Application of Ultrasonic Assisted Extraction Method for Extraction of 6-Gingerol in Zingiber officinale Var. Rubrum

Gingerol is a chemical compound found in red ginger that is used in pharmaceuticals as an analgesic. The Soxhlet extraction method is commonly used for gingerol separation, but it has a flaw. It necessitates a lengthy process with an unsatisfactory outcome. This research aims to study ultrasonic frequency's effect on increasing gingerol yield in the extraction process itself. Extraction times of 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes were studied as variables. Furthermore, the ultrasonic effect was observed with ultrasonic frequency variations of 40 and 50 kHz when compared to the solvent extraction method. This study used 70% (v/v) ethanol as a solvent and an operating temperature of 50 C as fixed variables. Furthermore, it used a rotary vacuum evaporator at a pressure of 350 mmHg to separate the resulting gingerol extract. To determine the total gingerol extract, the qualitative sample was analysed using Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) and a scanning electron microscope (SEM), while the quantitative sample was analysed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), Waters Alliance e2695 brand with X-Terra RP18 column 100 x 4.6 mm, five m. The findings demonstrate that ultrasonic power had a significant impact on the outcomes acquired, with the highest yield being 24.71% at an ultrasonic frequency of 50 kHz and an extraction time of 120 minutes.