Shelf-Life Prediction for Ethanol Extract of Clitoria ternatea Flower Petals using Accelerated Shelf-Life Testing Based on Arrhenius Method


Authors: 1. Kavindhya H.A.C 

                2. Samarawickrama D.S

Affiliations:

Journal: Vijoriya International Journal for Research & Innovation
ISSN: 3107-9806
Volume: 1 | Issue: 1 | Year: 2025 (July–December)
Pages: 94 – 101
Published on: December 14, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.65595/MDQO2737

Abstract

Clitoria ternatea, commonly known as ”Nil Katarolu.” is a readily available plant in Sri Lanka. The flower petals of this plant are widely used in the food and beverage industries as a natural colourant due to their vibrant blue colour. The presence of a group of anthocyanins known as ternatin is responsible for this blue colour. Other than that, the flower petal of Clitoria ternatea offers a good source of pharmacologically active compounds responsible for potent antioxidant, anti-diabetic, and antimicrobial activities, which include tannins, saponins, triterpenoids, flavonoids, and alkaloids. In Sri Lanka, dried flower petals are commonly used to extract the natural colourant. This drying process can degrade the bioactive compounds present in the flower petals. Therefore, the development of natural colourants using fresh Clitoria ternatea flower petals is important in preserving its pharmacological benefits. In this study, the shelf life of Clitoria ternatea fresh flower petal ethanol extract is determined using the Accelerated Shelf Life Arrhenius model. Here fresh flower petals of Clitoria ternatea were extracted using a 40% ethanol solution. The characteristic absorbance peaks were identified, and a comparison was made between dried and fresh flower petal extracts. Fresh flower extracts showed absorbance peaks at 620 nanometers and 574 nanometers, an indication of the presence of certain phytochemical compounds. The stability of extracts over the 32 days was checked by monitoring the change of these two peaks under different temperatures; 10°C, 28°C, and 40°C. Results indicated that the moisture content of a fresh Clitoria ternatea flower petal was 92.07 ± 0.7%. There are similar peaks of absorbance observed for the phytochemical compounds in the extract of fresh and dried flower petals. This indicates that the same phytochemical compounds are present but that the ratio between the two characteristic absorbance peaks is highest in the fresh flower petal extract, thus a more favorable phytochemical profile. The degradation of the fresh flower petal extract over time was found to follow a first-order kinetic model. The shelf-life of the fresh flower petal ethanol extract, stored at 28 °C without any preservation, was estimated to be 34.69 days.
Keywords: Clitoria ternatea; natural colour; Shelf life

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Cite this Article:  Kavindhya, H. A. C., & Samarawickrama, D. S. (2025). Shelf-Life Prediction for Ethanol Extract of Clitoria ternatea Flower Petals using Accelerated Shelf-Life Testing Based on Arrhenius Method. Vijoriya International Journal for Research & Innovation, Volume 1(1), 94–101, July– December 2025. https://doi.org/10.65595/MDQO2737