2nd Conference on Green Engineering, Sustainable Materials, and Technologies for Circular Economy (GREEN CIRC '25)

ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF BLACK PEPPER (Piper nigrum L.) FRUIT ESSENTIAL OILS AND HYDROLATES OBTAINED BY MODIFIED CLEVENGER TYPE HYDRODISTILLATION

Not scheduled

20m

Amphitheatre (Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, Ss Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje)

Oral presentation

Speaker

Aleksandra Milenković (Faculty of Technology, University of Niš, Bulevar Oslobođenja 124, 16000 Leskovac, Serbia)

Description

Given that black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) essential oil generally exhibits weak to moderate antioxidant activity [1], this study aimed to investigate the effects of a modified Clevenger hydrodistillation (MCHD) method on enhancing antioxidant activity and using hydrolates as valuable byproducts. The MCHD method involves reusing a portion of the aqueous phase of suspension (hydrolate) from the previous hydrodistillation for subsequent distillations of ground black pepper fruit, with distilled water added to a hydromodule of 1:10 m/v. Five essential oils were collected over 240 min hydrodistillations, and portions of hydrolates were saved for analysis.
Antioxidant activity was determined using the FRAP assay, which measures the reduction of Fe³⁺ to Fe²⁺ ions by antioxidants. Essential oils showed increasing antioxidant activity (I-8.23 to V-15.99 mgFe²⁺/g of essential oil), as did hydrolates (I-40.36 to V-58.80 mgFe²⁺/g of hydrolate). The most abundant compounds in essential oils were (E)-caryophyllene (39.8–48.6%), limonene (8.4–11.1%), and sabinene (4.2–8.6%), while hydrolates contained α-terpineol (28.3–34.7%), borneol (17.3–31.4%), β-pinene (17.6–23.2%), and (E)-caryophyllene (19.0–40.1%).
The findings suggest that MCHD enhances the antioxidant potential of black pepper essential oils and efficiently use of hydrolates. This is particularly significant from an ecological perspective, as it utilizes a by-product of hydrodistillation, reducing waste and supporting sustainable practices. Future studies should identify key antioxidant compounds, elucidate their synergistic interactions, and assess stability and bioavailability. Additionally, exploring hydrolates' potential in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries could confirm their practical applications.

Keywords: black pepper, essential oil, hydrolate, antioxidant activity

References:
[1] Milenković, A., Stanojević, J., Cvetković, D., & Stanojević, L. (2024). Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) fructus essential oil hydrodistillation fractions. Journal of Essential Oil Bearing Plants, 27(1), 166-176.

Acknowledgements: This work was supported by the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia under the program of financing scientific research work, numbers 451-03-137/2025-03/200133 and 451-03-136/2025-03/200133.