Abstract:
This investigation studies the concentration and optical properties of chlorophylls and
carotenoids in two edible Moringa leaves (Moringa oleifera and Moringa stenopetala)
located in three woreda/district sites in the Gamo Zone,Ethiopia. The selected samples were
examined for their compositional quality by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy after microwave
digestion, and a Lichtenthaler and Wellburn law (Beer-Lambert Law) was formulated to
show the concentration of chlorophylls and carotenoids in moringa leaves and the optical
properties characterized by absorption peak wavelengths, intensities, and molar extinction
coefficients. Comparative analysis revealed significant variations in pigment concentrations
across the solvents. Sample taken from Mirabe Abay Woreda, in ethanol solvent showed the
highest extraction efficiency for chlorophyll-a in Moringa oleifera /ml), while
acetone was most effective for extracting chlorophyll- a
sample taken from Arba minch Town, acetone yielded the highest concentration of
Moringa stenopetala. The optical property of the dipole
moment reveals that the highest value in MO, with 1.0022 × 10³¹ Cm in Cx+c, while in MS,
was observed in Cx+c. Additionally, the molar decadic absorption coefficient
reached its highest values in MO and MS for pigment Cx+c, measuring 1,681,702.17 m²
and , respectively. The UV-Vis analysis revealed that distinct
optical properties between chlorophylls and carotenoids, with chlorophylls exhibiting strong
absorption in the red and blue regions of the spectrum, while carotenoids showed prominent
absorption in the blue-green region. The results of this study have useful applications for the
food industry, pharmaceutical companies, plant industries, and environmental agencies.
