Effect of Drying Pretreatment Methods on Amla (<i> Emblica</i> officinalis ) Extracts Obtained Through Maceration Using Ethanol as Solvent

This study investigated the effects of drying methods on the yield, bioactive compounds, and antibacterial activity of amla extract. Fresh amla was oven-dried and sun-dried at different temperatures and ground into powder. Bioactive compounds were extracted from amla using maceration with ethanol as a solvent. The amla extract was used for the antibacterial susceptibility test using the agar disc diffusion method. The yield of amla extract increased with increasing drying temperature. The highest yield (53.47%) was obtained at a drying temperature of 70 degrees C. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis confirmed that sun-drying and oven-drying exhibited no qualitative effect on the bioactive compound in amla extract. FTIR analysis also indicated that amla extract contains bioactive compounds, validated by phytochemical analysis. The antibacterial activity of oven-dried samples at 40 degrees C produced the largest inhibition zone (24.57 mm) compared to sun-drying and oven-drying at other temperatures. It can be concluded that drying temperature, especially higher temperatures, had a significant impact on the antibacterial activity of amla as its active components degraded.