Extraction and Characterization of Essential Oil from Ginger Using N-Hexane as Solvent.

Ginger (Zinigber Officinale Roscoe) is one of the most widely used species in the ginger family and is a common condiment for various food and beverages. Ginger has a biological relevant to Humans Health. The aim of this experiment is to extract and characterise essential oil from ginger using n-Hexane as a Solvent . This experiment aim was achieved in which n-Hexane was used as the solvent and it was conducted using a soxhlet apparatus set up. The parameters used in carrying out this experiment are Particle size, Time and Quantity of solvent. The particle size varies from 250um and 500um while the time ranges from 30 mins to 150 min respectively, while that of the 500um particle size ranges from 30 to 90 min respectively in which 25 g of the ginger sample was used and 180ml of the solvent was used in carrying out the experiment. The percentage yield gotten from the experiment are 12.01%, 24.2%, 28.24%, 12.28%, 18.48%, 9.48%, 6.8% and 8.84% respectively. After extraction process the physio-chemical properties were determined which include: saponification value, acid value,free fatty acid and iodine value in which their values are 78 mgKOH/g 2 mgKOH/g 1.00g and 2.99g respectively. Due to this research it is hereby revealed that the saponification value indicates that ginger essential oil can be used as a washing agent and it also is slightly ac-idic. Hence it can be used for pharmaceutical purposes.