The Effect of Solvents and Extraction Techniques on the Quality of Mangrove Crab Shells Gelatin (Scylla serrata)

Gelatin is frequently used in various aspects such as in pharmacies, cosmetics and food. The need for gelatin increases every year, but it has limitations related to the halal element, especially in Indonesia. Mangrove crab shells are an alternative raw material for making gelatin, which is clearly halal and safe. This research aims to measure the effect of solvent types and extraction techniques on the quality and characteristics of the gelatin produced. This research was designed to optimize the quality of crab gelatin using a completely randomized design. The treatments used in this study were the use of CH3COOH 1% (A1) and NaOH 1% (A2) solvents and the extraction techniques of an autoclave, 1 atm pressure at 100°C for 1 hour (B1), and a water bath at 70°C for 2 hours (B2). The results show that the mud crab shells had characteristics that were almost similar to the gelatin Standards, so they had the potential to be a natural resource for gelatin production. The best quality of gelatin was shown in the treatment using CH3COOH 1% and autoclave 1 atm pressure at 100°C for 1 hour, producing a yield of 25.53 ± 3.16%, ash content of 2.81 ± 0.07%, fat content 8.06 ± 1.15%, water content 9.96 ± 0.35%, protein content 61.28 ± 1.23%, pH 5.43 ± 0.46, viscosity 5.98 ± 0.59 cPs, and gel strength 68.16 ± 0.57 bloom. Therefore, the selection of solvents and extraction methods plays a critical role in determining the efficiency and quality of gelatin production, particularly from crab shells.