THE EFFECT OF POTASSIUM PERMANGANATE ON THE PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL QUALITY OF FRESH FRUIT BUNCHES OF PALM OIL (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) Imelya Ramanis(a), Deden Saprudin(b*), Sudradjat (c)
(a) Agronomy and Horticulture, Graduate School, Faculty of Agriculture, IPB University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia
(b) Departement of Biochemistry, Graduate School, Faculty of Mathematic and Natural Science, IPB University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia
(*) dsp[at]apps.ipb.ac.id
(c) Departement of Agronomy and Horticulture, Graduate School, Faculty of Agriculture, IPB University, Bogor 16680, Indonesia
Abstract
Quality of crude palm oil (CPO) is influenced by fresh fruit bunches (FFB) quality including physical and chemical. The damage in the palm oil fruit causes increasing hydrolysis process so free fatty acid content increase and the oil content decrease. Damage is caused by the postharvest process of the fruit, such as the time to transport to the factory and delays in collecting the fruit. The delay for processing must be appropriate so that damage of FFB should be minimized using potassium permanganate (KMnO4). This study want to know the effect of KMnO4 on physical and chemical quality of FFB of palm oil and the relationship between the observed variables. The FFB samples were taken from IPB-Cargill Teaching Farm of Palm Oil, Jonggol Bogor Indonesia. This study used a randomized complete block design (RCBD). The experiment consisted of 4 concentration content of KMnO4 (0 %, 0,025%, 0,050% and 0,075%). The results showed that applying KMnO4 could maintain the physical quality of palm oil fruit on weight loss, fruit fall, respiration rate, and microbial content. The chemical quality is observed by fruit moisture content and free fatty acid content. KMnO4 concentration of 0,075% is the best concentration. Based on the results of the correlation analysis, the direction of the relationship between the observed variables is positive. Variables that had a strong relationship were weight loss and fruit fall, weight loss and a number of microbes, weight loss and number of microbes, water content and number of microbes, as well as free fatty acids and number of microbes.
Keywords: Concentration- Crude palm oil- Fresh fruit bunches- Potassium permanganate
