PENGAMBILAN PEKTIN DARI ALBEDO SEMANGKA DENGAN PROSES EKSTRAKSI ASAM

Watermelon is a plant that is resistant to dry climate so it can be grown in tropical and semi-desert. Watermelon albedo is a potential source of pectin because it contains pectin compounds. To decompose the pectin in the watermelon albedo can be done by acid extraction process because it will lesser the possibility of damage pectin, whereas alcohol is use to precipitate pectin. In this research watermelon albedo as basic ingredients would be extracted to produce pectin to identified the differences in the influence of temperature variation and the type of solvent extraction of the pectin content of the albedo watermelon and determined variations in maximum temperature and type of solvent extraction to produce pectin. The study was conducted with a 90-minute extraction time and extraction temperature 60, 70, and 80 °C and 500 mL the solvent HCl and CH3COOH with 2.6 pH. The results were obtained taking the maximum conditions of pectin using solvent extraction HCl at a temperature of 80 °C and obtained pectin levels of 11.2635%. Solvent which is a strong acid HCl is easier to untie protopektin pectin so pectin levels has generated a high level. The higher the operating temperature, the bigger pectin levels that are obtained until the temperature limit of 80 °C. This caused by the movement of the H+ ions more reactive, the more contact between the substances dissolved in the sample with solvent and obtained more pectin.