Piperine Purification by Recrystallization

Piperine Purification Introduction

Piperine is a natural alkaloid found primarily in black pepper (Piper nigrum) and is responsible for its pungent flavor and distinctive aroma. It has been studied for its potential health benefits, including enhancing the bioavailability of various nutrients and drugs by inhibiting enzymes involved in their metabolism. Piperine also exhibits anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties, making it a subject of interest in both culinary and medicinal contexts. This topic, represents piperine purification method by recrystallization with pictures and video tutorial.

Piperine Recrystallization Reagents and Materials

1. 10 g piperine on the paper filters
2. 250-300 ml EtOH 88%
3. 50 ml EtOH 40%
4. Beakers
5. Filter paper
6. Funnel
7. Heating plate
8. Thermometer

Piperine Recrystallization Procedure

1. It is necessary to move piperine from the filters into a beaker. There is raw filtered piperine after extraction of pepper 10g.

2. A 100-150ml portion of ethanol is added to piperine. IPA can be used instead of ethanol. It’s needed to mash and stir the piperine in the ethanol.

3. The resulting solution is filtered through a filter paper.

4. Another portion of ethanol is added to the piperine solution and stirred again. A magnetic stirrer is used. Also, the piperine is additionally stirred with a glass rod. Piperine is washed on the paper filters until the stop of staining ethanol.

5. A new portions of ethanol are added. The solution is mixed and filtered. Piperine is stopped to stain ethanol in the solution and the transparent solvent is dropped from the filter. Approximately 300ml of ethanol was used in total.

6. The filtered solution is evaporated to crystallization at 50-60°C.

7. The resulting crystals are transferred onto a glass porous filter and washed with a portion of ethanol 50ml 40%. The filter got clogged here, so that the filter was changed. It is recommended to use a filter with pores 100µm; filters with smaller pores are clogged.

8. The crystals are dried on the filter. The yield of crystalline piperine is 7.25g or 72.5%

Meyer Reagent. The Alkaloid Test

Meyer’s reagent is used for a precipitation and separation of alkaloids, as well as as a reagent for their presence. Piperine is an alkaloid.

1. Potassium iodide 0.34g and crystalline iodine 0.17g are placed into a beaker. Next, they are dissolved in water ~10-15ml. An additional portion of water 10-15ml is added. The total volume of the solution is ~25ml.

2. A small amount of piperine in ethanol is placed in a test tube. Next, 3-5ml of the reagent solution is added to the test sample. A cream-colored precipitate is precipitated out.

3. It can be interpreted that the alkaloid test is positive. The alkaloid piperine was found in the sample.

Conclusion

The purification of piperine through recrystallization is an effective and accessible method for obtaining high-purity alkaloid from black pepper extracts. This process involves multiple steps of ethanol-based washing, filtration, and controlled evaporation, ultimately yielding crystalline piperine with a respectable 72.5% yield. The use of Meyer’s reagent further confirms the presence and identity of piperine as an alkaloid through a positive precipitation test. The procedure demonstrated here, supported by visual documentation, highlights the practicality of recrystallization in natural compound isolation and provides a clear example of laboratory techniques used in organic compound purification.

Sources

1. Purification of Piperine by Recrystallization https://bbgate.com/en/threads/purification-of-piperine-by-recrystallization.14340/
2. Shingate, P. N., P. P. Dongre, and D. M. Kannur. “New method development for extraction and isolation of piperine from black pepper.” International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research 4.8 (2013): 3165. https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=65bf51d2530cb8a050be637e12eb121df04e18b2