EFFECT OF TIME AND TEMPERATURE ON REFLUX EXTRACTION OF TESTOSTERONE FROM SEA CUCUMBER (HOLOTHURIA SCABRA J) AS SOURCE OF NATURAL TESTOSTERONE

Testosterone, the steroid hormone, is not only produced by sea cucumber but a lot of other organisms as well, which is used to sex reversal and aphrodisiac. This research aimed to invent extraction method, conventional (maceration, reflux and percolation), which is capable to yield highest steroid of sea cucumber extract. Raw material shown characteristic as sea cucumber which is contain water rate 88.99%, protein rate 38.96%, fat rate 4.18% and dusty rate 31.43%. Effect of temperature (40, 50 and 60°C) and time (0, 30 up to 240 minutes) on scale-up reflux extraction also studied. In scale-up reflux extraction of 3000 ml showed increasing temperature will increase sea cucumber steroid extract (%). The influence of extraction duration at temperature 40, 50 and 60°C showed result of 0.68, 0.69, and 0.84% content, respectively.