Vetiver oil is one of the essential oils with high economic value and various benefits, including applications in perfume, cosmetics, soap industries, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and insecticidal uses. However, the potential benefits are not aligned with its quality, due to the high temperatures in the steam distillation extraction method, which results in a burnt aroma and dark oil color. This study aimed to identify the quality of purified vetiver oil using citric acid-activated bentonite, as well as to determine the most effective treatment to improve the quality of vetiver oil in accordance with SNI 06-2386-2006 through adsorption at citric acid concentrations of 4%, 6%, and 8%, and adsorption temperatures of 35°C and 55°C. The best treatment was the combination of citric acid 4% at 35°C adsorption temperature, which increased the specific gravity from 0,868 to 0,891 and reduced the acid value from 35,06 to 28,05. The oil also showed a color change from reddish-brown to light-yellow with a characteristic of vetiver aroma, although it did not dissolve in ethanol. SEM-EDX analysis confirmed that the bentonite activation was successful, leading to effective adsorption. GC-MS analysis detected 103 compounds in both untreated and best-treated oil, with the main compound ((3S,3aR,6R,8aS) - 7, 7 – Dimethyl – 8 – methyleneoctahydro - 1H - 3a, 6 – methanoazulen – 3 - yl) methanol remained dominant after purification with an increase in vetiverol from 60,82% to 88,08%.
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