RATIH KUSUMA WARDANI* AND PRASETYO HANDRIANTO**
Akademi Farmasi Surabaya, Indonesia
*(e-mail : ratihkusumawardani19@gmail.com; Mobile : +62 82233610419; **prasetyohandrianto@gmail.com;
Mobile : +62 81248464051)
ABSTRACT
Porang tubers were one type of tuber that contained a lot of glucomannan. Glucomannan was widely used in the food industry as a food thickener. In the health sector, glucomannan was a good food if consumed by people with hypertension and diabetes. The use of porang tubers as food was still very little. This was due to the high calcium oxalate content. Calcium oxalate could cause itching and burning in the tongue and throat when consumed and could cause interference with the kidneys. Objective of this study was to reduce calcium oxalate levels in porang tubers. Decreasing calcium oxalate levels was done by soaking porang tubers in the chips form with a solution of lime juice and vinegar with a variety of solution
concentrations. Soaking porang tubers in the 5% lime juice solution showed optimal results which were able to reduce calcium oxalate levels by 58%. Using 15% vinegar showed better results compared to 5% lime juice. Porang tubers, which had been soaked with 15% vinegar, had decreased calcium oxalate level by 68%. From the results of these studies, it could be seen that the immersion treatment with a solution
of lime juice and vinegar effectively reduced calcium oxalate levels in porang tubers.
Key words : Tubers, porang, oxalate, vinegar, lime juice