-methyl-5-(1-methylethyl)bicycle hexan 2-ol or trans sabinene hydrate and 4-methanol-o-Menth-8-ene or elemol was the major compounds. The pure crude enzymatic extract, 20 MPa and 30 MPa supercritical carbon dioxide extracts were subjected to fatty acid profiling, twelve free fatty acid were found at pure crude enzymatic extract, while nine free fatty acid were found at 20 MPa and 30 MPa supercritical carbon dioxide extracts. Lauric (C12) is consistently highest in terms of weight by weight in three extracts that were subjected to free fatty acid profiling. This study can be used as basis for agricultural applications in food and pharmaceutical since there is no thorough study of the fractionation of enzymatic extract of citronella.