The effect of pectinase pretreatment on the extraction of essential oil from the seed kernels of Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans)

In this study, the seed kernels of Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) were pretreated with partially purified pectinase (PPP) prior to hydrodistillation to enhance the extraction of essential oil. The yield of the essential oil obtained after pretreatment with PPP was 4.70%. GC-MS analysis of the essential oils obtained after pretreatments with PPP showed a total of 33 constituents classified into monoterpenes (51.52%), sesquiterpenes (21.21%) and phenylpropanoids/aromatic (27.27%) compounds. Comparison was made by pretreating the nutmeg seeds with a pure pectinase (CP) obtained from Sigma-Aldrich. The fraction obtained when pretreated with CP was made up of 32 components with monoterpenes (51.31%), sesquiterpenes (18.75%) and phenylpropanoids/aromatic (28.12%) compounds. The major components of essential oils obtained after pretreatments with PPP and CP were sabinene, α-pinene, β-pinene and myristicin. This research shows that the extraction of Myristica fragrans seed kernel essential oil can be improved using PPP when compared with the yield of the control (3.80%) obtained from the seed kernels that were not pretreated with the enzymes prior to hydrodistillation.