Extraction of Xyloglucan Polymer from Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) Seeds

Abstract

Natural polymers have captivated the food, cosmetic and medical industries lately, due to their much desired properties such as non-toxicity, non-carcinogenicity, biodegradability, and biocompatibility. Xyloglucan is one of the natural polymers, with a wide array of applications. Tamarind seed which is mostly a wasted product in the tamarind pulp industry is highly rich in xyloglucan. The tamarind kernel powder obtained from tamarind seeds can be used to extract the natural tamarind xyloglucan polymer. In this study, eight treatments were used: with two solvents based on; methanol and ethanol, and four different pH values; 5, 6, 7, and 8; to determine the most efficient protocol for tamarind xyloglucan extraction. Three replicates were used for each treatment and the yield and extractability were recorded. All the parameters were tested with one-way ANOVA, and the means were compared with Duncan’s Multiple Range Test. Methanol was found to be a better solvent than ethanol and resulted in a higher xyloglucan yield. The highest extractability was obtained at pH 7 (52.90±2.41%) and 8 (49.07±1.17%) which had no significant difference (p<0.05) between each other. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy spectrum was obtained to confirm the presence of the specific functional groups in the extracted xyloglucan. X-ray diffraction pattern indicated the diffraction peak at 2θ value of 20.05o confirming the extraction of high-quality xyloglucan which was in amorphous nature.