Quantitative Estimation of Ethanol In differe...

Quantitative Estimation of Ethanol In different Stage Fruits of Ficus carica

Author Name : Anitha, Mariyam Thahani, Swetha Yadav, Huweydah Imroze

ABSTRACT

Ficus carica fruits have a short shelf life. It is commonly known as fig.The fig fruits contain alcohol, but only in trace amounts that are not hazardous. As the fruit ripens or as time passes before the juice is drunk, the amount of alcohol in the fruit increases. These fruits then become least preferable forconsumption.Unripe figs have a longer shelf life than ripe figs, which degrade due to yeast cells converting the sugar in the fruit to ethanol. Based on the alcohol content, fig fruits are used in different edablepurposes ,if the alcohol alcoholconcetration is lower in fig fruits are used in preparation ofJams,Juices,Candies,Cakes and some flovouring Items and the fig fruits are with high alcohol concentration are used for production of wine,beer and other alcoholic baverages.A small attempt made for estimating ethanol concentration indifferent stages of fruits of Ficuccarica , Calorimetric analysis was used to determine the amount of alcohol in unripe, ripe and hanging, ripe and fallen, and stale fig fruits; which works on the principle of analysing a solution's absorbance of a certain wavelength of light. It operates on the basis of Beer Lambert's law, which stipulates that solute concentration is proportional to absorbance.Acolor reaction of ethanol with potassium dichromate is used in this approach. The colorimetric measurement was based on the creation of green colored chromate ions when ethanol and potassium dichromate, as the limiting reactant, were treated in the presence of intense sulfuric acid. According to the results, the content of ethanol in unripe fruit is significantly lower than in ripe hanging and fallen fruits, making them suitable for making of confectionaries. Because the stale fig fruits have the highest quantity of ethanol, they become suitable raw material for the production of beer andwine.

Key words: Ficus carica, Colorimetry, Ethanol, Potassium dichromate, Sulfuric acid.