Vol. 19 No. 3
Bio-pigment extraction from three red colour tropical flowers using aqueous media
Author(s): D. SARKAR, A. MANDAL KHAN, I. SARKAR, S. MAITRA AND P. K. PAUL
Abstract: Use of natural sources of colour is being emphasized worldwide and flowers are one of the most potential sources. The present study aims to evaluate the quality of pigments obtained from common red colour flowers Erythrina indica, Delonix regia and Spathodia campanulata, through different aqueous extraction methods. Visible differences in colour represented by l*a*b* and ΔE* values were noted among the eighteen pigments. Soaking and maceration in acidic solution resulted in pigments with unique colours in all the three tropical flower species. Microwave assisted extraction increases the pH of pigments (6.32) compared to cold water (5.90). Pigments of Spathodia showed temperature stability till 103.66 °C. Anthocyanin and carotenoid content varied significantly among the flower species and with methods of extraction. Maximum anthocyanin was derived from S. campanulata through hot water extraction (80 °C) while microwave assisted extraction resulted in higher anthocyanin extraction but lower carotenoid content compared to other extraction methods employed. These ornamental plants can be exploited as sources of bio-pigments.
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