UNS – The essential oil from ginger, or ginger oil, has become a standout product developed by the Capacity Building Program (PPK) Student Organization (Ormawa) of the Agribusiness Student Association (Kamagrista) at Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS), Surakarta. The team maximized the use of ginger waste from the production of instant ginger. This valuable product results from collaboration with Sekar Arum Women Farmers Group (KWT) in Karanganyar.

Ginger is one of the rhizomes cultivated by the community of Genengan Village, Karanganyar. It offers various health benefits and can be transformed into several products. There are three different types of ginger: red ginger, elephant ginger, and emprit ginger. Sekar Arum KWT has been cultivating emprit ginger, turning it into dried ginger (simplisia) and instant ginger products.

Field research conducted by the PPK Ormawa Kamagrista team revealed that ginger production generates waste, often discarded. In response, these UNS students from the Faculty of Agriculture (FP) offered a solution. Using innovative vacuum distillation technology, they helped maximize the utilization of ginger waste by transforming it into essential ginger oil, an aromatic oil commonly used in aromatherapy and known for its health benefits.

Ginger can be extracted into essential oil due to the presence of zingiberene, a compound that produces its distinctive aroma. Essential oil extraction can be done through distillation, and one effective method is using a vacuum distillation machine. To support Sekar Arum KWT, the Kamagrista UNS PPK Ormawa team provided a compatible vacuum distillation machine, allowing the group to produce ginger oil from ginger waste. The machine was specially designed to meet the needs of their small-scale production.

The machine was designed with an adjustable processing speed, suitable raw material capacity, and other specific details to ensure the efficient production of ginger essential oil. This equipment donation symbolizes the collaboration between the community and students, further advancing the objectives of the PPK Ormawa program led by Kamagrista UNS.

The handover ceremony of the vacuum distillation machine was attended by the Genengan Village Head, Samsi Wahyono, Sekar Arum Women Farmers Group (KWT), and representatives from the village’s youth organization (Karang Taruna).

“With the vacuum distillation machine, we hope that the Genengan Village community, especially the target groups, can start producing essential ginger oil from the ginger waste leftover from instant ginger production, which would otherwise be discarded,” Listyan Anggraeni, Head of the Kamagrista UNS PPK Ormawa team, said on Monday (9/9/2024).

During the event, the team also conducted a demonstration and introduced the machine’s components, explaining the functions of each part.

“In the future, we hope this vacuum distillation machine will be used to its full potential to produce high-quality aromatherapy oil. We encourage the Genengan Village community to actively participate and fully support the Kamagrista PPK Ormawa program, both morally and practically,” she concluded.

Humas UNS

Reporter: R. P. Adji Editor: Dwi Hastuti