Characteristics of glucomannan isolated from fresh tuber of Porang (Amorphophallus

muelleri Blume).
1. Introduction
Introduction Amorphophallus muelleri Blume, locally called porang or iles kuning, is one of
glucomannan potential source in Indonesia due to its high level of glucomannan content. The
tubers are not consumed and unpalatable as they contain high levels of calcium oxalate.
Objective: To isolate purified glucomannan from fresh porang corm and to compare with those
of commercial porang flour (CPF) and purified konjac glucomannan (PKG).
2. Methods used
A. water dissolving using Al2(SO4)3 (15 (AA15) or 30 (AA30))
B. Purification Using Ethanol (for 5 (EtOH5) or 7 (EtOH7))
3. Results and discussion
2.1. Isolation of glucomannan from fresh tubers
The purity and the yield of glucomannan isolated by EtOH7 were enhanced significantly to
90.98% with low percentage of ash (0.57%) and protein (0.61%) without starch content (table
below). Compared to PKG, EtOH7 isolated glucomannan has lower purity, however, remained
considered as purified glucomannan based on the standard by The Ministry of the People’s
Republic of China (2002). The ash and protein content of isolated glucomannan on EtOH7 was
not significantly different from that on PKG (purified konjac glucomannan). The glucomannan
granules of porang were similar to those of konjac.

Table 1: Ash, starch, protein and yield of porang glucomannan compared to those of PKG and CPF.

In this finding, the increase in ethanol solution temperature to 45–50◦C during milling resulted in
significant higher removal of impurities.

The ash content including calcium oxalate could be totally removed at longer duration of tuber
milling. This method would be easier and faster than the previous methods as drying of tuber, or
further washing or purification using higher amount of high concentrated ethanol as well as a
flocculating agent were no longer required.

2.2 Characteristics of porang glucomannan

2.2.1. Lightness values

Glucomannan lightness value isolated by both EtOH7 and

by AA15 was not significantly different from PKG
(purified konjac glucomannan). During milling in ethanol,
the impurities in the fresh tuber of porang can be gradually
removed from surface of glucomannan granule. Longer
milling caused significantly higher impurities detachment.
The higher removal level of impurities resulted in whiter
glucomannan granules.

Fig. 1. Lightness values of CPF, PKG and glucomannan isolated by AA15, AA30, EtOH5 or EtOH7. Each lightness
value is shown beside of each picture label. Different superscripts among mean values indicate significant difference
(p ≤ 0.05).

4. Conclusions

Repeated milling of sliced fresh porang tuber in ethanol followed by filtration without further
purification could be developed as an easier and faster novel method to isolate glucomannan,
with significantly high purity (90.98%), viscosity (27,940 cps) and transparency (57.74%), since
the level of ash and protein content was reduced significantly to 0.57%, 0.31% with no starch
content. The yield of glucomannan was also enhanced by EtOH7. Besides no corm drying
process was required for this method, some other common steps could be eliminated, such as
addition of anti-browning as well as further washing or purification process using flocculants and
higher volume of high concentration of ethanol. The native glucomannan granules were still
amorphous.

Reference
Anny Yanuriatia,b,∗, Djagal Wiseso Marsenob, Rochmadic, Eni Harmayani., 2017.
Characteristics of glucomannan isolated from fresh tuber of Porang(Amorphophallus
muelleri Blume). Carbohydrate Polymers, 156 (2017), 56–63.