1. Introduction
Nephelium lappaceum L., commonly known as rambutan, is a tropical fruit renowned for its juicy and sweet flavor. Belonging to the Sapindaceae family, this fruit has gained global popularity because of its delectable taste [
1]. Rambutan is a significant fruit commodity in various regions, including Southeast Asia, Australia, South America, and several African countries [
2]. Rambutan availability extends beyond fresh consumption, contributing to processed industrial products such as canned fruit, juices, jams, jellies, marmalades, and various spreads [
3].
In addition to its role as a food source, rambutan is reported to contribute in providing health benefits, showcasing potential bioactivities such as antidiabetic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, anticancer and antimicrobial properties [
1,
2,
4,
5]. The extract from rambutan fruit peel (RFPE), which was once overlooked, is now the focus of research because of its rich chemical composition. The chemical composition of RFPE includes cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin, with percentages of 24.28%, 11.62%, and 35.34%, respectively.
Furthermore, rambutan peel contains a number of phenolic compounds [
6]. Previous study demonstrated the influence of ethanol concentration on the extraction of phenolic compounds from RFPE and found that 60% ethanol yields the highest phenolic extract [
7]. In another report, extraction with 80.85% ethanol can also produce high phenolic yields [
8]. RFPE is particularly intriguing because of the presence of major phenolic compounds such as rutin [
1,
9]. Rutin is one of the polyphenolic compounds reported to have a significant content in methanol extracts of RFPE [
10]. The rutin content can be detected using UV–Vis spectrophotometry at a wavelength of 271.44 nm [
11]. Methods for determining the total polyphenol content in medicinal plants vary; however, some commonly used methods include thin-layer chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, and spectrophotometry.
In this research, spectrophotometry is the main focus because of its ability to determine the total polyphenol content in plants [
12]. This method is based on light absorption at a specific wavelength by polyphenolic compounds, allowing quantitative concentration measurement. The main advantages of spectrophotometry are its simplicity, speed of analysis, and ability to be used for a large number of samples at a lower cost compared to the other methods. For the characterization of compounds in the extract, particularly concerning rutin, the use of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is crucial.
FTIR provides a spectrum depicting the interactions between molecules and IR light, which can be used to identify the chemical bonds and functional groups present in the sample. Multivariate analysis using FTIR can yield accurate and precise results for the detection of natural compounds [
13]. This research will optimize the total polyphenol content in various RFPE variations using different ethanol solvent concentrations (70% and 96%) and varying total solvent volumes (500 ml, 1000 ml, and 1500 ml). In addition, the study will consider variations of RFPE from Sulawesi Island, such as rambutan aceh (RA), rambutan rapiah (RR), rambutan garuda (RG), and rambutan lengkeng (RL). This research will encompass the application of chemometrics and multivariate calibration analysis to validate rutin in RFPE extract variations. By combining spectrophotometry and FTIR methods, this study is expected to profoundly understand the composition of RFPE compounds, particularly rutin. Validating rutin in RFPE variations will be a crucial step to ensure the accuracy and consistency of the analysis results, contributing significantly to a deeper understanding of the potential applications of rambutan fruit peel in the health field and as a source of raw materials for traditional medicine in the future.
3. Results
In this research, extractions were performed from 24 types of rambutan originating from variations in ethanol solvent (70% and 96%) and solvent volume (500 ml, 1000 ml, and 1500 ml) between samples and solvents, as well as four types of rambutan peel varieties from Sulawesi Island, namely RA, RR, RG, and RL. Preliminary tests on polyphenol content, as recorded in
Table 1, indicate that all extracts contain polyphenols, with extract yield percentages ranges between 9.51 and 15.68%. The use of a ethanol in this research suggested effective extraction in achieving higher yields, which is in agreement with previous findings [
14].
TLC was conducted using an RP-18 silica gel stationary phase and a mobile phase eluent of methanol: H
2O (1:1). The TLC analysis showed a retention factor (Rf) value of 0.3 under UV light at 245 and 366 nm. In addition, positive results in the polyphenol test indicated that the extract contains rutin compounds. Previous studies have identified major phenolic compounds in RFPE peel, such as geraniin, ellagic acid, quercetin, rutin, and corilagin [
2,
17].
The properties of the rutin compounds were further confirmed using a UV–Vis spectrophotometer, which revealed maximum absorption at a wavelength of 398 nm [
16]. This finding is consistent with that of Mirgorod et al. (2013) [
18], who stated that rutin compounds have three absorption peaks in the UV– Vis spectrum at 270, 320, and 398 nm. Thus, this research provides an in-depth insight into the composition of rutin in the extract, particularly concerning polyphenol and rutin compound contents. Identifying these compounds provides a crucial foundation for a better understanding of their potential applications in health, particularly for extracts such as RA, RR, RG, and RL originating from Sulawesi Island.
Based on the data analysis presented in
Table 2, it can be concluded that the variation in the RFPE extract significantly affects the total polyphenol content. Specifically, the RA-type extracts showed higher polyphenol content than the RR, RL, and RG extracts. Furthermore, the solvent comparison also influences the results, in which 70% ethanol solvent yielded higher polyphenol content than 96% ethanol solvent. This is align with the report by Lohvina et al.[
19] on seed extracts of Trigonella foenum-graecum varieties, indicating that 70% ethanol solvent shows the highest total phenolic content compared with 30%, 50%, and 96% solvents (v/v). Moreover, the solvent volume also plays a crucial role, where the use of 1000 ml solvent yields a higher polyphenol content than the use of 1500 ml and 500 ml. Significant impact of the extraction solvent in producing total phenolics (TPC), polyphenols (TFC), proanthocyanidins (TPrC), and saponins (TSC) from the root of S.
chinensis by Ngo et al., 2017 [
20].
Table 2.
Total polyphenol content in various rambutan fruit peel extract (RFPE) types, ethanol solvent variations, and ethanol quantity from Sulawesi Island.
Table 2.
Total polyphenol content in various rambutan fruit peel extract (RFPE) types, ethanol solvent variations, and ethanol quantity from Sulawesi Island.
Rambutan fruit peel extracts |
Standar compound |
Ethanol (%) |
Ethanol (ml)
|
Absorbance (a.u)
|
SD
|
Mean
|
% CV |
Polyphenols Total (mgg-1) |
Polyphenols Rate (mgg-1) |
RA |
Rutin |
70 |
500 |
0.4492 |
0.0014 |
0.4506 |
0.31 |
11.893 |
11.888 |
|
|
|
|
0.4506 |
|
|
|
11.881 |
|
|
|
|
|
0.4520 |
|
|
|
11.891 |
|
|
|
|
1000 |
0.6429 |
0.0004 |
0.6429 |
0.06 |
12.475 |
12.474 |
|
|
|
|
0.6433 |
|
|
|
12.483 |
|
|
|
|
|
0.6425 |
|
|
|
12.466 |
|
|
|
|
1500 |
0.6319 |
0.0001 |
0.6319 |
0.02 |
12.245 |
12.245 |
|
|
|
|
0.6320 |
|
|
|
12.247 |
|
|
|
|
|
0.6318 |
|
|
|
12.243 |
|
RR |
Rutin |
70 |
500 |
0.4998 |
0.0001 |
0.4998 |
0.01 |
9.493 |
9.493 |
|
|
|
|
0.4999 |
|
|
|
9.495 |
|
|
|
|
|
0.4998 |
|
|
|
9.493 |
|
|
|
|
1000 |
0.5810 |
0.0001 |
0.5809 |
0.01 |
12.854 |
12.850 |
|
|
|
|
0.5809 |
|
|
|
12.848 |
|
|
|
|
|
0.5810 |
|
|
|
12.848 |
|
|
|
|
1500 |
0.5687 |
0.5686 |
0.0003 |
0.06 |
10.929 |
10.928 |
|
|
|
|
0.5690 |
|
|
|
10.935 |
|
|
|
|
|
0.5683 |
|
|
|
10.921 |
|
RG |
Rutin |
70 |
500 |
0.4555 |
0.0001 |
0.4554 |
0.01 |
8.571 |
8.569 |
|
|
|
|
0.4554 |
|
|
|
8.568 |
|
|
|
|
|
0.4554 |
|
|
|
8.568 |
|
|
|
|
1000 |
0.5363 |
0.0001 |
0.5363 |
0.02 |
10.254 |
10.252 |
|
|
|
|
0.5363 |
|
|
|
10.252 |
|
|
|
|
|
0.5362 |
|
|
|
10.252 |
|
|
|
|
1500 |
0.6065 |
0.0001 |
0.6064 |
0.02 |
11.716 |
11.713 |
|
|
|
|
0.6063 |
|
|
|
11.712 |
|
|
|
|
|
0.6063 |
|
|
|
11.712 |
|
RL |
Rutin |
70 |
500 |
0.4838 |
0.0001 |
0.4837 |
0.02 |
10.081 |
10.079 |
|
|
|
|
0.4836 |
|
|
|
10.079 |
|
|
|
|
|
0.4836 |
|
|
|
10.079 |
|
|
|
|
1000 |
0.3769 |
0.0000 |
0.3769 |
0.01 |
11.295 |
11.289 |
|
|
|
|
0.3768 |
|
|
|
11.285 |
|
|
|
|
|
0.3768 |
|
|
|
11.287 |
|
|
|
|
1500 |
0.4809 |
0.0001 |
0.4808 |
0.02 |
10.621 |
10.621 |
|
|
|
|
0.4807 |
|
|
|
10.621 |
|
|
|
|
|
0.4808 |
|
|
|
10.621 |
|
RA |
Rutin |
96 |
500 |
0.6150 |
0.0003 |
0.6148 |
0.05 |
8.439 |
8.468 |
|
|
|
|
0.6144 |
|
|
|
8.468 |
|
|
|
|
|
0.6149 |
|
|
|
8.497 |
|
|
|
|
1000 |
0.6136 |
0.0001 |
0.6135 |
0.01 |
11.864 |
11.863 |
|
|
|
|
0.6135 |
|
|
|
11.862 |
|
|
|
|
|
0.6136 |
|
|
|
11.864 |
|
|
|
|
1500 |
0.5502 |
0.0002 |
0.5502 |
0.03 |
10.543 |
10.543 |
|
|
|
|
0.5504 |
|
|
|
10.547 |
|
|
|
|
|
0.5500 |
|
|
|
10.539 |
|
RR |
Rutin |
96 |
500 |
0.5875 |
0.0002 |
0.5874 |
0.03 |
11.321 |
11.317 |
|
|
|
|
0.5872 |
|
|
|
11.314 |
|
|
|
|
|
0.5873 |
|
|
|
11.316 |
|
|
|
|
1000 |
0.6611 |
0.0002 |
0.6609 |
0.03 |
11.185 |
11.185 |
|
|
|
|
0.6608 |
|
|
|
11.183 |
|
|
|
|
|
0.6608 |
|
|
|
11.185 |
|
|
|
|
1500 |
0.4854 |
0.0001 |
0.4854 |
0.02 |
9.193 |
9.193 |
|
|
|
|
0.4853 |
|
|
|
9.191 |
|
|
|
|
|
0.4855 |
|
|
|
9.195 |
|
RG |
Rutin |
96 |
500 |
0.3880 |
0.0010 |
0.3889 |
0.25 |
7.164 |
7.184 |
|
|
|
|
0.3890 |
|
|
|
7.185 |
|
|
|
|
|
0.3899 |
|
|
|
7.204 |
|
|
|
|
1000 |
0.4949 |
0.0001 |
0.4950 |
0.03 |
9.391 |
9.393 |
|
|
|
|
0.4951 |
|
|
|
9.395 |
|
|
|
|
|
0.4950 |
|
|
|
9.393 |
9.228 |
|
|
|
1500 |
0.4875 |
0.0005 |
0.4871 |
0.10 |
9.237 |
|
|
|
|
|
0.4871 |
|
|
|
9.229 |
|
|
|
|
|
0.4866 |
|
|
|
9.218 |
|
RL |
Rutin |
96 |
500 |
0.5280 |
0.0001 |
0.5279 |
0.01 |
9.143 |
9.151 |
|
|
|
|
0.5280 |
|
|
|
9.156 |
|
|
|
|
|
0.5279 |
|
|
|
9.156 |
|
|
|
|
1000 |
0.5863 |
0.0002 |
0.5860 |
0.04 |
6.933 |
6.931 |
|
|
|
|
0.5858 |
|
|
|
6.931 |
|
|
|
|
|
0.5859 |
|
|
|
6.931 |
|
|
|
|
1500 |
0.5539 |
0.0000 |
0.5539 |
0.01 |
9.102 |
9.098 |
|
|
|
|
0.5539 |
|
|
|
9.095 |
|
|
|
|
|
0.5539 |
|
|
|
9.097 |
|
Notably, the highest polyphenol content was recorded in the RA extract type using 70% ethanol solvent in 1000 ml (8), reaching 12.474 mg equivalent rutin/g extract, as shown in
Figure 1 and
Table 2. In contrast, the lowest polyphenol content was found in RL using 96% ethanol solvent in 1000 ml (23), with a 6.931 mg equivalent rutin/g extract value. Based on the variations, the total polyphenol content was in the order of RA > RR > RL > RG, 70% ethanol solvent > 96% ethanol solvent, and solvent volume of 1000 ml > 1500 ml > 500 ml. These results are supported by interaction and main analysis, which indicates that the combination of rambutan peel extracts (RFPE) and solvents significantly impacts polyphenol content and is responsible for pharmacological effects by Sekar, M. 2020 [
21].
The range of total polyphenol content in RFPE extracts from Sulawesi Island varies between 6.931 and 12.850 mg equivalent rutin/g extract, reflecting substantial variation in these compound contents. Absorbance measurements on 24 variations of RFPE extracts showed values between 0.3768 and 0.6433 in
Table 2, with standard deviation (SD) values ranging from 0.0000 to 0.5686. Furthermore, the percentage coefficient of variation (% CV) analysis shows a range between 0.01 and 0.25. Low %CV values indicate a relatively low level of variation, indicating that the measurement results are relatively stable and consistent. Conversely, a high percentage CV may indicate uncertainty or greater fluctuations in the data (Crump, M. L. (1981) [
22].
The FTIR spectra of the RFPE peel variations are shown in
Figure 2. This study analyzed 24 variations of the rambutan peel extract (RFPE) peel, solvent variations, and one standard rutin compound using FTIR spectrophotometry at wavenumbers of 400–4000 cm
-1. They were scanned in the form of percentage transmittance (%T). Rutin compounds were detected at 3743-3228 cm
-1 (O-H stretching), 2936 cm
-1, 2900 cm
-1 (-CH
2 stretching), 1759 cm
-1 (-C=O group), 1652 cm
-1, 1596 cm
-1 (-C=C), 1499 cm
-1 (aromatic ring), 1359 cm
-1, 1289 cm
-1 (C-O-C) (Das and Kalita, 2014). The results of the rutin compound spectrum are at positions 3425.58 cm
-1 (O-H stretching), 2933.73 cm
-1, 2906.73 cm
-1 (-CH
2 stretching), 1654.92 cm
-1, 1600.92 cm
-1 (-C=C), 1504.48 cm
-1, 1456.26 cm
-1 (aromatic ring), 1361.74 cm
-1, 1294.24 cm
-1 (C-O-C), 1170.79 cm
-1, 1130.29 cm
-1 (C-O), and 806.25 cm
-1, 717.52 cm
-1 (C-H). Rutin compounds were detected in the wavenumber range of 717.52-3425.58 cm
-1. Based on this research, solvent and RFPE variations were detected at different wavenumbers, namely using 70% ethanol solvent at 341.40-3520.09 cm
-1 and 96% ethanol solvent at 341.40-3429.43 cm
-1, but generally not significantly different. Functional groups found in rutin compounds were also found in variations of rambutan peel extract from Sulawesi Island, namely (O-H stretching), (-CH
2 stretching), (-C=C), (aromatic ring), (C-O-C), (C-O), and (C-H). Signals of the main functional groups of polyphenolic compounds from rambutan, such as hydroxyl groups (3235.69 cm
-1), carboxylic acids (1702.49 cm
-1), aromatic rings (1445.47 cm
-1), and carbonyl groups (1080.80 cm
-1) were determined as the most important (Mendez-Flores et al., 2018) [
23].
The combination of FTIR spectra with multivariate PLS calibration can be an effective tool for quantitative analysis [
13]. To perform quantitative analysis of the analytes in RFPE extracts, PLS compared predictor variable values of% transmittance in a specific wavenumber region between extract variations and standard rutin. Wavelength values from percent transmittance were combined to obtain new variables (principal components or PC) or PLS factors. PC and factors were used to model the analyte concentration. The data obtained from the FTIR analysis were then used for multivariate PLS calibration [
13]. PLS analyzes several components to calibrate the predictor variables of RFPE extract variations with dependent variables of rutin compounds. In effective model selection using PLS calibration, the values of R-Sq (R-squared or R
2), PRESS (predicted residual error sum of squares), R-Sq (pred) or R-squared predicted, and X variance can be observed. The R-squared (R-Sq or R
2) value is the coefficient of determination invariant for the linear transformation of the distribution of independent variables, and a value close to one produces good predictions regardless of the scale in which the variable is measured [
24]. The coefficient of determination (R
2) is widely used as the most suitable statistic to describe the agreement between the model’s predictions and those observed empirically. R
2 expresses the proportion of variance in the dependent variable explained by the model [
25]. The predicted residual error sum of squares (PRESS) is the model’s predictability and is often represented by the square of the correlation coefficient between observed phenotypic and predicted values or residual errors predicted by the sum of squares. SS is the total sum of squares of phenotypic values. PRESS as a criterion for evaluating regression models differs from using an estimated residual sum of squares (ERESS) [
26].
In this study, the prediction of the rutin compound content was conducted using FTIR spectroscopy. Rambutan peel variations (RA, RR, RG, and RL) and variations in the amount of 70% ethanol solvent (500 ml, 1000 ml, and 1500 ml) were explored in the wavelength range of 759.95 cm
−1 – 3520.09 cm
-1 according to the standard rutin used. Using 96% ethanol solvent showed wavelength detection between 759.95 cm
−1 – 3437.15 cm
−1, while standard rutin gave wavelengths between 717.15 cm
−1 – 3425.58 cm
−1. Modeling using the partial least squares (PLS) method in
Table 3 with leave-one-out validation showed that the best model for predicting rutin content was obtained with variations in the type of rambutan peel and variations in the amount and concentration of 70% ethanol solvent, with X variance values of 0.999788, R-Sq 0.994053, and R-Sq (pred) 0.988571, while the use of 96% ethanol solvent produced a model with X variance 1.000000, R-Sq 0.998340, and R-Sq (pred) 0.99536. These results indicate that the normal spectrum, the first derivative, using 96% ethanol solvent, provides the most accurate FTIR spectrum predictions for determining the rutin content in the mentioned wavelength range. In
Figure 3, the PLS response plot for rutin in RFPE extracts from Sulawesi Island obtained the number of components selected was 2 with X variance 0.999870, R-Sq 0.994407, and R-Sq (pred) 0.991514 between variables of RFPE extract variations and standard rutin overall, namely all types of rambutan peel, types and amounts of ethanol solvent.
Conclusion
The optimization of the total polyphenol content in various extracts of rambutan peel (RA, RR, RG, and RL), types of ethanol solvent (70% and 96%), and the amount of ethanol solvent (500 ml, 1000 ml, and 1500 ml) showed that the highest total polyphenol content was found in RA type RFPE with 70% ethanol solvent (1000 ml), amounting to 12.474 mg equivalent rutin/g extract. Based on the variation variables using interaction and main effect plots, the total polyphenol content in RA > RR > RL > RG, 70% ethanol solvent > 96% ethanol, and the amount of solvent 1000 ml > 1500 ml > 500 ml. In the measurement of spectra using FTIR, extract variations were detected at wavelengths of 341.40-3429.43 cm-1, containing functional groups such as (O-H stretching), (-CH2 stretching), (-C=C), (aromatic ring), (C-O-C), (C-O), and (C-H) as functional groups of polyphenolic compounds. Validation of rutin compounds in RFPE extract variations showed SD values of 0.0000–0.5686, % CV of 0.01–0.25, PLS values, and 2 selected components, resulting in optimal values at X variance 0.999870, R-Sq 0.994407, and R-Sq (pred) 0.991514. The use of PLS for cross-validation with the leave-one-out validation method shows that the obtained model is good and can be used as a reference for assessing the content of active compounds in each extract variation.