Judul: Perubahan Senyawa Volatil dan Mati Rasa Andaliman (Zanthoxylum acanthopodium) oleh Berbagai Teknik Pengeringan
Abstrak: Andaliman (Zanthoxylum acanthopodium DC) is an endemic plant from North Sumatera, commonly used as spices and folk medicines. Andaliman has a robust citrus aroma and numbing trigeminal sensations. Unfortunately, the research, usage, and popularity of andaliman are much behind its related species, such as Z. piperitum (Japanese pepper) and Z. bungeanum (Sichuan pepper). The main hurdles in fresh andaliman usage are the fast rotting and rapid flavor degradation. Proper processing techniques by farmers and industries will be crucial to expand its usage. Drying could prevent andaliman from degradation by reducing the moisture content; however, its effects on volatiles, numbing compound, and aroma profile have not been fully understood. Unsaturated alkylamides (sanshools) have been reported to be responsible for the unique numbing sensation. Analysis of sanshools is usually conducted using column chromatography or High Pressure Liquid Chromatography; however, these methods tend to be time-consuming and requires a large amount of costly solvent. On the other hand, aroma analysis is conducted using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), which requires researchers to use two types of analytical methods to get the complete picture of both the aroma and taste of andaliman. However, three studies managed to analyze sanshools by GC-MS, which will shorten the research timeline and reduce research costs. This research was composed of three main stages: drying of andaliman (sun, sunshade, shade, oven, and freeze drying), confirmation of the GC-MS parameter, analysis of the volatiles, sanshools, sensory and physical characteristics. The volatiles and sanshool analysis were conducted with GC-MS, while the sensory analysis used the Rate All That Apply-Hedonic method. Physical characteristics such as moisture, water activity, yield, bulk density, and color were analyzed. Statistical data analysis using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), one-way ANOVA, Duncan posthoc, Pearson’s correlation, and Partial Least Square regression analysis were conducted to evaluate the impact of drying on volatiles, numbing, and sensory profile as well as to determine the volatiles responsible for andaliman aroma quality. The logarithmic thin-layer drying model best-described andaliman drying kinetics. The drying process significantly altered andaliman appearance, aroma profile and physical properties. No significant difference was found in the yield of each drying method; however, shade drying resulted in the highest moisture and water activity, while sun drying and freeze drying resulted in the lowest moisture content and water activity. Freeze drying resulted in the lowest bulk density. All drying methods managed to produce andaliman with less than 17.90% moisture content and 0.6 water activity, indicating the drying targets have been achieved. Generally, drying increased the a*, indicating green color degradation, however, no significant difference was observed in the a* values of dried samples. GC-MS analysis of all chloroform andaliman extract managed to detect total of 67 peaks while identifying 42 compounds. However, 25 unidentified peaks could comprise of other sanshool isomers. Fresh and dried andaliman generally had similar total relative content of volatiles and chromatogram pattern, differing mostly in the individual compound quantities. The content of limonene, (E)-2-hexenal, geranial, α-pinene, sabinene, and β-myrcene as well as the intensities of citrus and green aroma tended to decrease. In contrast, the content of geranyl acetate, citronellal,
Keyword: Zanthoxylum, andaliman, drying, aroma, sanshool