Vol. 1 No. 2 (2022): The QUEST: Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development
Articles

Utilization of Plant Material Extracts as Natural Acid-Base Indicators: An Example of At-Home Lab Experiment in the New Normal Learning Set-Up

Darwin Reyes
Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology
Miguel R. Santos
Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology
Jocelyn B. Cruz
Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology
Faye G. Ascaño
Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology
Beverly B. Baldovino
Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology
Bernadette L. Camarillo
Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology
Recheline V. Inoncillo
Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology
Lester Jayson L. Saavedra
Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology
Czarabelle Dauz
Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology
Alvin R. Ducut
Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology
Mery Grace B. Guela
Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology
Elena C. Lanuza
Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology
Romnick B. Nabor
Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology
John Ronald T. Policarpio
Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology
Dominador M. Santos, Jr.
Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology
Keneth S. Tolentino
Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology
Marvin D. Villanueva
Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology
Sharrise A. Waje
Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology

Published 12/30/2022

Keywords

  • acid-base chemistry,
  • Remote Teaching and Learning,
  • lab at-home,
  • natural indicators,
  • plant materials

How to Cite

Reyes, D., Santos, M., Cruz, J., Ascaño, F., Baldovino, B., Camarillo, B., Inoncillo, R., Saavedra, L. J., Dauz, C., Ducut, A., Guela, M. G., Lanuza, E., Nabor, R., Policarpio, J. R., Santos, D. J., Tolentino, K., Villanueva, M., & Waje, S. (2022). Utilization of Plant Material Extracts as Natural Acid-Base Indicators: An Example of At-Home Lab Experiment in the New Normal Learning Set-Up. The QUEST: Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.60008/thequest.v1i2.14

Abstract

In response to the remote learning and teaching setup in science due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a lab at-home experiment was conducted where various plant materials were prepared and used as natural acid-base indicators for various household substances. The experiment is designed for the students to apply the fundamentals of intensive laboratory for science education: laboratory safety, laboratory apparatus, laboratory techniques, data documentation, and lab report writing. Presented herein are the results obtained during the experiments conducted at home that focused on the application of various plant extracts as natural indicator. Observable color changes showed that the tested plant extracts responded to the acidity and alkalinity of the various household substances. The science behind the color changes is attributed to the presence of various phytochemicals that change colors when protonated and deprotonated. The potential of the results obtained in the experiments is very promising as it can be further developed and optimized to an analytical procedure that can be applied in testing of acidity and alkalinity in various applications such as food safety and quality, environmental monitoring, materials testing, pharmaceutical analysis, and clinical diagnostics. Moreover, the experiment explored here presented lab teaching strategies that can be applied in the remote learning setup: formulate and design a home-based laboratory experiment that will cover the underlying scientific theories and skills and provide the students the opportunity to explore, improvise, apply, and present information that will holistically develop them as science educators for their current and prospective students.

 

Full Paper

References

  1. Adusei, E. B. A., Adosraku, R. K., Oppong-Kyekyeku, J., Amengor, C. D. K. (2019). Investigation of acid-base indicator property of plumbagin from Plumbago zeylanica Linn, International Journal of Analytical Chemistry, 2019, Article ID 4061927, 13 pages. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/4061927
  2. Babinčáková, M., & Bernard, P. (2020). Online experimentation during COVID-19 secondary school closures: Teaching methods and student perceptions. Journal of Chemical Education, 97(9), 3295–3300. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00748
  3. Bernardo M. K. O. & Organo V. G. (2014). Chlorophyll as a simple, inexpensive and environment-friendly colorimetric indicator for NO2 gas. Oriental Journal of Chemistry, 30(2), 445-449. http://dx.doi.org/10.13005/ojc/300206
  4. Caruana, D.J., Salzmann, C.G. & Sella, A. (2020). Practical science at home in a pandemic world. Nature Chemistry. 12, 780–783. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-020-0543-z
  5. Diaconeasa, Z., Știrbu, I., Xiao, J., Leopold, N., Ayvaz, Z., Danciu, C., Ayvaz, H., Stǎnilǎ, A., Nistor, M., & Socaciu, C. (2020). Anthocyanins, vibrant color pigments, and their role in skin cancer prevention. Biomedicines, 8(9), 336. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines8090336
  6. Galingana M. O & Organo V. G. (2016). A simple colorimetric procedure for differentiating anions using flower pigments from Anthurium andreanum. Oriental Journal of Chemistry, 32(3), 1347-1352. http://dx.doi.org/10.13005/ojc/320308
  7. Guidote, A. J. M. (2020). Teaching college chemistry in the time of COVID-19 pandemic: A personal account of teaching in the old normal vs. the new normal. KIMIKA, 31(1), 70-75. https://doi.org/10.26534/kimika.v31i1.70-75
  8. Hazra, A. (2021). Indicator made from countryside flower petals. Oriental Journal Of Chemistry, 37. 1252-1256. 10.13005/ojc/370534
  9. Ibarra-Rivera, T., Delgado-Montemayor, C., Oviedo-Garza, F., Pérez-Meseguer, J., Rivas-Galindo, V., Waksman-Minsky, N. & Pérez-López, L. (2020). Setting up an educational column chromatography experiment from home. Journal of Chemical Education, 97(9), 3055-3059. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00532
  10. Kapilraj, N., Keerthanan S., & Sithambaresan, M. (2019). Natural plant extracts as acid-base indicator and determination of their pKa value. Journal of Chemistry, 2019, Article ID 2031342, 6 pages. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/2031342
  11. Lavanya, D., Guna, G., Purushothom, A., & Pallavi, A. (2018). Green Chemistry: A study on acid-base indicator property of various flower pigments. International Journal of Research and Development in Pharmacy & Life Sciences, 7. 3155-3163. 10.21276/IJRDPL.2278-0238.2018.7(6).3155-3163
  12. Nguyen, J. G., & Keuseman, K. J. (2020). Chemistry in the kitchen laboratories at home. Journal of Chemical Education, 97(9), 3042–3047. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00626
  13. Paristiowati, M., Moersilah, M & Stephanie, M. M., Zulmanelis, Z. Idroes, R., & Puspita, R. A. (2019). Rosa sp and Hibiscus sabdariffa L extract in ethanol fraction as acid base indicator: Application of green chemistry in education. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1402. 055041. 10.1088/1742-6596/1402/5/055041
  14. Patil, N. & Datar, A. (2015). Extraction, stability and separation of anthocyanins of Ixora coccinea Linn. International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 7, 198-202.
  15. Sampim, T., Phupa, S. & Sampim, S. (2019). Efficiency and effectiveness of universal indicator from native plants in south of Thailand. Journal of Physics: Conferences Series, 1340, 012018. 10.1088/1742-6596/1340/1/012018
  16. Sanchez, J. M., Fernandez, M. J., Abgao, J. M., Sarona, H., Asenjo, S. B., Guiroy, B., Oponda, A. J., & Vale, X. (2021). Experimenting on natural acid-base indicators: a home-based chemistry activity during the COVID-19 pandemic as evaluated by teachers. KIMIKA, 32(1), 34-45. https://doi.org/10.26534/kimika.v32i1.34-45
  17. Sanjay, P., Isaivani, I., K., Deepa, K., Madhavan, J., & Senthil, S. (2019). The preparation of dye sensitized solar cells using natural dyes extracted from Phytolacca icosandra and Phyllanthus reticulatus with ZnO as Photoanode. Materials Letters, 244. 10.1016/j.matlet.2019.02.072.
  18. Senathirajah, T., Rasalingam, S. & Ganeshalingam, S. (2017). Extraction of the cyanidin-3-sophoroside from Hibiscus rosa-sinensis: an efficient natural indicator over a wide range of acid-base titrations. Journal of Natural Product and Plant Resources, 7(3), 1–7.
  19. Stephanie, M. M., Moersilah M., & Paristiowati, M. (2020). Jambolan fruit peels (Syzygium cumini l. skeels) as substitute for synthetic acid base indicators: implementation of the ESD concept. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1521. 042073. 10.1088/1742-6596/1521/4/042073
  20. Vijayanand, S. & Khalid, M. (2019). Study of Brassica oleracea as natural alternative to synthetic indicator. Asian Journal of Chemistry, 31. 251-254. 10.14233/ajchem.2019.21486.
  21. Villa-Rivera, M. G., & Ochoa-Alejo, N. (2020). Chili pepper carotenoids: nutraceutical properties and mechanisms of action. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 25(23), 5573. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25235573
  22. Zheng, L., Liu, L., Yu, J., & Shao, P. (2022). Novel trends and applications of natural pH-responsive indicator film in food packaging for improved quality monitoring. Food Control, 134(108769). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2021.108769