Purification of phenolics from defatted tamarind kernel powder

Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) is an economically important tree, found in many countries of Asia, Africa and South America. It is a tree that is easy to cultivate and requires minimum care. It is generally free of serious pests and diseases, has a life span of 80 – 200 years and can yield 150 – 500 kg of pods per healthy tree/year at 20 years of age. The present study reveals that Tamarindus indica seed contain nutritionally useful quantities of macro and micronutrients. The objective of the study was to extract, isolate, purify and characterize phenolic acids from defatted tamarind kernel powder. However, defatted TKP methanolic extracts contain moderate antioxidant activity, phenolic and protein content. Presented results seem to be the first to determine the partial purification of the phenolic components from TKP by gel permeation chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results of the study suggest that the phenolic components were eluted as a single broad peak after void volume in sephadex G-25 column. The HPLC data revealed the presence of gallic acid and ρ-coumaric acid in the methanolic fractions.

Author(s): KR Siddalinga Murthy and Shlini P*

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