Exploration and preliminary analysis of sengkubak (Pycnarrhena cauliflora (Diels)) as natural food flavouring additive prospect

Abstract

Sengkubak is a native plant to Southeast Asia which mainly grows in the Kalimantan and Sumatra Islands. The local community grows it as a natural flavour enhancer as historical heredity. This paper aims to find a deeper potential prospect, exploration, and preliminary testing of glutamic acid as a natural flavouring agent. This research used a hybrid approach through laboratory testing and literature studies related to user community information, economic prospects. The collecting process and drying were carried out at West Kalimantan Assessment Institute for Agricultural Technology, while extraction activities were carried out at ISMCRI. The glutamic acid analysis used Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography (UPLC) at the Saraswanti Indogenetic laboratory. The results show that sengkubak has not been cultivated well and harvested wild. The yield value of the extract produced using water and ethanol solvent 96% were 21.23% and 17.43%, respectively. By water and ethanol solvent, the concentrated extract contained the glutamic acid 2,845.82 mg/kg and 1979.32 mg/kg, respectively. Further research is needed to create prototypes of derivative products from sengkubak extract with water solvent extracts to be used commercially.