Chemical Composition of Parenchyma and Vascular Bundle from Elaeis guineensis

Abstract

Elaeis guineensis is an alternative source of raw materials for renewable energy in Malaysia. Thus, to enhance the use of the abundant biomass generated by the oil palm industry in Malaysia, a study was conducted in view of exploring the chemical composition such as sugar potential of this industrial byproduct. In this context, oil palm trunks were separated into individual cell that are parenchyma and vascular bundle to investigate the fundamental research about oil palm trunk. The aim of this study was to examine the chemical composition of parenchyma and vascular bundle of oil palm trunk. The oil palm trunk was kept under shade at room temperature of 28–30°C for 0, 45, and 60 days. The chemical composition analysis was carried out according to TAPPI methods. Based on storage time and different part of oil palm trunk, the result has shown that the sugar content was higher in parenchyma compared to vascular bundle and increase at the storage time of 0, 45, and 60 days while amount of starch showed decrease at the same storage time. It shows that conversion or fermentation of starch to sugar occur in oil palm trunk during storage times of 0, 45, and 60 days, respectively.