KIMIKA 13(1): 23-25 (1997)

Printed in the Philippines.

Extraction and partial characterization of the water-soluble mucilage

from Corchorus olitorius Linn. (Fam. Tiliaceae)

N.E. MONTANO, J.F. DE LEON AND M.M. LOQUIAS

Marine Science Institute
University of the Philippines
Diliman, Quezon City

The leaves of"�l�yot"; Corcho�s oli�oriu� Linne (Fam. Tiliaceae) were extracted with boiling water and the resulting
.
�
mucdage was characterized. T e relative vtscostty of a 1.0% solution of the mucilage was determined to be 20 cps at room
temperature. The m�de of gellmg was demonstrated through calcium ions. The results ofthe identification tests revealed the
resemblance of muctlage with commercially available pectin. The degree of esterification and percent anhydrogalacturonides
were computed to be 49.44% and 74.31%, respectively, classifYing it as a low methoxy pectin. Molecular weights were approxi­
�ated t� be 1700 glmole for the "saluyot" mucilage and 800 glmole for the reference pectin sample. FTIR spectra of the
saluyot . mucilage and the reference pectin sample were comparable.

SALUYOT, CoRCHORUS OUTORJUS, IS COMMONLY EATEN AS A LEAFY EXPERIMENTAL

vegetable among the Filipinos. Interestingly, powdered dried
Sample. Fresh leaves of"saluyot" were collected in the vi­
leaves of this plant are being exported to Japan as food
cinity of the University of the Philippines Diliman. Samples
additive. A study on its nutritional content showed it to be
of the specimen (accession #12481) were identified and de­
rich in several vitamins and minerals, as well as essential
posited at the Herbarium of the Institute of Biology, Col­
amino acids [1].
lege of Science, UP Diliman.

When cooked, "saluyot" gives off a very large quantity of

Reference pectin sample was obtained from the UP College
mucilaginous substance which makes it very slippery, much
of Home Economics through Prof. Benelyn Dumelod.
more so than okra, Abelmochus esculentus (Linn.) Moench
Pam. Malvaceae [2]. Studies conducted on this mucilagi­
Extraction. Fresh leaves of"saluyot" were boiled with dis­
nous substance showed it to exhibit interesting biological
tilled water (1 :3) for one hour, disintegrated coarsely in a
activities such as antihyperlipidemic, hypoglycemic,
blender and strained using a fine plastic strainer. The solids
antitumorial, diuretic and antidiarrheic activities [3-4]. Like­
remaining on the strainer were washed with distilled wa­
wise, acidic polysaccharides fractionated from the muci­
ter. The filtrate and washings were combined and pressure
lage and other parts of the plant exhibited similar biologi­
filtered with diatomaceous earth as filter aid. The polysac­
cal activities . An investigation on this· acidic polysaccl\a­
charide was precipitated by adding the filtrate to twice its
ride showed it to be rich in uronic acid (65%) and consisted
volume of 2-propanol. The precipitate was washed with 2-
of rhamnose, glucose, galacturonic acid and glucoronic acid
propanol, squeezed free of excess solvent, dried in an oven
[4]. set at 60°.C, powdered and analyzed.

In this paper, we present the partial characterization of the

Characterization tests. 1.0% solutions of the mucilage,
crude water-soluble mucilage extracted from the leaves of
standard pectin, low viscosity, medium viscosity and high
Corchorus olitorius. It is hoped that the data presented here
viscosity alginates were prepared and viscosity was measured
would serve as a baseline for possible industrial or large
at room temperature using the Brookefield synchro-lectric
scale extraction of the crude mucilage from Corchorus
viscometer LVF.
olitorius for food or health related purposes.
24 N.E. MONTANO, J.F. DE LEON AND M.M. LOQUIAS

Mode of gelling was tested using 1% solutions of the muci­
lage and the standard pectin in the following ways: a) 1mL
·
of the mucilage or pectin solution was added with 1 mL of
5% CaCl2; b) mucilage or pectin solution was acidified with
Titrimetric approximation of the molecular weights c:f the
"saluyot" mucilage and reference pectin sample gave val­
ues of 1700 and 800 g/mole respectively (Table 2).
·

5% HCI; c) 10 mL of the mucilage or pectin solution was The FTIR spectra of pectin, "saluyot" mucilage and low
added with about 5g of sucrose and mixed; d) 10 mL of the viscosity alginate are shown in Fig. 1. For all the three
mucilage or pectin solution was placed in the refrigerator samples, similar peaks in the 3500-2940 cm·1 were present,
(8°C) for an hour. indicative ofO-H and C-H stretchings. Characteristic peaks
at 1744 cm�1 and 1732 cm·1 for the standard pectin and
Alcohol precipitation, thorium nitrate, sodium hydroxide "saluyot" mucilage indicate the presence of ester groups in
and acidification tests were performed according to the pro­ these samples [9].
cedure described in FCC, 1981 and USP XXIII NF XVII,
1990 [5-6].
Table 1. Identification test results for pectin and
The degree of esterification and percent total anhydro­ "saluyot" mucilage
galacturonides were determined according to the FCC, 1981
[5].
Identification Reference "Saluyot"
test Pectin sample Mucilage
Titrimetric approximation of the molecular weights of
samples were done in accordance to the method by Walter Alcohol gelatinous gelatinous
and Jacon, 1994 [7]. precipitation test precipitate precipitate

Thorium nitrate cloudy gel cloudy gel

The IR spectra of the samples of the mucilage, standard
pectin and low viscosity alginate were obtained using test

OMNIC FTIR Magna 550. Sodium translucent soft translucent

hydroxide test gel soft gel

Hydrochloric· acid test

RESULT S
without heating slightly turbid voluminous
About 2.5% of dried mucilage powder was obtained from the
gel precipitate
aqueous extraction of fresh "saluyot" leaves. It was odorless,
grayish white in color and fibrous in texture. It dissolved in
with heating floating turbid floating
water forming a brownish, slightly viscous solution but
n1ass turbid mass
insoluble in alcohol.

Viscosity of a 1% solution of the mucilage was measured to

be 20 cps. This value was compared with 1% solutions of Table 2. Degree of esterification, total anhydrogalactu­
polyuronic acids available such as pectin and alginate (low, ronides and molecular weight approximation
medium and high viscosity types). Viscosities were mea­
sured to be 10.75, 15, 67.5 and 182 .5 cps, respectively. Reference "Saluyot"
pectin sample mucilage
The gel-forming ability of the mucilage was tested in sev­
eral ways : (a) by addition of calcium salt; (b) acidification
% degree of esterification 63.60 49.44
of the solution of mucilage; (c) addition of sugar and (d)
cooling [8]. In the presence of Ca*, aqueous solutions of % total 85.05 74.31
the extracted powder formed a soft and brittle gel. How­ anhydrogalacturonides
ever, when the pH of the solution (pH of about 5.5) was
computed molecular 800 1700
adjusted to a more acidic pH (pH of about 2.5), gelling with
weight (-glmole)
Ca* was reduced. Gelling was not induced with the addi­
tion of sugar nor by cooling.

Aqueous solutions of the "saluyot" mucilage gave positive

results for the identification tests for pectin as shown in DISCUSSION

Table 1. The degree of esterification and total anhydrogalac­ Results indicate that the mucilaginous substance in saluyot
turonides(Table 2) were computed to be 49.44% and 74.31% maybe pectin. Yield however, is -relatively low as compared
respectively. with other sources of pectin, i.e. citrus peel (30-35%), apple
pomace (15-20%) and sunflower heads (25%) [10].

KIMIKA. volume 1, Number 1. 1997

 WATER-SOLUBLE MUCILAGE FROM CORCHORUS OLITOR/US
saluyot
pectin
pectin
(std)
Low \ Lagunsod, Arturo Saringan, Estrella Saringan, Ronald D.
viscosity \ Villanueva, Banaag Glorioso-Lajera, Cynthia V. Pagba,
alginate
4000 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500
Wavenumbers (cm-1)
Figure 1. FTIR spectra of pectin, "saluyot" mucilage and low
viscocity alginate
The solubility, viscosity and gel forming ability of pectin
depend on its chemical characteristics such as, degree of
esterification, molecular weight and the presence and level
of chemical entities that maybe part of the pectin molecule
[10]. Viscosity for the mucilage was observed to be higher
as compared with the reference pectin sample. This maybe
explained by the. higher molecular weight of the former
(Table 2). The approximation however, of the molecular
weights (or the degree of esterification) give no indication
of the distribution of functional groups or the distribution
of polymer sizes [10].
Values obtained for the degree of esterification and percent
anhydrogalacturonides of the mucilage, classify it as a low­
ester or low methoxy pectin [2]. Likewise, its mode of gel­
ling is characteristic for low-ester pectins. The brittle nature
of the calcium gel formed is attributed to the strength of a
relatively short bond between calcium ions and carboxyls, as
compared to longer hydrogen bonds in high ester gels [10].
In contrast, the degree of esterification and percent
anhydrogalacturonides for the reference pectin sample are
25
higher. It did not form a gel with calcium ions. This sample
is a high-ester pectin of the rapid-set type. It forms gel with
the addition of sugar and/or acidification [ 10].
Pectin, when subjected to different chemical treatments
(Table 1), undergoes dehydration, hydrolysis, saponifica­
tion or degradation. Methyl groups or methyl ester link­
ages are destroyed, breaking the pectin molecule hence the
formation of the precipitate or gel [9].
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors would like to thank Benelyn D. Dumelodofthe
UP College of Home Economics, Dr. Clovia Holdsworth of
De La Salle University, Dr. Lourdes Cardenas, Dr. Daniel
Rowena Grace Rumbaoa, Alvin Gomez, Alice Orias, Eusebio
Badion, UP Marine'Science Institute and the Philippine Coun­
cil for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development.
REFERENCES
1. Food Composition Table (FNRI, Manila, 1990).
2. Brown, W.H. Useful Plants of the Philippines, Vol. 2, p.
384 (Manila Bureau of Printing, Manila, 1954 ).
3. Innami, S., Nakamura, K., Tabata, K., Wada, M. and Takita,
T. J. Nutr. Sci. Vitaminol. 4I, 465 (1995).
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A. Biosci. Biotech. Biochem. 59(3), 378 (1995).
5. Food and Nutrition Board and National Research Council.
Food Chemicals Codex, 3rd ed., p. 215-217 (National Acad­
emy Press, Washington, 1981).
6. T he United States Pharmacopeia! Convention Inc. The
United States Pharmacopeia XXIJI National Formulary
XVII (USP Convention Inc., Rockville, 1990).
7. Walter, R.H. and Jacon, S.A. Food Hydrocolloids 8(5), 469
(1994).
8. Lin, C.F. In Graham, H.D. Food Colloids (The Avi Pub­
lishing Co., Inc., Connecticut, 1977).
9. Silverstein, M.R., Bassler, C.G. and Morril, T.C. Spectro­
metric Identification of Organic Compounds (John Wiley
and Sons, Inc., U.S.A., 1974).
10. Nelson, D.B., Smit, C.J.B. and Wiles, R.R.In Graham, H.D.
Food Colloids (T he Avi Publishing Co., Inc., Connecticut,
1977).
I l. Rolin, C. and De Vries, J. In Harris, P. Food Gels (Elsevier
Science Publishing Co., Inc., USA, 1990)
KIMIKA • r.iJlume 1, Number 1 • 1997