Abstract

FLECHAS C., Henry A.; ARAGON D., Camilo; MORALES, Nelly B.  and  JIMENEZ G., P. John A.. Study and development of three jaboncillo (Sapindus saponaria L.) products as grounding in its industrialisation. Colomb. for. [online]. 2009, vol.12, n.1, pp.171-182. ISSN 0120-0739.

This research included the chemical and phytochemical studies and the industrial scaling in pilot plant of three products of Sapindus saponaria, commonly known as jaboncillo, Michu. This work is part of an interdisciplinary research project aimed at the exploitation and commercialization of its harvested products: oil, gum, and triterpenoidal sapogenins. These three products were obtained through physical and chemical processes both in laboratory (phase 1) and in the industrial scaling stage (phase 2). During the laboratory stage different methods of extraction and purification were studied and assessed, along with the corresponding methods of chemical analysis for the three origins (Palmira, Valle; Viotá, Cundinamarca, and Santa María, Huila). Based on laboratory studies, extraction and purification processes were designed in a pilot plant supplied by the QUINACOL Ltda. company, whose business is the production, research and development of products for the phytopharmaceutical industry. Developed products were characterized by methods of instrumental analysis of nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR and ¹³C), flame ionization detector gas chromatography (GC), infrared spectroscopy (IR) and specific chemical analysis techniques designed for these products. The mature fruit of Santa María presented increased performance of oil and rubber; as well as the green fruit of Viotá, in a substance called Ss1, possibly hederagenina. Of the products obtained in the pilot phase, oil presented a high percentage of unsaturated fatty acids and rubber showed a high thickening capacity in aqueous solutions. Oil and rubber could be marketed from this species' fruit, because its composition and characteristics, as well as its performance, meets the main parameters of marketing, for which studies on industrial perfectibility are needed.

Keywords : Sapindus saponaria; sapogenins; hederagenin; gum; oil.

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