Pembuatan Selulosa Mikrokristal pada Serat Daun Tigarun (Crateva magna DC.)

Indonesia’s pharmaceutical industry faces a heavy reliance on imported raw materials, highlighting the need to explore sustainable local alternatives. Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) is a fine, white, odorless, biodegradable powder derived from cellulose, widely used in pharmaceutical formulations as a filler and dry binder in tablet production due to its excellent compressibility and flow properties. In this study, Crateva magna DC., locally known as Tigarun, was investigated as a novel source of MCC. The research aimed to isolate and characterize MCC from Tigarun leaf fibers. The process involved alkali treatment, bleaching, and acid hydrolysis, resulting in α-cellulose with a yield of 35.43%, from which MCC was produced with a high yield of 84.27%. The isolated MCC was then evaluated for its physicochemical properties, including organoleptic characteristics, solubility, melting point, and pH. Results indicated that the MCC from Tigarun exhibited a white to light brown crystalline powder, was odorless and tasteless, and showed positive qualitative identification through color change to violet-blue with zinc iodide reagent. The product was insoluble in water, ethanol, hydrochloric acid, and ether, and only slightly soluble in sodium hydroxide 1N. The melting point was recorded at 260°C, with a pH value of 6. These characteristics are comparable to those of commercial MCC (Avicel® PH 101), suggesting the feasibility of Tigarun as a viable local raw material for pharmaceutical excipients.