Obtención de ácido carmínico a partir de la cochinilla dactylopius coccus costa, como colorante natural en la estación experimental Tunshi, Chimborazo

Abstract

The main objective of the research was to obtain a natural colorant based on the cochineal Dactylopius coccus costa extracted from the Tunshi experimental station located in the Chimborazo province. It started with the estimation of the size of the cochineal according to the Peruvian Technical Standard (NTP 011.225:1988 Cochineal Size, Revised 2021), and followed by the extraction process and determination of the yield. The methodology used was divided into five stages: collection, chemical physical analysis of the raw material, cleaning and initial conditioning, extraction and yield. On the other hand, the collection was carried out through a selection process, while the physical analysis was deduced through an objective description of the cochineal, and in the chemical analysis, components such as: humidity, wax, ash and the quantification of carminic acid (ACAR) were evaluated through the use of a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. For the ACAR extraction process, the crystallization methodology proposed by Gibaja-Montes was implemented with variables in granulometry and temperature, determining a total of four processes. As a result, it was obtained that the cochineal reached an absorbance of 0.270 at 494 nm by spectrophotometric quantification being equivalent to 19.42% ACAR. Moreover, the ACAR in crystals reached a final yield of 2.436 g which is equivalent to a yield of 81.2%, belonging to process number four with variants of granulometry of 425 µm and a temperature of 90°C. Likewise, it made a determination of shades in different solutions, as well as a dyeing test on fabric from the ACAR obtained. Thus, it was concluded that an efficient boiling of the cochineal establishes a maximum degree of exhaustion. Finally, it is recommended to investigate the uses of cochineal wax for future research, due to it is a natural wax that can be used as a coating agent.